Introduction
In part one of Expanding Their World we determined that energy is what drives our birds and companion birds have a ton of it. It's obvious that birds in general are naturally full of energy just by judging the long distances they fly each day. Our companion birds have the same amount of energy as their wild counterparts as captivity does nothing to lesson it. Unlike the wild birds who can fly to release energy our companion birds are often forced to bottle theirs up and once the cork pops the results can be explosive.
It's up to us to find ways to help our birds release their energy if not they will release it the only way they know how, through their beaks. This is where our perception of behavioral problems comes in. We perceive screaming and biting as behavioral problems but that's not usually the case. Behaviors such as these are generally the result of pent up energy. Again, if they can't release their energy in a positive way, they will release it through their beaks.
We may think that housing our birds in a large cage gives them enough room to spread their wings but that's only the beginning. We need to give our birds a huge exciting life by expanding the world around them but first we need to expand our own way of thinking.
My Job as a Bird Owner
Actually, I don't view myself as a bird owner at all. I'm what you call a Recreational Specialist. Some of my job requirements are as follows:
*Planning and over seeing various forms of recreational activities both indoors and outdoors
*Scheduling and participating in field trips such as visiting parks, schools and veterinarian offices
*Designing recreational spaces and attending to the daily maintenance
*Shopping for and installing toys, ropes, swings and other forms of exercise equipment
OK, this may sound a bit comical but it's the truth. This is my job. Every single day I have to plan different ways to keep my birds moving. Physical movement is of great importance since our birds should be flying for hours during the day. For captive birds, keeping them active and moving is the next best thing. You will notice that I stress "movement" as often as possible.
Over the years I have worked very hard at my job and even to this day I critique my own work every evening. The evaluation is based upon how my birds react to roosting time. If my birds put up a fight and start running when it's bed time, I know I didn't do such a good job. If, at the end of the day, my birds appear exhausted only having enough energy to eat dinner and "fly" to their roosts, that's when I can say, I did my job well.
In the beginning I didn't always view myself in this way, I thought of myself as a responsible bird owner who was very hands on with her birds; keeping them close to me so they would be safe and secure. I expected them to react like any "pet" would, expecting them to be content because they had my full, undivided attention. I thought their needs were all met until that one day ... they started biting the hand that feeds them. Clearly, I was doing something wrong.
Since I was on a hiatus from work I had enough time to start reading and studying the work of various ornithologists and avian field researchers. I dedicated all of my free time to rescue work, assisting in the placement of unwanted birds. I focused on learning all about their behavior studying their every move. Eventually I came to realize what I was doing wrong with my own flock. I was treating my birds like pets, instead of the wild animals they are. I was going completely against their natural grain. My birds didn't need me as much as they needed me to help them spread their wings and be birds.
That's when I changed my perceptions, becoming a self proclaimed Recreational Specialist. In the process I also shifted my birds' focus. Instead of focusing on me they focused on multiple fun activities, keeping themselves busy and active for hours. Today they are so busy being birds they have little time to pay much attention to me. Finally, they are no longer "pets" they are wild animals living big lives. They remain wild but tame and are very well adjusted.
Around the time I had my epiphany I was thrilled to meet other Recreational Specialist who shared much of the same job duties as I did. Their birds were healthy, active and well adjusted, These people were very good at thier jobs. Noting my success and the success of others confirmed my theory, our birds need a big expanded world and they can have it, even in captivity.
Cages & Playgrounds
Expanding our birds' world starts with lots of movement. As mentioned in part one, the first movement of the day comes easy. Every morning we start off by moving our birds from the roost to a playground.
Playgrounds need to be large areas where our birds can move around and stay busy. A cage will not work as a playground if your bird also uses it as a roost. As we mentioned in part one, due to the average schedule, the bird will be locked in the same place for 21 hours straight making it a jail not a play space. If we want to turn our cages into playgrounds, we need to provide our birds with a separate roosting place at night. Come morning he will look forward to "flying" to his fresh playground where he can stay active for several hours during the day. Of course the cage needs to be large enough for your bird to actually play, instead of sitting all day. This is why it's so important that we purchase large cages. Regardless of the size of the bird, if he is going to be kept in a cage most of the day a large cage is a must. Small birds need to be in large cages, large birds need to be in Jumbo cages, I see no reason for anything in between.
Since the cage is going to be used as a playground we have to make certain it's full of movement to discourage our birds from just sitting all day. Remember, movement is the key to burning energy. One perch per cage is more than enough stationary equipment. Stretching cotton ropes across the cage promotes movement. Layering, as I call it, will also allow your bird to utilize every square inch of his cage.
Layering is the building of several "levels" or "floors" within the cage. The top floor is the bird's penthouse which is created by hanging boings and swings from the very top of the cage. Hanging a bucket way up high provides plenty of activity once your bird reaches the Penthouse. Below that a bird bed creates a "second story" for your bird to play on. More toys should hang next to the bed at equal level. A ladder leading from the second floor transports your bird to the third floor where you put small plastic kiddy chairs and tables at the bottom of the cage. Toys sit on the table with a bucket of more toys hidden underneath it which creates the basement. Now your bird has four floors to play on all within one cage! Since the bottom floor and basement contain plastic "furniture" even if you bird makes a potty while in the penthouse, the plastic furniture can easily be wiped clean.
Other Playgrounds
In addition to cages we need other playgrounds
such as bird rooms. I wont spend much time
discussing bird rooms in this segment since you
can click on the photo to learn how you can create
one for your own bird. All this takes is an area in
your home, dedicated to your companion. For those
of us who do not have extra bedrooms to turn into
a playground there is another alternative, indoor/outdoor aviaries.
Indoor & outdoor aviaries can either be built or purchased, depending on your needs. Average prices range from several hundred dollars to about one thousand. Sizes also vary starting around 4 feet and building up to more than 8 feet! Although an indoor/outdoor aviary may sound expensive at first, the benefits are priceless. This gives your bird a large safe playground which will keep him moving for hours each day.
In addition to cages and aviaries a simple kitchen table can also serve as another playground, especially for small companions. I clear off our glass table and cover it with a sheet. I then pull all of the chairs back and put newspaper down on the floor. On top of the sheet I use plastic crates to create my layers. Sometimes I'll also use a box or a children's plastic chair. Next comes buckets full of toys and a large basket filled with whole fruits and vegetables to encourage foraging. Foraging in itself burns energy! My Macaws enjoy this playground but it especially suits my Eclectus who can play there for hours (under supervision).
Moving Between Playgrounds
Regardless of which playgrounds you are using it's best to have several and it's a good idea to keep your birds moving between them as often as possible. Movement is key. My flock may spend an hour playing inside and before they know it they're moving outdoors and even back again. I never allow them enough time to get bored or scream, they are way too busy.
Field Trips
Another playground is the bird crate in the back of my
SUV. At first you may not think of a crate
as a playground but it makes a terrific one. Best of all
it's constantly moving! Start with a large crate for
smaller birds and a jumbo crate for larger birds. Mine
is the largest I could fit in the car, it's made for dogs
such as Doberman Pinchers. As you can see in the photos
the crate is also layered. Every chance I can get I'm
taking the birds on a field trip. We may run a few
errands such as dropping off laundry or going to the
bank. On weekends we may be gone for an entire day!
Regardless of how long we are gone, the flock returns
home very fatigued. They don't just sit in the crate they
are climbing around, dancing to music and always looking out of the windows and sunroof. They watch cars passing by, pedestrians walking around and other birds flying over head. They also love to talk to large trucks and fire engines zooming by. "Hi. Hi! What's that? Oooo-weee, look at that!" If you find your bird getting restless or perhaps in the mood to scream packing him up and taking him on a field trip is a guaranteed remedy to burn his energy out.
Conclusion
Energy is what drives our birds and movement is the best way to help them burn it. Parrots are wild animals and should be treated as such. The information being passed across the Internet claiming that our birds are domesticated because they live in captivity is absolutely false. They are tame but remain very much wild, Once we acknowledge that we are raising wild animals we can begin to understand their needs. Attempting to make a bird conform to what we expect out of a pet is setting him up for failure.
Identifying and recognizing our birds' natural behaviors and instincts can help us provide them with a bigger life. Most of our birds are only a few generations from the birds in the wild. We shouldn't expect them to act like pets any more than we would expect a Lion to act like a kitten. We shouldn't try to contain their screaming any more than we would try to stop a lion from roaring. We don't need to contain their energy, we need to help them release it. If we keep our birds moving, as they would in nature, we are one step closer to providing them with a more natural life. Wild animals are born into a big world, captive aniamls are not. Our birds depend on us to expand their world.
