AEBC would like to provide timely and interesting articles on many aspects of bird keeping. All of these articles have appeared in our “BIRD INFORMATION AND EDUCATION BOOKLET” that we distribute free at all our events. Just because we received permission to use them doesn’t mean that you can. Contact the authors or contact us for reuse information.

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THE BIRD CLUB AS A TOOL
LOOKING FOR A YOUNG PARROT
WHEN BIRDS ARE BITING
WING CLIPPING
EMERGENCY SICK BIRD CARE

THE BIRD CLUB AS A TOOL

Scenario one:
You are sure your daughter’s new best friend, the cockatiel you bought at the pet store, is about to die; it’s screaming in fear and panic in the middle of the night, banging itself against the cage bars, and feathers are flying everywhere. You try to calm your sobbing child, telling her it will be all right (although you’re thinking it probably won’t be), place the poor creature on a towel in a shoe box and rush to the emergency vet clinic. After a quick exam you’re assured that the bird was only experiencing a “night fright” and that cockatiels usually go through this with no ill effects. After a hefty emergency room bill and a late night trauma the ordeal is over and you’ve learned a bit more about your new pet.

Scenario one – take two:
You are sure your daughter’s new best friend, the cockatiel you bought…. etc., etc. You look in your bird club directory and find quite a few members listed as cockatiels breeders. One quick phone call and you are assured that this behavior is not at all uncommon in these great little birds. Bird’s fine, daughter’s stopped crying, and you don’t take a late night trip and don’t write a check.

Scenario two:
You’re convinced that your Eclectus hen is just about the most perfect bird on earth and you would like to make more of them. That means finding her the perfect mate. You go to every pet shop in town (you just missed the last bird mart) with no luck except the beautiful male of unknown age the store will sell for only $1500.00. No. So you put a classified ad in the paper for a week ($40.00). Two call result. The first is pretty sure his parrot is an Eletrus, thinks it’s a male and it always eats all it’s sunflower seeds. No. The other wants to know your address and when you leave for work. No.

Scenario two – take two:
You’re convinced that your Eclectus hen is just about…etc., etc. You look in your bird club newsletter and find an Eclectus male for sale from a breeder not too far from your home. He invites you to come over and see his aviary and the bird. You walk away with the bird you want at a good price and confidant that he was raised in a caring, clean environment.

These little dramas illustrate two of the most useful tools available to the bird club member, the membership directory and the newsletter. These publications alone are worth the small dues charged by most clubs. In fact, they are the ONLY tools used by most members.

However, for those members who take advantage of more of the club’s offerings there are plenty of other useful tools. By going to the meetings you meet people who have their own unique solutions to problems we all face when we care for and raise birds, and they are usually more than willing to share their experiences. If you had rather research your feathered friends on your own, use the club’s library of books and periodicals. Want a custom cage built, buy supplies to make your own bird toys, or find where to buy specialty foods at the best price? The information is all there at the bird club. Even the most experienced aviculturist will find different (and maybe better) ways of doing things by having a network of people with the same interest who have dealt with the same problems.

Your local bird club and the national organizations they are affiliated with are tools you need in your box. The benefits far outweigh the cost and, best of all, you’ll have a great time! [return to top of page]

Tom Kinsey AEBC 2001

BUY QUALITY
Now, more than ever; it is essential for us all to support the breeders and bird shops who care about both the emotional and physical development of their chicks. Although some people are far more educated about the importance of early socialization, others are still clueless enough to buy young parrots and supplies from pet chain stores, and those breeders and bird shops that still use production methods to raise chicks. These people have little or no concern for their chicks or their potential to be successful companions.

PRODUCTION MENTALITY
1. Parrots are purchased from multiple sources with little or no regard for disease potential and quarantine principles.
2. Parrots are routinely purchased from mass production sources such as Kaytee Preferred Birds
3. Incubator hatching from day one with no exposure to natural parents. (This can prevent the development of a healthy immune system.)
4. Babies are kept in well-lighted aquariums - a totally unnatural environment.
5. A meat market atmosphere with dozens of babies in "bins" -- it is impossible for baby parrots kept in this manner to get any individual attention.
6. Babies are gavage (tube) fed for expediency.
7. Babies are all fed from the same syringe, squeeze bottle, etc.
8. Weaning babies to a seed or pellet only diet.
9. Forced weaning for the convenience of the facility before the parrot is developmentally ready. This often results in insecure and overly needy chicks.
10. Parrots are sold unweaned to people who have no idea of the intricacies and potential dangers of hand feeding. Many parrots are starved, injured, and die from being fed by novice handfeeders.
11. Prophylactic use of antibiotics to "prevent" disease. This can impede the development of a healthy immune system.
12. Poor hygiene in store and parrot enclosures.
13. People are allowed to handle babies without supervision.
14. People are allowed to handle babies without washing their hands first.
15. Little or no avian vet care. There is evidence that some stores routinely euthanize sick birds rather than spending money on veterinary care.
16. Provide no opportunity for fledging or quality exercise.
17. Little or no time is spent socializing chicks and/or interacting with them.
18. Young parrots are not taught basic behaviors such as stepping up on a hand.
19. The store or breeder will sell a baby bird to anyone who has the money.
20. The store or breeder provides no education or information about obtaining good information about parrot care.
21. Once the sale is done, the store/breeder provides no follow-up support and fails to warn customers of potential complications.

Reprinted with permission from “Companion Parrot Quarterly” #60
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When Birds Are Biting...
By Valeri McFarlane

Please be aware that no one solution works for every bird and solutions usually apply to different situations: why the bird is biting, the personality and breed of the bird biting, the environment at the time, and other factors. One of the best defenses is to learn the cues, language and personality of the pet bird.

Learn to look for the flashing eyes, the change in expression, the change in feather posture, any particular sounds, and so on. This is not an answer-all, but hopefully a helpful reference tool to be used in learning to read birds and how to respond to correct the problem behavior and work towards the rewarding relationship that makes people enjoy living with parrots.

Why do they bite?
- aggression (of course)
- excitement
- fear
- hunger / thirst
- playfulness
- restlessness (need to go potty or just change scene)
- sleepiness

Lovebirds often utter a little challenge before they bite, some birds growl before they bite, some yelp, but whatever they do every bird signals in some way before they bite, whatever the reason for the bite is. Some birds react viciously to a finger pointing in their face, and again to that finger or hand if it is offered for stepping up within too short a time of the 'finger challenge' - this is excited aggression; the bird perceives a challenge and fights back. Not all birds respond this way, but most smaller birds do - lovebirds, cockatiels, smaller poicephalus, budgies and some conures, for example.

Being careful when offering a head or neck scratch can help avoid some of these bites, which usually happen because a bird's peripheral vision means they really can't see beyond their beak, so their eyes almost literally cross when a human finger comes directly in front of their face, and for little birds it becomes pretty much a big, looming threat because they cannot clearly see what it is directly from the front and being larger than their beak or face.

Other aggressive bites include defensiveness of property (including an owned person), manipulation of a person or situation, and the eternal child within the bird that demands it always have its own way. These are harder to combat, because it takes everyone involved in the situation, participating to resolve it.

Alerting the parrot to the fact that its behavior is not acceptable is key as well, and how that is done will affect how well the bird responds positively and modifies its behavior. Laughing when a bird bites someone else will automatically reinforce that behavior, especially if it is the bird's favorite person who is laughing, and even more so if it is the bird's interpreted competition that is being bitten at the time.

Any time a bird bites an interpreted competitor - boyfriend, girlfriend, etc. - the favorite person should do the scolding and correcting, otherwise the competitor becomes even more of a sworn enemy. If a bird is having a general biting problem with everyone, having the person it seems most bonded to spend time working on the behavior until it is controlled better is often more successful than having everyone involved all at once. Once the bird is better controlled in general, gradual 'reintroductions' with everyone else in general can begin slowly and with careful attention for biting signals so proper interaction can be re-established.

Aggressively cage-possessive birds need to have some kind of play stand away from their cage, and a couple such areas are even better: this expands the bird's territory and decreases its The more time these birds spend out in the open, away from their cages, the less aggressive they will be. A huge cage for a cage-dominant bird can actually increase aggression, so in some cases very aggressive birds can be addressed by moving them into a smaller cage if they are in a 'palatial' home.

'Excitement' bites can occur when a bird is on sensory overload - having way too much fun, experiencing way too many people, or way too many environmental stimuli catching its attention. Technically, the bird isn't doing anything wrong, however the unpleasant behavior still needs to be stopped. Again, the key to this is recognizing signs and being aware of the bird's limits. When birds are playing it's easy to go a bit too crazy, and painful bites can result: when birds start getting too crazy during playtimes, favorite 'beating up' toys can be a great way to let the bird expend its playtime energy in a safer way than savaging and shredding fingers and hands. When company is coming and a bird tends to get 'zoned' or 'keyed up', having relaxing music play - gentle instrumental music is more relaxing than voices, usually - and ensuring guests don't 'crowd' the bird are helpful in maintaining a more even level of 'happy.'

When birds are traveling or visiting, having a favorite toy and favorite treats to allow the bird to retreat into its carrier can help the bird calm down before biting occurs.

Fear biting follows closely on the heels of aggression and excitement, and again is much more easily avoided by recognizing the bird's signals. Never, never force birds to step up for a stranger when they are unwilling - even a vet can be bitten, which is why most vets towel birds: they're not expecting to establish trust, they're expecting to put the bird through a series of tormenting things to ensure it is healthy.

People expecting a friendly bird on first introduction need a gentle reminder that parrots, regardless of their size, are not predators therefore they are prey, and prey is going to instinctively distrust aggressive new situations. We tend to be offended if birds don't instantly feel at home with us, and that often causes us to rush things. Patience and trust go hand in hand, as it takes immense patience to earn a bird's trust in some circumstances, and it always takes some patience with even the best-behaved bird meeting strangers.

Often fear-based biting that is not caught quickly enough becomes a habit, whereby a bird feeling even slightly nervous will bite. High-strung birds, like red-bellied parrots, conures, some cockatiels, scarlet macaws and African Greys, for example, can very easily fall into the pattern of fear-biting the instant they get nervous.

One of the best ways to combat fear-biting, and help a bird work back down from the habit of fear-biting, is to slow down and quiet down when handling the bird especially between people. Speak softly and reassuringly, and relax any 'forced visiting' until the bird regains more confidence. Forcing a bird to share its by 'visiting' with others is almost always counter-productive.

Birds are very social, but it is relationship-based, not just a set of casual encounters. One way to get a bird to want to visit with someone is for that someone to pay no attention to the bird, and focus attention on the other people around - this is especially true of certain breeds, and meeting new people. The bird almost wonders why this new person isn't trying to talk to it and so it gets anxious to talk to this new person. Cockatoos are hilarious when they're anxious to meet someone.

Hunger, thirst, restlessness and sleepiness bites are usually little nips that don't cause much more than discomfort, but left unrecognized and unheeded they can result in habitual biting of more painful strength. Most birds need a break after twenty minutes of handling - and cockatoos SHOULD have a break after twenty minutes of handling, only so much lap-time is good for such mush- pots - so they can refresh themselves, have a bite to eat or a little drink, certainly go to the bathroom in a more appropriate place, get in some good ol' toy chewing, and even rest a while.

If a bird feels the need to do any of these things, and it's still interacting with someone, often it will pinch and fuss. Once a bird starts exhibiting this kind of behavior, it should be returned to its cage as quickly - but gently, the bird is not in trouble - as possible and reassured that everything's fine, food and water and potty are coming.

Playfulness bites can happen in two ways: the bird is going into hyper mode from so much playing fun and starts biting, much like the ‘excitement’ bites; much worse and more dangerous are the bites resulting from the bird playing with a toy, and some part of human anatomy coming between said bird and toy. These bites can be damaging and very, very painful because the bird is not intending to come into contact with something soft like a hand or another bird, it is intending to attack and inflict damage or destruction upon a toy, perch, branch etc.

These bites can also happen with jewelry, which is one reason why jewelry is best removed before interacting with parrots. Plastic toy jewelry is still not safe, as the bird can injure the wearer by trying to play with the jewelry.

Being careful to avoid human physical contact when birds are playing with objects helps to keep the mentality that humans are not to be bitten even in fun. Wrestling and gentle beak-playing can be practiced carefully, providing that such play stops before the bird becomes too hyper and biting, but such games must still take care not to teach birds that biting people is NOT fun. It is much easier to avoid picking up such habits in the first place, than to try to unlearn them.

Breed-Specific Biting Patterns
It is important not to categorize a bird because of its breed, but it is also important to be aware of common traits of a species and provide latitude for a pet bird to exhibit these traits while getting acquainted with the bird. Being aware that scarlet macaws tend to be less outgoing than blue and gold macaws can help people to be more conscious of watching for nervous reactions before they become bites.

Being aware that lovebirds tend to fight rather than to play can help avoid nasty bites from well-meaning people who tried to use their own hands play with a lovebird. Being aware that certain breeds of conures - the sun, some jendays, and some of the other smaller conures - are more prone to nervousness and fear- biting can help to increase awareness of possible situations that can arouse such fear and nervousness.

Some reputations are well earned, and as such some birds require almost formal respect, such as the Amazon family who are notorious for unpredictable biting. As one Amazon lover once said, "My Amazon is not unpredictable - I always know when he's going to bite me!"

Amazons are famous for their pinning, flashing eyes and their fanning tails: it is VITAL to learn which pins, flashes and fans mean "You really are my very favorite person and we're just having SO much fun together!" as opposed to "Take one more step and you're gonna get it."

Amazons are very easy to get wound up and over-excited, and careful direction of their activity to words, songs, sounds, imitations and echoing games can help to channel their creative energy into other things than brutalizing, attacking and annihilating.

Providing ample toys to vent the natural chewing and aggression is important for most birds, but especially for very active and aggressive birds like amazons. Anyone who has seen paired amazons knows that to love you is to bite, fight with, try to beat up and expect beatings in return from you. Amazon pairs that do not fight, are probably not going to work out. Seriously.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, which is why it is vital to take a breed's reputation into consideration when getting to know a bird, but the bird still needs ample room to show its own individuality before it is labeled with breed-generic traits.

Blue and gold macaws are generally known to be affable - meaning they enjoy socializing, being the center of attention and interacting with people. My blue and gold macaw used to hide whenever people came over, and now he's adventurous enough to say 'Hello' to some of the repeat company, but he still beats it to the top of his cage where he's safe from the socialites below.

My Moluccan cockatoo actually prefers this, as she enjoys dominating all company, parties, dinners and visits whether it's one person or twenty people. Some moluccan cockatoos are very reserved around visitors and new people, but my Moluccan is completely unaware of this.

Just because a breed is prone to a certain trait, does not mean that trait should be accepted with a
shrug: it should be watched for, properly redirected and carefully controlled when it does happen. Part of training includes responding to unacceptable behavior. Part of responding involves knowing the bird and the breed tendencies, as well as knowing the source of the biting.

Some breeds of birds need to be ignored when they assert themselves by biting, and others need correction and positive redirection immediately: two primary breeds that really should not be ignored are African Greys and amazons; they can be like cobras when they bite, biting repeatedly and stubbornly to the point of injury; conures and macaws can be gnaw-biters, which is often painful and frustrating, but also is often intended to test and draw a reaction and when none is drawn the biting eases off and stops - depending on the situation.

Macaws are famous for test-bites when meeting new people or testing new situations: they will lunge without landing a bite to see if someone flinches; once someone flinches, they're done for and that macaw will always lunge for them and actually bite once the lunging itself stops getting the flinch. Eventually, when the biting does not result in flinching, the macaw will get bored and stop, but that is often many bites later.

Sometimes abused macaws will lunge and bite because they are afraid of being hurt and just want to get it over with, and those bites are intended to hurt because the bird feels the only control it will ever have is being the first to hurt, as it expects to get hurt anyway.

Abused and neglected birds will also bite to drive people away because either they have been hurt and want no more of it, or because they have no experience with affection and physical interaction so they fear it.

These are not typical biting scenarios but they are definitely becoming more common. There is no easy key to resolving this kind of biting, or even avoiding it because to work with the bird will ultimately mean challenging its physical comfort levels to demonstrate to it that it is safe and no harm is intended in spite of its previous experience.

Simply being patient, very, very patient can lessen the fear. It is always advisable to give any new bird time to adapt to a new home and new flock before attempting physical interaction, but especially in the case of previously owned birds.

Establishing passive interaction after the bird has stopped demonstrating obvious fear and nerves in its new home is the first and most important step to helping a new bird settle.

Letting the bird set the pace at which it becomes acquainted with its new environment and flock will also go a long way to establishing a basis for trust. Pushing a new bird to become social and 'step up' can add stress and fear if the bird isn't ready to meet its new public yet.

Establishing a relationship means both parties have a say in what goes on, whether it is the party with skin and clothing or the party with skin and feathers. Showing a bird that its opinion and feelings have value, is a large step in earning that bird's trust, love and respect.

Everyone who owns a parrot will, at one time or another or several others, be bitten or at least nipped. Some parrots, like macaws communicate with their beaks a great deal, and the gentle beaking of a pet parrot can be one of the sweetest, cutest things, not to be mistaken with a bite.

A parrot-bite is not of the same nature as a dog-bite, painful though it may be; biting is a communication form with parrots, usually the last resort when all other efforts to communicate a message of displeasure have gone un-heeded.

The best thing is to know the signs of a bite coming and prevent the bite in the first place, but not overreacting - which is the very hardest thing when a parrot is attempting to remove a body flesh without any anesthetic - is one of the most significant things in changing the behavior.

Copyright © October 2002
Behavioural, Introductory, Relational and Developmental Services

Valerie McFarlane is a bird enthusiast and consultant who lives with her husband and 10 assorted parrots in Ontario, Canada. Her passion is helping others understand, enjoy, and care for their avian friends. Her web site, www.b-i-r-d-s.ca, is full of information on every aspect of bird care, and well worth a visit.

According to Ms. McFarlane, “I do not have all the answers, of course, but I share what I learn with everyone just as I learn what I can from others who have discovered things that I have not yet experienced myself. I have learned about biting by being bitten, and I will still be bitten in this lifetime because I'm not perfect yet but I do what I can to learn from these things so I can improve my own relationship with my pets as well as help others who wish to improve theirs as well.” [return to top of page]

A wing trim, when properly performed, should result in a bird that cannot fly, but can glide gracefully to the ground. The bird should not develop any lift in still air and still be aesthetically pleasing in appearance. Wing clipping is meant only to eliminate the possibility of upward flight, and that their birds may still retain some ability to fly horizontally, and may even gain lift in the wind. Birds should not be taken outside unless confined to a carrier or cage because of the possibility of escape or, if startled, sudden (if short) flight into trouble.

Many aviculturists prefer that young birds learn to fly prior to their first wing clip, and I tend to agree. Weaning birds should develop takeoff and landing skills. This helps them develop balance and an overall grace and agility that I believe is lacking in birds that never fly prior to clipping.

The main purpose of wing clipping is to prevent upward flight in a bird and not to render a bird flightless. A properly clipped psittacine should glide gracefully to the ground and have enough feathers to break its fall. Heavy bodied birds often sustain injuries from having too many feathers removed, the most common injuries being laceration to the keel or leg fracture. Occasionally, a heavy fall results in the bird chipping off the tip of the rhinotheca, causing moderate to severe hemorrhage. Unclipped birds are perhaps more at risk: inside the home from numerous hazards, and outside the home, by escaping, which can be dangerous for them and adds to the growing concern among state and federal wildlife officials about the possibility of non-indigenous birds adapting and reproducing.

Improperly clipped parrots, especially African greys and cockatoos, seem to become irritated by half-clipped or ragged feather shafts poking them when their wings are closed at rest. This can dispose to feather-picking problems.

Each feather should be clipped below the level of the first vein and barb, well below the level of the covert feathers over them. Clipping feathers distal to the coverts creates a ratty appearance of the feathers.I have found that cat claw clippers, "White" dog nail clippers and bird claw clippers are the three sizes of clippers necessary to clip psittacine feathers. Scissors are not recommended for several reasons. If a bird flaps its wings while the feathers are being trimmed, the point on the scissors can puncture or lacerate skin. It is also more difficult to accurately snip the feather at the correct location using scissors, as they can slide up and down the feather shaft. Clipping straight across the primaries at the level of the coverts can result in damage to blood feathers and can even result in partial amputation of a wing.

Each rachis should be individually isolated and identified, then grasped by the clippers and swiftly cut, making sure not to cut the overlying covert feather. Begin clipping at the last primary feather and clip four primaries (10, 9, 8, and 7) on each wing. Some clients prefer that the last two or three primaries on each wing be left intact for aesthetic reasons. If these are spared, the wings give the appearance of being intact when folded in the resting position. However, strong fliers (like cockatiels) may gain enough lift to still retain the ability to fly. Also, the two or three feathers are likely to bend, break or get caught in cage wires. For this reason, I discourage leaving isolated feathers on the ends of the wings.

After the four primaries are cut on each wing, the bird should be tested indoors, over a carpeted area, to see if more feathers should be removed. Holding the bird on a perch or arm, quickly drop the bird downwards, causing the bird to flap its wings and jump off. Additional trimming should be based on the bird's ability to gain lift or fly horizontally. It is best to clip conservatively and remove additional feathers as needed. The owner can be shown how a bird should land after a wing clip.

It is important that the primary feather be clipped below the level of the barbules. A half-clipped feather will allow more upward flight, and will necessitate the removal of more feathers to restrict flight than a technique that removes the entire feather.

Cockatiels are powerful fliers and may often need six to eight feathers trimmed on each wing. Budgies will also usually require trimming of about six primaries. As a rule, overweight or heavy bodied birds need fewer feathers removed than birds of normal weight or trim bodies. Overweight Amazons may only require about four or five feathers per wing removed. The old adage about "stopping at the red" for Amazons, meaning to stop clipping when you get to the primaries with red on them will result in the average Amazon having too many feathers clipped. Amazons drop heavily if too many feathers are taken and often sustain injuries. Macaws usually need the last five primaries cut (6-10). Cockatoos, which are usually leaner birds, often require seven primaries be removed. Conures and other small bodied, long tailed birds may require five to seven feathers clipped. Each bird should be conservatively trimmed and more feathers taken if necessary after flight testing, as previously described. The individual bird's ability to fly will vary.

Most avian veterinarians and aviculturists agree that both wings should be symmetrically trimmed. An asymmetrically clipped bird will spiral and lose its balance, leading to increased incidence of trauma.It is important to identify each shaft prior to clipping the feather. If in doubt, soaking the wings with water and alcohol will reveal exact location and growth condition of feathers. It is also easier to hold feathers or barbules out of the way if they are not scheduled for trimming. Blood feathers can also be identified and should not be clipped. Finding a blood feather provides an opportunity to educate the client about blood feathers (what they look like and what to do if one is accidentally clipped or injured). I will leave one feather on each side of a growing blood feather a little bit longer (one to two inches) than the blood feather, to offer protection for the growing feather. It is helpful to know that in a normal molt feathers are usually shed symmetrically so that if a blood feather is encountered at a specific location on one wing, you will likely find a blood feather at the corresponding location on the contralateral side. If this occurs, advise the client to bring the bird back in a couple of weeks to finish the trim, and to treat the bird as fully flighted until that time. Occasionally, a blood feather on a wing may become injured while catching a bird. The damaged feather should be shown to the owner, and if possible, removed in front of the owner to illustrate how to deal with a broken blood feather.

The blood feather should be grasped with an appropriate sized hemostat and, holding the wing, pulled straight out in the direction of growth. Moderate pressure is applied to the follicle with a sterile gauze sponge. In cases where the follicle continues to bleed, hemostasis may be achieved using a hemostatic agent gently applied with a cotton-tipped applicator.

It is preferable to have two people perform the wing clip: one person to hold the bird, with or without a towel, and a second person to perform the clip. During trimming, the bird should be restrained and the wing held gently and firmly, supporting the humerus. Holding the wing by the distal primaries or by the metacarpal area puts the bird at risk of wing fracture (usually of the humerus) should the bird try to flap its wing. Be sure that the person holding the bird does not apply undue pressure on the body of the bird. Sometimes people tend to be more tense in these situations and may hold the bird too tightly. [return to top of page]

EMERGENCY SICK BIRD CARE
by Heike Ewing

There are five important elements to consider in supportive care of a sick (or injured) bird, listed in order of importance: 1. Heat 2. Humidity 3. Fluids 4. Nutrition 5. Quiet/Level of Activity

1. Birds use a considerable amount of their energy and metabolic resources in keeping their body temperature up (at around 104 degrees.). Therefore, the single most important thing you can do for a sick bird is to artificially support its temperature, thus freeing as much of its energy as possible for dealing with the illness. The correct temperature is at least 85 degrees, and 90 degrees is preferable. Turn up the heat past 85 until the bird begins to pant, then slowly back it off just until the panting stops. When the bird begins to recover, remember to lower the temp gradually, no more than 5 degrees per day, until back to room temp.
      
2. Humidity is extremely important in cases of respiratory involvement in the illness, as it eases the breathing and helps the bird keep the air passages clear and moist. A vaporizer is best, a humidifier will work, and in a pinch placing the bird in the bathroom and periodically running hot water in the shower is better than nothing. If there is NO respiratory involvement, or the bird is physically injured and not ill, humidity is not so important. Respiratory involvement is indicated by any of the following: wheezy, raspy, bubbly, or clicking noises in the breathing; discharge from nostrils; breathing heavily or with difficulty (if the tail moves noticeably as the bird breathes, it is breathing heavily); beak held open to breathe but not panting.
      
3. A sick bird is easily dehydrated, especially since it may not drink as much on its own, its temperature is elevated, and its digestion may be disrupted. In extreme cases a veterinarian may administer fluids under the skin, but oral fluids are also very helpful. If your bird isn't drinking a lot on its own, give fluids from your finger, a spoon, or by syringe. Some suggestions for fluids to give: Infalyte brand infant electrolyte solution, apple or grape juice, D5W (medical glucose/saline solution), bottled water with a little sugar or honey. Don't use Gatorade, it's too high in salt!
      
4. As you are maximizing the amount of energy the bird can use in fighting the illness by elevating the ambient temperature, you should also ensure that food energy continues to be available. The best things to give a sick bird are high in carbohydrates and easy to digest. Examples: hand-feeding formula, infant rice cereal, baby food, ground-up pellets mixed with fruit juice, molasses, honey, Instant Ounces brand emergency food for birds, cream of wheat, papaya juice or nectar, fruit juice (except orange). If your bird doesn't eat on its own while ill, you need to hand feed it, or force feed it if necessary. Birds can starve to death in 48 - 72 hours when healthy, and can go even faster when ill. Inadequate nutrition will severely impact the bird's ability to recover from the illness.
      
5. Keep an ill or injured bird quiet and inactive. Keep it in semidarkness with no toys and nothing to climb or play on, much as you would keep a sick child in bed and encourage it to sleep. Limit noisy activities or move the bird to a quiet part of the house. Additional notes: If the bird regurgitates food or fluids, you may be giving too much. Try smaller amounts more frequently. If your bird is on antibiotic therapy, remember that these drugs also kill the "friendly" bacteria that help it to digest its food. Give yogurt, bene-bac, lactobacillus supplement, or acidophilus to help digestion and to prevent backlash Candida (yeast) infections. If you see any sign of yeast (white spots in mouth or on tongue), call the vet and get an antifungal preparation to give with the antibiotic.

Reprinted with permission from Parrothouse.com
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