So you want a pet bird...

Pet birds can be a great source if joy, but can also teach you to be responsible, especially if you're a kid. I'll assume you want  parakeet, also known as the Budgerigar. Birds need to be maintained - well fed, fresh water and new newspaper. Daily. But before we get into that, you need the supplies. What are they?

1. Bird cage - you bird's cage should be at least two times taller and two and a half times wider then the bird itself, to give him/her some room to fly around.
2. Food - Do you know what type of food to get your bird? PetSmart and Petco both have a wide variety!
3. Water - Spring and purified are the best, because there's no chlorine. The chlorine in your tap water can severely shorten your bird's life.
4. Newspaper - Any newspaper will do good. Its a lot easier to have newspaper in the bottom tray than a handfull of bedding. Bedding is expensive, anyway!
5. Toys - Birds get really bored really easily, so having a couple toys is good. Nothing fancy, but a chew toy and a bell or mirror would do it. If you like to have them out, then maybe consider a play gym.
6. (Maybe) another bird - It takes double the maintenance, but having another bird is really fun. They might like each other! Plus, if you have a male and a female, then they might mate and you'd have a bunch of budgies then!

If you're just a kid and you're reading this because you want a pet bird, you probably have no idea what you're getting yourself into. But if you get help from Mom and Dad, that's definitely a huge weight off your shoulders. And for parents: I know you think birds are messy, but they make a lot of cute noises, they look nice, and most birds (especially parakeets) are really easily tamed! I know because I have one of my own. It makes kids really happy to have such a cute little animal perched atop their shoulder.

Now that you've read this (I'll assume you didn't just skim over the negative parts), you probably want one. If Mom and Dad are okay, then get out there and choose one!

Wait, wait, wait! I forgot the most important part of buying a bird: Choose wisely. At places like PetSmart, you only have a fourteen day money back guarantee. Choose the youngest male, as they're the easiest to train and handle. And when you get him home, leave him alone. A lot of kids reach right in there after they bought them. The new little guy will be really stressed, so after a week approach the cage slowly, and just stick your hand in there until he relaxes. then you can get him out. Even after that, he'll be freaked out. He'll fly, so if they give yo an option to clip his wings at the pet store, go for it.

Have fun with your new pet!

Birdlog #3 - 01-01-14: More birdy small talk, getting to know Louis and James

Again, today there aren't many birds at our feeders except a couple house Finches and maybe a Dark-eyed Junco or two. Which is one of the reasons that I hate winter: The only birds you see are the regulars, making today's rounds at your feeders.

Louis (left) and James (right).

So for a couple months I've had some pet budgerigars (FYI, for all you non-birdlovers, a Budgerigar is just a type of parakeet). They're names are Louis and James. Louis is green with a yellow head, and James is blue with a white head. Like most parakeets, they both have barring on the back of their heads. Why haven't I posted about them? Well, originally this blog was about wild birds. Well, since you voted yes, now I can. I wasn't keeping 'em secret!
I bet that Louis is the squirmiest Budgerigar that you'll ever see. And when we first got him, he broke his tail against the bars of the cage. In fact, you can see it in that picture to the left of this writing.
James is weird. He kinda flip-flops in between biting you and not biting you if you stick your hand in the cage. If he's stressed, sometimes he'll even fluff up and rush at your hand!
I'm not exactly sure about their ages/gender, but I'm pretty sure that they're both at least 8-9 months old. James is totally a boy, but I'm not sure about Louis. I think he's a boy, too.
You can tell a Budgerigar's gender by the cere, or, for you non-birdlovers, the little bit of skin covering the nostrils. On a boy it's neon blue, but on a girl it can be pink or brown. And as your bird gets older, his/her cere will begin to look crusty, but do not fear! It's completely normal. And if he/she grows little things that look like pepper, it means he/she's molting. And he/she'll get kinda moody, so you won't wanna take it out for a while. But when it's done molting (6 weeks or so), feel free you handle him/her again!

End.

So you want me to post about pet birds...

...Okay!