Birds Off the Perch: Therapy and Training for Your Pet Bird - Softcover

Lachman, Larry; Grindol, Diane; Kocher, Frank

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0743227042 ISBN 13: 9780743227049

Publisher: Touchstone, 2003

Synopsis

You love your pet bird, even when he misbehaves, but how can you train him with compassion? Birds off the Perch proves that rewarding good behavior is kinder and more effective than traditional discipline through punishment. This revolutionary approach combines the expertise of an animal behaviorist, a companion parrot consultant and a veterinarian who use "family therapy techniques" - such as learning to respect the bird's boundaries and viewing sibling rivalry in a broad, environmental context - to help you change the mischievous behavior of domesticated birds, including: · Biting or aggression · Screaming · Sibling/bird rivalry · Jealousy toward its human flock members, and · Feather plucking With additional chapters on choosing the right species for your family, breeding behavior and the appropriate medical care for your bird, Birds off the Perch is the only guide you'll need to keep your pet birds healthy and happy.

About this title

About the Author:

Larry Lachman, PsyD, is an animal behavior consultant specializing in dog, cat, and pet bird behavior. He was the Social Cat Columnist for Cat Fancy and lives in Monterey, California.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Chapter One

Birds of a Feather Fly Together

Picking the Right Bird for You

So live that you wouldn't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip. -- WILL ROGERS

So you're thinking of getting a companion bird? Or you're adding to your flock? It makes a difference in your happiness if you are living with a species of bird compatible with your lifestyle and personality. In addition to examining the family system, you should also consider your individual personality type and your pet bird's natural temperament. But a word of warning before we do this: Any individual bird may differ from the temperament generaliza- tions customarily assigned to its species as a group. The following descriptions that we provide are merely to serve as pointers, a place to start if you are considering what kind of bird to get.

Matching Your Personality with the Right Bird

In both of his earlier books, Dogs on the Couch and Cats on the Counter, Dr. Larry emphasized the importance of matching your personality style with the right breed of dog or cat. The same applies to selecting the bird species best suited for you and your family.

Dr. Larry uses the concepts of "personality types" developed by analytic psychologist Dr. Carl Jung, who once served as a protégé of Sigmund Freud, along with two personality tests designed to assess these personality types: the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Keirsey Temperament Sorter Test. Using these concepts and tests, Dr. Larry describes four "base" temperament types for people. You can be an "SP" type (Sensation/Perceiving), who needs to be free to act on impulse and yearns for action and fun. You can be an "SJ" type (Sensation/Judging), who needs to be useful to society, to belong and be appreciated by your social group for doing hard work. You can be an "NT" type (Intuitive/Thinking), who needs to be in control, likes organization, and seeks competence. Or you can be an "NF" type (Intuitive/Feeling), who needs to be in the moment, to be authentic, and has to "feel" things out first. By taking either the Myers-Briggs or the Keirsey Temperament Sorter (www.keirsey.com), you can come up with your "base" type and then know what personality temperament you are and match the right species of bird to that temperament style.

In addition, some species of pet birds also demonstrate SP, SJ, NT or NF-like characteristics (see the following chapter for more details). Assessing both your own personality temperament and the temperament of your prospective pet bird is an important preventive measure against ending up with a severe mismatch, which can lead to a serious
behavior problem and/or having to adopt out your fine feathered friend.

The Most Popular Companion Bird

Despite the allure of the largest parrots, in reality it is a few species of small birds that are most commonly kept as pets in the U.S. These include cockatiels, budgies, lovebirds, canaries, zebra finches and doves. Cockatiels, the "NFs" of the bird world, are small, crested parrots originally native to Australia. They are related to the much larger cockatoos and have characteristics that many people look for in a companion parrot. Cockatiels deserve their popularity. They like to be held and scratched, and are extremely interactive with their owners. Cockatiels stay tame and friendly throughout their lives, with a life expectancy as long as twenty-five years. Cockatiels make good companions for people of many ages. They can entertain themselves when they belong to a person who works outside the home, they are generally gentle enough for responsible children to handle, and they are outstanding companions to both students and the elderly. Cockatiels have been in captivity for about 150 years, long enough to develop many pleasing color mutations. They are also a small bird, with a smaller price tag than many parrot species, and space requirements that can be met by most households.

Budgerigars, popularly known as "budgies," the "SPs" among pet birds, are often considered children's pets. They blossom under the tutelage of an adult, so don't discount the satisfaction available from working with a gregarious budgie. Male budgies can develop the largest vocabularies of any parrot species. One budgie mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records acquired a vocabulary of more than 1,700 words by the time he was four years old. Budgies vocalize in a fast, high-pitched voice. It's not uncommon for someone to have a talking budgie without knowing it. Be alert to your budgie's vocalizations! Budgies come in a fantastic variety of colors and color combinations. Generally, males are friendlier than females when kept as pets. Budgies don't like to sit and be petted or cuddled, but will learn to perch readily on a finger and to accept other restraint and handling. Budgies like to be with their human companion and can be trained to stay on a play perch or shoulder as you go about activities. Budgies can live ten to twelve years, though many die by the time they are four years old. Budgies are prone to cancer, and that has shortened their life expectancy.

Lovebirds have a pugnacious personality. Lovebirds make good companion birds if obtained as a hand-fed baby, then handled on a regular basis. They love to tunnel and burrow into things, like pockets or T-shirts. Female peach-faced lovebirds have an endearing habit of tucking sticks or leaves into their rump feathers to use to make nests. There are three species of lovebirds commonly available, with many mutation colors in each species: peach-faced lovebirds, Fischer's lovebirds, and masked lovebirds. The peachfaced lovebirds are most often kept as pets. Despite their reputation, you shouldn't keep lovebirds with others of their own or different species. They can be nasty cage mates for another bird, but loving individual people companions.

Canaries, finches, and doves are quiet, hands-off pets. They should be provided with an enclosure with room to fly and a proper diet for their species, but they don't require the same amount of socialization as many parrot species. Canaries have been in captivity for about 500 years. There actually are "breeds" of canaries. You shouldn't expect that every canary will be a yellow Tweety bird. Canaries come in colors from sparrow brown to bright red, and with types from trim singers to elongated living feather dusters. If you want a singing canary, you will want to choose a male and keep him by himself. Usually the best time of year to find a canary is in the fall, when breeders are picking out which youngsters to keep for the next year and which need to find new homes. Canaries actually learn new songs every spring, so offer your male canary plenty of music and birdsong.

There are many types and colors of finches, with price tags that also vary. Do your homework about the finch species you choose to keep. Some need live food in their diet, or commonly lay their eggs in another species' nest and so should be housed with a separate species. The type of nest or sleeping quarters they require will vary, so you should learn all you can before setting up a cage of finches. Most finches are kept in pairs or colonies. Both zebra finches and society finches are common, hardy species.

Doves or pigeons have much to recommend them as gentle pets. They don't bite and they do make a lovely "cooing" sound. Most often, doves are kept in aviaries, but small diamond doves or a single ring-necked dove could be kept in a cage and socialized as a pet. There are myriad dove and pigeon breeds. Some tumble in the sky, homing pigeons are trained to race long distances, and there are pigeons with outlandish coloring and feathering.

What Did You Say?

People are drawn to birds because of their ability to use our language. Though most parrot species have the potential for learning to speak, some are more likely to pick up human language. The bird species most likely to talk include the African grey parrot (the "NTs" of the parrot world), Timneh African grey, yellow-naped Amazon, double yellow-headed Amazon, eclectus parrots (the "SJs" of the bird world), blue and gold macaw (one of the "SP" temperament species of the bird world), lories, ringnecked parakeets and some conures (also "SPs" of the bird world). A few non-parrot species are also good talkers. These include the mynah, crow and starling.

With somber grey feathers, a prominent patch of white facial skin and a flash of bright red only in their tail feathers, African grey parrots and Timneh African grey parrots are not highly colored. They are renowned, however, for their ability to accurately mimic sounds and voices. An African grey parrot not only learns words and phrases, but can learn to imitate different voices. Occasionally, a companion grey may not learn to talk at all. Our high expectations for greys come from the results of intelligence research by Dr. Irene Pepperberg with Alex the African grey. Alex has learned to name the shape and material of objects, as well as to voice comparisons such as same and different. As a companion, African greys are not always cuddly, but they are intelligent and companionable. Their natural calls are clicks and whistles, which earn a grey the label of a "quiet" parrot. Of course, if a grey learns a cockatiel call or even a canary trill, it will come out at a big greysized volume and you'll rethink the "quiet" designation.

An African grey parrot or Timneh can live for fifty years, perhaps more. The grey is an intelligent and sensitive species. They need intellectual stimulation and companionship. A grey who does not receive socialization and stimulation may well turn to feather-plucking out of boredom or anxiety. Greys are susceptible to Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease, especially in the first three years of his life. Talk to your veterinarian about prevention of this fatal disease in your pet. Both male and female African grey parrots can talk and can be good companion birds. These birds do not have external signs of their sex; to know a male from a female will require a DNA blood test or surgical sexing.

Many of the large Amazon species speak clearly. Yellow-naped and double yellow-headed Amazon parrots are every pirate's fantasy bird. They are stocky, short-tailed, predominantly green birds. They often have large, loud and hilarious vocabularies. The double yellow-headed Amazon gains a yellow head as it matures, with markings varying widely among individuals. The yellow-naped Amazon is an even larger bird, usually with a tick of yellow at the back of the neck.

Amazons are not dependent on their human companions. They're independent and capable of entertaining themselves. Both sexes of these species are talented talkers, because they are naturally verbal birds. In fact, these are large birds with large voices. Keep that in mind in case you're considering an Amazon. Amazon parrots have gained a reputation as nippy birds that bite without warning. Those who know them best learn to read their body language, and also learn not to try to handle an excited Amazon. Some warning signals are flashing eyes or a wide-spread tail and stiff movements. Setting strict limits for your Amazon is also helpful. These birds are intelligent and need guidance.

Since our companion birds cannot be neutered, most do exhibit some sexual behavior. Amazon parrots are famous for being "hormonal" in the spring, and it is at that time they are particularly difficult to handle. They are also vocal in these seasonal periods. These episodes are most severe when the bird is five to twelve years old. Hang in there, and you'll have many calmer years with a bird who will live to be fifty or more years old. Because of the discipline required to work with an Amazon parrot, and the subtlety involved in reading their "I'm gonna bite" behavior, this is not a good species to choose for families with children.

Both species are among the commonly smuggled species, as they come to us from Central and South America as well as Mexico. Buy your yellow-naped or double yellow-headed Amazon from a reputable breeder. If one of these Amazons is offered to you at a price that's too low to believe, look elsewhere. It is not worth supporting bird smuggling and the parrot abuse associated with it.

Eclectus parrots can be incredibly talented talkers. The male birds are predominantly green, and the females are predominantly red. They make striking couples. Since the sex of most parrots is not evident, this is a plus for the eclectus and makes naming them easier. Eclectus are low-key, quiet parrots. Both sexes can talk, though there is no guarantee that that an eclectus will talk. Eclectus who do talk are adept at learning words, phrases and songs, and speak almost as clearly as an African grey parrot. An eclectus doesn't demand a lot of an owner's attention to be happy, a positive characteristic in busy homes. There are four species of eclectus parrots available in the U.S. They vary somewhat in coloration and size, but are kept equally well as companion birds. All of the eclectus are large parrots and require an appropriately sized cage and play area, along with a supply of chewable toys, and interesting toys and experiences to stimulate their intellect. Eclectus are bright birds, but that's not always a person's first impression. They are deliberate in their movements. When you ask an eclectus to step "up" on your hand, he will think about it for a while, then slowly react. This is not a bird for an impatient owner. Eclectus have bright, iridescent feathering that is almost fur-like and they need to bathe frequently. An eclectus owner should discuss their diet thoroughly with an eclectus expert before taking on their care and feeding. They don't respond to formulated diets as well as other parrots, and will need a lot of fresh foods in their diet.

Lories are bright, brightly colored and intelligent companion parrots. They have special dietary and caging needs, as most species of lories eat nectar and fruit, thus producing loose squirts for droppings. Likewise, softbill talkers such as the mynah, crow and starling have special dietary and caging needs appropriate to the species. It is illegal to keep our native crows as pet birds, but there are non-native species that can be kept and trained to talk. Starlings live in the wild in the U.S., but are an introduced species and so can be brought up as a cage bird and trained to talk. The ring-necked parakeet and many talking conure species, such as the blue-crowned conure, are affordable for more people than larger parrots. Like most parakeets, the ring-necked parakeet is not cuddly or affectionate as a pet, but can learn to speak very clearly. Talkative birds are verbal birds, so keep in mind that none of these species are recommended for the urban or apartment dweller.

Velcro Birds Love Cuddling

Many a companion bird owner has been smitten by the loving, cuddly quality of an umbrella cockatoo. These, along with another large white cockatoo, the Moluccan (the "NFs" of the bird world), are also those most frequently turned in to parrot adoption and rescue centers. If you're at all interested in a cockatoo, do a lot of reading about the species and learn how to acclimate your bird to living with your family. Learn about avian adolescence, so that you can get through it with your companion without adding to parrot rescue statistics.

Umbrella cockatoos are large white cockatoos with an impressive crest, which they can raise when startled or alarmed. The underside of their wings and tail is lemon yellow. They can raise most of the feathers on their body, and will do so in an aggressive stan...

About this edition

• Publisher: Touchstone
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0743227042
• ISBN 13: 9780743227049
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224