Companion Birds

Companion Birds Increasingly popular Great responsibility 16 million pet birds Great responsibility Specific nutritional and housing requirements Lifetime commitment Many species live 50 to 100 years

Companion Birds Many reasons why birds are ideal pets Highly intelligent Easy to train; inquisitive and smart Require minimal grooming Highly social Fairly inexpensive to feed Can be kept in small spaces Beautiful animals Long-lived companions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKvVaRlz0Y4 Alex the African grey

Companion Birds Psitticiformes Passerines Most common companion bird Over 300 species Parrots Macaws Cockatoos Passerines Mostly songbirds About 5,400 species Finches Canaries

Common Companion Birds Amazon Parrot Budgies Canaries Cockatiels Cockatoos Conures Electus Parrots Love Birds Macaws Quaker (Monk Parakeets) Parrotlettes (Dwarf Parrots)

Feathers Made of keratin Provide waterproof covering Facilitate flight Arranged in tracts or pterylae Unfeathered areas are apteria

Feathers Calamus (quill) Rachis Barbs and barbules interlock Below skin level Hollow central stalk Rachis Above skin level Barbs and barbules interlock Blood feathers contain artery Molt regularly

Feathers Contour feathers Down feathers Powder feathers Give bird shape and color Include flight feathers (remiges), tail feathers (retrices) Down feathers Smaller Lack barbules Provide insulation Powder feathers Barbs break down into powder Believed to keep plumage clean

Feathers Molting Old feathers replaced with new ones Most species molt 2 to 3 weeks a year Amazon parrot molts year round Metabolic rate increases about thirtyfold

Beaks Consist of bones and keratinized covering Grows throughout life of bird Replaces wearing at tips Upper jaw (rhinotheca) Lower jaw (gnathotheca)

Skeletal System Light weight Maintain strength Most are pneumatic Hollow and filled with air spaces connected to the respiratory system

Digestive System Two-part stomach Proventriculus (glandular stomach) Gizzard (muscular stomach) Terminal end of digestive, reproductive, and urinary tracts is the cloaca

Digestive System Esophagus – expanded into the crop which stores and softens food and regulates its flow through the digestive tract Stomach proventriculus has digestive enzymes gizzard functions as teeth

Circulatory System Warm-blooded animals Normal body temperature of 106ºF (41ºC) Four-chambered heart Beats much faster than human heart

Aviaries Provide space for birds to fly freely If temperatures drop below freezing, birds must be moved indoors Requires indoor cages to accommodate ALL birds in aviary

Aviaries

Common Toxicological Hazards Zinc Sources include wire, screws, nuts, bolts, pennies Galvanized cages and dishes present risk Can affect kidneys, liver, and red blood cells Symptoms include: Increased thirst Diarrhea Seizures and death

Common Toxicological Hazards Lead Sources include many household items and fixtures Paint Toys Galvanized wire Improperly glazed bowls Most commonly reported avian toxicosis Affects multiple tissues Symptoms include: Lethargy and weakness Ataxia Circling and convulsions This radiograph shows normal grit in the gizzard, but some of the grit looks brighter than normal. The brighter objects are lead particles, not grit.

Common Toxicological Hazards Nicotine Found in cigarettes, cigars, and cigarette butts Natural form of insecticide Rapid onset of symptoms Excitation Panting and salivation Vomiting May be followed by breathing difficulty and collapse Death is secondary to respiratory paralysis Common response to smoke deposition on feathers is destructive behavior

Common Toxicological Hazards Inhalants Strong odors or smoke are potentially toxic Cookware and utensils coated with polytetrafluoroethylene when overheated Symptoms include: Acute death Breathing difficulty Depression Restless behavior

Common Toxicological Hazards Avocado (Persea americana) Principle toxin is persin Symptoms include: Respiratory distress Congestion Death Onset of symptoms within 12 hours, death within 1 to 2 days Canaries and budgies more susceptible

Common Toxicological Hazards Plants Certain plants cause toxicity Calcium oxalate crystals Cause irritation of oral cavity and tongue Symptoms include regurgitation, pain, and anorexia Signs rarely severe, usually respond to care