CLEANLINESS IS IMPORTANT FOR GOOD HEALTH Cleanliness is important for the bird's comfort and health, and also for your own comfort and health. Ten or fifteen minutes a day will keep your bird cages clean.
Most birds can take care of their own grooming needs, but you may find that sometimes you need to bathe your bird. By gently misting and washing your pet bird, you can clean it. You should also maintain her cage, which can also help keep her clean.
Preening allows the bird to remove dust, dirt and parasites and also realign each feather and their tiny barbules in the right position relevant to the next feather, following the contours of the body underneath. Birds preen several times a day, often for hours, to keep their feathers in top shape.
The entire cage should be sprayed down, washed, or scrubbed down at least once weekly with a non-toxic disinfectant soap and hot water. Most disinfectants should sit on the surface for 15 minutes, followed by thorough brushing. Rinsing with fresh water is essential after the application of any soap or disinfectant.
Bird poo contains uric acid, which is corrosive, and unfortunately your paintwork's worst enemy. This acidity can leave unsightly marks on the paint surface, so unless you're happy to endure the bird poop stains, it's best to rinse off the affected area as soon as you can.
While many young birds do learn to enjoy cuddling, this can actually be detrimental to their health as they mature, especially for a female bird. When parrots are young, they may live in flocks and have companions within the flock.
Birds like to get wet! Just watch the wild birds in a mud puddle after a rain! Water stimulates normal preening behavior. Central heat and air conditioning can make indoor environments as dry as a desert even in humid, rainy places.
Birds have many ways of showing affection for their partners. One way is allopreening, where a bird uses its bill to groom a mate, twirling each individual feather in its beak (like these Macaws.) Other birds present their partners with gifts like moss or sticks.
Parrots may be displaying signs of affection when they rub their beak on you. This is a common way for parrots to show that they trust and feel close to their owners. Other times, parrots may rub their beaks against people or objects as part of preening behavior, which is self-care and grooming.
Birds fluff up their feathers to keep warm, and also when they relax for sleep ... and also when sick. A bird who sits puffed up much of the day is likely in trouble. Tail-bobbing when breathing. Birds who sit there puffed up, bobbing their tails, may be sick.
Cleaning bird poop off isn't hard. Just use water, a microfiber towel, and any car-safe soap. Wipe it away, rinse it down, and don't scrub. The goal is to gently wipe the poop away, not scratch paint or embed the acid deep into the clear coat.
Cleaning seed feeders
Bird droppings and other contaminants may also spread infectious bird diseases. Clean your feeders about once every two weeks, more often during times of heavy use or wet weather or if there have been reports of salmonella in your area or you have seen sick birds in your yard.
DO: Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water right after touching live poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam. Adults should supervise hand washing for young children. available, use hand sanitizer until you are able to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
During a normal day in the wild, birds probably don't have much opportunity to get bored. The hunt for food undoubtedly occupies much of their attention, and they also have to avoid becoming food, keeping an eye out for predators at all times.
Birds have a sensitive respiratory system, so it's best to avoid spraying most common household cleaners in their air space. And moving furniture, sweeping, or vacuuming can certainly send some birds into panic mode.
Things to scare birds away
Flags that move in the wind are the cheapest, most effective ways to scare birds. Predator statues such as lifelike scarecrows, owls, coyotes, snakes or cats that can be moved around every few days. Shiny objects such as old CDs, foil pans or silver reflective tape.
This is called exploratory biting. Birds tend to explore with their beaks, and this includes your fingers or other body parts. Your fingers are very new and interesting to birds, so they are often eager to inspect them. Young birds usually outgrow this behavior as they mature.
Don't touch goose and bird droppings.
Droppings carry germs that can cause many different diseases. Wash your hands thoroughly after coming in contact with droppings. If you must pick up droppings, use a shovel, “pooper scooper,” or gloves. Never use your bare hands.
Birds won't drink or bathe in a dirty bird bath and stagnant, polluted water can harbour diseases and bacteria that can harm birds. A dirty bird bath may also attract mice, rats, and other pests that you don't want to visit your garden.
Bird poop is fairly easy to remove when it's fresh, but not so much after it's been sitting out in the hot sun for a while. Rain will remove pollen and dust, and even dirt, but there's a funny thing about uric acid: it's not very water-soluble. Plain water has little effect on it.