"The main way it transfers is from infected birds, and you can get it from breathing in or ingesting infected material," Dr Muir said. "That's why you've got to be careful handling birds. "Certainly kissing them is not a good idea, and you've got to be a little bit careful having them around your mouth."
Do you love your bird? That's good but you shouldn't get carried away with your affection. For instance, kissing your bird is not healthy and one reason for this is the disease Psittacosis. Psittacosis is a zoonosis, a disease which can be spread from animals (birds in this case) to humans.
Chlamydophilosis, also called psittacosis, chlamydiosis, and parrot fever, is a common disease of birds. It is also referred to as ornithosis in birds other than parrots. While this disease can occur in any bird, it is especially common in cockatiels, budgerigars (often referred to as budgies), macaws, and lorikeets.
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.
Birds can be kept in the bedroom. However, that does not mean that it's an ideal way to go about it. If you have a spacious home and a conducive living environment, there's no reason why you should have your birds squeeze in the same bedroom as you. Just like humans, birds should also have their personal space.
If you turn on your home's air conditioner, make sure that it is not blowing cold air directly on your bird. Likewise, if you turn on a fan, aim it off-center of your bird's area. Some birds become spooked or just plain annoyed when a fan's breeze hits them straight on.
Sleep cage: A popular one is a sleep cage. A smaller cage that is used simply to put the bird to bed. A sleep cage to be efficacious needs to be placed in a separate space from where family activities are happening, such as a quiet and dark room, spare room or laundry room.
Lovebirds are named for the loving attentive bonds they form with their mates, as well as their owners. Lovebirds do not need to be kept in pairs, as many believe they do, and in fact a single bird is best if you want an animal that's eagerly bonded to their human flock.
Every bird has positive and high energy; birds can love or have feelings of love, hate, fear, etc. Even though birds are not able to express their feelings to us easily through verbal communication, their feelings of love, emotions can show their feelings to people.
Birds are phenomenal pets, and they can bond to their owners and live many, many years, especially some of the larger parrots. But it's not automatic. Birds don't just come into your house, love you, feel comfortable with you, and bond with you immediately. This bond is something that you have to work toward.
The disease is uncommon in people, with about 15 cases reported each year in Queensland. Due to their close contact with animals and birds that may carry the disease, veterinarians, bird fanciers and workers in aviaries or zoos are most at risk from psittacosis.
Disease occurrence and public health significance
Between 2001 and 2014 there were 1687 notifications of psittacosis reported in Australia, with an average rate of 0.5 cases per 100,000 population.
What are the symptoms of psittacosis and when do they appear? In humans, the symptoms are fever, headache, chills, muscle pains, cough, and sometimes breathing difficulty or pneumonia. If left untreated, the disease can be severe, and even result in death, especially in older people.
If a bird isn't breathing but still has a pulse, resuscitation alone is usually a sure fix—though this isn't a case of mouth-to-mouth. Birds can pass diseases onto humans, so instead of breathing directly into a bird's beak, medics use 'intubation'.
So make sure to always kiss the top of the beak and not inside. It may be cute to do otherwise, but I doubt your vet will think so! Article by Jamieleigh Womach. She has been working with parrots and toucans since the age of 17.
Most lovebirds are excited to communicate with new faces, though some bird can be shy or intimidated around new people. A healthy bird will be confident and inquisitive, but cautious and aware as well. If possible, ask to hold or touch the bird.
Birds and reptiles may not resemble humans in many ways, but they cry similar tears.
Parrots are very sensitive to our emotions, sometimes better than we are. Our birds are keen observers of our facial expressions, body language, tone and even energy levels and therefore we have to be cognizant of how our emotions can impact our birds.
CUCKOO IS CALLED A LAZY BIRD BECAUSE IT DOES NOT MAKE A NEST OF ITS OWN ,IT LAYS ITS EGGS IN THE NEST OF THE CROW , WHERE THE EGGS LOOK LIKE ITS OWN.
Parakeets. Parakeets, or budgies as they're also known, are number one on our list because they're the most popular bird pet in the US and because they're the most low-maintenance!
Birds are naturally interested in different sounds and noises, so leaving a radio or television helps to keep them happy and comfortable while they are spending time in their cages.
As long as a dark, quiet and somewhat secluded area is provided for a bird to sleep in, most will be fine without being covered at night. Remember, however, that sleep is vital to a bird's well-being. If you are in doubt about your pet's reaction to being uncovered, play it safe and resume covering the cage at night.
To their surprise, Ulgezen and her colleagues found that all of the birds preferred to sleep under light instead of in constant darkness, and – when given the choice – the birds preferred green over white light sources.