Adoption Making The Decision To Adopt Or Buy A Bird
Description
Common Reasons Birds Are Surrendered:
Owners pass away or enter aged care
Owners become homeless
Owner can not pay for vet bills
Owner bought for child and child lost interest
Owner lost interest
Owner wants a cat or dog
Owner got married
Owner had a baby
Owner got a new job
Owner no longer has time for the bird
Bird wants to spend time with owner
Bird makes noise or mess
Bird bites and owner "can't be bothered" to learn how to change the behavior
Bird isn't as tame as owner wanted
Didn't realize how much work they would be
Lifespans To Consider:
Canary 10-15 years
Budgies 10-12 years
Lovebird 10-15 years
Cockatiels 15-25 years
Lorikeet 20-30 years
Indian Ringneck 30-40 years
Alexandrine 30-40 years
Eclectus 30-40 years
Galah 70-80 years
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo 65-100 years
Things To Consider:
Birds are intelligent and emotional beings. You and your family will be it's new flock and it will want to spend time with you. They can be sad and depressed when separated from you. The ideal placement of your bird's cage will be in the family room.
Birds sometimes choose the most unlikely family member to be their favourite, so it is important that all family members are on board with the new addition.
Life changes. Are you willing to accept a bird as part of the family and will they still be a part of the family as life changes?
Birds bite. Some bite to play. Sometimes you get bit out of the blue. You can't take bites personal. Usually, you have to look at what you did wrong and change it.
Birds can be noisy. If you want a quiet bird, there are NOT many options. Birds are noisy. They are noisy when they are happy and noisy when they want attention. I've had canaries and budgies returned because they were too noisy. If you don't like noise, you don't want a bird.
Birds are messy. There's always poop to clean. (Cages need cleaning every 1 to 2 weeks.) And, birds love to throw food on the floor. They love to chew and are not always discriminate on what they chew.
Birds are expensive. All birds from canaries and budgies to Eclectus and Cockatoo need regular vet check ups, quality food, and a regular supply of toys. With birds, toys are meant for destroying, which means you will be buying or making toys often.
Almost Ready To Adopt?
If you have read the above and still would like to adopt, first consider life span of the breed you want. Then, research personalities, diet, noise and mess level, and costs involved. Watching cute videos on the breeds will not give you the best picture. Do research and join forums or FB pages where new owners can ask lots of questions about owning and handling that type of bird.
You can also go in to a local bird rescue and visit or volunteer. This will give you some hands on experience with different breeds and give you an idea of the noise level, mess, and personality types. Remember the life spans for these beautiful and intelligent birds are long, so you want to make sure you adopt a bird that best suits you.
