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And what imitators they are! Multi-colored birds easily reproduce the sound of a running washing machine or a doorbell. And they are much easier to care for than cats and dogs.
Budgerigar
What is the difference: Active, love attention. You can teach not only to speak, but also to sit on your shoulder or fingers. They are less noisy than other brothers. Can be caged in pairs.
Speech ability: They can remember up to 150 words. The speech is not too clear and loud, but the owners will understand the chirping of their pets.
Size: Up to 18 cm
The weight: 30 – 40 g
How long does it live: From 5 15 years up
Corella
What is the difference: Quickly get used to the cage. You can start if there are small children at home. Corella, although of medium size, but if it bites, it does not hurt.
Speech ability: You can teach to speak, but they will not remember as many words as budgerigars, and it will take more time. Pronounce indiscriminately all the words in a row at once. The pronunciation is like a growl.
Size: 30 – 33 cm
The weight: 80 – 100 g
How long does it live: From 8 15 years up
Rosella
What is the difference: It is distinguished by a very variegated color, and in males the color is more saturated. They are considered calm and quiet birds. Unpretentious in content. They can imitate the singing of different birds.
Speech ability: Remember about 10 words. They sing well, whistle various melodies and sounds, can meow, croak, bark.
Size: 25 – 35 cm
The weight: 90 – 120 g
How long does it live: From 20 30 years up
Jaco
What is the difference: The color of this breed is not as bright as that of other parrots: a jaco of a discreet gray color. But they are valued not for their appearance, but for their ability to speak. They quickly get used to the owners and are offended if they are shouted at. This causes them a state of stress, they can begin to pluck their feathers.
Speech ability: They do not just shout out separate phrases, but are able to conduct a dialogue. Words are pronounced clearly, better than other breeds. Among the Jacos, there were birds that memorized up to 2000 words!
Size: 30 – 35 cm
The weight: 400 g
How long does it live: Before 50 years
Amazons
What is the difference: The breed is not noisy, but whimsical. Must be protected from drafts. They love to communicate. The owners need to pay special attention to these birds.
Speech ability: Remember about 60 – 100 words. Can speak in short sentences. Amazons are self-taught. They often mutter something under their breath, or rather under their beak, and then they can give out phrases that no one specially taught them.
Size: 35 – 41 cm
The weight: 400 – 700 g
How long does it live: From 15 50 years up
parrot care
Do parrots need to be vaccinated?
Parrots are not vaccinated by veterinarians, says Oleg Rozenberg, teacher of the circle of veterinary medicine and zoology at the Minor Academy of Sciences. – If the bird lives in an aviary on the street and it has contact with wild birds, then you need to buy a vaccine against Newcastle disease in a pharmacy. Take one dose, add to the bird’s water. The vaccine should be given once a year. If the parrot lives in an apartment, the vaccine is not needed.
In summer, expose the bird to direct sun for 20 minutes every day, this will help prevent rickets that occurs due to a lack of vitamin D in the body.
What to feed birds?
Parrots are fed special food, which is sold in pet stores. As for treats, everything is individual here, you need to try different options and see what your pet likes the most. If we talk about small breeds, some love seeds, others millet and dried fruits, large breeds love walnuts and fruits.
For parrots sitting in cages for a long time, bring twigs of fruit trees (cherries, sweet cherries, plums) with buds that have not been chemically treated. Parrots will nibble on the buds and bark and grind off their beaks.
What kind of water can be given?
Regular boiled.
How to choose a cell?
The cage must be spacious so that the parrot can fly in it. It is necessary that at least the bird can make 4 strokes of the wing from perching (the place where it will sit) to perching. In this case, the wing muscles will work well, the parrot will be comfortable with you.
For large parrots, such as grays or Amazons, you need more space. An aviary measuring about a meter by a meter from floor to ceiling is suitable for them.
Do I need to let the parrot fly around the house?
A parrot should not fly around the apartment all the time. In 90% of cases, the death of these birds is due to the fact that they are released for a walk. Parrots do not navigate the terrain, flying out of the cage, they immediately get lost. If you still decide to let it out, close the windows in the room with curtains. Parrots often hit the glass with acceleration. In addition, a parrot can sit on the door, and if it closes due to a draft, the bird will pinch its paws – consider that you have lost it. Finally, your pet can fly into the kitchen, end up in a boiling soup or peck salt out of curiosity, and it is poison for birds.
Be prepared for the fact that parrots try everything on their beak: they will gnaw on wallpaper, decorative elements, wiring.
What can scare a parrot?
In no case should you grab him by the paws, preventing him from moving. The bird may die of fear. For a feathered bird, flight is a normal, natural state. The parrot must feel that at any moment it can fly away from danger. If it is immobilized, adrenaline is released, and the heart can not stand it.
If a parrot was flying and unexpectedly sat on your shoulder or scratched you, do not twitch. You can not shout, wave your arms. This is perceived as aggression and can scare the pet.
Popular questions and answers
We talked about caring for parrots with teacher of the circle of veterinary medicine and zoology at the Minor Academy of Sciences Oleg Rozenberg.
and how to take care of them?