|
Did you know budgies, parrots and songbirds require regular veterinary attention too?! We advise yearly visits to the vet for your feathery friends. During their yearly check up we will examine your bird’s beak, nails and feathers to determine if they require any specialized attention. Some birds require more frequent examinations.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT:
Each bird should be examined and their husbandry and diet reviewed by a veterinarian at least once a year. Young and geriatric birds, and those showing signs of disease often need more frequent exams.
During the annual physical exam you should review these aspects of your bird's husbandry, diet, and health with your veterinarian:
Do not be surprised if your veterinarian spends more time talking with you than he/she does examining your bird. Most diseases in birds are related to husbandry and problems with nutrients, so it is vital that these be reviewed with you carefully. During your discussions, be sure to ask any questions you may have regarding your bird's health and care. Now is the time to learn from your veterinarian's expertise.
Some interesting facts about birds:
The oldest bird was known as an Archaeopteryx and lived about 150 million years ago. It was the size of a raven, was covered with feathers, and had wings.
The most yolks ever found in a single chicken's egg is nine.
An ostrich egg needs to be boiled for 2 hours to get a hard-boiled egg.
The Royal Albatross' eggs take 79 days to hatch.
The egg of the hummingbird is the world's smallest bird's egg; the egg of the ostrich, the world's largest.
The now-extinct elephant bird of Madagascar laid an egg that weighed 27 pounds.
Precocial birds like chickens, ostriches, ducks, and seagulls hatch ready to move around. They come from eggs with bigger yolks than altricial birds like owls, woodpeckers, and most small songbirds that need a lot of care from parents in order to survive.
Air sacs may make up 1/5 of the body volume of a bird.
A bird's normal body temperature is usually 7-8 degrees hotter than a human's. Up to three-quarters of the air a bird breathes is used just for cooling down since they are unable to sweat.
A bird's heart beats 400 times per minute while resting and up to 1000 beats per minute while flying.
The world's only wingless bird is the kiwi of New Zealand.
Migrating ducks and geese often fly in V-shape formations. Each bird flies in the upwash of its neighbor's beating wings and this extra bit of supporting wind increases lift, thereby saving energy.
Pigeons can reach speeds up to 100 mph.
Swifts, doves, falcons, and sandpipers can approach 200 mph.
Penguins, ostriches, and dodo birds are all birds that do not fly.
Hummingbirds eat about every ten minutes, slurping down twice their body weight in nectar every day.
The homing pigeon, Cher Ami, lost an eye and a leg while carrying a message in World War I. Cher Ami won the Distinguished Service Cross. Its leg was replaced with a wooden leg.
The only known poisonous bird in the world is the hooded pitohui of Papua, New Guinea. The poison is found in its skin and feathers.
The American turkey vulture helps human engineers detect cracked or broken underground fuel pipes. The leaking fuel smells like vulture food (they eat carrion), and the clustered birds show repair people where the lines need fixing.
|
Many people think about getting a pet bird as a pet since they feel most birds cost less and take less of a time commitment than a dog or a cat. This may be true if you get a canary that stays in the cage all the time and all you do is feed it. On the other hand if you purchase a cockatiel or parrot, they require a larger cage, more food, more durable toys, and more of your time. Please research the needs of any pet you are thinking about bringing into your home before you get it. It is not fair to the pet, be it a dog, cat, bird, fish, or pocket pet, to be brought to a house and then be ignored and have its needs neglected.
