![]() We call them ‘floppers.’ They must be carefully supported in order to fill their crops safely,” Saydak said.Īfrican grey parrots also tend to be very slow eaters. “Some baby greys are so content that they are too lazy to even sit up for feeding. A lot of times, baby African grey parrots have no desire to learn to eat on their own they would rather have their parents or hand-feeder feed them instead. ![]() In captivity, baby African grey parrots can be a challenge to feed and wean, according to Dennis Saydak, an aviculturist in Manitoba, Canada, and director of The Parrot Association of Canada. An Amazon parrot, on the other hand, may take half that amount of time living with its parents. That means that the species is genetically programmed to need that amount of time to mature,” Wright said. ![]() “Greys may live within their family groups in the wild flocks for as long as the first year of their life. Here’s a sampling of what they had to say: African Grey ParrotsĬompared to the quicker maturing South American parrots, African grey parrots are considered to be slow maturing birds. I asked a number of aviculturists to share their observations of the baby birds they breed – both in terms of physiology and behavior. In general, the smaller bird species have fledged and left the nest before the larger parrots have even become fully-feathered.īut there a lot of other, perhaps less obvious differences, as well. For instance, most people know that a larger, longer-lived parrot such as a blue-and-gold macaw takes longer to wean and develop than a smaller, shorter-lived species such as a budgerigar. There are some fairly obvious differences between bird species. You’ll know whether or not these things are normal. Furthermore, you won’t become as unsettled if you see some seemingly “strange” behaviors or physical characteristics in your baby birds. “This allows you to optimize your management practices prior to and during the breeding season as well as the adolescent development period for the fledged youngsters,” said Dewayne Weldon, an aviculturist in Texas who specializes in budgerigars (parakeets). Understanding how your companion parrot developed as a baby allows you to develop realistic expectations for the relationship you have with your bird, Wright explained.įor those interested in getting into bird breeding or who are new to aviculture, knowing what to expect in the bird species you’re going to breed, makes you better prepared for dealing with potential challenges in the chicks you raise. “The more you know about the development background of your bird species, the better you will understand your pet bird and how to work with it,” noted Maggie Wright, an African grey parrot enthusiast and author of African Grey Parrots: A Complete Pet Owner’s Manual (Barrons, 2001). Whether you’re a new bird owner or someone interested in bird breeding, it’s helpful to know something about your chosen species’ early development. ![]() “Even as babies, they can be quite different from each other.” Sometimes these behaviors carry on into adulthood, she said, while other times the behaviors stop once the bird weans or hits sexual maturity. “Certain bird species are going to be more inclined to exhibit particular traits and behaviors than others,” said Virginia aviculturist and macaw specialist Kashmir Csaky. ![]() And if you’ve had experience with more than one type of bird, you may notice how babies of one species behave differently than that of another. You can see some very definite personality traits surfacing. Now you’ve got a bird on your hands that might be super bold, playful, energetic, inquisitive, gregarious, talkative, athletic, boisterous, shy, quiet, spunky, headstrong or timid. But one thing is for sure – baby birds can be real characters! Of course, during the first week or two of life, the typical psittacine or softbill hatchling may basically do just three things: eat, sleep and eliminate.īut then suddenly, one day you get a taste for who this young bird really is. These are not the easiest questions to answer, especially since you can’t ask your bird why it does what it does and expect a reply. Have you ever wondered why Huey, your 4-month-old yellow-naped Amazon parrot, is so darn independent? Why is it that Bart, your newly-fledged black-headed caique, can’t resist leaping over to your cockatoo’s cage and making himself a pest? Is it normal for Cuddles, your baby sun conure, to sleep on her back on the bottom of her cage? And what is it about your baby chattering lories that makes them cry so much, even after you’ve just fed them and you know their bellies are full? ![]()
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