Bird: Animal behaviour and problems.

      General information

      Birds are specialized vertebrates. They are the only ones to       have a feather coat of horny feathers. While long flight       feathers and contour feathers are important for flying and for a       streamlined build, the shorter outer feathers and down       feathers ensure an effective protection against cold. This is       very important because birds show a high body temperature       of approximately 41°C.

      When looking through the magnifying glass, one can see that       the flags of a feather consist of many feather branches and                                                                                        feather rays entangled among themselves. That's how the wings are made. In the so-called moult, the birds renew their feathers every year. Beaks and feet are very different and adapted to the different habitats and the feeding habits. Droppings and urine are excreted through one and the same cloacel vent.

Social behaviour

Most of the cage birds desperately need one or several fellow species, since in the open countryside they are used to live in swarms. They also frequently clean each other's plumage, perform a courtship display in the incubation period and feed the partner, play together, talk and nibble and sometimes also have small arguments. Already after the first moult, the couples find together. They sit side by side and sleep side by side, seek close body contact and scratch each other lightly at the spots on the head unattainable with the own beak. There are bird species who are almost inseparable. That's why it is better to keep them in couples.

A big No to single animal ownership! Most birds are flock birds by nature who are tied to other birds of their group, but especially so to a feathered partner. Budgerigars and parrots are unhappy if they are kept as single animals, but also canaries and finches, even if they get intensive human love and care.

Behavioural disturbances

There are parrots who pluck out their feathers until the whole body is bare except the head. Such self-destruction is mostly a result of the social isolation and of keeping them in ways not appropriate to their species. Also parasites and deficiency symptoms can be responsible for it. If canaries don't sing anymore, this has often to do with the change of plumage and is not a behaviour disorder. Just think of the unlimited spacious habitat birds have at their disposal in the open countryside! So it is not surprising that it may come to behaviour disorder in a narrow cage.

Man-Animal communication

If you are able to fully interpret the behaviour patterns of the birds, the first step to mutual communication is already done. That's why it is very important in the run-up to the purchase of a bird to read and to study as much as possible about the bird species you intend to choose. There are very big differences in communication between a parrot who is particularly friendly with human beings and the shy finches and canaries. If the parrot wants something from "his" owner, he makes this known to him bluntly. So for instance he keeps his head askew in a certain way, when he wants to be tickled. The canary does not show such signs.
Animals "talk" to their fellow species by body posture, position of the tail, facial expression, vocalization and many more. If the human being has the position of companion and substitute for fellow species, then he must try to make up a little bit for the big deficit. The easiest way to do this is to talk calmly to his pets. Animals are extremely capable of learning and understand very quickly what words, the tone of voice and gestures want to say.

Undesirable behaviour

When birds quarrel and kick each other's belly with wide open beaks, this is a normal social ranking argument. It is also the norm that a flock of finches treats a newcomer rather in a cold way until they get used to him. On the other hand, loud clamour that nerves the neighbours, or the wrecking of the apartment furniture when flying around freely have to be avoided.

Mood barometer

When birds get a fright, they usually hold themselves in and place the feathers close to their body. This can be observed especially with canaries. If there are quarrels and arguments, it is very easy to guess their "temper". Contentedness puts the bird into good temper, he sings, is full of thirst for action, ruffles his feathers and takes care of his outward appearance. Ruffled up plumage does, however, not always mean that the bird feels cheerful, for he could also be ill. Then he would apathetically sit there. In times of moult the bird is so exhausted that he mostly falls silent.

Psychology of animals

To get to know and to interpret the behaviour of birds is the key to a good animal understanding and favoures a psychologically correct acting. The feeding by hand, the friendly talking with the animals and the building up of a mutual confidence helps to overcome the natural flight behaviour of frightened birds.