FAQ: Supplies for birds

Large packs are often cheaper per kilogram, but food loses freshness over time once opened and can attract moths. Choose an amount you will use within a few months, while litter and paper can be bought in bigger quantities.

Practical gifts include natural perches, chew or foraging toys, a bath, millet sprays or a cage cover. If you do not know the species, choose a versatile toy suitable for small and medium birds.

The biggest one-off costs are the cage and equipment, while ongoing ones are food, litter, toys and perches that need replacing. It is wise to set money aside for the vet as well, because avian care is specialised and a yearly check-up is recommended.

Avian vets often recommend a check-up after getting a new bird and roughly once a year after that. The visit covers weight, feathers, beak and nails, and is a good chance to discuss diet.

It is usually not needed: clean lukewarm water is enough for birds, and shampoos and soap can damage the feathers' protective layer. If the feathers are badly soiled, for example with oil, contact a vet.

Use a new bottle that has never held chemicals and that sprays a fine mist rather than a jet. Spray lukewarm water from a distance above the bird so it falls like rain, and only during the day.

Yes, many hobbyists keep quail and pigeons, but they need different housing from parrots: quail need floor space, while pigeons need a roomy loft with perches. They also have their own feed mixes and often need grit.

It is a powder mixed with water to feed hand-reared parrot chicks. Hand-feeding requires experience, precise temperature and hygiene, so beginners need help from a breeder or a vet.

A product made for another bird species may be too small, too weak or the wrong composition, so it will soon need replacing. First choose what suits your bird, then compare prices among the suitable products.

If possible, put familiar perches, toys and bowls in the new cage and place it in the same spot. For some birds it helps to keep both cages side by side for a few days and let the bird move across on its own.

Some birds are afraid of a bowl of a new shape or colour and stop eating or drinking. Leave the old bowl or drinker next to it for a few days until you are sure the bird is using the new one.

It is not recommended: in a cage standing low the bird feels vulnerable because people look down on it, and there are more draughts and dust near the floor. Other pets can also reach the cage more easily, so it is better on a stand or a piece of furniture.

Signs of a too-small cage: the bird cannot spread its wings without touching the bars, its tail touches the floor, it cannot fly between perches or it often crashes about. Then it is worth getting a bigger cage or letting the bird spend longer outside each day.

Birds naturally sing at dawn, so a cage cover and a darkened room can delay the morning noise a little. Still, a bird needs a natural day and night rhythm, so darkness should not last much longer than about 12 hours.

Special vegetable holders or clips that attach greens or fruit pieces to the bars are handy. The bird enjoys tugging at them, and fewer trampled leftovers end up in the cage.

Yes, safe homemade toys include plain cardboard, paper rolls, paper bags with hidden seeds, natural branches and small wicker baskets. Avoid glue, sticky tape, glossy printed paper and small metal parts.

Wash plastic and metal toys in hot water with mild detergent and rinse well; scrub wooden ones with a brush and dry them. Heavily soiled or mouldy wooden, rope and cardboard toys are better thrown away.

Large parrots need hardwood, thick ropes, large acrylic or tough plastic toys and foraging boxes matched to their strength. Toys being destroyed quickly is normal, as that is their purpose, so keep a stock.

Transport the bird in a securely fastened carrier or small cage with hanging toys and heavy bowls removed. Offer juicy fruit or vegetables instead of open water, keep a suitable temperature and never leave the bird alone in the car.

Yes, but airlines have their own rules for animals, and travelling to another country may require veterinary documents. Check the requirements well in advance and prepare a suitable carrier for the bird.