How to take care of a bird: pet bird care tips

Updated 15 Aug 2024

Found your dream house sit but wondering whether bird sitting is too much of a… birden? Or maybe you’re a future pet parent, waiting in the wings for an impeckable match to fly your way. Either way, it’s vital you know how to take care of a bird properly, starting with the basics. So here, let’s eggsplore some top tips on general pet bird care to get your feathered journey flying high, and explore our bird ownership advice for links to advice from the UK Government.

Health

Rule 101 when it comes to how to take care of a bird is to get clued-up on how to keep them healthy. Explore below for things to look out for, common health problems and ways to keep your pet bird healthy so that you can be top of the class on the topic of how to care for birds.

• Parasites. Your vet will be able to help you with parasite prevention, but it’s worth knowing that birds can suffer from lice and mites (external) and worms (internal).
• Hygiene. Give your bird the chance to bathe in warm water once a day to keep those feathers in tip-top condition, and their skin healthy. 
• Beak and claws. Birds will keep these sharp themselves - all you need to do is provide chew toys and perches of different textures and sizes.

Common health issues in birds

• Respiratory disease
• Scaly face
• Beak and feather disease
• Candidiasis
• Polyomavirus
• Yeast infections
• Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD)
• Obesity

Signs of illness in your pet bird:

• Messy feathers
• Weakness
• Vomiting
• Weight fluctuations
• Reduced appetite
• Change in their droppings
• Lack of thirst or change
• Change in behavior

If you’re concerned your bird is suffering from any health issues or their behavior has dramatically changed, it’s important you speak to a vet for advice, and potentially treatment.

How to take care of a bird: learning bird behavior 

When you’re learning about how to take care of a bird, it’s certainly worth knowing a thing or two about bird behavior. Pet birds really put on a show at times - from chirps, to squawks and hey - sometimes even talking back, birds sure to have a range in behavior.

Below, we’ll explore some of the common behaviors you might come face to beak with once you’ve welcomed your feathered friend home.

Cleaning themselves 

Otherwise known as preening, this is a bird’s way of keeping their feathers in good condition. Most often, it’s for this purpose, but it can also be one way to attract a mate, and other times it’s a sign of boredom and stress.

Preening you 

Yup, some birds are prone to preening their pet parents as well as themselves - it’s a sign of affection.

Regurgitation

It’s a perfectly normal behavior for birds - it can be a sign they’re looking to attract a mate, in fact. Just make sure you know the difference between regurgitation and sickness - with the latter, you’ll find it in their feathers and around their cage or aviary.

Beak grinding

While teeth grinding in humans can be a sign of stress, beak grinding in birds means they’re feeling relaxed and content.

Hiding from you

This doesn’t necessarily mean your bird is scared - it can be a sign of playfulness, but be sure to take it in the context of other body language cues (more on that below).

Talking

Okay, birds can’t technically talk, but they certainly love the sound of their own voice, and will vocalize. Below get to know a few common bird sounds and their possible meanings.

Pet bird sounds & possible meanings

• Whistling: Used to attract attention; show happiness; mimicry
• Chirping: A sign of happiness
• Chattering: If quiet, it's a sign of contentment. If it’s loud, it’s used to attract attention.
• Screaming: Signals fear - common for parrots.
• Hissing: Indicates fear and anxiety - common for cockatiels

Bird behaviors: when to call the vet

When learning how to care for a bird, it’s important to know some of the more concerning bird behaviors. In any case, context is key. But if you’re worried about your pet bird, always speak to your vet.

Destructive behaviors

Yup, just like dogs, birds can really mess things up when they’re bored or stressed. Take a look below for bird enrichment ideas to avoid this situation.

Aggressive behaviors

While sometimes this is down to your bird’s hormonal cycles, it can be due to stress and trauma. In any case, speak to your vet about your particular pet bird’s behavior to determine the cause and possible solutions. 

Feather plucking

This could be a sign of a skin infection, and in some cases, it’s down to stress. If you’ve recently welcomed a new pet, moved home or there is particularly loud building work going on, speak to your vet about how you can reduce stress for your pet bird.

Your bird’s body language and possible meanings

One of the best things you can do for any pet is to get to know their personality - their likes, dislikes, and signs they’re feeling unhappy. Take a look below for some of the common body language signals in birds, and possible meanings.

The best way to understand your bird’s body language is to take all signals in context of one another. One body language signal on its own won’t tell you much about how your bird is feeling. But, take all body language signals together, and you’ll have a much clearer picture on how birdie is doing.

Pet body language & possible meanings

• Dilated pupils: Excitement or aggression
• Beak clicking: Happiness or a threat
• Wing flapping: Excitement, for attention or exercise
• Tail flaring: Excitement
• Ruffled feathers: It’s part of the cleaning process, or they’re cold
• Shivering: Excitement, anxiety, or they’re cold
• Head bobbing: Attention seeking

Related article: Top pet bird names

Enrichment

If you’re learning how to care for a bird, you’ll be pleased to know that they sure are intelligent, curious little creatures. And just like dogs and cats, birds need to take part in enrichment activities that’ll provide mental and physical stimulation.

So, when getting clued-up on how to take care of a pet bird, one thing you’ll need to learn is how to keep a bird happy and mentally stimulated. Take a look below for a few ideas.

• Bird baths. Birds simply love water, so allow them to splash around once a day for ultimate relaxation and fulfillment.
• Sunlight. Keep your bird’s sleep rhythm regular by providing them with daylight in the day time, and making it dark when they should be sleeping.
• Exercise. Allow your bird pal to spread their wings - whether that’s indoors, or outdoors within a larger enclosure, or while wearing a harness.
• Social interaction. Birds are social creatures, so before adopting one, carefully consider whether you’ve got the time to give them the socialization they need.

With the fundamentals of bird enrichment out of the way, take a look below at a few suggestions on things you can buy to enrich your bird’s life, and ensure they aren’t getting bored.

• Chew toys (these are also great for beak health).
• Puzzle toys (perfect for mental stimulation).
• Perches (ideal for keeping their beak and claws sharp).
• Climbing toys and swings (perfect for physical and mental stimulation).

Training

As we’ve mentioned, an important part of bird care is providing daily mental and physical stimulation. So to keep your pet bird happy and healthy, why not give some training a go? Here are a few tips on training your pet bird.

Things you can train your bird to do:

• Come back.
• Talk.
• Climb.
• Play dead.
• Fetch.
• Wave. 
• Turn around.
• Dance.

Tips for training your bird:

• Clicker training. Use a clicker to signal your bird has achieved the task - they’ll learn to associate the sound with the right behavior.
• Positive reinforcement. Like training a dog, birds really respond to reward, so have some treats handy when you’re training.
• Consistency. Your bird will learn best if you train them daily, so make it part of your daily routine.

Feeding

Learning how to take care of birds means getting clued-up what you should be feeding your new feathered friend.

Opt for predominantly pellet food that’s right for the type of bird you’ve got, their age, and any health issues they suffer from. 

High-quality pellet bird food will provide your bird with the range of nutrients they need and the balanced diet you strive for.

And while birds can certainly tuck into bird seed every now and then, it should be considered a treat. 

Plus, be sure to top up your bird’s cage or aviary with fresh water every day, and if you’re unsure on how much or when you should be feeding your particular bird, speak to your vet about their water and food requirements.

Toxic foods for birds:

• Avocado
• Chocolate
• Caffeine
• Salt
• Fruit pits
• Apple seeds
• Alliums (such as onion and garlic)
• Xylitol (a common sweetener in human foods)
• Tomato plants
• Rhubarb

Habitat

It’s up to you whether you decide to keep your bird indoors or outdoors, so we’ll provide some pros and cons below to help you make the call.

Keeping birds indoors

Pros:

• Safety from predators
• Warmth
• Safety from extreme weather
• Company
• Lack of escape opportunity

Cons:

• Lack of stimulation
• Noise
• Mess

Keeping a bird outdoors

Pros:

• Stimulation from the outdoors
• Sunshine
• Fresh air
• Freedom to fly in an aviary

Cons:

• Escape attempts
• Exposure to predators
• Extreme weather conditions

Choosing a bird cage

A huge part of making sure your bird is safe and happy is making sure you’ve got the right bird cage set up. As well as kitting it out with the essentials like a perch, food and water, consider investing in toys and ladders to keep them entertained. Plus, it’s up to you to keep your bird’s cage clean, and be sure to avoid cleaning products toxic to birds.

Handling

When learning how to take care of birds, part of the process will be handling. Handling your birdie is great for socialization and mental stimulation, but it’s not a straightforward process. Find a few tips below to make handling your bird simpler.

• Train your bird. Use positive reinforcement whenever you’re close to your bird - this will help them look forward to interactions with you.
• Take it slow. Never rush things or grab your bird - this will only frighten them and take the training back multiple stages.
• Keep an eye on body language. Take a look above for the signs your bird is excited or agitated, and follow their lead.
• Never force it. Some birds simply don’t appreciate being handled, so if you’ve been trying for a while and nothing seems to work, give it a break for a while.

Tips for bird-proofing your home

As we’ve mentioned, a key to taking care of a bird properly is to let them fly every day. It’s a natural instinct, and it’s a great way to provide mental and physical stimulation.

Naturally, you’ll want to keep birdie safe and secure, so here are a few tips on bird-proofing your home before opening the cage door.

• Cover any reflective surfaces. Windows and mirrors should be covered to stop your bird from flying into them and hurting themselves.
• Windows and doors shut. The outdoors is dangerous for pet birds, especially if your neighbors have cats, so close every window and door.
• Remove anything toxic to birds. This includes food, medicines, cleaning products and plants.
• Turn off the stove. Your bird might not realize that the bubbling pan should be avoided, so make sure everything is turned off and out of the way.
• Turn off the fan. Your all-too curious pet bird should never be around a turned-on fan.

Adopting a bird of your own?

Great choice! Just in case you’re still sitting on the fence though (or should we say perch?), here are seven reasons why birds make great pets and a few ideas for naming your pet bird.