Perhaps one of the most common pets are budgerigars. Keeping a puppy or a kitten is frightening for difficult care, difficult hygiene habituation, and buying a little bird doesn't seem like such a burdensome step. But even these unpretentious birds require attention and care, thanks to which their life in captivity will be long enough.
How many years living in nature
Bright noisy flocks of budgerigars are a common sight for the forests of Australia. They are nomadic, migrating throughout the continent. Their diet: grass seeds, small nuts and fruits.
In the dry season, hundreds of parrots can make raids on agricultural crops and fly into the cities.
In the wild, the natural color of the species is the green-yellow plumage, which makes it possible to hide from enemies in lush grass and leaves. After all, the common name of Australia - "green continent."
Danger to parrots are large lizards, snakes, beasts of prey and birds. Severe damage is caused by drought, when birds do not have access to water and have nothing to eat. Dirty water bodies c infections also lead to mass death of birds.
Fortunately, good adaptability, fecundity and the fact that the nesting period does not have clear deadlines, allow you to quickly restore the population size.
Unlike large parrots, such as macaws and cockatoo, small species can not boast of longevity. The average life expectancy of a parrot in the wild is about 5 years, 8–10-year-old individuals are considered long-livers.
Life expectancy at home
Budgerigars were imported to Europe in 1840. They quickly flooded zoos and houses of rich nobility. Their popularity grew, and soon almost anyone could afford a bright exotic toy.
Today it is the most common indoor bird. And the work of breeders allowed to bring a lot of colors: about 200 colors and their combinations.
The absence of predators, difficult climatic conditions and affordable food can extend the life of pets.
Little parrots live in captivity less than the record holder-cockatoo, but provide good care, on average, about 10 years of communication with this beautiful bird. Professional breeders and under favorable conditions of keeping birds easily reach 15-year mark, there are cases when they live up to 20–22 years old.
Couples
In nature, you can not find a budgerigar alone, but for the apartment you can choose one male or a female, or make a couple of birds. Two parrots in the house - this is the best option that improves the quality of their lives.
In a heterosexual pair, it is preferable if the male is older than the female for 2–3 years. A more mature female may begin to dominate and offend the young partner.
It is very important to take into account the coincidence of temperaments.
In the poultry market or in the open-air cage of the breeder, pay attention to the behavior of the birds: do not mix an excessively playful bird with a quiet and sedentary.
If you don’t buy a pair together, but add a new partner to your pet, then you need to carefully consider the adaptation process: first, you can put the newcomer in a separate cage and put it next, carefully watching how the birds behave. If they have a mutual interest without aggression, then a couple can be combined.
Each bird should be given equal attention, duplicate toys, make sure that the birds do not quarrel at the trough and drinkers.
Without partner
It is believed that lonely parrots live at home less than a couple: a caring owner can become a bird's best friend, but can not replace the relative.
Budgerigars are social birds, and their mutual communication plays an important role and prolongs the years.
Of course, one bird is easier to maintain: the cage is more compact, the feed consumption is more economical, less noise and debris. But if the owner of virtually all daylight hours will be absent from work, then the loneliness of the bird can cause illness.
The life span of a bird in a cage without a partner directly depends on the involvement in the owner’s existence process. A lonely bird may be under constant stress - this is expressed in alertness, aggressive behavior, or, conversely, in apathy.
If all the care of the owner will be reduced only to the care of cell hygiene and feeding, the parrot will not be able to fully exist.
It is necessary to show maximum patience and devote time and attention to the pet: to talk with him for a long time, to play, to iron, to accustom to hands.
And how much mutual pleasure will bring learning to imitate speech! But the probability to learn to speak above is in parrots without a pair.
What affects the lifetime
As in nature, at home, the parrot primarily needs food and water. Therefore, if the owner is forced to leave, it is necessary that someone could look after the pet. Without food, the bird can live for 3-4 days, and if it survives, the failure in the diet will affect health.
Forced thirst is much worse: the parrot has a high body temperature, a fast metabolism, so dehydration will inevitably lead to death. Even for 1 day you can not leave the bird without access to clean water.
The number of years allocated to a pet when kept in a cage is influenced by such factors.
- Genetics - congenital diseases and weak immunity can be caused by improper selection.
- Nutrition - if you randomly feed your pet with leftovers from our table, there is a danger that he will “earn” digestive upset or obesity. Food should be balanced, it is better to use a special feed from a pet store, supplementing it with fruits, greens, germinated grains.
- Conditions of detention - for the long life of the parrot, it is necessary to purchase a spacious cage and correctly position it in the apartment, taking into account the temperature and light conditions.
- Physical exercise - a naturally active bird requires daily flying exercise.
- No stress - it is desirable to protect the bird from nervous shocks: loud noises, constant moving, a large number of unfamiliar people, aggressive animals.
- Compliance with safety regulations - The responsible owner is obliged to ensure that the curious and mobile bird does not get injured or does not die due to carelessness.
How to care
Care for wavy parrots is not too complicated. The minimum cage size for one is 40x25x30 cm, for a couple - 60x30x40 cm. Retractable bottom must be kept clean. Equip the house with a feeder, drinker, pylons at different levels, toys. It is recommended to arrange a pet water procedures, putting a wide bowl of water. Sand baths are also useful: “bathing” in clean sand has a beneficial effect on plumage.
The place for the cage should be protected from drafts, and a favorable air temperature is considered to be about + 22 ° C.
Do not place the cage near batteries, heaters, gas stove.
Water in the drinker should always be clean. When buying food, check the expiration date and integrity of the package so that the grain is not spoiled. Useful supplements: chalk, boiled yolk, pieces of fruit, greens.
You spend daily “walks” of a parrot under supervision: the windows should be closed, and the glass and large mirrors should be curtained so that the bird does not hit. Do not let a bird nibble at houseplants: they can be poisonous. Protect from the attack of other pets: cats and dogs.
The longevity of a parrot in captivity depends on the content - create maximum conditions and the bird will live happily ever after.
For how to care for wavy parrots, see the video below.
