Location, Location, Location

Long before I achieved any sort of acclaim in the field of avian behavior, I noticed that our birds were basically well behaved. Frankly, at the time, I thought it was just luck. Honestly, I thought that the fact that our birds were relatively well behaved was because we bought relatively well-behaved birds. In retrospect I realize this shows a pretty good ability to ignore reality, since one of our birds, (now the sweetest bird imaginable) was parent-raised and unapproachable when we got him. Anyway, it wasn't until I noticed certain behavioral problems in a friend's birds that I realized that we might be doing something right.

The couple in question had three large cockatoos. The birds had one cage in the living/kitchen area, in which they were expected to sleep. eat, and play. If they wanted to be with mom or dad, as the breed oft does, they had no option but to perch on the furniture, or on mom or dad. Similarly, if mom or dad choose to do something other than play with the little feathered buzzsaws, as occasionally we humans do, the birds would have no choice but to "play" with whatever was handy: chairs, lamps, cabinets, pillows, an original Picasso... you get the idea. It is either that or go back to their cage, away from the action, where they would ...... Any guesses, class?.....That's right. They would scream like only an indigent cockatoo can scream. They were behavioral nightmares. The birds, that is. The couples were merely masochists.

At our house, the center of our waking activity was the living room. It housed the Almighty Video God and was the thoroughfare between the kitchen and the rest of the house. Our birds (Severe macaw, Dusky conure, Festive amazon, and Moluccan cockatoo) had their cages (read that "deluxe entertainment centers") in another room, but each had a perch, with toys, in the living room. It occurred to me that this arrangement might have something to do with the good behavior of our birds, the good condition of our furniture and our still intact sanity. Here are a couple of ideas why this seemed to work.

Having the perches next to the couch allowed the birds to come and socialize or just hang out near my wife or me, at their option. Believe it or not, after a few minutes of cuddling, our cockatoo would frequently want to munch on some millet, play with that new toy or just preen. It doesn't make sense that an intelligent, self confident creature would want to be scratched for 12 hours a day any more than another intelligent creature would want to do the scratching. (Or maybe we're just not good scratchers.) The fact that the birds knew that they could come back and play with us a little later clearly made them less desperate to always get all the attention that they could. However, these naturally social creatures do want to be in our general vicinity for as much of the waking day as possible. The fact that this arrangement allowed us to remain either a few feet away or within earshot, while still going about our affairs, seemed to make the system work. There aren't many homes that do not have a similar central location.

We make it a point to put the birds back on their cages every couple of hours. There are several reasons for this. First of all, that is where most of their food is and most birds will like to have a snack every now and then. Making the cage a part of the activity even when we are at home, as well as leaving lots of toys there, is so that the birds do not consider being in, on or about their cages as punishment. It becomes a place to eat, play, sleep and see some different scenery for a while. Even if just for a few minutes, this is good training. Let me clarify one item. By referring to their perches as the "play areas" I do not mean to imply that their cages resemble prison cells. Actually, they look a great deal more like Toys R Us than San Quentin. Again it is crucial that the cage be as inviting as possible so as to make up for the fact that they will spend much, if not most of their overall time there, and the fact that they will not be getting as much human interaction while caged. In fact, even if one of us is home during the bulk of the day (10 am through 4 pm), the birds are still in their cages. A bird that insists on being out of the cage whenever you are home is demonstrating far too much control over it's own life. One note about allowing your birds on their cages, if it makes their eye level above yours, allows them to reach anything dangerous or it is so high that they can get away from you, don't do it. Birds can develop some very aggressive behaviors if allowed to occupy the highest branch in the tree.

Birds being birds, they will get demanding on certain occasions when we are unable to fulfill their requests. With this system, it is simple enough to place them back on their perch and roll it away from the couch. Additionally, this can always be used as an opportune time to put them on their cages which, if properly trained, will not give them the message that they were bad for wanting affection. This would hardly be a productive message to give to a companion animal. In other words, you can get them out of your hair without appearing to vary from your regular routine.

This is a good time to repeat my point about routine vs rigidity. Birds love to feel secure; this is the basis of the bond that forms between owners and their birds. Having a basic routine so that there is some predictability in your bird's day will make your bird feel at ease and help prevent any number of unpleasant behaviors. But the reality is that our lives do not allow us to do precisely the same thing at the same time every day. (If it does you either need a good stiff drink or to give up accounting.) It is important to teach your bird to accept change. Small variances in a basic routine may help your bird accept the inevitable vacation, late day at the office or the time when the market has the nerve to run out of his favorite food. For this reason it is important to strive not to take the bird out at exactly 3:05 in the afternoon every day. Try to take him out at two, or four, with the occasional one or five thrown in for good measure. In the long run, a loose routine will give security while preparing your bird for the occasional larger departures from the schedule.

How this relates to the topic of the "play area" is simple; if you bird is accustomed to a loose routine and moving from perch to cage, then the shift from one area to another while you take a nap or conduct a business call will not result in screaming, plucking, biting, or the like. Bird behaviorists generally agree that a bird's cage should be in the main room of the house and discourage the use of a "bird room". While this is absolutely true in its effect, like all rules, more can be learned by looking at the reason behind it.

Obviously, it is important to keep your birds visually stimulated, to give them "ambient attention" and to make them feel like a part of the family. While these are laudable and necessary goals, it is also important to realize that not even your children sleep in the family room. There are times when it is appropriate for your pets, although treasured family members, to be neither seen nor heard. Having their cages in a separate room from their play area seems to allow for this flexibility while having their play area in the flow of traffic will satisfy your birds' psychological needs. In the event that you do not have a room big enough for proper sized cages and a room big enough for separate perches, try using the two cage method.

Buy one set of large cages for the interactive area of the house. These should have numerous toys and be low enough so that playing on top will not be a problem. These cages will serve as both perches and "day cages". While these cannot be small, a bird needs much less room when he is sleeping or resting than when he is awake. They should still contain food, more than one perch and a few toys, but needn't be cavernous. This will allow for the birds with varying bedtimes and for you to remove your birds should you have people over. It's like having a bedroom for your children. We all love our birds; why else would we constantly be chopping vegetables, cleaning cages and reading silly articles like this? We want our birds to be happy, but not dependent upon us for their every amusement.

The Perch/Play Area + Cage system keeps our birds happy and entertained, teaches them flexibility and independence and allows us to enjoy our birds without being a slave to them.This system requires a little more work, space and equipment than just a cage, but for our "family" it is effective and well worth the initial effort. The freedom to leave your birds in one or two places in the home can only be an advantage to both pet and owner...whichever one you may be.