Birds: Pets For Life

Cats and dogs may be the most common house pets, but birds count for more than 12 million pets across the country.

So if you are considering buying a bird, store owner Pierre Brooks suggests getting one that is still a baby and is still being hand-fed - it should be between 1 and 3 months old. This allows the bird to learn to trust the hand and know that the hand is safe.

You can purchase the bird and keep it at the store until it's about 3 1/2 months old, when it is ready to be taken home. In the meantime, you have been able to continue to see it at the store and to hand-feed it yourself, thereby allowing the baby to bond with you and familiarize itself with you.

If you buy an older bird, Brooks says you will be subject to what the bird has already learned, behavior-wise. Birds are creatures of habit.

Brooks visits The Early Show on Friday along with 10 types of birds. He shares care tips and suggestions on what to buy and when. He is the owner of 33rd & Bird and The Bird House in New York City.

What to get
Big family, think parakeets. Parakeet and cockatiels are good types of birds for families because they don't require too much care and maintenance. These are both common types of birds, although people may be more familiar with the parakeets, than the cockatiels. Parakeets live about 7-12 years.

Cockatiels are great for a family with kids size-wise, says Brooks. It's not as small as the parakeet, but it's not as big as a parrot. Its life expectancy is about 18 years, so it will still be around when your child goes off to college.

Cockatiels are a hearty bird, as well, which means that if it falls off your finger you won't be worried about hurting it. And, if it nips your finger, it won't take your finger off. Brooks says this is the kind of bird he would give to his own children - it's easy to care for and not terribly expensive. Also, the females sing and the males talk a bit, so either sex is fun. Cockatiels can live for about 10-18 years.

More care, why not Macaws? - The Amazon, Macaws and the African Greys require a bit more care and maintenance than the previous birds. Amazons usually live for about 55 years, the Macaws live between 45-85 years and the African Greys usually have a life span of about 45-55 years, and they can talk.

If you are looking for something in between, then Brooks says consider the cockatoos. They can live for 55-85 years.

Like to see them fly? The canary and the finch are flight birds, which means you cannot take them out of the cage like the birds mentioned above. You may not be able to put them in your finger, but you may enjoy them for their colors and activity and they also make nice chirping sounds. Canaries and finches also require little care and maintenance and can be referred to as the easiest birds to own. Generally, the life expectancy of canaries is about 7-9 years, and for a finch it's 5-8 years.

Diet
A well-rounded diet includes: pellets, which are man-made food products that contain the right amount of vitamins and nutrients for birds; high-quality seeds; dark green leafy plants or vegetables; fruits, says Brooks. Some birds, like the Myna bird, also eat fruits and insects.

There are some man-made foods that combine insects with egg and other ingredients that are appropriate for birds to make it easier to feed them. No matter what, you cannot ever feed birds chocolate or avocados. These are poisonous to birds, Brooks warns.

Maintenance
A bird needs grooming every three to four months. You should take your bird to the vet or to a specialty bird store to have the grooming done properly.

The important aspects of bird grooming are the beak, nails and wings. Both the beak and the nails must be cut and not allowed to overgrow. Beaks are filed down, and nails are clipped.

Additionally, wings must be clipped for several reasons. Brooks says when you take a bird to get its wings clipped, it knows that it can't fly. But if you didn't clip the wings and it was able to fly, it can actually kill itself by flying into a wall. That's because if you "raised" a bird inside and without allowing it to fly, then it doesn't have depth perception and can easily fly into a wall at an extremely fast pace. And clipping the wings also allows the bird to be dependent on you and stay on your finger when you want to play with it.

Bird Cages - When it comes to bird cages the rule of thumb is to have as large a cage as possible. There should be plenty of room for the bird to move and jump around, and to have its toys and perches in the cage.

As far as toys, you should never buy a bird toy that has something that the bird could get wrapped up in. And since most bird toys are brightly colored, make sure the colors are made from food coloring - nothing synthetic. Avoid toys where part could shatter in the bird's mouth, as well.

More things to consider before buying:

Other than the canaries and finches, birds really do need a fair amount of attention, just like dogs and cats.

If you buy a bird and don't spend enough attention on it, it will conduct self-destructive behavior, like plucking its own feathers out or making lots of noise.

While there aren't really any drawbacks to owning a bird (other than cleaning the cage frequently and their dependence on you), the major benefit is that once you do bond with your bird, it's your partner for life. Birds are very loyal since they do grow so dependent on you.

So when you're buying a bird, it's important to talk to an experienced bird shop owner who can direct you towards the right breed for you.