Grooming your pet parrot

By Mary Sara Fields, AnimalForum.com staff

Almost all pets need grooming, but pet parrots need special grooming care. Most bird owners have "pet" parrots, and some bird owners have "breeder parrots." We will discuss both types in this article.

The four main areas with pet parrots are clipping their wings, clipping their toenails, trimming their beaks and bathing.

Clipping wings: Most bird owners do not realize the importance of wing clipping until their pet bird has flown away. Thousands of parrots fly away from very caring owners every year. In the wild, parrots molt only once per year. In captivity, the molt occurs mildly throughout the year, with more obvious feather loss in the spring or early summer, and prior to the breeding cycle. The softer feathered birds, like Cockatiels and Cockatoos can fly with only one flight feather on each wing!

Wing clipping is very easy. You can either take your bird to your vet or do it yourself. All you need to do is take a pair of scissors. Cut the outer primary flight feathers on both wings. On almost all species of parrots, you would cut the first seven to nine flight feathers. The only exception to this is with African Grey Parrots, both Congos and Timnehs. The African Grey Parrots are denser, clumsier birds and only need the first five to seven flight feathers clipped.

When you spread your bird's wings, you will notice that there are layers of feathers. The outermost layer are the primary flight feathers. Cut them back to the second layer of feathers. Your avian vet or an experienced bird groomer can teach you how to do this. Make sure you know exactly what to do before attempting wing-clipping. The clipped feathers will grow back at different rates of speed, so it is important to check them often.

Clipping toenails: The toenails of a pet bird grow very quickly, and it is important to keep them trimmed to prevent them from curling and to keep you from getting scratched while holding them. A bird whose nails have begun to curl can easily get caught on chains, toys, and cage wire and not be able to escape, causing severe injury and death. You need a high-quality pair of clippers, some alcohol and some Quik-Stop on hand. Make sure you rinse the clippers in alcohol before using them, so they will be disinfected. In the event you clip too closely and the toenail starts to bleed, apply the Quik-Stop immediately. The nails should be clipped on the very tips, taking care not to clip beyond the blood vessel that runs into the nail. By viewing the bottom side of the nail, you can clearly see where the blood vessel stops.

Beak trimming: Some parrots have beaks that tend to become overgrown. It is usually advisable to have an avian vet attend to the beak trimming. However, if the very tip of the beak has become very sharp, you can easily file the tip with a nail file or emery board. A parrot's beak is made up of layers of beak material and will occasionally look like it is peeling. Usually this is normal, but if it is excessive, a visit to the vet would confirm if there is a fungus or bacterial infection present. It is important to keep the beak clean at all times to prevent infections.

Bathing: In the wild, parrots bathe almost daily -- usually several times per day. It is critical to provide bathing opportunities to your pet parrot. This can be accomplished by leaving a bath bowl on the bottom of the cage or by gently misting the bird with a water sprayer. The bath should be given early in the day so the bird will be completely dry by evening and bed time. Regular bathing controls the bird's dander, applies critical moisture to the feathers, softens the new pin feathers, keeps the bird clean, and provides a source of extreme pleasure to your bird. Regular bathing has been known to cure feather-plucking in some birds.

Greys, Cockatoos and Cockatiels develop large amounts of dander, causing allergies to some of their owners. Bathing them regularly can reduce the amount of dander being released. Cockatoos also have an undercoat of feathers called down. If the down feathers are not cleansed regularly, they can become an irritant to the bird and cause the bird to start feather-plucking or self-mutilating. During the warm months, your birds should be bathed daily. During the cooler months, depending on the temperature, your birds should be bathed every other day, or at least twice per week. If the temperature is cold, dry the bird as completely as possible with a clean towel. Put the bird in a warm room to dry completely. As your bird is drying, he will preen every feather on his body!

Breeder birds: Breeder birds kept in an aviary also need to be groomed and bathed regularly. They should be provided with a bird bath in the aviary or a bath bowl on the bottom of their cage. They can also be misted gently with a misting nozzle on a garden hose. As birds become parents, they must have a source of water available, since they know exactly how much moisture is needed for their eggs and hatchlings. Breeding birds do not need their flight feathers clipped, and they rarely need their toenails or beaks trimmed. But the owner should keep a close watch on them and trim the nails if they become curled, and trim the beaks if they become overgrown.

Other: Included in "grooming" our birds is the maintaining of their cage and equipment. It is imperative to keep their cages and/or aviaries as clean as possible at all times. Birds kept in a clean environment will stay cleaner and healthier. Birds kept in a dirty environment cannot escape. They will find it very difficult to keep themselves as clean as they like and will be susceptible to many diseases caused by dirty cages, water and food bowls, perches, toys and soil.

So do your parrots a big favor and keep them clean! The small amount of time that it takes to groom your birds and keep their housing clean will provide tremendous rewards and beautiful birds!