Foreclosure Crisis Affecting Pet Birds, Too!

Here is a little-known side of the foreclosure crisis: exotic birds abandoned or dropped at shelters because their owners cannot move into an apartment or a relative's home with the sometimes noisy creatures.

Animal rescue groups say they're becoming inundated with calls from people who lost their houses desperately trying to find a new home for their macaw or cockatoo.

Adding to the problems of finding new homes is the life span of the birds, which can run from 20 years for a cockatiel to between 50 and 80 years for the larger birds.

Intelligent, lively birds like parrots, cockatoos and cockatiels can be time-consuming to care for, loud, and destructive to themselves or their surroundings if neglected or mistreated.

How to Teach Your Bird to Talk

Teaching your bird to talk can be fun, even if it can only say one word. Some birds can even be taught to sing and whistle!



Begin teaching your parrot to talk when she is 4 to 6 months old at the latest. Try a simple 'Good morning' to your bird at the start of each day. Keep in mind that some parrots will pick up words sooner than others.
Hold the bird in front of your mouth when you teach her, so that you have her attention.
Repeat words or phrases, such as family members' names and common expressions. Be sure to show lots of excitement in your voice. Your parrot will gradually begin to repeat after you.
Repeat certain words or phrases every time you do something, such as 'Up' when you lift your bird up, to teach her to associate a certain movement with certain words.
Reward with treats when your parrot mimics you.
Consider playing recordings of words you want her to learn for up to 15 minutes at a time ' longer than that can cause boredom.