Pets are like the kids who require proper nurturing and a caring touch to thrive and grow up. Once you bring any of them home, you should shower on them the maximum amount of love and respect possible. That is why going for pets is a big decision that you must opt for after deep introspection. There are quite a number of things that you must take care of, in the best way possible. Here are some of the best ways in which you can take care of your canine companions, feathery buddies and feline friends.

• Schedule regular visits to the vets - This is one of the foremost things to be performed after you bring them home. They are almost like human beings and just like humans need a periodical check-up they also need to have it. This is done just to ensure that if they are infected with the virus of any kind of disease, it gets detected before it's too late. So you should go for regular vaccination of the dogs and cats especially and keep the number of your vet and that of a veterinary hospital handy just as a precaution of dealing with emergency situations.

• Spaying and neutering pets - This one is not only imperative but it proves to be really beneficial too. Each year there is an increasing number of animals who become homeless, are abandoned or lost. To prevent this, it is necessary that you go for this. This type of operation prevents the pets from developing certain types of cancer and also checks the roaming about of your pets and thus, decreases the chance of them from being lost.

• Make sure their food suits their nutritional needs - The inexpensive foodstuff that is available in the market may not be healthy for your pets. Similar is the case with feeding them with table scraps. No matter how sweet they look, it is not advisable to practise this because the food that you take may contain some minerals that are harmful to them. That is why you should feed them with the special type food meant for them that too in a responsible amount.

• Bestow adequate love and affection on your pets - Animals are more like humans and they crave for attention from their masters and mistresses. Though this is mostly true for cats and dogs but even fish and lizards require this for surviving. You need to play with them so as to ensure that they get proper mental stimulation and exercise.

The above are some of the ways in which you can take care of your pets who can be your greatest buddies for life and whom you don't want to lose ever.

Parrots are great pets for the family. you will notice very quickly that these breads of birds are very intelligent and quick learners which makes the training very easy and exciting for the trainer.

You must never forget that birds with great intelligence can easily get bored with their training, this means as the training instructor you must spend the time needed to make your parrot feel content with being in your presence.

This will include both time and patience to correctly train your bird. by taking your time and being patient you will create a bond with your parrot that will last a lifetime.

By following a few very easy steps you can easily start the training for your bird. First thing is when you start your training session always take the bird out of the cage and find a small quiet area away from the cage. This will make it much easier for your parrot to stay focused and devoted to the task at hand.

The next step is to eliminate all distractions in the training area. Distractions in the training area will cause your parrot to get sidetracked and will result in a poor learning session. make sure you turn off the stereo,cell phone and TV.

Remember this, Parrots are like raising your young children. Training sessions should be small periods of time, Parrots have very small attention spans so take your time and always be patient.

Another thing to remember choose your session time around the bird's daily schedule. One of the best times to start a training session Is right after a meal, Your bird will be content and pay attention to what you are teaching. Always compliment your parrot, The more the better. Parrots really appreciate being complimented.

OK now this is very important, In the beginning of your training if it does not seem to be working at a level you wish it was. Never let your parrot see your stress level If you get mad and show your stress level to your bird, This will cause a undesirable encounter for the parrot which will in return cause a focus and learning problem in future training sessions.

Now its time to teach your bird a new trick. If you use a treat to compliment the trick your bird will remember this and start to work for the treat. Another thing you should always remember is: Not just birds but all animals respond to training session better to compliment compared to punishment or yelling at them. Always avoid yelling or punishing your bird even when they are performing a trick wrong.

Ignoring bad conduct is always the best thing to do when in a training session with your bird. Parrots do not understand a unfavorable offer or punishment. So this being said understand that if you decide to respond to your parrots bad behavior this may in fact be taken into view from the bird as constructive attention. This in return will cause undesirable conclusions to the training sessions.

Also remember your parrot will always love food and treats for compliments, but always try to praise worthy conduct and promote play around time. otherwise, you will have a problem getting your bird to perform or participate in training tricks when a snack or treat is not offered.

Repeating the tricks over and over again is very important to being successful in the training of your pet. The more you repeat the better your parrot will get. Just keep repeating these training steps over and over, And in time your parrot will learn the tricks and it will get easier for your bird to complete the trick. This general instructions concept will work for easy tricks as well as advanced talents.

For instance start out with a easy trick like having your parrot sit on your finger on demand. Use only 1 Keyword for each trick, And use the keyword every time you practice the trick. Remember never force or push your bird to train. If your bird seems to be tired or uninterested in training, Immediately stop the session and start the training session at a later time.

As time goes on and your parrot starts to learn tricks and commands you can start moving the training area closer to the bird's cage. As the confidence builds in your parrots unique skill they will begin to perform more and more in the household as well as there own bird cage.

Parrots learn amazingly fast in almost all cases. Not only by repeating training sessions but by just listening to sounds around them. So be careful what you repeat around them because chances are you will hear your own words sometime in the near future.

Just remember a few important things training a parrot requires a lot of patience and time. To make the partnership worthwhile you have to exchange love and take the time to understand your bird. With love training and proper care you can and will end up with a well trained bird and friendship that will last a lifetime.

Sometimes putting up a bird box and camera will not produce the results we want. Getting birds to occupy your garden bird box may need a little more consideration than you might imagine. Here's why.

High density urbanisation creates a real challenge for wildlife. It strips away the natural habitat that all sorts of creatures rely on. These problems extend to the relatively less populated suburbs of our cities. Even areas that are not so far from the countryside can present a very challenging time for garden birds.

The problems come from the perceived idea that what looks good for the human inhabitant will be good news for the garden dweller. Generally this is not so. Consider the arrangement of one's own living environment.

The average house will be so arranged to provide for the basic necessities of life. A kitchen stocked with food would be a usual requirement. This provides a local convenience for sustenance. When the larder is bare we nip out to the local store to pick up supplies. In other words we have to go further afield when our easiest supply runs low. Imagine if the local store should have difficulty supplying our needs. Should this happen you have to go even further to get your basics. How long would this carry on before you decided to move closer to your new food source?

Your home will also provide safety and security from predators or undesirable visitors. What would you think if somebody came along with a mechanical digger and made a mess of your front door? If you were unable to re instate your security I bet it wouldn't be long before you moved on.

Now consider the plight of the garden bird and the environmental provision of the average garden.

The majority of people arrange their garden for ease of maintenance and nice aesthetics. However, what we see as nice can be disastrous for garden birds. Not so long ago, garden subdivision would have been achieved using hedges. Unfortunately these need regular maintenance. Since maintenance means time and effort. A human remedy will be to call in the excavator and make the hedgerow disappear. Only to be replaced by a lovely wooden fence. The result of this exercise will be the destruction of nesting sites for the birds you like to see. Some birds prefer to nest high up in trees but for many species the thorny hedgerow provides the best accommodation.

Nesting birds like home security. A thorny hedgerow will provide this and it might just follow that the larder is contained here as well. A hedge will be home to lots of insects. It will produce flowers and berries. These in turn attract more insects. To your average native garden bird a hedgerow provides a large natural larder.

If the hedge is long gone or is something that you think has to go. Perhaps you could compensate by providing seed feeders and fat ball feeders. But remember if you build up a community of garden bird visitors. Then you will need to maintain the food supply. Fail to do this you know what to expect.

Another source of bird food that may have been eradicated from the garden is the all-important compost heap. Grass clippings and trimmed hedge waste is more often than not sent to the local tip. This is such a waste of garden goodness. Whilst your clippings are decomposing they provide a great source of worms and other creepy crawlies. The gardener then gets the benefit of it when it turns back into nutrient rich soil. Consideration for garden inhabitants prior to making sweeping changes to your garden layout will only help to get those bird box inhabitants that you wish for.

Do you love the sound of birds greeting you in the morning? For those living in urban areas, especially in places where you won't find a lot of trees, they may not hear the warbles of birds. If you live in a city that is not frequented by birds for certain reasons but want to hear their trills not only in the morning but all day, why not have birds as a pet?

If you want to hear the sound of warbling instead of barking and meowing in your house, then adopting birds is your best bet. However, you have to decide first which bird species you want and if you're up to the challenge of properly caring for them.

Here are some tips you to keep in mind when choosing a bird species to have as a pet:

Do you really want one? - Caring for birds, or any kind of pet for that matter, entails a lot of commitment from their owner. It's a full-time job. You can't just get birds from a pet store, put them in a cage and be fancy-free about it. Before even choosing which bird species to own, be 100% sure you'll be ready for the demands that go with being a bird owner.

Be familiar with popular bird species - Before going to a pet store to get a bird, find out everything you can about the particular bird species you plan on getting. You have to know important info like what, when, and how to feed them, how to handle them, as well as how to understand their behavior. For example, if you're choosing a canary, you have to know that they'd rather be left alone in the cage without the need to handle them, so are finches.

Know their ideal abode - Some birds do not thrive very well in constricted spaces, so instead of a small cage, you may actually have to build your own aviary, especially for bird species that need to regularly spread their wings and fly. There are certain birds that become unhealthy when they don't get a chance to do what they're meant to do, and that is to fly. If you don't have the budget or the space to build an aviary, then you should choose bird species that would do well in small cages.

These are just some of the things you need to consider when deciding which bird species to have at your home. Once you've decided which species to get, you can then research on the right food and supplies it needs for it to thrive well and sing songs for you every time you wake up.

Owners can often be overwhelmed with the huge number of bird cages that are available in the marketplace, so birds can often end up in unsuitable housing. A roomy living area is essential for a person's wellbeing - and the same applies for pet birds and other caged pets.

Using a few simple guidelines and considering 5 things can help you buy the ideal bird cage and leave your flying friend pleased to develop socially. Here's our top 5 points:

1. Where your cage can be positioned

2. Contemplating your pet bird's shape

3. Getting a cage with the right bar spacing

4. Which shape bird cage and style should you buy

5. Design and quality of your new cage

The Placement and Placement of the Cage

It really is imperative you consider where you want your bird to live in your home. You should think about providing ample day light, a good amount of heat and plenty of sociable engagement. With those tips in your mind, make sure you purchase a cage that's suited to where you wish to put it.

TOP TIP! Your bird will get excessively hot or extremely cold if you put them close to a window - so avoid doing so without exceptions!

Contemplating Your Pet Bird's Size

This may look straightforward, but when shopping for your crate online it is extremely an easy task to not clearly understand measurements and sizes of the goods that you are buying. Always buy the largest cage for your bird that you can afford or accommodate at home. By the time you fill it up with perches, toys and food bowls, they need to have space to walk around comfortably and flap their wings!

Continuous experience of a confined environment will lead to your creature getting stressed out, and struggling with the psychological effects that come with it. Just like people, pet animals don't like being restricted - so we need to make it as roomy as possible to make sure they're happy.

Suitable Bar Spacing

As with choosing the right sized cage, you also have to buy a cage which will safely hold your pet. Small birds like finches and canaries need cages with bars reasonably near to each other. Countless owners can unknowingly expose their pets the opportunity of escape (birds are impressive escape artists too by the way!).

Birds love looking at stuff on the outside, so they will regularly climb about within their cage. To make their daily life easier and present them with some good exercise - get a cage with horizontal running bars.

Cage Form and Style

The design of the cage is also important for the birds happiness, so the style and form is worth thinking about.

Our recommendation is that you opt for an angled bird cage - such as a rectangle shape or square shape cage. It is because, according to veterinary studies, round bird cages are more inclined to lead to psychological problems than their angled alternative.

What to Look for Build Wise in a High Quality Bird Cage

A pet supplies retailer on the internet would be the best place to purchase through, if you are not visiting a conventional shop. They're going to have the best goods that are the most appropriate, so it will take the stress out of buying for you if you do.

Its recommended that you opt for a cage made from stainless-steel (the bars anyhow). They are the safest for your animal and are the simplest to wash - but are a bit more expensive usually. Most bird cages now come with serving bowls and perches built in, so look out for those as it saves you buying them separately.

With all of that - you should be ready to buy the best cage for your bird that is available! You can be assured they may be loving life inside their new bird cage and you can get on with enjoying the company of your feathered friend at home!

A bird house can be a real treat for your children if you are planning to build one this summer. These shelters for birds add an elegant touch to your backyard. Moreover it can be painted or decorated with glass mosaic windows which will make the little house look even more beautiful. Other embellishments such as flowers can also be used to give it a whimsical effect. Mostly, wooden houses are made to rest on a post. In order to flaunt your creativity, you can also choose to decorate and paint the post on which the house stands.

Bring your kids along and make a homemade wooden house that your children will love. Here's a 4-step guide to creating a wonderful addition to your house.

Step 1

First and foremost, you should find a good stencil of either flowers, butterflies or other crafts that you think would go best with the exterior of the wooden bird house. Also, pick some exterior paints and a strong exterior sealer to give your bird house the protection it needs.

Step 2

Once you have decided on the stencils, secure them on the exterior of the wooden house using painter's tape. Next, apply paint on your stencil brush and dab lightly in its open areas. However, if you are using stamps for decoration, apply the paint directly onto the stamp and press it firmly on the exterior of your bird house. The outlines can then be done using a template and filled in with craft paints.

Step 3

After the exterior is complete, the next step involves making the roof for the wooden house. The roof can either be made into a shingle or metal roof. There are two ways of doing this. The first and also the easiest way to it is using a sheet of copper; however, if you want to make it look more neat, you can use craft sticks which need to be neatly cut and lined to form the bird house roof.

Step 4

Then come the windows for your birds' shelter. To make it look grand, make use of mosaic windows. In order to give it more detail, stick to it tiny pieces of broken ceramic or porcelain tiles. If you are up for a more creative touch, make a themed house. For instance, use sea shells to make a beach themed wooden bird house.

4 simple steps and your homemade bird house is ready to attract purple martins finding a comfortable shelter. If you find the process time consuming or difficult, you can choose to buy a ready-made purple martin house which would be a great option. There are many online stores that offer a wide variety of Martin houses to choose from.

There are many people in the world who loves to enjoy company of having their pet birds. For these people, building a birdhouse is a best way to enjoy their companionship. However, building a birdhouse at home needs to be durable, rain proof and clean as well. It is of no doubt that wood is the best material for making a birdhouse. There are many things that must be taken care of for building a home for your pet bird.

Right Place

Choosing right place for every specific type of bird is crucial. Every single bird species has changed requirements and it is essential to know all about birds. A house of bluebird needs to be in a place that is near or opposite to an open field where bugs they eat are in abundance. On the other hand, House wrens wish theirs to swing from a small tree in a yard and chickadees want their home to be in a group of shrubs and small trees.

Right Size

Next thing required is to choose right size for house with precise dimensions. Most people think birdhouses are all mostly same, but that's not right. It is partly a practical tactic, but actually a small bird need a small house. A chickadee would be glad in a home about 8 inches tall with a 5x5 inch of base. Bluebirds demand a bit of larger box, so 10 inches high with a 5½x5-½ inch base would work well for them. However, for larger bird like a screech owl, you need to build a house of about 24 inches high with a base 10x10 inches wide.

Precise Height

One more factor to figure out is height for your birdhouse. Right height for bluebirds and tree swallows is about 5-8 feet tall on a pole. House wrens want their house to be 6- 10 feet high and dangling from a tree. On the other hand, a home for purple martins needs to be of 15-20 feet in air and it could be even higher for screech owl. The chance of appealing a chickadee is better if it is located about 4- 8 feet over a wood.

Door Size

The door is an important feature and needs to be of correct size. If entry hole is too big, it will merely inspire predators to attack family. A birdhouse constructed for house-wrens will need to be of smallest size of about 1-1/8 inches only. This will make sure that no other birds will try to enter. Just a small modification in entry hole really will control what type of birds can fit in.

For some people it's fish tanks and aquariums and for some it's dog kennels and cat baskets but for some select few, it's bird aviaries. It doesn't even matter that the rest of the population think that breeding birds these days is like trying to breed bacteria with all the diseases usually associated with birds - somehow the raucous shrieks and bird calls are like a balm to their tired souls.

Whether you breed birds as a hobby or as a source of income, it is important to keep or maintain a healthy environment for them to live in, not just to make sure they are happy and safe but to make sure their humans are happy and safe as well. It is not enough that you feed your birds regularly, it is also important you keep your aviaries disease-free.

Cleaning out your aviaries can be a challenging, tedious and time consuming but something that needs to be done. In order to make this less of a task, you need to keep a regular cleaning schedule, breaking the process down into mini-tasks to be completed on a daily, weekly or monthly basis also helps make it easier to do.

For the weekly cleaning, you can schedule washing cage trays, scrubbing off the grate, cleaning and changing the perches and cleaning and rotating the toys to keep bacteria from breeding. Also, some cage parts like perches and bird toys require soaking time to ensure that they are really cleaned so it is a good idea to have back-up perches and toys so that your birds will have somewhere to rest and play with to keep from getting bored.

For the monthly cleaning, you can schedule a general cage cleaning. Make sure you use a good scrub brush to scrub the cracks and to help break down and remove any sticky substances. When doing a general cleaning, always remember to rinse and dry everything thoroughly as moisture is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria.

As for the basic, everyday tasks, you can start off by lining the bottom of your aviaries with old newspaper or with liners specifically designed for bird cages. You can also use litter if you like and if you do, make sure you rake it everyday and change the litter once a week. If you use paper liners, you will also need to change it once a day as it is quite unsanitary for birds to be walking on their droppings and bits of food, not to mention that it makes the aviary smell bad.

Next, make sure you clean your birds' food and water bowls every day with mild detergent. This will prevent bacteria that can pose as a health risk to your pets from growing and breeding. A mild dish detergent and warm water is recommended as this thoroughly disinfects your birds' food and water bowls.

Wipe down the cage's surface with a mixture of 2 tbs. vinegar and 1 qt. water for a thorough clean. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and use it to clean once a week. Make sure you use a soft, damp rag to avoid scratching the surfaces and to make sure stubborn dirt like dried droppings can be removed.

If you need to disinfect with household bleach, make sure you relocate your birds to some place where they cannot accidentally inhale the fumes as this can be toxic to birds. All these tips, when done faithfully and in the right way, will ensure that your birds live a longer, healthier life. These will only take up a few minutes of your time but can save you a whole lot of grief and keep your birds happy and safe.

Parakeets have always been the most popular pets among birds. They are known for their chitchatting and easy domestication. Their basic color feather is yellowish green, but they also come in other colors, such as colorful blue, and sometimes, they can be completely white or yellow.

A parakeet as a pet usually means a lot of fun. It is true that they can be so noisy, but it is very interesting and nice watching them bristle and chat with themselves or even with a little thing. As any other kind of parrots, they mimic the sounds they often hear. They usually imitate phone ringing, bell ringing, or even a part of your favorite tunes. However, when it comes to talking, it is a little harder for them to emulate words, usually because of some consonants which they find hard to pronounce. Yet, it is not impossible. With a little effort and patience you can successfully teach them pronounce a few single words, even shorter sentences.

For the beginning, if you haven't acquired your parakeet yet, it is great, because buying is the crucial step in teaching your parakeet words. Make sure to buy a very young parakeet, preferably a chick, because they are best at learning words and sounds while they are young. If they are old, you will never be able to teach them talk. When choosing a parakeet, let it be a male. Males are easier to domesticate and teach, and they prefer chatting to squawking. Females are usually wild, and you will need more time to domesticate them and teach them words.

This may be cruel, but if you want to teach your parakeet talk, don't buy a couple. When they are together, they focus on each other and will not pay much attention to external sounds. You will also notice that it will take longer for them to imitate a simple sound; it often happens that they produce nothing but chitchat and squawking. The same applies to little mirrors; once a parakeet has it in its cage, it will never separate from it, and thus, will not pay attention to you or the sounds.

Now when you have all done well, start with learning. Start with simple and short words with more vowels. Once they master the simple words, they will easily overcome the harder ones. However, do not despair if your parakeet curiously and silently watches you while teaching it; it is a good sign because it tries to memorize the words. Patience is essential in this case. Sometimes, it takes only a few days, but sometimes a couple of weeks; but patience always pays off in the end.

As you can see, a good start is very important here. It is not just about buying a parakeet with beautiful color, but taking a young bird that will learn quickly and be your friend for several years. However, keep in mind that all parakeets are not the same;

It is easy enough to find bird aviaries for sale if you want to, but it is also just as easy to buy ones that would sooner fall apart than keep your birds happy and safe. Buying a bird aviary is something that is not to be taken lightly as it means you will not only be taking care of one bird and as such, it is important that you ensure that they are not only happy, safe but healthy as well.

Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds more freedom by having more than ample space for them to fly around. This space also keeps things from getting too competitive and the last thing you want is to see your birds in a fight. The great thing is that these enclosures can either be a great DIY project or can be bought online according to your specifications and delivered straight to your home. They also allow you to closely imitate a bird's natural habitat so your birds won't have trouble adjusting to it.

Whether you build or buy your aviaries, the best place to start is to find one that is tall enough and wide enough for you to walk into. Ideally, the whole structure's width should be at least two to three times the bird's wing span, at least six times the width of the bird's body for the length and the height should be at least four times the bird's body length. For 20 average-sized birds for example, an aviary measuring 12 feet long, 3 feet wide and 5 feet tall is best.

If you have larger birds, it is best to look for structures that measure around six feet by 8 feet or bigger, preferably made of steel since it will be more hygienic and easier to clean. It should also have mesh screens so that the birds have more exposure to fresh air and sunlight and should preferably have double doors to prevent any escapes - this means you enter the aviary through a first door, close it and then enter the actual aviary through the second door. If you find this too tedious, then you can get one with a single door with a bolt for extra security. Your wire mesh should also be ideally about 12.5 square meters by 1.2 mm thick. Putting in access doors for your nest boxes and feeding dishes also make maintenance easier.

While it is ideal to get structures with wire mesh roofs, this isn't a good idea if you live in an area where it snows or rains a lot. Instead, you can get aviaries with flat or sloping roofs or you can place it in an overhang. Make sure you put in plenty of perches for your birds to roost on and to create their nests. You can also get structures with concrete floors so you can hose them down for easier cleaning.

And last but not the least, make sure you get aviaries that blend well with your surroundings or home décor. You can also buy plants and shrubs that are specifically meant to decorate aviaries like elm, coffee and dogwood trees, barberry bush and bougainvilleas for color and flowering plants like African daisies, violets and baby's breath. Remember that these structures are not only meant to house your birds but also to ensure that they are safe from predators and diseases.

With any pet bird or parrot you need to establish a strong, positive relationship with great communication and training your bird is the most important part of this process. We are going to show you how to make an association between a food treat and an audible marker which will be the first stage of training.

Some of the things you will require for this training session include:Your bird

Ideally a clicker or whistle (the behavioral marker or bridge) although you can use your voice (''Good boy/girl'')

Your bird's favourite food as a treat

When you decide to start training you should assess your current relationship with your bird. If you bird is hand reared, very friendly and receptive to you then obviously things will progress a lot quicker than with a parent reared, nervous bird that may be frightened of you.

First you need to find out your birds favourite food items as you can keep these to one side as a treat. Put a few items together and present them to your bird a few times and see which ones are consistently taken.

Once you have determined the favourite treats keep some of these back for the training sessions, just make sure they are kept small.

In the first training session you want to keep it short and sweet. All that is required is to make an association between the food treat and the marker.

For example; if we are using the clicker as a marker we will offer the bird a treat and at the precise moment the bird takes it from your hand you will click the clicker. Timing is of the essence, if the click is done before or after the behavior then it won't have the same effect. If you parrot is nervous and won't take food from your hand then you can place a treat close by and allow the bird to wander over and take it, once again clicking at the precise moment the treat is picked up.

Depending on the species and individual this may take one session or it could take twenty. All birds learn at different rates. The more accurate the timing of the click though will usually mean a much quicker transition. When offering treats, keep watching for subtle changes of behavior. If you bird is moving away from you then the treat should not be given until they move back towards you. this applies to both silly tame hand reared and nervous parent reared birds. If there is any aggression shown towards you then again you may want to pause for a moment as giving a treat will reward that behavior.

Always remember when you give the bird a treat you are rewarding the behavior of the bird at that time. Always reward good behavior and try and be nonreactive to unwanted behavior.

The reason for building this association between the marker and a treat is so that when you are training other behaviors with your bird, your marker will tell your bird exactly what it has done correctly at the exact time so the behaviors are learned much quicker. This is a very positive process and your bird will respond incredibly well to you once it realizes that rewards and mental stimulation are involved. This should always be fun for both of you so ensure sessions are kept short and rewards are given for every positive behaviour.

Once your bird understands that the click, whistle or vocalization means 'treat' then it is time to move on to some fun, basic training. It may take a number of sessions for your bird to understand. The best way is to do a test, use your marker and look for a physical response from your bird. Most birds tend to get rather excitable as they soon equate the noise with a treat.

Once this is learned then it's on to training some behaviors!

One of the first things I would recommend training your bird to do is 'step up' training, either on to your hand or a hand held perch.

Some of the things to remember before attempting this:

Always aim for short, frequent sessions (ideally 1-5 minutes)

Always use lots of positive reinforcement; never punish either physically or verbally. If you get stressed or frustrated then it is better to end the training session.

Always try to end a training session on a positive note, if your bird is not understanding something go back to a behaviour that is understood and reinforce that.

Make sure there is only one trainer that trains the behaviour. Once your bird has some practice and is consistently offering the behaviour, have all members of the family attempt it to under your supervision and instruction. Consistency is key!

Once your bird has mastered the step up skill, practicing the step up in a relaxed and fun way is an excellent way to give lots of positive attention to your bird.

How to Teach your Bird to Step Up

Choose the verbal cue that you will use. It doesn't matter what word or phrase you use, but you must be consistent.

Pick a relaxed time with no distractions - a bird that is preening or eating is not going to be very receptive to training.

Hold your finger, hand or handheld perch in front of the bird, level with the bird's abdomen directly above the feet. Make sure you are close enough that it will be an easy step for your bird.

You want to reinforce any movement towards the perch so if your bird moves towards you and the perch you can use your marker and reward your bird with a treat.

The aim is to encourage your bird to make contact with the perch with its feet. If contact is made with the perch, then a larger reward should be given. If your bird lifts a foot then this should be marked and rewarded too. When a desirable behaviour is offered then always ensure you use your marker at that precise time, working towards a full step up on to the perch. When your bird steps up, with either one foot or both, give them lots of reinforcement and praise.

As your bird gets better at stepping up, you can start to decrease the frequency of treats so that eventually your bird will happily step up just for your praise.

When you want your bird to step down, the same training applies in reverse. Birds naturally tend to want to go to a higher position so by lowering the perch below the intended destination the bird will naturally want to go to the higher position. Once again reward any movement towards the destination and give larger rewards especially when your bird steps off the perch.

A good understanding of the foods birds eat can help us to get them nearer to us. Birds help to add life to the trees in your backyard, put some natural sounds in your surroundings, and simply make you feel close to nature. Different types of birds eat different kinds of foods.

If you are able to discover what types of foods the birds are eating in your place, you might be able to use these foods to make them come nearer to your place. Here are the types of birds based on the food they eat:

Avivores

Avivorous birds are simply birds of prey; they eat other birds in order to live. These birds, which include hawks, falcons, and crows, are characterized by strong wings, legs and talons. They are agile fliers that pursue smaller birds and grab the smaller ones with their claws.

Carnivores

These are birds of prey. They love to eat meat, but they don't feed on other birds. The majority of their diets include rodents, small mammals, fish, snakes and frogs. Carnivorous birds include eagles, owls, falcons, and large hawks.

Frugivores

Frugivores are the typical fruit-eaters that we often see in the woods or near our farms. These sweetly-colored avian friends are our feathered planters. They work to spread the seeds of plants throughout the forest. These birds, which include orioles, robins, bananaquits, parrots, and blue jays love apples, berries, plums, raisins, bananas and other fruits. By the way, some bats eat fruits, but they are not birds; they are mammals.

Granivores

Granivores are birds that make grain as their primary food. Many birds belong to this category. They are the ones that are easy to attract in our backyards, if only we know what to lure them with. Examples of granivores include pigeons, sparrows, finches, parakeets, cardinals, and doves.

Insectivores

Insectivorous birds also depend on flesh for their diet, but this time, they prey on insects. Most insectivores are small, but these birds do a lot to help farmers and gardeners. They help to control the population of pests that destroy plants. These avian friends of ours include phoebes, bluebirds, warblers, woodpeckers, and chirping sparrows. Many birds that are not insectivores by nature hunt insects to feed their young.

It's just unfortunate that when farmers spray their plants with insecticides, they also destroy the birds that eat the dead insects. It's one of the main reasons why insect-eating birds are disappearing today.

Molluscivores

Molluscivores are shore birds that feed on snails, oysters and slugs. Many molluscivores converge at the seashore during low tide to hunt for clams and oysters. Other birds of this type prefer to stay in swamps to find their favorite food.

Nectivores

These birds feed on nectar from flowers. They help in the cross-pollination of flowers to make them develop and produce seeds. This is a symbiotic relationship that allows plants and birds to thrive together. Some of the most known nectivores include honeyeaters, hummingbirds, honeycreepers, sunbirds, and spiderhunters.

Ophiophagous Birds

Ophiophagous birds are feathered creatures that eat snakes. There are just a few bird species that include snakes as part of their main diet. These include the secretary bird, snake eagles, and some hawks and herons.

Palynivores

Palynivores are birds that eat pollen. There are not many birds which are strictly pollen-eaters. But a lot of insectivores and nectivores do consume pollen when foraging.

Piscivores

Piscivores are birds that dive or wade into the water to catch fish with their specialized beaks or strong claws. Some examples of piscivores include kingfishers, ospreys, seagulls, and cormorants.

Bird watching is a great hobby for people of all ages and there are some who are so into bird watching that they travel the world hoping to get a glance at a particular species of bird. Having a great pair of bird watching binoculars will help to ensure your chances of not only spotting a specific species of bird will also help you in identifying them and getting information about them. Having the right binoculars may also help you identify a new species or see a rare bird. When looking for bird watching binoculars you may also see that they have a different name, which are bird binoculars.

There are three things that every bird watching binoculars should include which are:

• Focus - having good focus will let you get a detailed image of a particular bird or object that is very sharp. This is very important especially when the bird you are watching is fifteen feet or less away. The best binoculars to give you that sharp clear image are the ones with minimum close focus along with a central focus because birds do not stay still but are always on the move. Having a central focus will enable you to turn the focus smoothly with your index finger.

• Magnification - when choosing such binoculars check to make sure that the magnification is either 10X, 8X, or 7X. The higher the magnification the closer view of the bird you will have. There is one drawback with higher magnifications and that is it gives you a narrower field of view. The best option is to choose a magnification in the middle like 8X magnification.

• Objective lens diameter - the reason this is an important part of such binoculars is this is the place where any light enters your binoculars. Choose a big lens because that will let more light in and make your bird's color more vibrant and brighter. It will also help to enhance the details of the birds. Unfortunately with big lenses it is going to add weight to your binoculars and make them heavier to carry. The most popular size of objective lenses is a forty millimeter lens.

A good pair of bird watching binoculars can cost you between fifty and two hundred dollars. If you want binoculars that are technologically advanced they can cost you as much as five hundred dollars.

Five of the top brands of bird watching binoculars include:

• Nikon Action Extreme 7 X 35 ATB Binoculars
• Bushnell 8 X 4 Bird Watching Binoculars
• Nikon 10 X 42 EDG Binoculars
• PENTAX DCF CS 8X 42 Binoculars
• Swarovski 10 X 32 EL 32 Traveler Binoculars

Even though they have become quite common, birds are still considered to be exotic pets. This is the reason why many owners are not sure about the right way in which to feed them. Perhaps the biggest mistake is to offer only seeds as they do not offer the full spectrum of nutrients required by these lovely creatures. Find out how to feed your pet bird properly so that it is healthy and happy.

Food Diversity

Just like you, your pet requires a diverse and balanced diet. You can feed it some seeds, but they should form only a portion of its diet. The bird pallets are an excellent choice of food to give to your pet on a daily basis. They contain all the nutrients which birds require to be healthy. Just make sure that you pick a natural product which does not contain artificial additives, preservatives or colourings.

Your pet will certainly love to eat vegetables and fruits. They are excellent sources of carbs, fibre and vitamins and minerals. The vegetables and fruits which birds love the most include carrots, turnips, radishes, broccoli, corn, apples, bananas, berries, pineapple, cherries and mango. It is best if you feed your pet with fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits to achieve maximum diversity.

Other foods which you can include in the diet to make it diverse are raw almonds, kidney beans and lentils. These are great sources of healthy protein and healthy fat. Sprouted seeds, grains, nuts and legumes are great delicacies for birds in addition to being packed with nutrients. You can readily sprout dormant seeds and legumes at home by wrapping them a moist cotton ball and leaving them in a jar.

Feeding

Pet birds do not have set meal times, but it is best if you provide fresh food in the morning and in the evening. One important thing to know is that in nature these animals actually work for their food. They spend about a third of the day foraging. That is why you will do a great favour to your pet if you place a foraging feeder in the cage. That way, you will give it both physical and mental stimulation.

Cleanliness

You should never leave food in the cage for more than a day as it may get heavily contaminated with droppings or get spoiled. It is never wise to pour large amounts of feed and then forget about feeding your pet for weeks. You should also wash all feeders and dishes with warm water and detergent every day or every other day.

You now know how to feed your pet bird in the best possible way.