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Home
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> Issue 15: December 2006 > Take Action
for Avian Welfare: January 5 is National Bird Day: Celebrate and Get
Involved!
Take Action for Avian Welfare

National
Bird Day (January 5) is dedicated to raising awareness
of the plight of exotic birds.
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January 5 is National Bird Day:
Celebrate and Get Involved!
National
Bird Day (January 5) is not only a good day to take time to appreciate
the native wild birds flying free outside our windows, it is also a
perfect time to reflect on how we treat the native birds of other countries.
While we have enacted laws to protect our native birds — such
as blue jays, cardinals, and crows — from commercial exploitation,
we fail to recognize the inconsistency in allowing the pet industry
to exploit the birds of other countries.
MAARS CEO and Executive Director Eileen McCarthy will
be in New York City for National Bird
Day this year, helping to educate the public and shelter workers about
captive bird issues and care.
To learn more about National Bird Day and what you
can do to make a difference, visit www.NationalBirdDay.org.
Also, below are 10 easy things you can do to make your
bird happy.
1) |
Provide a healthy and varied diet — not
just seeds, but grains, beans, vegetables (cooked and raw) formulated
pellets, and some fruit. (Harmful foods include chocolate, avocado,
highly processed or overly salted foods, human junk food, and
caffeine.) |
2)
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Give your bird the largest enclosure possible
— no space is too big for a creature adapted to flying through
jungles and across savannas. |
3)
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Provide daily exercise and ample out-of-cage
time, preferably to include free flying in a safe, supervised
environment. (Bird-proofing a room for out-of-cage time includes
keeping birds away from items containing lead and zinc, and from
paint chips, ceiling fans, electrical cords, cats and dogs, and
open windows.) |
4)
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Offer a variety of toys and enrichment activities.
(Buy toys
from MAARS and help support the MAARS flock.) |
5)
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Provide plenty of socialization with other
birds and/or human caretakers. |
6)
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Give access to unfiltered sunlight and/or full-spectrum
lighting. Birds need exposure to UVA and UVB rays from direct
sunlight (windows block necessary UV rays) or full-spectrum lighting
to synthesize vitamin D necessary for bone health. |
7)
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Offer daily or weekly misting with a clean
spray bottle of water to promote feather and skin health and for
fun! Some birds prefer to bathe in a small container (like their
water dish); others enjoy being misted with water. It is important
to allow the birds to air-dry in a warm room or in the sunshine.
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8)
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Develop games and teach your bird skills ("jobs")
like foraging or treasure hunts (this can be done in the house
or with creative toys in the cage), or cleaning up toys by putting
them in a basket. |
9)
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Provide a secure enclosure, carrier, or harness
so your bird can enjoy the outdoors with you. |
10)
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Place multiple perches/stands throughout the
house so that your bird can benefit from ambient "flock time"
while being included in family activities like watching TV or
movies, preparing meals, or playing cards or games. |
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