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Bird Nerd: Enrichment for Birds
Of all the pet birds out there, the kind you don’t want is a bored bird.
It’s in a bird’s nature to forage, learn, explore and socialize. Take those activities away and you have pets with nothing to do but sit in a cage, causing them to get stressed, anxious or even depressed. Bird enrichment is how you can fight off this boredom.
The term “bird enrichment” refers to activities that’ll stimulate your feathered friends. These simple ventures promote positive behavior by allowing your birds to spread their wings physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. Having an outlet for their natural behaviors gives your beaked buddy a safe way to express themselves that taps into their true avian instincts.
Don’t worry. You’re not flying solo here. Pet Supplies Plus has put together a breakdown of all the different ways you can enrich your bird’s day. We also have the products that can help make these strategies a reality. What you don’t want to do is over-stimulate them. Forcing too many activities upon them can cause stress or anxiety. And they may favor one thing over another. Remember, enrichment for birds is supposed to be safe and beneficial.
Environmental Enrichment
When it comes to bird enrichment, home (i.e., their cage) is a good place to start. Challenge your pets physically and mentally by modifying their physical environment. This can include:
• Providing swings for playing
• Placing different-sized perches at different heights and angles
• Adding ladders for climbing
• Hanging bird-safe fruit and treats from the top of their enclosure
• Letting them spend time outside their cage
• Rearranging objects around their cage a few times a week
Adding some variety to your bird’s enclosure can give them a safe, exciting place to explore that also feels like home sweet home.
Toy Enrichment
Birds just want to have fun. Out in the wild, their idea of a good time includes chewing, shredding, climbing, grasping and foraging. Inside your home, you can scratch their itch to play with:
• Multi-textured hanging toys
• Handheld toys that allow birds to flex their claws while encouraging good foot health
• Toys that attach to the side of their cage
• Bird-safe chew toys
• Puzzle feeders that make birds figure out a way to get their food
More times than not, birds want to destroy the toys they’re playing with. This isn’t some appetite for destruction you have to worry about. It’s just something birds do. Nevertheless, monitor your pets when giving them new toys. If something looks dangerous as it’s being deconstructed, remove the toy from their cage. Plus, make sure they’re not noshing on things they shouldn’t be eating.
Foraging Enrichment
It’s not just wolves and big cats that enjoy the thrill of the hunt. Birds also like searching for their food, i.e., foraging. As a bird enrichment strategy, there are several ways to cater to their intuitive feeding skills. These include:
• Foraging boxes that are typically cardboard containers with small openings that birds poke their beaks through or rip open
• Foraging puzzle toys that require birds to do things like turn a wheel to release treats and even open a drawer or lift a lid to get to some food
• Weaving leafy vegetables like kale, endive and carrot tops through the cage wire
• Spreading their food in different places around their cage
• Hiding food under pieces of lettuce
It’s part of a bird’s foraging instincts to pick through non-edible items to find their food, so incorporate non-food, bird-safe items (e.g., shredded paper) whenever possible. You can also “hide” their toys in foraging boxes as well. If you have concerns about what’s safe and unsafe, talk with your veterinarian.
Sensory Enrichment
The two senses birds rely heavily on are seeing and hearing, so it’d be a good idea to stimulate those parts of their brains. For example, you can:
• Play music but keep in mind, something intense like speed metal will probably scare your feathered friend.
• Let them watch a YouTube video made for birds on your phone, TV or tablet
• When choosing toys, pick ones that are colorful and/or have features like bells and rattles
• Allow them to “people watch” by placing their cage somewhere that gets some but not too much foot traffic
Like other bird enrichment strategies, variety is the key to appealing to their senses.
Social Enrichment
Birds are social animals. Besides being on Instagram (it’s true), they long for activities that include interacting with people, birds and even other pets. While some birds like parakeets and canaries are fine without a bird companion, you still might consider getting another feathery pal for your pet. Isolation can have a negative effect on birds. You should also give your avian friend plenty of attention and affection. This can mean talking with them, letting them fly around your home (make sure it’s escape-proof) or teaching them some tricks.
Conclusion
Enrichment for birds is about addressing the physical and psychological needs of your pets. Let your bird be a bird by incorporating environmental, toy, foraging, sensory and social enrichment strategies into their daily lives. Create stimulating situations that naturally encourage positive behavior while reducing their boredom. Pet Supplies Plus can help. Just like you, we’re bird nerds too.
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