Mary Allen
Keeping cockatoos, amazons, gray parrots or macaws is very demanding. The birds grow very old and need constant activity. A few suggestions.
Large parrots can become very attached to humans once imprinted on them. Such embossing was usually only possible because they were raised by hand or held individually. In the absence of a mate, they bonded closely with humans. Legislation has long since prohibited the keeping of birds individually in Switzerland. Parrots in particular live socially and not solitarily. You need a partner.
However, since large parrots can live to be 40 to 50 years old and sometimes even older, there are still quite a few that are totally imprinted on humans because they used to live with someone as solitary birds. Some of them found acceptance in the attitude of Marcel Linder and Doris Andrey from Oberwangen BE. The two parrot lovers have designed their three-meter-high indoor and outdoor aviaries in a very varied way. Whether they used to be tame birds or live in pairs, large parrots place high demands on the design of the aviary.
If the aviary is large but only has two perches, it is still not attractive to the parrots. The quality of the room is more important. Marcel Linder and Doris Andrey offer their birds a wide variety of employment opportunities. A basic requirement in aviaries is fresh branches from nature. Whether maple, willow, beech, oak, ash, or elder, most branches and trunks are suitable for aviary equipment.
Facility for Old Parrots
Thin and thick branches are important so that the feet always have to grip differently. In addition, not all branches should simply be attached horizontally. Vertically attached and fixed branches are also popular, on the tips of which parrots like to sit and which they like to gnaw. Branches that lead diagonally upwards are just as useful as thin twigs, on which even large parrots like to rest.
Areas, where they can rest at high altitudes, are ideal, especially for old parrots. In the wild, parrots don’t live as long as they do in captivity. When a parrot becomes less agile in nature, a raptor or predator eliminates it. But he lives on under human care. A common sign of aging in parrots is arthritis in the feet and wings. They find it difficult to grasp and flying is no longer possible. It’s even better if they can sit on a surface. Andrey and Linder have therefore installed boards in their indoor and outdoor aviaries, which old parrots like to use as places to sit and rest.
It is a sense of achievement for parrots when the material they are chewing breaks. Cardboard boxes and old baskets are therefore ideal and are processed with delight. They are either hung with chains or placed on the ground. Because the aviary floor is also an important component in the life of parrots. They like to carry small rocks, pluck grass, or dig in wood chips or sand. Parrot aviaries can also be planted with grass, bamboo, hops, or willow. The parrots have such a varied environment and it is a great pleasure to observe them.