parrots Flashcards
What do parrots use their beaks for?
Crushing nuts and as a third hand for climbing
What are parrots feet like?
Scaly, with 2 toes forward and 2 toes back
What are the good points of keeping a parrot?
They are loyal (form a very string bind with owner)
Long lived (30-50 yrs)
Intelligent (same as dogs and pigs)
Ability to mimic (best talkers are African greys and Amazons)
What are the bad points of keeping a parrot?
They are noisy
Messy (leave food and faeces everywhere)
Wasters (only eat small proportion of food given to them)
Destructive (break everything for fun)
Which is the largest parrot species?
Macaw
What should a parrots cage be like?
Square, with horizontal bars. Should be bug enough to spread and flat its wings. Cage should be kept at eye level in a busy part of the house, in a corner with no draughts. Cage needs a perch (wooden and of varying sizes), a food bowl and bath. Temperature should be 25°C. a parrot stand is not a permanent home!
What should a homemade diet consist of?
1/3 fruit/salad
1/3 pulses/peas e.g. soya beans, chick peas, corn
1/3 seed/grain e.g. barley, sunflower seeds, pine nuts
What is a commercial parrot diet like?
It is more expensive but more convenient than a homemade diet. It is all the same so proves quite boring
What should you use as protection while handling nanparrot to examine it?
A towel to protect your hands and orevemnt flapping
What is sebum?
An oil parrots are covered in with antibacterial properties that also prevents dehydration
How often do parrots need to be wing clipped?
At least every 6 months
What is unusual about a parrot’s beak?
The lower beak forms a proper joint and is extremely mobile. It. Is also very strong and can easily break bone e.g. fingers!
What is the girdle?
The scapula, clavicle and coracoid bones. It is the structure that keeps the wing a constant distance from the sternum.
What is the function of the crop?
To soften and store food. It is a modified section of the oesophagus the the thoracic inlet
What causes diabetes in birds?
Usually not a lack of insulin, but too much glucagon which makes it harder to treat
