Why Your Parrot Needs
Bird Toys
Just like children, your birds / parrots can benefit from having and playing with toys! A baby bird that is busy with its bird toys is not eating your wood furniture or ripping your leather jacket that you left out.
Toys can help sooth your birds chewing need and calm them while you are away. From
bird swings,
boings,
shreddable toys to puzzles, there is a toy for every parrot.
Bird toys give your bird safe items to explore - birds seem to be fascinated with dangerous household items. When your bird(s) are attracted to items they should not have - giving them one of their toys is the PERFECT distraction. Give them lots of attention when they are playing with their toys. When your parrot is playing with an item that you do not want them to play with -- ignore them! If you need to take away a forbidden item -- do not give your bird any attention, simply take the item away (negative attention is attention in your birds mind). If your bird tries to entice you into a game of look-at-what-I-have-you-better-get-it-me try getting one of their toys and start playing with it. When they come to get their toy, that is a great time to
use your Clicker Training System because that is the behavior that you want! Soon they will choose their toys over the other items that do not get them attention.
Birds benefit from being challenged. A bored parrot is going to find a way to entertain itself, maybe by eating your couch or re-wiring your tv/ stereo system! When you are shopping for bird toys make sure you get a variety of sounds, textures, and challenges. Some sound toys make noise when you bite them them, others when you shake them, others you just have to nudge -- Baby, our sound loving
blue and gold macaw, will work with a bird toy until he has figured out how to destroy it in the most effective way, or how to create the most noise. Chino, who is a Umbrella Cockatoo mix loves
foraging bird toys. Chino have to figure out how to get puzzle toys apart, Chino loves to take the apart over, and over again.
Some Parrots just love destroying their toys. Just like the children who you give a new bike to, only to have them take it apart! Baby and Chino rarely take apart their toys; however, when they do the pieces (we call it a carcass) become treasured toys. You should see Chino prance around the
play gyms, play stands carrying and shaking whats left of her bird toy.
Toy Tips
- Foot and Beak Toys are great to help challenge your bird into a variety of agility skills while having fun and being entertained in multiple ways .
- Foraging Bird Toys are perfect to entertain your pet. They bring out the foraging / hunter instinct and can get that couch potato moving.
- When buying toys for your pet look for a variety of shapes, colors, sounds and textures. This will keep your bird(s) challenged and entertained.
- Puzzle Toys are meant to relieve boredom and entertain your pet parrot. These toys tend to hold their attention for long periods of time.
- If your pet is anxious when you are away try recording your voice - hearing you can calm your pet when you are away.
- When you get a new toy for your parrot - make sure you supervise them with it to make sure that it is safe for them. Every bird will respond to various types of toys differently.
- Try rotating your bird toys - have a few out at a time. You can also hide toys because a "found" toy is just so much fun!
Reccomended Online Bird Toy Retailers:
http://www.BirdToys.com
http://www.BirdBoardShop.com