Toys are not enough!
Toys are an essential addition to any pet bird’s environment. You can hang toys in their cage, and toys from their play gym. But does that mean you can relax and take the rest of the week off?
The term “enrichment” means “the action of improving or enhancing the quality or value of something.” (dictionary.com). We keep our birds in our homes because we enjoy their company, and it is our responsibility to make their lives as full and complete as possible. This includes enriching their environment with more than just toys!
What's Better than toys?
Toys make up only a part of the total enrichment spectrum!
Toys make up only a part of the total enrichment spectrum! Other options include:
Foraging: the act of searching for food
Cognitive: thinking games, including training as well as puzzles
Social: interaction with family members and other members of the flock
Sensory: engaging the senses including novel and interesting things to see, touch, hear and taste. This could be from tv, a window view, the radio, fresh branches, or novel foods.
As we continue to learn and grow in our understanding of parrots, we apply that knowledge to keep them even happier. Pick one new thing from the list and try it with your bird today!
Please ask for clarification or application if you need any help. We love to talk birds!
https://www.vetexotic.theclinics.com/article/S1094-9194(12)00056-4/fulltext
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5636/2/4/38
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159116301058
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In the spirit of respect, reciprocity and truth, we honour and acknowledge Moh’kinsstis, and the traditional Treaty 7 territory and oral practices of the Blackfoot confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina nations. We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3 within the historical Northwest Métis homeland. Finally, we acknowledge all Nations – Indigenous and non – who live, work and play on this land, and who honour and celebrate this territory.
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