Читать книгу Birds For Dummies - Gina Spadafori - Страница 10

IN THIS CHAPTER

Appreciating the history of the human–bird relationship

Considering whether owning a bird is right for you

Who among us hasn’t looked up with awe and even envy at the sight of a soaring hawk or the V formation of migratory waterfowl? Who hasn’t smiled at the clever capering of chickadees or the luminescent colors of a hovering hummingbird? And what about the sweet song of the canary or the clever mimicry of the parrot? For as long as our collective consciousness can remember, we’ve shared our environment with birds, creatures of myth and magic, soaring spirits who remind us of a dimension beyond our own. Look up, they remind us, and in so doing we gain both perspective and inspiration.

Perhaps humans have always wondered what it would be like to bring birds closer to us, out of the heavens and into our lives. And in response to the immense and primeval appeal of these flighted creatures, we’ve done exactly that, enjoying their song and their beauty in our homes. Ancient civilizations in China, Egypt, and Rome, among others, found pleasure in bird keeping, a joy that follows us to modern times as more people than ever discover the benefits of sharing their lives with avian companions. According to the latest statistics from the American Pet Products Association, approximately 5.7 million U.S. households live with a pet bird.

But have we done birds any favors by taking them under our wings? Clipped and caged, often admired more for their ornamental presence than for their companion qualities, these marvelous creatures are too often sold short. When we treat them with less respect than they deserve, we can make our birds miserable and sick, and we deny ourselves the full pleasure of their company. Even worse, through greed and ignorance, we decimate their numbers in the wild, driving some incredible species to extinction in our quest for their uniqueness and their habitat.

Fortunately, knowledge of how to properly care for pet birds — physically and emotionally — has grown in the last several decades, thanks to pioneering avian veterinarians, researchers, breeders, and bird lovers themselves who are no longer satisfied to allow birds to be second-class compared to pet dogs or cats. We’re part of an evolving society that increasingly appreciates the creatures with which we share our world.

The changing times are exciting, and by buying this book you’re claiming your interest in becoming part of the new and improved perspective on pet birds. Finding out how to care for them properly is a wonderful first step on the road to bird keeping. First steps lead to lots of new territory, and in this chapter we help you explore a promising trail of information.

As with all companion animals, doing your homework is essential to success as a bird parent. You need to know what you’re getting into and where to find the bird of your dreams. And you need to know how to care for your bird and what to do when things go wrong (and they will, sometimes!). So, don’t rush! Enjoy discovering details about birds, and you can expect to be better prepared for the time you bring home a bird of your own.