Some might think birds aren’t as intelligent as a dog or cat, but nothing is further from the truth. Well-renowned avain experts have conducted many studies to prove just the opposite.
And, there is a vast majority of pet parents who second the opinion that birds are highly intelligent creatures, particularly when you look at birds such as parrots, ravens, crows or even budgies.
Birds make fantastic pets. And, creatures like parrots or the raven, who can mimic human speech, are wonderful to behold. The only thing that may be a downside to these creatures is that, well, they can be a bit messy.
Do pet birds poop everywhere? Yes, birds do tend to poop wherever they are when the urge hits them. You will have to clean your bird’s cage regularly and be ready for the occasional accident here and there. It can be challenging to potty train your bird, but it is possible to do.
But before you decide birds aren’t for you, let’s talk a bit more about why this is the case and how you can accommodate a bird best without too much hassle.
How Often Do Birds Poop?
Well, when you speak of birds and pooping you have to realize that most pet birds are tiny. The most common birds that animal lovers tend to adopt as pets are budgies, various parrots, lovebirds, canaries or finches. Now, the amount of times a bird poops in a day seems to be directly proportionate to its size. The smaller the bird, the more frequently it poops.
But, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing either. You see, smaller birds do poop more often, but their poop is very inconsequential. You can be sure that most bird poop doesn’t leave a smell.
And, the smaller the bird, the less likely the bird’s stool will leave any marks. If you have a small healthy bird such as a budgie, the average time between each poop is 12-15 minutes.
When you take bigger birds into consideration such as the macaw, it will eliminate only 15-20 times in a day. Additionally, a larger bird means larger poop. But, you can thank your lucky stars for the fact that even with birds as large as a parrot or macaw, you will not leave a huge stain for you to clean up.
How To Clean Up After Your Bird
With most bird poop, especially with small birds like finches or lovebirds, you won’t have a lot to clean up anyways. These birds may poop more, but they don’t create a whole pile of filth. Budgies, parrots, and even ravens are big into self-cleaning. So, you won’t have to be constantly cleaning your bird.
But cleaning the poop they leave behind certainly falls into your job description. Yet, bird poop is generally soft and dense. Smaller bird poop usually doesn’t leave stains as it is mostly light in color, so you know your carpet and couch are safe. And, it doesn’t create a stench in the house or the rooms if you’re cleaning the cage daily.
In short, most pet bird poop can easily be cleaned up using a paper towel and some disinfectant spray. Bigger birds are a tad bit messier.
Most times the poop won’t stain. But, when it does, you can use a damp wet cloth or wet wipe to get rid of it. Furthermore, it’s easier to train larger birds to go in designated areas.
Can I Potty Train My Bird?
Yes, you can potty train your bird. Many birdie parents have successfully taught their birds to poop in particular spots in the house or cage. These spots are usually areas inside the house that pet guardians keep covered with a paper towel or a rag cloth.
And, the closer the area is to where the bird usually hangs out, the fewer the number of accidents and the easier potty training your bird becomes.
If you want to potty train your bird, you will need to be exceedingly patient and gentle. Birds cannot be potty trained with negative reinforcement. You see, birds don’t handle stress too well. The smaller the bird, the longer it will take them to catch on.
So, choose the spot that you want your bird to use to eliminate. It would be wise to pick out a spot that is closer to where your bird stays throughout the day. Now, birds only poop everywhere if they are allowed access everywhere.
Allowing your pet bird to fly everywhere is highly dangerous for your pet, so you’ll need to make sure that your bird does not have completely free range over the house. You also need to make sure that your bird is only outside the cage with supervision.
Then there are telltale signs that you have to learn to recognize. Most parrots and budgies tend to fluff up or tilt their tail up right before they go. So, you just have to rush your bird to the spot for pooping every time it seems to fluff up. And, over a gradual yet long period of time, your winged friend will learn to poop only in that spot.
When it starts catching wise and begins to go there on its own, giving them a treat as positive reinforcement will not only help them learn faster but even create some excitement about going in the right place.
You must understand that each bird is unique so there is no timeline. And, the more perseverance you show, the more likely your bird will learn. If, however, you are inconsistent with your bird’s training, the longer your bird will take to learn the trick.
Conclusion
There isn’t a doubt that you will freak out the first time your bird poops anywhere, let alone on your hand or shoulder. But, many bird parents claim that the ‘ick’ feeling of cleaning up after your bird vanishes as soon as you realize how amazing your pet truly is, much like cleaning a litter box or bagging dog poo.
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