Nikki Moustaki - Parakeets For Dummies

Parakeets For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

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Copyright © 2021 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2021939750

ISBN 978-1-119-75524-1 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-75529-6 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-75530-2 (ebk)

1 Cover

2 Title Page

3 Copyright

4 Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here

5 Part 1: Introducing the Parakeet Chapter 1: Parakeets: More Than Just Pretty, Whistling Birds The American Parakeet versus the English Budgie The Anatomy of a Parakeet Chapter 2: Is a Parakeet Your Perfect Companion? Knowing What to Expect from a Parakeet Knowing What Your Parakeet Expects from You Deciding Whether a Parakeet Is Right for You One, Two — or More: Increasing Your Parakeet Population Chapter 3: Finding and Selecting a Parakeet Choosing a Parakeet: Exploring Your Options Finding a Parakeet Searching for a Healthy Parakeet Chapter 4: Home Tweet Home: Preparing for Your Parakeet Your Parakeet’s Home Accessorizing Your Parakeet’s Abode Recognizing the Importance of Toys Setting Up the Cage Keeping Messes at Bay Parakeet-Proofing Your Home Other Pets and Your Parakeet

6 Part 2: Caring for Your Parakeet Chapter 5: Polly Want a Cracker? Feeding Your Parakeet Properly Water, Water Everywhere … FeedingYour Parakeet Making Some Fun and Nutritious Recipes for Your Parakeet Chapter 6: Pretty Bird! Grooming Your Parakeet Thinking about Feathers Grooming Your Parakeet Chapter 7: Come Here Often? Getting to Know Your Parakeet Understanding Parakeet Behavior Recognizing Problem Behaviors Putting Your Parakeet to Bed

7 Part 3: Training and Breeding Your Parakeet Chapter 8: Good Bird! Taming and Training Your Parakeet Handling Your Parakeet Safely Taming Your Parakeet Talking to Your Parakeet — and Getting It to Talk to You Dealing with Biting Finding Fun in Potty Training Learning Advanced Training Techniques Chapter 9: Keeping Your Parakeet Healthy and Handling Emergencies Finding a Veterinarian What a Healthy Bird Looks Like Helping Your Parakeet Get the Exercise It Needs Cleaning Your Parakeet’s Housing Signs of a Sick Parakeet Emergencies: Knowing When to Get Help Immediately Chapter 10: Bouncing Baby Budgies: Breeding Your Parakeets To Breed or Not to Breed? Preventing Breeding Conditioning Your Parent Parakeets Breeding Equipment Setting up for Breeding Waiting Game: The Breeding Timeline Handfeeding Baby Parakeets Weaning the Babies

8 Part 4: The Part of Tens Chapter 11: Ten Facts about Parakeets Chapter 12: Ten Fun and Informative Parakeet and Budgie Websites

9 Index

10 About the Author

11 Advertisement Page

12 Connect with Dummies

13 End User License Agreement

1 Chapter 10TABLE 10-1 Feeding Chart

1 Chapter 1FIGURE 1-1: The English budgie (left, male) and American parakeets (right, fema...FIGURE 1-2: All the parts of a healthy parakeet.

2 Chapter 2FIGURE 2-1: Children and parakeets can be good friends, but they must be superv...

3 Chapter 3FIGURE 3-1: A young parakeet still has barring on the top of its head and the b...

4 Chapter 4FIGURE 4-1: Cages with drawbridge style doors are safer than guillotine style d...FIGURE 4-2: Wooden perches of varying diameters are good for your parakeet’s fe...FIGURE 4-3: Parakeets like mirror toys, just make sure that your bird doesn’t b...FIGURE 4-4: Parakeets love to climb around on ladders like this one.FIGURE 4-5: Be very careful if you have flighted parakeets and ceiling fans.

5 Chapter 5FIGURE 5-1: Parakeets are ground feeders, meaning that they naturally fly to th...FIGURE 5-2: Parakeets should be given greens and other fruits and veggies every...FIGURE 5-3: Parakeets love millet spray as a treat.

6 Chapter 6FIGURE 6-1: A healthy parakeet’s feathers are clean and sleek, like with this f...FIGURE 6-2: Offering your parakeet a separate bath encourages it to bathe there...FIGURE 6-3: This parakeet is molting. You can see the new pin feathers peeking ...FIGURE 6-4: For a proper clip, trim the first seven primary flight feathers.FIGURE 6-5: Try not to cut into the quick when you trim your bird’s nails.

7 Chapter 7FIGURE 7-1: A parakeet in a crouched position like this is generally ready to g...FIGURE 7-2: Parakeets who live together may enjoy mutual preening, called allop ...FIGURE 7-3: Parakeets often sleep with their head tucked backwards.FIGURE 7-4: A parakeet puffed up like this might be feeling chilled.