Children and Birds
By Dr. Jeanne Smith, DVM Avian Health

Children and birds can be a great combination or they can be a dangerous combination, depending on the child, the bird and parental intervention. I see many child-induced traumas in birds but I also see many safe, healthy relationships between birds and their child caretakers. I believe that matching the right bird to your child and instilling some good safety considerations greatly increases the chances that your child and your bird will have a trouble-free relationship.

I don't believe that it is possible for a very young child to interact safely with birds. A 3 or 4 year old may be able to squeeze or tug on a big dog or drag a kitten around by it's tail, but the same enthusiastic handling can severely injure or kill a small bird, result in a severe bite to the child from a large bird, or at the very least frighten and stress a bird terribly. When a child is old enough to be taught how to gently stroke and perch a bird, without getting too rough or being too loud or too quick, it's time to allow the child to handle a bird. I have seen children as young as between 6 or 7 that can do this and I have seen children as old as 16 unable to do this. Use your judgment with your own child.

Children need to be taught that all birds need to be approached with calm, quiet energy. They need to make their own movements slow for the bird. Start out by only letting your child handle the bird with parental supervision. I believe a good rule is that the bird should not be handled when other children are visiting or when two or more of your own children are together with it unless a parent is there supervising. Children together tend to get more excited, more loud, more erratic in their movements. They may tend to argue and struggle over who gets to hold the bird. These are times that birds tend to get injured the most. The bird usually gets anxious and may try to fly or may bite and in the resulting chaos, the bird can get stepped on or something falls on it. Encourage your child to have the bird out during quiet activities, such as during homework, when watching TV or reading, or during a meal. If you are doing the adult supervision when the bird is out, be observant of the bird's attitude. Does it look at ease? Does it look frightened? Does it look like it is ready to fly or bite? Intervene if the bird doesn't look comfortable with the situation.

Children also need to be taught not to tease birds. Children often find it funny to see a bird get angry or frustrated or confused. Offering a treat and pulling it away, putting out a hand to perch then pulling it away, pointing fingers in the bird's face, etc. will only serve to make the bird dislike the child and become either fearful or aggressive with him or her. Such teasing is stressful to a bird and if the child won't discontinue such behavior the bird should be given to a better home or the child should not be allowed to handle the bird.

If you have your child provide the day to day care for the bird, make sure it is being done. Although you give your child responsibility for the pet, the ultimate responsibility lies with you. Check to see that food and water is kept available and clean. Make sure the cage and perches are cleaned frequently enough. Make up a reminder whiteboard that can be checked off if necessary. Also, do a daily check-in on the bird to see if it looks normal, if it's droppings are normal. An adult may do a better job at observing early signs of poor health, however, teach your child what to look for because the observant, caring child is often the one informing the parent that something is wrong. Choosing the right species of bird for your child is also important. In general, most younger children (6-14 years) are intimidated by large beaks. When you get a young bird they will go through a testing phase, their "terrible two's", and they will either nip or act like they are going to bite. If a person reacts fearfully during that time and pulls their hand away, the bird feels dominant to that person and will continue to act aggressively with them. Children usually lose that struggle for dominance if they are intimidated by that beak. Choose a smaller bird when your children are young or choose an older, trustworthy bird of a less aggressive species (an amazon parrot would be a poor choice in most cases). Some older birds have developed a love of children. A bird like that is an excellent choice. A bird that is fearful or distrustful of children would be a poor choice.

Lastly, make sure your child knows that a pet bird needs daily attention and interaction. They need new toys every week. They need to be handled and talked to. Often as children get older they get more and more involved in clubs, sports, friends, and school events. If the bird is being cared for but isn't getting needed attention, something needs to change. Either other members of the household need to assume that responsibility, or the child needs to devote more time to the bird, or the bird needs to go to a good home where those needs will be met.