Determining age of bird

Question
Jennifer ,
I "Inherited" a cockatiel from my daughter and grand children. They were given the bird from a friend that got it from a friend , who got it from a friend....get the picture?   I really enjoy my new friend in my office , and would like to make her happy , healthy and part of our menagiere.Since I know nothing about birds except the parakeet I had in my child hood I am sure we will get to know each other over the coming months.I promise I will not let "Queenie" be passed on to another home , I think I can make it to the end with her.That brings up the question I need help on getting started. Since this girl is an orphan , how do I determine her age?

Answer
Hello Jim,

To get you started on learning all about caring for your new friend I'm going to provide you with some resources that are going to help you with providing good basic care and beyond.

1. If you haven't already done so, it's time to make that avian veterinarian appointment. Regular vet care is essential to providing good basic care. Since your bird has a sketchy history then I recommend these basic tests to ask of your avian veterinarian:
1. Avian blood panel including CBC
2. Crop and vent swabs / cultures
3. Follow your avian veterinarian's advice on any other tests that are recommended

2. Learn about a healthy diet. Discuss, better yet, bring in to your avian veterinarian what you feed daily to your bird. Have a lengthy discussion about her nutritional needs and if those needs are being met. For a healthy diet for a cockatiel I recommend daily: pellets, fresh fruits and veggies, and some limited seed.

3. Continue to learn all you can about parrot care, behavior, and training. This is by far the best thing you can do for your bird. Start by subscribing to Bird Talk. Make this self education a commitment for as long as you have Queenie and you will be on the right track. My website has links to many excellent resources as well.

As for your specific question, I purposefully addressed this last. I wanted to make the point that there are many other basic care issues that are a priority. Age is a minor (if at all) concern. There is no way to determine the exact age of any bird. Your avian veterinarian may be able to give you a ball park idea (young, adult, or old.) If age is a concern your avian veterinarian will be able to discuss with you age related health issues.

Enjoy your new friend!

Jennifer
www.feathersandscales.com