More Than Just a Beak
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For the typical bird, the beak gathers food, handles nesting material and preens feathers. But for
the members of the parrot family, the beak is a real adventure. In fact, the hooked beak provides
for an interesting array of activities.
Being a curious animal, the parrot wants to know what is in, under, on top of, and behind
everything. He can unlock cage doors, untie ropes, break open clamps and escape from ordinary
cages.
A parrot can gently peel a grape or violently destroy pieces of wood. His versatile beak is
fearsome in appearance, beautiful in structure, and so important to the bird that we should
understand its purpose and function.
Much of the subtropical and tropical fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other food sources are
protected by tough peels, rinds, horny coating and hard shells. Further, a variety of animal life
hides under the bark, in the stumps of rotting logs, and in the soil and decaying vegetation. To
many birds, this food source is unavailable. Only a bird with special adaptations and ingenuity can
reach these feasts.
Through a remarkable evolutionary divergence in design, the parrot family was given a
beak which can be compared to a set of carpenter’s tools (crow bar, wedge, spike and vise) and a
powerful group of muscles to work it. The pointed beak can be driven into or under hard objects
and then by wedging and a lever action break apart materials. So strong and yet so lightweight,
it functions as though solid bone and yet is hollow except for fine bony struts. Be aware,
although appearing indestructible, unnatural forces will fracture the beak.
Psychological Need for Beak Activities
In addition, the parrot’s hooked beak is important in defense, climbing, grabbing,
chewing, grinding, holding and preening. These functions have been so important for their
survival in the wild that their whole life and activities center around them. Thus, using the beak
for its intended purposes seem to be a “must,” and to deprive them of these activities may affect
them psychologically. The blocking of ingrained adaptations potentially can affect behavior,
attitude and personality.
Experience and observation confirm that in captivity the bird who uses his beak for its
designed purpose has fewer psychological problems. Growing continuously, the beak of a
parakeet grows 3 inches a year, and in a large parrot the beak grows 1 ¼ inches a year. The
parrot’s beak grows more slowly but is much thicker and heavier than the parakeet’s. This rapid
growth indicates the amount of natural use the beak would have in the wild.
To maintain the shape of the beak, wear takes place at the tip, inside and outside.
Through the normal eating process (procuring and masticating) and with the friction from direct
grinding between the upper and lower beaks, the inside surface is maintained. The outside
surface and tip wear off from rubbing and abrasion from the mechanical activity when
manipulating wood or other hard objects. Lack of proper wear causes beaks to lose their smooth
appearance, thicken and lengthen.
Encouraging Beak Activities
Of all the functions involving the beak, feather care and chew type activities are the most
time-consuming and perhaps the most important. Possibly some relationship exists between
these two, as good chewers seldom are feather-pickers.
The best stimuli for feather care are showers. When feathers become wet, birds want to
preen. While natural in the wild, captive birds many times must learn to enjoy becoming wet.
And the best encouragement for parrots to use their beaks is to provide an assortment of
chewable items. The materials listed are in their general order of importance.
* White pine perches: Of all their chewing activities, it seems most natural for parrots to
destroy their perches. White pine wood seems the best accepted because of its softness. Hard
wood perches discourage and frustrate parrots.
* Fresh branches: These generally only have appeal until the bird has the bark stripped off.
Thus, fresh branches need to be supplied on an almost daily basis. Ask your veterinarian for
suggestions of trees native to your area that are safe for your bird to chew.
* Chicken bones: Raw or cooked chicken bones are excellent for chewing, and both the meat
and bone can provide valuable nutrition.
* Substrates: Ask your veterinarian for suggestions of additional substrates that can help
satisfy the need to chew.
* Mineral blocks
* Pine cones
* Cloth
* Clothes pins
* Wood pencils
* Rope
* Egg cartons
* Cardboard
* Paper
* Sugar cane stalks
The question always arises as to whether a bird eats any of these non-food materials. Birds that
are eating balanced diets will not normally swallow foreign material. Birds who have deficiencies
may eat foreign material because of their cravings for nutrients which they are lacking in their diet.
Beak Care
· A balanced diet is needed for a good, healthy beak.
· Always encourage beak activities.
· If overgrown or thickened, they should be trimmed.
· If rough appearing, the source of the problem should be determined.
· Don’t underestimate the amount of pain when a beak is injured! It is very sensitive.
Observing and caring for your parrot’s beak is an important factor in your total bird care. After
all, it is “more than just a beak!”
the members of the parrot family, the beak is a real adventure. In fact, the hooked beak provides
for an interesting array of activities.
Being a curious animal, the parrot wants to know what is in, under, on top of, and behind
everything. He can unlock cage doors, untie ropes, break open clamps and escape from ordinary
cages.
A parrot can gently peel a grape or violently destroy pieces of wood. His versatile beak is
fearsome in appearance, beautiful in structure, and so important to the bird that we should
understand its purpose and function.
Much of the subtropical and tropical fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other food sources are
protected by tough peels, rinds, horny coating and hard shells. Further, a variety of animal life
hides under the bark, in the stumps of rotting logs, and in the soil and decaying vegetation. To
many birds, this food source is unavailable. Only a bird with special adaptations and ingenuity can
reach these feasts.
Through a remarkable evolutionary divergence in design, the parrot family was given a
beak which can be compared to a set of carpenter’s tools (crow bar, wedge, spike and vise) and a
powerful group of muscles to work it. The pointed beak can be driven into or under hard objects
and then by wedging and a lever action break apart materials. So strong and yet so lightweight,
it functions as though solid bone and yet is hollow except for fine bony struts. Be aware,
although appearing indestructible, unnatural forces will fracture the beak.
Psychological Need for Beak Activities
In addition, the parrot’s hooked beak is important in defense, climbing, grabbing,
chewing, grinding, holding and preening. These functions have been so important for their
survival in the wild that their whole life and activities center around them. Thus, using the beak
for its intended purposes seem to be a “must,” and to deprive them of these activities may affect
them psychologically. The blocking of ingrained adaptations potentially can affect behavior,
attitude and personality.
Experience and observation confirm that in captivity the bird who uses his beak for its
designed purpose has fewer psychological problems. Growing continuously, the beak of a
parakeet grows 3 inches a year, and in a large parrot the beak grows 1 ¼ inches a year. The
parrot’s beak grows more slowly but is much thicker and heavier than the parakeet’s. This rapid
growth indicates the amount of natural use the beak would have in the wild.
To maintain the shape of the beak, wear takes place at the tip, inside and outside.
Through the normal eating process (procuring and masticating) and with the friction from direct
grinding between the upper and lower beaks, the inside surface is maintained. The outside
surface and tip wear off from rubbing and abrasion from the mechanical activity when
manipulating wood or other hard objects. Lack of proper wear causes beaks to lose their smooth
appearance, thicken and lengthen.
Encouraging Beak Activities
Of all the functions involving the beak, feather care and chew type activities are the most
time-consuming and perhaps the most important. Possibly some relationship exists between
these two, as good chewers seldom are feather-pickers.
The best stimuli for feather care are showers. When feathers become wet, birds want to
preen. While natural in the wild, captive birds many times must learn to enjoy becoming wet.
And the best encouragement for parrots to use their beaks is to provide an assortment of
chewable items. The materials listed are in their general order of importance.
* White pine perches: Of all their chewing activities, it seems most natural for parrots to
destroy their perches. White pine wood seems the best accepted because of its softness. Hard
wood perches discourage and frustrate parrots.
* Fresh branches: These generally only have appeal until the bird has the bark stripped off.
Thus, fresh branches need to be supplied on an almost daily basis. Ask your veterinarian for
suggestions of trees native to your area that are safe for your bird to chew.
* Chicken bones: Raw or cooked chicken bones are excellent for chewing, and both the meat
and bone can provide valuable nutrition.
* Substrates: Ask your veterinarian for suggestions of additional substrates that can help
satisfy the need to chew.
* Mineral blocks
* Pine cones
* Cloth
* Clothes pins
* Wood pencils
* Rope
* Egg cartons
* Cardboard
* Paper
* Sugar cane stalks
The question always arises as to whether a bird eats any of these non-food materials. Birds that
are eating balanced diets will not normally swallow foreign material. Birds who have deficiencies
may eat foreign material because of their cravings for nutrients which they are lacking in their diet.
Beak Care
· A balanced diet is needed for a good, healthy beak.
· Always encourage beak activities.
· If overgrown or thickened, they should be trimmed.
· If rough appearing, the source of the problem should be determined.
· Don’t underestimate the amount of pain when a beak is injured! It is very sensitive.
Observing and caring for your parrot’s beak is an important factor in your total bird care. After
all, it is “more than just a beak!”