Many of my residents come to me in a poor physical condition, individually tailored physio programs are often needed for the angels in my care as a result. This usually involves handling the Bird in order to help them perform the movements their body needs to recover, but there was a catch. Many of my residents have also been through traumatic events &/or have health conditions such as breathing difficulties or obesity which make handling uncomfortable or scary for the Bird. I don’t want to be doing something in the name of therapy that was furthering trauma or causing pain, that’s what it’s supposed to prevent!
So, I had to think. How could I deliver meaningful physio to Birds who need handling kept to a minimum? Then it came to me, why not create a cage/ flight setup to give physio without them even realizing it? What if I find out what physio they need & create a setup &/ or activities that get them to perform those movements as they navigate that space? I tried it out & it worked perfectly! Below are some of the ways I incorporate their physio into the environment so that they are having meaningful movement without even knowing it.
PERCHES
I use only natural branches (with the bark intact) & some jave branches, these come in different shapes & sizes which exercise their feet as nature intended. Many natural branches have multiple layers to them which encourages climbing & allows creative placement to get the Bird stretching in the required way as they navigate the perches. These natural branches, especially if carefully positioned, engage the Bird’s muscles in multiple ways, a stark contrast to the uniform, straight perches that they often come with. The bark also acts as a further activity, exercising their whole body as they strip, chew & shred the bark. The exercise & toning a Bird receives from bark chewing is far better than any physio position that could be achieved in ‘handling physio’. I even place some perches pointing directly in the air, so the Bird must hang sideways & really engage their core & foot grip.
TOYS
Toys made of natural materials are typically chosen to maximize chewing & engagement. Long hanging toys are placed in positions that require the Bird to stretch or hang from the toy in order to reach them. This often creates a greater excitement for the toy than if they were in easy reach. Foot toys such as juggling balls & Bird safe wooden blocks are provided to big & small Birds alike. Larger Birds hold them in their feet to chew them, working on balance, co-ordination & muscle strength. Smaller Birds are presented with wooden blocks on platforms or the floorspace, they toss, roll, chew & chase the items, working on many movements & muscle groups as well as body awareness & co-ordination.
SWINGING PERCHES
Moving or swinging perches are perches that are either hung from the enclosure roof or secured to the wire in a way that still enables them to swing or move as the Bird climbs on them. These are often scary at first, but many Birds warm to them with great enthusiasm, especially as their neophobia, poor body awareness & muscle weakness starts to improve. In nature, perches move! They move when the Bird moves, they go in different directions rather than being straight poles & these elements are essential for pet Birds too. Making everything still, simple & within easy reach is often imagined to be kind, but it’s actually incredibly harmful for their overall health, both physically & psychologically. Swinging perches engage the Bird’s whole body at all times & is great at increasing body awareness for Birds who have movement stifled.
Birds who have had movement stifled often have difficulty telling where their body is in space & as a result are often scared of movement. They may also pluck &/or skin pick to try & gain better awareness of their body, much like humans with poor body awareness & sensory issues can self injure (eg. bang head or bite arms) to feel regulated before therapy is introduced.
FOOD
Fresh foods such as seeding grass, curky kale, safe flowers etc. are introduced in ways that encourage movement. Seeding grass it placed to encourage the Bird to stretch & engage their muscles. Large leaves of curly kale have an edible but tough stalk- this is perfect physio! Rather than chopping the leaf into bite sized pieces or removing the stalk, it’s given whole for them to work through themselves.
GIVING SPACE FOR NATURAL MOVEMENT
Certain species perform body movements that are essential to their health (& great physio!) For example, Caique Parrots like to jump when excited & many Budgies enjoy rolling around on their back during play. Many enclosures don’t allow for these natural expressions of joy, but they MUST have space to engage in these natural behaviors. These are perfect physio exercises & even if out of the cage all day, the enclosure still needs to allow for these behaviors.
CONCLUSION
Movement is very healing for Birds, but we sometimes have to change the way we do things to suit the individual Bird & their unique set of needs. Handling Birds for physio is very helpful & life changing, but some Birds just need it to be a little different. It can be incredibly challenging to create spaces that re-create the movements without handling the Bird, but with careful planning, observation & a LOT of cleaning, it can be done. Birds with a need for physio should never be written off, they can shine again, we just need to believe it can be so.