Perches for High Strung Birds

The following is a short description for a basic perch for Crows, and other high strung perching birds.

You must have a minimum of two perches to enable hopping, or flight at all times because birds of this sort require an "out" or "escape".  They have active and "paranoid" imaginations; always taking evasive action from predators, or perceptions. They have a take no chances survival strategy, are flighty, claustrophobic, and panicky by nature.

Cage or aviary environments create tensions by constraining nature's usually free and open boundaries resulting in stress. Fortunately, there are ways stress can be released, or dissipated in artificial, confined environments. This post is only about perch design which may reduce stress which can quickly, and repeatedly build up in cages, or aviaries.

A Crow cannot make do stationary, on a single perch, except to sleep, even then I don't recommend it. Crows move naturally forward, more so than sideways.

The following is a description of what I have learned that makes a good perch in captivity.  When I figure out great, I'll let you know.

Main perches if you can only have two should be two different sizes with one being about 4 inches in diameter and another about half that, for Crows. (For song birds generally, aim to open the bird's feet about half way, and fully in an arch. Allow for a long unobstructed flight, but keep in mind that captive birds spend more time standing still than a wild bird, they need the support underfoot of broad main perches. Pad perches with one or two layers of fleece if the perches are solidly stationary.  Tree branches give by bending, thereby absorbing shock. Stationary perches do not bend, so padding them is a good idea to prevent repetitive stress injuries. I recommend two layers for big birds like Crows. Fleece can be glued on with white glue and held with plastic zip ties. It is easy to wash with soap, hot water, and a brush, and dries quickly,

At each end of the perches, tie a rope segment, or loop of small link plastic chain, fishtank tubing, or a hoop of plastic or wood.. The end of a perch on a tree has sky, an escape. A wall creates stress, so a bite, or move stress toy is essential at or near the ends of perches at both ends of all perches. I recommend placing your ropes, chains, or rings made from fish tank tubing near, but not at the wall, or cage bars, to keep birds from coming into contact with walls or cage bars and using the wall or bars to bite, peck, touch with a foot, or otherwise come to associate with dissipation of stress. Cotton rope, rubber jump rope, fish tank tubing, and light plastic chain work well.  Crows cannot untie cheap rubber jump rope. You can tie short segments of colorful strings to a chain, or to a tubing ring for double stress release because the bird must first move, or rotate the chain or loop and hold it with a foot before it can tug at a string. A block of balsa or soft pine to peck is also good for beak growth and conditioning. Never use any metal, screws, nails, or hard ceramics! Drill holes in your pine or balsa blocks to create caches, and you can even cram peanuts into the holes for the bird to peck out.  Think move left or right, rotate, tug or peck. Have some variety in toys/stress release objects. Bits of leather tied in slightly obnoxious places make great natural tug and peck "agitators" to expend energy on.

It is a good idea to place smaller diameter perches without padding, just bare wood, at 45-60 degree angles at the wall ends of perches. These 30-40cm inclines offer smaller diameters, natural wood to wear nails, angled leg exercise, imaginative play opportunities, and stress relief by deflecting attention away from sheer wall, or bars.

In the center of perches it is a good idea to attach a loose folded towel. Birds can clean themselves, release stress, cache food in,  land on, focus on, play with, and fight with this towel. It is essentially a buddy, a security blanket, and someone to boss around, which is especially important for solitary birds.

Finally place a plastic cup under the short angled perches. Crows want places to put food. They'll gladly use a fixed cup to drink from, or eat from.

I will post a photo of Fig's perch.

This perch design works very well to provide constant, compulsive, high energy state activity switching: jump forward, turn around, hop sideways, hop up at an angle, hop down, get some food, cache something, uncache something, wipe the beak off, tug something, rotate something, stand on something in order to peck at a rope escaping reach by gravity,  lift something, move something left, right, back to center, push something up the inclined perch, pull it back down, duck down posturing, flat standing, up stretch, downward stretch, stretch around an obstacle, and more.

Update/ Handling

Fig is doing very well.  She will be two this spring. I anticipate she will become sexually "awakened" this year, perhaps a year earlier than a wild Crow might, because she is well fed, bonded with me, and living a relatively "stress free" existence, aside from the cat.  But a predator provides some natural stress, as well as a reason to be active and attentive, so one might argue that some level of threat is actually beneficial as it exercises attention, and perception. If you have no experience with birds, or other unfixed animals...it's a challenging aspect to caring for birds, their sexual behavior. They are lovey dovey, and that can come with noise, aggression, and persistent need for togetherness. Already Fig serenades me more and more, and she wants cuddles, pets, and preening. Withholding affection for a day puts her out of sorts. Giving her affection each day sets her mood for the next. It is quite a responsibility, and she is still only a juvenile bird. Thankfully she sits quietly in my lap so I can draw, read or write if I need to. Fig also loves watching TV more and more. She will insist on coming to the living room for together time if she hears something interesting she wants to watch, though I have no idea what catches her interest yet. I wish we had the bird channel.

Fig can be cuddled and hugged around the house. She will not go to the bathroom on me, or the floor.  If she needs to go she tells me, and off we go to the toitoi. Recently she loves hugs and cuddles more because it is winter. Winter is the season to do manipulation and handling training because you have the advantage of warmth. A warm water bottle, blanket, or warming your hands is useful. Fig has gotten very confident about being handled, and manipulated for tethering, nail trimming, and transport. She will sit in my lap, come in close for hugs with a hand signal, and has no stress about being embraced, held with legs tucked back, or flipped upside down for nail trimmings. She flips back over, stands back in my lap, and jumps out to my arm or a perch, or marker on the count of three without any panic. She will go to the floor, or even perch under the cat if told to.

Counting to three is a very useful technique. It creates expectation, reinforces understanding, and prevents panic and miscommunication. Fig knows if I start counting that all she has to do is wait three seconds before I direct her next move, or release her. Usually, I count while holding a hand in front of her, then direct her leap with a gesture. She has it down pat. Good communication prevents accidents; that's the name of the game with high strung, flighty, panicky, fragile, already injured animals.  It has been a long two years getting Fig to this point. I so wish I could devote more time to her. She has incredible potential. Progress is slow, but steady.

I think my favorite time is playing with Fig out on her balcony. She leaps over, under, and through my limbs in all manner of playful invention. She instigates with a caw, objects with a growl, chats and murmurs under her breath, puffs up on my shoulder, and launches into strings of I love yous. Then comes into my lap for a tight warm embrace, a nice break from the snappy chill of winter, burying her face in my shirt.

Fig is talking more and more with my son, and my son now insists on taking his evening shower with Fig who runs over to playfully pull his hair if he's not paying attention, as a tease, or barrage him with extremely loud "love songs", again teasing him. He can gently shower her, which makes her happy and grateful, so her perception of him is warming over time. She will not, however, allow anyone other than me, in the house, to have her perch on their arm. It takes years to earn a passage Crow's full confidence, as Fig was raised for a full 4-5 weeks in the nest, to fledging. We will continue to work at it, and learn, and watch TV together.  It's a lot of work, a lot of fun, and a long journey. Fig is young, and youngsters are hyper, and impulsive, but Fig is calming, and wising up quickly. Hopefully, once she fully grasps the toilet concept, she can transition to shoulder perching in the next year, for now though, she's a lap Crow.