Non - fiction
How to Make Bird Toys
Meet Mimi, my Mexican Redheaded Amazon Parrot. She talks and sings
and eats and showers. One of her biggest habits, unfortunately, is chewing.
She'll chew on anything, like the back of the sofa, the edge of my drapes,
or my shirt sleeve. So I had to become creative and come up with things for
her to chew on and play with to keep her away from my cherished items.
Here is a list of great toys for birds that keep them entertained and healthy
as well:
1. When you think of birds in the wild, where are they? In trees, of course.
Perched high on a tree branch, chirping away. Going with that thought, I
cut down a huge chunk of tree branch from my back yard. Then I took a
five gallon bucket and mixed up some Sakrete, available at any hardware
store. Then I sunk the trunk of the tree branch in the Sakrete and let it sit.
Now, Mimi has her own abode and she loves perching in her tree, ripping
off the bark and chewing through the wood.
2. Carrying my simulated tree to her cage, I took small tree branches and
laced them through her cage. Now, Mimi has a myriad of branches to
climb to and fro, gnawing until her heart is content.
3. Another great toy for birds can be found in your dog's basket of toys.
Birds love rawhide. I find the square flat ones work best. I drill holes through
several and lace them together with a leather strip, knotting beneath each
one to give them separation. This gives Mimi not only something to chew
on, but something to knock around.
Reading Practice (Grade 5)
These are just a few great ideas to entertain your loved bird. Anyone
can come up with fascinating toys for their own birds. Just think of a bird's
life in nature and try to imitate that environment. Stones in the bottom of
their cage? Perhaps. A dried flower cut from your garden? Perhaps.
Just a few tips to keep your bird safe when you make bird toys.
• Never use string or woven fabrics. They can become a strangulation
hazard and dangerous. If you want to tie or dangle something in their
cage, use leather strips but don't be surprised when your bird snaps it
in half a few times.
• Use natural products as often as possible. Birds lived in the wild for
centuries before becoming domestic pets, so try to stay away from
plastics or heavy vinyl materials.
• My biggest hint for keeping your bird happy and a great pet is to
take away the mirror. When a bird looks in the mirror, she sees a
mate. Since birds are bonded creatures, they will bond to the bird in
the mirror instead of to you as its caretaker.
Having a bird is the most satisfying experience for all involved, but it can
also be fun trying to create new things and situations for them. Try the
few abovementioned and, once you see how much fun your bird is
having, you'll find inspiration for new toys every time you take a walk
outdoors.
Reading Practice (Grade 5) Keep going
Use the passage How to Make Bird Toys on the opposite page to answer
the questions
P1 This passage is
ⓐ fact ⓑ fantasy
P2 This passage is written by someone who loves birds. How can you
tell?
P3 Why is having a mirror in the cage not a good idea?
P4 What reason does the author give for using natural products in bird
cages?
Reading Practice (Grade 5) Keep going
P5 What does the word gnawing mean?
P6 What does the word abode in paragraph 2 mean?
ⓐ tree ⓑ home ⓒ cage
P7 The passage states not to use woven fabrics. Could you put a
blanket in the bird’s cage?
ⓐ yes ⓑ no
Explain your answer.
STOP
Reading Practice (Grade 5)
HERE