Pets' Corner

Pet birds have been popular since the time of the Romans. Millions of birds are kept as pets in Great Britain alone.

It is wonderful to have a pet bird. They give us hours of amusement (diversión) . Birds are very pleasant company . Perhaps we think it's odd (extraño) that a bird can be content to live it's life in a cage (jaula). Of course, these birds have been bred  (criados) in cages or in aviaries, so they don't know what it's like (no saben lo que es) to live in freedom. But, if at all possible, your pet bird should be given a mate ( pareja) and have the chance to nest (hacer un nido) and raise (criar) its young. If you do this, you will see the difference between a bird that accepts its captivity and a truly satisfied animal.

Around the beginning of the  twentieth century  larks (alondras) and nightingales (ruiseñores) were often captured and kept in cages. But the Protection of Birds  Act , in 1954, abolished the trapping of wild (salvajes) birds for sale as pets. Now only aviary-bred specimens can be kept in captivity.

Both wild and tame (domesticados) birds are delicate animals.They can catch many illnesses (enfermedades) or be infected with parasites. But if a pet bird becomes ill it is often caused by improper care. So if you take good care of your bird , it will probably be healthy all its life.