Q. What are some common hazards?
A.

Q. What are some of the common household poisons?
A.

Q. I have plants in my home. What ones are safe and what are dangerous?
A. Tom Przybylski <przybyls@avo.hp.com> posted the following list of dangerous plants (taken from the October '87 Bird Talk Magazine) to the group:

The article gives Latin names as well that I did not copy in. The text of the article gives more information and detail on the symptoms. The symptoms codes are:

• BL = blood abnormalities
• CNS = nervous system
• CV = cardiovascular
• CY = signs associated with cyanide poisoning
• GI = gastrointestinal
• IR = irritant
• RE = reproductive
• UR = urinary tract

Q. I'm worried about my bird getting stolen. What can I do?
A. Your best bet is not to tell people the worth of your birds. If you have to transport them, do so in a covered carrier and tell them you have a canary. If you have a big bird, you might want to lock it in the cage and keep the keys with you. I doubt a crook will try to make off with a 215 pound wrought-iron cage just because the bird's locked inside of it. Teach your bird your name, address and phone number. If you have a lot of birds, invest in an alarm system. Don't put the bird in a window where people can look in and see it. If you have a very rare, expensive or just much-loved bird, consider having a transponder planted in its chest. It's painless and effective.

Q. How can I make sure that I can positively identify my bird should it be stolen? (Heaven forbid!)
A. Teach your bird your full name, address and phone number if at all possible. Keep your receipt, which should have the bird's band number on it. The thief will, in all likelihood cut off the band, though. Make an audiotape of the bird speaking, especially if it says something that's unique. Make a videotape of the bird, if it does tricks. Take photographs of feet and beak, they're just like fingerprints, each unique. With Macaws, the feather lines on the facial patch are good identification. All these lines vary slightly from bird to bird. Photograph any unusual physical features, like scars or marks or missing toes and the like. You can get the bird tattooed with an ID number, but bird skin is thin, and doesn't hold the tattoo well. It fades quickly and has to be retouched every so often. It also is very stressing for the bird. Transponders are effective, painless and undetectable.

Q. Is there such thing as bird insurance?
A. Yes, there is. You may be able to get additional coverage from your company, but usually not. The loss of a bird will not be covered by your homeowner/rental policy, either. However, there is a company called Avi-Care that has a standard policy which provides coverage against theft and death. Premiums begin at 9.5% of the bird's market value. There is also an optional veterinary coverage at additional cost. For further information call or write to:

Complete Equity Markets, Inc.
Avi-Care Division
1098 South Milwaukee Avenue
Wheeling, IL, 60090-6398
1-800-323-6234