Most people who own birds try to understand their bird's behavior using what they know about other animals they are familiar with: dogs and cats. This is not as helpful as it may seem because birds are very different animals from dogs or cats in many ways.

For example, although birds are social like dogs and live in groups, their social structure does not rely on one dominant "Alpha" dog. Therefore, if an owner tries to use principles involving an "Alpha" type of role, this concept is meaningless to your bird and often damages their trust in you. Likewise, birds are much more social animals than cats are, and require much more social interaction.

Here are a few common misconceptions:

Here are a few facts that will help you understand your pet bird: