Tomorrow (Jan. 5) is National Bird Day. To help raise awareness about responsible bird caretaking, the ASPCA is offering the following poison prevention tips to keep your companion avian in the “sing” of things:

Birds are highly sensitive to inhalant fumes, so please avoid exposing your pet to fumes from self-cleaning ovens and overheated cookware, automobile exhaust, tobacco smoke, glues and paints, insecticidal fumigants, perfume and hair spray.

Keep all prescription and over-the-counter drugs out of beak's reach, preferably in closed cabinets. Pain killers, cold medicines, anticancer drugs, vitamins and diet pills are all examples of human medications that can be lethal to birds, even in small amounts.

Never allow your bird access to areas in which cleaning agents are being used or stored. Should your pet ingest them, he could suffer from a range of symptoms, depending on the substance, from mild stomach upset to severe burns of the tongue, mouth and crop.

Foods and beverages that could be dangerous to birds include:

-- avocados
-- chocolate in any form
-- coffee and tea
-- moldy or spoiled foods
-- onions and garlic
-- tomato leaves and stems
-- yeast dough

Visit the ASPCA'a bird care page to find out more.

For more information about National Bird Day, visit www.nationalbirdday.org.>[?