I did the tourist thing on the weekend. I live in Melbourne (Australia) and was entertaining an interstate visitor over the weekend. My friend just happens to be another bird person – so we thought it might be fun to have a look at Healesville Sanctuary while he was here.

Healesville Sanctuary is unusual because it focuses on Australian natives. They have some really worthwhile conservation campaigns and breeding programs. This is a fantastic place to visit ...

 

When you decide to spend your life enslaved to a pet bird, you’re not doing it because you like their ‘chewed-on style’ decorating help. Usually it has something to do with you actually liking birds. Not surprisingly, bird people have a tendency to not just welcome wild birds into their garden, but to actively encourage them to show up.
Which brings me to the controversial topic of feeding wild birds. You might think it isn’t ...

“Oh wow, you’re just soooooo fat,” my Eclectus Pepi has started saying to people in a very despairing voice. My voice. He picks his audience too. I have one relative who is particularly concerned with her appearance so naturally she is his favourite target. As he uses my voice – I’m the one that gets the blame for being rude. How dare I teach my bird to say that to her???

 

The second you get known simultaneously for helping animals in need and as a parrot owner, you’d be amazed at just how many calls you get to help an abused parrot, or just a parrot who needs re-homing. It is incredibly difficult to say no to the sob stories. In the last twelve months, I personally have dealt with just under 30 non-wild native parrots that needed re-homing or help finding their lost owner. Fortunately, in most of those cases, the owners were looking for them.
Needless to say, my flock of eight consists mostly of sob stories that I ...

Q: What is loud, destructive, high maintenance and totally missed?

 – Patty J., Orlando, FL

A: Linus the umbrella cockatoo.

People have been asking how Linus is doing in New Mexico. It’s hard for me to write about it because I think the only way I get through this is by not thinking about it – or trying not to. I am grateful to so completely trust the person taking care of Linus that I never have to worry for his physical well being. That fact is ...

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I grew up in the era where children were supposed to be “seen and not heard”. Fortunately, my parents did not subscribe to this philosophy. There were six kids in my family, however, and sometimes playtime would escalate to nearly intolerable...

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