Umbrella Cockatoo

I made an interesting discovery this week. I had planned to be away for five days starting this weekend, and my daughter was going to take care of the parrots for me while I was gone. Since she works full time, I decided to simplify things and buy frozen vegetables for her to serve to the birds. Normally, I buy fresh, often organic, with the exception of things like lima beans, which my birds love, and out-of-the-pod peas.

My plans were unexpectedly cancelled, and I was sitting on a freezer ...

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There are feathers everywhere in my apartment, from little gray or green ones to large white ones. Do I mind this extra mess? Not even a little bit!  It signals the end of breeding season, which is a beautiful thing. Of course, the one rule...

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Congo African Grey Parrot

Veterinarians say that obesity is the most common health problem they see in companion parrots today.  Many experts say that owners tend to overfeed their birds, offer too many snacks, or are just poorly educated about nutrition.

Parrots suffer from the same ill effects from obesity as do humans. An obese parrot is predisposed to cancer. They are at risk for  atherosclerosis, where fatty substances are deposited on the walls of thick and hardened arteries, including the ones leading to the heart.  This can lead to collapse ...

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Toco Toucans

I live in Austin, TX.  Since the onset of June, the temperatures have been over 100 degrees nearly continuously.  Three quarters of the year here is spent in A/C, and less than 1/4 of the year requires the use of heating.  My favorite times are those rare days when neither the heat nor the A/C is necessary, the windows are open, and the fresh air is blowing in on a balmy breeze.  If I am ever going to play hooky from work, it will be on one of these ...

Budgies

Multiple Bird Syndrome (MBS).  If this were an actual term, wikipedia would define it as:  A deep psychological yearning to get just one more, and just one more  after that.  This condition is generally brought on by overexposure to cute pictures and stories about your friends multiple birds.  The only known cure is the threat of divorce by your spouse or intervention by the Dept of Health.

MBS is a term used by many on the bird talk boards.  I suffer terribly from it.  Whenever anyone posts a picture of their ...

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Blue throated macaw, Camelot macaws

Wild birds learn everything that isn’t hard-wired into them from their parents. Everything from what is safe to eat to how to bathe to what to be afraid of is learned by watching.

Many of our companion parrots have been captive bred and have not had the advantage of having a feathered mom or dad teaching them the ins and outs of being a bird.  It makes perfect sense that our parrots learn from one another.

When I first got Theo (goffins cockatoo), she was sedentary.  She didn’t ...

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