Lying To Protect Your Birds


Fid, my Blue and Gold Macaw

There have been a few stories circulating on social media lately about pet birds being stolen. They’re heartbreaking stories and I would hate to think what I’d do if anyone tried to steal one of my flock.

 

There are things that you can do to protect yourself and your birds and Jamie has done an excellent post on that which I have linked here. That said though, there is only so far that ...

 

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Did You Know Your Parrot’s Feathers All Have Different Purposes?

Parrot feathers have different purposes - photo from 2ndchance.info/molt.htm

Feathers are fascinating things – they are water repellent and protect a bird from the elements, they are so strong that they can support a bird’s weight in flight – even when they are just sitting there doing nothing, they are stunningly beautiful to look at.

Have you ever sat down and really looked at the feathers your bird molts out? I remember when I got my first birds, the cockatiels, I was always excited to collect the molted feathers and I would ...

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What Does It Mean When My Bird Fluffs Up?


Male Eclectus Parrot

 

“I have adopted a male Eclectus parrot and I have a question about cuddling and petting. I have been very cautious about it so far because I have read that with their hair like feathers they don’t like to be pet like other birds. However, when he is relaxing with me he seems to want to cuddle and be pet, but I don’t want to upset him. I would like some advice about what he ...

 

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Dealing With Heart Failure in a Rosebreasted Cockatoo

My elderly Rosebreasted Cockatoo/Galah

A bit over a month ago, I did a post about how a heat source helped stabilise my elderly galah when he suddenly fell ill. He had a minor infection, which he has recovered from.

Unfortunately though, there was a reason that a minor infection was such a major problem. A normal bird, would have coped with a minor infection a lot more easily – the fact that he didn’t showed that something else was going on.

It has been ...

 

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Why Rescue Birds Are Not Free

Anna Sloan, from the Macaw and Cockatoo Rescue of New Mexico, builds alexandrine, Roo, a go cart to help correct splayed legs

I overheard this conversation in the pet store the other day: “So I was at this bird rescue place the other day with my sister because she was thinking about getting a bird. And she was all ready to hand over $400 for this raggedy looking bird. Thank God I was there to stop her! They get these birds for free and then they turn around and charge a ...

 

 

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Visiting Healesville Sanctuary’s Native Australian Birds

Red-tailed Black Cockatoos

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 ...

 

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