36 comments

Starter Birds

pacific parrotlets

A questions that we often hear at Birdtricks is: “what is a good first bird to get?”. It’s a difficult question and one that I answer reluctantly. I will try to offer my opinion…

First, I want to say that I don’t really believe in “starter” birds. It is often said that a smaller bird is more suitable for the first time owner. I don’t entirely agree.

All birds are created equally. There is no one species of parrot that requires less care or commitment than the others. Every single species ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

Continue reading
42 comments

A Bird Dies When Accidently Left In A Car

mexican red headed amazon

A Birdtricks reader asked that we do a post in memory of a 1 year old Mexican redheaded amazon. His death is tragic and hard to think about, but it is something that we can all learn from. Thanks to this reader for sharing her friend’s story with us.

The story is uncomplicated, and could easily happen to any of us. This reader’s friend planned to take her Amazon to work with her. She loaded his carrier into her mother’s car for her ride to work. Six ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

Continue reading
14 comments

Syringe Training Your Parrot

1 cc syringe photo by innovetpet.com

In a perfect world, our birds would remain healthy and avoid injury throughout their entire lifetimes  However, it’s more realistic to assume that at some point we will have to medicate our birds for one reason or another. Without preparation, this can be a trying and stressful event for both bird and owner.

Here’s a scenario to consider: your 10 year old amazon has had watery poops for the past three days.You, being the conscientious bird owner, take him to the vet where it is determined ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

Continue reading
31 comments

How Common Sense And Research Guided Me To The Right Parrot Diet In The Dark Ages (before internet)

cockatiel

I got my first parrot, a precious cockatiel, back in the 80’s. When I left the store with my new pet, I was instructed to keep the cage clean and to feed fresh seed and water daily. I remember walking away thinking about how dull that diet seemed to be.
Not long after, I added a second cockatiel. I became enchanted with their outgoing personalities and found myself studying every move they made. I noticed right away how important it was to them to interact with the family so they ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

Continue reading
73 comments

Should We Share Table Food With Our Birds?

Hyacinth macaw

Q: Is it okay to feed my new blue and gold macaw the same foods as I eat at dinner?
– Devin B., Bethesda, MD

A: Yes. And no. Most of the foods we eat are good for parrots: fruits, vegetables, pastas, grains, fish and small amounts of  lean cooked meats. The term table food generally is used in reference to our preparation of these foods, at which time they begin to get unhealthy.We add salt, sugar, butter, sour cream, and dressings to make the foods more palatable ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

Continue reading
0 comments

Bird Care In The Late 1800s

Before the Womachs left for their tour with Ringling, Dave handed me a small booklet that he thought I would find interesting. It is a 15 page pamphlet, about 5″X7″ in size, titled: “The Art Of Training Birds” by Signor Giovannis. It was originally published in 1883 and was recently reprinted in 1991. It divulges information as to the “care and treatment” of the canary specifically, but is meant to apply to all birds.

Budgie

The first couple of ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

Continue reading