The Unnatural Life Is Natural For A Captive Parrot

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Taking your parrot for a walk is great for him and you.

 

Let me put it right out there: Owning parrots isn’t natural. What else are we supposed to do with parrots who could never survive in the wild, other than place them in loving homes that strive to meet their unique needs? That’s the best place for these amazing animals.

We owners put a lot of time into caring for our babies, and sometimes this involves making choices that would be unnatural for a ...

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Psittacosis Explained

Budgie

This budgie is suffering from psittacosis and an incorrect wing clip. Note the poor posture, the discharge around his cere and that he is sitting fluffed. He also has a tail bob.

 

Recently there has been a spike in concern about Psittacosis as news has spread that Petsmart in the US have removed birds for sale from 500 stores after 16 birds (so far) have tested positive to the disease. For many, it’s the first time they’ve even heard of the disease and understandably ...

 

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“Help!!! My Parrot Swallowed My Earring!!!!”

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The earring my Blue and Gold Macaw stole.

 

After reading that heading, anyone familiar with my flock will immediately know that my Blue and Gold Macaw named Fid, has been at it again. If there is a way for him to get into trouble – he’ll find it. This week he added the title “Jewel thief” to his resume.

 

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Fid loves goldfish.

 

It was one of those awfully ...

 

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The REAL Deal About Seed in the Parrot Diet

From the arid grasslands in Australian to the humid rain forests of South America, nearly every species of wild parrot incorporates native seed into their diet. Seed has fiber, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin B6. It is rich in omega-3 fats and vitamin E. Seed helps maintain brain function, nourish red blood cells and fights inflammation. It is important to the well-being of our bird’s eyes, skin and feathers.

So why is seed so vilified in the companion parrot diet? There are a few very good reason:

You ...

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How Much Should My Congo African Grey Weigh?


Congo African Grey

Q: I have asked a lot of people what is the normal weight for my congo African grey and everyone gives me a really different answer. What do you guys have to say?

-Stan L., Jacksonville, FL

A: It doesn’t surprise me that you have gotten a variety of answers, in a way it’s a trick question. In reality, the normal congo african grey weight can be anywhere between 400 -700 grams. That information is not ...

 

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Setting Up Obtainable Goals for Rescued Parrots

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Setting up obtainable goals for rescued and re-homed parrots: What is progress, and how do you know if you’ve made it?

 

The question of knowing whether you’ve progressed at all can be surprisingly difficult to tell! With our neurotic pet-shop cockatiel, for instance, we had to decide what was her personality, and what was emotional ‘damage’ from her past. Progress for her came in very tiny steps. It took time for me to get that a super-quiet bird may be that way because it is ...

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