It can be extraordinarily frustrating watching others successfully train their birds while you can’t even get your bird to look at the obvious types of treats available.  Not all of us have a bird that is happy to take a sunflower seed or something similar as a reward for training. I’ve seen many people give up on training for this reason.

Most birds will happily work for some sort of nut (favourites ...

People who work with lorikeets tend to regularly complain about their bird’s poo. It’s a runny, sticky, noxious substance, that I half-jokingly argue has the corrosive power to melt concrete. If that’s not bad enough – lorikeets happily shoot it on a 45-degree angle. None of this business of a nice clean drop straight through a grille at the base of a cage! Lorikeets are happiest if they can “paint” nearby walls.

That’s an ...

Many parts of Australia are in natural disaster mode as I write this. Seventy-five percent of New South Wales is underwater due to record-breaking floods. For those unfamiliar with Australia – that’s an area larger than the entire of France. Similarly a substantial part of Victoria, Queensland and South Australia are also flooding. So that’s four states in flood crisis. Meanwhile Western Australia has bushfires. Apparently a couple of ...

Q: I know that we should give our birds lots of vegetables, but should they cooked or raw?
– Joseph B., Binghamton, NY

A: I give my birds both, but I definitely serve more raw vegetables than...

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Camelot Macaw, Blue Throated Macaw

I get a lot of questions by email or see questions posted on the Birdtricks facebook page and other parrot forums from people wanting to get help for their bird’s problems: “my bird screams all the time, how do I stop it?” Whether the nature of the problem is behavioral or medical, it is almost impossible to give accurate advice without being able to witness the problem personally. Whether you are seeking the advice of a consultant or are trying to figure out where to ...

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Camelot Macaws, Blue Throated Macaw

I woke up really early this morning and decided to make a nice breakfast for myself and the birds. I was in the mood for an omelet and I was plotting how to make the perfect meal to accommodate everyone as I came down the stairs.

Once in the kitchen, I steamed some veggies and warmed up some left over brown rice.  I grated some cheddar cheese, which is something I only offer to my birds on occasion. I beat the eggs while the pan was heating ...

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