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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Vegetable smeared beak. The galah/rosebreasted cockatoo equivalent of a milk moustache. Merlin loves his food.

The only stupid question is the one that you don’t ask. I’ve heard that often enough and I’m not entirely sure that I believe it. Mainly because I once worked in a bookstore and was asked if we stocked books that had pages in them? Or the time that my mother asked me what the dishwasher was doing and I answered the dishes? Yes, I’m afraid there are stupid ...

You're interrupting me preening, shove off.

There is a danger attached to writing the words “my bird is sick” and then putting that out somewhere on the Internet or on social media for others to read. Whether you want it or not, you’re going to get people trying to help you. That in itself is a great thing because it is a sign that people care enough to try. The problem is that some of the advice you can get from the Internet is ...

At Birdtricks.com, we have daily contact with many bird owners and we listen to their complaints and concerns over their bird’s diet: “My parrot won’t eat vegetables!”

When we were putting together our cookbook, Cooking For Parrots, we took these concerns to heart and tried to find solutions to the biggest and most common parrot feeding problems. It became obvious that the list of concerns is neatly divided into two categories: human considerations, and our bird’s determination NOT to cooperate with our efforts.

In the end, it ALL comes down to us because, as caregivers, it is ultimately our responsibility ...

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Q: I know we are supposed feed our birds fruits and vegetables, but which is better for them?
 – Elena B., Modesto, CA

A: The most important things to understand about your parrot’s diet are the needs for variety and moderation in  EVERYTHING you feed them. Let me explain why…

Fruits and vegetables each have different nutritional values. They are all great in their own way, but they all have something unique to offer the overall diet.  When compared, two veggies might both be high in vitamins C and A, ...

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…bathe your bird?
…get your bird to eat healthy foods?
…put your bird to bed for the night?

These are some questions that have come up recently, so I thought I would answer them in a single post.

BATHING:

During the winter months, I prefer to bathe my birds in the late morning or early afternoon since this is the warmest time of the day.  Once the weather has warmed up, I bathe my birds any time from early morning to late afternoon. I avoid bathing them in the evening time ...

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