Are Pine Cones Safe For Parrots?

This question comes up fairly often this time of year, so it would seem a blog post on the subject is in order!

We are always looking for ways to keep our birds entertained because a happy bird is a bird that has destroyed toys littering the bottom of the cage. When nature offers us free “toys”, we should gratefully accept.

Pine cones are wondrous little things…they are shreddable, have interesting little slots for hiding things which qualifies them as foraging toys, and they are safe…well, with just a couple of minor tweaks:

How To Find ...

 

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Do All Of Your Birds Get Along?

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Lori, one of my female Rainbow Lorikeets.

 

I’m finding this post hard to write. I messed up and got bit, a nasty evil little knick on my middle knuckle. I’m a bleeder. So think half a box of bandaids, which seems ridiculous for such a small cut. Ever tried to type with fingers that won’t bend due to bandaids? I’m giving autocorrect way to many chances to change the meaning of my sentences today.

 

I live with three lorikeets. Lori and Dori are two female ...

 

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Are Horizontal Or Vertical Cage Bars Better For My Parrot?

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It’s essential that whatever cage your bird is in (transport, sleeping or day cage) has appropriate bars to prevent injuries, escapes or an accident. All it takes is for a bird to get too curious (like the galah in the pic above) and your bird could be in trouble.

 

One of my friends was recently shopping for a new cage for her parrot when she remarked in frustration to me that it’s extremely annoying that cage manufacturers don’t seem to make cages with just ...

 

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How Do You Look After A Bird When It Gets Old?

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My elderly Galah/Rosebreasted Cockatoo is around 64 (human) years old.

 

This is the longest blogpost that I have ever written so I give you that warning and apologise for the length but I’m trying to be fairly comprehensive as this information isn’t easy to find if you need it. (Don’t worry – I believe in using pictures to break things up!) This post contains information for a stage of life we all hope our birds will get to. If your bird reaches old age ...

 

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My Feather Destructive Cockatoo

 

Goffin cockatoo, Theo

A couple of weeks ago, I was cleaning Theo’s cage and noticed one of a parrot owners most dreaded sights: the tattered remnants of feathers – evidence of feather destruction.

Whenever we discover feather destructive behaviors (FDB) in our birds it is heartbreaking, but this was a particularly distressing discovery for me given Theo’s background.

I took Theo in about 6 years ago from a home where she had lived for almost all of her life – she was 23 at the time. It was a good home and she ...

 

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