Photo of green cheeked conure by Anna Sloan

Q: I rehomed a green cheeked conure (Byron) last week. The first few days were great! He was so sweet and really seemed to like me. A couple days ago he started threatening to bite me when I tried to get him out of the cage. What happened?

Jill B., Independence, MO

A: When a new bird comes into our homes, there is usually one of two ways they react to the event: either they are stand-offish and guarded, or they are compliant and eager ...

Q: My 35 year old amazon is starting to go blind from old age. What can I do to make him feel comfortable?

-G. Pizaro, Chicago. IL

 A: One thing that I have noticed about parrots with disabilities is that they are seldom really troubled by them. It is in a parrot’s nature to work with “problems” rather than against them – something that is more the habit of a human being.

Where a human is likely to spend at least a short time lamenting over questions like “why me” and fretting about what the future ...

Cockatiel

Q: I have a 14 year old cockatiel who has been my close friend for a long time now. Over the years she has changed a lot. She used to be very friendly with everyone, and now she won’t go to some people. She used to love rides in the car, but seems afraid to go outside at all now. She used to love sweet potatoes but won’t touch them anymore. Have I missed a health problem?

-Bethann, L., Harper’s Ferry, WV

A: Two things you hear us say often at Birdtricks ...

A European Wasp eating Lorikeet wet food.

Generally speaking bugs aren’t a major issue for birds. Birds are largely protected by their feathers, which make it significantly less likely for them to be stung or bitten by a bug. There are some exceptions to this though. I’ve written before about my encounters with a parasitic fly – the Hippoboscidae Fly. Another exception would be mosquitoes that might be carrying diseases (especially if you keep a species of bird with exposed facial skin ...

Bluethroated macaw

This season seems to be handing out more than the average share of hormones to our companion birds. Oddly, I am hearing reports of rotten behavior from bird owners all over the world – even in places where it is autumn and not spring. I wish someone would do some research to explain why this sometimes happens.

Why are there some seasons so much worse than others on such a universal scale? Is there an unusual atmospheric condition that is triggering hormones that we don’t recognize? And while researchers are ...

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Enjoying the warmth of the heated section of the aviary on a cold winter day

There is a big difference between parrot rescues and parrot sanctuaries. Parrot rescues are faced with a daunting challenge. Their goal is to take in unwanted, sometimes very ill and emotionally unsettled parrots and make them right again so they are adoptable. In most cases, rescue birds are transient. If all goes to plan, they eventually find a home, leaving an open cage for another unwanted bird. I have unlimited respect for those who are able ...

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