Fid, my Blue and Gold Macaw playing with a foraging toy. The age of shredded paper that I use in foraging toys is also something that I am very aware of.

Mel Vincent works as an animal rehabilitator out of Australia.

I think by now, most of us are aware that the best cage liner to use for our birds is paper. It lies flat, easily allowing you to monitor your birds’ droppings; it’s non-toxic and it is cheap. That said ...

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My galahs Merlin & Nemo checking out the day's deposit of fresh grass

There are many different ways of setting up the lower half of your cages and aviaries. Most people (myself included) have some sort of wire grill at the base of their setups.

There are many advantages to this. The main one is obviously that a bird’s poo and waste will fall through the grill, which let’s face it – is a much healthier alternative to a bird eating ...

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Hyacinth macaw

The topic of birds and fears is an ongoing one. Fear is at the root of many bird issues, especially screaming and biting. Your bird uses these drastic measures as desperate attempts to communicate to you that something is wrong – leaving you to figure out what that something might be.

We are human, and it is not always apparent to us what a bird might see as stressful. That makes our job very difficult at times. But there is one method you can use to help pinpoint the source ...

There have been a few stories circulating on social media lately about pet birds being stolen. They’re heartbreaking stories and I would hate to think what I’d do if anyone tried to steal one of my flock.

There are things that you can do to protect yourself and your birds and Jamie has done an excellent post on that which I have linked here. That said though, there is only so far that ...

Congo african grey

“My bird hates me!”

“My bird refuses to listen!”

“My bird is a hopeless case!”

We hear it all the time, but none of these statements are actually true.

It’s fair to say that everyone who gets a parrot has the hopes that theirs will be a playful and interactive member of the family. Many people are disappointed to find that isn’t the bird that they got.

In actuality, EVERY bird is the one you hoped for. Birds are very social by nature – in the wild they choose to live in communal ...

Congo african grey and rosebrested cockatoo

The best way to learn is by example.

Birds, both wild and captive, use this method of learning often. Typically, having something to use as a template, which can be referred to often, teaches most effectively – especially when there is a lot of information to absorb.

For example, going to the vet when my bird was sick used to be a completely stressful experience for me. Before I started to have an understanding of avian illnesses, and long before I found an avian vet (before I ...

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