Blue and gold macaw

Q: My bird has been biting me a lot lately and I was told that it was because of hormones. What are hormones doing to my bird? Does she need a “boyfriend”?
Shannon M., Ithica, NY

A: In the Northern Hemisphere, we are in the thick of the spring season and birds residing in this area are probably acting a bit “off”. That may be an incredible understatement in some households. The Southern Hemisphere may be noticing the milder effects that resurface with many species in the fall.

No ...

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Cockatiel

I was on the phone this morning consoling a woman who had lost her beloved cockatiel earlier in the week. A mutual friend had put me in touch with her because they felt her story was one I should share with you…

Cindy purchased Benji the cocakatiel about 7 years ago from a pet store. She brought him home in a flimsy wire cage that was meant for a parakeet. It wasn’t long before Cindy and Benji became the best of friends and she went online in search of information about ...

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As someone who genuinely loves birds, I’d have to say one of the best parts of living in Australia is being able to see the wild birds on a daily basis. I’m very lucky because there are a lot of different types of wild parrots that live in the area surrounding my house. That said though, as someone who has domestic parrots – wild birds are a serious problem for me.

Working in wildlife rescue, I attend ...

Blue and gold and military macaws

The different parrot families are divided into two broad categories: Old World and New World species. New world parrots, of which there are 148 species, are all parrots that are indiginous to Central and South America and Mexico (The U.S. no longer has a native parrot species.) Some popular New World species are the macaws, the amazons and the conures.

The 181 species of Old World parrots are those that are native to Asia, Africa and Australia. Among Old World species are the ...

Congo african grey

I had a long conversation about 6 months ago with a woman that I had known for years from bird forums I was active on. I always looked forward to her posts because her perspective on life was so unique. She has an african grey parrot that we’ll call “Margo” that provided her with endless stories to share.

“Helen”, a multiple bird owner with years of experience, always had the right answer to people’s questions. She would carefully craft her explanations in language that everyone ...

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Linus, umbrella cockatoo

I have been asked by so many people how Linus, my umbrella cockatoo, is doing since his return home from his vacation in New Mexico that I think an update is in order!
To recap: Circumstances made it necessary to send Linus away for about 4 months. He was with a friend who is probably the only person I know who is capable of handling the bird that Linus might have become when he arrived. Fortunately, her skills were never put to the test.

You can only imagine ...

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