Cockatiel

My cockatiels, Tinky and DeeDee, have been joined at the hip forever. Except for a brief period of introduction (the importance of quarantine was not emphasized back when I first started my flock), they have done everything together from the beginning, including sharing a cage.

For some time, they were housed with cockatiels Henry and Cocoa, who have since passed, and they lived in perfect harmony as cockatiels so often do. They were great together.

As I mentioned in a recent post, the two were not doing particularly well. Tinky had ...

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White dove

It is no wonder that the dove is the universal symbol of love and peace. They have the most tranquil and gentle spirit. Their cooing vocalizations are pleasantly laid back and mellow. There is simply nothing about this bird not to love.

The Womachs have left their dove in my care while they are away. Ari, so named by the fans on the Birdtricks facebook page, is the easiest bird I have ever cared for – it almost seems too easy. To be sure that I give Ari the ...

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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 ...