Vinegar: a Safe Cleaning Solution

Congo African Grey Parrot

I cleaned out my storage shed today looking for the plastic storage bins I want to use for packing.  I was appalled at how filthy they had become just sitting there over time.  Since I will be putting bird accessories into many of them, I need to use a cleaning solution that is entirely safe and non-toxic.

White , distilled vinegar is all natural, and can be used in many helpful ways.  It cleans, disinfects, deodorizes, and removes stains and mineral deposits.  It can be used on ...

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Moving to Florida!

Rose Breasted Cockatoo and African Grey

While Jamie and Dave are freeflying with their students in Moab, Utah, I am packing up my apartment so I can hitch a ride to Orlando with them on their way back.  They are going to be on the road for two years starting in December, and I am going to be staying at their house while they’re gone.  This is going to be the start of some big changes for me and the flock.

For the past five years, following my divorce, I have ...

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Parrot Height Dominance – Fact Or Fiction?

Camelot Macaws, Blue Throated Macaw

Almost all parrot owners have heard that they should not allow their parrots to be higher than them, or above their eye level, because it brings out in them an innate need to express their dominance over us, and that we should never keep a large parrot on our shoulders for this same reason. I agree that we shouldn’t keep our bigger birds on our shoulders, but not because of height dominance issues. Logic tells me it is unsafe to have easily startled animal with ...

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Aviaries Aren’t Just For the Birds!

All of our birds lived in the house with us until this past summer. We put 6 of the birds cages outside on two different decks. Our choice to do this was for the birds health. None were ill, they were lacking proper daylight and proper sleeping habits.

The oldest of my birds, the 35 year old Blue Front Amazon, Storm, spent some time earlier this year in Florida with Jamie and Dave Womach. During his time with them he had the advantage of spending time in an outdoor aviary at their house. He ...

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What We DON’T Know About Parrots

Congo African Grey Parrot

I was listening to the Ask The Bird Experts weekly webcast the other night.  Liz Wilson was speaking about how little we actually know about parrots.  After so much research has been done about parrots in the wild, there are very few questions that can be answered with absolute certainty.

I have complained in past posts about the fact that there isn’t a formulated diet that can duplicate a parrot’s natural one. This is because we really don’t know what they eat.  A field researcher can spend ...

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Are Your Birds Getting Enough Sleep?

White Budgie

I was lying on my bed watching the History channel this morning, when Theo, my goffins cockatoo, toddled up to the side of the bed wanting to come up.  I swung my leg over the side of the bed and she hopped on my foot waiting for the elevator ride up.  She marched right up and took her usual spot on my chest, resting her head on my chin.

It was just a couple of minutes before I could feel all of her body weight on the side of ...

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