Toco Toucans

I live in Austin, TX.  Since the onset of June, the temperatures have been over 100 degrees nearly continuously.  Three quarters of the year here is spent in A/C, and less than 1/4 of the year requires the use of heating.  My favorite times are those rare days when neither the heat nor the A/C is necessary, the windows are open, and the fresh air is blowing in on a balmy breeze.  If I am ever going to play hooky from work, it will be on one of these ...

Green Pacific Parrotlet

In the many years that I have had parrots, there have been a lot of changes in my life.  Things and people come and go, but the biggest changes have been within me.  My parrots have brought qualities up to the surface that I didn’t even know existed.   For little things, they sure can leave a huge crater of an impact.

1.  Eating better.

My parrots eat well, or I should say I feed them well.  They don’t always eat what I give them.

Years ago, when I first started going ...

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Parrot

You’ve made a list of all of the qualities you want in a parrot. You’ve gone on line and carefully researched the different species that fit your criteria.  You’ve discussed the possibilities with the other members of the house. You’ve even checked out the costs of an appropriate cage and it’s accessories.  You’ve decided, and you’re going to get the perfect parrot to fit your lifestyle!!  But from where? There are really three possibilities: rehoming, breeder or pet store.

Rehoming/rescuing:

I’m a little biased in my opinions about this one: I think ...

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Rose Breasted Cockatoos and African Grey

I have heard so many times that a certain parrot doesn’t like women, or that another prefers them. I have myself had a parrot that didn’t care for men – loved my daughter, liked me, hated my ex-husband.  Smart bird.

I was even told once that a female parrot is more likely to do well with a male human, and vise versa.  Where does this preference come from? Were they born with it? I don’t think so.

Often, a bird that has been placed in a rescue ...

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Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot

If you have parrots and potted plants in your house, you have probably watched in awe at the speed with which your feathered backhoe can empty the contents of the plant pot onto your carpet.  You likely have a ground foraging species like the cockatoo, cockatiel, budgie or african grey to name a few.  Digging is a natural behavior for a ground forager and if he’s found his way into your secret garden, you will  have to pretty clever in your attempts to keep him ...

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Congo African Grey Parrot

I am resistant to change.  It is my nature.  I try not to pass that trait along to my parrots, but I have to work really hard to avoid it.  I wish I had a dollar for every time I said: “Boy, I should’ve done this sooner.”   A lot of my hesitation has stemmed from my concerns about how the birds might respond to certain changes.  I’ve worried about moving because the birds are happy where we are.  I worried about starting a new job because they ...

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