Blue fronted amazon

Q: My cockatiel has been sneezing a lot lately. Is that normal?

-Joshua P., Balzac, Alberta, Canada

 A: There are many reasons a bird will sneeze. The nares (see photo below) are your bird’s nostrils. When they collect dust or if an object, such as a seed hull, were to get lodged in them your bird will force air through their passages to disperse whatever is obstructing them. This will result in what is called a “dry sneeze”, a sneeze that does not expel any fluids. You can expect these types ...

These questions pertaining to a bird’s senses have come up in recent weeks. Since they are all related, in a way, I decided to tackle them all in a single post…

Q: My husband loves it when I wear perfume but I don’t know if the smell is too strong for my birds. Should I keep away from the birds when I wear it?
 – Jennifer K., Auburn Hills, MI

A: I would imagine that, as a rule, most animals would prefer to smell your natural scent. It gives up a ...

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