Fid my Blue and Gold Macaw. He can open the fridge door, climb down the door shelves and steal any bottles that have screw top lids. He’s not worried about drinking the contents but all lids are HIS.

You know you’re in really serious trouble when you walk into your bird room and all of the birds stop what they’re doing and look at you in that way they do when they want to see if your head is going to explode? There is ...

Senegal parrot loves music.

One of the things I often get asked by friends and family is, ‘Doesn’t your bird hate your musical instrument?’ It is, after all, very loud. And it takes my attention away from them.

As a musician, I find that my parrots have come through necessity to relate to my music. I had to find a way to turn my own practise time (which is of vital importance to me) into a fun time for them, too. Otherwise ...

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Yellow collared macaw

I am sure you have heard it said before that there is a huge difference between dogs and parrots. Yes, the feathers and the wings should be the first hint. You have probably also noticed that squeaky toys and dog beds are cheaper than even the tiniest budgie toy and cage. But what about behavior, are the two really so different?

Let me tell you a story… Years back I worked for a major upscale retailer – I was an assistant manager. When the store’s general manager went home ...

That not so fun moment when you have just received an emergency text message from fire authorities saying you’re in “immediate danger” in your present location due to an out of control bushfire. I was the blue dot (with the ring around it). The larger red circles relate to different levels of danger from a nearby bushfire. Would you know what to do if this happened to you?

We talk a lot about being disaster ready at BirdTricks because even getting people ...

Goffins cockatoo, Theo nesting in her pellet bowl. The bowl has been replaced with foraging toys for her pellets.

“Hormones” may be a bird owner’s least favorite word. It is hormones that bring on the breeding behaviors that cause peculiar routines, odd interests and sometimes intimidating aggression. The likelihood of being bitten increases dramatically and sometimes we react to their behavior in ways that results in problems that last long after the season has passed and the hormones are gone.

The funny thing about the reproductive hormones is that they are self-perpetuating. ...

Umbrella cockatoos may be quiet sometimes, but they have the capability to produce an ear-splitting scream like a dying, wounded animal.

We can’t expect our parrots to be quiet all the time. Many species are naturally noisy, such as sun conures, amazons or cockatoos. While we can train our birds that excessive screaming isn’t okay, I feel that it’s important to allow them to let off steam sometimes.

Enter the scream session…

Try making time for a sanctioned (and planned!) ...

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