Q: I will be bringing home my first bird, an amazon, in a few weeks and want to get a cage ready for him now.  I want it to be perfect.  How do I know what perches and toys are right?

Lillian G,  Las Vegas, NV

A:  Since many parrots spend the majority of their time in their cages while their owners are at work, it really does have to be as close to perfect as we can make it.  The two main factors to consider are safety and comfort ...

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I did a post about a year ago on full spectrum lighting.  Since that time, some new information and findings have been brought forward. We are continually learning that our human solutions to our birds' problems are not always right on the money the first time around. This information is important to be aware of when we are choosing lighting and its positioning.  Following are the best parts of a very helpful and informative thread I read on one of the many great bird boards out there in ...

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Camelot Macaw, Blue Throated Macaw

About six years ago, I suffered the loss of my dear, wonderful cockatoo, Abu.  I was reeling for months following her unexpected death. I had considered getting another bird, but was still in that place where it hurt too much to think about it and it seemed somehow disrespectful to her memory to “replace” her so quickly.
During that period of time, my daughter and Jamie knew each other from online.  It turns out Jamie and Dave were looking for a good home for their umbrella ...

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Sprouts are the single most nutritious whole food you can feed to you parrot. The reason for this is that they are a living food. They are a plant in the progress of growth, and it just doesn’t get any fresher than that

With regards to produce, the term fresh is relative, unless they are coming straight from your garden. The vegetables and fruits we see in the supermarket are far from fresh picked. Once they are harvested, they are brought to a plant where they wait for processing and packaging.Then they wait for several ...

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Blue and Gold Macaws

I heard a disturbing fact the other day: this will be the first generation of children that might NOT outlive their parents.  The generation referred to is the preschool and grade school children, and those to be born to couples currently in their 20’s.  When you think about it, it really isn’t that surprising.
There are many, many households where both parents need to be working full-time, in which children must fend for themselves at mealtimes.  It is much easier and safer for them to use the ...

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Congo African Grey Parrot

Have you ever just sat and listened to your bird’s calls and tried to figure out what they mean?  Just like babies have different cries meaning: I’m hungry/wet/tired/angry, your bird has a different meaning and a different sound to each of his vocalization.
We all know the shrill, panicked sound of the alarm call.  Often meaning that there’s a fly in the cage or Alex, the evil pool guy, is in the back yard again waving around that net thingy on the the long stick.  ...

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