Many parts of Australia are in natural disaster mode as I write this. Seventy-five percent of New South Wales is underwater due to record-breaking floods. For those unfamiliar with Australia – that’s an area larger than the entire of France. Similarly a substantial part of Victoria, Queensland and South Australia are also flooding. So that’s four states in flood crisis. Meanwhile Western Australia has bushfires. Apparently a couple of ...

Many of us who have the pleasure of keeping birds have found that they have come into our lives in an unexpected way. Some people  searching for an...

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Congo african grey and rose breated cockatoo

I spent the better part of this evening going through the archives on a parrot forum that I visit regularly. Mainly, I was re-reading some of  the threads I had started looking to other cockatoo owners with whom I could compare notes.  I found myself getting teary eyed.  I feel very fortunate to have made so many friends over the years who thoughtlessly give of themselves when someone has a question or a problem. They are always there for me.

When I was done, I ...

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Rose breasted cockatoos

Just a quick reminder… It is fall and a time of year when birds will exhibit some hormonal behaviors.  I have been noticing that Linus, my umbrella cockatoo, has had trouble lately sleeping through the night.  This is always a sure sign that he is hormonal.  The good news is that this is a milder version of the peculiarity that we see so often in the springtime, so not to worry.

Hormonal behaviors are brought on by the changing seasons. Spring behaviors come about when warmer temperatures ...

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White Budgie

When I first came to live in Orlando, the first month was spent sharing Jamie and Dave’s house with their 11 birds and my flock of 5.  I tried my best to integrate into their lifestyle and could only hope for cooperation from my flock. It was easier for them to make many of the changes because they were the out of their element in someone else’s home.
When the Womachs are not working, their birds follow a natural daylight schedule, going to bed at sunset and rising with ...

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Have you ever wondered how your parrot’s sense of smell, touch, taste, sight and hearing compare to your own?

Sight:

A bird’s eyesight is the most important of its senses to its survival.  Our bird’s vision, while not as acute as that of raptors, is vastly superior to our own and is adapted to the survival needs of parrots.

Predatory birds, such as the eagle, the owl or the hawk, have wider skulls allowing for forward facing placement of their eyes.  This positioning gives them heightened depth perception which allows them to judge the distance and speed ...

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