Harlequin macaw

Our parrot’s respiratory systems are entirely unlike our own or that of other mammals. It is unique in design and far more efficient. Because of this fact, their sensitivity to pollutants in the air is heightened and can cause them suffering and death long before we would ourselves be affected.
We have all heard the stories about the canaries used in coal mines back in the day. Miners would place a cage of canaries in the mines. This was to determine if there were emissions of natural gases, which ...

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Blue and gold macaw, Scarlet macaws

There are any number of things wafting through the air in a home where a bird lives.  Dust, dander, seed hulls and even airborne particles of dried poop occupy more than just the the immediate air space. It settles on and into everything creating the need for a higher standard of hygiene. Floor or ceiling fans and open windows seem to aggravate the problem more than solve it as it blows the settled dust back into the air.  Some of the better home ...

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Blue and Gold Macaws

If you choose to smoke, that’s your business and your right.  This post is about secondhand smoke, and how smoking around you birds affects affects their health.

What is secondhand smoke?

Secondhand smoke is the smoke that is emitted from a cigarette, from either the burning end or the filtered end.  It contains thousands of different chemicals that fill the air as either gases or particulates.  Following are facts about secondhand smoke by the National Cancer Institute and the EPA:

• “Secondhand smoke contains over 4000 chemicals, including 69 compounds that ...

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