I just don’t do hills. I don’t like it when treadmills pretend you’re going up one, I don’t like them when I’m cycling, I avoid them when walking my dog and I’ve even been known to throw a tantrum when (thanks to a slight hill), my feet wound up about 3 cm higher than my head when sleeping in a tent. While 3 cm definitely lands me squarely in the category ...

Bandit and Bondi, rosebreasted cockatoos

When you go to the BirdTricks Facebook page you see a whole lotta cute going on! Everyone posts adorable pictures of their birds and shares stories of their antics and accomplishments. It’s hard to not have a big grin on your face as you roam from post to post.

Then there’s BirdTrick’s YouTube where the Womach’s upload their videos of their own birds. Two big favorites are Bandit and Bondi, their rosebrested cockatoos, or galahs, as they are called in some parts of the ...

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The following question came up recently on our Facebook page.  I was unable to answer it and turned to Mel Vincent, a wildlife rescuer located in Western Australia. Not only does she keep this species herself, but she is fortunate enough to be able to observe many in her own backyard! We are grateful that she stepped in with her expertise to address the uncertainty on line. Thanks so much, Mel!

Q: Do you guys know what part of Australia the dark morph Galah is from? I found two site’s with info about them, one show’s the dark morph and ...

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Two years… 730 Days… 17,520 hours… Countless Miles… No matter how you look at it, two years on the road is a long time!  Especially when you travel the country by truck and RV… correction; make that two trucks, and two RV’s, a flock of birds, magic props, motorcycle, and a house cat.  Driving separately from Jamie can be painstaking, but it does give me some time to reflect.  Not only on shows and future plans, but on training, and what I can do to become a better trainer.

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In our seminar DVD set, I talk about the Gypsy Experience as a means to training your bird.  It refers to my lifestyle – everyday a hundred new mile markers roll by, every night my birds are in front of more than 5,000 people.  Every day they experience different people, places, and things.  For a species that spends 80% of its day foraging for food and having to figure out new things, this is the next best thing to a magic potion for success with your psittacines.

Whether I’m traveling by land or by ...

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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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