Congo african grey

I had a long conversation about 6 months ago with a woman that I had known for years from bird forums I was active on. I always looked forward to her posts because her perspective on life was so unique. She has an african grey parrot that we’ll call “Margo” that provided her with endless stories to share.

“Helen”, a multiple bird owner with years of experience, always had the right answer to people’s questions. She would carefully craft her explanations in language that everyone ...

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Linus, umbrella cockatoo

I have been asked by so many people how Linus, my umbrella cockatoo, is doing since his return home from his vacation in New Mexico that I think an update is in order!
To recap: Circumstances made it necessary to send Linus away for about 4 months. He was with a friend who is probably the only person I know who is capable of handling the bird that Linus might have become when he arrived. Fortunately, her skills were never put to the test.

You can only imagine ...

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Camelot macaws and blue throated macaw

One of the most common questions we receive at BirdTricks is how to get the family parrot to be a family parrot and not just Mom’s bird, or little Joey’s bird. It is frustrating and disappointing to have a bird in the house that doesn’t want to be loved by you. It hurts and it turns what should be a wonderful experience sour in the eyes of those rejected.
In most homes facing this problem, the bird’s behavior is reinforced on a daily basis. ...

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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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Hyacinth macaw

There was a video on Youtube some years ago featuring an african grey with the nastiest vocabulary I have ever heard. It said not only the worst of the worst words known to English slang, but it used them to descriptively detail human anatomy.

It was obvious that these words had not been simply overheard and repeated – they had been taught. The video had a gazillion hits on it. I am by no means prudish, but hearing these words said with an african grey’s perfect clarity, my jaw ...

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Camelot macaw

As I was driving the other day, I was thinking about the huge contribution that Irene Pepperberg and the amazing Alex made to our knowledge of avian cognition. Without she and Alex, and our acceptance of her findings, I wonder if the avian community would be using terms like “enrichment” today.
Life was uncertain for Dr. Pepperberg. She became outcast among her peers. Grants to fund her work were hard to come by and it must have seemed to her that her career was always on the verge of ...

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