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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Congo african grey

Obesity in parrots is one of the most common health concerns we owners face, maybe second to certain vitamin deficiencies. It is a serious concern and one that will affect the health and well-being of your parrot in the years to come.
I have found that many parrot owners really don’t have any idea what their bird’s healthy weight should be. There are lists out there that will give you the approximation for your bird’s species, but few of them take into account that each bird is an ...

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I miss my birds terribly when I am away from them. Sometimes when I am at work, a coworker will see me staring off into the distance with a big smile on my face and will automatically know I am thinking about my feathered family. Sometimes all I want to do is go home and cuddle up to one of my cockatoos, arms holding him tightly against me and nose buried in soft, white feathers. But, as appealing as the thought of this is, I know it is...

blue throated macaw

Q: I went to my local bird store with my sun conure, Joey, the other day to get him a cage mate. I thought this way I could let him choose his new friend. The store owners made me leave with Joey because they don’t allow outside birds around their own. I thought they were rude. Why do they have this rule?

Dena W., Norfolk, VA

A: I’m sure it did seem a little offensive to you that they sent you and Joey packing, and maybe they could’ve been a ...

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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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