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Turning Wild Caught Birds Around in 8 Days

Toco Toucans

These Toco Toucans were supposedly wild caught and when the two sets of them came in (two breeding pairs) no one could get near them, they were so afraid.

After working with both aggressive and scared parrots, I prefer scared birds over aggressive. I enjoy helping build a bird’s confidence and skills and watching it overcome its small fears and eventually, large fears. The goal for these wild toucans was to make it so that guests visiting the island could interact with them. Dave and I decided it ...

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Amazon Parrot Fight: a Lesson For Us All

Birds squabble, just like humans.  They get on each others nerves and will warn each other, in no uncertain terms, to back off! Even my cockatiels, who cannot bear to be apart from one another, get into it from time to time.  Sometimes a disagreement might escalate to raised wings and flared tails, but it is always peacefully resolved. There are times, however, when a war is waged that is unprecedented and, from our point of view, unprovoked:

A friend has, among many other species of parrots in her home, two amazons: a female aged 45, and a male aged ...

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Parrot Emergency Critical Care

Blue throated macaw


I went to a bird club meeting today where the speaker, a long time vet technician, spoke about emergency critical care.  I wanted to hone my skills. She offered ideas in splinting and portable heat sources that I was not aware of. This topic differs from basic first aid care in that these are instances where it is not a question of if you need to bring your bird to the vet, but how soon can you get there.

Prevention is, of course, the best practice ...

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Selecting The Right Cage For Your Bird

Swainson Toucan

I like to think of my bird’s cage as her bedroom – a happy place, with lots of stuff to do, that belongs to her.  I respectfully try keep out, except when it needs cleaning or toy changes.  A cage needs to provide safety, security, and comfort for your bird and peace of mind for you in knowing that she will be okay while you are out of the house.

If you are looking for a new cage, or buying your first, here are some rules of ...

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Training Blue and Gold Macaws Not to Bite

Blue and Gold Macaws

Above is a photo of Jersey and Chayko, two related blue and gold macaws that we trained and sold to David Copperfield. I know most of you have seen the photo of Dave with these guys and David in his warehouse in Las Vegas. We originally delivered them to Vegas, and trained David’s entire crew that would be handling them. You may have read various stories about it in our newsletters and various products where we might draw reference to it.

Well, they ...

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Why Proper Lighting Is Important For Our Indoor Birds

Umbrella Cockatoo

Natural sunlight varies as seasons progress and ebb.  It is the intensity and duration of light that tells a bird that it is breeding season, and when to molt – it regulates it’s cyclical clock and adjusts metabolism. Ultraviolet light strengthens the immune system and works with the glandular system in the synthesis of vitamin D, which through a series of processes, increases calcium absorption.  This means healthier and stronger bones and beaks, and improved feather production.  Additionally, a bird’s vision and perception is dramatically enhanced.  Our parrots ...

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