Learning to train an Alexndrine parakeet by example

For years, going to the vet when my bird was sick was a completely stressful experience. Before I started to have an understanding of avian illnesses, and LONG before I found an avian vet (before I even knew they existed), the experience would leave me dazed and confused. This is not a good feeling when your bird is sick and in need.

Often a vet would take the time to eloquently explain the nature of the illness and I would nod at him feeling certain ...

Wild Galah, springtime, Melbourne, Australia.

Spring has sprung here in the Southern Hemisphere. In most bird homes, this means an influx of hormones and seasonal behaviours  but surprisingly that’s not a problem I seem to be having this season with my own pet flock. Instead, spring seems to be making itself felt in the wildlife rescue part of my life. Gale force winds and bird’s nests don’t tend to get along! We’ve had our share of them with the change in season.

Last year, ...

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Several years ago, back when I lived in Austin, I was contacted by one of my vet’s technicians about a goffins cockatoo that was in need of a new home. Her former owner, who loved her dearly, felt she was no longer thriving in his care. He did the right thing in making a hard decision that was for her benefit – even when it was ...

I was chatting the other day with Wendy, who answers the phones here at Birdtricks.com. Out of curiosity, I asked her about the nature of the phone call she gets. Some, of course, are customer service related, some are from people are looking for advice, but she explained that she gets a concerningly high number of calls from people whose birds have died. Sometimes these people are calling to cancel their toys or pellets subscriptions and in the ...