I posted the above photo on our Facebook page the other day. The comments that followed were curious to me. It would seem that the practice of giving REAL Easter bunnies, ducklings and baby chickens is not something that is practiced worldwide. Just as I was heaving a sigh of relief, I received a message from someone, a bird lover, who didn’t see the harm. I promised to address the topic here on the blog…

A Congo African Grey – CAG.

While abbreviating names can be much faster to write or type, sometimes it can get confusing even for people who are used to doing it! That’s why I’ve compiled a glossary of the most common abbreviations of bird names.

Cockatoos are the easiest, although they sound more confusing at first. Quite simply, the ‘too’ of cockatoo is abbreviated into numerical form, 2. Then the first letter refers to the actual species or sub-species. Note that cockatoos are also often ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

Celestial Parrotlet in his emergency travel cage.

I’m one of those people who doesn’t take much time away from my flock unless I can help it. If they can go with me, they do. If not, I tend not to go at all. At one point in my life, I had even said that I would never travel, would never take a holiday – but when you have birds, ‘would never’ are dangerous words. Keeping ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

In the spring and fall, hormones are often at their worst for our pet parrots. They turn into apparently crazy terrors who would sooner eat you than look at you. These are ten quick safety tips to keep YOU safe this season (the Spring Horrormones course will help you stay sane in the meantime):

1. Know how to towel or restrain your bird – if he or she charges you, you need to know how to gently, calmly, and efficiently restrain them.
2. Master touch training before the hormonal season ...

   Read the rest or post a comment »

– Deanna, C. – Saginaw, MI

A: The use of essential oils is an age old practice that has earned itself a valid and respected place with those who use aromatherapy and have witnessed some pretty remarkable results.

Not only can you use them around your birds, but you can use them to improve your bird’s general well-being and to conquer health issues – as long as you ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

Senegal Parrot

People instinctively crave touch, as to us, it means empathy, love, and affection. To a parrot, however, touching outside of the head, neck, and feet means that you are initiating sex, very simply. A parrot can be perfectly happy without touch, though many love it.

We should not be touching our parrots outside of the head, neck, and feet, as it brings such frustration to our birds. If continued, human touch can actually spur hormonal attacks in our feathered pets. There are a ...

Read the rest or post a comment »