Glossary of Bird Names

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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 ...

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Ten Quick Safety Tips for Surviving Spring with Your Parrot

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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 ...

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Should I Use Essential Oils With My Parrot?

Q: I got a gift certificate for a place that sells essential oils. Can I use them around my bird?

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 ...

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Teaching Parrots to Be Touched All Over

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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 ...

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What To Do For A Chipped Or Rusting Powder Coated Cage


Spraying the powder coating on an outdoor fence – photo by orlandosteel.com

Powder coated cages are the most common used by parrot owners. They are generally heavy duty cages that can stand up to the abuse of even the largest parrots and they are more affordable than the stainless steel cages. However, an advantage the stainless steel cages has over their powder caged cousins is that they have no coating that can be chipped or damaged.

When I purchase a cage for my birds, I take a lot of things into consideration. ...

 

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How to Import Pet Birds Into the U.S.A. – the Complete Saga.

Senegal parrot in his IATA-approved travel box.

Senegal parrot in his IATA-approved travel box.

 

A lot of people want to know how to import pet birds into the U.S.A. (in my case from the UK), and having recently experienced this, I can tell you bringing a parrot or finch into the country is not easy or cheap. But it will be utterly worth it if you decide to go through with it, for everyone involved.

I’ll do my best to explain!

To ...

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