The Under-Rated Small Parrot

Budgies

We may talk about large birds here a lot at Birdtricks.com, but the fact is that we are also small bird keepers and we have learned that the smallest of our birds sometimes occupy the largest places in our hearts. My cockatiels are beyond precious to me.

Something that really bugs me is when the small birds are treated like second class citizens. Even though the message about appropriate parrot diet and enrichment has reached more and more people, somehow the small birds are still being overlooked.

People getting larger birds are ...

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New Year’s Resolutions 2014

Umbrella cockatoo

I am not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions. It feels like just another excuse to put things off till later. It seems to me that if something is important enough to warrant a resolution, it shouldn’t be forced to wait until a new year arrives.

But, if this is what it takes for people to make positive improvement in their lives, I guess it’s better late than never. So, while I don’t participate in the traditional setting of resolutions for each New Year, I do have goals for ...

 

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How Parrots Mate

Mating ringnecks form my.opera.com

Q: I only have one bird, a green cheeked conure. I woke up this morning and there was an egg in the cage. How is this possible? When will the egg hatch?

-Gary M., Ann Arbor, MI

A: The appearance of an egg can shock the owner of a single bird. And why wouldn’t it? We understand that babies are the result of male and female relations. They do not just appear. The confusion seems to come from the idea that an egg contains a baby bird. It ...

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Tips To Help Your Parrots Through Christmas Gatherings

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My elderly galah, Cocky Boy is in position for my annual Christmas pic.

 

My birds aren’t getting a stack of awesome new toys for Christmas this year. Sounds a bit lousy of me, doesn’t it? I’ve got a good reason for this though.

 

Christmas is actually a very stressful time for a lot of pet birds. It definitely is for my flock. My extended family tend to descend on my house at Christmas for a large gathering. It doesn’t end there either. The day after ...

 

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What Do You Do When You Find A Baby Wild Bird?

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Not an Australian native – this is a feral/pest species found here; so not one that can legally be placed in a shelter and a vet would have to euthanise it.  Fortunately, I could reunite it with its parents.

 

Baby birds are one of the most common wild bird rescue situations that I deal with during the warmer months. At the time I’m typing this, I’m literally waiting for the night to end and daylight to come so I can follow-up on a case ...

 

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