African grey

Bird ownership is hard. It is inconvenient. It requires a lot of forethought and planning and sometimes we have to go out of our way to make special concessions for the bird that needs a little extra consideration. Sometimes is is just plain confusing.

We all have our shortcomings as bird owners. None of us are perfect. We are human and it is impossible for us to see things from a bird’s point of view, try as we might.

I had a conversation with someone recently whose african grey was having ...

For those who don’t know, I live with a very young Blue and Gold Macaw named Fid. I believe he is currently around 12 months old, although I can’t be 100% sure. What I can be sure of, is there is a very good reason why the first sentence he learned to say was “You’re a BRAT!!!!”

Friday started in a very typical way. After I unlocked the padlock on his sleeping cage’s door, Fid refused to wait to be let out...

Umbrella cockatoo

If you are the owner of a cockatoo, especially a white one, you have undoubtedly encountered their constant demand for cuddling. For many people, it is their favorite quality about their cockatoo.

Any time I pick up Linus, my umbrella, he will let all of his weight fall against my shoulders to encourage a good cuddle session. He loves it when I completely envelop him with my arms. I always found it interesting that a prey animal would feel comforted in the arms of a predator – something that ...

When I was a child, I used to worry about what happened to birds when it rained. I’d lie in bed at night, listening to storms wondering how birds kept warm at night if they got wet? I figured they’d find a sheltered perch and ride it out but as perches are branches and branches move in wind and wind happens in storms, I’d still wonder how they did it?

When I was older, I started attending wildlife ...

Hyacinth macaw

The topic of birds and fears is an ongoing one. Fear is at the root of many bird issues, especially screaming and biting. Your bird uses these drastic measures as desperate attempts to communicate to you that something is wrong – leaving you to figure out what that something might be.

We are human, and it is not always apparent to us what a bird might see as stressful. That makes our job very difficult at times. But there is one method you can use to help pinpoint the source ...