Why You Should Keep Certain Parrot Species Separated

Blue and gold and military macaws

The different parrot families are divided into two broad categories: Old World and New World species. New world parrots, of which there are 148 species, are all parrots that are indiginous to Central and South America and Mexico (The U.S. no longer has a native parrot species.) Some popular New World species are the macaws, the amazons and the conures.

The 181 species of Old World parrots are those that are native to Asia, Africa and Australia. Among Old World species are the ...

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Training a Green Winged Macaw to Hang Upside Down

When I began presenting the parrot shows, I was lucky that they had already been trained lots of behaviours and tricks – for example, I cannot take credit for teaching Ruby (7 year old Green-winged Macaw) how to ride a bike; all I had to learn was how to pick her up and put her on the bike, and how to turn the bike around with her sat on it!

Ruby, Green-winged Macaw, riding her ...

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How One Person Stopped Her African Grey Parrot’s Feather Plucking

Congo african grey

I had a long conversation about 6 months ago with a woman that I had known for years from bird forums I was active on. I always looked forward to her posts because her perspective on life was so unique. She has an african grey parrot that we’ll call “Margo” that provided her with endless stories to share.

“Helen”, a multiple bird owner with years of experience, always had the right answer to people’s questions. She would carefully craft her explanations in language that everyone ...

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Getting My Umbrella Cockatoo to Trust Me Again

Linus, umbrella cockatoo

I have been asked by so many people how Linus, my umbrella cockatoo, is doing since his return home from his vacation in New Mexico that I think an update is in order!
To recap: Circumstances made it necessary to send Linus away for about 4 months. He was with a friend who is probably the only person I know who is capable of handling the bird that Linus might have become when he arrived. Fortunately, her skills were never put to the test.

 

You can only imagine ...

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A 3-Step Plan To Turning Your One Person Bird Into A Family Bird

Camelot macaws and blue throated macaw

One of the most common questions we receive at BirdTricks is how to get the family parrot to be a family parrot and not just Mom’s bird, or little Joey’s bird. It is frustrating and disappointing to have a bird in the house that doesn’t want to be loved by you. It hurts and it turns what should be a wonderful experience sour in the eyes of those rejected.
In most homes facing this problem, the bird’s behavior is reinforced on a daily basis. ...

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