Q: I recently read that a good way to give your bird exercise is to hold its feet and drop your arm to make your bird flap its wings. I’m afraid my bird will bite me if I try this. What is your opinion?

 – Sarah G., Great Neck, NY

A: It is very important that your bird gets plenty of regular exercise. This can come from climbing, walking and flying. We will often notice our birds flapping their wings wildly inside the cage while gripping onto the bars. ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

Two years… 730 Days… 17,520 hours… Countless Miles… No matter how you look at it, two years on the road is a long time!  Especially when you travel the country by truck and RV… correction; make that two trucks, and two RV’s, a flock of birds, magic props, motorcycle, and a house cat.  Driving separately from Jamie can be painstaking, but it does give me some time to reflect.  Not only on shows and future plans, but on training, and what I can do to become a better trainer.

Read the rest or post a comment »

For those of you with outdoor aviaries or cages for your birds, I am sure the consideration of insects has crossed your mind. Can they be harmful to your parrot?

BEES:

Bees are not terribly fast moving and are really no match for the speed of your parrot. Any bee that gets close enough to your bird will be moving right on it’s way as soon as it realizes the speed and agility with which a parrot a parrot can manoeuvre that snapping beak. And if a bee were ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

Many of you have asked if we plan to socialize Rocko, our toco toucan, with our parrots (consisting of macaws and cockatoos and parakeets). Obviously, we won’t be letting Rocko get to know our parakeets. They are too small and toucans actually eat baby birds in the wild, along with lizards, small snakes, etc (in captivity they are given meal worms if they intend to breed and sometimes just as treats) so those little guys are out of the picture.

As for the macaws and medium sized parrots we have, here is a video that demonstrates what Rocko WOULD do if ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

Thanksgiving will be here in a few days. I am sure you are all running around like crazy trying to prepare. I just want to take a minute to remind you to practice caution with your parrots on this...

Read more »