pacific parrotlets

A questions that we often hear at Birdtricks is: “what is a good first bird to get?”. It’s a difficult question and one that I answer reluctantly. I will try to offer my opinion…

First, I want to say that I don’t really believe in “starter” birds. It is often said that a smaller bird is more suitable for the first time owner. I don’t entirely agree.

All birds are created equally. There is no one species of parrot that requires less care or commitment than the others. Every single species ...

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mexican red headed amazon

A Birdtricks reader asked that we do a post in memory of a 1 year old Mexican redheaded amazon. His death is tragic and hard to think about, but it is something that we can all learn from. Thanks to this reader for sharing her friend’s story with us.

The story is uncomplicated, and could easily happen to any of us. This reader’s friend planned to take her Amazon to work with her. She loaded his carrier into her mother’s car for her ride to work. Six ...

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Congo african grey

No bird is perfect – not yours, not mine. Throughout your bird’s lifetime you will encounter many occasions where you will find it necessary to help your bird make behavior modifications that will ultimately make life more satisfying for you both.

Changing a bird’s behavior is never as simple as moving from point A to point B. It requires intricate steps, thoughtfulness and lots of patience. Outlining the procedure ahead of time will help to move through these steps, but without acknowledging the following tips, your job will be ...

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Galah

I was at my place of employment last week when some customers came through pushing their greater sulphur crested cockatoo in one of those cool bird strollers. I dropped everything I was supposed to be doing and went over to greet them. The owners could barely get a word in as their bird gave me a detailed description of his day, his family’s day and the whole history of the universe starting with the big bang. The chattiest bird I have ever met.

As I walked back to my work, I ...

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Rosebreasted cockatoos and congo african grey

If we’re going to be honest, I think most of us with multiple birds would have to admit to having a favorite. Of course, we love ALL of our birds, but there might be one that has a special hold on our heart.

With me, it’s Tinky. He was originally bought for my daughter as part of an agreement (bringing up her grades in exchange for the cockatiel she’d been asking for). Several months after he arrived, she went on a three day outing with her ...

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