Photo by Jamieleigh Location: Orlando, FL Pictured: Swainson Toucan "Fiji" I've trained my toucan, Fiji, to cry/scream whenever she needs the following: Food Water Sleep So anytime she screams, she gets one of those 3 things. Well, the food dishes in the aviaries outside are a bit awkward for her use but she makes do, somehow. I notic...

Photo by David Location: Orlando, FL Upside down: Galah"Bondi"  The first bird I ever trained to go upside down and do the "bat" was my galah, Bondi, who is currently 4 years old. The second bird I trained to do the bat impression was my blue throated macaw, Jinx, and most recently I trained my 1.5 year old Congo African Grey parrot, Cressi, ...

Photo by Dave Location: Orlando, FL Flying: Hyacinth "Hymie" It has been getting easier and easier to ask Hymie to fly and here's why: When he was younger, he used to fly around his owner's house with a green wing macaw in tow. So he has had experience flying before and enjoyed it enough to want to experience it again. I've been spending ...

I'm a HUGE believer in working with your bird's NATURAL capabilities and habits. For instance, my cockatoo "Bondi" is most talkative in the car above other places. So, since we were on a road trip from Washington to Arizona, I thought I'd use that to my advantage and grabbed my training bag with me up front. Now, she is mostly talkative with D...

 Photo by Mona Location: Daytona Beach, FL Receiving a Kiss: Rose Breasted Cockatoo "Bandit" While giving a parrot seminar in Daytona Beach, Florida I realized how un-fun many bird owners tend to be. A very common question was, "My bird doesn't want to come out of its cage to be with me, why?" Now obviously, there can be a list of reasons for t...

Some parrots (like the Sulfphur Crested Cockatoo in the video above) LOVE performing tricks for people like you and me. Others are quite camera and crowd shy, and that's OK, too. But for those parrots that love being the "hams" and center of attention... they should be allowed to show off their skills to all that are willing to watch. These...