Photo by Jamieleigh Location: Moab, Utah Pictured: Swainson Toucan "Fiji" Sometimes I feel like I'm not cut out for owning birds, toucans or parrots... it's like a catch 22 because they can bring so much joy into your life, but losing them is so hard and to bear it over and over again with multiple pets makes me feel like I'm not strong enoug...

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 Dave Womach Location: Costa Rica Shown: Keel Bill Toucan  The only way to test for iron storage disease in toucans is to do a liver biopsy and when Dave and I did so with our Swainson Toucan years ago, we found she was very high in iron because when we first got her we were told she couldn't have tap water but that bottled water was ...

Photo by Dave Location: Musha Cay, Bahamas Shown: Toco Toucans   A toco toucan is one of my "dream birds" and I finally got to work with some! They were wild caught and sold as "hand fed tame babies" which they were clearly not. They turned out to be wild caught. My job was to tame them enough that they would actually enjoy human interaction fr...

While I shop for foraging toys all the time for my parrots, I got to thinking... what about my Swainson Toucan? Are there foraging toys out there for toucans, too? Well, they haven't said "specifically made for toucans" but I have been applying my parrot ones to my toucan where I can. Obviously, they have their differences, but I'm finding ou...

   Photos by Jamieleigh Location: Dawn Princess, Princess Cruise Lines Drinking: Swainson Toucan "Fiji" A few years ago on board Princess Cruise Lines, I was with my Swainson Toucan, Fiji. Now Fiji knew a few behaviors on cue but I hadn’t gone into much detail with her on any real tricks. I was happy just having her around.   She pretty much own...