My Mission
My personal mission is to increase the quality of life that parrots and people enjoy together, and I have devoted my life to this. Enough so that, when husband #3 gave me an ultimatum (a choice between him and the birds) I did not hesitate to launch out on my own, lol. Since that day almost 30 years ago, I have done all that I could to gain the experience and knowledge that would allow me to help parrot owners with the greatest expertise.
My Story
My fascination with parrots began long before that day of choice above, however. I met my first African Grey parrot when I was barely 20 years old. He was sitting on a T-stand in a pet store. his eyes met mine and I vowed to myself that day that I would one day have a parrot like that. It was a profound enough experience and I felt as if fated.
I enjoyed living and learning with smaller parrots for a couple of decades until I was at a place in my life when I could think about having a larger parrot. I had never forgotten that chance meeting with the grey. I searched for a baby grey to adopt but was unable to find a confident, coordinated bird.
I knew instinctively that something was wrong. A baby parrot should not display fear when meeting someone new. This was the beginning of my concern about parrots in captivity. Although an audacious move, I purchased a few pairs of African Greys for breeding. Within a few years, I became known for breeding the best African Greys that one could adopt. They were confident and coordinated, having been fledged and abundance weaned. That breeding experience ended when I moved to Oregon from California after that ultimatum.
Since then, I have had the priveledge of learning Applied Behavior Analysis from Dr. Susan Friedman and then later teaching with same discipline with her for CASI (Companion Animal Science Insititute). I have spend countless hours learning about training and behavior from Barbara Heidenreich and then coaching others alongside her at training retreats held at Cockatoo Downs.
My Experience
I have fostered countless parrots whose owners came to me, asking me to take them in. From them I learned the many variations in which companion parrots can present behavior and the differences between species. These wonderful parrots of all species taught me about the best enrichment for different species and the easiest ways to improve a parrot’s diet. (*I no longer take in parrots needing relinquishment.)
Knowing instinctively that it is wrong to deprive any bird or parrot of flight, I have committed myself to a thorough investigation of this subject as it pertains to companion parrots. My own parrots have been fighted for over 28 years and I have trained two of my parrots in outdoor flight. I am experienced both in training for free flight and in flight rehabilitation.
Interested in the veterinary side of things, I worked for 18 years as a licensed avian/exotic veterinary technician after I moved to Oregon. This experience afforded me a thorough knowledge of medical treatment for parrots and the manner in which this can be made easier. I had the priviledge of working with Barbara Heidenreich, Alicia McLaughlin DVM and Anneliese Strunk DVM, DABVP Avian to create the Fear Free [needs trade mark icon superscript] educational program for avian patients for veterinarians.
Finally, I have been consulting with parrot owners since 1995. This experience has allowed me to learn about the patterns that parrots in captivity present. I learned that specific aspects of a parrot’s life could increase hormone production. I was the very first consultant to bring this concern to the parrot- owning public. Today, I help owners on a daily basis to reduce the triggers for hormone production so that their parrot is a calmer and happier bird.
I hope that you will consider allowing me to help you to create a happier and more balanced existence with your parrot(s). Please drop me a line.