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Asking for Your Help
I have not published a blog post in almost two years. I offer my sincerest apologies to those of you who have missed it. I am not finished with it and you will see new posts this year, as well as updated ones from the past. That is my promise to you. However, at the…
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Easiest Behavior Fixes Ever!
It seems sometimes that the bulk of our days is spent trying to change the behavior of other species – spouses, co-workers, children, pets, and even pests. We struggle to get our kids to do their homework, rather than stare at screens. We want the dog to sit rather than jump up on a guest.…
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Encouraging Natural Behaviors in Captive Parrots
Revised December 2025: My last blog post concerned two risk factors for feather damaging behavior. The bigger consideration, of course, within this conversation, is their overall quality of life. After 30 years of consulting, I know why parrots destroy their feathers. Many years ago, when I wrote about feather damaging behavior (FDB), I listed many…
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Understanding Parrots’ Need for Control
I had the honor last summer of listening to Dr. Susan G. Friedman give a lecture on control. What she had to say blew my mind and I continue to be as excited today by the ideas presented then – not only because what I heard was new, but because they reverberated within me as truth.…
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Star Continues Her Education
By guest blogger and free flight expert Chris Shank I get a rush watching my cockatoos fly. They burst from their aviaries and pop up in the air like deflating balloons zipping every which way as they shoot into the sky. It’s easy to spot Star, Flash and Bebe’s recently fledged Bare-eyed Cockatoo youngster, among…
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The Introduction of a New Parrot
My best Christmas gift this year is Chuckie. Chuckie is the sixth African Grey to join my flock for good, although a few others have come and gone. He is approximately 11 years old and has been cared for well by a friend of mine. She didn’t used to be a friend. She was a…
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Imperceptible Human Speak: Is This Your Problem?
I have been fascinated for some time now regarding the extent to which our parrots can read and understand us by observing our body language and facial expressions. I believe that most of us are vastly unaware of the scope of impact that our involuntary body language has on our birds. We have plenty of…
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Star Earns Her Wings
By guest blogger and free flight expert Chris Shank “Wow! There she goes!” I exclaimed as I watched Star, six-month-old parent-raised, Bare-eyed Cockatoo, take to the sky for the first time. It thrilled me and racked my nerves all at once. I needn’t have worried. Thanks to her parents, and the flight ability that nature…
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Parrots and Neophobic Behavior
I would be a rich woman if I had a dollar for every time that a parrot’s owner has told me that she had given away a playstand or toy that her parrot didn’t like. We’ve all had this experience, right? We bring home a perch or new toy, excited to introduce it to our…
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The Education of Star Bare-eyed Cockatoo
By guest blogger and free flight expert Chris Shank Like an eager elementary student, Star leans forward on the perch next to her mom waiting to touch the target stick that will earn her a treat. Star, a six-month-old Bare-eyed Cockatoo, is learning how to acquire treats from me by touching a target. She is…
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Cavity Seeking in Companion Parrots
As we begin to search for favorite soup recipes and pull out that beloved afghan, our parrots also change their behavior in response to colder weather and darker days. My own become a bit more obsessed with getting into the bathroom or being on the floor somewhere. I may need to fish one of them…
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Parrots, Flight, and Play Behavior
By guest blogger and free flight expert Chris Shank Kids were on the school playground as I rode by on my bike recently. Seeing them run and jump and hearing their screams of excitement made me happy. I remember vividly the days of my youth when running, chasing, playing tether ball, and other physical play…
