-
Chop Mix: Perfect Nutritional Supplement or Popular Nutritional Disaster?
I often choose blog topics because of something I’ve recently seen or heard that troubles me. This one is no exception. After talking to a few clients recently and reading comments online, I’ve grown concerned about how Chop Mix is being prepared and fed to companion parrots. What is Chop Mix, you ask? Chop is
-
Quick Guide: Solve Your Parrot’s Screaming Problem for Good!
If the phone calls I have received during August are any indication, we could rename it National Screaming Parrot Month. There are a lot of you out there living with some very loud parrots. Please don’t despair! This is actually a fairly simple problem to solve, if you do all of the right things. Behavior
-
The Avian Veterinarian: Tips for Choosing One You Can Trust
Do you have an avian veterinarian that you trust 100% and to whom you take your birds on a regular basis? If so, you are profoundly lucky and your birds are even luckier. The majority of parrots never see a vet until there is a health crisis. Since it is a crisis, often the time
-
Success Story: A Case of Feather Damaging Behavior
Abbie contacted me in early April 2018. Scout, her Black-headed Caique, had suddenly begun destroying his feathers the previous December. He was 13 years old at the time and had lived with Abbie for 5 years. Before that, he had one previous owner who returned him to the breeder for a biting problem. Abbie had adopted
-
Pellets: To Feed or Not to Feed
Parrot nutrition is a special area of interest for me and one about which I am fairly passionate. The foods that a parrot eats will literally determine his experience, physically and emotionally, throughout his life. What we are doing as a population of bird owners is not working. Too many parrots are diagnosed daily with
-
Teaching a Fearful Parrot to Step Up
Today I want to celebrate a success story about overcoming fear in parrots. I met Judith and her parrots, Arlo and Audrey, in mid-January of 2018. Judith sought my help because Arlo had become afraid of her and she wanted to be able to handle him again. She also had some concerns about Audrey. Since she lives
-
Lighting Needs: Could Your Parrot Be UV Deficient?
I have a Double Yellow-headed Amazon named Harpo who is 20 years old. A couple of friends came to visit recently and exclaimed over his appearance. They too have an Amazon, but report that her coloring isn’t nearly as vibrant. Harpo is stunningly bright and his coloring is vivid. I could only point to Harpo’s time
-
The Real Truth: Sleep Needs in Parrots
“Parrots need between 10 to 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night!” How often have you heard this? In researching this subject, I found this statement repeated ad infinitum on a great many websites with the exact wording I have copied here. Questioning Standard Dogma I question the validity of this statement. First, it is
-
Perching the Parrot Cage and Beyond
You might be saying to yourself, “Perching the cage! That’s old news….” Hang on a minute! The way you perch your parrot’s cage and the types of perches you choose can make or break his life experience. After all, perches are your parrot’s furniture. They must be comfortable, offer variety and be placed effectively. Have
-
Reading Parrot Body Language: An Essential Skill
Why is it so important to be able to read your parrot’s body language? Because a finely honed ability to read body language is necessary to a relationship that works. Body language is the only way your bird has to communicate with you. You can’t just blunder along as you live with your parrots, not
-
Avoid the Pair Bond: Social Relationships with Parrots
At the heart of many behavior problems is a social relationship that has taken a wrong turn. Why? Because, despite our best intentions we often misunderstand what parrots really need from us socially. And then, we do the wrong things. We take all that we know about living with other companion animals and attempt to
-
Loss and Lessons
When I entered Tani’s bird room, my eyes fell immediately upon Gracie. A female Red-lored Amazon, she sat on a table in a small parakeet cage with a single perch. Tani was a breeder from whom I purchased pellets for my own birds. Gracie had been relinquished to her that morning by a stranger who
