Male Red Wattlebird with a beak full of insects. Notoriously territorial this one just swooped my pet dog and is about to get chased off by a raven.

It’s early spring in Australia. Deciduous trees are starting to turn green again, cherry trees are starting to blossom and cyclists are starting to look like they belong on a reality television program called “Aliens are here among us”. Or at least the smart cyclists do, the not-so-smart ones will be learning the hard way in ...

Blue fronted amazon

Q: I have had my amazon Mickey for over a year. I have done a lot of reading so that I do all the right things. One question I can’t figure out is should I have my bird on a routine or not?

Oliver B., Parma, OH 

A: This is a difficult question because the answer is both yes AND no.

Birds, being prey animals, place a lot of importance on their sense of security. Their level of security is determined by their environment. When their surroundings feel unstable or inconsistent, ...

Congo african grey

If you follow this blog, you have often heard me explain how being a prey animal affects our companion birds. It is one of the most relevant aspects to consider when trying to understand parrot behavior.

Consider, for a minute, if evolution had turned out differently on our planet and we were lower in the food chain. If you had the sense that you were always being hunted, watched and stalked, how would it affect your daily behavior? Wouldn’t your eyes be everywhere? Wouldn’t things out of the ordinary ...

SAFE – Carnaby cockatoo in eucalyptus tree from ibc.lynxeds.com

Before I moved here to Orlando, I lived in an apartment in Austin, TX that was landscaped with beautiful crepe myrtle trees. They were small to medium trees with branches that were typically just the right size for the feet of an umbrella cockatoo.

They don’t require much maintenance except for occasional pruning during which time I would shamelessly follow the landscapers from tree to tree picking my favorite branches to take home. Not that I am admitting to anything, but I might ...

Last week, Mel wrote a great post which clearly pointed out the dangers of commercial air fresheners and chemicals in a bird’s environment. A cockatiel belonging to a nursing home resident struggled to breathe while being subjected to the fumes from a plug in air freshener and Mel had to come to the rescue. You can read the full story here – unfortunately, it isn’t an uncommon one.

The warnings about air fresheners have been circulating for some time and as usual, some people take them seriously and others ...

Read the rest or post a comment »

Recent visitors to my house – separated from my flock by a glass wall.

Well it hasn’t been quiet at my house lately because we’ve had some visitors staying with us while their human left the country. Three extra birds don’t sound like much in theory but noise wise – it adds up.