My rehomed cockatoos are the best of friends: Linus, umbrella cockatoo and Theo, goffins cockatoo.

Let me first say that people who rehome a parrot in need of a new home are the biggest-hearted people I know. Finding the patience and compassion that is needed to care for, work with and love these birds is a challenge, even for the most experienced people.

Some parrots have suffered years of abuse and come with medical and psychological issues. Some have been surrendered by people who just didn’t have the energy or knowledge to ...

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Selecting a species of parrot is probably the most important decision you need to make if you are considering bringing one into your home. Size and color aside, each species has its own sets of quirks, talents and needs. Which parrot is right for you?

I have had a lot of animals in my life: dogs, cats, rodents, raccoons, rabbits. I have loved and had wonderful experiences with each of them.  Dogs and cats have been domesticated for thousands of years. Not so with birds. They can be tamed, but they are ...

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It has been said that parrots have the emotional stability of a 2 year-old and the intelligence and problem solving capacity of a 5 or 6 year-old. I am certain that if mine had fingers, they would be able to tie their own shoes. Like toddlers, parrots explore their environment with zeal and revel in new discoveries. Everything is a plaything and supervision when out of the cage is essential to their safety. You should begin making your house safe for your new parrot before you bring him home.

When bird-proofing your home, you ...

It’s that time of year (sigh). I hear the same question over and over: “What is happening to my sweet bird?”

Spring is a time that seems to bring out the worst in our companion parrots. Hormones (triggered by weather changes, increased daylight hours and a variety of other factors) start coursing through the blood stream bringing about chemical changes in the body and some pretty odd behaviors. Some parrots seem immune to the effects, some might just be a little “off” for a while, others turn into screaming, biting ...

The night Storm got to our Florida home, we moved him to his new cage… it was a BIG change from his usual home, especially for a bird with no real experience playing with toys.

The goal? To get Storm to start exercising more by climbing all around this new, larger environment and get active with new toys and things to do throughout the day.

We put him in a giant cage with plenty of new and fun food finding toys. ...