Blue and gold macaw

Over the years, I have taken a turn in the way that I deal with people who are interested in getting a parrot. I have always been careful to be honest with them about the work involved, the noise, the mess and the damage they can do to your home but I use to end on a positive note describing the magical experience parrot keeping can be.

I don’t do that anymore. Now ...

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Male King Parrot. He nests close to my house and is constantly talking to my Eclectus from this tree. (Pepi taught him to talk by yelling “Hello” over and over when he was nesting here a few years ago).

When the warmer months come, there is one difficult part about living where your pet birds also live wild. That problem? Noise!

Every year, as spring arrives – the increase in wild bird visitors to my place is significant. Sometimes they come as a flock and ...

Q – I have a blue and gold macaw which comes from the rainforest in South America. Since it is very humid there, how much should I raise the humidity in my bird room?

– Norman H., Missoula, MO

A – This is a great question and the answer is surprisingly simple. It goes hand in hand with a very commonly asked question: “how warm should I keep my bird room?”

These questions arise based ...

The earring my Blue and Gold Macaw stole.

After reading that heading, anyone familiar with my flock will immediately know that my Blue and Gold Macaw named Fid, has been at it again. If there is a way for him to get into trouble – he’ll find it. This week he added the title “Jewel thief” to his resume.

Fid loves goldfish.

It was one of those awfully ...

In the spring and fall, hormones are often at their worst for our pet parrots. They turn into apparently crazy terrors who would sooner eat you than look at you. These are ten quick safety tips to keep YOU safe this season (the Spring Horrormones course will help you stay sane in the meantime):

1. Know how to towel or restrain your bird – if he or she charges you, you need to know how to gently, calmly, and efficiently restrain them.
2. Master touch training before the hormonal season ...

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Senegal Parrot

People instinctively crave touch, as to us, it means empathy, love, and affection. To a parrot, however, touching outside of the head, neck, and feet means that you are initiating sex, very simply. A parrot can be perfectly happy without touch, though many love it.

We should not be touching our parrots outside of the head, neck, and feet, as it brings such frustration to our birds. If continued, human touch can actually spur hormonal attacks in our feathered pets. There are a ...

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