The Need for Closure: Getting a Necropsy

Photo by Dave Location: Saipan, MP Shown: Swainson Toucan "Meaka"  Before I forget to add them, these articles are so important to read if you have a pet bird of any kind: The danger of fumes. Necropsy: What it is and why it should be done. The last time we had a necropsy done on a bird, it was on our parakeet Lexi. They never found ...
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Treats for Training: What I Use

Photo by Dave Location: Saipan, MP Siblings: Blue and Gold Macaws "Jersey" and "Chayko"   Recently on my YouTube videos, I've received a lot of the same question, "What treats do you use to give your bird during training sessions?"   And I know what those askers are really thinking... if they use what I use for my birds, their birds will do tha...
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Socializing Toucans

Photo by Dave Location: The Dawn Princess, Princess Cruise Lines Twins: Swainson Toucans "Meaka" and "Fiji" It wasn't always this way with these two toucans... A lady in Sandpoint, Idaho owned Meaka (left) and she was the same age as Fiji (right) who we got at six months old. Meaka stayed in a pet shop all day and was a very calm and sweet bird...
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Listen to a Swainson Toucan

I was obviously trying to be really sneaky when filming this video of my Swainson toucan, Meaka, while she was making noise. So it's not the most fun video to watch as I wanted footage of her actually crying for people to see how different the body language is from a parrot's but you can't really so I failed at obtaining that. However, you can...
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Are Toucans Cuddly?

Photo by Jamieleigh Location: Reno, Nevada Getting lovin': Swainson Toucan "Meaka" The question I get asked the most about toucans are, "Are they cuddly?" well, I think this picture says it all. This is my Swainson Toucan about a year and a half old at the time. She was always gentle and cuddly and would rub her head against you kind of like ...
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How a Swainson Toucan Sleeps

Photo by Jamieleigh Location: Reno, Nevada Sleeper: Swainson Toucan "Meaka" One of my favorite things about Toucans is how they sleep. This picture is of Meaka, a Swainson Toucan I adopted from a lady in Sandpoint, Idaho of all places. She owned a petshop there and Meaka's original name was Skittles. She didn't know her name yet, so I chose ...
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