Alice Wender

Weaning is an exciting but stressful time in a baby birds life. They are learning to explore and do things on their own at this age. They are also having to take in a lot of changes in a very short period of time. They’ve gone from you feeding them to having to eat on … Read more

Wild parrots spend their lives in the greenery of the rain forest canopy. Not only do they use green trees and plants for camouflage and bathing, their colorful, lofty home contains a huge variety of edible green plants. Greenery provides leaves, buds, sprouts, shoots, blossoms, and stems, as well as nuts, seeds, fruits and berries. … Read more

There are a number of diseases and disorders which can affect birds skin and feathers. Some may be inherited, while others, such as parasites, can be contracted. Knowing which are serious and what to do if they occur can greatly improve a bird’s comfort and even save its life. Some of the more common skin … Read more

The moon was a sliver of platinum against a midnight sky and long shadows were cast on the ground from the shining orb. After an early dinner, the little Moluccan Cockatoo heard the sound of popping popcorn coming from the kitchen and he smelled the rich smell of its delicious aroma. Being closest to the … Read more

As an exotic bird trainer, I use different tools to help keep training easy and fun for the birds and myself. One of the most basic tools is “the target” which is an object we teach the bird to touch. Once he learns to touch it, we then use the target to lead or direct … Read more

Song is used by passerines (songbirds) to attract mates and to maintain breeding territories in the spring and early summer, however, many songbirds also sing in the autumn. If these birds aren’t breeding in the autumn, then why are they singing? There are at least three physiological mechanisms that apparently underlie autumnal singing in temperate-zone … Read more

This is the third in a series of articles concerning the diseases and disorders which can affect birds skin and feathers. Part III covers Constricted Toe Syndrome, Dry Gangrene of the extremities, Lipomas and Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD). Feather cysts, baldness, brown hypertrophy of the cere, polyfollicles, and knemidokoptes mites were discussed in a … Read more

“About a month ago, while Jade (a Blue-Crowned Conure) and I were home alone, the song Brown-Eyed Girl came on the radio and I sang it to him, changing it to ‘Brown-Eyed Bird,’ of course! We danced around the house and were generally silly. He squawked in time to the music and had a ball. Well, I … Read more

In the business of living I often fail to appreciate the beauty of my gorgeous companion birds. One of these exquisite creatures is Keanu, my Duyvenbode Lory.There are many species of lories and lorikeets, varying in color from plain to the most spectacularly brilliant and beautiful. These birds have two common characteristics, their diet which … Read more

On December 26th, I was given the most precious gift a person could ever get – a baby Umbrella Cockatoo.My husband, Matt, and I made an hour and a half drive to a breeder in Gregory, Michigan. When we arrived we were greeted by Mike and shown downstairs, where we waited anxiously to meet our … Read more