Alice Wender 
Feathers are unique to birds. They provide insulation, camouflage, protection, water repellency and display. In some species of birds, the feathers of the male and female are identical. These birds are monomorphic – meaning their sex can’t be determined by their physical appearance. Other species are dimorphic – meaning the male and female look different … Read more
If I could look through the eyes of a bird at food, what would I see? Would I see something to eat? Would I see a toy? Would I go for color or texture? Would I look to see what another bird was eating? Or would I back away because I was afraid and worried, … Read more
In our article Feeding Our Birds – Part I Nutritional Needs, we discussed both our research and experiences concerning a healthy diet for our avian friends. We have found that there is still much to be learned about a bird’s nutritional needs. Scientific information is just beginning to become available. Aviculturists are also realising that various … Read more
Mention the words “bird show” and most aviculturists think of bird expos or marts where birds and related items are sold. However, these are fairly recent developments in the world of aviculture. For many years, indeed, centuries in some cases, birds have been exhibited for the purpose of improving birds by selective breeding. While most … Read more
Providing a good environment as well as a good diet is essential in keeping your bird healthy. In addition to proper temperature, good ventilation is essential.Although good ventilation is necessary for any type of bird, it is especially critical for macaws. Blue and Gold macaws, as well as several other species of macaws, seem especially … Read more
On the seventh of December, 1997 Venus came into my life. I’d never received such a precious gift from anyone. I spent my whole day bubbling over with anticipation. I could hardly sit still due to the excitement. Today, we were adding a new member to our “family”!My little angel arrived after dinner that evening. … Read more
Do you avoid feeding nuts to your birds because they are nothing more than fat-laden treats? If so, it is time to rethink this popular myth. Because of the recent trend toward fat-free diets, nuts have gotten a bad reputation which is both undeserved and inaccurate. Recently, two major scientific conferences have extolled the virtue … Read more
We just moved our six pet birds and one human (me) from New Jersey to San Diego, CA in one move. In as much as the birds and the human survived, we thought to share what we learned about carriers.Once it was decided that we were going to move our birds (four umbrella cockatoos and … Read more
Crop Stasis Crop stasis occurs when the normal mobility of the crop is impaired, causing food to remain in the crop. The crop may appear enlarged orit may be hidden by feathers. Food, fluid and mucus or foreign bodies may be present in the crop. Crop stasis is most common in baby psittaciines (parrots) and … Read more
As we move forward into the 21st Century, the lives of our birds are understood better than at any time before. Consider that just a scant 20 years ago, avian medicine was so poorly understood that many vets refused to treat parrots and other large birds. We have seen the advent of the pellet diet, … Read more