Alice Wender

Bird owners are often advised to clip the wings of their birds. A common first reaction is that it is a cruel thing to do. After all, birds are meant to fly. However, there are valid reasons for clipping. First and foremost is the bird’s safety, but there are other reasons as well. Safety – Unclipped … Read more

Lovebirds are the second smallest species of parrot. Their weight range is 42 to 60 grams. Females tend to be slighter larger than the males. All nine species are in the genius AGAPORNIS. Native to Africa and surrounding islands, many species were imported into the U.S. in large numbers in the late 20 th century. The … Read more

There has been much discussion recently on the topic of feather plucking in companion parrots, along with even greater speculation on its possible causes. Companion bird owners who have watched their beloved and well-cared for parrots pluck themselves bald, as well as the veterinarians who have attempted to treat these birds, have come to the … Read more

For those of us interested in learning more about lories, the following books contain a wealth of information. For each one I have provided a review and rating. Ratings are shown as one to four feathers, four feathers being the best. Lories and Lorikeets: The Brush-tongued Parrots by Rosemary Low (1977), ISBN 0-442-24898-9, 180 pages … Read more

As parrot owner’s we know how special parrots are. They are the only creatures on earth that have feathers. Feathers are not only used for the magnificent and wondrous voyage of flight, but insulate and protect our feathered friends. Psittacine feathers consist of four types: down feathers, semiplumes, bristles, and the contour feathers.Down and semiplume … Read more

One of the most important things a bird owner does is select a veterinarian. After all, this will be the person to whom you turn when your bird is ill or hurt or needs any number of special things to be done. You must have confidence in your veterinarian’s knowledge and techniques. And you want … Read more

Sex and the M & M twins Mickie was sitting on her first egg after joining our family. It was reported that she laid eggs even before there was a male in her life. It was too early to tell if this egg is fertile, but she and Murphy had been doing the dance that … Read more

Siva was a relatively new member of the household when I purchased Jennifer Warshaw’s book, The Parrot Training Handbook. He already knew his basic commands of “up”, “down”, “it’s okay” and “no”. I began by carefully reading the book from cover to cover and decided to start with something simple. I had previously used the … Read more

Several weeks ago, the lower part of my state, Michigan, was hit hard by severe storms. The storms were from the west and were moving east across the state. The storms brought high winds, hail, lightening, and tornados. I has been watching the weather reports all day. The storms had brought tornados in every county … Read more

Birds have established protective mechanisms to hide or mask symptoms of disease until they are very ill. In order to survive in the wild birds must keep a normal appearance or they will be preyed upon. As bird owners we must be able to recognize early symptoms of illness. Any change in appetite, vocalization, activity … Read more