“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
Introduction I will never forget the first time I saw a parrotlet. My husband and I attended a bird show in Sacramento, California. We were walking around and I saw two tiny green parrots in a show cage. They looked like miniature Amazon parrots! I did not know what they were, but I was determined … 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
Parrotlets are one of the smallest species of parrot in the world with their closest relative being Amazon parrots. Most species are less than 5″ in length and weigh less than 30 grams. Parrotlets are tiny, streamlined parrots with wedge-shaped tails and large beaks for their size. Primarily green, patches of yellow, gray and blue … 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
Prospective purchasers of macaws often ask which species we believe make the best pets and which ones are more difficult to own. Macaws are near and dear to our hearts as we not only breed them, but also have a number of them as pets. In our experience, we have seen a noticable difference in … Read more
A frequent concern I hear about cockatoos, and sometimes about conures, is that the primary caregiver has been shunned in favor of another household member. Sometimes this special person does not want to be the primary person in a parrot’s life. It is hard for us to accept that a parrot would chose someone else … Read more
So you want to hold a bird show, expo, mart or fair. I have helped put on a number of these events for my bird clubs. My previous article Holding A Bird Show covered a number of important issues in holding a bird show. This article covers my experiences with several additional areas that need to … Read more
When a distressed bird is taken to an avian veterinarian, respiratory disease is often found to be the cause. Frequent sneezing, nasal discharge, periocular swelling, coughing, wheezing, and a voice change may be evident. Dyspnea, or labored breathing, may be seen at rest or after the bird flies a short distance. “Tail bobbing” or a … Read more
With so many cages available on the market today how do you choose the right one? That is the question I asked everyone from veterinarians to manufacturers, breeders, distributors, retailers, bird owners and anyone else who might have an educated opinion. I received many different opinions, all valuable, but the most important issue that all … Read more