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
Digestion in birds involves a lot of organs, each performing a specific function. It begins with entry of food via the beak and ends with the exiting of refuse at the vent. Food is broken down and absorbed for use along the way. The Mouth The avian beak or rostrum is composed of bone and an outer … 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
Probably more words have been written and said about this topic than any other computer related subject. This a serious subject, but it does have some ironic characteristics. First of all, it is not millenium related. The next millenium starts on January 1, 2001 (our current calander started with year one, not zero), while our … 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
Starting a bird club in your area can be a very rewarding project. Making new friends, learning about birds and sharing experiences are just a few of the benefits a club can provide. I was a founding member of my bird club, the Parrot Fanciers Club, which now has over 100 members. I had been … Read more
As the new millennium begins, hubby Ken and I have made a few resolutions to ease our future lives with our birds. Perhaps some of them will be of use to you, too. So here goes. Take out two subscriptions to the Sunday New York Times, to ensure that there is sufficient paper in the … Read more
Looking at zebra finches in the pet store gives no indication that there are more than thirty mutations of this common bird. A normal zebra finch has a gray back, with bright orange cheek patches, beak, and legs. Black teardrops fall along the edge of the cheek patch, and a strip of white accentuates the … Read more
There are thousands of species of birds in the world, yet parrots are by far the favorite birds kept as pets. Why are parrots so valued and desired? And what makes them different from other birds? There are lots of reasons as you shall see below. All parrots belong to a family called Psittacines and are often … Read more