“Happy Halloween!” said his Mom as she uncovered Conner Conure’s cage. “Today is special, Conner. A day set aside to have fun. We will share sweet treats today and make sweet memories.” Hmmmmm”, thought Conner in reply, cocking his head and white rimmed eye at Mom.Conner watched with big eyes as Mom got down his … Read more
Parrots are fun-loving. When you interact with them one-on-one each day you can expect a happier, better-adjusted companion parrot. One of the ways to have a parrot bond to you is to play interactively with the parrot.You can help keep a mature parrot more mentally and physically active as they get older by playing fun … Read more
There are as many light-colored mutations of the zebra finch as there are dark. Most of these birds are some shade of white, light tan, or cream, lacking some of the vibrant markings of the darker zebra finch mutations. I enjoy the light mutations of the zebra finch, for a light bird with an orange … 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. For those of you thinking of starting a bird club, here are some of the things we had to do and some … Read more
The avian male reproductive tract is very unique and different from that of humans and mammals.Male birds have two functional bean-shaped testes located within the body, just above the kidneys. This is in contrast to many female birds in which the right ovary regresses, leaving just one functional left ovary. The testes grow in size … Read more
Birds have a population of bacteria known as ‘normal microbial flora’ which colonizes the skin and mucous membranes of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract. These bacteria are not disease causing and are referred to as ‘nonpathogenic’.Bacteria may be classified as ‘gram-positive’ or ‘gram-negative’ based upon certain staining characterisitics. Gram-positive bacteria are the predominant normal inhabitants … Read more
As a rule injuries to wild birds happen in two ways, the most common being the impact of the bird with a window or some other immovable object. The second is a predator/prey situation usually involving a cat or dog. Some injuries are quite evident and others are impossible to determine by observation.The bird should … Read more
Have you ever seen a bird swinging away on a swing while emitting sounds of great pleasure? Or perhaps you’ve seen a bird hanging from a swing by one foot or doing somersaults around the perch while it moves to and fro? Swings are wonderful for birds. They are a source of enjoyment, body exercise … Read more
So you’ve decided to get a canary, perhaps as a result of reading my previous article, Canaries as Pets. I will assume that you’ve already decided that a canary is the right pet for you and you understand their basic nature and requirements. First, you need to decide how many birds you will get and what … Read more
Edible flowers delight the eye as well as the palate and are becoming quite popular with adventurous cooks. But people have used flowers as food for thousands of years-and so have parrots! A glance through the pages of Parrots of the World, alerts one to the huge variety of parrot species that feed on flowering … Read more