Are Cockatoos really the most trouble of all the parrots, such as macaws and greys? Let’s celebrate and explore their uniqueness. Observation and study tell us Cockatoos are different in some ways from other parrots. And in some ways Cockatoos are even different from each other.My Jenday Conure taught me a lot about himself and … Read more
Disorders of the upper respiratory system may be inherited, may be caused by early growth conditions, or may be the result of a disease or dietary deficiency. Knowing more about these problems will help, both in recognizing them and in taking corrective action. The upper respiratory system is divided into the beak and orapharynx. The … Read more
Birdkeeper’s are caught in a dilemma – if you disinfect aviaries and cages you put your birds at risk from chemical poisoning, or if you don’t thoroughly disinfect you put your birds at risk from disease. The problem is serious. Avian veterinarians tell us that at least 75% of all bird deaths are premature and … Read more
“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
Angel the Jenday Conure was found one April day immediately under his cotton candy preening toy. He was standing perfectly still with strings of shredded cotton wrapped tightly around his throat. Angel also had his right leg hung in those same strings from trying to free himself from the ones around his throat and he … Read more
If one were to look at the most popular species of pet birds, then 3 groups of birds would pop to the top of the list – parrots, softbills and pigeons or doves. But there are many other kinds of birds, such as raptors. And these fall into other groups called families or orders.There are … Read more
Breeding African Greys can be a very rewarding and learning experience, but it also requires an uncommon dedication. The breeding pairs, the babies, and your clients deserve an informed, committed, ethical, responsible, and knowledgeable breeder.Breeding Greys is not just a matter of buying two birds, putting them together and letting nature take its course. Healthy … Read more
I think everyone has a fleeting thought on breeding birds once they have had pet birds for a couple of years. Especially if they have the “dreaded” Multi-Bird Syndrome. We did and we actually acted upon it. We got a pair of Hahns Macaws and a pair of Quakers. Once we had them, we realized … 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