The most important part of bringing home the new avian family member is the New Bird Exam. This exam is essential to assure the health of the new family member. If health problems are found, this will allow the options of returning the bird to the breeder, getting the seller to cover part of the … Read more
Fast becoming the most widely distributed of all the parakeet species, Ringneck parakeets are well on their way to becoming as popular an avian pet as the budgie. These two different birds share many of the same traits that make either of them desirable as pets — they are both hardy birds, easily tamed, learn … Read more
Now that you have found a breeder or pet store to purchase a bird from, your next decision is to find that special bird for you and your family. There are many factors to consider that will help you determine which species of bird is right for you. Your level of experience, budget, time commitments, … Read more
The wild housecat slinks across the living room, eyes bright and tail twitching. Across the room, she sees her prey, a pair of parakeets in a cage. Slowly, she moves into position, raises up to place her paws against a cage, then abruptly jumps away as the parakeet nips her whiskers. She backs away to … Read more
One of the most frequently asked questions from new prospective bird owners is “How much noise does the bird make? There is no simple answer to this question. Verbal skills will even vary from bird to bird within each species. Each bird has his/her own unique personality. If you are considering the purchase of a … Read more
“Get your kicks on Route 66” Was the plan. A cross country adventure with one less than our entire menagerie. All but Opal, our wonderful little lovebird, were to head out across the US from Tucson, Arizona destined to arrive in New York a week later, cooking all meals and sleeping in the van. This … Read more
Loss of a beloved pet or valued bird is a painful experience. However, there are some measures you can take to help find or identify your bird if this happens to you. One of these is the use of a microchip, a tiny device which can be inserted into your pet by means of a … Read more
Introduction The words “A MAP Certified Aviary” are beginning to appear more and more frequently in literature and advertisements for aviaries. The words sound significant, but how many of us know what MAP stands for and what it means? Is MAP important to us and should we care? The answer to the last question is … Read more
The strikingly beautiful Eclectus hails from the South Pacific. Depending on which authority you believe, there are 9 or 10 subspecies of Eclectus, but I am aware of only six presently available in the United States: Grand, Vosmaeri, Red-Sided, Solomon Island, Biaki, and McGillvary. The first three listed are considered common, and the Solomon Island … Read more
Very few of us in the US have ever seen a kakariki “in the feather”. Information about these birds has been growing for several years, and they sound as if they are a lot of fun. But they are fairly rare in the US, so most of us have never really had the opportunity to … Read more