“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
Providing the best furniture for the inside of your parrot’s home is paramount to good health. Next to perching on his favorite person, your bird will spend the rest of his/her time on perches. There are a wide variety of textures and styles to choose from including natural woods, plastic, acrylic, dowel stock, and cement. … Read more
In a previous issue, Building a Good Avian Library, we covered in detail the books which should be contained in the Basic, Advanced and Breeder Level Avian Libraries. We also included a list of recommended avian books, including reviews and ratings. However, due to time and space limitations, we did not address the genus/species oriented books. … Read more
Caring bird owners quickly recognize the need for a home library which contains information on caring for, training and breeding their birds. Books not only help them learn about their birds, but are a source of important information when emergencies arise. However, when starting to build a library, many questions arise. What types of books … Read more
What is MAP? The Model Aviculture Program or MAP is a voluntary aviary inspection and certification program for aviculturists. MAP is a non-profit service organization, not a private business. It has been in effect nation-wide since 1990. In the early eighties a plan was proposed for a model state program for pet birds, the National … Read more
Handfeeding, socialization and weaning are the three most significant issues in raising a baby bird. They are so intertwined, that it is almost impossible to separate the three. How a baby bird is handled at this time in his life will leave a mark on him forever and affect him the rest of his life. … Read more