Signs Of Sickness

Several recent inquiries have alerted me to the fact that many Eclectus owners are unaware of signs of sickness in their birds. Most knew that birds’ instincts make them experts at hiding signs of sickness and that it may be difficult to detect symptoms. In the wild, if a bird shows signs of sickness, that … Read more

Potty Train Your Bird

If people enjoy playing with their pet birds, they should potty train their pet bird. It is more fun for everyone. The pet bird gets to spend more time in one on one interaction, and their owners gets to spend less time doing laundry. I have been keeping pet birds for nearly 30 years, and … Read more

Toe Tapping In Eclectus

In early May, Gizzy developed the toe-tapping and clutching syndrome that is so often seen in Eclectus parrots. This was the second time he had shown these symptoms; a year ago he had developed them too. He also began scratching with his beak the back of his feet, to the point of excoriating them, leaving … Read more

Bird Thefts… Protect Your Birds

Each of us should try to make it as difficult and time consuming as possible for someone who is unfamiliar with our aviary to accomplish his dirty deed. Many times the professional methods are not necessarily the best. Use of cheap but effective equipment and even sometimes misuse of an item’s intended use can be … Read more

The ABC’s of Potty Training

Over the years there have been hundreds of examples of birds who have been potty trained. We have heard of macaws, cockatoos, cockatiels, lories, conures, amazons, lovebirds and greys who have been successfully trained. Because parrots are among the most intelligent of the animal species, it is easy to understand why they can so easily … Read more

The Avian Ear Part I: Anatomy

The avian ear, as the mammalian ear, is an organ of hearing and balance. The ear is composed of three parts – an external, a middle and an inner part. The external ear lacks a flap or pinna (earlobe) and is hidden by specialized feathers known as auricular feathers. The auricular feathers protect the opening, … Read more

Is Having A Bird Club Important?

Many bird clubs are folding because of politics or infighting or strong-arming by eqotistical members. The quieter members are made to feel inferior, or are recruited by the stronger to support their ideas. Some clubs don’t last a year. Others after many years and under many principal leaders finally wear out. But now there is … Read more