If you breed budgies, lovebirds or cockatiels, you know the excitement of working with color mutations. Studying the intricacies of genetics can give a whole new meaning to breeding birds. It is also difficult to describe the thrill of looking in a nest box and discovering a new color no one else has bred.Right now … Read more

Birds possess a very unique and efficient respiratory system. They lack a diaphragm, have nonexpandable lungs and a system of air sacs which extend into many of their bones. Vocalization is by means of a syrinx, not a larynx as in mammals. This column will describe the structure of the avian respiratory system. The following article will … Read more

There are many different public events a club can sponsor. They can range from holding seminars, to sales, swaps, auctions, expos and bird shows. When I did the Long Island Parrot Society club’s annual bird show it involved exhibiting and judging of birds as well as many other activities. Each club should consider the time, … Read more

With winter once again about upon us up here in Oregon, I am reminded of a few years ago – the terrible flooding we went through, and the many other states that went throught the same and other disasters. If it becomes necessary to evacuate, minutes and seconds count…..what can you do to help your … Read more

Time is critical when a bird is first lost or stolen. You want to act as quickly as possible, to get the word out and hopefully recover your bird. So BE PREPARED! Gather the information you will need and be ready in case such an event should occur. You will need to inform the unlettered … Read more

As the new millennium begins, hubby Ken and I have made a few resolutions to ease our future lives with our birds. Perhaps some of them will be of use to you, too. So here goes. Take out two subscriptions to the Sunday New York Times, to ensure that there is sufficient paper in the … Read more

As we move forward into the 21st Century, the lives of our birds are understood better than at any time before. Consider that just a scant 20 years ago, avian medicine was so poorly understood that many vets refused to treat parrots and other large birds. We have seen the advent of the pellet diet, … Read more

Crop Stasis Crop stasis occurs when the normal mobility of the crop is impaired, causing food to remain in the crop. The crop may appear enlarged orit may be hidden by feathers. Food, fluid and mucus or foreign bodies may be present in the crop. Crop stasis is most common in baby psittaciines (parrots) and … Read more

We just moved our six pet birds and one human (me) from New Jersey to San Diego, CA in one move. In as much as the birds and the human survived, we thought to share what we learned about carriers.Once it was decided that we were going to move our birds (four umbrella cockatoos and … Read more

Do you avoid feeding nuts to your birds because they are nothing more than fat-laden treats? If so, it is time to rethink this popular myth. Because of the recent trend toward fat-free diets, nuts have gotten a bad reputation which is both undeserved and inaccurate. Recently, two major scientific conferences have extolled the virtue … Read more