With a scientific name like Nymphicus hollandicus, it’s hard to imagine the wonderful personalities these little characters called Cockatiels possess. They can rival the antics of parrots much larger than themselves, including their larger cousins, the cockatoos. They can smoothly charm you into almost anything if the mood so strikes them. And…. breeders of these … Read more

You may be surprised at how affordably we can feed pesticide-free foods to our parrots. It is much easier now to select foods that promote health and longevity by minimizing the exposure of our birds to toxic pesticide residues, thanks to a report by the Environmental Working Group on the toxicity of produce. This report … Read more

Grooming is an important aspect of daily care that is necessary to maintain optimum health. Bathing is included in this category. Routine bathing will not only enhance your bird’s appearance, but is necessary to keep feathers in prime condition.Most birds will eagerly enjoy a shower or bath. In colder climates it is best to bathe … Read more

Our pet conure, Woodgie, had become a super-biter, but with only me. I even decided that he was a Daddy’s boy and had chosen my hubby as his pal, and was almost resigned to a life with limited Woodgie contact. But….he always wanted to be with me, even biting. So I decided to look at … Read more

When Sam and I bought Ariel, our golden-capped conure, Sam already had a bird, I already had a bird, and we had promised ourselves (and our children) that we were not getting any more birds. Additionally, I had privately resolved that if we ever did get another bird, it was certainly not going to be … Read more

One of the most important things a bird owner does is select a veterinarian. After all, this will be the person to whom you turn when your bird is ill or hurt or needs any number of special things to be done. You must have confidence in your veterinarian’s knowledge and techniques. And you want … Read more

As parrot owner’s we know how special parrots are. They are the only creatures on earth that have feathers. Feathers are not only used for the magnificent and wondrous voyage of flight, but insulate and protect our feathered friends. Psittacine feathers consist of four types: down feathers, semiplumes, bristles, and the contour feathers.Down and semiplume … Read more

For those of us interested in learning more about lories, the following books contain a wealth of information. For each one I have provided a review and rating. Ratings are shown as one to four feathers, four feathers being the best. Lories and Lorikeets: The Brush-tongued Parrots by Rosemary Low (1977), ISBN 0-442-24898-9, 180 pages … Read more

There has been much discussion recently on the topic of feather plucking in companion parrots, along with even greater speculation on its possible causes. Companion bird owners who have watched their beloved and well-cared for parrots pluck themselves bald, as well as the veterinarians who have attempted to treat these birds, have come to the … Read more