Misting Showers

Look at this jewel of a bird! I gave him a good mist shower and his feathers glistened like you wouldn't believe. Pionus parrots get more and more beautiful with age. Especially if you look closely at all the subtle but glorious colors. This little guy is sweet and quiet. What a nice combination! 

Who Is Louder?

This is Kiwi, a California Grey Headed Parrot. He is decidedly louder than his friend, Sydney, below. Both of these guys can really shake your nerves but that's why they make Hearos Ear Plugs!

There aren't a lot of parrots that can compete with the decibel levels of a large male moluccan cockatoo. This is Sydney. I get to babysit him and his housemates. He's pretty full of himself and can rattle the windows when he gets his vocal chords going. Do parrots have vocal chords?


If you have difficulties with extra loud parrots, try to understand that they are loud for a reason! They're absolutely no good at text messaging. They make their communications travel throughout their territory in a more low-tech way!

Communicating With Words In Context

I know that I write about this guy alot! But he is so funny, hyper, intelligent, and has a clear voice when he speaks. This time he really made me laugh out loud. A daily occurance! He was so excited about something that he fell to the bottom of his cage. Slightly embarrassed, he climbed up and up and got to his favorite high perch on the door. Once there, he announced, "Whew!" in the most delightful voice. I must say "whew" when I do something strenuous. He picked that up and used it in context! Like the way he now says, "Want to go outside and take a shower?" Because the birds gets sprayed with the misting hose when they're outside on a hot day. He combined the two phrases very appropriately.  

Feather Picking Success Story

This is Buster's chest full of incoming feathers! This is a project underway. He is loving the Red Virgin Palm Oil and, so far, he is looking really good on the feather front. Could this work for you? Who knows. All I know is that I am pleased about the progress and will not get discouraged if and when he cycles back to his fluffiness. I can only do what I can do and hope for the best. Buster adds so much to my life. He is happy and comments on everything! 

Relaxing with a Parrot Pal

Time to kick back and relax...I never do this without a bird to skritch! It's so calming to make a bird go into a coma. This big guy can be as cantankerous as a brat but a good head/neck skritch turns him into a blob of happiness. It's no optical illusion...this guy's head is upside down so that I can get that soft sensitive spot called the intermandibular space which is that hollow place under the bottom of the beak. This is quite prominent on a Hyacinth Macaw! Beaks are very sensitive and birds love to be skritched with your finger nails on the beak. But watch out! This can be construed as sexual. Don't get your bird too excited! 

Palm Oil Success?

I've spoken often of my fluffy grey, Buster. I just figure we'll go through cycles of being fluffier than other times. For the last month, I've been giving him (and all my parrots) red palm oil. I originally read about it helping feather picking greys in a booklet by Pamela Hutchinson. "Complete Guide to the African Grey." I got online and ordered some through Tropical Traditions Inc. This stuff is orange and greasy. Not easy to use or clean up. But, I have seen a wonderful improvement in Buster's feathers. He now has a chest full of grey feathers! I keep telling him how handsome he is and I am continuing all the other practices...showers, good diet, good light, and lots of preening activites available. This progress could all go away in one day, but I am pleased to report my success to date. I keep the jar in the fridge and use a melon scooper to scrape the hard oil out. It melts quickly when placed on food. He like it best on pasta but I put it on his grains and veggies too. All the birds seem to love it. 

Beaks As Tools

Chauncey, my slender billed cockatoo, has an amazing beak. Most people are intimidated by the fierce look of it. However, it is quite the tool when it comes to excavating the inside of a nut. Many times when cleaning his cage, I pick up a nut thinking that it is still whole. Surprise! There's one tiny hole and he is smiling. Chauncey has a terrific sense of humor. He seems to know that he fooled me again!

Getting Those Head and Neck Pinfeathers

I came across a solution to grooming the prickly pinfeathers on my Scarlet macaw's head and neck. She would only allow so much before getting into a snit and shutting down all attempts. I walked her over to my mirrored closet doors and stood right up to the mirror with her. She always loves to look at herself! I put her head up to the mirror and started preening the new feathers. She submitted her neck as if I were "the other bird." I believe that she saw the reflection as her grooming pal. Success! Now she's much more comfortable and she looks gorgeous! No more porcupine quills. Sorry, no photo available because my hands were busy!

Marking a Syringe for Proper Dose

Have your veterinarian mark the syringe with tape to indicate the correct dosage for your bird. If the medicine is opaque (like Clavamox) it is best to mark the handle of the syringe at the point where you need to stop pulling the handle back. This way, you can overfill the syringe and push the excess back into the bottle using the marked handle. Always wipe off the outside of the syringe to avoid a sticky bird face and potentially too much medication going into your bird. Exact measuring of the dosage is very important and is calculated using the bird's weight. Don't over or under medicate! Be calm and make it fun.