Munchkins The Big Bird In The Little Body

This is Munchie! He has the personality of a big bird even though he is a cockatiel! (Don't tell him!) He will take on your approaching hand and do battle with it for as long as you will play the game. He loves to observe and supervise all kitchen duty. Often he will sit on my shoulder while I do the dishes because he knows...when the sink is clean, he'll have his chance. I fill the sink with a half inch of warm water and float bottle caps in it. He loves to jump in and play. Munchie goes home tomorrow...another goodbye to a favorite friend. Won't be the same around here until he comes back! Munchie is the only cockatiel that I know who holds his pellets with his foot to eat them. Quite unusual for a tiel bird!

Farewell Fine Friends

Tomorrow Kiku and Tank go home. I have had them in my home for almost a month. They have entertained me continually. I always thought Blue Crowned Conures were noisy...these guys are not. Well, not much. They (two boys) spend plenty of time talking and preening and eating. They have a wonderful family who have taught them the way to a person's heart. When I go to cover them at night, "I want to kiss you!" delays the task. When I go to collect them for a trip to the shower or outdoor cage, I get, "step up, step up, step up, step up..." about as fast as I've ever heard it said! I am sad to see them go but I bet their mom and dad are anxious to see them! One can certainly tell that they are much loved and I know why! Bye guys. Come back soon! 

When NOT to pick up your parrot.

Here are two instances when I really think about how (or if) to pick up my parrot. One is Josey Wales when he's totally exhilarated and worked up into a frenzy while showering. Sometimes it looks like he spins his head completely around as his shutters and fluffs and trembles. Yes, he LOVES his shower, but I must approach him using eye contact and distinct verbal cues when I collect him to go back to his cage or stand. The other photo is of Mikey my son's eclectus. (He's staying with me temporarily.) He can be sweet and obedient. Or...he can lower his posture and bite the cage as if to say, "Go ahead...make my day!" Obviously, I respect his mood and will distract or detour him to change his posture before I stick my hand out for a "step up." This is not difficult stuff. It's just a matter of respecting your parrot and being able to read his body language and moods. Most biting behavior happens when you're not paying that much attention to the parrot. You just assume that when your hand is offered he'll step up like a good little parrot. Be observant and you'll have a better relationship! We all have our moods! Which reminds me....when you are stressed, anxious, or in a hurry....a bite might occur because your mood is reflecting to the bird. Parrots get scared when your personality is "different."

Conure that carries her food in flight

This is Mango.



She has demonstrated a very interesting behavior that I want to share. She is caged with her companion buddy, a blue crowned conure. The photo to the left shows her on a cockatiel's cage in the same room. Mango will go down to the food bowl and pick out her favorite morsel. But instead of eating it there, she flies off with it in her mouth to find a more private spot to devour her treat. Since she is allowed free flight with her companion in a closed room, she has shown me a new behavior that I don't see at my own home. Please email me if your bird takes food and flies off to eat it elsewhere. I found this wonderful to watch. It seems like such a wild and wonderful behavior. Does she do this to keep the other bird from getting her share? They certainly live the good life. Allowing your parrot to fly is wonderful but risky. One must be very careful and have a controled environment. One door or window left open....could be disasterous. Caution is required.

Shower? Who me? No way!

This is one of my boarders! Can you tell he wasn't too sure about this shower business? His posture is reluctant but he thoroughly enjoyed the overall exhilaration of the shower. It also made him nice and quiet for the morning! What a great bird!

Enrichments are all around us.

This happy Moluccan cockatoo is having a great time playing with an empty plastic bottle. Who says you have to spend a fortune on toys? Sometimes a simple item will pacify and entertain for hours. An empty box, a paper bag, a paper tube, etc. Always be on the lookout for something that will challenge or inspire play for your parrot. 

Whenever you have a choice, make it a challenge for your parrot to get his treat. Just handing it to him is too fast and non enriching. Mango loves the big beautiful grapes but he has to fish for them when they are placed on top of the cage! It's important to not let these guys get bored out of their minds. 

Buster Slips Again

Oh Buster, Buster, Buster.... As you can see, my fluffy grey, Buster has slipped with regard to his feather picking issues. I had high hopes that the red palm oil was the answer. To be realistic, I did not give it to him everyday. I intend to resume using it daily in his diet and will report the results. He readily takes it in even when I just hand him a chunk of it through the cage bars. But, alas, he is a happy bird who eats well, plays well, and enjoys life. I will continue to try various things to improve his feathers while I enjoy him for the entertaining and zany bird he is!