Do Birds Dance? Yes, they do!

This is Mango. She is a flighted bird that enjoys lots of out-of-cage time to fly around and socialize with people and places and her boyfriend, Blue.

I arrived to care for them and opened a large birthday card that automatically started playing a loud accordian melody. The birds loved the beat and started bobbing and dancing around.

I joined in and we had a bit of a party. I think they would have given Snowball a run for the money. If you haven't seen Snowball, check it out on You Tube. (Snowball Dancing Cockatoo) Music does soothe the savage beast.

How Fast They Grow

It was just a few weeks ago. I was nanny to a new set of parents and their baby, Danielle. You can see the photo taken June 28th of Danielle as she had just opened her eyes.

The tiny naked chick developed into this gorgeous yellow bird with just a hint of her daddy's darker feathers and all in just three weeks!

The proud papa, Eddie, is posing with his crest erect. The mama, Erica, is a pure white cockatiel which is called a White Face Lutino.

Even though Danielle has fledged the box, she is still fed by the parents. The photo of the feeding process is fuzzy because Danielle is jerking heavily to the rhythm of the beat as mom feeds her. She has started to nibble at the soft foods and pellets but only has to look hungry to get delivery straight to her mouth.

Humans Emit Light - Our Aura

There is a scientific study that shows how the human body actually emits light. Perhaps our parrots see this light! Their vision is much different than ours. To read an article about this click on this link.

http://www.livescience.com/health/090722-body-glow.html

This may be a clue as to why our parrots will like some people and not like others. And, they might be cooperative one moment and anxious at another. We are sending messages that we don't even see. Food for thought eh?

Parrots Need To Love Produce

Parrots should love to have a fresh bowl of produce offered to them daily. Lately, I've had a few parrot guests that turn their beak up and resist even tasting the delectable morsels of fruits and vegetables. It's summertime and the fruits and veggies are absolutely fantastic now. Parrots will only truly take eagerly to tasty ripe produce as their broad UV vision range allows them to see the ripeness. They can tell if it's not ripe or too ripe. If your parrot doesn't eat produce, try again and again to entice him or her. Don't just give up when it goes untouched.
Try an In and Out Crock (Smart Crocks) and place it near the perch. Some birds are too lazy to go down to the regular bowl to investigate. Select an assortment of ripe fruits and vegetables. Strive for a variety of colors and textures. A little orange, red, green, and yellow with some purple thrown in makes for a nice visual interest. Yes, that matters!

Of course, wash the produce and remove the rind, skin, or peel whenever possible. Pesticides and E Coli can reside on melon rinds. Use your judgment as to how to cut it up. Some birds like it small, some like big chunks.

If a bird is relunctant to taste it, sprinkle pine nuts or add a small piece of cheese to the top. I call this "priming the dish." They can't resist the nuts or cheese and that starts them eating. Another successful trick is to eat next to the bird or place the bird next to a bird that eats well. I have birds that won't eat carrots raw but love them steamed, and birds that won't eat a whole grape but enjoy grape halves. You just have to keep at it until you find success. And don't just feed what they like. Always strive to add something new, nutritional, and interesting.

In my opinion, birds that don't relish their foods can develop insecurities and become rigid with toys, relationships, and activities. When a bird comes to stay here, I do all I can to encourage a good healthy diet.

Macaws Being Playful

Macaws are wonderful birds. Especially when they're young! Wishes is a Red Fronted Macaw and she has a family flock. She is relegated to a cage downstairs (where the big birds reside) and her companions are upstairs in the corner room. Wishes called out to them and they to her. Once I installed her in the middle of the upper room with her flock, she and they settled down and reassured each other.

I also must show Sierra, another young macaw. She plays like a puppy when on the bed and climbs and hangs like a monkey when she is on the ropes. Macaws can be taught to use their beaks gently. Sierra uses hers almost like a hand as she grips me and we wrestle and play.

Macaws are a hands-on kind of bird. They have a loud air horn call that can be unnerving. But it's usually only used to communicate alarm or excitement. Of course, being the intelligent creatures that they are, macaws can certainly learn to use their loudness to provoke a response from any passerby.

Hot Days Mean Shower Time

It may be hot outside but Lucy and Odie certainly enjoy the hose mist. I could leave it on them all day to their delight.

Lulli Sends His Love

Lulli is a big boy. He is playing on the Atom hanging from my office ceiling as I type.

Some of his posturing is easy to misread if you aren't familiar with macaws.

Luckily, my BG Macaw, Molly, has the same posturing and I know what it means.

The "Fluffle Head" can look menacing but it actually says, "Hello, aren't I cute?"

Of course, there is only a subtle difference to the "Go ahead, make my day" stance.

The raised wings and horizontal posturing is actually "throwing a kiss". Again, it can look especially threatening.

Knowing the body language and respecting the bird is everything when handling someone else's parrot.

It takes a little while for the guest bird to settle into our routine around here and I always go very slow the first day. I like to let them get their bearings.

I find that if the first handling experience is successful, the comfortability level goes up from there for both of us.

Relaxing and staying calm and confident is imperative. Your energy level is like electricity that travels right down your arm to the parrot.

Jasper On Top of the World

This is Jasper. He is an African Senagal parrot. Jasper has some issues trying to maintain his feathers. He has reoccuring feather picking. Just when things start to improve, there is a setback. I truly know how frustrating that can be! My fluffy grey, Buster, has the same chronic issue. However, Jasper and Buster, for that matter, are happy birds. Jasper and his companion bird, Solo, stay with me when mom is traveling.

Here you see why Jasper loves coming to Parrot Nanny. He gets time out to climb around and get wet, just like at his home. Having a dedicated room for the little guys allows me to give the small ones a playtime without worrying about intermingling. Jasper loves this time! They all do!

BEST OF THE BAY! ME?

I am so honored to be voted Best of the Bay by the East Bay Express magazine! Wow!

I knew when I started this business that it was something bird people really needed. Much loved parrots cannot be warehoused in facilities to languish away their days until the parents can come pick them up.

They need a homey environment where they get the attention, foods, and care that they're used to. They also need someone who will be able to handle an emergency should it happen. I am very lucky to be able to provide this service for my clients.

Check this out! http://www.eastbayexpress.com/bestof/best_parrot_nanny/BestOfAward?oid=1156804

Dream Birds

We all have an idea of what our dream bird would be. For me, it would be one that isn't messy, doesn't get too noisy, and can entertain himself for most of the day...but then, I have many birds to occupy my time! Each one is my dream bird at some point.

For a good friend of mine, the dream bird that has finally come into her life is this marvelous Hyacinth macaw. This big boy will keep her busy for many years. He is smart and playful and his personality is slowly emerging as they get to know each other. I love hearing about little incidents and exchanges that take place showing how each is learning about the other.

These big rambuncious parrots can easily get the best of you. Their intelligence will often turn games around to where they are training you, not the other way around. Occasionally the word, "Brat" is used. Keeping the upper hand is important but to ensure the trust bond isn't damaged, nothing but positive reinforcement should be used in training. Lots of "Atta boys!" and only a few "no's" will get the best results.

What is your dream bird? Hopefully it's the one you have!

The Joy of Parrots

Whatever your mood, if you share your home with a parrot, you will be entertained. How can anyone not feel the joy that these parrots are exhibiting?

It is so rewarding to know that you are providing a rich environment that stimulates play.

Whether it's a simple plastic bottle or a spray shower, the parrots know how to make it

FUN!

I can only speculate that play in the wild is similar. Of course, they wouldn't have as much time to play....but I assume that if there's a droopy branch or a nut shell to explore, at least the youngsters will make it a play event.
Playing helps strengthen the motor skills that allow these guys to climb, hang, and manipulate their food.

Parrots make me smile.

Why Parrots?

Parrots are a passion that parrotless people cannot understand.

Parrots are a form of craziness that self imposes incredible work and excessive ear abuse.

Parrots are expensive to keep when you add up the toys, organic produce, and veterinary bills.

However........parrots are beautiful and they interact with us on a whole different level than dogs or cats. Your parrot knows and trusts you, but will not typically go to a stranger without some anxiety. Their intelligence and long life make them complex companions to keep us company into our old age.

They benefit from the relationship as we do. We belong to them as much as they belong to us. One big happy flock.

Fun and Complex Foraging Ball

Some birds figure out foraging toys way too quickly. That takes all the purpose out of the foraging! By taking a whiffle ball and inserting tiny wrapped goodies inside, the bird will have to pull out the teeny pinatas from the holes and then unwrap them. This takes time, effort, and persistence. It also takes time to make them but if you gather the materials, you can make a few while you watch TV and have them ready to go. Have fun and enjoy watching your bird explore the surprise packages!

Homemade Toys Are Terrific

Stringing together some blocks of pine and some paper towel tubes keeps Cleo and Lulu busy all day. They love tearing into the various textures. They all take comfort in the wornout cotton t-shirts hanging in their cages as well. Simple yet adequate.

Oliver Oliver ...

This is Oliver. He is 18 years old and is an "only child". He is staying with me for a week and has quickly gotten into the flock mentality.

Ollie only eats "people food" which can be a problem at any ordinary boarding establishment. Here, however, he gets cooked foods regularly. Scrambled eggs, mashed potatos, chicken, etc. So far the string cheese is the favorite.

He is also learning to play with the many toys. He loves to tear things up. A shredder bird. Not a problem! I have lots of shredding toys!

Oliver is sweet and quiet, so far....

Stranger Than Parrots

I had the opportunity to attend a wonderful garden party recently at Feathered Nest Aviary. Carol Stanley has a fabulous property with many parrots and a few more unusual inhabitants. I was impressed with the flamingos! They looked like the familiar lawn ornaments but they would come over and nibble your toes! The top photo is a flamingo chick! So fuzzy and full of personality. The lower photo is a Purple Swamp Hen chick. Look at those feet! This little guy can walk on lily pads as he looks for snails and worms.