Tiel Playground

As the weather begins to cool (ever so slightly), I am imagining different ways to offer quality out-of-cage time for everyone.

The cockatiels frequently hang out in their small bird room on the playgyms and hanging Atom.

However, I decided to give them a session in the large Exotic Enclosure in the living room. Many of them are flighted and I thought it would be a fun place for them to experience.

Echo, for instance, will fly laps around the small bird room and wear himself out. Of course, once all the tiels were inside the enclosure, they each found their spot and pretty much remained inactive.

Perhaps I need to remove some of the hanging objects in that cage. Not much flying room! The only missing regular is Munchkin. But he'll be back soon to try out the new digs.

Big Bird Big Attitude

This is Skyy. He is a twelve year old beautiful hyacinth macaw.





Skyy gets time out of his cage while his mom is away, however, last night....it was longer than usual. Skyy decided that he didn't want to go back.

I tried all the usual methods to cajole him into cooperation. The small towel is known to be a favorite pastime. Toss it to him and watch him flip it around and play...
Nope, he still remained at large. Even when I flipped it into the cage!

Put a tasty morsel into his cage...like a chunk of cheddar! Yummmm. Nope, he wasn't hungry.

Making a bird think he wants to do what you want him to do is a huge part of successfully living with a parrot. Especially a LARGE parrot!




I didn't want to stress Skyy so I stayed calm and low key. He knew what I wanted. I would ask him to step up and he would run to the tip top of his very tall cage. I decided a good rapport was more important than an immediate resolve. Games can be created easily...

Eventually it started to get dark. Dusty, the other macaw in the room, was munching happily on his food. Skyy watched. That cheese was looking better and better. I turned off the lights and the TV.

It may have taken a while, but it was worth it. Could I have pushed the step up and actually made it a command instead of a request? Sure, if I had to get him NOW and there was a good reason. But, why? He is so smart that he knew exactly what I wanted and watched in amazement when I didn't insist. I outlasted him. When he said, "step up", I went over and offered my hand. He went in calmly and ate the cheese. Who won? Good question!

Charlie Sun Conure

Charlie Sun Conure spent the evening with me watching TV. He didn't seem to want to "go to bed" so I invited him upstairs to hang out.

He relaxed and fluffed up and when he seemed tired, I asked him if he wanted to go to bed.

He stepped right up and cooperated fully. Didn't hear a peep after that!

Sometimes you have to accommodate the stubborn...

Tiel Personalities

I have quite a varied flock of cockatiels. Every day they get plenty of out-of-cage time. Each one has a distinct personality. Most seem happy to hang out on the hanging Atom. (They have a Medium Size) But it's interesting to see that while BJ, Sam, Munch, and Echo chill on the Atom, Bubbus went back to his cage. And Katie, the only girl bird, went over to watch Charlie Rose on TV!

I would think the boys would be watching the TV and the girl would be preening...stereotypes don't apply here.

Even though cockatiels exist in large flocks in the wilds of Australia, they do have individual personalities and preferences.

Indoor Hanging Gym For Parrots

I've revamped my hanging rope playgym! I purchased yet another jumbo Atom! When Indy, a Hyacinth macaw, comes to visit, he brings his own jumbo Atom. I loved having the two of them there and the parrots got a lot of play out of both of them. These Atoms really last and last. My big white one is ancient and still remains in very good shape.

To prepare for the cold months, when the parrots can't enjoy the outdoor cages, I wanted to create a better activity area for them. The hanging Boinggs seemed to work well too except too many parrots would simply stay at the top. The Atoms are more conducive to climbing.

With the big Atoms on each end and the large rope rings in the middle, I can easily remove the rings to allow two parrots to be on the hanging apparatus at the same time. And when one parrot is up there, he/she can traverse across to each end.

Of course, like Kiku here in the photo, there is always the parrot who just wants to hang out. That's okay too! I suggest using small washable rugs underneath or, if you have hard floors, just wipe up any mess after playtime. Much easier than a platform tree.

For your own Atom, visit Mother Pluckin Bird Toys. Michelle has them in small, medium, large, and jumbo! Be sure to use a ceiling guard to prevent the bird from climbing up and damaging the ceiling. If you already have an Atom, consider buying another! One in each room, or two together for more activity and climbing fun. http://www.mpbirdtoys.com/

Wing Identity

This is Skyy. He is a mature and beautiful hyacinth macaw. Recently he had a check up with Brian Speer and it was decided that his wings should stay intact, not trimmed, because he identifies strongly with his wings. He uses them to play peek-a-boo and often preens them affectionately. To take away his flight feathers would probably cause him anxiety.

Whether or not to trim a bird's wings is not always a safety issue. Sometimes it's an emotional health issue. If you don't have to trim the wings for safety sake, you might consider leaving the flight feathers alone. However, the nails need to be trimmed for safety as well.

A Macaw Kind Of Weekend

This is Ben and his Blue and Gold Charlie. He is introducing him to Romeo who will be his neighbor for the weekend. I also have Oro and Azul here so it is definitely a Blue and Gold weekend!

One funny anecdote is that Charlie has a toy that talks when he pushes the buttons. One of the words is "hello"in a sing songy voice. After they were covered for the night, I would hear the toy say, "hello", and then the other macaws would say, "bye bye" or "hello" to it! Then Buster, my grey, would say "quiet" in a disgruntled voice. This job makes me laugh daily, even though it's loud sometimes!

Is My Bird Fat?

Surprise Surprise! I took a few of my birds in for a routine checkup and was very surprised to learn that my big chunky Chauncey is NOT obese! He eats a lot and his foraging toys are often laden with pistachio nuts, almonds, and seeds.

Chauncey is so smart that it takes him only a moment to figure out the most difficult and intricate toys. He also empties any bowl of food by swishing that magnificent beak back and forth to scatter the contents. I think he likes to hear it hit the floor.

Chauncey's breastbone is surrounded by extruding muscle and his "keel bone" looks indented. I thought this was a normal indication of obesity in a bird. Wrong!

Dr. Brian Speer demonstrated for me that the way to check if a parrot is fat is to analyze the tissue down by the vent. He examined that area and showed me that Chauncey does not have the tell tale yellow "chicken fat" lying under the skin.

Chauncey is just a huge robust bird! When "we" examined Lucy, my supposedly lean scarlet macaw, we found the yellow chicken fat! So she is the one that needs some diet changes, not Chauncey.

I was glad to learn how to check this. Thank you Dr. Speer. You're an amazing veterinarian and just watching your calm expertise in handling my birds was a learning experience. My birds actually enjoyed their exams and I enjoyed learning from you! Imagine, a stress free vet visit!

Canary Nanny

I had the pleasure of boarding some canaries recently. I sure wish Buster would learn to imitate their song! So beautiful.

I couldn't help myself and made a toy for each of their cages. Do canaries like toys? Yes!

They typically like shiny mirrors and bells...but in this instance, brightly colored Paulie Rope and shiny pony beads did the trick. Every bird likes a little bling.

They enjoyed the morning fare of cut up greens, purple cabbage, apple, sweet potato, and carrots.

I found that by providing two food bowls and breakfast bowls, the squabbling was lessened. Canaries? Bring em on!

Getting to know Star the Red Belly

Star is a different sort of bird. He requires respect and understanding of his mental and emotional well being. After all, this is his first stay here and it must seem strange to him. I was quite surprised one morning when I went to insert a special bathing bowl for him on the floor of his cage. Star must have gone into some sort of territorial rage. He flew at my hand and latched on to my finger hard! I placed him on the play station in the center of the room...(calmly and without swearing!)
After that startling incident, I find it much smarter and safer if I place him on the play area prior to taking his cage to task.

Star is a smart cookie and I need to fill his toys and maintain some foraging items for him.

You can see that he loves chewing on the new jute rope perch that he has. Some people would steer clear of rope perches if the bird is bent on destruction...not me. I love to provide them for chewers and simply keep an eye out for long frayed pieces that might become a tangle hazard. Every Birdroom should have a pair of scissors, a towel, a stick, and a spray water bottle at an easy access location. If you're like me, you get distracted while off looking for something and forget the original quest. The more streamlined and simple you keep your chores, the better. After all, bird chores are never really done...

HOT HOT HOT

Yes, it's hot out there...

I'm caring for a cottage full of birds and they love my visits. I spray them with water and give them fresh foods and waters.

However, outside of the cottage, there is a little rabbit. He lives in a hutch that is shaded and roomy. But rabbits are very vulnerable to heat. I planned ahead and put a towel in my freezer along with a bottle of water.

When I went to the birdy cottage, I stopped first at the rabbit hutch. This grateful little rabbit sat on the frozen towel and almost purred. He can also lie next to the frozen bottle if he chooses.

Parrots are tropical and deal with the warm (hot) weather much better than rabbits.

GIZZY WITH THE LONG NAILS

This is Gizzy. He lives a happy life in a home with his mom and dad plus four big golden retrievers. Guess who is dominant? Gizzy interacts with everyone. However, Gizzy doesn't get out of his cage very often. I was called in to do a nail trim on this old man. His nails were grown out to almost complete circles. He would get caught on the cage bars when he tried to move about. I trimmed him and we already booked the next visit so that this situation doesn't happen again. Gizzy is a great bird. We're also working on getting him a larger cage. But that's another posting for later.

The Star of the Small Bird Room

This is Star. He is a beautiful Red Belly Parrot. Red Belly Parrots are poicephalus parrots and are native to Africa.

Star is quite talkative and has a lot of personality! He has beautiful eyes!

As with most of the African species. He is a little anxious and needs a calmness when attempting to handle him.

Star has many foraging toys and each gets filled twice a day to keep him busy finding his food.

He loves to unwrap a piece of pasta that is wrapped in paper.

Star is having a great vacation and has assumed a supervisory position in the small bird room.

Smeagol Eclectus Beauty

Smeagol's back! He is so quiet and shy until you're totally under his spell...and then, without warning...he blasts an alert. This alert call is meant to be heard through the thick forests of Indonesia! It's really loud!

Smeagol thoroughly enjoys spending time outside on these beautiful days. He swings on the rope ring and mumbles and jabbers.

When the misting hose shower comes his way, he takes delight in spreading his wings and getting wet. He is so smoothe and handsome!

Eclectus parrots are so easy to be around, but watch out for that alarm call!

The Littlest Guest

This is Molly! She is such a sweet tiny little bird. It's difficult to tell but she is only four inches long. Molly is a blue mutation of a Pacific Parrotlet.

Parrotlets are active and confident little birds. They have big personalities. However, this tiny lady is handled so much that she is quite amiable.

I let her out to play on the play apparatus but she much prefers to ride around on my shoulder, like at her home.

Around here, however, there are many dangers. She could fly towards one of the bigger birds or find herself in some other predicament. I let her "ride my shoulder" when I'm in the small bird room or sitting at my computer. Her other "free time" is spent on the playgym.

I love my job.

Who's That Handsome Bird?

This is Echo. He loves to sing his heart out, thus, his name. He gets carried away, however, when he sings to his reflection in the stainless steel bowls in the cage. They act like mirrors and boy does he love that bird!

I tried to get some peace and quiet by inserting paper napkins in the cup holders. Voila! No hour-long overtures.

One might be tempted to paint or tape these shiny bowls but those materials might not be safe. A paper napkin takes away the reflection and creates an enrichment to shred.

Some Birds!

Ben, my Blue Crown Conure, was in his outdoor cage on a beautiful summer day. The other birds were happily playing, "singing", and eating... Ben? He was transfixed to the bell in his cage.

Ben spent many years with a bell and he probably thinks it's a relative of his. Whatever floats your boat!

At his age, he can do whatever he wants. I love that little grouchy old man!