Caring For Free Flighted Birds

I love what I do. I have the space and setup to take care of just about any parrot. Chi Chi, seen here in the photos, is a free flighted Nanday Conure. Her mom doesn't want her clipped and I can totally understand her wishes.

Most, if not all, of my parrots are also unclipped. However, they all get plenty of out-of-cage time and out-of-doors time.

I am happy to be able to offer boarding to birds like Chi Chi. She can hang out on the playgym or on her cage and has the freedom to fly around the room if she chooses. She mainly stays near her cage or near the food... but she enjoys a drenching mist shower after breakfast!

I find that the noise level is decreased when Chi Chi is happy and sitting outside of her cage. Nanday's have some real noise issues! Whew! Good thing they come with outgoing and lovable personalities! Chi Chi flies over to my shoulder frequently to ask what's going on. She's a sweetie.

Sunshine Wheels

One of my favorite foot toys is called the sunshine wheel. I can almost count on its success with any parrot. They love to hold it and chew off the spokes. The plastic is soft and pliable. These wheels connect together or can be used as separators on a skewer. Piece of apple, wheel, slice of squash, wheel, etc.

Of course, since they are loved, they don't usually last long! Here Apollo has gone through his in one fell swoop. But boy did he enjoy it!

To get your own supply of Sunshine Wheels check out California Bird Nerds. They have an incredible assortments of great toy parts.

http://www.cabirdnerds.com/sunw.html

Foot Toys Irresistable

Here you see Apollo busying himself with a delightful foot toy. Foot toys offer lots of interesting play, however, many people don't bother with them because they eventually get dropped to the floor.

One way to make life simpler is to use an empty bowl for the collection place. You might use either one of the regular food ports or, even better, a Smart Crock or other attachable bowl. Put it up where the bird likes to roost.

When you clean the cage, you'll have an easy spot to put the items that aren't soiled. (Those go in the dishwasher.) Plastic bottle caps, wine corks, toy parts, etc. can be a fun enrichment for a bored bird. If you have a little more time, wrap them inside a twist of paper to allow your parrot to unwrap and discover the goodie inside. An occasional nut keeps it intriguing.

Where There's A Will...

Rico loves his swing. He sits up there and found a way to get a skritch without me giving it to him. He found bliss by balancing a nearby toy on his neck and skritching his ear.

These parrots are so smart. They find a way to entertain themselves and sometimes it isn't destructive!

Find out where your parrot enjoys hanging out and make sure that spot has some fun toys to occupy his or her time.

The Sun is Back

Freaky rainy day Monday had everyone stuck indoors. However, that passed quickly and the parrots were elated to get outside again.

Here is Apollo. His mom and dad are taking a stab at another Mexican vacation. The first time, they arrived in Mexico at the same time as the Swine Flu precautions...the second trip, a hurricane hit, now this time? You got it! Another hurricane.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, our weather is perfect for a sunny afternoon of chattering and socializing with the other birds. I know Apollo's parents are having an exciting vacation, however, so is Apollo!

A Safe Place To Call Home

While our friend is recovering from a disability her seven parrots have been given refuge for the duration. Non-bird relatives had been seeing to their care but the parrots needed handling and understanding.
Bob, the Blue and Gold macaw, is at my home. He seems a bit befuddled with the recent circumstances but is assimilating into a macaw environment. His flock consists of all African greys! Now he is rooming with three macaw ladies. He may wonder about that!

Cassie, seen here, is also adapting well in her temporary home. She is outgoing and eager to accept love from her admirers. She is used to being the center of attention. No feet? No problem!

The others are also in good care. We hope our friend recovers quickly, but until then, we've got her birds in loving homes.

The Energy of a Puppy

Currently I have five macaws in residence... Each has a personality and an energy level. Highest on the energy meter is Sierra! When I put her on the ropes she cannot be still. She climbs, hangs, flaps, and moves over the entire apparatus. That's why all of these photos are blurry!

The other macaws are older and more sedate. Thank goodness! Sierra wears me out! Of course I love them all. Macaws are very handle able. They love to be "man-handled" and turned upside down and rolled over on their back. They're strong and often hang by one toenail. Every parrot has a distinct personality. Finding a bird that fits your energy level and lifestyle is important. You won't often find a grey who likes to be wrestled with! That would be beneath them!

Katie Goes Home

Katie is so happy!

She finally got to go home! Her mom was not strong enough to care for her after a brief hospital stay and she had been here for quite a while. Katie loves to get out of her cage and just wander around. I was worried that she would find herself in trouble with her propensity to walk on the floor. Her mom uses a walker and a wheelchair. During her stay here, I trained her to use the ladder to climb to her cage. This way, she can go back to her cage without "mom" having to lean over to pick her up!

Don't Take It Personally

Well....Bintel did very good for almost the entire stay. I kept putting him where he seemed most comfortable and he was a happy camper. He played on the ropes in my bedroom/office while I "played" on the computer. He watched TV from his cage and ate what was served with relish. Moving him around was not easy. He would have to come out of the cage on his own. Then it was just a matter of wrapping him up in a towel which he seemed to be comfortable with. But, alas, I took a few minutes to go outside while he played on the Atom. I had to bring in the ropes from the outdoor cages to prepare for "The Big Storm". When I came back in...there was a neat little pile of clipped feathers under Bintel. He went to town on his chest. So discouraging! Why do they do that? He is such a happy and active little man. He is back home now and undoubtedly more calm.

Flock Dynamics

Another lovely day sitting out watching the flock of cockatiels enjoy the large outdoor enclosure.

Sam and Echo seem a perfectly matched set of guys. Echo migrated to the top, very top! His
crest was bent at the ceiling! Katie found her way to the very back, away from the men.

Munchkin found the location near the food dish to his liking.

I watched them interact and the observations were comical.

BJ my old guy has managed to assimilate into the flock nicely. He recently lost his long time mate, Lacy, when she succumbed to her chronic sinus infections. He now can relate to the boy birds and seems to have a renewed vitality to life. He's in his late twenties but isn't he handsome?

We all thoroughly enjoyed another splendid day. Now...come the rains! Oh boy! That always makes for a noisy house!

A Safe Outdoor Area

This summer I netted my entire outdoor bird cage area. I have since found numerous benefits from this not-very-expensive project. I ordered the netting from www.americannetting.com and it was simple to put up.
Not only does it prevent the parrots from escaping while I take them out to the cages, but it also prevents the predators from getting down to the cages. (The hummingbirds and small songbirds can still pop through and they seem to enjoy the "jay free" zone.)



Yesterday was a beautiful day and I wanted to enjoy it with the birds. A supposedly major storm is looming off the coast making this lovely weather something to relish. I sat out reading my book with a different bird on my knee throughout the afternoon. I wouldn't expect the netting to contain an unwatched parrot, but the safety was appreciated as they sat on my knee and got their head/neck skritches. I would never be comfortable doing this before since all of my birds are completely flighted. Just another benefit from having a safe netted outdoor area for the parrots (and me) to enjoy a sunny day.

The Bintel Is Back

Bintel is a bold playful and mischievous goffins cockatoo. He is quick and smart. I have found it easier to do his needle nails upon arrival to get that dastardly deed out of the way. Does it slow him down? No. Does he hold a grudge? No. He almost immediately explored his cage and tasted the lunch bowl that awaited his arrival.

Bintel is very active and gets a large cage with plenty to do. He loves to tear paper! He has some feather issues so the more I can offer him to shred, the better. Otherwise, he'll shred himself! The hyperactive parrots are the most difficult to keep entertained. Their attention span is fleeting. It helps to have an arsenal of interesting toys and enrichments.

Make Your Wishes Known

Everyone who has a parrot should think about what they want done if they suddenly cannot take care of the parrot. Anything could happen at any time and it leaves people wondering what they should do.

In the case with Katie's mom in the photo, Katie is staying with me while mom gains back strength after a brief hospital stay. I took Katie over to visit for the afternoon so that Katie could get her fill of neck rubs.

But another friend of mine was suddenly incapacitated with a more serious condition. She has many parrots. The fact that she is only 45 years old, made it seem impossible that she would need a back up plan for her flock. However, those close to her must now figure out what to do. We do not know her wishes.

You should have a file for each bird including a complete biography about the bird describing his/her history, personality and preferences. It will make any temporary home or future home more comfortable if the new caregiver knows what foods are preferred and what words and phrases are commonly used.

You should also arrange for someone to be in charge of caring for the parrot if you cannot. Like a God Parent. Don't expect someone to keep the bird forever. Find someone qualified and willing to care for the bird and eventually find a proper placement with a knowledgeable person.

On the front of the bird's file, list that person's name and phone number. If you have multiple birds, don't expect to have them all stay together. But if there are some close relationships between two or more of them, be sure to make that known. In some cases, there may be two birds that disdain each other...another thing that others should be made aware of.

Whomever you decide on, ask that person if it is okay with them and keep the information up to date. Also tell those friends and relatives around you that the files exist and the arrangements are listed. Our birds are likely to outlive us.

Analyzing Loud

Yesterday was a beautiful day. The weather was sunny but crisp and the wind had died down nicely. I put all the birds outside thinking that they would revel in the glorious sunshine.

What did they do? Scream and yell. I could not get them to quiet down. I do have neighbors albeit very tolerant ones. I tried everything that I could from sitting out there reading, to giving them a misting. Nothing worked for more than a few minutes.

This photo captures a moment when a wet Sierra found a place in the sun and was quiet for maybe four minutes. I snapped a shot. You can see that she wasn't completely relaxed.

What was making them so loud? Who knows. Perhaps there was a threat from above. Even though the area is netted, hawks can certainly scare the parrots. Maybe it was my son, Paul, working on a brick walkway in the front of the house. The macaws love to watch him through the window in their room. Maybe they knew he was there and they were missing the show. The thought of an impending earthquake crossed my mind as animals seem to sense these things prior to the actual quake.

Whatever it was....I ended up bringing the macaws indoors. Just because I thought they should be enjoying the final days of summer, doesn't mean they wanted to do that. They'll wish for such days come February!