The Batchelor Gang

Each day, I allow all the cockatiels to come out of their cages and fly, play, and socialize. They have their own room with many hanging ropes and other playgyms.

This week, I have Katie visiting. She is a frequent guest and never takes one bit of interest in the Bachelor Gang. They, however, practice their song skills and seem more active and interested.

Recently, I peeked in to count noses, and found BJ (my very old patriarch), Bubbus ( the wanna be), and little Sam at the top of the ladder (I think he accidentally found himself in that position.)

Katie, of course, was out and enjoying her own space across the room. She has nothing to do with those silly boys.

Survivor For Sure

This is not a sad story, but a happy one. Some people see Artie and exclaim how sad they feel. I am here to say, Artie is a survivor and seems to be a very happy bird.

This photo is the "before" photo. He had a very rough beginning. The gaping wound has since healed with some surgery and her new family is caring for her in the best possible ways.
This is Artie today. She (dna'd a she but we still wonder because of the size) is still rather stoic and doesn't exhibit the normal hyper Goffin activity. She sits and watches the world.

I am observing her and trying to entice her to expand her world. She is next to PJ, who exhibits ALL of the normal hyper activity!
So when you see this naked little girl, don't cry. She is in good hands and has a bright future.
Kudos for the rescue work done by Mickaboo and their many volunteers and network of caring people.
Moved by Artie? Check out Mickaboo to donate or volunteer.
www.mickaboo.org

Ruby is Rubicon

Sweet Ruby is a boy! When "she" came here, I was skeptical because "she" was so big. I did a quick dna test via Animal Genetics aka Avian BioTech and sure enough. . . male. Does it make a difference? No, not really. Except I like to know who I am dealing with. Do males and females both get hormonal? Sure! But Rubicon, his new name, is about the easiest bird in the world to share a house with. He is not very active yet, and remains quiet, but this too shall pass. I am quite sure that once he gets the lay of the land, he'll become a normal boisterous and happy amazon. He is stepping up beautifully and showering and eating like a champ. When I put him into the Exotic Enclosure, he actually moves around! Oh Boy!

Mate Bonds and Strong Instincts

I've been observing some interesting behaviors in the resident turkey population. In this grouping, there are many more Toms than hens.

These Toms are dead set on impressing the hens and can make themselves huge and very impressive!

The hens don't seem to pay much attention but the big males puff up and butt each other in the chest which launches them into the air. Quite a show for me and the girls.

What does all this have to do with our parrots? The instinct to find a mate and bond is very VERY strong. When our parrots are cuddled and handled in affectionate ways, they bond inappropriately to us. This creates a monster that has urges to drive away all competition and secure a territory. Behavior issues that are relationship or bond related are difficult to manage. Asking someone who loves their parrot to stop giving affection is not winning me any brownie points. Beyond the aggressive territorial behaviors are the frustrated parrot who picks at its own feathers to the point of fuzzy denuding mutilation.

Encouraging a parental/teacher relationship to change the dynamic of the relationship and build a different purpose in life for the parrot is one way to divert aggressive territorial behaviors. You can't take the wild out of the parrot. You can establish a healthy rapport (read respect) that lets the parrot know who is setting the rules.

I Just Want To Be Alone

Yesterday was Chauncey's day to get his beak trimmed... Not his favorite day, to be sure. His beak grows quickly and he does not like to "go to ground" in the outdoor cage to dig in the dirt like his wild flock would do. He hasn't learned the wild ways. I was watching the parrot's dvd called Polly Vision with the birds the other day and saw the wild Slender Billed Cockatoos foraging on the ground. Their beaks are not as long as Chauncey's so I decided it was time to take it down again.

I do not reccommend that you try this at home. The beak is a highly sensitive piece of equipment and has lots of blood vessels and nerve endings. It will indeed bleed. But, with Chauncey, it has to be done.



Afterwards, he just wanted to be alone. He recovered quickly but this shot of him "hiding" was too great to not share. This hiding toy is simply made with lots of cotton strips tied to a baby link. In amongst the strips of material are hanging tidbits of beads and wood. He needed comfort. He found it in this toy.

Chauncey was back to normal in a matter of minutes. He is the ambassador of Parrot Nanny because he always has a greeting for visitors. It's not uncommon for him to say, "Hi, how are you?" "Do you want to take a shower?" I little forward, but it's his way of sharing joy.

Baby Steps Continue With Ruby

Ruby had her first in-the-shower shower! She wasn't too sure about the whole operation, but she relented and soaked up the spray. She is coming around to our routine. Who knows what she thinks? She may assume we're all crazy around here. Hmmm. Maybe she's right. She now steps up for me (I use a stick.) and looks forward to being moved to the upstair hanging rope gym. On the way, I diverted to the shower stall and she knew something was amiss.

Another Step Taken

Ruby began playing with a toy! This is a toy that I made. Lots of wood triangles, cotton strips, birdy bagels, and grooved wooden beads. I had to remove it when she was first here because she was very fearful of the new larger cage environment and those scary toys were just a little too much. I simplified her environment and worked slowly to re-introduce items.

When I glanced over to see her chomping away on the wood, I was elated. She spent quite some time making toothpicks and then took a long nap! Exhausting stuff, this playing.

Allergies in Parrots

This is Rico, a greenwing macaw. He has been with me now for over two months while his mom gets situated.

Rico has dietary restrictions because of allergies. He eats Rice Roudybush and fresh produce. All has gone extremely well.

However, recently with this glorious warm weather, I have put him outside to bask in the sunshine. Suddenly, he has a stuffy nose. My thought is that he is experiencing hayfever!

I hate to think that he cannot be outside! A good shower is one way to cleanse the pollen off of him and open up his breathing. Poor Rico, such a sensitive guy!

Typical Amazon

Ruby has lived up to the Amazon nature. She thoroughly, and I mean thoroughly, enjoyed a spray misting! The fuzzy photo exemplifies how much she was moving throughout the shower mist process. She turned herself inside out to capture as much water as possible.

It is always so rewarding to give a parrot such pleasure! After the drenching, a nice basking under the full spectrum light. Happy Bird! With her flapping antics, you get a glimpse of her flash colors on her wings. The red and blue feathers stay hidden until she opens her wings.


Ruby is settling in just fine. She has moved to a different perch and has begun eating when tasty morsels are offered. I think we're making some real headway.

Meet Ruby

Meet Ruby. She was purchased at a flea market 28 years ago and has spent all those years in a small and simple environment. She was loved and enjoyed but the owners didn't keep up with the changes in suggested parrot keeping. This Pacific Cage is exactly like the one I had for my first parrot! Back in the 70's, it was the standard option. It was considered much better than the ornate wrought iron Mexican cages.

Ruby was moved upon arrival to a larger cage with toys in it and it was not difficult to see how stressed she became at the change. She was placed on the floor of the cage so that she could take it all in and adjust visually to the new environment.

I had to remove many of the scary toys and, after three hours, I got her to migrate up to a perch where she enjoyed a piece of apple. This will be a long process to acclimate her to today's acceptable parrot environment.

She's a sweet thing and bringing her out of her shell will be a pleasure. Stay tuned for postings on my progress.

Emergency Red Foot Syndrome

This story was passed along to me by Oro and Azul's mom. With her permission, I will share it. They have the birds with them in their high desert home on a little vacation. They were isolated with the snow clogged roads. Alarmingly, they noticed that Azul had a seriously red foot. Getting out of the area to a vet was not an option. She was worried as throughout the day the redness seemed to be spreading up the leg. After fretting for some time, she caught a glimpse of Azul dipping a piece of red wood in his water bowl! Whew! The food coloring was the culprit! That little scamp was doing what parrots do best, making a mess! Such a relief...

Flash Colors

Here's another shot of Chi Chi. Notice her little red socks? Most parrots have some colorful spot on their bodies that signal others as an alert. When they see the red socks, they know to burst forth in flight. Same goes for the African Grey. When they all launch from the ground, the red tails are quite evident. Some birds react to the color red.

This feature is also illustrative of how detailed a parrot's vision is and how important colors are to them. They are highly sensitive to changes in their environment. A new toy? A different wall hanging? The first reaction may be fear so always try to see the world from your parrot's eyes.

Chi Chi Flighted Nanday

Chi Chi is visiting this week making the decibel level rise accordingly. She is housed next to Ben and the two of them really like to make some noise. Because Chi Chi is flighted, she has plenty of time out in the small bird room. She takes flight and does laps! Being confined in the small bird room allows for this without the chance of her landing on a big bird's cage. She does, however, enjoy the supervisory role when I am doing chores in the room. She comes down and lands on my shoulder to direct the activities. Yes, I do many morning chores in my bathrobe. One of the many perks of working at home.

Banana Worms

I bet I got your attention with this posting title!

Actually, I'm referring to those stringy ribbons that adhere to the banana as you peel it. If you were peeling it for yourself, you might be compelled to toss the worms. However, your parrot may love this delicacy. At least they're fun to play with or throw against the wall!

I suggest peeling the banana when you serve it to your parrot. I'm just never sure what can be on the peel. Most bananas are imported. Nuff said. Some parrots don't like the texture of the soft banana and leaving the peel on is preferred. In this case, at least wash it first.

Eggs are commonly fed to birds as well and I will mention here that eggs should be cooked thoroughly. It would not be a good idea to allow your parrot to have the shell. (Many people do this.) Again, the shell can have bacteria on it due to it's origin and environment. Think about it. Salmonella is a nasty bacteria!

Pruning Time What Fun

When our trees and shrubs are dormant, we find ourselves pruning the branches. Some of these branches are delightful enrichments for our parrots.

I was recently given some soft and pliable apple branches. (Thank you Margaret and Bintel!)

I "installed" them in the cockatiel cages and they immediately went to town chewing the bark
off! These are simple things to do to add a natural and beneficial activity. Beneficial because it's our job to keep these guys busy.

Be sure they are not toxic by checking safe branches on the internet. Also be sure they haven't been sprayed with anything.

You can see how intent these birds are on stripping the bark. You can't buy fun like that!

Matchmaker Matchmaker Make Me A Match

One of the most satisfying functions of my job, so to speak...is finding the perfect placement for a parrot that needs a new home. I usually go through many interviews and educate likely prospects to the down side of adopting a parrot. No one adopts from me without having realistic expectations! Parrots aren't for everyone.

Well, today, Bob went home to "the perfect forever home". I've had Bob here for a few months while his mom recovered from a debilitating illness. Things all came together when Ben and Nancy were here boarding their Blue and Gold Macaw, Charlie. They asked my opinion on adding another parrot to their family. I suggested a similar bird of the same sex. We talked about Bob and the adoption details were eventually worked out.

The "perfect" part of all this is that Ben and Nancy know macaws. They've had Charlie for over 12 years and were eager to adopt Bob. You can see in the photo how comfortable Bob is with Ben and visa versa. Nancy too can easily handle this big boy and I know they will enjoy him as will their current Blue and Gold, Charlie. Matchmaker Matchmaker make me a match... I know Charlie and Bob will return for boarding someday and Christine will be first in line to say hello!

Wide Spectrum of Behavior

I'm having a lot of fun lately working with a woman who has recently adopted two parrots. She chose a lovely young Congo Grey named Minna and a rowdy active Ducorps cockatoo named Jasper. Since she is new to parrots, I am giving her as much information as I can regarding environment, cage setup, handling, what to expect and how to avoid behavioral problems. The first thing I am emphasizing is how different these two parrots are in energy level and personality. After all, understanding parrot behavior starts with seeing the world through their eyes. How you approach a reserved grey is much different than how to approach a lively cockatoo. For instance, eye contact. Look directly at a grey and you will possibly make her nervous. But looking directly at the cockatoo may prevent any shenanigans from a hyper active boy bird. One is calm and needs reassurance and the other is ready for action and needs to know you are watching!

Flashes of Blue and Gold

This is one post that I wish I had video. These two active Blue and Gold Macaws (Oro and Azul) would just about go crazy at times. They are young and need to expend energy! I would let them romp in the huge Exotic Enclosure all day but they actually got more exercise on the hanging Atoms. Climbing and hanging and flapping and squawking. I imagine it is the type of activity they would get in the wild. By the time they went back to the cage, they were slightly less loud. Slightly. Some parrots do just fine in a caged environment. Others need to have a place to really let loose. Each parrot has a different energy level. Watching them play is joyful.