My name is Heather Scott, and I am the bird trainer and presenter at the Tropical Butterfly House, Wildlife and Falconry Centre, which is a small zoo in Sheffield, England. Dave clearly stated: “It’s important to mention you’re on the other side of the pond, since you guys talk funny” so there you have it!

Bonnie, Green-winged Macaw, about to land

In April 2010, I was lucky enough to land this dream job; I present the Parrot Displays which feature all the favourite …

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Cockatiel

There are so many aspects to the training experience for both the trainer and the parrot. It’s about bond building and mutual trust. It’s wonderful enrichment for a caged bird. It’s about cooperation. Mostly, though, it’s about communication. It provides a common language through which a human and a parrot can begin to converse and understand one another. It is exciting and deeply rewarding for everyone.

That I would suggest that someone NOT train their bird is troubling to me, especially when it is such a positive thing. But there are …

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Toco toucan Rocko is SUCH a great eater. Lately I’ve been branching out and trying new things and I’m finding it helps so much to keep a list of what my birds can eat, what is good for them and what’s better used in moderation right in my kitchen so that those items do or don’t make it on a grocery list and into their mouths later.

For Christmas our friend sent us a box full of pears, and they were PERFECTLY ripe! …

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An active bird is a healthy bird. Plain and simple.

I love trying out new recipes and for the recipes I’ve been working on for my birds, I serve it on a plate to see if they like it or not. It’s like having my own personal taste testers. If they eat it, I’ve succeeded and if they don’t well then I won’t be serving that again or I’ll be looking for ways to change it just enough to get them to eat …

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Budgie

One of the things that most fascinates me about parrots is the differences in their personalities. Even within the same species, each bird is unique with its own demeanor and preferences.
We should fully research the species we keep, looking into both their captive and wild settings, so we are aware of traits that are typical for that species. But in the end, each bird is its own man, so to speak, and those intricacies will stand out.

Hyacinth macaw

I have …

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Parrots are noisy animals, that’s just fact. And although you can’t eliminate every bit of noise your bird is going to make, you CAN greatly decline how often your bird is noisy and for what reasons or lengths of time.

I was noticing that every time Dave and I went out of town for a trip whether it was for one day or 10 days, when we came back our birds were SO loud, especially in the mornings. This was not something that …

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