Galah, Goffin Cockatoo, Quaker Parrot

The move went fairly…smoothly.  There was a last minute change in the date we were to leave which created a bit of chaos for us all, and by us all I mean me.  The six days I thought I had left to finish my packing was shortened to two.  I managed to get most of it done, but I rushed through so much of it that I don’t remember which box contains what.

When they first arrived at my place with the trailer, Dave, always the comedian, came in and looked at the pile of boxes in my living room and just shook his head.  I took that to mean that there was no way it was all going to fit.  I went pale, especially because there was still quite a bit that hadn’t even made its way into the stack in the living room.  When they saw my reaction, the two of them doubled over in laughter.  I was very glad to have been able to amuse them.  I had to forgive Dave after he managed to fit everything in the trailer with room to spare.  That may be his greatest feat of magic to date.

Umbrella Cockatoo

The 18 hour drive went really quickly, mainly because Jamie and Dave are SO fun to hang out with.  We laughed through most of the ride, but they made me drive the whole way.  The birds were amazing – all of them.  I knew and expected theirs to be seasoned travelers, but I expected mine to be pretty stressed with the road trip.  They weren’t.  Of course, they did put Linus in a hermetically sealed, sound proofed plexi-glass carrier, so I can’t say for sure whether he screamed the whole way or not.

Congo African Grey Parrot, Goffin Cockatoo

The first day at the house went equally as well.  My birds went seamlessly into new cages and all the birds were tolerating each other. Linus, my umbrella cockatoo, was being a little love, and spent a good part of the day out in one of the aviaries.  Theo, my easily spooked goffin cockatoo, thrilled with being tossed up in the air into flight alongside Bandit and Bondi, Jamie and Dave’s Galahs,  and Cressi, their African Grey in the living room.  Never in my wildest dreams did I see that coming on day one.  Libby, my quaker, and the cockatiels did fabulously and just went with the flow.

Yesterday presented a few bumps in the road.  Linus woke up in the morning feeling less than cooperative and gave me a few nice bites on my hand and shoulder.  He was showing signs that he was feeling things were beyond his control and I am feeling badly that I may have pushed him too far and expected too much of him on day one.  I set up his cage from Austin in the bird room.  I prepared his favorite foods and tried to fill his day with things more familiar.  It was not a great day with him, or for him.

Today Linus seems a  bit more willing to interact.  He has stepped up nicely a few times and is no longer threatening the humans in the household.  He definitely seems to feel more comfortable in his own cage.  Lesson learned.  I think that as he settles in and I continue to keep him feeling at ease as best I can, he will be fine.  I’ll post new developments.

*I suppose I should add that we did not actually entomb Linus in his carrier.   It was a moving strategy that was up for consideration but not actually carried out.

Congo African Grey Parrot

If you know me at all, you know I LOVE spending holidays with my birds! They are so much fun and there is some desensitization that comes with sharing the holiday with your parrots. I immediately assumed (so not to be disappointed) that my birds might be scared of the pumpkins I got. Which is why I got three smaller sized ones instead of huge ones.

I spent Halloween Eve carving all the pumpkins with Patty, who also blogs on here. Dave and her helped me along with the designs and I did all the carving and drawings. The parakeets hung out while we did this, and once they were carved Cressi was the official “taste tester”. If she will eat it, they all will! And I knew she’d be the most ambitious about the whole event.

We brought her into the kitchen to have a taste… the STEMS seem to be the biggest hit!

Blue throated macaw

After Cressi approved the pumpkins, I headed out to the aviaries to offer them to the macaws. After the mess she made in the kitchen, I thought that would be the best idea!

I think it helped that my birds had had pumpkin seeds before in the past, and that the stems have wood on them that make them great foot toys and foraging toys, really. As well as shreddable. The newest task for every bird was to peel off all the pumpkin around the stem. Jinx came the closest to accomplishing this.

Camelot Macaw

I offered the pumpkin first on the ground of the aviary, but the birds didn’t seem that interested and thought I just came to play. So I moved it into their dishes and held it in front of them as well so they knew what it was.

Some of you may wonder why I bothered carving them if the birds were just going to destroy them… and I became so attached at one point that when my bird took the first bite out of my design I said, “Oh no!” and Patty luckily pulled me back and said, “We are doing this for them, remember?” so on she went in her destruction…

My military macaw, Cash, was probably the one least interested. So I made sure to take the filling from the other pumpkins and over flow his with guts and seeds to entice him into it.

Military Macaw

Of course, Cash started out by eating the seeds from the top, but once he knew the pumpkin had seeds in it, I put it in his dish with the carved out part facing him and the top hidden so that he would have to pull the seeds out from the carved part, thus getting the outer skin and having to destroy the pumpkin to get what he wanted. What a GREAT foraging toy!

This is what that looked like.

So make sure you offer your bird some pumpkins this Halloween and really make the most of it for them, too! Now you don’t have the throw out the seeds or the guts, and you can even let your bird design his own if he’s really good with them!  To see more of our Halloween Birdy pictures, click here.

Amazon Parrot

Parrots are very productive creatures.  All of their daily activity shows purpose and a striving towards a goal.  There is nothing that they do that doesn’t benefit them in some way.  Foraging for food, preening, nest building all serve a clear purpose.  Even play is beneficial.  A young bird learns about the agility of its body.  It learns about defense, how to apply and withdraw force and builds its confidence.  Birds are very social beings, and play continues throughout adulthood.  And they perform other behaviors, the purpose for which may be less clear.

Screaming is a behavior that is hard to understand, especially when the outcome is usually an angry owner and a locked or covered cage.  So where is the benefit in that?  Consider the scream a call for attention, or to call your attention to some need.  While you’re running around trying to figure out what to do for him to get that screaming to stop, he has already gotten what he wants: your attention. Also, your frenzy was probably quite amusing to him to watch  – benefit #2.

Don’t confuse screaming with the twice daily (or so) contact call.  In the wild, this is normal morning and evening behavior.  In the morning, it’s a greeting, in the evening, a call to bring the flock home for the night.  This is what parrots do.  It’s healthy flock behavior, and to be expected.  Don’t try to discourage it – there’s a reason and purpose for it.

Photo by Missi Bellande of Military macawe & blue and gold macaw

Parrots don’t bite without cause.  It might be a warning because they feel threatened, or an outright attack after you’ve failed to heed the warnings (they are always there).  They have also been known to bite just to watch you dance around the room yelling “Ow, ow, ow.”  How fun is that??

Another thing they do that puzzles me, but I find hilariously funny, is teasing.  We’ve heard the stories of the african grey that perfectly mimics a ringing phone and cackles with laughter while the owner scrambles across the room to answer a dial tone.  Or the parrot who whistles for the dogs and then yells at them  (in the owner’s voice) to go back in the other room.  What is the benefit of this?  Practicing manipulative skills?  Most likely it is just amusement and fun.  You can’t put a price on that.  Maybe your parrot sees it as their job to shake things up every now and again when things get too slow for their quick thinking minds.

Sun Conure

Parrot toes

One of the things that distinguishes parrots from many other birds is their zygodactyl feet.  It sounds really prehistoric, but it simply means two toes forward and two toes back, specifically the second and third toe point forward, and the first and the fourth point back.  This configuration of toes allows for greater ability in grasping and manipulating objects like food and toys, climbing and perching.

Perches

Since they are on their feet 24/7,  many perches should be made available in your parrots cage.  They should vary in texture, material,  and in width or diameter.  Sandy or cement perches should not be the main perch for the cage.   These textures are unnatural for them and their time on them should be limited.

Don’t use them as a means to get out of nail trims.  It is the parrot’s skin that has the most contact with the surface. If the nails are so long that they are making enough contact with a sandy perch to actually be filed, they are not perching correctly.  This could lead to tendonitis or arthritis.

Poor perching opportunities, dirty or wrong sized perches and frequent perching on rough surfaces can cause pressure sores on the bottom of the feet, which can become infected.  This is often referred to as bumblefoot and can be moderate to severe.  The skin is so thin on the bottom of a birds feet that bacteria passes easily through.

Once a skin infection sets in on the bird’s foot, it can quickly turn into a bone infection as there is not much between the skin and the bones in their feet.  If there are any red or shiny/smooth spots on the bottom of your parrot’s foot, find more suitable perches for your species of bird.  Watch the sores for signs of infection and call the vet for direction.

Are parrots left or right…footed?

An interesting question, right? Studies have shown most parrots to be left-handed, meaning that they prefer to eat or hold objects with their left foot.  Mine seem to fall in line with this.

However, they will sometimes lead with their right foot.  When I reach to step Linus up with my left hand, he will lead with his right foot. This may be because he sees the area closest to my thumbs as a wider, more stable, perch and prefers to stand on it to steady himself before applying all of his body weight.  If I reach with my right hand, he will step up with his left.  When he steps off of my hand onto a flat surface, he might use either foot.

What about the parrot that has no feet at all?

You read that right.  There are accidents, birth defects, or diseases that sometimes require the amputation of toes, feet or entire legs.  When you consider how important a function these body parts provide for an active bird, it might seem like the end of the road.  This simply isn’t true.  Most carry on quite well and learn quickly to adapt.

A friend took in a pair of african greys from a breeder whose parents had bitten their feet off when they were just a few days old.  One has only stumps at the end of his legs, the other fared a little better, and has slight remnants of feet, but not enough to really support balance.  He looks a bit like it would if you put a child’s feet on a man’s body.

Both bird’s have had handicap cages ingeniously devised for birds that lack the ability to grasp and climb well, including ramps, and soft, flat perches.  Everything is nearer to the bottom of the cage, to reduce the need for bar climbing and to prevent a falling accident, while still encouraging exercise.

Neither of these birds has a clue that they are different.  They are happy, well adjusted, playful and full of themselves.  They will flip over on their backs and play with foot toys just like any other, except, no feet.  There really isn’t much they can’t do that a footed bird can accomplish.  If they don’t feel like there is something wrong with them, why should we?  They’re perfect just as they are.

Congo African Grey Parrot

Veterinarians say that obesity is the most common health problem they see in companion parrots today.  Many experts say that owners tend to overfeed their birds, offer too many snacks, or are just poorly educated about nutrition.

Parrots suffer from the same ill effects from obesity as do humans. An obese parrot is predisposed to cancer. They are at risk for  atherosclerosis, where fatty substances are deposited on the walls of thick and hardened arteries, including the ones leading to the heart.  This can lead to collapse and sudden death.

Amazons and african greys are species that are prone to obesity and are most at risk, but it effects all species if proper diet and exercise are not a way of life.  We know inactivity and a poor diet contribute to all kinds of health problems in humans, and the same applies to our parrots.  A good rule of thumb is:  if it isn’t good for you, it isn’t good for your  parrot.

Amazon Parrot

You can go online and google what your species of parrot should weigh, but I don’t recommend it.  My experience is that it is never accurate because each parrot is an individual.  My umbrella cockatoo is large and, therefore, weighs more than the average umbrella, my goffins cockatoo is smallish and weighs less.  Of my two male standard cockatiels, one is large and weighs 104 grams while the other weighs in at 74 grams.  Both are just right for their size.

A better way to determine if your bird is a healthy weight is to check for the prominence of the keel bone.  It should be level with the muscle on either side of the bone.  If it protrudes, your bird is thin, and you should see the vet to make sure there is no illness present.  If the breast extends out beyond the keel, your bird is overweight.  Cleavage on a bird is not a desireable thing.

Birds are muscular creature. Feel along the sides of their body.  If you feel something that feels more like fat than muscle, it probably is.  Once you determine that your bird feels a healthy weight, your vet can help you with this, weigh him and use that weight as a guideline to monitor his health.

Blue throated macaw

How much to feed your bird is a difficult question to answer.  Some people say that a large parrot should be served 3/4 of a cup of food each day.  Keeping in mind that parrots are very messy eaters, and will take a couple of bites of one thing, drop it, and go onto another piece of food, it’s very difficult to gauge exactly what they are getting into them.  Also keep in mind that if food is coarsely chopped, a measuring cup will fill up much more quickly and leave a lot of air pockets than if is is finely chopped.

Think of how small the crop is, and consider what it takes to fill it.  My umbrella cockatoo loves cooked yellow squash.  I cut it into slices and serve it warm.  He eats a maximum of 3 tablespoons before he walks away stuffed.

Some parrots are fine with free feeding.  They can be offered food in any amount and only eat what they want and will leave the rest untouched.  Others will gorge on whatever you put in front of them.  This is another situation where you have to know your bird, set limitations, and make the best choices in the foods you do offer.

Congo African Grey Parrot

It IS possible to change the eating habits of the most stubborn parrots.  I takes time, though,  and patience.  Make him work for the foods he does eat.  Move the perch next to the food bowl and make him climb back and forth to get each morsel.  Teach him to forage for his dinner.

Some of my parrots are very picky eaters.  Most of what I serve them, winds up on the bottom of the cage or on the floor.  Those are the good days.  It’s when the food remains untouched in the bowl, that I feel discouraged.  I know that if they are flinging it, it has at some point been in their mouth, which means it has at least been tasted, and maybe, just maybe, a little has or will be eaten.  Playing with food is often the first step to eating it.  I served, and disposed of, my umbrella cockatoo’s uneaten broccoli for two years before he finally decided that it was good to eat.  Never give up.

Amazon Parrot

Obesity encourages laziness.  A cycle then begins.  The parrot overeats, and doesn’t move from its perch to work off any excess calories.  An obese parrot needs to have a feeding routine established.  Make a dietary plan and stick to it.  This doesn’t mean your parrot has to suffer or be deprived of any treats.  Think of it like this:  If you are watching your weight, and you plan on having that piece of cake after dinner, you will be eating a salad for lunch.

This spring, Jamieleigh successfully rehabbed a client’s obese parrot.  You can see the incredible transformation in Storm the the blue fronted amazon.

Camelot Macaw, Blue Throated Macaw

A few weeks ago, I was going out of town for a few days. I was very busy around the house getting things together and although I had prepared their food for the rest of the day and had their care for the rest of the week handled, I hadn’t spent my usual time with Roxanne, Charlie, and Skittle. I rushed out the door anyways, but I didn’t make it to the end of my street when I had the overwhelming desire to turn back around and spend a few more minutes with my birds before I went without them for a few days. I came back into the house and into the room where they all sat- just kinda looking at me, almost astonished to see me back so soon. I didn’t have much time to spend, but what kind of individual quality time could I possibly give 3 parrots in a 10 minute span?

Living day in and day out with these 3, it is only natural to come to know what specific things will make them the happiest. Charlie (blue and gold macaw) loves playing, chasing and even more playing with toys. I took her our put her on her playstand and proceeded to let her play to her little hearts content while I talked to her and made her feel like she was a big deal! I know for Skittle, like most conures, snuggling and being close is his favorite way to spend time with me, so out of the cage he went and he immediately started into my shirt and snuggled onto my shoulder while he contently grunted.

Blue throated macaw, Camelot macaws

And then there’s Roxanne the newly adopted grey. With skittle and Charlie I am able to just walk into our bird-room and they are ready to come out and spend time together. But with Roxanne, no matter how many times I may go into the room on any given day, she still needs to see me for a few minutes and get used to me being in the room with her before she will even consider stepping up without trying to bite. So here I am with just a few minutes left to spare so what do I do? Do I approach her rushed anyways and try to spend some sort of time with her for the day even tho I know she will be scared and try to bite? No. I already know how she operates so to make our time worthwhile, I need to make her feel secure. I ended up (with Skittle still in my shirt, and Charlie on the stand) leaning over and gently speaking to Roxanne while giving her some sunflower seeds. I am currently able to have Roxanne step up, but not on an abrupt command like Charlie and Skittle- but I don’t even go there to risk jeopardizing the trust I am building with Roxanne. The clock was ticking and I needed to be on my way. Charlie and Skittle went back into their cages without a fight to stay out and I gave Roxanne one last sunflower seed.

Camelot Macaw

It felt good knowing that in just a small amount of time I could spend time with my parrots. I may feel like I spent more time with Skittle and Charlie because I was able to actually handle them and love on them. But the time I spent just talking and giving seeds to Roxanne is just as good according to Roxanne because as I was walking out of the room to leave I said “Goodbye guys” only to be responded by Roxanne with “Love you more!!”