Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  Please see Part I of this article for information on other nesting concerns.
There are few events more rewarding to bird owners than the discovery of a nest full of newly-hatched chicks.  But along with the excitement of the new arrivals may come a few potential problems.  Today we’ll take a look [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  A study published this month (May, 2009) by the Massachusetts General Burn Hospital establishes for the first time that a stimulating captive environment can reverse the negative health effects of injury and isolation.  Although rats were the study subjects, the results are believed applicable to a wide range of animals, including [...]

Along with providing your pets with a variety of nutritious foods, “bird conscious” gardening will ensure that you are visited by an assortment of interesting native birds and insects.  Wild-caught insects are also a valuable food item for many cage birds, and may be easily collected with the Zoo Med Bug Napper.
Please see Part I  [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Ecuador’s yellow-eared parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis) and golden-plumed parakeet (Leptosittacia branickii) face a most unusual threat – an annual religious celebration.  The group Aves and Conservation has identified the collection of palm fronds for Catholic Easter celebrations as the main cause of the species’ near disappearance from Ecuador.
Survival Linked to a Single Tree
Both [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
I must admit to a certain affection for starlings…this in spite of the fact that the introduced European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is a serious avian pest (note the Latin name!).  However, I have rehabilitated quite a few, and found them to be quite as intelligent as their better-loved cousin, the Indian hill [...]

Please see Part I of this article for an overview of some tropical fish foods that may be fed to pet birds.
The protein requirements of finches are often over-looked by bird keepers, as these captivating little birds are usually thought of as “seed-eaters”.  However, nearly all species readily consume insects in the wild.  Invertebrate-based protein [...]

Research conducted at New York’s Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (Nature: May, 2009) has, for the first time, illustrated the complex interplay of genetics, learning and social situation in the acquisition of birdsong. 
Learning What Song to Sing
As is true for all birds studied, zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) raised in isolation from others of their kind fail [...]

Cage size has a direct impact on pet bird health and quality of life.  This fact is well-recognized by experienced aviculturists…zoos in the American Zoo Association must adhere to strict exhibit size requirements for all species they maintain.
Small Birds
Oddly, smaller birds sometimes fare worse than larger species.  Most people realize that large birds need large [...]

Pet keepers have long known that birds react to our own eyes, seeming to be very aware of when we are and are not looking at them.  Researchers at the University of Bristol have now confirmed that birds modify their behavior in accordance with observers’ eye movements (please see “Further Reading” below).  
Vision is the [...]

Hemochromatosis, or iron storage disease, is a condition wherein iron absorption is not properly regulated; over time, too much of the mineral is stored in the liver and other organs. Most commonly seen in captive mynas, it also crops up in other fruit-eaters, including toucans, lorikeets and other parrots. During my tenure at the Bronx [...]