That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

I got the idea for this article after reading an interesting note in George Sommers’ wonderful Boston Bird and Fish Examiner column.  I’ve covered, in other blog articles, many of the birds he mentions, and thought I’d take the opportunity to expand a bit on “Christmassy” parrot themes here. Read More »

A variety of nutritious holiday bird treats are very simple to create, and offer the added advantage of keeping your pets occupied and engaged (a plus for you and them!).  The ingredients of those listed below can be modified to suit pets ranging from finches to macaws, and outdoor visitors of all sizes and shapes.

Stuffed Pine Cones

Pine cones are an old holiday standby for both pet and wild birds, and are used in zoo enrichment activities as well.  What’s more, they offer one of the quickest options for those beset with holiday chores (or, should I say, other joyous activities!).  Simply jam the pine cones’ nooks and crannies with natural peanut butter, and roll in dried fruit, seeds, nuts, crushed popcorn or other goodies.  Read More »

Last winter I wrote about the Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count (CBC), which is the world’s longest running volunteer wildlife survey.  Now in its 111^th year, this winter’s effort promises to be both enjoyable and of vital importance to birds throughout the Western Hemisphere.  Today I’d like to highlight last year’s amazing successes, and once again remind all how easy it is to participate.

A Record-Breaking Bird Count

Last year’s CBC ran from December 14, 2009 to January 5, 2010, and surpassed all previous ones on every level.  The turnout was incredible… 60,753 people counted nearly 56 million individual birds representing an astounding 2,319 species.  The species count shattered the previous year’s record by 200 species.

Observations were made in all 50 states, all Canadian provinces, Guam, Bermuda, Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the Mariana and Virgin Islands.  Spearheaded by birders in Columbia, several Latin American countries joined in as well. Read More »

The quite unexpected antics of a number of parrots have made news this past week…from assisting drug cartel members in Columbia (unwittingly, of course!) to exposing the unfaithfulness of an owner’s partner (perhaps on purpose?), pet parrots continue to show that they are well equipped to trick, help and frustrate us…

Love Triangle Exposed

Parents learn very quickly to watch what they say around toddlers – parrot owners, it seems, should as well.  Upon sitting down on a couch near her bird cage, a woman who owned an African Gray Parrot was surprised to hear her pet say “Oh Claire ,oh Claire, I love you!” – surprised because her name was not Claire!

Suspecting that her boyfriend was using the couch for purposes other than watching TV, the woman called him at work…only to find that he was at lunch with, as fate would have it, Claire.  Within a day or so the woman caught the pair leaving her home at a time when they thought she was at work.  Unfortunately, Harvey the parrot seemed to enjoy screaming out Claire’s name (perhaps he had heard it very often!) – so much so that his owner found him a new home! Read More »

In terms of public interest, prehistoric birds generally stand in the shadows of the more dramatic reptilian dinosaurs.  However, a discovery announced this week concerning a bird christened “Huge Pseudoteeth” (Pelagornis chilensis) was so startling that I thought I’d take a break from modern species and mention it here.

Writing in the current (September, 2010) issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, researchers at Chile’s National Museum of Natural History reveal that “Huge Pseudoteeth’s” wingspan measured an incredible 17 feet – longer than that of any known bird, present or past.  At an estimated 65 pounds, it also outweighed today’s heaviest flying bird, the 40 pound Kori Bustard. Read More »