That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

I read an interesting parrot nutrition article recently and was inspired to expand on a few points that I made in an earlier post on parrot pellets (please see below for both articles).

Pellet Pros and Cons

Great progress has been made in the development of pelleted parrot foods in recent years, and they now play an important role in both zoo and pet parrot care.  However, the convenience offered by pellets may lead one into poor bird-keeping habits.  Ideally, as mentioned in the articles below, a species-appropriate combination of natural and pelleted foods should be provided. Read More »

Conservation efforts in Central Africa have long been plagued by heavily-armed poachers, corrupt governments and under-funded enforcement officers.  However, a recent (December, 2010) undercover operation involving the governments of 4 countries offers hope that things may be changing for the better.

Parrots Under Pressure

African Gray Parrots are still legally and illegally collected in many of the 23 countries in which they are found, and are everywhere in decline.  While some nations prohibit the taking of wild birds, in Angola and other nations there are no protections.  Read More »

From Budgies to Scarlet Macaws, parrots must be provided with interesting environments if they are to remain healthy, and their owners sane (bored parrots may scream, pluck their feathers, etc.).  Indeed, behavioral enrichment (basically, “keeping animals busy”) is now mandated for parrots by most reputable zoos.  Thousands of useful ideas and products help to serve this cause, but few have gone as far as a parrot computer game first conceived at New York’s Binghamton University. Read More »

The Yellow-Naped Amazon, Amazona ochrocephala, is considered by many bird enthusiasts to be the ultimate parrot pet.  Details of its care are well known, so I’ll just touch on some important points and then focus on its behavior in the wild.

Pet Qualities

Yellow-Naped Amazon owners invariably describe their pets as outgoing, acrobatic and with an uncanny ability not only to repeat words but to also mimic the pitch of human voices very closely…so much so, that one often questions a bird or person is speaking.  They tend to show affection by speaking or “warbling” (they are fairly “musical) and readily use their beaks in both play and aggression.  Read More »

More than 50 parrot species are now breeding far outside of their native ranges.  If your city or town is home to a feral (released or escaped) population of parrots, the group City Parrots would like you to help out with the World Parrot Census.

Why Study Urban Parrots

Shrinking habitats and growing human populations have forced many wild animals into close contact with people.  Sometimes, such as with the Peregrine Falcons that nest in the heart of New York City, all works out well…the coyotes that arrived there recently were, however, less welcome.   Read More »