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Blue & Gold Macaws aka Blue & Yellow Macaws

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:37:36 +0100

The Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna), also known as Blue-and-gold Macaw, is a member of the macaw group of parrots which breeds in the swampy forests of tropical South America from Panama south to Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. It is probably now extinct on Trinidad .

Description:

Blue & Gold Macaws - like most other Macaw species - are large and magnificent in every respect. Theycan reach 76-84 cm long and weigh between 800 and 1300 g and are vivid in appearance with blue wings and tail, golden (some might say, "butterscotch") underparts and a green cap on the head. Their beaks are jet black and very strong for crushing nuts.

Exciting Mutations of the Blue & Gold Macaw have occurred. Please check out this website for photos.

Blue & Gold Macaws as Pets:

Although popular as pets because of their striking appearance and ability to talk, they require much more effort - and more knowledge - from owners than more traditional pets such as dogs or cats. They are intelligent and loving, so for someone who can provide for their needs, they make good companion animals.

Even the most well cared for blue and gold macaw will "scream" and make other loud noises. Loud vocalizations and destructive chewing are natural parts of their behavior and should be expected in captivity. To some extent you can redirect chewing to toys, but a macaw left alone, uncaged in a room will likely redecorate. By providing a number of toys in cage, one can minimize the destructive chewing as the bird will focus chewing on those appropriate objects.

They require a set-up that allows them to chew as much as they want, toys to keep them busy, an area that is easily cleaned and maintained. Not a bird for most households, but a source of great pleasure, wonderful companionship (and, admittedly, the occasional heartache over destroyed furnishings) - for the right owner. If their needs are not met, they are likely to develop behavioral problems, such as excessive screaming or biting, feather plucking (please refer to the photo to the right) - in extreme cases, they may begin to mutilate themselves.

I received an inspiring e-mail from a Blue & Gold Macaw owner who expresses very clearly what it takes to provide a macaw with a healthy and stimulating environment. She describes what it is like living with her "Blu" - who developed into a wonderful pet due to all the attention and wonderful care he receives at his home.

Living with a Blue & Gold Macaw:

"I've had Blu for two years. I bought him from Pet Smart on his first birthday,May 5th 2004. Actually my 14 year old son begged me to buy him and Blu became my companion.

I knew nothingabout parrots, so I read everything I could about them. To my surprise, he was more than I anticipated in upkeep; however, I took on the responsibility and it paid off.

From day one, Blu spent every day out of his cage, in a play area in my bedroom, taking showers with me daily, and going on car rides at least 3 to 5 days a week. He has become such a delight, but I wouldn't recommend a parrot of this type to anyone who is not capable or willing to include him as an active member of the family. I include Blu in all activities I participate in daily. "EVERY DAY", and keep him supplied with plenty of wooden chewables, pecans, walnuts, and other whole nuts in a shell at all times.

He eats what my other family members eat, and fresh berries and fruit are part of his staple diet. As a result, his colors are shining and magnificent, and he often reminds me he thinks so too. "I'm such a pretty bird" he says with a smile in his eyes, "I'm good". And he is. He can be loud, but I control it to some extent by distracting him with "quiet conversation" and "soft voice levels". He loves to cuddle, says he loves me after a drenching shower, asks for nuts "cracker" he says, any time he see's anyone eating something "delicious" looking.

It amazes me how he uses the proper words for situations. For instance, he says "I'm a pretty bird: not "you are a pretty bird" like I tell him. He laughs when I trip or drop something, he smiles most of the day, and asks to go "bye bye" when he sees me getting ready to go somewhere. He tells me when he wants to go to sleep and back to his cage for the night, "night night"? he asks at the end of each day.

There is no doubt he is extremely intelligent because he speaks cognitively a large part of the time. He is a pain the in butt at times, but so are my other family members. Love him and he loves twice as hard. I never ignored him, or left him alone for more than an hour or two, so I'm not sure about how he would be if I didn't. He goes on vacation with us, every time. (We like the "Weston" hotels, they always welcome us with no problem. I leave the rooms clean so it will stay that way. He's cooky, loud, funny and loving. He's my little "chicken" and it cracks me up when he acknowledges it too. "I'm a chicken" he boasts. "I love"! So do I." (AvianWeb Note: Blu's "mom" has sent me some photos - one of which is featured to the bottom right. But she sent me others that I think you may also enjoy. Please visit this website for additional photos of Blu).

NOTE: Blue & Gold Macaws, like all macaws, will chew on your furniture, electric wiring, jewelry - any item they can get hold of. This is natural behavior.

In the wild, they will spend a substantial time of their days on trees "customizing their environment" -- building nests, foraging for food, preening and interacting with heir mates, caring for their chicks. At your home, one of their primary activities will be chewing, exploring items (ANY item) with their beaks.

You have got to "bird-proof" the areas they are in, to make sure they can't chew through electric wiring (fire hazard). Bird owners usually find ways to hide cables or protect them with plastic tubing available at Home Depot (or like store).

Some people don't want to go through the trouble of birdproofing their homes and can't tolerate beak marks on furnishings. If this is so, a macaw is not the right pet for you.

Ideally, they should have a nice-size play area -- some people even provide them with a bird room.

Training and Behavioral Guidance:

Macaw ownership generally presents multiple challenges, such as excessive chewing - especially at certain stages in their life. They do discover their beaks as method of "disciplining us" once they are out of the "baby stage" and they can generally be somewhat naughty, and it really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior beforean undesirable behavior has been established. Undisciplined macaws will chew on electric wiring potentially causing house fires.

They regard anything in your home as a "toy" that can be explored and chewed on; destroying items that you may hold dear or are simply valuable. Even a young bird that has not been neglected and abused requires proper guidance; this becomes even more challenging when it involves a rescued bird that may require rehabilitation. Not everybody can tolerate the natural loud call of a macaw and even though it can't (or should not) be entirely eliminated, there are ways to discourage screaming / screeching in your pet macaw.

Overall, it is important to guide parrot behavior, but even more so if your feathered family member is a magnificent and powerful macaw.

AvianWeb Resources: I put together web resources for you to help you understand your pet bird and properly direct him. Please visit this website for valuable tips on parrot behavior and training. If you found a way to resolve a "parrot behavioral issue" please share it with others.
If you are, as I am, a visual learner and prefer step-by-step instructions to train your pet, I recommend:
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
  - Stop Biting
  - Perform Tricks &
  - Tame ANY SIZE bird you could possibly own
- and/or try the "Teach Your Parrot to Talk" Training Course.

If you are considering one of these magnificent parrots as pets,please visit the following websites for information:

Macaw General Information
Procuring your Parrot
- Click here for Breeders of Macaws
The 3 Key Elements to Keep Your Pet Bird Happy & Healthy
Housing Your Bird
Bird Nutrition
Parrot Products

Diet:

They require a varied diet, a seed only diet will lead to health problems such as vitamin deficiency. An example of a good diet would be a quality pelleted mix, in conjuncture with a mix featuring seed, nuts, and dried fruits, with fresh vegetables and fruits fed regularly; furthermore, it is quite common (and appreciated by the parrot) to partake with their human owners of safe foods like pasta, bread, etc. It is important to avoid foods with high fat content (generally) while striving to provide a wide variety of foods.

There are some foods which are toxic to birds and parrots as a group. Cherry pits, avocados, chocolate, and caffeine are some foods that should not be fed. Chocolate and caffeine are not metabolized by birds the same way they are in humans.

Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.org)

Genus: Scientific: Ara ... English: Macaws ... Dutch: Echte Aras ... German: Eigentliche Aras ... French: Aras

Species: Scientific: Ara ararauna ... English: Blue and Yellow Macaw ... Dutch: Blauwgele Ara ... German: Gelbbrustara, Blau-Gelberara, Ararauna ... French: Ara blue

CITES II - Endangered Species

Distribution: Eastern Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Northern Peru, Venezuela, Trinidad, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Northern Argentina

Baby Parrot Information: What you Need to Know

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 15:44:42 +0100

Seriously allbabies are cute and the parrot is no exception the ae little fluff feathery balls of joy but one should be aware that they are very vulnerable and dependent on us as the owners and care givers to make sure that we know all we need to know so we can have a well adjusted adult.

The larger parrot breeds can have the same life expectancy as a human, so the baby years are very important for teaching the bird to trust people, to bond with the family and to learn the rules of its home. As with a human baby, prepare the home before bringing the baby into the house.

A good piece of parrot information is to place the cage in the corner of the room so that the baby feels safe. A young parrot needs a bit more warmth than a parrot over the age of a year, so keep it in a room that will be at least 68 degrees.

Specific Needs

While general parrot information is good for all baby parrots, be sure to get the specific parrot information for the baby’s breed. Food needs, bedding, and socializing can differ from one breed to another. Also get the parrot information on what to expect from the baby.

If you know how colorful it will get, how much it will enjoy playing with people and how well it may talk, you will not have unreasonable expectations. No one wants to be disappointed in their baby.

Baby parrots will like being handled a bit from the time they are a few days old. Some breeds love human attention, kissing and petting. Others are more aloof but bond to one or two people. Hand feed the parrot, pet it gently and the parrot information says that your baby will be as affectionate as its genes will allow. Never frighten the parrot or it will be confused by your approach. Shy or frightened parrots will not learn to speak well.

While the parrot is small, be careful of its feeding. If a change in diet is called for, do it gradually to avoid upsetting its little tummy. Watch the food intake and droppings. Even though the accepted parrot information is that they don’t really start talking until after their first birthday, talk to your parrot so it knows your voice and learns to understand a few words even if it can’t repeat them yet.

When you start hearing noises that sound like words, repeat the words so the parrot can hear them pronounced correctly. Like all babies, parrots need their nap time. Don’t be surprised if your little parrot nods off during the day. Decide how to handle night times at the beginning. Will you cover the cage? Just turn off the lights? Leave a night light? Whatever you decide, make it consistent down to the same time each night. With the proper parrot information and care, you can raise a baby parrot into a loving, life-long companion.

Yellow-naped or Yellow-nape Amazon Parrots

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 07:45:45 +0100

The Yellow-naped Parrot or Yellow-naped Amazon Parrot (Amazona ochrocephala auropalliata or Amazona auropalliata) is an Amazon parrot that is by most considered to be a subspecies of the Yellow-crowned Parrot.

Distribution / Status

Yellow-napes are endangered in their natural habitat which can be found along the Pacific Slope of Central America, in Southern Mexico and North-western Costa Rica.

Deforestation is reducing the number of these parrots in the wild together with illegal removal of young for the pet trade.

Description:

Size: 12-15 inches (~35 cm)
Average weight: 480 to 680 grams
Their noticeable features are the green forehead and crown and a yellow band across the lower nape and hind neck. Some birds develop more yellow than others. Others don't develop any yellow feathers at all. Yellow feathers may increase with maturity. Yellow feathers are also at the back of the neck (nape).
Dark gray beak with the base of the upper beak being somewhat lighter.
Grey feet.
A rare blue mutation of the Yellow-naped Amazon is known to exist, in which the entire body is bluish -turquoise in color (photos below).

Breeding Data:

Average Clutch Size: 2 - 3 eggs
Incubation: 26 - 28 days

Diet / Feeding

Its natural diet consists of various fruits, berries, greens, nuts and seeds.

Personality / Pet Potential:

Yellow Napes are loved for their intelligence, clowny personality, and impressive talking and singing abilities, enhanced by their great sense of pitch. When talking, they display an amazingly human-sounding voice.

A healthy amazon parrot can live 50 to 60 years or even longer with good nutrition and care.

Some striking mutations of the Yellow Nape have occurred in aviaries, please refer to the below photos of beautiful Blue Mutation Yellow Napes.

Training and Behavioral Guidance:

Amazon ownership generally presents multiple challenges, such as excessive chewing, biting or voicing - especially at certain stages in their life.

Even a young bird that has not been neglected and abused requires proper guidance; this becomes even more challenging when it involves a rescued bird that may require rehabilitation.

bird health

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:37:38 +0100

Nutrition & Diet

A varied diet largely made up of live foods will give you the healthiest bird. By live foods we mean vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Dead foods are foods that don't spoil quickly (i.e. packaged seeds & nuts). That might seem like a simplistic description, but it is actually quite accurate. A healthy, correct diet can add DECADES to your birds' lives. Yes. Decades.

Vegetables: Carrots (cooked slightly for better assimilation of beta carotene), string beans, corn, squash, peas, broccoli, zucchini, snow peas, sunflower sprouts, pea shoots, sprouted seeds and beans (excellent for protein) are all favorites. If your bird is reluctant to try these things, try sprouting their seed mix. It will be familiar to them and seeds are much healthier when sprouting (lower in fat, higher in amino acids for instance).

Grains: You can sprout many grains at home. Millet and quinoa are two nice grains to sprout. Also, cooked brown rice and cooked quinoa are relished by many parrots. Quinoa is a South American grain so parrots from this region probably ate it in the wild. Any food you can duplicate from their natural environment is an excellent choice.

Fruits: High in sugar, don't substitute fruit for vegetables. Vegetables always should make up the largest portion of the diet. Fruits do not really need to make up a significant part of the diet. Grapes are relished by most parrots. I strongly recommend organic fruits only or else use a special vegetable/fruit wash that can remove pesticides and bacteria. Check out www.vegiwash.com for a good one that is also available at Trader Joe's.

Absolutely positively do not feed your birds strawberries unless they are organic or thoroughly washed with a special fruit or vegetable wash. The cancer-causing pesticides used on them should have been outlawed long ago, but continual lobbying by growers has slowed down the process. Humans should not eat them either.

Seeds: Get a good, fresh seed mix. If you aren't sure it's good and fresh, try sprouting it. If the seeds don't sprout in a few days, the seeds are dead. They have no nutritional value. I give a daily supply of seeds, but never so much that the birds ignore their veggies. I believe in allowing free access to seeds because they don't spoil and can be left in the cage all day.

Pellets: There are many pellets on the market. There have been great reports on every one and terrible stories about everyone. To the vets who say, "Birds don't just eat seeds in the wild," I must reply, "And they eat NO pellets in the wild." However, I do still feed pellets as a supplement, especially for breeding birds as it supplies extra protein. Take a look at our Cautionary Tales page for some individual pellet descriptions. I personally use Roudybush minis, Hagen Tropican, Exact Rainbow pellets, and Mazuri pellets.

People Food: Pasta, whole wheat breads, bits of very well cooked chicken, and various other "people foods" are fine as long as they are not the majority of the diet. Don't feed the bird food from your mouth and don't bite off a piece for them. There's too much bacteria in your mouth and you can make your bird sick. Make sure chicken is very well cooked and don't leave any food like this in the cage for more than an hour.

Food Preparation: Use the same precautions you use for your human family members. Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Listeria, and other food-borne pathogens can and do affect parrots. For more details on bacterial pathogens, see our reference library.

Junk Food: Many parrots cannot excrete large amounts of salt efficiently, so the potato chips and french fries are not a good idea. Same thing for table foods you've added salt too (hey, it's not good for you either). A tiny crumb from a muffins, cookie, or other fatty baked goods once in a blue moon might be okay, but don't get your parrot addicted to these treats. You want to encourage them to eat the best foods and not hold out for garbage foods. Sugar in general is not good for parrots as it can cause hyperactivity.

Any food or drink containing theobromine is forbidden. Chocolate, cocoa, coffee, and tea contain theobromine, which can cause over excitability, cardiopathy, and death.

Absolutely positively do NOT give your bird wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverages. Their livers cannot handle it. It is not funny to see a bird drunk and anyone who thinks it is should find their birds a more appropriate home.

Avocado is poisonous to many parrots, particularly African species. To avoid confusion, don't feed it to any of your birds.

For more information, read our Cautionary Tales page about the tragic consequences of a poor diet (50+ years cut off of an amazon's life!) and also check out our Parrot Food Pyramid for an easy reference for your pet's diet.

Also think seriously about obtaining the book "Feeding Your Pet Bird"--written by a vet and oh so excellent!

Social Needs & Amusement

The remarkable intelligence of parrots requires that they have a varied and stimulating environment. Parrots that have been severely neglected have been known to literally "go insane," rocking in the cage, mutilating themselves horribly, or falling into a deep depression. If you do not think you will have time for your bird, do not buy a bird. If you find you can't give the bird the proper attention, find it a good home (and don't ask someone to pay you what you paid for a healthy, happy young bird) where it will get the proper attention. This is a living, breathing, thinking, feeling creature. Any cruelty you show it (and simply neglect is cruelty) will come back your way somehow--that's the way the universe works in my opinion. So beware your indifference! If these comments do not apply to you, pardon my ferocity; I simply have strong feelings about the abandonment and mistreatment of birds.

Get a wide variety of safe toys for your parrot. Rotate them regularly. They will get bored with the same old ragged toy. Remove and throw away toys that have become soiled or dangerous (ropes that have become frayed can be very dangerous; you can come home to a strangled bird). Check out our dangerous toys page to make sure you don't inadvertently endanger your pet.

Parrots need interaction. They are flock creatures by nature. They should be in a communal area of the home so they feel they are part of the family. Also, the more time you can give them outside of their cage, the better adjusted they will be. I have a Parrot Tower from Avian.Inc that my amazon just loves. It's easier to clean than a manzanita tree (in fact the parts can go in the dishwasher). I recommend the short legs for parrots that have dominance issues (i.e., amazons, macaws). The tower also allows her plenty of exercise. She crawls all over it, hangs from toys, and keeps herself amused most of the day. I have the tower in my home office so we spend most of the day that way. Not everyone has the luxury of keeping their bird with them all day. In that case, make sure that bird comes out of the cage as soon as you get home. Get up a little earlier in the morning so the bird can have some time with you. Do not relegate your bird to a back bedroom where he gets to see you for a few minutes in the morning and maybe an hour before you go to bed. The bird will develop behavioral issues and destructive behavior due to boredom and frustration. Imagine being locked in a cage in a room all by yourself for 22 hours a day. It doesn't sound very appealing, does it?

There is a certain pet shop in the Los Angeles area that keeps larger parrots (cockatoos, amazons) in too-small cages with not a single toy. I had stopped in there to buy some seed when I noticed this (and the fact they were weaning African Grey babies on sunflower seeds!). The teenager who was with me went over to the toy section, got a toy, and secretly put it in a cockatoo's cage. The parrot immediately went after the toy, absolutely delighted. We laughed about it later, imagining the pet store owners trying to figure out how that cockatoo got a toy! What cheap jerks! They save a few bucks on toys (I mean, how much can they really cost wholesale?) and end up with a depressed bird. I think the birds would sell better if they looked happy and were playing with toys! And to those who say it isn't cost effective? I say get out of the business. We aren't talking about inanimate objects for sale here. Compassion is part of the job of raising or selling birds and compassion doesn't have a price tag.

Cleanliness

Food bowls, water, cages, and the surrounding environment need to be kept clean. One of the leading causes of bacterial infections in parrots is soiled water. Many birds like to make "bird soup" by dropping food in their water bowl. Sometimes changing the location of the bowl with remedy this, but some birds will carry dehydrated carrots all the way across the cage to the water bowl. Water bottles do not solve the problem of unclean water. Food gets trapped in the tube the first time the bird drinks from it. Frankly, they are actually harder to clean properly. The best way to have fresh water is to have a ton of extra clean bowls. You can dump the old bowl out, the new one in when you're in a hurry and don't have time to thoroughly clean the water bowl. I have three times the number of bowls as I need for this reason--some of my birds will need three changes a day when they are feeding young. The hotter the weather the higher the risk that bird soup will turn into a primordial death stew.

Did you know that dried fecal matter from a parrot with psittacosis (if shedding the virus at the time) will present a danger for up to 3 or 4 months? Many people think once the poops have dried up they aren't a hazard, but that is not true. You can have an asymptotic bird who then starts to shed the virus, the dust from the dried poops gets in the air, and suddenly ALL your birds are infected with psittacosis.

See our library to find out about quarantines for new birds.

Safety

When a family brings home a new baby, they immediately start to think about household hazards and how they can protect their child. They get child safety latches on cabinet doors and special caps for electrical plugs. Use this same kind of circumspection when bringing home a new parrot. They can get into the same kind of trouble as a 2-year-old human child.

Common household dangers are toxic plants, aerosols, electrical cords, Teflon and other nonstick cookware, small objects that can shatter and be swallowed. Many of these are discussed on our Alerts page. Also check out the Library for links to sites on these dangers.

Wing-clipping can be a very contentious issue. In my experience, unclipped birds end up out a door or window. I've also heard of birds getting hurt by ceiling fans or ending up drowned in toilets (of course the latter can happen to a clipped bird as well, so keep the lids down!). Just realize that not everyone will be as cautious with your doors as you might be. Children are especially likely to accidentally leave a door open. Your bird might not want to leave, but if spooked it can go right out that open door. They can end up miles away very quickly. The poor miserable creature will wonder why you haven't come to get him! Smaller birds will often be captured by larger birds like ravens. It seem the choice is up to the individual. If one thinks clipped wings are crueler than being a raven's dinner...

Just a special note: wing clippings do not have to be devastating. A proper trim will allow the bird to take short little trips. What you want to prevent is lift. This type of limited trimming must be done more often (it grows in more quickly) and it is still risky for smaller birds if you take them outside (wind can give them lift and take them quite a distance). Cockatiels are famous for escaping with "clipped" wings because their bodies are thin and long, an aerodynamic design that allows plenty of lift even with flight feathers trimmed if they have enough wind.

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Veterinarian Visits

Establish a relationship with a qualified avian vet right away. Do not wait until your pet is sitting ruffled up on the bottom of the cage. Wellness checks are much less money than emergency visits! A typical avian vet might charge $35 for a checkup. An emergency visit usually ends up running into the hundreds of dollars. You can often avert emergencies with proper veterinary care. There are only a limited number of certified avian vets in the United States. In Los Angeles there are at least two. If there are no certified avian vets in your area, look for someone who has experience with birds in their practice. There are plenty of excellent avian vets who don't have the certification. However, if you take your amazon to the vet and your vet says, "Hey, what kind of bird is this?" I think you might need a new vet ;-0

Gentle Dominance

The primary way to maintain the "highest branch" in your flock is to use the "up" command. I use "up-up". Now my amazon will say "up-up" as I reach for her. In fact, she says it all day long, sometimes as a little song, and sometimes to let me know she'd like some attention. You should use the "up" command every single time you pick up your bird, and some version of the down command when you set the bird down. This might sound to simple to be true, but believe me it is highly effective. Consistency is important. Don't only say "Up" when the bird has done something wrong and you want to move him.

Gentle dominance means you assert that you are the head of the flock without frightening, intimidating, or physically harming the bird. You can not be in charge of your "flock" (even one bird constitutes a flock in their minds) if the flock doesn't trust you.

Dropping your bird to the floor as a training method is highly INeffective. It merely teaches the bird that you are an unreliable perch. The bird might be shocked into temporary submission, but this does nothing to promote a long-term relationship. You can bet that Alex the famous African Grey who recognizes shapes, colors, and the like has NEVER been dropped to the floor as part of his training regimen. I mean, if your 2-year-old human baby bit you would you drop it to the floor? Aggressive training methods are simply lazy training methods. Screaming at your amazon creates more dominance issues. A gentle voice of support and encouragement will turn around an aggressive bird almost instantaneously! Try it! Even if you are furious that you've been bit, try speaking in a gentle tone, calming the bird. You'll be pleasantly surprised. If you feel you have to win at being the nastiest in the flock, you're in for a very long (and endless) battle.

A basic rule-of-thumb is to not allow refusals to the "Up" command. If you have a hormonal bird (an adult amazon), sometimes this might seem difficult. This is why it is a good idea to stick train amazons and other sexually mature parrots if they show aggression. You simply use the up command and place a stick against their chest--the same way you would put your hand. You put slight pressure until they have to step up. Many birds will growl or grab at the stick, but it is completely harmless to them. Obviously you don't hit them with the stick. You press it against the body the same way you would your hand and say, "Step Up." Training your parrot to step up on a stick guarantees that you will never have to accept a refusal for a step up command--if you are afraid of being bitten, you just use the stick instead.

One other major rule of thumb is this: when you open your bird's cage for it to come out, have the bird step up on command and remove him from the cage yourself. Don't let him just crawl out on his own. This further establishes your place in the pecking order. It is also a good idea to have a separate play area rather than one on top of the cage, especially if the cage is too high for you to reach straight across it to pick your bird up. Having a separate play area where you can place the bird also helps avoid territorial aggression associated with the cage. There should be food and water available on the play area.

Cage aggression can be a real problem. It can be totally avoided if the step up command is always used, the bird is stick trained, and you don't let the bird crawl out on its own. This training is best begun as soon as the bird weans. There will be periods of resistance (at adolescence and again when they reach sexual maturity). The firmer foundation you create when the bird is young, the easier it will be to work through behavioral issues as the bird gets older.

love birds

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:25:48 +0100

Lovebirds

Lovebirds are pint-sized bundles of joy. They have the full personality of parrots while being easy to house because of their size. Lovebirds are little clowns, playing for hours at a time. They love to hang from toys, spin them around, and dance on your shoulder. Watch out for your buttons! They love to pull them off your shirts! They love to snuggle and preen. Many people believe lovebirds must be kept in pairs. This is simply not true. A single lovebird makes a better pet because it bonds to you rather than to another lovebird. While it is easy to keep a pair of lovebirds tame, if you plan on spending lots of time with your bird you can keep it alone. However, if you work long hours and don't think you'll have a lot of time for your love bird, we recommend you get him a companion. This will keep your lovebirds happy and prevent boredom.

It is important to realize that while lovebirds are a small parrot, they have the intelligence and abilities of some of the largest parrots. They can amaze you with their ability to escape their own cages (I have to put clips on the cage doors to keep them in, and sometimes they figure out how to open those!), they will sometimes try to become the little bosses of the household (hence, the same type of gentle dominance training used for larger parrots should be used with lovebirds), and they can learn to mimic sounds and speech on occasion (N.B. We don't recommend you buy any species of bird only because of the expectation that it will speak; even the famous African Greys sometimes don't learn to speak, and if that is a person's only reason for buying a bird, the bird could end up abandoned because of the owner's disappointment. In our opinion, parrots make great pets even if they never utter a word).

We do not aviary breed, rather, our lovebirds are paired off in separate cages. We remove the babies from the nest when they are about two weeks old to hand feed them. This way, the birds get the best of both worlds: the immunity conferred from their parents and the tameness that comes from being handled by humans. Our lovebirds are abundance weaned so that they are happy, well-adjusted birds. We feed pellets, a good seed mix, wheatgrass, quinoa, sprouted beans, and other veggies and fruits. Lovebirds love to toss grapes around.

The Mirror Game

Here two lovebirds take turns playing the "Mirror Game". They fly up to their reflections in the mirror to watch themselves fly, then land, then the other one goes. They never hit the mirror and can play this game forever without getting tired. You can see a movie of it, but it will take a while to download!

Hey! It's MY turn now!!!

Baby lovebirds taking turns playing in a cardboard tube

Meet the Abyssinian lovebirds that just joined our aviary!

About the Nine Species of Lovebirds

Lovebirds, Agapornis, and African lovebirds are terms that can refer to nine different species of lovebird parrots. Peachfaced lovebirds are sometimes named by their color mutations: pied lovebirds, violet lovebirds, Dutch blue lovebirds, normal peachface lovebirds, orangeface lovebirds, and mauve lovebirds, to name a few. These lovebirds all belong to the species Agapornis roseicollis.

Fischer's lovebirds and Masked lovebirds are DIFFERENT species of lovebirds (Agapornis personata fischeri and Agapornis personata personata, respectively) and should not be bred with peachfaced (A. roseicollis) lovebirds. Inter-species breeding sometimes results in mules (that is, lovebirds that cannot reproduce), but when it doesn't, the consequence is pollution of the pure gene pool for these various species of lovebirds. Responsible breeders do not inter-breed different species, especially since we can no longer import new, fresh stock from the wild! And frankly I've seen some of these crossed-species lovebirds and they often are very strange creatures. They tend to have very skittish personalities (the most terrified lovebirds I've ever encountered were a cross between a peachface and a Fischer's--ALL the lovebird babies were excessively nervous). If, out of ignorance, you paired up different species of lovebirds, it is very possible to re-pair them properly. Just get them out of ear-shot of each other and find them new mates. I've even re-paired lovebirds who could hear each other (for color mutation purposes) and it worked out great for all four lovebirds. Please note that color mutations occur WITHIN the same species of lovebirds and it is not necessary to interbreed species to get these new colors.

There are several other species of lovebirds, commonly known as black-cheeked lovebirds, black-collared lovebirds (Agapornis Swindernia), Madagascar lovebirds (Agapornis cana--pictured right), Nyasa lovebirds (A. lilianae), Abyssian lovebirds (Agapornis taranta), and Red-Faced Lovebirds (Agapornis pullaria--pictured right). These species are relatively rare in American aviculture (although the black-cheek lovebird is more common than the others). The breeding of Madagascar lovebirds should only be attempted by very experienced lovebird breeders as they are very delicate and could easily disappear in aviculture.

amazon parrots

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:11:57 +0100

Species Name Amazona aestiva A. finschi A. autumnalis A. festiva A. xanthops A. barbadensis A.ochrophala aurophalliata A. amazonica A. farinosa A. ochrocephala oratrix A. albifrons	Common Name Blue-fronted amazon Lilac-crowned amazon Red-lored amazon Festive amazon Yellow-faced amazon* Yellow-shouldered amazon* Yellow-naped amazon Orange-winged amazon Mealy amazon Double Yellow-headed amazon Spectacled amazon
*Not seen as pets very often Follow linked names to see photographs and species-specific information.

Amazon parrots comprise many parrots that range in size from the small spectacled (white-fronted) amazon to the quite sizable double yellow-headed and mealy amazons. They are more challenging pets and many species are more appropriate for people experienced with handling parrots. Some males can become aggressive when they reach sexual maturity. Gentle dominance training is essential. It is a good idea to teach amazons to step up on a stick on command for those times when they are "overstimulated." These birds require strong, patient owners who understand their moods. Do plenty of research on behavior and training before buying one so you can build a strong foundation with the young bird.

Generally, the best talkers are double yellow heads, yellow napes, and blue fronts. Many of these birds can also become proficient singers. They are not shy and will often perform for strangers. Because of these characteristics, these parrots are often selected as performers in bird shows and at zoos.

Amazons tend to be more independent birds and can amuse themselves much of the day if they are given adequate toys and space. It is a good idea to give them a tower with many perches and toys for exercise and amusement. Generally, they do not develop feather picking problems the way many parrot species do, but they can if they are neglected, confined in small cages for long periods of time, and not stimulated with interaction and/or toys.

Caging: The larger the cage the better. Amazons are quite active and very prone to obesity if they do not get exercise. Cages should be give adequate room for play and exercise. Spacing of bars depends on the size of the species. Make sure for smaller amazons the spacing is not large enough for them to get their head through.

Diet: Watch the fat. Pellets (medium/large), fresh vegetables, some fruit, sprouts, and grains (quinoa especially). Seeds and large nuts, but not as the primary source of nutrition. Calcium important for blue fronts. DO NOT give grit to this or any other parrot species.

Health: Tendency toward obesity and related health issues. Lifespan is generally 40-80 years depending on the species, but obesity can drastically reduce this (up to 70%). Have an avian vet weigh your bird annually to make sure it is not gaining an unhealthy amount of weight.

Amazons should be showered regularly for feather and skin health. They can develop a musky odor that bothers some people, but most become used to it quickly. Regular showers keeps the smell from getting too strong. Most amazons adore being soaked to the skin with a mister.

Noise: Most birds bought young and properly trained and socialized will rarely vocalize to the point of disturbing neighbors, but generally they do vocalize atleast once a day with loud screeches. Some amazons can be very loud. Many older birds are sold and re-sold because of calls that can be heard for quite a distance. They are not great for apartments for this reason.Obviously, the larger the bird, the louder the call. Amazons that have been kept with other amazons tend to be the loudest.

Sleep: At least 10 hours of dark, quiet sleep time each night. Amazons that do not get enough sleep can be very grouchy and aggressive.

Sexual behavior: Males can become very aggressive when hormonal. Age this occurs depends on the species, but generally at 3-5 years of age. Springtime is the most obvious period to watch for this. It is best to train amazons to stand on your hand and NOT on your shoulder because of their unpredictability during "mating season." It is important to learn to recognize their moods and not pick up an amazon when its eyes are flashing and the tail is flared.

Breeding: Need very large flights as males can be extremely aggressive toward females in many species. Not for the beginner.

top 35 bird sites

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:44:10 +0100

Top Sites

1. http://fotos.avespt.com/

:: AVESPT.COM :: FORUM :: FOTOS :: TOPSITES ::

57429

2. http://canarilalmada.com/

Tudo Sobre Canarios - Artigos, Forum, Classificados, muitas de Fotos de Canarios Porte, Cor e Canto, participa??o na foto da semana, fotos de Exposi??es, jantares de clubes entre outras coisas... Visitem Canaril Almada

15983

3. http://canaria.msk.ru/

Canaries in Russia. Moscow club " Russian canary "

7045

4. http://www.silvestrista.com/

Silvestrismo ,European goldfinch,Song and breeds

6933

5. http://www.parrot-and-conure-world.com/

We have low prices on bird cages, play stands, toys, food and supplies. View pictures and informational stories written by parrot owners. Find information on most parrots and a Parrot Comparison Chart.

6420

6. http://www.algcanari.com/forum

CANARI ALGERIE FORUM is the First Algerian Forum of Ornithological specializing in breeding holding Canaries, Mules and hybrids and various other species bird cages. You can read articles about canaries health and care and show many photos and videos

5914

7. http://www.parrots.org/

A worldwide charity dedicated to saving parrots. Find great information about parrot care, parrot photos, parrot articles and links to other parrot sites.

4895

8. http://www.to-parrots-free-flight.com/

Ich stelle meine in der Natur freifliegenden Papageien vor / I introduce my parrots free-flying in the nature / Je pr?sente mes perroquets librement volant dans la nature

3900

9. http://www.zoobiz.ru/

Sale Birds board

3455

10. http://www.pamperedpeeps.com/

A True Family Aviary! ONLINE VIDEOS, flightsuits, educational articles, CLASSIFIEDS! ! Raising exceptionally sweet Green Cheeks (Pineapples, YellowSideds, Turquoise), African Greys, Eclectus, Crimson Bellies, Pionus, Gouldian Finches, and Linnies!

3447

11. http://www.ricardo-kardus.blogspot.com/

Espa?o dedicado aos Can?rios, com artigos, filmes e muitas fotos.

3082

12. http://www.jilguero.es/

Spanish web of silvestrismo, goldfinch, en more..

3024

13. http://abccanarisdeposture.forums-fr.info/index.php

Forum cr?? par des passionn?s, vous trouverez ici tout ce qu'il faut savoir sur les canaris et autres oiseaux.Forum created by impassioned, you will find here all that it is necessary to know about the canaries and other birds

2903

14. http://periquitos.ptfreehosting.com/

Tudo sobre periquitos

2599

15. http://featherz.proboards33.com/

Australian Bird forum with all types of Avian Subjects, with advice from experienced Aviculturists.

2194

16. http://www.agaporniscoqui.es/

web dedicada a la crianza de agapornis adultos y papilleros, con foro, mutaciones, bricolaje...

2193

17. http://vitorsppp.googlepages.com/

SITE ABOUT CANARYS,EXOTICS AND PSITACIDEOS.FOTO/GALERIA,F?RUM.Site sobre can?rios,ex?ticos e psitac?deos.

2041

18. http://www.bloggerbirds.blogspot.com/

fotos,imagens,filmes,artigos sobre canarios e outras aves, dicas sobre ornitologia, entrevistas a criadores

2006

19. http://www.pricelessparrots.com/

Our Mission at Priceless Parrots.com is to help Educate the beginner to the hobby of Parrot Keeping and Parrot Care.

1967

20. http://www.parrotfigurines.com/

We offer parrot figurines, parrot wall plaques, parrots in rings, and collectibles. Our hundreds of beautiful figurines include macaws, cockatoos, parakeets, cockatiels, conures, African greys, caiques, pionus, lories, rosellas, toucans & generic parrots

1966

21. http://www.cockatoocreations.com/

We offer an amazing selection of high-quality gifts for parrot and cage bird lovers of all species including macaws, cockatoos, canaries, African Greys, cockatiels, budgies, conures, and toucans.

1880

22. http://www.theafricangreyparrot.com/

African Grey Parrot information, guide, articles, care, buying guide and community

1840

23. http://www.everyoneweb.com/TIMBRADOFRANCE/

Site pour les passionn?s du canaris Timbrado

1765

24. http://z11.invisionfree.com/Conure_Crazy/index.php?act=idx

A fun forum all about those crazy CONURES! come join the flock!

1695

25. http://smileysbirds.proboards26.com/index.cgi

We are dedicated to serving the needs of birds and the people they own. Our goal is to inform and educate bird owners about proper nutrition for their birds, and how to handle behavioural issues along with any other bird related questions that may arise.

1675

26. http://www.faiscapastel.blogspot.com/

blog de can?rios castanhos mosaico c/ e sem factor nas muta??es pastel,opala,pheao e homozigoticos.

1476

27. http://chardonneret.naturalforum.net/

Forum on the goldfinches and others esp?ces

1429

28. http://birds.krasu.ru/

Information about the birds of Central SIberia

1417

29. http://www.portaldoscanarios.com.br/forum

Forum do Portal - o melhor forum de discussoes da Canaricultura Brasileira

1380

30. http://www.africangreys.com/

Expert info on African Greys

1377

31. http://agapornis.cz/

Vše o papoušcích, ptácích, forum, fotogalerie, inzerce

1369

32. http://www.birdheavenaviaries.com/

Specializing in raising well socialized Handfed Babies. From small birds to large parrots. We specialize in B&G Macaws, White Bellied Caiques, Hahns Macaws, White Fronted Amazons, African Grey Congos, Eclectus, Sun Conures, Green cheek mutations, etc

1359

33. http://www.glostercanary.net/

Gloster Canary, Gloster Fancy, Gloster Picture, Gloster Breeding, Gloster Corona & Consort

1349

34. http://www.topgiftsites.com/cgi-bin/toplist/rankem.cgi?id=arotek48

Free listing of top sites. Puppies, dogs, cats, fish, birds and small animals. Pet supplies: beds, toys, treats, automatic feeders, medicines. Pet nanny, care and training.

1299

35. http://www.naturescornermagazine.com/

explores intelligence and sentience of animals & Nature

1285

Frequently Asked Questions about:What parrot should I get?

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:09:45 +0100

Questions:

1) Should I get my bird a playmate?
2) What bird is the best talker?
3) What bird is best for me?
4) I've heard I need to handfeed my bird to get it to bond to me?

Answers:

1) Should I get my bird a playmate?

I have a bird that is very attached to me but I am gone a lot and I want to get it a playmate. What do you suggest? Be careful with this one. You should be aware that if you get your bird another bird of the same species, there is a good chance that your bird will start to bond with the new bird and not be as close to you. This is not always the rule, but it certainly happens a lot. If you want to get the same species, then try to get a bird that is the same sex as your bird - that will help lessen the risk of them pair bonding. Getting a bird of another species is probably the safest (although not foolproof) way to keep your existing bird still bonded to you.

2) What bird is the best talker?

Most people and magazines generally agree that the African Grey species are the best talkers. In the following text, I have tried to give you my opinion of the talking ability of the different birds we raise.

3) What bird is the best for me?

This is a pretty individual question, and a choice you ultimately have to make for yourself. You can look at some of the descriptions we have posted on the different types of birds we have to see what would best fit into your life.

(please note: The comment below are generalizations based on our observations and experiences and are not intended to be taken as gospel)

African Grey Congos:
These birds are light grey with bright red tails. Generally accepted to be the best talkers in the parrot family. They can easily lean words and phrases. We have one bird that carries on conversations using Larry and Janet's voices. They are also extremely intelligent. They have the ability to put word together with actions or objects. One of our birds will greet our kids by name because he has seen us call the kids and he learned their names. They can so effectively imitate the human voice that they can even mimic inflections of distance - giving the appearance of "throwing their voice". Sometimes we are in the breeding barns and one of the breeders that used to be our pet will call "Mom", and you would swear that one of our kids is calling Janet from the house. The one drawback that we have found after selling may greys is that they tend to be one person birds. Even though they come from being raised in a family situation, and go into a family situation, they usually single out one person to bond to and then either ignore everyone else, or in some instances become aggressive (biting) others in the family. This usually happens in about a year. If someone is looking for a family pet that everyone can play with, we try to steer them away from an African Grey.

Blue and Gold Macaws:
As their name implies, these birds are blue and gold or yellow. They are a medium to large macaw. Not as big as the Greenwing, but larger than the Military. They are very social birds and adapt well to changes in their environment. We have known of several that have been used in school assemblies, camps, etc and did not seem to mind putting up with lots of people touching them. They are intelligent, colorful and active. They seem to be able to amuse themselves when left alone but also love to be held and petted. Their talking ability is good.

Greenwing Macaws:
This is Janet's favorite bird. They are very striking combination of red, green, and blue colors. They are the largest macaws that we raise. They are called "Gentle Giants" because although they have an almost intimidating size, they are one of the gentlest birds around. Their beaks are massive, but they rarely will bite or nip at humans. Because of their size they have a slower metabolism and are somewhat docile or sedentary compared to some of the other macaws. We don't raise many of these and are selective about what homes we will place them in. They have good talking ability.

Ruby (Greenwing X Scarlet):
The Ruby is actually a hybrid between a Greenwing macaw and a Scarlet macaw. The Scarlets have a reputation for becoming nippy and being very intelligent. The Ruby is a beautiful cross between the two species and seems to embody the best traits of both birds. They are striking in their appearance, picking up some of the yellow from the Scarlet's wings. They are also very intelligent and are more active than a Greenwing. Because of their intelligence, they can be prone to mischief. They have good talking ability.

Lesser Sulphur Crested Cockatoo:
These birds all white except for yellow crests and yellow cheek patches. This is one of Larry's favorite birds. They are totally sweet and loving and yet are very animated and active. They are good talkers and crave your attention. They love to be held, petted, and kissed. They are not as prone to screaming as some of the larger Cockatoos. They are a nice pet for someone who wants a cockatoo but does not have a lot of room. They have good talking ability.

Umbrella Cockatoo:
These birds are all white except for some yellow under their wings. These birds demand attention and love to be held, petted and kissed. I say demand because they can get quite loud in an effort to get your attention, and they act like a two year old forever. They make great companions for people who have lots of time to devote to a bird who will love them back. They have excellent talking ability.

Molluccan Cockatoo:
These birds are a beautiful peach or salmon color all over. They are the largest cockatoos we raise. These birds demand attention and love to be held, petted and kissed. I say demand because they can get quite loud in an effort to get your attention, and they act like a two year old forever. They make great companions for people who have lots of time to devote to a bird who will love them back. They have excellent talking ability.

Illigers Macaws:
Illigers are mostly green with some red on the lower belly, forehead and underside of the tail feathers. Illigers are classified as mini-macaws. They are perfect for someone who would like to get a macaw but does not have the space for a large bird. We like to say that you get all the personality of a macaw in a small package. These birds are very animated and comical. We often find them on the bottom of the cage playing with their feet. They have fair to good talking ability.

Hahns or Nobles (aka Red-shouldered Macaws):
These are Larry's other favorite. They are mostly green with red on their shoulders, and yellow on the underside of the tail feathers. These birds are the smallest macaws we raise and are about the same size as a conure. They crave attention and long to be with you. They have fair to poor talking ability.

Militarys:
These birds are mostly green with a patch of red on the forehead and tail, as well as blue on their wings and tail. Militarys are the smallest of the large macaws. They are smaller than a Blue and Gold macaws but bigger than African Greys or Amazons. Militarys have a reputation for becoming nippy, but there are also many exceptions to this.

Eclectus:
Eclectus are one of the most striking birds and also one of the few parrots that are sexually dimorphic - that is you can tell the sex of the bird simply by looking at it. Males are a vibrant green while females are an iridescent purple and red. Our experience with these birds has been that they make very good family pets, but do occasionally bond to one gender (men or women). We have seen some of our babies go to homes that the kids just grab them like a cat and take off with them, and they don't care at all. I think they have very tolerant personalities. They seem to adjust well to different people and remain friendly. Their talking ability is good.

Cockatiel:
Another perfect bird, although much smaller is the cockatiel, they have a ton of personality and are easy for anyone to handle. Some people don't consider them because they are so small and don't have the lifespan of the larger parrots, but for a family with small children they are great. The important thing is to get a hand raised one as the ones that are flight raised by their parents don't tame down quite as well.

4) I've heard I need to handfeed my bird for it to bond to me?

This is simply not true and is usually promoted by people who ship unweaned babies because they do not want to take the time to wean the babies themselves. Our experience has shown time and time again that new owners bond just fine with their newly weaned babies. There are many references on our web site that attest to this. Given all the things that can go wrong with handfeeding (burned crops, sour crops, aspiration, refusal to eat), and weaning (weaning too fast or too slow causes problems), it is best left to someone with experience.

Parrot Toys

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:58:31 +0100

Make the Right Choice for Your Parrot

How To Choose the Best Parrot Toys:

Parrot toys probably aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when you’re considering what is involved in the care and keeping of a parrot. However, toys play a very important role in the development of a parrot.

When you choose the right toys, your parrot will have a safe and engaging environment to play in. The wrong toys however can result in boredom and worse – injury and death. Here’s what to consider when choosing parrot toys. If you simply do not have the time to research every toy you buy for your bird we have found a manufacturer that produces all natural toys that are safe for your bird. You can see our report on toxin free parrot toys.

Why Parrot Toys are Necessary:

Boredom is one of the most common causes of bad parrot behavior. We’re talking about the screaming, the biting, the charging and feather plucking. When your bird is bored…they become angry, destructive, or turn on themselves and begin to pluck their feathers or thrash about the cage.

Toys help to keep your bird active and engaged while they’re in their cage. Now that isn’t saying that you can leave your bird in their cage 24/7 with great toys and they’ll be eternally happy.

Your parrot still needs time outside of their cage every day. During that time they can and should be interacting with you and other family members. They can also be playing with their toys. This means when considering toys for your parrot, you want to think about both inside and outside their cage.

What Types of Toys To Purchase:

How big is your bird? Large birds have large beaks and need particularly durable toys. Those little things that look like cat toys will not only bore them inside of a minute, they’re likely to break it and choke on the pieces. So durability and size are very important considerations.
What does your parrot enjoy?

While providing toys which offer a variety of functions is a good idea, it’s also a good idea to stock up on your parrot’s favorite types of toys. For example, some parrots absolutely love to make noise and toys which have bells and other noise making fun are going to get a lot of play time.

Other parrots could chew all day long. For these parrots it is essential to provide them with toys which offer beaking and chewing opportunities. If you don’t, they’ll exercise their beak on your furniture!

Look for toys which are bright and colorful. And for those little climbers, there are wonderful toys to climb on and explore. Lastly, to engage your bird’s problem solving skills, look for puzzle toys

Safety Concerns with Toys:

Before you take your armload of parrot toys to the checkout, stop. Set them down. It’s time to take a serious look at what these toys are made of. This is important. There are many toxins in a large number of pet toys.

They are not government regulated and therefore pet suppliers can really put anything they want into these toys. Don’t believe it? Think about how often you hear on the news about a children’s toy being recalled due to lead or some other deadly toxin – and those toys are regulated and checked by the government!

Parrot toys often contain:

* Formaldehyde and Formalin. This poison can cause tumors, rashes, and respiratory problems. It is most often found in leather products made outside of the United States.

* Zinc. Zinc is used to prevent iron and steel from rusting. Zinc toxicity isn’t something to dismiss. It causes feather plucking, weight loss, weakness, anemia, gastrointestinal problems, hyperglycemia, seizures and death.

* Lead. You know about the dangers of lead. You probably also know that it’s still commonly found in many products including pet toys, which is why it is one of the most common types of poisoning. It causes weight loss, blindness, seizures, and death

* Arsenic. Hard to believe this old poison is still around but it is and is often found in pressure treated woods used to make cheap bird toys. Yes, it is poisonous and yes it causes death.

* Additionally, toys which have stained wood or are made with cedar, red cherry, plywood, and oak are all highly dangerous to your parrot.

Beyond chemical poisoning it is important to look for toys which have the potential to come apart easily. Too many birds end up in the emergency room or in the ground due to strangulation or choking by their very own toys.

It is essential that you not only examine your parrot’s toys before you buy them but also on a regular basis once they’re home to make sure they’re not deteriorating. Toys do not last forever.

What To Look For In Your Parrots Toys:

This is tricky because toys don’t come labeled “Contains Lead and Arsenic.” Therefore it is recommended to buy toys which are labeled “100% Organic.”

Look for toys which do not pose a risk of injury. This means no bells which your parrot can catch their beak on. No split rings or key rings – too many birds catch their feet, toes, and even their necks on these seemingly harmless parts. Look for toys which are solidly built and as mentioned in the very beginning, look for toys which are the right size for your bird.

Your parrot deserves to have days full of stimulation and fun with an abundance of wonderful toys to play with. They also deserve to play with safe parrot toys which won’t kill them. It takes great care and time on your part to provide this. Take the time; your parrot and your parrot’s life are worth it.

Teaching Your Parrot To Talk

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:25:03 +0100

Ron Hines DVM PhD

Nothing defined a cheerful, pleasant home in my youth more than the family parrot announcing an arrival with a loud expressive hello! Our parrots name was Caralampio, a name she acquired in Matamoros, Mexico prior to immigrating to the U.S. side of the Border. Forty years later, she is as talkative as ever. We love parrots for a variety of reasons but their ability to mimic human speech has been our fascination with these birds for centuries.

Choosing The Right Breed OF Parrot:
If you have your heart set on having a talking parrot there are some important factors to take into account before you buy a bird. Some talk much better than others and some tips will spare you disappointment.

The smaller species of parrots do not always learn to talk and when they do talk their speech may be more difficult to understand. Parakeets (budgies) ringnecks, alexandrine, plumheads, cockatiels, conures, lorikeets and lovebirds have spotty records as talkers. Among them there are always exceptional individuals that learn to talk well. But as a whole, they are quite difficult to teach. So I would not select one of these smaller parrots if talking ability is very important to you. As I said, there are always a few small parrots that are excellent mimics and large parrots that will not talk. I do not know the reason for this.

If you do buy a small bird, the best talking budgies and cockatiels are those that are constantly babbling and chirping at the pet shop. So it is important to take some time at the store observing the birds behavior before selecting your most likely pupil. The sex of budgies and cockatiels can be determined through observation. Choose a male if you can.

The king of all talkers is the red tailed, African Gray parrot. Timnas Greys are smaller and less prolific talkers. Select Greys have phenomenal talking abilities yet there will be a Gray now and then that refuses to talk.

Of the New World amazons parrots, Yellow Napes, Blue Fronts and Double Yellowheads are the best talkers but only when they are exposed to words at a young age. Amazons that do not talk by the time they are a year and a half old may never learn to talk. By and large any young amazon parrot with yellow on its head is a good talking candidate. A few singular macaws are good talkers but most are not the best. When macaws, such as scarlets and blue and golds learn to talk they have loud and rough voiced and usually a limited vocabulary. Cockatoos can also learn to talk but, like macaws usually have limited vocabulary. Unlike macaws, they tend to have sweet soft voices.

Choosing A Parrot With The Right Temperament:
Under no circumstances should you pick a fearful shy bird. Many mean biters, however, are wonderful talkers. The parrot should sit relaxed on the perch, not stiff or cowed back and frightened. A cowering bird will never learn to talk. Do not pick a bird that growls at you or rears back on its perch. Laughing and dilating and constricting their pupils are signs of aggression, not fear. The parrot should to come to you to be scratched cocking its head sideways.talk

If at all possible, select a bird that is still being hand fed. These birds are better purchased directly from a breeder than from a pet store. Young birds will still have pinfeathers sprouting from its head and neck and a beak soiled with caked formula. Never select a bird with occluded nostrils as these often have chronic respiratory disease. Sick birds will not learn to talk.

Just because a parrot can say a few words when you get it does not mean it will necessarily learn more words. Talking parrots do have an advantage over quiet ones but if they are amazon parrots their window for learning may have already closed. I personally prefer starting from scratch with a young bird.

Getting Ready:
The best place to keep a new parrot is in the kitchen area. Here families tend to congregate so it will be exposed to lots of human activity and sounds. The atmosphere should be quite relaxed. Also, the kitchen is light, airy and colorful and plenty of food snacks and smells are available. These are all things parrots like. If you are stressed out or unhappy the bird will be too and it won’t learn to talk. Give the bird a few weeks to get used to its new surroundings before taking it out or attempting to teach it to talk. Give it plenty of attention if it is not shy. If it is shy, concentrate on taming it before attempting to get it to talk.

Interaction with humans is the key to training parrots to talk. Parrots are flock birds that are normally part of a large group and are constantly interacting with the birds around them. Parrots that are deprived of companionship are not happy parrots and will not learn to talk.

Parrots learn to talk through one on one relationship with their owners. Do not have more than one parrot in the room or even in adjoining rooms. It is very difficult to teach two birds to talk at the same time.

Proper Nutrition:
Parrots that are subsisting on a diet rich in sunflower or safflower seeds are always duller and less aware of their surroundings than birds fed pelleted diets. This is because parrots on seed diets are nutritionally deprived. If you want your parrot to live a long healthy life and learn to talk well, then spend a few weeks to a few months converting it from a seed to a name brand pelleted diet. Do this by mixing the seed and pelleted diet together and gradually decreasing the amount of seed. You will be amazed in the change in your pet.

When To Start Training:
If you have obtained a baby parrot just out of the nest, talking will come a lot easier. Start training as early as you can while the baby is still on formula. Birds of this age bond readily to humans and develop the relaxed confidence. Be gentle, kind and patient and these birds will quickly learn to trust and respond to you. They should be comfortable when being handled. Don’t expect a young baby parrot to start talking immediately. As long as they are “clucking” for food they will not talk. But exposing them to words and phrases at this early age primes them to talk rapidly when they are old enough. These babies will cock their heads, listen to you intently and recognize words even though they are too young to talk. By the time smaller parrots are 4-6 month old and larger parrots are 6-12 months old they will begin repeating words and phrases.

Amazon parrots learn to talk during the time they would normally learn their wild calls. This window for learning is no more than a year long. After this window closes some exceptional birds will still learn new words and phrases easily but most will not. African Gray parrots on the other hand begin learning later in life and continue to learn words, phrases and mechanical sounds throughout their lives.

If you pick an older bird that is fearful of humans please realize that teaching it to talk will be difficult if not impossible. These birds must first learn to trust people. Many never do. For them, a lengthy period of socialization and calming is required. Taming wild birds is not the subject of this article, but it consists of finger training and activities that build the bird’s confidence and trust in its new owners.

The Sex Of The Parrot:
By and large, male parrots are better talkers than females. This is not always the case however, since so many other factors come into play. The majority of parrots are monomorphic. That means that one can not tell a male from female parrots by their body characteristics. However, female cockatiels have horizontal stripes or bars on their tail feathers. The cere or nose of adult male budgerigars is larger and more bluish in males than females. The eyes of adult male cockatoos are jet black while females and juveniles are dark brown. The heads of male macaws and conures is more elongated in males than females. All parrots can be genetically sexed from a drop of blood.

Time Of Day:
Parrots are most vocal in the morning and evenings. This corresponds to the times of day that they normally would disburse in the morning to feed and congregate in the evening to roost. It is futile to attempt to keep parrots quiet at these times – just get used to the noise. These are also the times of day that parrots learn to talk the best.

Positive Reinforcement To Learning:
Positive reinforcement techniques really help. Food is a major driving force in bird behavior. You should use food treats to reinforce words and actions that your parrot uses. I only give my parrots nuts and seeds as treats. Parrots enjoy shelling these nuts as much as actually eating them. The more husk a food treat has the better. My favorites for larger parrots are almonds and peanuts. Sunflower seeds are great for smaller birds. You can begin your training session with a peanut and give an additional one whenever your bird repeats a word that is new to it.

Teaching Words and Phrases Through Repetition:
Turn off the TV and radio and stop any activities that may be a distraction. Have other family members and pets leave the room. Let in the sunlight. Birds key off of the emotion and gusto in your voice, not the word itself. So how you say a word is more important to the parrot than what you say. To teach a parrot to talk you need to be the center of the bird’s attention. A parrot that is learning will look and listen to you intently while you speak. It will stand high on the perch with an alert body stance. You may notice that its eye pupils change in size rapidly. Say the word in a loud clear voice with a slight hesitation between repetitions. Remember – emotion and gusto.

Birds learn to talk more rapidly when they can associate a word with an action or an object. For example, when you give your parrot a peanut say Peanut Mmmm, Peanut Mmmm. When you uncover your parrot in the morning say Rise And Shine!. It is amazing how much a little bird will understand and he is more likely to use the word when he has an inkling of what it means. African gray parrots can easily learn a hundred words this way and exceptional birds can learn three hundred.

When teaching a bird to name objects pick objects that are small and colorful. The reward in these cases should be giving the bird the object. For example, if the bird correctly calls key chain, give the bird the key chain to play with. This technique works well with the word grape. Grape is apparently an easy word for parrots to say. Some other easy words are key, paper, box, corn, carrot, nail, water, treat, bean, and rock.

Parrots learn to talk better from high-pitched feminine voices of women and children. Once the bird is relaxed begin the lesion. Keep the training periods no longer than fifteen to twenty minutes at a stretch. Start with simple, short words and phrases such as hello and good morning. Hold the bird perched on your hand or finger about twelve inches from your mouth. You can also do this with the bird perched on a tee stand.

I try not to teach my birds to whistle until they have a rather large vocabulary of words. Actually, I find whistling parrots rather annoying. Once they learn to whistle they will often do it all day ignoring all the words they have learned. If you do whistle, whistle a pleasant short melody for them to learn.

I have never used a tape recording to teach my parrots to talk. Mechanical systems lack the human interaction and the birds quickly tire of them. Parrots really need to bond with the source of their vocabulary and a mechanical source just doesn’t interest them. If you do use a recording do not play it for more than half an hour at a stretch.

The first words that your parrot learns will be the hardest ones. You will find that their learning comes in spurts. Sometimes two to four months can pass when no new words are learned. This is normal. The bird’s first attempt to repeat a word is apt be an indistinct mumble. Reward the bird with praise and a treat no mater how garbled its attempt is. Parrots have trouble with consonants so emphasize those letters and say them louder and clearly. Saying a word twice – like coochi coochi makes it easier for the bird to repeat.
Do not try to teach more than one word or phrase at a time. Interact with your parrot in every way possible during training sessions.

When the bird cocks it head to be scratched say Wana scratch or It feels great. When you give him a toy say the name of it or just toy. With each treat you can name the treat – like peanut or grape or just say Mmm Mmm, Mmm Mmm ! When he perches on your hand say Good birdie! When you take him out of the cage say I wana come out! When I uncover their cage in the morning I say Rise and Shine, Rise and Shine!

The first indication that a parrot is trying to say a word is a soft mumble. The parrot will continue practicing the word alone long after you are through. When you hear this give the parrot a hand by repeating the word again. Many parrots will pick up mechanical sounds they hear around the house. The telephone and doorbell are often mimicked. This can be cure or annoying depending on the sound and how many hours the parrot says it.
I have found that about half the “words” my parrots have learned they have learned by themselves. Still, teaching a parrot to talk is a very pleasant and sometimes a rewarding experience. Remember that if you are not very successful another family member may be.