What type of birds do people have?

For those of you reading this, I think it would be neat to compile a list of types of birds that you all are keeping. For this question you may also list birds that are not just parrots. I look forward to seeing what you all post in response.

Article on Housing Your Parrot

The Basics Of Parrot Cages
by: Low Jeremy


People who decide to have pets at home should provide suitable housing for the animal. This means getting one that is proportion to the size and type of parrot because this will greatly affect the lifespan and over all health of the bird.

It is advisable to get one that is as big as you can afford that alsohasthe appropriate bar spacing for your size bird. Most of these birds prefer to climb, stretch and play so there must be enough space for the parrot to do this inside instead of it just sitting on a perch located inside the cage.

The housing should have horizontal bars. This will make it easy for the parrot to grab hold onto the sides whenever it feels like climbing inside the cage. The distance between each bar should also be checked so that the bird will not injure itself during this activity.

Though its true there are some cheap cages that can be found in the market, the owner must not get this based on this criteria alone. This is because the material used in making the cage will not be of good quality that may also pose as a danger for the parrot. It is better then to get one made of stainless steel or powder coated since these are not toxic to the pet.

Conventional bird cages have doors and latches. People who decide to get a parrot should avoid using this because it can cause injury to the creature’s beak, head, neck or wing if any of these body parts get stuck. The best to get those are those that are detachable since this has been proven to be safe.

Most animals produce waste. The ideal parrot cage should have a pull out try in the bottom so the owner can just take this off and wash it before putting it back inside. This is better than going inside and to clear the housing of droppings, which will take a long time to clean.

The parrot cage should come have a designated area where the bowl will be placed. Some manufacturers sell this with a plate inside while others have to be purchased separately. This should also be removable because this needs to be cleaned twice a day before and after feeding.

The perch where the parrot sits must be near where the food is located. This will make it easy for the bird to go to when it is time for feeding.

Having a pet parrot big or small is an enormous responsibility. The bird should have a spacious and safe cage to enjoy many years in a comfortable environment.

About The Author
This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more information on Pet Parrot & other useful information, please visit http://pet-parrot.articlekeep.com

Another Disappearing Act...

The above image is of a Spix Macaw, in fact it is the last one ever seen in the wild. This is a species which is relying solely on the actions of breeders in designated breeding programs. This bird was once abundant in its native Brazil, but is now no longer flying those skies, or any skies for that matter.




Conservation programs have been put in place to allow this wonderful creature to grace the face of this planet. Unfortunately, every bird now being produced is domestic.






There is a wonderful book written on the rise and fall of the Spix Macaw titled, "The Race To Save The World's Rarest Bird". This is a great read and will most likely make you want to reach out and help the breeding program in any way you can.


This is a wonderful book. It's called, "Spix Macaw: The Race To Save The World's Rarest Bird"

Where are all the BLUE THROATS?????

When the import of wild birds was banned, two things were accomplished.


1. Somewhat slowed down the decline of wild bird species.

2. Cut off the life blood of avian society!(Ok, a little over the top... just a little)


With some of the rarer species of parrots, we as bird lovers need to make sure that they are being bred to un-related stock! This is a must if genetic diversity is to remain strong and the species is to maintain its strength.


This blog is going to be pointed at a specific species of parrot known as the Blue Throat Conure. These are beautiful birds that are rare in the wild and rarer in U.S. aviculture.



BEAUTIFUL visit this site to see more pics "Click Here!"


The Blue Throat Conure is a gorgeous bird from Brazil. The problem came when the import of wild birds was banned. Europe had imported Blue throats, but the U.S.? Not that many.


More problems arose when Brazil stated that all Blue Throats were illegally exported from the country. This made it appear that whomever owned a Blue Throated Conure was in illegal possession.


Well, now here's the problem. We have a limited genetic pool to work with and a very big blockade in the way, which keeps these birds from making their way from Europe over to the U.S. In Europe you need to register any offspring that are had from the birds before you sell them to new homes. This allows the government and CITES to not only keep a record of how many birds are around but also where they originate from. I have been doing my research on trying to find a way to import a pair of non-related birds so that they could be bred here in the U.S. but after talking to some fellow bird lovers in one of the email groups I am registered with, I have come to find out that since Brazil says these birds were originally exported illegally, that even offspring from these animals are prohibited from being imported!!! Umm...Ok let me get this straight.



1. Original birds exported illegally from Brazil
2. Ban on all wild bird imports
3. Blue throats dying off in natural habitat.
4. Not many breeding programs in place for this animal.
5. Aviculturists are unable to import new blood from domestically bred animals to mix with their breeding stock.
6. Some people in Europe who own these birds let them colony breed season after season without separating out the related blood lines.



Ok, maybe it's just me, but I feel that if this animal is to be resurrected in captivity, then we need a little more leniency in the regulations.


I am all for the registration and tracking of all animals of this species, and even understand that all animals should be given to a breeding program once imported. I just don't understand how you could be trying to save a species by limiting its interaction with people who would like to breed offspring in order to increase its numbers and diversify its genetic pool....



I don't know, seems like one day we're gonna have to ask, "WHERE HAVE ALL THE BLUE THROATS GONE???"

Survey Says????

Please partake in some of the surveys on my site. I think its good for me to get feedback on things you guys like and dislike. There will be monthly polls, and even a grade my site button! I look forward to hearing from all of you.

SUPA Star!

Here she is ladies and gentleman! In the near future we will have some nice actual real-time videos posted so that you can see Baby interact with her crazy companion Lucky.



I threw this together just for fun....










See what happens when you get bored?

Not a parrot but still a talker!

I thought it would be fun to include a neat video of a bird that most Americans consider pests. Most people don't realize that starlings can talk! The shiny little birds you see running around outside are actually great mimics of the human voice! The person who posted this site gets major kuddos from me for sharing the abilities of his bird as well as their beauty! Here is his Myspace.

Training your bird

I have used many ways to get my birds to be as friendly and as loving as they are, but had trouble trying to figure out where to begin with the parrot training techniques. What I have done instead is post a video that contains one of the best ways to train your bird..... Clicker training.



The below video was found on youtube.com ENJOY!







I hope you enjoyed this video. These techniques really do work and I would advise anyone who has a problem bird to give these practices a try before thinking about giving their pet up. Too many people want a parrot to naturally be "touchy-feely" and they don't give the animal enough time or attention to make that kind of bond. Trust me, by taking the time to train your parrot companion, you will make a relationship that could last longer than twenty years.... that alone is worth the little bit of hard work :)

What are you feeding your bird???

Every morning I wake up and prepare a nice breakfast for my feathered friends. I have found that smaller hookbills like my budgies and cockatiels prefer things like cucumber, fresh greens, and when breeding, hard boiled egg.



My medium sized birds (the conures) always seem to be drawn more to the sweet foods like raisins, apples, bell peppers, tomato, and sliced grapes.


Here you can see two of my conures' favorite food items, red bell peppers and sliced apples!



Occasionally I will dust the fresh foods with a vitamin powder to make sure they are getting the proper nutrients and enough calcium.



I thought I would list some food items NOT to give to your birds, These items can cause DEATH!


1. Chocolate
2. Apple Seeds
3. Avocado
4. Onions
5. Alcohol
6. Mushrooms
7. Tomato Leaves(Do not let your birds eat anything on a tomato that is green, including the stem!)
8. Salt
9. Caffiene
10. Dried Beans



Here are some toxic plants that may be around your house! (I have gathered these plant names from several different resources)


1.Holly berries and American mistletoe berries
2.Peanuts (contain a type of fungal toxin)
3.Rhubarb leaves
4.Stone fruit: the seeds of plums, peaches, apricots, and nectarines contain cyanide
5.Sweet Pea
6.Tobacco
7.Nutmeg




I hope this helps everyone!

Cool Vid from YouTube!

This guy put an awesome video up of his Green Cheek Conure, Winston, playing with him.



This is so awesome!


Mine are soooooooooooo moody, they're like, "Scratch my head, rub my belly, now go away!"


Anyways, here's the video.....

Using Your Bird's Old Feathers!!!

I save my conures' old wing and tail feathers and place them around the house to spice up the interior's appearance. Alot of people have asked me if I have to dye the feathers to get themthe colors that they are.... OF COURSE NOT.... We're talking parrots here people! LOL :) Anyways, just thought I'd throw the idea out there to ya'll!






I just stuck the feathers into the top of an incense burner made from stone.... I think it's neat.

Baby's mate Lucky!

Another wonderful member of Baby's flock would be her mate, Lucky. Lucky was purchased in Central Florida roughly one year ago. He was sold to me by a breeder who said he had only had Lucky for a year and that the bird was only about two years old. LIE LIE LIE. Lucky has an aluminum I.D. leg band on his leg that identifies who he is and what parent's he comes from as well as his HATCH DATE.



The person who sold Lucky to me didn't know that I was as into the bird world as one generally can get, so he blurted out the name of the breeder to me. Lucky's breeder is a wonderful guy by the name of Richard Cusick. This guy is the top of the top when it comes to breeding rare color mutations in many species of parrots.



I knew that I was going to buy Lucky regardless of his age and background just by looking at his wonderful demeanor. Lucky was found to be 6 years old and happens to be one of the first Turquoise Green Cheek Conures produced in The United States!!! Like I said a remarkable little bird.



Lucky was born with a condition called scissor beak. His upper beak crosses side ways over the lower beak creating a scissor effect. He always needs to have his beak trimmed down because unlike a normal parrot who would rub the lower beak against the inside of the upper to keep it trim, Lucky can't. If you can get past his awkward beak you will be able to see one of the most beautiful birds.






The bird to the left is Lucky. This photo was taken with a cell phone the third day after I had brought him back from Florida. You can see how his beak is over grown. He looks like a rhinoceros. It is very important that his beak stay trimmed or else he can impale himself with his own beak. In the future I am going to take him to a really good veterinarian whom I found in Gaithersburg, MD. She believes it is possible to remove his upper beak and replace it with a prosthetic which would allow for the new beak to grow in at the correct angle. This way Lucky would have the full use of his beak and be able to climb like a normal bird would.


P.S. If you have a bird who has scissor beak please research the veterinarian whom you intend on taking the bird to for treatment. A lot of vets say they take care of birds when in reality they learned how to take care of birds but they are not certified! A bird can drop dead on you with just the smallest amount of medication or stress. Do not allow your birds to succumb to an early death or life long injury due to an inexperienced veterinarian out to grab a quick buck. DO YOUR RESEARCH!

About my Passion!

Here's a little bit about myself. I have been breeding and training all types of parrots (except for the large macaw and cockatoos) for years and have a passion for these wonderful creatures and their antics.



Currently I have turned my attention to the wonderfully colorful and playful Green Cheek Conure! These guys are wonderful! They are like curious little explorers that climb allover the place looking for all types of mischief to get themselves into.





The pretty little GC Conure shown above is my favorite little feathered companion. Her name is Baby and she can be a handful at times. Baby is a MUTATION. She is what breeders call a CINNAMON colored bird. Basically all of her black pigment has been reduced down to a soft fawn or cinnamon color, hence the name cinnamon.


Some of Baby's favorite foods are raisins(that she dips in her water bowl!), sliced apples, and hot chili peppers!

Another great thing to see Baby do is take her baths. She will literally go completely under the water and explode to the surface while spraying everything in sight. Towels always have to be handy for this little clown!