Friday, December 22, 2017

PECULIARITIES in nesting of CANARIES. How to bread canaries (Difficulties in laying eggs)

Three week old canaries
Photo  by godhead22 
If at the time of laying eggs the female canary stays bristled up and immovable, this could mean that it has difficulties in laying eggs. The mature egg, ready to be laid, cannot pass through the cloaca – the reasons can be different. The normally formed egg cannot be laid by the female only when it is ill or weak. In extraordinary situations very often it happens so that the egg has no shell and only an egg with a shell can press the muscles of the oviduct – a soft egg without a shell can do this. The shell does not form only when the organism of the female bird does not have enough calcium. Excessively young females very often have difficulties in laying eggs. 

IMPORTANT! If you do not have enough experience, take the bird to a vet. Only a very experienced selectionist can afford to try different types of help. 

Suggestions for advanced ones: 

- Turn on the infrared light. 

- With a pipette drip a drop into the cloaca. It very often helps and after half an hour the egg gets out.

- Very easy and carefully massage the area around the cloaca.The egg without shell cracks and practically drips out. Controversially - the normally formed egg should not crack as pieces of the shell can cause internal traumas. 

How to prevent nesting? 

Generally, female canaries are ready to nest from spring till the beginning of summer which makes it possible to nest once -twice a year, the same as the free-living canaries. The delicate domestic canaries could “ fall out ” of this rhythm and to be ready to nest for excessively long time. More than 2 nestings a year are very exhausting for the female bird. In such cases, you should interfere and prevent them. This, of course, can be done after the first nesting in case that you don't want other small ones. 

One of the possibilities is not to give the female bird any opportunity to make a nest, this means to take out all materials necessary to make a nest. Sometimes this reduces its desire to build a nest. However, many female birds go on by plucking feathers from themselves or from the male canary. In such cases, you have no other chance than allowing the bird to build the nest and to lay eggs. Then replace every egg laid with an artificial one. The female bird can incubate these eggs as long as it wishes. Finally, remove the nest – you should not trouble that the female bird will suffer from psychiatrical shock and will be sad. Such cases in wild nature can be seen very often. Laying eggs is not a guaranty to bring up a progeny, they could not be inseminated. 

What you should not do? To give medication which prevents nesting.First of all, they are not very efficient and second they are harmful very often.





Thursday, December 21, 2017

PARROTLETS at Play Or Sleep

A male Pacific Parrotlet in Peru.
A male Pacific Parrotlet in Peru. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The pocket parrot showing off on video. The second to smallest parrotlet in the world on display for you. If you want the enjoyment of a parrot without the mess or upkeep look no further. This website offers photos, videos and sometimes live video feed for your enjoyment. Offering blue, green and yellow parrotlets at play.

Parrotlets are quite but have mighty personalities. Plan on a 20 to 30-year lifespan for your new family member. These birds do not talk as well as the likes of the African Grey Congo parrot but they do talk. Before getting the itch to buy a new feathered friend do your research about the cage, food and social requirements. Get information on bird toxins that are not bad for humans but are for birds. 

As these birds are tiny they need plenty of space. Must keep toys fresh to keep them entertained and used to change without alarm. Food should be a mix of more the just birdseed or that is the only food they will eat. The huge personalities in the small package of a parrotlet are always unbelievable.

The parrotlet is sometimes compared to the yellow-naped front amazon parrot. If you are living in an apartment or attached home and a large parrot that screams is not for you, consider the parrotlet. Since they are not just called pocket parrot but also the apartment parrot. Enough about the generalized basics of the Pacific parrotlet take a peek at them live right now.




Wednesday, December 20, 2017

BUDGIE PELLETS: How To Convert Your Seed Eater

English: This is a young domesticated budgie. ...
This is a young domesticated budgie. His name is Chief!
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
These days there are many super nutritious pellet mixes around for budgies, but owners often have trouble getting their budgie to actually eat them. And if your budgie isn't eating it, it doesn't matter how healthy the food is.

You see, the problem is that budgies don't see pellets as food. Pellets are artificial, and budgies haven't evolved to see pellets and want to gobble them down. And, unlike many other animals, budgies can't just sniff the pellets and realize they're full of nutritious stuff.

Obviously, it wouldn't be a great survival strategy to just eat things that you don't recognize as food so it can take some convincing before your budgie will eat them. So, let's look at three strategies to move your budgie over to pellets. These aren't miracle fixes, but they do work, with a little effort and patience.

Strategy 1: Mixing It In
The first strategy is pretty straightforward, you mix pellets in with some irresistible food, and wait for your budgie to accidentally nibble on a pellet when they're trying to get at the other food. The idea is that once your budgie finds out that the pellet is edible, and tastes good, they'll have no problem eating them in the future.

This can take a lot of patience, as your budgie might go weeks without touching the pellets, but they will do eventually. And, once they start eating them, they'll realize they're food forever.

Strategy 2: Going First
It might seem kind of silly, but if your budgie is bonded with you, it can help if your budgie sees you eating the pellets first. If their surrogate mate is enjoying the pellets, nibbling on them and making yum sounds, they'll often be enticed to try some themselves.

This strategy also works to get your budgie started on fresh fruits and vegetables, in case you're having trouble with that, as many people do.

Bird food pellets are perfectly safe for people to eat, although I don't whether you'll enjoy the taste of them. But still, you don't have to eat them forever, just until you manage to convince your budgie to try them.

Strategy 3: Gradual Conversion
Another option is to gradually replace their seed with pellets, every three days adding ten percent more pellets. So, the first three days your budgie has 90% seeds, 10% pellets. The second three days they have 80% seed, 20% pellets etc. The whole conversion will take roughly a month.

When working with animals things don't always go according to plan though, so if you get a week or two through the conversion and your budgie isn't touching the pellets, start at the beginning again. If you don't, your budgie could become dangerously underweight, since they don't carry fat reserves.
For most birds, though you'll find your budgie is eating pellets just fine without your having to restart the cycle.

Whichever strategy you decide upon, the name of the game is patience. You're trying to get your budgie to do something deeply unnatural, eat something which isn't food, and some birds will take a lot of convincing to do that.




Tuesday, December 19, 2017

TRAVELING with your BIRD - some tips from folks who travel with their bird every day.

തറ്റമായ് പൂക്ച പൂക്ച....
Photo  by challiyan 
Before we get into specifics, let’s start with the basics. Emergencies aside, if you’re planning to travel with your bird, get the travel cage a few weeks in advance. This will give your bird time to get accustomed to the new cage. Also, measure - measure - measure. Make sure it will fit in where ever it will be going car, travel trailer, family vehicle, motor home, commercial airliner, vacation cottage - just make sure it fits. 

We don’t have a flock, we have one small Indian Ringneck - Sunshine. Sunshine is 17. Catherine acquired him as a baby. He loves being with mom. We know about traveling with a bird. At home, he has a 30 x 30 California cage, a large playstand in the dining room and another playstand in the kitchen. Every workday Sunshine climbs into his custom, 18-inch long carrier and comes to work with us.

We open the carrier, he climbs up his Booda perch into his 26 x 20 HQ cage and finishes breakfast. Afterwards, he’ll walk back out via the Booda perch onto his King’s acrylic playstand. When he gets bored he fly’s onto his Prevue playstand or his Prevue 20 x 20 wire cage where he’ll stand so he can watch mom oversee the shipping of packages to our customers.

We spend many of our summer weekends at a campground. When we get there he usually goes right into his 18 x 18  Prevue cage. We modified our small travel trailer so the cage fits nicely into a closet where we removed the top of the door and provided a gentle light. When we’re outside the trailer, we have a large canopy/tent where Sunshine spends time in his 32 x 21 HQ aviary under the canvas. He always has one side of his cage against a wall for his own privacy.

If you’ve been following my notes, you’ll see our little 3-ounce bird has 10 cages and stands. We’ve never had a problem getting him into a new cage because 

1) we don’t make of an issue of it and
2) he’s happy just to be with us.

A travel cage can be metal, fabric or plastic like - rigid or collapsible. Because it’s a travel cage only makes it slightly different than his home cage. If its metal, bar spacing should be appropriate. If it’s fabric, the fabric should be durable enough and well designed to discourage chewing. Clear plastic cages allow for great vision but may be confining for extended travel periods. It may only have one perch instead of three or four. Make sure it’s comfortable on the feet. Stopping and starting in traffic should not cause your bird discomfort. A couple of small toys should be introduced to keep birdie boredom down. If you’re traveling by auto, keep the bird in the back seat away from airbags in case of “god-forbids.” Keep it strapped with a seatbelt to avoid sudden movement.

If your driving at night, cover the cage, the intermittent glare of auto lights can be scary, especially if it's after bedtime. If you’re taking a road trip stopping at motels, find a place to put the travel cage where you bird can sleep with as little disturbance as possible through the night. We usually find the bathroom counter to be the best spot, it’s out of the way and once the cage is covered, affords privacy. In terms of temperature, it’s simple - if your comfortable, your bird is comfortable. No hot cars with the window cracked or in front of air conditioners in hotel rooms.


If traveling for the first time, we suggest a few trial runs before the big trip. Go to friends, the vet or even just a ride, the bird gets accustomed to the procedure, travel process and change in general. If you let the bird out of the travel cage while in the vehicle don’t forget to put him back before any passengers open the door. Some birds don’t like to poop in their travel cage. This is a judgment call. Choose carefully where you’ll let them out to poop. You also may want to check out the nearest avian vet to your destination, before you get there - just so you have the info.

Remember. birds in the wild are natural travelers. Larger birds will fly 50 or miles per day seeking food. Many migrate thousands of miles twice annually. It’s usually less of an issue for the bird than for you. Lastly, we know you love showing off your bird. Unknown places would not be the time to do it. Unscrupulous people may have ulterior motives. While traveling with your bird it’s no one's business but your own.Have a great trip

    Mitch Rezman
    www.windycityparrot.com


Monday, December 18, 2017

Raising Your PARROT Pet in Humane Manner

English: A pet juvenile White-bellied Caique (...
A pet juvenile White-bellied Caique (Pionites leucogaster xanthomeria) in a harness. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Parrot as a pet has to be out of the cage once in a while.  Now, this is quite a big deal raising parrots to abide silent rules of knowing when it must be inside or outside of a cage.  The reality of having parrots as a pet is all about the freedom it can get to interact with its owners.  If a parrot is constantly in the cage wailing repeated shrieks all the time, then it is nothing but a talking trophy.

It takes daily minutes of patience to gain your pet parrot's respect.  Take note, a parrot is just a bird, but the amount of loyalty you can get out of training it is priceless.  By giving it firm orders to climb on its perch up or down is just the start.  It is quite an accomplishment to see your bird do it in a command.  It means the next tasks are at the right stake.

Freedom and discipline don't go handy with parrots.  Just like spoiled brat kids, it will have the tendency to abuse freedom.  Once a parrot uses its wings on its first fly, it is dominating the situation.  It has the tendency to follow around and do unexpected and menacing things like pecking furniture, especially woods.

Once a parrot has gained this confidence while your house is not intended as parrot flying skylines, then it is the start of a mess.  Do not let your parrot take the full control, but never attempt to punish it harshly at the same time.  It takes a lot of patience to watch again and again until the bird settles down with closed wings, picking it up and putting back on its perch constantly until the bird understands the meaning of getting behaved.

After taking control of your parrot's behavior, you cannot avoid being nipped once in a while, especially if your parrot is younger and curious.  Parrots must be trained not do this as a habit by giving a "NO" command.  You can also blow its face after biting you or giving it an earthquake shake while settled on your palm.

In extreme cases, deprivation is the best solution to erase the habit.  Any strong pecking must be followed by effective punishment of putting your pet parrot in an isolation cage for 15 minutes or so.  By constant practice, the parrot will finally understand why it loses freedom after a bad behavior like biting.

As part of being amused, parrots scream with all their might as a sign of boredom.  To avoid too much of this, distract this parrot's habit by placing it close to a TV where it can watch.  Provide playthings at a tender age and make sure not to neglect its need for fun.




Sunday, December 17, 2017

YELLOW PARROT

Yellow-headed Amazon (also known as the Yellow...
Yellow-headed Amazon (also known as the Yellow-headed Parrot and Double Yellow-headed Amazon) at Cougar Mountain Zoological Park, USA perching on zookeepers left hand. This subspecies is sometimes called the Tres Marias Amazon and originates from the Tres Marías Islands, off west-central Mexico. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Originally from the coastal regions of Mexico, the Yellow-headed Amazon parrots have become popular pets partly because of their attractive markings.

These birds are predominantly green with a striking yellow head and a red patch on each wing. They can also be found south of Mexico in Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras.

Although they prefer habitats like tropical or subtropical forests, savannahs, mangrove swamps, or cultivated land where trees are available for nesting, Yellow-headed Amazon parrots are now considered rare and on the endangered list because of poaching and illegal trade and because of deforestation resulting in the loss of their nesting habitat.

Captive bred Yellow-headed Amazons are widely available as pets but can be somewhat expensive. They are an extremely popular parrot species to own because of their vocal abilities.

They are a close second to the African Grey parrot which is considered the best talker in the parrot world. Although all Amazons are capable of talking not all do.

Their talking ability varies with each bird. Some birds are excellent talkers while other may never talk. Yellow-headed Amazon parrots are extremely intelligent, funny, and active birds. They like to receive attention and do so by sometimes being loud and playful. They are said to be the loudest of all the Amazon parrots. But, it is possible to replace screeching with human speech with a little bit of training.

Because Yellow-headed Amazon parrots are active they thrive in an environment that allows them to fly and move around. An aviary is a great enclosure but they can also adjust to indoor cages as long as sufficient daily exercise is offered by their owner.

These parrots are also easily tamed and trained. But, like most large parrot species, Yellow-headed Amazons can be destructive. Owners need to provide their birds with plenty of chewing toys and braches.

These parrots can grow to the average length of fifteen inches although females are slightly smaller than males.

Yellow-headed Amazon parrots have a stout, hooked beak that is not only used for cracking the hard shells of seeds and nuts but also for grasping, exploring, and climbing.

They also use their feet to climb and it is almost like another hand for them. Amazons have two toes pointing forwards and two toes pointing backward which make them perfect for grasping. They will use their feet to hold food while eating.

In the wild Yellow-headed Amazons eat a variety of fruits, berries, nuts, blossoms, and leaf buds. They have also been known to raid agricultural crops like maize. When living in a home environment with an owner these birds enjoy vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts, berries, and pellet food.


ike all parrots nutrition is very important to their health and their lives.

When considering having one of these beautiful birds as a pet, owners should consider the longevity of their commitment.

Yellow-headed Amazon parrots can live to be sixty to eighty years old. Although no pet is perfect, these parrots are sure to give their owners hours of entertainment and pleasure.

    Joseph Keith has been caring for parrots for more than 10 years.




Saturday, December 16, 2017

How To Spot the Right RACING PIGEON

English: Racing pigeon photographed near Barkb...
Racing pigeon photographed near Barkby, Leicestershire (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A lot of fanciers make the mistake of focusing solely on the physical attributes of a racing pigeon when it comes to choosing which one to enlist in the actual competitions. While it cannot be denied that physical features such as gait and wing muscle strength play a big factor in becoming a winner, attention should also be placed on the mental ability of a pigeon as early as an age of 3 months. More often than not, it is the mental faculties of your racing pigeon that will ultimately help you win the big prizes especially in competitions that involve long flights.

Take into consideration the fact that pigeons rely on their internal compass, navigational skills, and homing instinct in order to fly to a designated point at the shortest route possible. You may have the fastest pigeon in a race, but it won't really matter if it doesn't fly in a straight line towards its goal. The more intelligent pigeons can orient themselves really well to any given location and have an innate feel for its coordinates.

These types of pigeons can be found by looking for bloodlines that can fly at very long distances. Young ones can fly at a distance of 300-350 miles while yearlings can fly up to 500 miles. These progenies are able to benefit from the genes of their parents whose long flights have helped them develop their intelligence as long-distance flyers. The ability to stay in flight for long hours has provided them opportunities in developing their decision-making skills in times of fatigue. These birds also have extensive experience in dealing with any type of weather, which should be beneficial given the fact that the weather can be unpredictable at times.

This is why pigeons that are competitive in short races don't necessary become winners when joining long ones. Not having the experience to brave the hazards of long flights, these pigeons didn't get to hone their heart, intelligence, and stamina. Most importantly, their homing instincts are too undeveloped to be able to spot the shortest route; these pigeons also tend to lose their way easily. As a result, short distance racers quit at the slightest provocation.

Keeping the pigeons healthy is also very important and that is why physical conditioning should always be administered the moment a young pigeon learns to fly in order to develop strength, stamina and recovery time. This means having them fly consecutive weeks at a distance of 200-350 miles. The moment you spot a pigeon that easily gives up after a few weeks, no matter how fast it is, is the time to judge that bird as incapable of winning any race competitions.

Always keep in mind that heredity plays a big factor in determining a winner. While it doesn't guarantee that a super pigeon will have competitive offspring, it sure does increase its chances. This is small-scale evolution doing its own work, and we might as well work with nature to find success in the sport.

It is important that you verify the accuracy of the information tagged to a pigeon before making any purchases. Lastly, make sure to have a holistic approach to picking the right racing pigeon. If you take stock of a pigeon's mental faculties as well as its physical ones, you just might be on your way to raising a champion.



Friday, December 15, 2017

PARROTS and PARAKEETS of Costa Rica

IMG_0337
(Photo credit: mike loukides)

Parrots and parakeets are gregarious birds and are rarely seen alone. They’re intelligent birds and are quite noisy in the early morning and again in the late afternoon as they move about in large groups. We often see large flocks of parrots flying from tree to tree around Ojochal numbering in the 100’s. Many species mate for life and will be seen flying in pairs.

The central and southern Pacific regions of Costa Rica are home to the majority of both parrots and parakeets found within the county. The Corcovado Reserve, located in the Osa Peninsula, contains many birds, as does the southern coastal plain. The Carara Biological Reserve, located about 45 miles south-west of San Jose, is a popular place to spot numerous types of parrots, parakeets, and macaws.

Many parrot populations worldwide are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss and collection for the pet trade. The loss of nest trees and chick poaching can drastically reduce reproductive success. However, due to the long lifespan of many parrots, populations are unlikely to become extinct rapidly even with complete reproductive failure. Since 1975, an international agreement known as CITES, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, has helped to protect native populations of threatened and endangered species by limiting trade in these animals. These days, parrots and parakeets sold at pet stores are raised domestically by Aviculturalists however some species are difficult to breed in captivity and unfortunately are still sought by collectors.

There are about 16 types of parrots and parakeets seen frequently within Costa Rica as well as two types of Macaws. Of the parakeets, common varieties include the Orange Chinned, the Brown Throated, the Orange-Fronted, the Sulfur Winged, the Olive Throated and the Crimson Fronted Parakeet. Parrots include the Yellow Naped, the Red Loret, the Mealy Parrot, the White Fronted, the White Crowned, the Blue Headed, the Brown Hooded Parrot and the Red Fronted Parrotlet. Macaws of Costa Rica include the Scarlet Macaw and the Green Macaw. Since Parrots seek fruits and nuts for their diet, various fruit trees, almond and macadamia nut trees have been planted along the beaches of southern Costa Rica to provide ample sources of food for these feathered friends.


Zoo Ave, located in Alajuela, Costa Rica, is the largest aviary zoo and breeder in Costa Rica. The organization breeds birds for release to help replenish and re-establish wild bird populations throughout Costa Rica and sponsored a large public awareness program in Costa Rica to discourage the caging of wild birds as pets.

    About the Author: Steve Linder is the marketing manager for Pacific Lots of Costa Rica www.PacificLots.com, the largest expat development in Costa Rica and located in the southern Pacific region of the country. Now in their 22nd year, Pacific Lots is the largest seller of real estate, ocean view home sites and custom homes and properties for expats in Costa Rica. Click here to request more information.
    Source: www.isnare.com
    Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=717130&ca=Real+Estate


Thursday, December 14, 2017

Are Peanuts Good For PET BIRDS Or Not?

peanuts
Photo by tamburix
There is no arguing that peanuts contain a lot of essential ingredients like fiber, unsaturated fats, protein, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. So this is probably one possible answer to your question are peanuts good for pet birds? It will be good to think about feeding your pet with them because there are also some possible negative answers.

Actually, peanuts are seeds, not nuts and they grow underground, they are from the legume family. Their environment is damp, warm and dark which gives the best condition for mold and fungal growth. Actually, those traces of a mold called Aspergillus flavus cause the problem with peanuts. The toxic substance -

Aflatoxin is in fact produced by Aspergillus flavus. It is known that Aflatoxins cause severe liver damage for humans and animals and they are carcinogenic (cancer-causing). The level of toxicity depends on the amount of toxin ingested at one time, age, size, accumulation of the toxin, etc.

If the officials detect contamination after inspecting all peanuts for sale in this country, they reject them. The USDA and The FDA determine the safe levels for Aflatoxin in human foodstuffs and if the product is dangerous, they ban it from going to market. But this safe amount of traces of Aflatoxin in pet food is not very clear, especially for such small creatures as birds.

So the question- are the peanuts bad for your pet birds?- still remains unanswered for all pet owners. Some of them continue to feed their pet birds with peanuts, of course, the amounts are not big and they announce that they haven’t found any ill effect. They assume peanuts as high-energy nutritional and because their birds love them and have fun, they outweigh the risk.

If you have decided to feed your pet bird with peanuts, neglecting the risk, there are some precautions to avoid the deadly Aflatoxins:

1) Be informed about the recent research on pet bird consumption of peanuts

2) The risk of Aflatoxins in dried, heated peanuts is lower so you’d better feed your pet bird unsalted, roasted peanuts

3) To decrease the risk of the growth of Aspergillus Flavus - if you feed your bird raw peanuts, you must be sure they have been grown, stored and shipped properly


4) Give your pet birds no more than 2 or 3 peanuts daily

5) Valencia or Spanish peanuts contain fewer Aflatoxins so use them if it is possible

6) Human grade peanuts are less contaminated than birdseed mixes or animal feed

7) Buy your peanuts from reliable and quality sources you can trust

Consider carefully the risks and benefits of using peanuts as food for your pet birds and the decision is up to you.





Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Emperor PENGUINS

Emperor Penguins in Ross Sea, Antarctica
Emperor Penguins in the Ross Sea, Antarctica
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Emperor penguins are by far the largest species found around the world. They live in the very cold weather of Antarctica. They are exceptionally beautiful creatures with the traditional black and white we are all familiar with. They have some very colorful features on their faces too though. Emperor penguins have Orange spots on their necks and their beaks. They also have yellow on their breast and ears.

Empower penguins eat very well from the fish in the ocean. They also consume squid when they are available. Emperor penguins are excellent hunters as they can swim rapidly underwater. They can also hold their breath underwater for up to 18 minutes which is really amazing.

They have very harsh lives though in many regards compared to other species of penguins. If you have watched March of the Penguins then you already know how they trek for long miles in the harsh winter without food to the breeding grounds. They have a very high mortality rate as the cold can kill their eggs. The mother and father are often on the edge of starvation and yet they do all they can to bring their young into the world.

The average lifespan for the Emperor penguin in the wild is about 20 years. The toll of the long winters and extensive travels really take a toll on them. Those that have been placed in captivity though live to be approximately 50 years old. They generally are able to remain in very good health while in captivity without any ongoing problems.

In order to communicate with each other, this species of penguins are able to make a variety of sounds. Each penguin is very unique in pitch and that is how they recognize each other. The young are able to remember what the sound of their parents is so they can easily find them.

They are very social creatures and enjoy the company of each other. They can be competitive at times but for the most part, they get along well with each other in the colonies. They treat their young extremely well and will go to great lengths to get them the food and care they need in order to survive.





Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Taking Care of an AFRICAN GREY PARROT

Liz and Oliver
Photo  by lizzymyeh 
To most breeders and pet lovers out there, the African Gray parrot has got to be one of the most charming parrots out there. Known for its wonderful character, the African Gray parrot is also one of the most preferred species for possessing an admirable combination of high intelligence and extraordinary charm.

If you are one of those who was instantly drawn to the beauty of African Gray parrot, it is a must that you supply yourself with enough information about these wonderful birds.

According to taxonomy, there are basically two subspecies or types of African gray parrot that can be found in today’s pet trade: the Congo African gray and the Timneh African gray. The former type is characterized by being slightly larger than latter with bright, red tail feathers. The Timneh, on the other hand, is overall darker than the Congo African.

When it comes to temperament, there are significant differences between the two. Timnehs are believed to be more laid back and less prone to feather picking and other neurotic behaviors compared to the Congo African gray.

Generally, African Gray parrots live from 25 to 50 years depending on the history of the bird, lifestyle, stress factors, diseases, and another aspect that may affect its lifespan. When it comes to intelligence, this parrot species is considered as an extremely intelligent bird because of its ability to talk or mimic different sounds and noises and for having a unique capacity for putting their words and sounds into the right context.

Despite its admirable traits, there are some behavior issues you have to deal with when you possess an African Gray parrot. Because of their intelligence, this bird is quite demanding because you need to spend a lot of time in giving social contact and for mental stimulation. A lot of patience and attention should be given to these birds. These birds are also known for biting and feather picking when they get bored or depressed.

Here are some dos and don’ts in taking care of your African Gray parrot:

1. Make sure that you know the species of your parrot because having a good knowledge the will provide you better guidelines for taking care of it.

2. Make sure that you provide you African Gray with the basics it needs like large and safe cage, good and healthy diet, a wide range of toys, a dependable T-stand, as well as a gym or play stand, scale, and a commercial carrier.

3. If possible, take time off to talk to the breeder and pet shop assistants who have dealt with your parrot. Talking to them will give you an idea how the bird has been treated in the past.

4. Make sure that you objectively assess if the African Grey Parrot is compatible with your living space and lifestyle. Since these birds are quite demanding pets, attention and clean environment will keep them healthy and happy.

5. Because of its quite demanding nature, an African Grey parrot is not suitable for everyone. Make sure that you think a thousand times before purchasing it and have a written guarantee of its age if possible.

6. Never, ever buy an African Gray parrot on impulse because it can be quite stressful.

7. Don’t keep questions to yourself if you want to know something about the bird.

8. Don’t forget to make a list before you go to the breeder so you won’t miss out on important information you need to know in taking care of your pet.




Monday, December 11, 2017

PENGUINS

English: Emperor penguins Français : Manchots ...
Emperor penguins Français : Manchots empereurs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Penguins are classified as a type of bird even though they don’t fly. They are very fascinating to observe though. There are twenty different species of penguins that have been identified. Some live in the hot heat of Africa while others live in below freezing temperatures in Antarctica. They also vary in their body size and even the designs on them. Yet the all have some common elements in place.

Penguins engage in social behaviors with their colony and often live a very happy existence. They mate for life and that is very different from many other creatures out there. More than half of the human population can’t even say that anymore! They also take very good care of their young. The males play a very active role in caring for the eggs which is different again from other types of animals who leave the female to take care of it all on her own.

The diet of a penguin is mainly fish as they all tend to live very close to bodies of water. Even those in captivity at zoos have access to live fish and to plenty of water to swim in. Penguins are believed to be very intelligent creatures too. They are able to adapt to a variety of circumstances in order to survive. They are amazingly fast swimmers and they can do so for hours at a time.

They are also very curious creatures that won’t do harm to people or other animals. They seem to interact very well with humans. Yet most of the time this doesn’t happen so that they can be observed in their natural environment without any variations due to the appearance of humans around them. In some tourist locations though people walk up to the penguins all the time without incident.

When they are on land, the penguins really have no real predators to worry about. Those that live in the Antarctic due have the issue of the weather though. It does claim the life of hundreds of penguins annually. They do have predators in the water though in the form of leopard seals and sharks. Their black and white color helps to camouflage them against such predators while they are in the water.


Sunday, December 10, 2017

Why Are Some PARROTS Red

Red
Photo  by SFB579 . TNX for 2 Million views 
Red has been long known as the color love. It also signifies love and passion but also danger. People associate the color red with love, Valentines, danger, desire, speed, strength, violence, anger, emergency exit signs, stop signs, and blood. Its usual attributes are strength, force, power, control, and leadership. Stimulation, warmth, excitement, good health, physical energy, love, sex, passion, courage, and protection are also associated with this strong color. But in pet birds especially in parrots—being red is an entirely different story.

The red in parrots

When it comes to colors in parrots, the most common is green. But did you know that there is no pigment or tinge of green present in parrots’ feathers? According to experts, although parrots appear green, only pigments present in parrots’ feathers are red and yellow.

Red parrots becoming popular pet parrot preferences because they exude mystical beauty. But did you know that some parrots are red because of their melanin chemistry and feather structure?

Studies show that some parrots are red due to Tyndall Effect. During Tyndall Effect, light scatters, thus, reflecting off the feather structure. This process also results in the illusion of a variety of colors.

Another reason why some parrots are red is that specific kinds of this bird have pigments in their feathers called psittacine or carotenoids—the ones that give carrots and yellow squash their respective colors. These are usually influenced by certain environmental factors and elements like food intake or diet.
Experts found out that red parrots emerge because the colors of the nutritional elements of the food they take are intensified. Although foods don’t usually influence a parrot’s color, it is quite significant in the process because good food will result in good health shown in the sheen of a parrot’s feathers.

Since feathers are parrot’s—generally birds’—most distinctive characteristic, on-going studies about the coloration of parrots are conducted worldwide. Most of these studies have found out that a parrot’s color can mean several things like assertiveness and other behavioral contexts.

The most popular red parrot in pet trades today is the Red-Breasted Senegal. Although it has a moderate talking ability, many parrot enthusiasts purchase this red parrot because they are playful and independent Always climbing, chewing and playing with their toys, red-breasted Senegals are among the favorite selection of parrot pets because they have friendly nature and their ability to learn and perform tricks.

Since they create very low noise, this red parrot is suitable as a family pet bird especially for those who live in city apartments. Although it has a friendly nature, this red parrot should be handled and trained regularly so they will remain tame.




Saturday, December 9, 2017

Why do BIRDS scream

English: Pet Sun Conure (Aratinga solstitialis...
Pet Sun Conure (Aratinga solstitialis) demonstrating analytical puzzle solving skills.(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Boy if we had THE answer we’d be writing this from our yacht. But of course, I have to weigh in here. What got me thinking about the subject of “why birds scream,” is some recent web surfing.

I spend my days doing what many of you wish you could be doing, surfing the web for bird toys and parrot cages. The magic of the internet enables us to shop the world. In order for us to provide the best possible shopping experience. We look at lots of sites and products. Pricing is important but not our priority. We feel good information about parrots and general avian issues is the most important product we can offer. And we offer that for free. We like to know who’s selling what. We also like to see how well they’re selling it i.e. is the site easy to navigate. Do they offer multiple payment choices and so forth?

But I digress – So here I am on the of a national chain of pet supply products. They have an FAQ for bird ownership. Something we always applaud. Well, I’m reading the list and one of the topics is Why is my bird screaming? No real explanation is offered and at the end of the paragraph, they recommend taking your parrot to a vet if screaming persists.

Yikers! Screaming parrots – vets – why?

Let’s look at this logical folks, not that parrots are logical but they are creatures of habit. One of the things we learned from Michelle Karras www.thepoliteparrot.com is silence means danger! If you have a flock of wild parrots in trees (in their natural environment) or even a flock of local wild birds in your backyard. On any given sunny day a flock of birds will make a lot of noise – it’s all about FLOCK. Chirp, chirp, scream, scream. What are they communicating about? Same things we do. “Find any food lately? Yeah, they had a great sale on worms about a mile from here.” 

SILENCE means danger! If you’ve ever seen a hawk fly over a flock of wild birds, you swear you can hear the sound of the hawk’s wings flapping. That’s one of the reasons parrots come in so many colors. If they’re quiet and deep in a tree they are difficult to spot. When that danger passes its chirp, chirp, scream, scream. So again I ask, “is screaming a reason to run to the vet? I don’t think so. 

Something we hear a lot of is - people will have a screaming bird (usually newbie’s) and the bird will scream for whatever reason. What does their human companion do? Yell SHUT UP! And what does the parrot do? SCREAM SOME MORE!

Again I fall back on my good friend logic. The bird screams, you scream back. Do you think there may be a slight chance that when you scream back the bird might be thinking “hey – this is great!  Someone is finally squawking back at me “hey SCREAM, SCREAM, please scream back some more, I’m lonely you’re my flock and I need to talk to someone than you?”

Begin to see where I’m going with this grasshopper? OK so now you know one of the whys. Here’s a little tip from Michelle Karras www.thepoliteparrot.com that may work for you:

Excessive screaming is a learned behavior that we teach our birds.  Covering your feathered companion with a blanket teaches him or her that you will cover the cage when scream gets out of hand.

Yelling at a screaming parrot gives the parrot the attention it seeks.  Ignoring a screaming parrot is not the answer either. Ignoring bird’s screams could result in finding injuries too late (or water had run out).  Options are to make sure all your Psittacines needs are satisfied.  Large hygienic cage, clean water, fresh food, working toys. Twelve hours of sleep (uninterrupted), softwood and other materials to chew, and plenty of exercises. 


Start with a signal to stop loud parrots. Ring a cowbell (or bang a pot)  in the room next to the screaming bird. They hear the bell (sound), they stop to listen, Show up from the other room while they are quiet to praise and reward. Set them up to succeed.  Use a time when you know they are quite loud. Distract them with a new noise in the next room.  As soon as they stop to listen, appear and praise.  

Lengthen the time between the signal and your appearance each time.  Try and take a whole day at first and only work with the parrot and the screaming. Initial rewards should be substantial, a known favorite treat. Use the same signal just before feeding fresh food.  Wait until the parrot is noisy; give the signal, praise, and feed.  

Not all parrots will quiet down for the same signal so you may have to try several noises before finding the one that works for you. 

Note: Do not use your voice. They may try to mimic you.

 Scream time is a time during the day that you allow your parrots to be noisy.  This should be given somewhere between 3p.m. and 7p.m. each day.  Encourage your parrots by playing stimulating music. Dance, sing or scream along with them. Scream time should last no less than 15minutes and no more than 1/2 hour each day.  

Some parrots enjoy screaming to the vacuum, this is fine to encourage but play music as well.  Find music that your parrot gets excited over. Use that same song every day for scream time. Change the music from time to time but be consistent overall.  When Scream time is over, lower the music volume Talk your parrot down. Lower the music slowly, turn it off, and play their relaxation code music. Give them afternoon snacks when “cool down” is over.  

Birds will wait for their "Scream Time” because they know they will be rewarded for their patience.




Friday, December 8, 2017

Busy Beak are Happy beaks

Talking Parrot with perch toy
Photo  by m01229 
Good toys have different shapes and textures for the bird to explore and destroy.  At least three toys should make a bird work for food    Working toys are toys that make them work for their treats or favored foods. Parrots in the wild will spend the majority of their waking hours, hunting and foraging. Toys stimulate their mind and help replicate actions they would execute in the wild. Proper toys and placement enhance a Psittacines life in captivity.

Parrots think they’re working for food while avicultural outsider sees birds playing with toys as birds; playing with bird toys. Your companion parrot is always thinking, and since nothing has changed in their minds, playing with toys is their job. It’s what Mother Nature gave them to survive, this need to forage. If you provide no means of foraging, your bird will seek other avenues. It may be furniture or personal effects. Usually, because they are easy and plentiful targets. It’s important to encourage your companion parrot to work for food because it’s a natural behavior. 

Three or four toys should be made of softwood. Softwood allows you to push your fingernail in forming an indent.  

The next toys depend on the bird. Large birds like macaws and Cockatoos may have a huge appetite. Introduce hardwood toys into cages and perhaps toys with hard plastics so they can spend more time on the various pieces. Toys may be strung together with rope, leather, chain or a combination of materials.

The balance of toys should be easily shredded. Toys may be store bought or homemade. Parrot toy parts are available and help keep toy making economical.  Softwood, paper, leather and other textures are important for the bird to explore and destroy

Introduce pieces of food like broccoli or corn, using one of many commercially available or homemade toy holders. The food on the toy holder rewards them for playing.

The more textures, shapes, sizes, and colors the better.  Diversity is important because in the wild your birds eat a diverse diet. An eclectic selection of toys helps maintain your feathered companions interest.

 Watch a bird in its natural habitat and you’ll see them chewing soft bark and hard tree trunks. Toys made from compressed palm leaf or treated Yucca introduces hours of “pecking pleasure” Interactive toys made from Plexiglas are very effective at reducing birdie boredom.

The majority of toys should hang or be placed in the upper third of the cage. Introduce a few more to the middle third (without hampering access to food dishes) around a perch made from softwood, comfortable to grasp depending on the size of the bird’s feet. The bottom third of the cage should remain relatively uncluttered to allow the bird to walk freely.

Spot-check toys and perches on a daily basis looking for frayed or sharp edges that may potentially harm your bird.

The more you change the toy and perch arrangement, the more you challenge your companion parrot. It helps them socialize and helps avoids “toy-phobia” 
Parrots can develop phobic reactions to new people, new furniture, and even new birds.

Toys from household items

Cornhusks
Adding machine tape
Toilet paper roll
Nuts hidden in nested paper cups
Phonebook slipped through cage bars
Wrapped straws – cable tied
Fortune cookies
Saltine cracker packet
Junk mail
Cotton swabs
Doggie rawhide 
Shoelaces strung with beads or Cheerios 
Branches with leaves           
Breakfast-food bowl with newspaper taped to top





Thursday, December 7, 2017

DUCKS

The Mallards, the archetypal "wild ducks&...
The Mallards, the archetypal "wild ducks", probably the best-known and most recognizable of all ducks, are dabbling ducks who breed throughout the temperate and sub-tropical areas of North America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand (where they are currently the most common duck species), and Australia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Ducks are classified as birds and there are many different species of them. They feature different colors and different sizes as adults. Most species of ducks are very smart animals. They can fly but most of them are content to stay in a location where they have food, water, and companionship. Males and females pair off until the female has laid her eggs and then she is alone to take care of her young. The number of eggs she will lay depends on the species. It can be from 6-12 and the incubation period can be from 45-60 days.

The female ducks in all species seem to take very good care of their young. They lay their eggs and then the babies are able to swim as soon as they are born. They will line up and follow their mother. Ducks will follow the first thing they see when they are born which can be funny if that isn’t their own mother. She will teach them how to gather food and they will stay with her until they are mature enough to fully care for themselves. Most will still stay together though.

Some species of ducks are hunted for food. Many areas allow duck hunting season to take place due to the large numbers of them. Overpopulation can result in problems due to not enough food for them. This hunting season is generally in the early winter time when most are heading south for the winter. You will need to look into the specifics of duck hunting in your area.

Some hunters use decoys as well to get those they wish to hunt into the area. They display what looks like a real duck. They also use calls to make the sounds of that species of duck. The males will come to check out what they think is a female calling them and then they will be shot. Some people raise ducks on farms in order to sale them for food once they are adults.

Not all species of duck though are good for eating. You will need to know what you should be after if you want to eat this type of bird. Many people don’t like the taste of duck but if you haven’t tried it you may want to at least experiment so you can get a taste of it.