How a Swainson Toucan Sleeps March 31, 2008

Photo by Jamieleigh
Location: Reno, Nevada
Sleeper: Swainson Toucan “Meaka”

 

One of my favorite things about Toucans is how they sleep. This picture is of Meaka, a Swainson Toucan I adopted from a lady in Sandpoint, Idaho of all places. She owned a petshop there and Meaka’s original name was Skittles. She didn’t know her name yet, so I chose to rename her. Her most commonly used nicknames was “Sneak a peak Meak” because she was always really quiet as if sneaking around and always curious about what everyone was doing so she would constantly look around or try to see around the nearest corner.

 

Meaka was around a year old or so when I adopted her, the same age as Fiji, my other Swainson Toucan of whom I had since she was 6 months old.

 

This photo was taken while we were on the road, in a hotel bathroom where Meaka got the entire thing to herself! I think the way toucan’s sleep is the most adorable position - especially how they get into it. If only I could catch that on video! They will begin my fluffing up and getting really cozy in their spot of choice. Once they are fluffed they will move their head up and down on their back feathers and if to burrow a spot for their beak to eventually sit. Then they will ruffle again, and stick their tail straight up in the air! This is hilarious because you can then see the orange-red colored feathers they have that you can’t usually see otherwise. Once their confident in the fact that they’re going to sleep, they ruffle a bunch more and tune their head back finding a comfortable spot in their back feathers. The feathers then fluff from there, burrowing around their head and good luck waking them up from there!

 

My toucans are the deepest sleepers out of my entire flock and if you do manage to wake them, they will be the most confused animal you’ve ever seen! They need around 12-14 hours of sleep and if they don’t get it, you’re done for! Meaka is now a breeder bird in the proud home of Emerald Forest Birds. You can check out their website to see her in their beautiful large aviaries in Fallbrook, California.

Cuttlebone and Calcium Perches March 31, 2008

In my opinion, cuttlebone perches are one of the best inventions for parrots of all-time! My entire flock loves these perches in every flavor. I love giving my birds the colored perch that matches them. For example, I tend to mix it up but I find it a great photo opportunity to give Cash, my military macaw, a kiwi flavored cuttlebone perch so that it turns his beak and feet green to match the rest of him! My rose breasted cockatoo gets strawberry-banana ones and so on so that the pink beak and feet match the rest of her, too!

 

 

 

I actually do not have a single bird who has disliked these perches. They make them in all different sizes which you can order from your local petshop or online. They make them from large to small; for macaws to budgies!

 

These perches are not just great for the nutrients they provide your parrot with but also with the beak and nail trimming they induce as well. These perches will keep your bird busy until the entire thing is free from cuttlebone and I find that they are found to be more fun for the bird to devour than just placing a spare, single piece of cuttlebone in the cage for your bird to take interest in.

 

Why do parrots need cuttlebone and calcium in their diets? To provide strong bones, proper muscle functions, egg development and to prevent common health problems including egg binding. So do your bird a favor and get them one of these cuttlebone perches to see how they like it!

Target Training and Clicker Conditioning March 27, 2008

Photo by Dave
Location: Orlando, Florida
Trainee: Congo African Grey “Cressi”

 

I just began target training our new Congo African Grey, Cressi. She caught on super fast to it and is learning the clicker more and more at the same time. She’s still hand feeding but should be fully weaned soon enough. She’s so smart and it’s neat to watch her learn and grow. She is already mimicking the parakeets and Bondi, our galah.

 

For those of you that may be unfamiliar with target training, it’s a really great behavior to teach to birds who may be nippy and bite a lot. It gives them something to bite in the training process and saves you from being the one to get bit in the process.

 

It’s best to “clicker condition” your bird before target training. Here is what a variety of what clickers can look like! If your bird is scared of the noise a clicker makes (as some birds aren’t properly desensitized) you can also use a verbal cue or a whistle as your event marker. It is, however, best and more efficient for your bird to use a clicker so it’s best to get your bird used to the sound it makes. Even if you have to have someone else click it from another room and work their way closer, click and reward until your bird associates that clicker’s noise positively.

 

 

To clicker condition your parrot, simply set your bird on a perch and click and reward. All you are trying to do is teach your bird that when he or she hears the click of the clicker, he or she gets a reward. A clicker is an event marker to signify the exact moment when your bird does something correctly. Once your bird starts looking and anticipating his reward (whether it’s a sunflower seed or small part of a peanut, the reward should be your bird’s favorite treat) then you know he understands the click. This when you can move on to incorporating the target stick.

 

My personal preference of a target stick is a brand new set of chopsticks!

 

 

However, a target stick can be a number of things. I’ve seen videos where people use the eraser part of a pencil, the cap of a pen, or even a laser pointer. Anything that won’t be harmful to your bird, you can use as your targetting stick.

 

Target training is so much easier than people think. It’s almost so simple that it becomes over analyzed. Simply hold the target stick in the proximity of your bird; do not poke your bird or bring it too close. Simply just have it within reach. When your bird leans forward towards it or even comes close, click and reward. Eventually he will come closer and closer and once he touches the end of the target stick with his beak, click and reward. This is the behavior you want.

 

Larger birds tend to try to break the target stick so be careful not to reinforce destroying it if you have a larger bird (such as a macaw or cockatoo) you just want them to touch the end of the stick.

 

Targetting is used on a lot of different types of animals. People use this method of training to get horses to go into trailers and such things. The purpose of teaching your bird to target is so that you can tame and train your bird. Targetting can happen while your bird is INSIDE his cage! You can start by targetting your bird around his cage first, and eventually out onto your hand.

 

Photo by Dave
Location: Orlando, Florida
Trainee: Galah “Bondi”

 

This is my rose breasted cockatoo (also known as a galah from Australia) being targetted onto my hand. Birds will be a little resistant the first time, but eventually you can get them to comfortably stand on your hand via targetting. Make sure to target them OFF your hand as well, so all is safe to them and they realize they can do both. Eventually, you can lift your hand and click and they will slowly get used to being held up on your hand.

 

If you bird is fully flighted, you can flight train your bird using targetting.

Toxins: Household and Environmental March 23, 2008

Photo by Jamieleigh
Location: Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands
Smiling: Blue and Gold Macaw “Chayko”

 

My parrots are just like kids, and I know that for most if not all bird owners, yours are too. Even if you already have kids, they’re just like kids and if you don’t, even moreso. Above is an image of my blue and gold macaw, Chayko. He was named while on a road trip between Nevada and California. I combined two cities and came up with Chayko. He is about 6 months old in this picture and clipped from the breeder.

 

Most people are unaware of how to “bird proof” their home, just like with having to “baby proof” it when expecting a child. Parrots have very sensitive respitory systems which in turn means that a lot of chemicals people use nowadays, are very harmful to your bird and potentionally toxic.

 

Although it may seem like a great idea to use some branches from your trees outside and bring in some wild flowers and leaves for your bird to chew on - rather than spending loads of money at your petshop nearby - this can be very harmful for your bird as some foliage, twigs and braches are unsafe for your bird.

 

Because of how much information can be out there, I want to go over both safe and unsafe toxins so not to lead to any mishaps. All lists are in alphabetical order to make it easier for you to look up something specific.  

 

Safe Twigs and Branches

 

• Ash
• Citrus (Any)
• Dogwood
• Elm
• Eucalyptus
• Guava
• Madrona
• Magnolia
• Manzanita
• Nut (Except Chestnut and Oak)
• Papaya
• Pine
• Prune
• Ribbonwood
• Sassafras
• Thurlow
• Vine Maple
• Willows (Goat, Pussy and Weeping)

Safe Foliage

• Acacia
• Aloe
• African Violet
• Baby’s Tears
• Bamboo
• Begonia
• Boston Fern
• Bougainvillea
• Chickweed
• Christmas Cactus
• Cissus (Kangaroo Vine)
• Coleus
• Corn Plant
• Crabapple
• Dandelion
• Dogwood
• Donkey Tail
• Dracaena Varieties
• Ferns (Bird’s Nest, Boston, Maidenhair)
• Figs (Creeping, Rubber)
• Fiddle Leaf, Laurel Leaf
• Gardenia
• Grape Ivy
• Hen and Chickens
• Impatiens
• Jade Plant
• Kalanchoe
• Magnolia
• Marigolds
• Monkey Plant
• Nasturtium
• Natal Plum
• Norfolk Island Pine
• Orchids
• Palms (Areca, Date, Fan, Lady, Parlour, Howeia, Kentia, Phownix, Sago)
• Pepperomia
• Petunia
• Pittosporum
• Prayer Plant
• Purple Passion
• Rose
• Rubber Plant
• Schefflera
• Sensitive Plant
• Snake Plant
• Spider Plant
• Swedish Ivy
• Thistle
• Velvet Nettle
• White Clover
• Yucca
• Zebra Plant
• Zinnia

 

Below is a list of household toxins your parrot should never ever injest. These items are toxic to your feathered friends and are what is involved with bird proofing your home. 

 

 

Household Toxins

• Alcoholic Drinks, Alcohol in general
• Ammonia
• Antifreeze
• Ant Syrup or Paste
• Arsenic
• Asbestos
• Auto Products
• Avacado
• Bathroom Cleaners
• Bleach (If you choose to use bleach as a cleaner, it must be very diluted)
• Boric Acid
• Camphophenique
• Carbon Monoxide
• Carpet Cleaners
• Carpet Fresheners
• Charcoal Fluids
• Chlordaine
• Chlorine
• Chocolate
• Cigarette Smoke
• Clinitest Tablets
• Copper and Brass Cleaners
• Corn and Wart Remover
• Deodorants
• Detergents
• Diazinon
• Disinfectants
• Drain Cleaners
• Epoxy Glue
• Felt tip Markers
• Flea Products
• Floor Polish
• Formaldehyde
• Furniture Polish
• Garden Sprays
• Gasoline
• Gun Cleaners
• Hair Dyes and Sprays
• Herbicides
• Insecticides
• Iodine
• Kerosene
• Lighter Fluid
• Lye
• Matches
• Melalueca Oil
• Model Cement
• Mothballs
• Muriatic Acid
• Mushrooms
• Nail Polish and Nail Polish Remover
• Nitrogen Dioxide
• Oven Cleaner
• Overheaded Non Stick Cookware
• Paint and Thinner
• Perfume
• Permanents
• Pesticides
• Photo Solutions
• Pine Oil
• RX Drugs
• Rodenticides
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Scented Candles/Oils
• Shaving Lotion
• Shellac
• Shoe Polish
• Snail Bait
• Spot Removers
• Spray Starch
• Strychnine
• Sulfuric Acid
• Super Glue
• Suntan Lotions and Oils
• Surgical Acrylics
• Tea Tree Oil
• Turpentine
• Wax
• Weed Killers
• Window Cleaners
• Wood Preservatives

 

I may make a post in the future with a list of toxic plants and foliage but I didn’t want this one becoming too insanely long and scare people away from actually reading it as I believe the information is invaluable.

Fiji’s New Favorite Playtime: Shredded Newspaper March 22, 2008

Photo by Jamieleigh
Location: Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands
Playmate: Swainson Toucan “Fiji”

 

Fiji is my four year old Swainson Toucan. I’ve raised her since she was six months old and she is so different from my parrots. Everything from her mannerisms to what she likes to eat in her diet, to her entire diet completely, actually! Most newcomers are most intimidated by Fiji because of the size of her beak. I don’t blame them, it sure does look as strong as it is.

 

While cleaning cages yesterday, I happened to put a small stack of newspaper on top of Fiji’s cage instead of on the floor as I usually wood. As I replaced her cage with fresh newspaper, I noticed her take an interest in the newspaper on top of her cage. She tried pulling it between the bars but quickly became frustrated that it could barely come through. I took a few pieces and shredded them into long pieces and put them on top. Sure enough, she hopped over and began playing with them immediately! It is now the new “cage cleaning ritual” that Fiji gets to play with the shreds on top while her cage is being cleaned. She eventually pulls them all through and lets them float to the bottom where they are then disposed of. She’s so cute about it though; she will actually watch the pieces flutter all the way to the bottom of the cage before going for more pieces. I love when you discover new playtimes your birds really enjoy.

 

Fiji is also adapting well with the changing of her toys. She used to take it pretty stressfully when we would change out a new toy but when we did it yesterday she welcomed the new toys with excitement which I’ve never seen her do before. And this wasn’t just adding one new toy - it was transitioning all but one of her current toys for new ones! I felt her cage needed some revamping and I decided to keep a “toy bin” of toys to have on hand so changing them out comes easier and faster. If I can just keep a stash of toys, it makes it easier on both me and my birds.

 

Just for fun, I thought I’d make a list of Fiji’s favorite playtimes;

 

• Squishy Balls (she’s a great catch-player)
• Drawstrings (mostly on sweatshirts but pant related strings will do the trick, too)
• Any type of toy with a bell on it
• Face masks (the type that cover your eyes)
• Shredded Newspaper

I love how as we grow up with our feathered friends, we learn things about them no one else knows or may understand. Fiji is such an avid traveler with me that she can drink from a water bottle! I’ve even carried her through cruise ship buffet lines before, dropping fruit into the opening of her carry bag - with the person behind me wondering what type of horrible creature is in there growling at her!

A Trick to Getting your Parrot to Eat Healthy March 18, 2008

 

 Photo by Dave
Location: Orlando, Florida
Eater: Rose Breasted Cockatoo “Bondi”

 

My galah is the last of my flock who chooses to eat anything that might even be considered healthy for her. She won’t try anything new unless I try it first and only wants a piece of whatever I touched, not the next one on the plate.

 

Well, I finally got her to try eating the white part of an egg and she loves it! I’m really impressed as it’s one of the only healthy things she will now eat (aside from her pellet diet, forget it, greens!)

 

I’ve noticed with raising our new Congo African Grey parrot around Bondi, that if Cressi (the grey) tries something, Bondi gets more interested in it. Almost as though if it’s good enough for Cressi, it’s good enough for Bondi. It has been a serious trick I’ve been using more - and yesterday I caught Bondi with a purple beak from sharing in the fresh fruit I provided the two of them with (they are now sharing a cage).

 

Ever since discovering the fact that Bondi is interested in foods that Cressi likes, I have gotten her to eat the following healthy foods:

 

• The white part of a hard boiled egg (the yoke is high in saturated fat)
• Oatmeal
• Various fruit such as black berries, raspberries, oranges and plums
• Cooked pasta

 

It has been fun watching these two girls interact with one another and learn from each other. I’m hoping to eventually have Bondi tricked into eating vegetables soon enough!

Nail Trimming March 18, 2008

When it comes to trimming my own parrot’s nails, I’m a total wuss. I don’t want to associated with an experience that my birds could find negative. So, I find it easiest to provide my birds with the neccessary supplies to keep their nails finely trimmed themselves. These supplies include an array of different types, textures, diameters, lengths and sizes of perches in their cage at all times. These different types of perches will keep your bird’s nails trimmed back at a healthy length for both you and your bird.

 

 I prefer to do my shopping online, but you can find these perches at any local pet store. I really love the variety Pet Discounters offer, so I will use their products as my examples.

 

 A big hit with my birds are the Cuttlebone and Calcium perches. These come in an assortment of different colors, variations and flavors. These will not only serve as a perch and great supplement treat, but will also help in keeping your bird’s beak trimmed as well. They even have these perches in small enough sizes for parakeets!

 

Concrete, sandpaper and cement perches can be great for trimming back the strong and thick nails of your larger birds such as your macaws and cockatoos. The twisted perches make it so that your bird’s feet are less likely to cramp up. Though if you keep a variety of perches, you shouldn’t have to worry about that happening at all. I keep an array of these types of perches for my birds for high perching and additional climbing.

 

         

 

If push comes to shove and for whatever reason, my parrot’s nails feel too sharp for me, I will team up with my husband and we will clip them ourselves. It’s best to be shown how to properly clip your bird’s nails by an Avian Specialist. They can demonstrate how to do it to your bird at your next check up or you can schedule your bird to have his nails clipped by your vet as often as needed so it’s always done professionally. If you decide to do it yourself, be careful as to only clip the very tip of the nail. If you clip too much it will make your bird’s nail bleed and can harm your bird.

 

My military macaw, Cash, will literally hang on to the cage bars at one side of his cage and stare lovingly at my husband as he clips his nails through the cage bars. Anything for my husband’s undivided attention!

 

Once in a while my rose breasted cockatoo, Bondi, will perch on the sink faucet and allow me to clip her nails there as she stands still. Usually, however, she will change her mind half way through and we will then gently towel her to finish the rest of her nails. Luckily for me, I’ve always held Bondi close, cuddled her in blankets and sweatshirts, and hugged her often. She has no fear of being wrapped up in a towel and I’ve made sure to condition this from day one.

 

While one of us holds Bondi wrapped up in a towel, the other person trims her nails. When we’re all done, we set her down and take off the towel followed up by loud celebration that she did such a good job. She immediately goes into her signature “rock out” dance followed by a kiss for each of us. We the move on to the next exciting adventure for the day.

 

With my older umbrella cockatoo, Linus, when we clipped his nails we had to act like we saved him from the mean actions of the towel. He was an adopted bird, and for whatever reason in his previous ownerships, a towel was made out to be a negative thing for him. However, we were still able to make the clipping fun for him by celebrating the fact that we saved him from the towel afterwards and most importantly, associated ourselves positively.

 

Once your bird realizes the trimming of his nails won’t hurt him (it’s the same as us clipping our own nails) it’s uphill from there!

Bathing Your Parrot Properly March 13, 2008

 

Photo by Jamieleigh
Location: Orlando, Florida
Bather: Rose Breasted Cockatoo “Bondi”

 

I’ve always had a very diverse flock. Because of this, all my birds have reacted differently to certain aspects of thier life. For instance; bathing.

 

My larger parrots such as my Rose Breasted Cockatoo (Galah), Congo African Grey, Blue and Gold Macaws, Military Macaw, and Swainson Toucans have always preferred to either bathe in the natural rain water outside, in the shower with me, or in a large bowl.

 

When I first got my galah, Bondi, she wouldn’t bathe for months. She hated any form of  water. I took off on a cruise ship job and was forced to leave her behind with my parents. They had no prior experience with birds before except for a parakeet named Skuttles (yes, after the seagull on the Little Mermaid) that I had when I was in kindergarten.

 

They looked up tons of training courses online where they learned how to teach her “the retrieve” and how to talk. And they are the ones that got her to bathe. She loved to play in the sink, running in and out of the flowing water. Eventually, when I came home, she started showering with me. One hotel in particular that we stayed at together had a railing at which she loved the positioning. I turned around after pushing the soap from my eyes and saw how much she was enjoying catching the mist off my back. Ever since, she has been an avid shower taker!

 

 

Photos by Jamieleigh
Location: Orlando, Florida
Pictured: Solid White Parakeets “Nikko” and “Visa”

 

As far as my budgies/parakeets were always concerned, they have always loved being misted by a spray bottle on a nice, sunny day. I’ve noticed none of them want to be wet when it’s gloomy outside. And if you pay attention to wild birds, they prefer to bathe in the sunshine too. I love to move their cages outside to bathe them so they soak up the sun in the process (making it so they dry off easier and get some fresh air, always able to get out of the direct ray of light if needed).

 

There are so many ways to bathe your birds, it’s just finding out which way they like it. My blue and gold macaws (Jersey and Chayko) would only bathe in a huge dish that could fit them both. They were sprayed by a bad animal trainer before and were traumatized by any sort of water coming out towards them in any form. However, if you got a huge dish they could both splash in, they were happy as could be. From the dish, we were able to show them that a shower was okay, too. If one bird sees the other try something new, chances are, he will try it too!

 

 

To recap, here are all the different ways you can try getting your bird to enjoy bathing:

 

• Invest in a shower perch and let your bird shower with you. Let him catch the mist off your back; never directly spray your bird with a stream of water.
• Try taking your bird on a walk outside on a  naturally rainy day, see how he reacts to being sprinkled on. Some birds love rain and thunderstorms, especially larger birds such as macaws.
• Let your bird explore the sink while you run a light stream of water from the faucet. The water will create mist which your bird can then choose to run in and out of, or simply ignore.
• Buy a spray bottle only for holding water and try misting your bird with it. Make sure the settings are on mist, and not one hard stream as this can be seen as punishment towards your bird if it comes across negative or hurtful.
• Provide your bird with a shallow dish large enough to make a splash in. Some birds will use their own water dishes to bathe in so make sure he has an extra one so he’s not drinking his bath water.
• Let your bird shower without you there. Put your bird on a shower perch and aim the shower head at a wall where it can bounce off to create mist for your bird(s). My doves love this and actually prefer not to be perching while doing this but your bird may prefer to perch if it’s not a dove. Everything is up to your bird’s personal preference.