How to Spend More Time With Your Pet Parrot July 19, 2008

It can overwhelming thinking about how much of your time your pet parrot requires. Is 30 minutes a day enough if I dedicate it all to my bird? Is two hours more likely? What is too much? When it comes to a parrot, to them, there is no such thing as “too much time together”. Heck, if it wasn’t dangerous for my birds to be with me 24/7, they probably would! Thank goodness for my logical half…

 

Birds don’t always need to have your 100% attention when they are out or need to be trained every time they come out of their cage. Parrots like to just hang out, too, just like people do. So include them when that is what you’re doing.

 

Here are some things I do in order to spend more time with my pet parrots since I have a rather large flock;

 

1. Chores - Include Your Parrot.

 

My birds keep me company while I do things around the house such as put the dishes away, rinse anything in the sink, vaccuum (where desensitizing comes into play), make the bed and fold and put away the laundry. I let my African Grey hang out on my shoulder as I fold and she will become content there and begin to preen herself or practice on her talking skills. My galah does the same thing and they are easy shoulder birds.  

 

Location: Orlando, Florida
Keeping Me Company: Congo African Grey ”Cressi”
Chore: Laundry

 

2. Changing Cages - Include Your Bird.

 

While I change cages, I let the birds out of the cage I am changing and they hang out on a Manzanita tree playing with various toys and working on their whistling skills. This allows them more “out of cage” time to just hang out.

 

3. Watching a Movie/TV - Include Your Bird.

 

If you’re simply lounging around watching a movie or a show on TV, invite your pet parrot to join! They appreciate some cuddle time, especially at night before bed time, and are the most mellow then. Many photos seen here and here are taken during movie/TV time!

 

4. Showering - Include Your Bird.

 

Invest in a shower perch and shower with your bird! There’s plenty of room and they love catching the mist off your back. More on parrot bathing.

 

5. Taking a Walk - Include Your Bird.

 

More in detail about how to take your bird on a walk outdoors safely and how it helps socialize them to new people at my blog entitled Taking Your Bird on Walks. Know the area, know the time of day and the predators. Don’t just stick your bird on your shoulder and go on a walk and think a hungry hawk won’t see it as easy prey.

 

So think about the every day things you do that might be more entertaining if done with your bird. And think about how much your bird will appreciate it, too. It doesn’t mean you have to do it everytime, but it is a nice surprise for your pet parrot, just like receiving a vase of flowers to your door would be to you.

Working With Birds July 3, 2008

Photo by Dave
Location: Moab, Utah
Filming: Blue Throated Macaw “Gleam”
Without the help of: Calico Macaw “Siren”

 

How lucky I am! This is what I do for a living, well, among other things I choose to do on the side but this is my primary passion (although it wasn’t always this way) and I love it to the fullest extent. Though, you know, that probably isn’t true because I haven’t even experienced it all and everytime I experience something new, I fall that much more in love with what I do (and a bit more confused, too!)

 

Those who know me know I do not claim to be all knowing… in the least! I have been bitten my fair share of times and I am sure they will continue to come. Bites come from intentions, discomfort and even accidents.

 

I learn constantly and am always going back into my posts every so often and adding things as they come into my head and into my line of vision.

 

My favorite times in bird training have been with flight training and trick training. I have found (so far) that birds that are flying outside have less of an interest in trick training (as well as less of a need) than birds that do not get that freedom.

 

Photo by Dave
Location: Reno, Nevada
My Little Helper: Swainson Toucan “Meaka”

 

Most people in social jobs say they enjoy meeting new people, well, I can happily say I enjoy meeting new birds! I really enjoy raising birds for other people and training them for other people and although it is hard to hand them back over to their real “parronts”, the time comes and you feel proud. You don’t ever “get used to it” because your experience with one bird is completely different than the one you will have with the same species of bird the next time.

 

The best times I have are traveling with my feathered friends to new places and exploring it along with them. I love experiencing something new with my birds; such as a new place, scenery, or even object. I have a great time “desensitizing” and socializing my birds. It is harder at first, but once they get used to change and start seeing new things as exciting and fun instead of intimidating and scary… it becomes so enjoyable and rewarding.

 

Two rules I strictly follow with my birds which I believe everyone should try to follow, too;

 

1. Socialize your bird like crazy. Introduce one new person a day (neighbors, family, friends, kids, spouses, fellow workers, bosses, anyone!) It will do wonders for your bird.

 

2. Introduce one new thing a day, such as an object. This works well for “desensitizing” your bird to new things so he takes on to new toys in his cage easier and doesn’t spook when someone sets down their homework or drops their pen near them. These can be normal, every day things such as draw strings from your sweater, a pen, your car keys, your husband’s watch, your wife’s lipstick, etc.

 

PS… this doesn’t mean give your bird the new object and let him “have at it”, just introduce it and make sure it becomes unthreatening to your bird and the job is done. You just don’t want your bird  to fear the new object, once that is accompished, you’re done!

 

Anyway, I hope those of you that do come across this blog enjoy it as much as I enjoy reliving my experiences while telling about them here!

Telling Secrets April 16, 2008

 

I don’t know about your feathered friends, but mine tell me their deepest darkest secrets.

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!