The Lovebird Dilemma

Some months back, I hand fed three lovebird chicks, weaned them, and found homes for them. They were calm, sweet babies and I am sure they bonded with their new flock quickly. By the time I emptied them out of brooder and cage, there were three more chicks in the nest.

Parrot Envy

My readers both know that Maynard, my double yellow headed Amazon parrot, is my fair haired – er, feathered, child. He gets more treats, out time, and conversations than the other birds in the flock. Some of this is because he demands it. But part of it is that he’s just such a joy and a love.

A Cockatiel Can’t Deal with Change

Note: This story was originally written for the North County Aviculturists’ Newsletter, AviNews in 2008. I no longer have TJ and some of my teils are outside these days.

All of my cockatiels are housed inside my living room, and given the run of the house every other night or so. Few of them like to leave the living room, and some nights they just don’t want to leave the cage. It’s more often a summer night that has them out looking around, and more often the youngsters than the older birds. Just for references, I have 14 cockatiels, one that was purchased, the rest rehomed to us.

Alternative Medicine for Pets

When our companion animals suffer, we want to stop the pain and would go to extremes to help them out. True guardians of animals are even willing to let them slip away in a painless manner rather than keep them holding on, in pain and often fear. Our grief will be with us forever, but their pain can stop.

A Valentine for Your Fids

Birds can’t have some of the treats we associate with Valentine’s Day, like chocolate and spirits, so lets see if there are substitutes they will enjoy more. I’ll try to include finches, small parrots, and the big parrots as much as possible.

Bird People

My walking partner commented the other day that I will smile and say hello to people I have never seen before and might never see again. It’s true. If I make eye-contact with someone, I want to smile and greet them. I guess I would be a social bird and part of a flock if I was an avian life-form.

Bird Inventory

Since I retired over a year ago, I have been amazed at how little time I seem to have available. Of course, I am spending a lot of time exercising and more time cleaning the house. And there’s the writing. I really expected to be doing better by my flock, and have come to the realization I need to cut down.

For the Love of Birds

I realized I told you the story of how birds came into my life and how I got hooked on them. But I didn’t go deep enough to explain why I love them so much. And chances are I can’t actually explain that to you. But possibly you, too, know the feelings.