Before Buying An Exotic Pet, Please Do Your Homework First

Whether they are hamsters, parrots or iguanas, exotic pets have specific veterinary needs. Don’t get an exotic pet until you read this first.

What is an exotic pet? Good question.

In my experience, it’s anything but a dog or a cat. That leaves a lot of fantastic creatures that people keep in their homes in between the “dog” and “cat” label.

Veterinarians usually specialize in large or small animal medicine. Large means, well, large, like cows and horses. Throw in the other ruminants — and don’t forget the poultry. “Small animal medicine” means dogs and cats.

To read more on this story, click here: Before Buying An Exotic Pet, Please Do Your Homework First

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Stunning Plumage Of Crested Pigeon Stand Out In The World Of Birds (10 Pics &video))

If startled, this pigeon takes to the air with a characteristic whistling flight, and glides with down-turned wings. The whistling sound is produced by the air passing over a modified primary feather on the wing. Upon landing, the pigeon swings its tail high in the air.

To read more on this story, click here: Stunning Plumage Of Crested Pigeon Stand Out In The World Of Birds (10 Pics &video))

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Photographer Captures Tiny Bird Using A Flower Petal As Her Bathtub

 “This was really a once-in-a-lifetime moment.” Rahul Singh is a wildlife photographer that has managed to a lot of amazing shots with a wide range of different animal species. These include elephants, deer, jackals, monkeys and rhinos. As beautiful as these may be, his real passion is capturing photos of colorful birds he can find nesting in his home city.

Wildlife photographer Rahul Singh has managed to a lot of amazing shots with a wide range of different animal species. These include elephants, deer, jackals, monkeys and rhinos. As beautiful as these may be, his real passion is capturing photos of colorful birds he can find nesting in his home city. This is the moment that left him stunned.

"I visited a place where there were bushes of these ornamental bananas to take photos of sunbirds sucking nectar from it." "Everything was going as usual when, suddenly, I was shocked that the crimson sunbird started taking a bath in the water stored in the banana flower petal." The red petaled flower in these photos is called the banana flower, and it collected water from the early morning drizzle in one of its petals.

The tiny crimson sunbird, which only stretches to 4 inches long made the most of the opportunity to cool down on a hot day. After filling up on nectar, the mini songbird cooled down in the petal 'bathtub'. This was a once in a lifetime moment for Rahul, in all his years of bird watching, he had never seen anything like it.

"I was literally stunned to see this unusual behavior, I kept my camera's shutter button pressed as the bird took her bath." Rahul then posted the photos onto his Instagram. He was clearly ecstatic to have been at the right place at the right time to capture this magical moment. "This was really a once-in-a-lifetime moment," said Rahul. "It's amazing how nature can surprise us." Images credit: instagram.com/rahulsinghclicks

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Japanese Bird That Looks Like A Flying Cotton Flower

We have seen many cute things around the world. From fluffier cats to teacup birds that do splits! But, might I say, today’s star of the show is taken by a bird named Long-Tailed Tit! The cutest thing on the planet by far! Their fluffy white feather coat added with that adorable small eyes, make anyone go awh! I just have the urge to hold and show it a lot of TLC!

These little birdies are common in Europe and Asia. Their tails grow longer than their tiny body. An adult only grows to be about 13-15 cm (5-6 in) long, including the tail, which is like half of that length.

To read more on this story, click here: Japanese Bird That Looks Like A Flying Cotton Flower

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Photographer Captures One of the Last Surviving Female Eagle Hunters of Mongolia

Deep within the wild, mountainous regions of Mongolia, a small group of nomads keeps the ancient art of eagle hunting alive. The traditional form of falconry involves training birds of prey to help hunt wild animals such as foxes and small hares—a powerful skill that has been handed down from father to son over thousands of years. German photographer Leo Thomas recently visited Western Mongolia’s Altai region to capture this fascinating culture.

There are approximately 300 remaining eagle keepers today, and the vast majority of them are male. However, while on his trip visiting the remote Altai region, Thomas had the opportunity to meet Zamanbol, 1 of just 10 eagle huntresses in Mongolia. She’s part of a Kazakh nomad family, and spends most of her days going to school in the city. On the weekend, she trains with her trusted eagle alongside her brother, Barzabai. Thomas' images capture Zamanbol on horseback and dressed in handmade fur clothing, emitting her free-spirited strength and unbreakable bond with her eagle.

To read more on this story, click here: Photographer Captures One of the Last Surviving Female Eagle Hunters of Mongolia

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Lorikeets the Clowns

Lorikeets are the clowns of the bird world.  Just like a clown they have an unmistakable bright red beak and colourful plumage and they are mischievous and noisy making sure that all eyes are on them.  Those that keep lorikeets describe them as addictive since watching their cheeky antics can keep them from doing anything else for hours.

There are two main groups of lorikeets – the small Australian lorikeets and the larger tropical lorikeets.  The smaller varieties include the Purple-crowned and Little lorikeet which are around 19cm in length.  They are fairly quiet, tend not to talk and have a lifespan of around 10 years.  Tropical lorikeets live up to 20 years and are around 30cm long; they are excellent talkers and varieties include the common Rainbow and Red-collared lorikeet.

To read more on this story, click here: Lorikeets the Clowns

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The 6 Best Bird Pets for Children and What Makes Them Great Pets for Kids

When finding the best bird pets for children, you must take into consideration the kinds of birds that are compatible with kids. Each bird species is unique in more than just its appearance. Bird species require different levels of time, attention, commitment, and even space. So, which types of birds are most compatible with children?

To read more on this story, click here: The 6 Best Bird Pets for Children and What Makes Them Great Pets for Kids

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Do Not Use Dog Hair For Bird Nests

Safe and natural materials for birds to make their nest

Thank you so much to the person who wrote to me and asked about leaving materials outside for birds to use to make nests. While it isn’t time to think about that now – we still have snow in Manitoba – there are many places in the world where birds are looking for materials right now. You can also use this list to gather up materials later.

There are two common things that people put out thinking they are helping birds but they are not. Their little legs get caught, twisted, and broken. Those two things are mesh fruit bags and the other is yarn and string. There was a recent article suggesting that people put things inside a mesh bag so that the birds can pull the material out. Please don’t. Use a wire suet container – they cannot get their tiny legs caught in it – if you feel you have to hang up the material. There are also craftspeople making specialized metal objects just for this purpose. And while yarn is commonly thought of as a good nesting material and people delight in seeing the colourful strands woven into a nest, the yarn also can get twisted around little legs. I know that no one putting out nesting material wants to break the legs of these lovely creatures.

To read more on this story, click here: Do Not Use Dog Hair For Bird Nests

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How to Care for Hyacinth Macaws (Blue Parrots)

The beautiful, cobalt-blue hyacinth macaw is the largest of all parrots. It is a rare and threatened species that should be kept only by a very dedicated owner who can provide for needs that are as large as the bird itself. This is a bird that is more common in zoos than it is in private homes—and for good reason. It is a rare owner who has the time, patience, and financial resources to care for a unique and sensitive bird that is nearly as large as a bald eagle.

To read more on this story, click here: How to Care for Hyacinth Macaws (Blue Parrots)

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Helping Your Depressed Pet Bird

Depression in pet birds is more common than you might think. Check for the signs that mean your bird is not in its usual cheerful mood. Many symptoms of depression also could point to an illness, so it is a good idea to visit the avian veterinarian for a checkup. Learn the small changes that can bring back those happy chirps

Causes of Bird Depression

Depression in pet birds has a number of causes, both mental and physical. Any illness or recovery from being sick and result in the bird being less chipper. The mental and psychological stresses that can lead your bird to be blue include a change in cage position, boredom, the death of a partner, or the loss of a favorite toy.

To read more on this story, click here: Helping Your Depressed Pet Bird

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Fat, Flightless Parrot Named Bird of the Year After a Campaign Tainted by Voter Fraud

London (CNN)A lengthy and bitter election campaign that dragged in competing interest groups and was sullied by a voter fraud scandal came to an unlikely end on Monday, when a fat, flightless and nocturnal parrot stunned pundits to claim an upset victory.

The kakapo, officially the world's heaviest parrot, won New Zealand's Bird of the Year vote after a weeks-long campaign that rivaled human political contests in intensity.

It became the first bird to win the contest for a second time -- a feat not explicitly prohibited by the country's constitution -- and snatched victory thanks to the competition's unique and convoluted voting system, having lost the outright popular vote to the Antipodean albatross.

To read more on this story, click here: Fat, Flightless Parrot Named Bird of the Year After a Campaign Tainted by Voter Fraud

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Baby Owls Sleep Face Down Because Their Heads Are Too Heavy

If you couldn’t imagine baby owls getting any cuter, it turns out that they can. Consider for a second—have you ever thought about how the creatures take a nap? We know that adult owls sleep upright, but the owlets can’t do that yet as their heads are too heavy. So until they get large enough to nap sitting up, the tiny birds have an alternate solution; they lie down on their stomachs and turn their heads to the side before drifting to dreamland.

Miraculously, the young owls do this all while resting on a tree branch. And they don’t fall off, thanks in part to the strength of their back toe called the hallux. The hallux tethers the creature to the branch and it won’t move until the owlet bends its leg.

To read more on this story, click here: Baby Owls Sleep Face Down Because Their Heads Are Too Heavy

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Giant Andean Condor Can Fly Without Flapping Its Wings for Over 5 Hours

Looking at an Andean condor, one might wonder how such an enormous bird flies at all, let alone achieves an altitude of over 16,000 feet (5,000 meters). This giant species of vulture can have a wingspan of 10 feet and a body weight comparable to a human toddler, between 20 to 30 pounds. Recently, researchers at Swansea University collaborated with scientists in Argentina to study the flight of Andean condors in their habitat. They sought to answer how often and in what weather conditions the large birds flap their wings in flight, thereby using precious energy to remain at or change their altitude.

To read more on this story, click here: Giant Andean Condor Can Fly Without Flapping Its Wings for Over 5 Hours

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Scientists Have Found A Rare Half-Male, Half-Female Songbird

(CNN)It may not be one in a million, but it's pretty close.

Researchers have discovered a rare songbird that is male on one side of its body, and female on the other.

It's being described as a "once in a lifetime" discovery.

The last time the Powdermill Nature Reserve at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History found another was 15 years ago, and it's only the fifth to be discovered out of the nearly 800,000 birds that the nature reserve has seen.

To read more on this story, click here: Scientists Have Found A Rare Half-Male, Half-Female Songbird

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Zoo Removes Parrots From View After They Kept Cursing At Visitors

There is no audio in this story. So you will not hear the parrots.

Polly’s got a potty mouth.

A group of parrots at a UK zoo have been removed after repeating obscene language at visitors.

Lincolnshire Wildlife Park received the five African grey parrots back in August and quarantined them together in the same room, Lincolnshire Live reported. However, the close proximity seemed to have brought out the worst in the birds.

To read more on this story, click here: Zoo Removes Parrots From View After They Kept Cursing At Visitors

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27 “Facts” About Animals You Have All Wrong

Spoiler alert: you may never order grilled octopus again.

Myth: Felines and canines are colorblind

Although it was long believed that our furry companions had limited vision and only saw certain colors, it’s not the case. Cats and dogs have much better color eyesight than we thought. Both can see shades of blue and green. In fact, cats have way more light-sensing cells or rods in their eyes than humans do, and that’s why they can see better in low-light situations. Of course that doesn’t explain why they sometimes act that way they do.

To read more on this story, click here: 27 “Facts” About Animals You Have All Wrong

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Parrots Can Be Amazing Companion Animals, But Do They Really Make Good Pets?

It is estimated that there are 11 million birds living as pets within the United States. Parrots are now thought to be the fourth most common household animal after dogs, cats, and fish. So do they make good pets? You may be surprised to learn that for many Americans the answer is no.

Parrots can be amazing companion animals. They are highly trainable, they can be cuddly and affectionate, and if treated correctly they will form very strong bonds with their care takers. The flip side is that they are such social and intelligent animals that they demand a huge amount of attention and mental stimulation in order to thrive. 

Many people eventually find that they can’t give enough time and energy to

Lorikeet

their pets, especially in the long run when the joy of a new pet begins to ware thin. To make matters worse, many parrots can be aggressive, especially once they become sexually mature. A parrot bite is not a fun thing to endure.

If you want to get a parrot of your own, there are several things you should consider before purchasing. Read through the 5 following questions and answer them honestly to your self to see if a parrot is the right fit for you.

1. Can I afford a parrot?

If you get a small parrot the cost can be fairly cheep. A budgie Parakeet will only cost you about $20 in the US and a decent sized cage for the bird probably won’t cost over $50. Larger and less common parrots demand a higher price. You should expect to pay anywhere between $400 and $10,000 for a larger parrot and then you will need to spend about the same on a cage.

Once you get the parrot you will need to spend more money on food, replacement toys, replacement perches, veterinary care and other continual costs. The price for the average small bird (parakeet or love bird) will cost between $315 – $500 a year to keep alive and well. A large parrot like a Macaw will cost about $650 – $1,275.

Are you honestly willing to spend that kind of money on a pet? If not, I suggest you look for a different kind of pet.

2. Do I have time to take proper care of a parrot?

The average parrot needs 2 – 6 hours of direct interaction outside the cage from you or one of your family members every day in order to maintain mental health. Remember that depending on the species, your parrot could live to be 80 years old or more.

Can you consistently dedicate that kind of time to your parrot in the long run?

When you go on vacation you will need to leave your parrot with someone who is also willing to give your bird all the special attention he needs. Even then, things may not work out. 

Sun Conure

One alternative to one on one interaction is to build a large aviary and get several parrots that will interact with each other. Keep in mind that these birds may bond strictly to each other and can become aggressive to people unless they are constantly socialized to humans. Parrot that live together in groups can also become aggressive to one another. Make sure you know what you’re doing before creating a multi-parrot aviary.

Parrots also need enrichment exercises to stimulate their minds. 

Tip – Make as many friends with other parrot owners as you can! This way you can take turns watching each other’s birds when needed and you can share tips on how to better care for your parrots.

3. Do I have the patience to be a parrot keeper?

Parrots have all sorts of strange behaviors that can be very annoying. Sun Conures are great parrots, they are playful, loving, loyal, beautiful, and easy to train but they come with a voice so loud that the entire block knows when one gets upset. Sun Conures are so loud that they can easily get you evicted from your apartment and because of this they often end up in bird rescue shelters after their owners decide they just can’t stand the noise.

Quaker Parrot

Other species of parrot have different problems. The Quaker Parrot, for example, becomes extremely territorial of his cage during breeding season and the Lorikeets have a way of shooting their poop all the way across the room when relieving them selves after a meal. 

Parrots are wild animals and don’t naturally know how to behave appropriately around humans or inside of houses. You are the one the decided to take them from their natural habitats and place them in your home, it is your responsibility to put up with the problems that are bound to arise as a result of this decision.

With careful training and loving patience, your bird can be taught many house manners and can become a wonderful member of your family but this takes time and lots of hard work. Are you truly up for it?

4. Can I handle getting bitten by my parrot?

Even the nicest birds will have a moment where they feel threatened or mistreated and will decide to attack.

Parrots tend to get most aggressive during breeding season (breeding season varies from species to species) and a parrot that used to be perfectly tame can suddenly seem to go crazy. This of course is true of virtually all pets but the signs of aggression are particularly hard to see with birds. An attack can seem to come out of nowhere from a bird who is usually very loving.  As a result, people tend to develop phobias of their own parrots after just one incident.

No matter how sweet and wonderful your bird may be, no matter how good of a bird owner you think you are, You will get bitten…and it will hurt! 

If you own a small parrot this may mean a simple little puncture wound. If you own a mid sized or large parrot, stitches (or worse) may be needed.

At the Knoxville Zoo they have all sorts of dangerous animals in their bird show: hawks, owls, a vulture, a crane, and a giant African Ground-Hornbill but the one bird that has sent the most staff members to the hospital is their Scarlett Macaw – one of their only birds that can legally kept as a household pet. He bit one trainer on the mouth and tore her lip open so far that plastic surgery was needed in order to properly heal the wound. She was a pro bird handler working with an animal she saw every day. If it can happen to her under the best of circumstances, it can happen to anyone.

Can you forgive a bird after receiving a bite like that and then be willing to continue working with and loving your parrot? If your answer is no then you really need to consider a different hobby. Parrot keeping is not for you. Once a parrot owner develops a fear for their own bird, the bird will be left inside his cage all the time and will suffer. This is not good for your bird or for you.

Tip- The smaller the bird, the weaker the bite. If you have a low tolerance for pain, get a small parrot. There is no shame in this and there is an amazing selection of small parrots to choose from. You would be amazed to discover just how much personality, beauty, and charisma these small parrots really have. You don’t need to go out and buy the biggest macaw you can find.

5. Am I willing to study and learn about parrot keeping?

Most of us have never had much contact with birds before. We know how to deal with cats and dogs but as soon as we get our hands on a bird we quickly realize we have no clue what we are doing. As a result you need to be willing to study and learn.

There is a lot to learn and you are a busy person. Are you willing to make the sacrifice of time needed in order to learn about your birds needs?

The Joy of Parrot Keeping

For those of you who actually do have the money, time, patience, pain tolerance, and the desire to learn that is needed for the life long hobby of parrot keeping, the joy associated with the hobby is unlike anything else you have ever experienced. Your parrot will change your life and the way you view the world.




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Celebrate National Pet Bird Day on September 17

Founded by the Bird Enjoyment & Advantage Koalition (BEAK), National Pet Bird Day celebrates the joys and benefits of bird ownership

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bird Enjoyment & Advantage Koalition (BEAK), a concentrated effort to educate on and grow responsible bird ownership, is excited to announce the 2nd annual National Pet Bird Day, which will take place Thursday, September 17, 2020.

Pet bird owners are encouraged to share stories, photos and videos of their birds using the hashtag #NationalPetBirdDay, while others can learn more about the joys and benefits of bird ownership.  

To read more on this story, click here: Celebrate National Pet Bird Day on September 17

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Deworming Your Pet Bird

Worms, mites, and lice are the most common parasites in pet birds. Although you can use store-bought products, you can also use home remedies.

Birds are sensitive to and can be easily harmed by different pathogens and allergens. Pet birds need proper preventative medicine and good hygiene in order to be healthy.

The most common parasites in pet birds

As mentioned above, several internal and external parasites can affect pet birds. Despite their small size, these creatures can cause numerous illnesses and serious damage to the health of all pets.

Below, is a list of the most frequent parasites in canaries and other pet birds.

Worms: Internal parasites, generally called worms or maggots, that get lodged mainly in the digestive system of their hosts. They usually reach the bloodstream and spread to other organs.

To read more on this story, click here: Deworming Your Pet Bird

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Where Do Birds Go During a Hurricane?

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA– Storms come every year to the gulf south and every storm has the potential to do great damage. Have you ever wondered how birds survive hurricanes and where they go?

Meteorologist Scot Pilie noticed something very interesting in Hurricane Laura’s graphics, August 28th, saying “this is remarkable.  This is known as our correlation coefficient product.  the reason we use this is to detect debris in tornados.  Last night it captured something remarkable.  Those are actual birds detected in the eye of Laura as it made landfall near Cameron Louisiana.”

To read more on this story, click here: Where Do Birds Go During a Hurricane?

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