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  Winter cold air has arrived for many of us and that means keeping our beloved parrots warm and happy during the colder months.  Just like people, our feathered friends may need a little extra TLC when the temperatures drop. So, how can you winterize your bird area and make sure your parrots stay toasty warm and snuggly? Bundle Up First things first, let's talk about some of the essentials for winter bird care. First, your bird will need a cozy and draft-free environment to stay warm and healthy during colder months. Make sure their cage is placed away from any drafts or cold air/heating vents. Even warm air blowing directly on a bird can cause severe respiratory problems. Consider adding extra bedding or blankets to your bird's cage to help retain heat, especially during the night when your home may be a little cooler.  Don't forget to provide plenty of fresh water 24/7, as hydration is an important key to staying warm! Layer Up Now let's get those bundle-up basi...

  Be aware of how changes in time changes can impact your feathered friends if you unfortunately live in a state that flip-flops the time patterns. Pet birds, like many other animals, and including some of us humans, have internal biological clocks that are influenced by the natural light-dark cycle. When the time changes, it can disrupt their daily routines and behaviors. How does time change affect pet birds? Research has shown that abrupt changes in daylight hours can cause stress and anxiety in pet birds. Birds rely on the natural light cycle to regulate their sleep patterns, feeding times, and overall behavior. When the time changes, it can lead to confusion and behavioral changes in birds, such as increased vocalization, aggression, or changes in appetite. Afterall, when your bird's tummy says it is meal time, and the meal is not forthcoming, it can lead to screams and a grumpier bird at times. What can pet owners do to help their birds adjust? To help your pet bird adjus...

  Although there are usually less and less Trick-or-Treaters going door to door in neighborhoods these days, there are still plenty of fun activities that include sweet treats.  If you do still get a few of those tricky visitors at your door, be sure to keep your bird safely away from open doors, scary costumes, and boisterous children (and sometimes even the adults). Even if ghosts and goblins aren't coming to your door for some Halloween goodies, if you have kids in your home, they are probably going to bring some treats home from school fall festivals, or trunk or treat gatherings, local retail celebrations, or even other family members who enjoy sharing those sweet treats. Not to mention all the leftover goodies you may have after all the Trick or Treating is done have to go somewhere. It is very important to remember to keep the sweets from becoming birdie treats. Sometimes I hear comments that chocolate must not really be toxic to birds because their bird ate a choc...

It strikes again.  It kills 100%.  It doesn't discriminate between small Canaries, Amazons, Cockatoos, or a large Macaw.  Any size bird is at risk.  It quietly deals death to every single bird in the home.  All birds are dead within minutes, and the pain in the owner's heart may never heal after such a loss.  A true story I've sadly witnessed firsthand.  Her babies, her sweet sweet babies.  She had shared her home with rescued birds for over 30 years, and I had known her for quite a few of those years.  A horrible accident that once again happened because of PTFE.  A simple boiling pot left unattended on a stove.  What is PTFE you ask?  PTFE stands for polytetrafluoroethylene, and it is one of, if not the most, insidious deadly danger to your bird. It's called a silent killer because you can't smell it, you can't detect it with a monitoring device, and you will never know it's killing your bird until it's too late to do anyth...

  As we move into winter temps across the country, warmth is necessary for us and for our birds.   Whether you use electric or gas powered central heat, having an annual checkup of your unit and/or system is a good idea to make sure everything is safe and ready to go. My birds are in a separate sunroom of my home with lots of windows and sometimes it gets a little colder than the other parts of the house at night.  I often add a little extra warmth to my bird room at night with a portable oil filled radiator.  My oil filled radiator is an older model and I have never had any problem with it.  It is plugged into a separate power surge protector for added safety.  A word of caution if you are purchasing a new oil filled radiator heater, before using the first time, I would highly suggest plugging it in outside your bird area and setting on a high heat to burn off any coatings the newer ceramic units may have.  Allow at least 24 hours of use in a v...

Bird Safe Plants and Trees The following plants and trees listed below are considered safe as long as no chemicals or insecticides have been sprayed on them. Sometimes there are plants and trees that appear on both safe and unsafe lists. I have chosen to leave those particular plants and trees off my safe list, as some birds may be more sensitive to those plants and/or trees, making them more dangerous for some birds. I tend to err on the side of caution. Safe Plants and Trees: Aloe African Violet Apple Trees Ash Asparagus Fern Aspen Baby's Tears Bamboo Beech Begonia Birch Birdnest Fern Boston Fern Bougainvillea Butterfly Bush Camellia Chickweed Christmas Cactus Cissus/Kangaroo Vine Citrus trees Coleus Corn Plant Cottonwood Crabapple Crape Myrtle - ( NOTE: not the same as the broadleaf evergreen myrtle, which is NOT safe) Dandelion Dogwood Donkey Tail Dracena Varieties Elm tree Fiddle Leaf Fig Fig Gardenia Grape Ivy Hens and Chickens Jade Plant Kalanchoe Magnolia Maidenhair Fer...