Pet Birds

How far would you travel for love? If you were a male kakapo parrot, you’d walk the equivalent of a 5K, as in over three miles (and that’s not counting the walk back)! A lovesick male kakapo parrot embarks on his long stroll each night during breeding season as he tries to beat out the competition for a female’s attention. Learn more about this adorable, rotund parrot with peculiar ways.

The lovebird’s genus, Agapornis, is the words “love” and “bird” joined together — agape is Greek for “love” and ornis is Greek for “bird.”

It appears that the part of the brain that corresponds to the forebrain, the pallium in birds, has a much higher concentration of neurons or the brain cells packed in the same amount of space than many primates.

From budgerigars to African Greys to macaws, nine parrot species in a university study reveal why certain bird species are better at imitating sounds than other birds. Hint: It’s got a lot to do with the structure of the brain.

What to feed a companion bird is one of the most important questions people face. Do you know what is safe or unsafe, healthy or unhealthy for your bird?