If you live in Australia, it’s not unusual to spot native parrot species foraging in your yard. New South Wales resident Jayde Parrey, for one, is used to seeing rainbow lorikeets, but one member of a recent flock of 20 parrots certainly stood out for it was an unusually colored rainbow lorikeet. Learn more about this special lorikeet.
Dr. Echols will give us an update on the Grey Parrot Anatomy Project, which aims to create an accurate physical and digital anatomy reference of the African grey parrot.
In this live webinar, Chris Davis will share a behavior case or problem and then field viewers’ behavior-related questions.
Wild parrot conservation groups are working hard to protect a wide diversity of parrot species. Lafeber is committed to helping as well with our Global Parrot conservation grant. This month’s spotlight takes us to Bolivia, South America, where the Conservación del Loro Boliviano Foundation is fighting to save macaws and other parrot species.
There’s birding, and then there’s an extreme form of birding referred to as “twitching,” where enthusiasts are willing to brave the elements, the costs and other obstacles to catch a glimpse of a rare bird in the wild. Learn the story behind the “twitchers” name and the lengths they are willing to go to see a feathered beauty in nature.
A starling murmuration is a sight to behold. Those lucky to stumble upon a murmuration are witness to an aerial ballet of thousands of birds moving in unison, individual birds blending into a moving mass that appears to morph into different shapes.
In this live webinar, Chris Davis will share a behavior case or problem and then field viewers’ behavior-related questions.
In her latest blog, Dr. Irene Pepperberg dishes on how our feathered companions rely on their humans to not only provide the essentials such as food and water, but, in a broader aspect, a sense of security.
A new study affirms what many of us bird enthusiasts already sense—wild birds give us an emotional boost. Seeing and hearing the variety of birds in our neighborhoods can make us happier, especially when we choose to engage with them by offering food and creating a safe and inviting habitat to visit.
A new year is upon us, and with that comes new motivations for the 12 months ahead. We can use this time to think of ways we can make our lives and the lives of our feathered friends more enriched, less stressful, and healthier.
The tiny Saw-whet owl rescued from the 75-foot-tall Norway spruce tree that was brought from upstate New York to Manhattan’s Rockefeller Center takes flight after being treated at a wildlife rehabilitation facility.
Dr. Irene Pepperberg gives us an update on how she is forging ahead despite that challenges posed by COVID-related social distancing requirements and the shutdown of her cognitive behavior research lab on the Harvard campus.
Add “birds” to your Google News alert topics–or simply search the word “bird” or “parrot” in Google to see what’s going on in the world of birds. Here are some recent “birds in the news” stories worth checking out.
Dogs get their day, cats do too. Now it’s our feathered companions turn—September 17 is National Pet Bird Day. It’s time to celebrate our birdie family members—here are some fun ideas to get you started!
Join us for a free interactive webinar on Friday, September 18. Dr. Stephanie Lamb discusses common and hidden household dangers and steps to take to keep your bird out of harm’s way.
A parrot’s penchant for chewing things up is nothing new. Think of all the cardboard and/or wood items your bird has destroyed throughout your time together! What is new is a famed artist turning a parrot’s “masterpiece of destruction” into museum-quality sculptures. Joseph Havel, whose works have been exhibited in prestigious galleries around the world, looked no further than his African grey companion, Hannah, to create a collection of pieces that are now on display at a gallery in Houston. Learn how this collaborative effort between an artist and parrot came to be.
Biggy Pop is not your average cockatoo. This ‘too’s companion is Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Iggy Pop, frontman for the influential punk band The Stooges. A fan of both Iggy Pop the rocker and Biggy Pop the bird recently reached out to the duo to see if they’d help bring awareness to Australia’s plight in the aftermath of devastating fires that wiped out an estimated three billion animals, including 180 million birds.
The effects of light pollution—being exposed to artificial light at night—is shown to disrupt our circadian rhythms and potentially wreak havoc on our sleep-wake cycles. Artificial light also affects wildlife in ways many of us might never have imagined. See how city lights can interfere with the lives of wild birds’ and even affect their migratory patterns.
Many companion parrots enjoy spending time outdoors when the weather is nice as much as we do. What’s more, exposure to natural sunlight can be great for your pet bird’s mental and physical health. However, before bringing your feathered friend outside, some important safety precautions are in order. Follow these recommendations to ensure your bird is safe while enjoying the Great Outdoors.
Dr. Pepperberg revisits a study done decades ago with Alex the African grey that has received renewed interest with recent studies done with children — how well do individuals understand the concept of same-different?
Sirocco, the personable and friendly kakapo parrot, is back in the spotlight. New Zealand’s national treasure and face of conservation is social media star, with 235,000 followers and counting.
Your bird depends on you for their care, which includes feeding nutritious foods, providing optimum housing and offering plenty of enrichment. Another important part of being a good bird steward is being prepared for vet visits.
Mumbai-based musician Jatin Talukdar had two unexpected admirers when he began to play guitar and whistle out his window — two wild parrots.
What makes the perfect bird room? Find out how one woman fulfilled a childhood dream and created a wonderful space for her companion birds.
Do you know what to do if you find a baby bird? Should you leave it alone? Is it safe to bring it home? Find the answers to these important questions and more by tuning in on Friday, June 5!
Companion parrots have both innate behaviors, which are instinctual (think flight!) and learned behaviors, such as figuring out how to reach a treat in a foraging toy. As our birds’ stewards, understanding both behaviors and how to work with them can serve us well in avoiding behavior issues. A “cute” behavior that may have encouraged by the caregiver in the beginning, can become a learned behavior that is adapted by the parrot that leads to negative consequences. Case in point – allowing a bird free roam on the floor, which results in chasing and biting feet. Learn why allowing a parrot to hang out on the floor can cause havoc and what to do instead.
An ambitious conservation project to help save the grey-breasted parakeet saw its first success with the hatching of three nestlings in 2010, which has now led to 130 hatchings per year! See what the secret to their success has been and where this colorful parakeet might be headed in terms of its population status in the wild.
An increasing number of people have taken up birding as a way to feel connected with the world around us and expand their knowledge of nature. Now is the perfect time to become a birder. Many top bird-centric organizations are making it easier than ever for families to learn birding basics.
We give our babies names, but do parrots also “name” their young by using distinct chirps specific to an individual chick? One scientist decided to listen more closely to what might really be going on when birds chatter. He constructed nests in Venezuela and recorded the peeps of green-rumped parrotlets. The results suggest that parrot parents give their chicks individual names.
Dr. Irene Pepperberg fills us in on how African greys Griffin and Athena, as well as she and her staff, are handling their “new normal,” albeit hopefully a temporary one. She also dishes on how they found some creative ways to celebrate two big milestones — the birds’ birthdays!
Life with a pet bird companion can certainly be a life of adventure. You have a feathered friend with the intelligence, and often the mischievousness, of a young child. A pet that might be inclined to talk back, or perform aerobatic feats around your furniture and furnishings. Your bird might be a snuggle buddy who shows affection by gently preening your hair or brow. Intermixed with all that love and shenanigans comes everything in between — especially the unexpected. Here’s a snapshot of what some bird stewards wish they knew before getting a pet bird.
Join us for a live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest Stephanie Lamb, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice) will discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, how it pertains to pet birds, and how we can keep our pets safe and healthy.
Offering our bird’s foraging opportunities with pellets, Nutri-Berries, and healthy snacks is a great way to satisfy their work-for-food instincts. Other great foraging opportunities await with fresh, edible, non-toxic plants. In the wild, part of a bird’s search for food means tearing through a plant to get to the more desirable parts. It’s no surprise that parrots like to chew! Discover tips for creating an edible “foraging jungle” for your pet bird.
As we hunker down at home to do our part in stopping the spread of the coronavirus, many of us might find ourselves in a conundrum: how exactly to get work done when our birds and other pets beckon nearby?
Webinar: “Tune In To Your Birds Daily Habits” Date: Friday, April 3, 2020 Time: 12:00 – 12:30pm PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter) Join us for a live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest Stephanie Lamb, DVM, DABVP […]
Many of us are having to stay home from work, school and other social activities to reduce the chances of coming into contact with and spreading the COVID-19 disease. Although this time of self-isolation may be challenging, it can also be thought of as an occasion to spend a little more time with our feathered friends and other pets. As pet owners are at home and observing their birds at times where they may not normally, they may discover that their birds tend to follow routines daily, just like we do!
What’s an academic science lab to do when e-mails from the administration start popping up stating in-person instruction was to cease immediately, followed by directives to vacate the campus in light of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis? What if said science lab was home to a flock of parrots known around the world for their contributions to the study of cognitive behavior? Dr. Irene Pepperberg and her research assistants found themselves in a scramble to ensure everyone— birds and humans — found safe places to stay. See where everyone is now.
To keep safe during the coronavirus pandemic, many of us face spending most of our time at home. But being stuck indoors can seem less burdensome if we look for a silver lining each day—one being the opportunity to have fun with the flock!
Louie the parrot did a miraculous thing when a fire began to rage in his home; he screeched “Fire!” for the first time and alerted his household to a raging fire. Read more about Louie, his life-saving act, and his bittersweet ending.
A lot of planning goes into creating ways to test the parrots’ intelligence to see how they perform on tasks compared to the results of those undertaken by children and primates. But what happens when two hands are required to solve a problem? Dr. Pepperberg describes the challenges and possible solutions to an intelligence test to circumvent the fact that parrots are hands-free.
Do parrots cough? Cough-like noises can indicate an underlying medical issue in our feathered companions. See how parrots’ coughs are different from ours, and when to call the vet.
Lories and lorikeets are beauties from the family Loriinae that boast some of the brightest plumage among parrots. Their personalities are also colorful, and their unique diet gives them plenty of energy to fuel their always on-the-go tendencies. Learn what else sets these vibrantly colored parrots apart.
Similar to Fantasy Sports, the virtual North American Big Year is a game for birding enthusiasts. And you can compete without leaving your home!
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 Australian wildfires of 2019-2020 have been particularly brutal in their devastation. How have Australia’s birds fared, and what are the challenges to wildlife and habitat?
Are conures parrots? Do they talk? What size cage do they need? What food provides the best nutrition? Find the answer to these and other common questions about conures.
One Earth Conservation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization co-founded by Dr. LoraKim Joyner, who has worked in parrot conservation for over three decades. The organization encourages communities in Latin America to support and/or get involved in parrot conservation. Here Dr. Joyner gives us a peek at a recent sun parakeet outreach project in Guyana.
Are parrots willing to help a fellow parrot even though there appears to be nothing in it for them? A team of behavioral scientists put blue-headed macaws and African grey parrots to the test. See which of the two species passes the parrot kindness test.
A daily routine can give companion parrots a sense of security — knowing what’s in the plan for the day means they can look forward to timely meals/snacks, out-of-cage time, social interaction, and clean cages. Get inspired by the way Lisa Bono, CPBC, maintains a schedule that helps ensure she doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to caring for the flock.
African grey parrots Athena and Griffin are tasked with the challenge of tracking the larger amount of liquid that is poured into various containers to test their grasp of the concept of “overconservation,” where the experimenter starts with different amounts and tests whether the subjects can track the larger amount after various transformations. See where the parrots succeeded as well as what tended to slip them up on this highly challenging task.
For parrots in the wild, flock dynamics include bonded pairs, siblings, and flockmates who forage for food together, play together, or simply co-exist with one another (and, of course, help keep a lookout for predators). What about companion parrots? Will two parrots get along? Dr. Pepperberg dishes on the interactions among her African grey parrots, as well as explains why it can be challenging so to predict how flock dynamics will play out inside the home.
Kirtland’s warbler population has seen its numbers increase with help of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Michigan Audubon Society. These, and other conservation agencies, have worked together to create a massive forest habitat and to keep the warblers’ native nemesis, the brown-headed cowbird, from destroying their nests.
The California Condor, North America’s largest bird, might be small in numbers, but it has strong support in the conservation community. The Peregrine Fund has worked tirelessly since the early ’80s to increase the birds’ wild populations, which includes introducing the birds back into their native habitats.
Do birds take turns when conversing or is this a uniquely human skill? Dr. Irene Pepperberg addresses birds’ use of “countersinging” and “duets” as forms of vocal communication.
The John James Audubon Center pays homage to the renowned artist and environmentalist, and, perhaps most famously, author of “The Birds of America.” See what’s inside this new, interactive museum and nature facility that celebrates Audubon’s arrival to the area more than 200 years ago.
The Brazilian Amazon is burning at a record pace, with scientists recording more than 76,000 fires in Brazil so far this year, and many other parts of South America are ablaze. Sadly, the fires are likely taking a massive toll on local wildlife, including many parrots. See what species are likely affected and how you can help.
Your house is all packed up, and you’ve hired movers to transport your belongings to your new abode. All that is left now is ensuring that you and your loved ones— including your feathered family members—arrive safely at your destination. Lisa Bono, CPBC, offers some important insight based on her own experiences on making the move stress-free for the flock, as well as tips to follow anytime you transport your bird.
Here’s one parrot you probably couldn’t host on your shoulder, or your hand for that matter. Meet Heracles inexpectatus, the world’s largest species of parrot, recently discovered by palaeontologists in New Zealand. Standing at more than 3 feet tall, this prehistoric parrot has also earned the nickname Squawkzilla.
Can birds understand what their people are saying and/or understand what he or she is saying? Dr. Irene Pepperberg says the answer depends on the type of interactions parrots have with their owners. Discover how the way you interact with your feathered companion, as well as flock dynamics, can influence parrot communication.
In 2006, Moluccan cockatoo Rocky was on the verge of being euthanized due to aggressive behavior. Fortunately, Lara Joseph, an animal behavior consultant, adopted this special ’too and worked patiently to teach him positive ways to communicate. Now Rocky stars in a series of Stanley Steemer commercials.
