In her latest blog, Dr. Irene Pepperberg shares her thoughts on the past year as 2020 comes to a close. Despite the often daunting challenges many faced due to COVID, she writes about giving thanks to those in the animal community who stay devoted to their work to give to our beloved pets as well as pets in need care and attention in this time of crisis.
Andrea Garcia, a library aide in the Los Angeles area, has found parrots to be the perfect assistants when it comes to story time. Garcia hosts up to 32 Zoom virtual reading sessions a week for elementary school children.
Leila Jeffreys is an artist from Australia who uses the tools of photography to create incredible portraitures of birds of all kinds The result is large prints that reveal immaculate details of the bird subject she is working with.
The thick-billed parrot (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha) is the only surviving parrot species native to North America. This special parrot once thrived in its Arizona mountain habitat and was last seen in the wild there in 1938. It has since settled in Mexico, but a team of wildlife researchers in Arizona are working with counterparts in northern Mexico to reintroduce the bird to the state’s wild.
“Ask the Vet with Tom Tully, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), DECZM (Avian)” webinar is back Friday, November 13! Dr. Tully will answer your questions about pet bird health, nutrition, care and behavior problems.
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.
If you share your home with birds, you’ve likely heard that pellets or Nutri-Berries are better than seeds as a major portion of a bird’s diet. What is the difference between seeds and pellets?
Have questions about your pet bird’s health or just want to learn more about the health of pet birds? Then join us August 28, 2020 for a Q&A webinar with Dr. Tom Tully.
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.
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.
Jörg Mayer, MS, DVM, DABVP (Exotic Companion Mammal Practice), DECZM, DACZM, will share a heartwarming story about Boswell, the longest bird cancer survivor in avian history. Dr. Mayer will discuss his tailored treatment for Boswell, who was diagnosed with bone cancer. Dr. Mayer will also discuss avian cancers & treatments in general and answer viewer questions.
When a prestigious behavior journal welcomed scientists to submit anecdotal observations of nonhuman actions that suggested possible comparisons with those of humans, a recent episode with African grey Griffin sprung to mind. Did Griffin show signs of remorse after delivering an unexpected bite?
Mumbai-based musician Jatin Talukdar had two unexpected admirers when he began to play guitar and whistle out his window — two wild parrots.
A new study on kea parrots, New Zealand’s native alpine parrot species, shows just how smart these famously intelligent birds are. With favored treats at stake, keas demonstrated a keen ability to act on their sense of probability to get treats. They even outperformed primates on some tasks. See how the parrots’ grasp of statistics fared when researchers put them to the test.
Flight in companion parrots: freedom vs. safety. Dr. Todd Driggers will share this live, interactive webinar on flight in companion birds. Dr. Driggers has spent 25 years in practice evolving his understanding of flight and how and why we are influenced to remove the flight abilities of birds.
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.
How good are you at the “shell game”… can you follow an object that is shuffled around under shells or cups? Imagine being tested on your ability to track not just one colored object but four! Dr. Irene Pepperberg shares the results of how African grey Griffin’s visual working memory stacks up when compared to adults and children.
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.
Our special guest Stephanie Lamb, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), will discuss hormonal behavior in companion birds and offer tips to help bird owners navigate hormonal surges their feathered companions might display during certain times of the year.
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.
In this webinar, our special guest is Tom Tully, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), DECZM (Avian). He discusses basic bird care and nutrition, and he fields questions from participants.
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!
In this webinar, Dr. Irene Pepperberg updates us on how her research at Harvard on cognitive behavior is progressing and how African greys Griffin and Athena are spending their days during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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.
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 discusses the opportunity available because of spending more time at home to take note of the daily habits of your bird or birds.
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!
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!
The COVID-19 pandemic is an emerging disease with many facts still unknown. If you have questions about how it might affect pets, here’s what we know so far, with tips on keeping your pet birds safe.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Not only can parrots fly and have the ability to mimic human speech and sounds, but they are also capable of some seemingly perplexing behaviors that don’t fit the typical dog or cat pet mold. Here are four parrot behaviors that bird stewards are likely to encounter that might seem baffling at first.
The untimely death of a parrot was the inspiration behind the Prego Dalliance Sanctuary. Monika Sangar was a first-time parrot owner when her Eclectus died suddenly from a neurological disorder. Devasted, she vowed to help parrots in need, and the result is her small, non-profit parrot sanctuary in Los Angeles.
The Carolina parakeet was native to North America but, sadly, became extinct a century ago. Scientists recently sequenced the parrot’s genome obtained from a specimen that was originally collected by Catalan naturalist Marià Masferrer (1856-1923) to ascertain what likely led to the species’ abrupt disappearance.
Did you know that there is a parrot smaller than a budgie and smaller than a parrotlet? In fact, it is almost as small as a hummingbird. Check out this profile of the buff-faced pygmy parrot, which measures in at a mere 3 inches long.
Life with a parrot companion can sometimes mean dealing with a situation that you don’t quite understand or that might be causing discord in the home. A certified parrot behavior consultant can help. Learn what it takes to be certified, and how these specialists can assist you.
Are changes in your household stressing out your bird? See what might cause a companion bird to be overstimulated and why you should be a super sleuth to get to the bottom of the issue.
Dr. Pepperberg shares her experiences with taking African greys Griffin and Athena (and Alex before them) to the vet for their well-bird health checkups, which, with their verbal communication prowess, has led to some interesting vet interactions.
Let’s talk about a parrot that might be scary to some people—one that can be carnivorous, resides where no other parrot dare ventures and, for fun, seems to enjoy wreaking havoc on the tourists who visit.
Dr. Pepperberg dishes on a recent health scare she experienced with African grey Athena. She gives us a first-hand account of dealing with Athena’s sudden feather issues to remind us that seemingly minor or temporary changes in a parrot’s environment can affect the bird’s health in unexpected ways.
What’s pink, smart, playful, and a common sight in many neighborhoods across Australia? If you said rose-breasted cockatoo, or galah cockatoo, you are correct! See how they live in the wild as well as their reputation as feathered companions.
Consider adding “birds” to your Google News alert topics. Doing so might just lead you to some fascinating finds. Here are some recent “birds in the news” stories worth checking out.
A sulphur-crested cockatoo rescued in the wild in Australia beats the odds and survives five bullet wounds, including one to the head. Find out more about this tough ‘too, aptly nicknamed Mr. Cocky as a show of his resilience.
Special-needs birds are perfect in the eyes of those who care for them. The stories of Cricket, Oscar, Emma Lynn, Igor and Ren, and Thumper and Sammy prove without a doubt that they are much more than just special-needs birds.
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.
Dr. Pepperberg dishes on how her birds, African greys Griffin and Athena, and Alex before them, have noticeably different reactions to inclement weather. She also reveals that some wild birds have a special pressure-sensitive organ that makes them particularly in tune with barometric pressure.
Meet a unique albino magpie found out of the nest at the base of a tree, and now being cared for by Trowunna Wildlife Park in Tasmania. This little bird is unique not only in color but its fondness for people and its yellow-tailed black cockatoo friend.
Photographer Owen Deutsch’s book “Bringing Back The Birds” shares 225 amazing bird photos together with text providing insight and information on each bird.
Tracy Aviary in Salt Lake City has its very own Picasso, but this one is of the feathered kind! Picasso is a 12-year-old blue-and-gold macaw with a fondness for creating her own paintings on canvas. See how this creative parrot discovered her passion for painting and how art has helped her, along with her fellow resident artist—a great green macaw known as DaVinci—blossom from a shy, withdrawn parrot to a popular crowd pleaser.
Since 2010, The National Audubon Society has held an annual Photography Awards, inviting aspiring and professional photographers to participate. Those who are patient might just capture a once-in-a-lifetime shot.
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.
Its unique appearance, gentle demeanor, and typical fearlessness of humans makes the Nicobar Pigeon a unique and beautiful bird. Discover where this colorful bird is native, why its wild population is on the decline, and how zoos around the world are collaborating to keep the species alive.
Dr. Pepperberg takes us inside her Harvard lab, where African grey parrots Griffin and Athena call home. We also get a look at their cushy temporary quarters on the building’s eighth floor, complete with a breathtaking view of the Boston skyline. The panoramic view comes with potential visual encounters with a pair of red-tailed hawks—see how the greys react.
If you like board games and birds, then Wingspan is for you. The goal of this card-driven game is to discover and attract the best birds to your aviary.
Tobacco use, including e-cigarettes and vaping, can adversely affect a bird’s health. You might be surprised by some of the sneaky ways tobacco use and its by-products can adversely affect a bird’s health—see what you can do about it.
Just as music moves us, it oftentimes moves our parrots, too. With technology like the Amazon Echo, Google Home and other AI devices, you practically have an in-home DJ at the ready. See how to use these devices to help keep your bird entertained.
