Animal Stories - People Talking About Birds



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Latest Animal Stories on Birds (4283)

Nikki - 2013-02-01
I have a 5 1/2 year old Goffin Cockatoo, her name is CiCi. She is so spoiled. She sits on my husbands chest and watches television every night. Recently she had been plucking the feathers on her chest. She isn't missing many, but I can tell they are gone. She gets a new toy every week or so because she destroys them so quickly. She has a perch she plays on most of the time. Nothing has changed in our environment that I can think of. I just don't want her to be bald one day. What can I do? I have made an appointment for her to see the vet, but was hoping I could get my question answered prior to getting there.

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Jasmine Brough Hinesley - 2013-02-01
Cockatoos are very prone to plucking their feathers. How long has it been going on? I think it's a good idea to take her to the vet. I would take a watch and see approach for a few days and see if any more go missing. If they get too bored that can bring on plucking. Has she been getting less attention recently? It's also possible she is getting sick - a respiratory illness - or has parasites. All things to check for.
Nikki - 2013-02-03
I have made her an appointment. She goes in this week. I have not seen any signs of plucking over the weekend at all, but I was with her all weekend. She has been getting a little less attention than normal. My husband started an internship for school, and he is gone more. Maybe that is it because she normally is with him. I noticed this past week that she is paying attention to both of us, and that is not normal for her either. She started out with only allowing me to handle her, and then it was only my husband. Now she spends equal time with both of us. She will jump from one of us to the other. We are still in the adjustment period I think. We have not had her very long. My boss had her for over two years, and then when she started traveling a lot she gave her to us. She hasn't been with us a year yet. So I will see what the vet says, and continue to love her! Thanks.
Jasmine Brough Hinesley - 2013-02-04
I'm glad she seems to have not been plucking her feathers over the weekend! From my experience, feather plucking is almost always related to not receiving as much attention and/or stress. Cockatoos are very needy birds in the social department! I hope things work out and that the vet has some good insight. Best of luck!

kayla - 2013-02-02
I am thinking about getting a parakeet or a lovebird. I live in an apartment and won't be able to get a bird that is very loud. Which one (parakeet or lovebird) makes lees noise? I can stand a little bit of chatter but not a very high noise level. I go to high school and will be gone about six hours a day except for weekends and want to get only one bird so it can bond with me. Will it get lonely when I'm at school? Which one will get less lonely? Which one is better for beginner bird owners? (this will be my first bird) Please help me! Thanks!

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Jasmine Brough Hinesley - 2013-02-03
I would recommend starting out with a parakeet. They do better singly than lovebirds do and they are great birds for beginners. Lovebirds do best when they are kept as pairs, however a parakeet will be fine having only you as a companion. Parakeets also tend to not shriek as loud. A parakeet should be fine while you are at school - they may chatter a bit, but shouldn't cause any major noise problems. Lovebirds make good pets too, they just need a lot more social interaction, do better living in pairs, and can be louder.
kayla - 2013-02-03
thanks!!! this helped me alot!

LaShell West - 2013-02-03
What are the signs my Eclectus female is in heat ?

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Clarice Brough - 2013-02-06
Actually birds don't go into heat, rather their breeding cycle is a hormonal change. It is controlled by things like the weather, how much daylight there is, the food supply, etc. Going into breeding condition is stimulated by these things as well as attention from a potential mate. What you can watch for is changes in mood (often becoming rather testy) and displays like rubbing up to things, and of course... if she lays an egg.

alisa - 2012-10-08
Ive had my parakeets a month now. Both are males. The one is taming down a bit. He will let me hold him and pet his head and belly while only nipping occasionally. But the other one is down right mean and does not just nip he down right bites till I bleed. Any ideas.

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kayla - 2013-02-02
If your bird is still biting you.. I'm guessing it is not yet tamed? Your bird is most likely biting you because he is afraid of you and doesn't know if you are a threat to him or not. The first thing you should try is teaching it to 'step up' . Put a perch in front of its belly and push gently. If your bird steps up onto the perch...great! If your bird flies away, don't worry, this is normal for an untamed bird. Be patient with your bird and try doing this several times a day. Every time your bird steps up onto the perch say 'step up' and move your finger on the percch closer and closer to the end every time, leaving the bird with less and less perch to step onto every time. Your bird will get more used to your hands and will not be as afraid. Eventually you will run out of perch for the bird to step on so now you can just use your finger! Hopefully this has gained the birds trust for you and it will be easier to teach him other tricks. And every time you want your bird to step up onto the perch, your bird will reconize that command and it will make bonding with your bird more enjoyable! Hope this helped!

Jayashree Manoharan - 2013-02-02
Hi, i have 7 weeks old Alexandria. His name is nane and he is very playful. I used to feed him. He makes a bit of sounds. Some times he will repeat the word in the same tone. Please guide me to train my nane to talk and to do tricks and also to keep him healthy and happy.

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Jasmine Brough Hinesley - 2013-02-02
It sounds like he is quite a nice bird! It is good if he is already used to being handled, it will be easier to start teaching him tricks. Read here on Parakeet Handling and Training for more information. To just keep him healthy read here on All About Parakeets.

wiwit - 2013-02-01
I'm looking for as many as 100 pairs of lutinos, does anyone have any?

Heather - 2013-02-01
Can I keep a female cherry headed conure and a male indian ring neck in the same cage? Will they bond, or will they fight?

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Jasmine Brough Hinesley - 2013-02-01
It's probably not an ideal situation. However, if you keep their cages next to each other for a while and they seem to be friendly then you could try introducing them. If they don't fight right away you could try to keep them together. Just watch for any signs of aggressiveness.

Pet Kid - 2013-01-19
I'm looking for a white dove as a pet and was wondering if anyone knew which dove to pick. I lost my bird (past away) and was looking for a new pet bird. I want a white dove but don't know where to get one (hopefully from a breeder). Also I want to know what type to get. Thx (: Pet Kid

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Clarice Brough - 2013-01-20
There is really only one type of White Dove. These birds are actually a color form of the common ringneck dove, and they make wonderful pets. The 'wedding doves' are not the same thing. They are a larger bird and are 'homing pigeons' that are used for release at weddings as they will return to their dove cote. The white dove is usually readily available from breeders. Check at your local pet store that carries birds. They may be able to get you one, or should be able to point you to a bird farm, breeder. or bird club.
gayla - 2013-01-31
I have a white dove I need to rehome I am allergic to him, I just bought him a couple of months ago. With cage I am asking a rehoming fee of 40. if interested let me know thanks

Anonymous - 2013-01-31
We really love our cockatiels. My male does the woody woodpecker laugh, so we named him woody.

Barbara Foster - 2013-01-29
I have a problem with my Macaw Izzy. Her poop has turned really loose and runny. Doesn't seem to be food related. She eats ZuPreem Fruitblend for large birds. She has never done this before. She is four years old and very healthy. She is a happy bird and she talks a lot. She can get loud but nothing out of the ordinary. Any suggestions on what I need to do?

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Clarice Brough - 2013-01-31
Sounds like Izzy is a wonderful bird, and a great companion too. Your concerns are not uncommon, the most common causes for loose stools in parrots are an overgrowth of either bacteria or yeast. Another is a parasite known as giardia and there are others too, but these are by far the most common.

Of course the best bet is to take a fresh stool sample to an avian vet to help determine the cause. However initially something that you can try that won't harm your bird is to mix a probiotic like Bene Bac (which you can get from any bird store or large pet store) in with its food. This will help you put 'good' bacteria back into the GI tract, and can often eliminate any 'bad' bacteria at the same time. If the problem clears up (observe the stools for 1-2 weeks) then you're good, if not then an examination by a vet is in order.

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