parrots world

Healthy Signs of an African Grey A healthy bird is a happy bird. They are active, playful and keep us laughing with their antics and talking. As bird owners, what more could we ask for? We enjoy our African Grey companions and want them to have a long and happy life. Below are some guidelines on what to look for as signs that your African Grey Parrot is healthy and happy. Activity Level - African Greys have a pretty consistent activity level on a daily basis. There tend to be times during the day for playing, talking, napping, and affection. Appearance – Clear eyes Nares (nostrils) clean Standing erect on perch Feathers are in order Respiration is smooth and even Feet are smooth and soft, not flaking Droppings ("poop") are moist, and consist of dark green or brownish fecal matter with white or off-white urine. Note: African Grey Parrot people do spend a lot of time looking and talking about their bird's "poop" as this is a good ...

The Budgie’s Diet Seed – Your budgie’s diet staple should be a fortified seed mix. A seed mix for budgies, normally labeled for “parakeets”, should contain mostly millet, canary seed, and oat groats. The mix should be fortified with vitamins and minerals. Some seed mixes come with extra additives such as dried fruits or veggies, pellets, and other types of seed. These extra ingredients are acceptable, but budgies often don’t touch these extra ingredients. Any added seeds or nuts much larger than an oat groat will probably be too big for your budgie to try and eat. Furthermore, any dried fruits or veggies in the seed mix are no substitute for the fresh foods you must feed your budgie every day (see below). Some seed mixes add colors to the seeds. Avoid any mixes that use artificial colors (natural colorants, such as beat juice, are acceptable). Keep the seed fresh by keeping it sealed in an air-tight container. To avoid seed moth problems, you can freeze the seed mix overnight a...

 Breeding BUDGIES OR  PARAKEETS Selecting A Pair Both the male and female you wish to breed should be at least one year old. Selecting a pair that is already bonded will help ensure a shorter time until they begin to mate and lay eggs. If you wish to breed for a certain variety, learn about budgie varieties and genetics. Set-Up Each pair should be set up in their own cage at least 24″w x 16″d x 16″h (70x40x40cm). The cage should not have a grate on the bottom. If the cage has an irremovable grate, place the newspaper lining on top of the grate. Use only black and white newspaper to line the bottom. A wooden nest box should be attached outside of the breeding cage. A wooden insert with a concave circle should be in the bottom of the nesting box to prevent splayed legs. Pine shavings (unscented) should be layered in the bottom of the box over the wooden insert. The hen will adjust the pine shavings to her liking. It is very import...

Lilac-crowned Amazon    The Lilac-crowned Amazon is a smaller amazon, but makes up in energy what it lacks in size!    The Lilac-crowned Amazon Amazona finschi is also known as Finsch's Amazon. It has been recognized for well over 100 years, documented as early as 1864 by Dr. Otto Finsch. Dr. Finsch wrote well over 400 works on ornithology and this beautiful little amazon parrot is named for him.    The name Lilac-crowned comes from its looks. This is one of the smaller amazons reaching about 13" (33 cm) long, but a very colorful bird. The "lilac" namesake comes the pretty lilac colored crown accented by a red brown forehead and lores. The lilac extends onto the neck and circles around its yellow-green cheeks.    An Amazon bird with similar type markings and color is the Green-cheeked Amazon A. viridigenalis, yet in comparison each has its unique color and pattern distinctions. The red on Lilac-crowned Amazon is a bit darker and ...

Green-cheeked Amazon    The pretty Red-crowned Amazon is one of the most agreeable of the Amazon Parrots!    The Green-cheeked Amazon Amazona viridigenalis is a very attractive parrot originating primarily from Northeast Mexico. Overall it is a darker green Amazon, though a paler green underneath, and has iridescent light green cheeks circled in lilac. Its other descriptive names, Red-crowned Amazon and Mexican Red-headed Parrot, are derived from its vibrant crown of bright scarlet.    The Green-cheek Amazon is definitely a more amenable Amazon. It is a pleasant, social Amazon that enjoys its human companions and is not as independent nor as feisty as its cousins. Once in a while it will assert its independence, and when it does it will be obvious. The pupils of their eyes will constrict and light up like little flashlights, this is referred to as the "blazing eye". Its head will come down, the tail feathers will fan out and the wings will e...