Recommended Books

Alex & Me by Irene Pepperberg is a touching memoir and or personal narrative documenting her experiences working with Alex an African Grey parrot and her struggle to keep her research activities afloat. Irean Pepperberg is a research professor and a teacher of animal cognition. The book movingly combines scientific detail and statistical research to prove that some animals have cognitive ability. To demonstrate that birds are able to obtain language, communicate and problem-solve. That animals know more than we think.
In 1977 Irene asked a sales person at a pet store to choose her an African Grey parrot out of the ones they were selling. She was choosing an African Grey because of the clarity of their speech. It was fate and their relationship began. Over a 30 year period Alex and Irene changed the way science regarded avian intelligence. Irene Pepperberg included just enough scientific research in her book to give readers an idea of what was involved, to prove her experiments, yet it was not boring. Alex could count to six, identify colors, size, such as bigger and smaller, or same and different, identify materials and had a vocabulary of 150 words.
The night before he died his last words to Irene were “You be good. I love you.” Every time I read this or write it I end up with tears in my eyes. Alex is a celebrity, I found this book educational, touching and entertaining.

Severe Macaw

The Severe Macaw is one of the mini macaws. The five most common mini macaws are the Hahn's, Noble, Yellow Collar, Illiger's and  the Severe Macaw. The mini macaw's are native to Central and South America. Today I will be sharing about the Severe Macaw the largest of the mini macaws. The life expectancy of a well cared for bird is approximatly 30 years. The severe is green with bare white cheeks, fine dark feather lines circle the eyes. They have dark chestnut patches on their forehead and under their beaks. The crown of the head has a patch of iridescent blue feathers. They have red shoulders and a blue upper tail with red undersides. The severe measure approximately 18 to 19 inches in length. They have impressive speech abilities and most respond well to training. As with all parrots, it's hard to say who will have the extensive vocabularies and who will not.

With mini macaw's you have the personality of a large macaw in a smaller package. They are feisty little birds and want to do what the big macaws do. Most bond quickly and can  be very demanding of their owner as they do require as much attention as the large macaws, if not a bit more. Mini macaws tend to bond strongly with one person. The more you socialize the mini macaw and expose it to other people, the more likely it will accept handling by others.The mini macaw is a bit more cautious, nervous and less forgiving then the larger parrots.

The mini macaw may be more affordable than the large macaws due to the fact cages, play gyms and toys are smaller and cost less. They are not as hard on their toys as the larger parrots. Keep in mind they still need spacious accommodations and several perches and toys to provide plenty of mental stimulation.

Parakeets/Budgerigars

This small bird is called a Budgerigar or Parakeet. There country of orgin is Australia. In captivity thier life span is approximately 5-8 years but have been known to live longer depending on the individual birds health which is influences by the care provided, exercise and diet. Many captive parakeets die early due to improper nutrition and inadequate care provided by the owner.

 Parakeets come in a variety of colors and shades. The color of the cere (the fleshy part above the beak) is different between the sexes and changes as the bird gets older. A young bird has a pink cere, while the adult female has a brown cere. The adult male has a blue cere. The Parakeets trick and talking ability is low but some (most likely males) may learn to whistle, mimic sounds or speak a few words.

Parakeets are entertaining, active, playful and take up a small amount of space. They are not usually considered cuddly, but you can hold them close to you or have them perch on your finger. The best way to have a tame parakeet is to get a young one and not have it share a cage with another Parakeet. If you have two Parakeets in the same cage they will pay attention to each other and not you. If you don't wish to hold the bird much having a playmate is a great idea.

The Parakeets cage should be at least 18" x 18' and 24" high with metal bars spaced no greater then 1/2" apart. It's always best to provide the largest cage possible. Perches should be approximately 3/8" in diameter. A variety of sizes and types of perches is best to keep the birds feet healthy. Make sure the cage, food and water dishes are clean to prevent disease. To prevent boredom provide lots of toys.

Parakeets are one of the most common household pets. They are simple to care for, friendly and inexpensive. Even though Parakeets are small birds they are social creatures and still need your attention daily. Parakeets are often considered disposable pets since they are so inexpensive. They may become neglected once the novelty wears off. Many starve or die from dehydration because they are forgotten.

If a child is given a Parakeet as a pet please supervise the care given to the bird so as not to have an unfortunate accident or slow death.

Goffin Cockatoo

 

The Goffin Cockatoos native country is Indonesia, specifically the Tanimbar Islands. Their life span is approximately 40 years with good care. The size of the Goffin ranges  from 12-13 inches. The Goffins coloring is predominantly white with salmon/pink color between the beak and eyes. The underside of the wings and tail exhibit a yellow tinge. The beak is a greyish-white in color. Goffins have a crest that is much smaller then the other cockatoos. I consider the noise level for the Goffin to be medium. The Goffin Cockatoo is often confused with the Bare-eyed /cockatoo as they are similar in appearance.

Goffins are not known for their talking ability but may learn some words and mimic sounds. Their dancing ability more then makes up for any lack of vocabulary.Goffins are active with a carefree, inquisitive personality who like to climb, play and chew. They cab be aggressive one moment and gentle the next. They tend to be a nippy bird. In general the Goffin is a quiet bird, but don’t take it for granted. If not given enough attention they can be loud, noisy and make screeching ear piercing sounds.

The Goffin Cockatoo is not as destructive as the larger cockatoos, but still need supervision and to be provided with lots of toys and wood to destroy. Because the Goffin is so active the larger the cage the better,supplied with lots of perches and toys.

Because of their smaller size the Goffin may be a good choice for those who want a cockatoo but do not have adequate space for one of the large cockatoos. Be aware, they by no means need any less care or attention then the larger parrots. Many new bird owners are not truly aware of the time and money a parrot demands and pet birds are often passed from one owner to the next or given to shelters. I suggest spending some time around an active parrot before a purchase is made. It takes a certain personality and love for the bird to tolerate the noise and mess that goes along with parrot guardianship.

The Goffin cockatoo is endangered in the wild due to trapping and destruction of their native habitat. A good thing is they breed well in captivity.