Parrot Name

Choosing a name for your new parrot can sometimes be quite hard and stressful. So here are a few helpful hints that I always use to figure out a name for my newest addition.
-A name that reflects your interests or hobbies: like if you like mysteries you could name it Agatha. Or if you liked a specific clothing line you could name it something like Abercrombie. If you like magic tricks and illusions you could name it Abracadabra.
-A name that reflects the birds colors: so for instance your bird is green, yellow, or blue. There are quite a few possible names like Kiwi (green), Sky (Blue), or Honey (yellow).
-A name to reflect your nationality: if you're Spanish you could name it something like Amigos (Friend) or Bonita (Beautiful). Or if you're French something like Perroquet (Parrot).
-A Name that simply attracts to you: You have to like your birds name! So try looking at some that just simply interest you. Some of my personal favorites include:
-Mimi
-Jo Jo
-Sally
-Sunny
-Bella
-ZiZi
-Sammy
-Nina
-Lulu
-Star
You can try searching pet names on the internet to start yourself off with some fresh new ideas.
I also like to try a shorter easy name in case I am planning on teaching the bird how to say its own name, in a case like this I wouldn't name a parakeet Worcestershira which is much to long, but something like Alexandria could work since I could call her Alex for short, these are all the things you must consider while thinking up a name for your new pet. 
I always start with a list of my favorite names and narrow them done one by one until I finally come to my perfect birds name!

Molting Parrot!

If a bird starts to molt, most of the given time it is to great surprise of the owner. Molts are common for birds and just a part of their natural life. If the bird has lost most of its feathers and a lot of it is bare, especially if it is the first time I would probably suggest you take him/her to the vet to assure you it is molting and possibly give the bird a treatment so the feathers soon return in a proper condition.
During a molt your parrot may look like a well used wet feather duster (not a pretty sight), or you may not realize it at all in appearence, but will find a more than regular amount of feathers around the cage and such.
There are many different reasons a bird could molt including:
-Climate changes
-Age (usually a bird molts in the process of their maturing)
-Type\species of bird (some have an annual molt)
-Damaged feathers
As you can see, there are many different scenarios that can trigger a molt. Every parrot experiences at least one molt in their given life time, but in most cases it will happen regularly, so always be on your toes.
You may also realize that your birds feathers look almost wet like but are actually quite dry, this again is quite normal and just a result of oil on the birds feathers from its preening which it will do constantly during a molt.
To make sure your bird is safe and sound during its molt and feather regrowth, you can make sure not to stress the bird out, this could cause complications with the birds new feathers. Keep your bird in a warm (but not hot) cozy place, that isn't very noisy and have a minimum amount of light on the bird. This will help your bird get the best results with its new feathers.

Fruit and Vegetables for your Parrots

Fruit and Vegetables are a vital part of every parrots diet. Many loving owners love to give their birds fresh fruit and vegetables, but sometimes make costly mistakes. Here are the do's and don'ts to feeding your bird fruit and vegetables. Follow this advice and your parrot will a long happy and healthy life!

Fruits:

Apple, Apricot, Banana, Blackberry, Blackcurrant, Blueberry, Cantaloupe melon, Cherry, Cranberry, Dried dates, Figs (fresh), Gooseberries, Grape, Guava, Honeydew melon, Kiwifruit, Mandarin, Mango, Melon, Nectarine, Papaya, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Plum, Quince, Raspberry, Red Currants, Strawberry, and Tangerine.

Vegetables:

Artichoke, Beans (cooked only) , Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery stalks, Corn (best when milky), Cucumber, Eggplant (fruit only), Endive, Fennel, Green Beans, Hot Peppers, Kale, Lettuce, Parsley, Peas, Potato, Pumpkin Red, Beet (fresh), Radicchio, Romain Lettuce, Spinach, Sprouts, Sweet Potato, Turnips, Watercress, Yams, and Zucchini.

Thing to Avoid:

All kinds of cabbage,raw and green potatoes, ice burg lettuce, avocados (its oils are extremely harmful to all birds), lemons, grapefruit, and most citrus fruits since its acid is quite strong on their stomach, rhubarb, olives, onions, tomatoes, beans (dried, kidney, and lima), eggplant, raw peanuts, and most seeds and pits including; apple seeds, cherry, peach, plum, and nectarine pits.

Please Note:  

You should never feed parrots anything that has been sprayed with pesticides. Feed your parrot nothing directly from the refrigerator; all of the food should be at room temperature and have been washed and peeled. Not every type of fruit is listed since there are much to many to list. If you are not entirely positive that a specific fruit or vegetable is safe, it is best not to feed it to your bird. Please Contact Me if you have any inquires. 

Hand Taming Your Parrot

Taming your parrot can be a frustrating experience, but the time is well spent, and with these tips and tricks, you can end up with life long friend, and will never regret it!
Here are the tips and tricks to hand taming your parrot:
1. NEVER chase your parrot for this will make him even more frightened, you also shouldn't wave things at him for he will loose your trust completely. Most parrots don't like to be held completely for the feeling of being trapped and may hyperventilate possibly resulting in a heart attack. So I do not recommended it. There are many other safer ways to get your bird.
2. Wing clipping is a harmless way to keep your bird grounded and can be a very good idea. If your bird is not good flier, he could injure himself very seriously if were ever to fly into a window, wall, mirror, ect. Plus they will still be able to fly just not gain altitude, it will make your life much easier as for hand taming your bird. But if you think this is unnecessary there are many other ways to gain your parrot's trust.
3. A good way to get your parrot to trust you is to lure him to come on your hand with his own free will. To do this you can hold your hand near him with his favourite treat in it(spray millet works the best for Budgies). Your bird should eventually come to you. After this you should teach your bird the command 'step up.' Say these words while putting a little pressure on the birds abdomen (right above his feet) so he will eventually step onto your finger.
I have trained many parrots, they are wonderful pets, but take a great amount of effort and patience, but your time is well-rewarded and will result in a great new friend.

Parrot Help!

Chosen Best Question:

"Hi,

I am having some trouble with my budgie....

1. there is a hole in the back of her neck.... what is this caused bye? and all her chest is featherless

2. how do i get them too eat fruits?!?" 


-Anonymous


Answer:

1. As for your bird, from the symptoms you have told me it looks like your bird may have mites.
This is definitely not good. If my assumption is correct you should see some splayed sick-looking feathers. Mites would account for the blackness on her neck and the loss of feathers, to fight this disease you could purchase a mite-killer these are pretty reasonable, but you have to make sure it is parrot\budgie friendly. If the situation worsens a call to an avian vet may be needed.


2. The key to getting your bird to eat fruit is being persistent, put it in his\her cage everyday, and offer it it to the bird every time it comes out of its cage, the bird should eventually at lest try it. But some parrots adore fruit whereas others hate it. You could sprinkle spray millet or put some honey on the fruit to make it more appetizing. You may also want to try changing what type of fruit you are giving to your bird, some birds are attracted to different kinds of fruits. Also, make sure you are preparing the fruit correctly and the right kinds that are "budgie friendly." Fruit and vegetables are very important to a budgies health and you need to make it assessable to a budgie.


-Melinda
Port Paradise Parrots
Owner\Operator
http://sites.google.com/site/portparadiseparrots/

Parrot Toys

All birds need to have fun, a great way is toys!
The best for parrots are; mirrors, bells, and balls.
Mirrors:
A mirror is a great toy for a Parrot kept alone to make up for a friend. The bird will sing, and dance and possibly even feed its reflection, treating it like another bird. It will give your bird (and possibly even yourself) hours of entertainment!
Bells:
Parrots love bells because they can knock their beak on it and it will make sound. They also love to see their reflection on the bells shiny metal. This will help the budgie pass time when you are not around.
Balls:
My budgies love wiffle balls. They are hollow balls with a bell inside them that can be picked up by the budgie easily. This has many uses and you can join in the game as well.
Other:
There are many great toys on the market for parrots that can be purchased at your local pet store. 
Their favorites are ones have lots of colors, beads and interactive parts.
Important!
Toys can give lots of pleasure to budgies but can also prove to be dangerous.
Bells with loose clappers can be pulled out and swallowed by the budgie.
Poorly made plastic toys can be destroyed and ingested by the budgie.
Toys hung by string or cord can form a noose that can prove to be fatal to the budgie.
Toys made with harmful dies and other chemicals can result in serious illness for your bird.
Please be extra cautious if you decide to make homemade toys since these can cause extremely hazardous if not properly attended to, also make sure all materials used are safe and acid free. 
Take proper care in choosing your parrots toys and exchange them regularly so your parrot doesn't get bored. Parrots are very intelligent animals and love channeling it through interactive toys. Hours of fun can be spent with you and your parrot with the help of some fun, but safe trinkets! 

Sick Parrot!

Some signs to show that your parrot is sick are; diarrhoea, loss of appetite, a discharge from his cere (nose), breathing difficulties, loss of strength and balance, bobbing of the tail, shivering, and excessive sleeping (on ground).

Here are a few things you can feed your bird to fight the illness.
1. Mineral Water: this will help give your bird strength to help fight the illness and can be easily found at a local pet store.
2.Charcoal: You can find charcoal for birds at any local bird store, this amazingly helps! I used it on one of my birds with a respiratory infection and it cleared right up. It is very inexpensive and can be mixed in with their food.
3. Fruits and Vegetables: This is very simple yet affective, most fruits and vegetables not only provide a healthy meal, but also a drink. A great website to check out for preparing them is:
http://sites.google.com/site/portparadis…
4. Medicine: some over the counter medications can be purchased at your local pet store inexpensively.
5. Infrared light treatment: setting this up will help kill germs and bacteria.
-Purchase an infrared light bulb of 150 to 250 watts.
-Position it 16 inches (40 cm) away from the cage.
-Cover half the cage with cloth. (This is so your bird can get away from the lamp's hot rays)
*Please Note: If your bird doesn't soon recover take them to a vet immediately, their they can be given a proper diagnoses and medication if needed. These are some alternatives in case a vet is unreachable, but a visit to a vet is your birds best bet.

How to Teach your Parrot to Talk

Here are 3 easy steps to teach your parrot to talk:
1. Pick a word!
Start with an easy one or two syllable word.
avoid words that start with 'S', 'SH' or 'CH'
since parrots have trouble pronouncing them.
some examples of good starters are;
'Hello', 'Birdy', 'Pretty', ect.
2. Repeat it!
Say your chosen word to the bird 
over and over on a regular basis and always reward him.
Tips: Say the word softly and slowly
If you say it too quickly, the bird will say it ineligibly
and that would defeat your whole purpose.
3. Be Patient!
Make a routine to how many times you will say it 
and when. This will help your bird learn it quicker.
It will seem like its taking forever. But don't give up!
Before you know it your parrot will be tweeting the word into your ear,
And the feeling of accomplishment is amazing!