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!