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Parrot Blogger - Rebecca O'Connor

– About Rebecca –
Rebecca K. O'Connor is both an accomplished bird trainer and writer.

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August 17 2007

Friday Feathered Fun- Get Your Parrot ON

by Rebecca K. OConnor

Looking for a place to toast to all things pscittacine for your Friday night revelry? Here’s a few suggestions. And for those of you who live outside of North America, I would love for you to share yours as well!

Thirsty Parrot Bar & Grill 32 S Tejon St, Colorado Springs, CO

Blue Parrot Bar & Grill 1934 W 6TH St, Wilmington, DE

Green Parrot Bar 601 Whitehead St., Key West, FL

Barking Parrot Bar 21 Lakeshore Drive West Penticton Canada

Pickled Parrot Bar & Grill 8780 Rivers Ave # 210, North Charleston, SC

Parrot Pub 5010 Louetta Rd., Spring, TX

Posted by Rebecca K. OConnor on 08/17 at 04:18 PM

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August 15 2007

Desensitizing – Isn’t that what’s happening with violence on TV?

by Rebecca K. OConnor

Or was it violins on TV that we’re being desensitized to? Either way, desensitizing can be a good plan for your bird. Taking care to note a bird’s discomfort with a new toy and helping him slowly overcome that discomfort and gain confidence can go a long way toward encouraging play. It is very easy to notice fear in a parrot that is thrashing in his cage or cowering in the back when you present a brightly colored toy and hang it from the center of the cage. I sometimes hear, “just put it in there. He’ll get over it.” True, he will get over it, but at what cost? You can lock me in a closet with a big spider and I’ll stop jumping every time it skitters eventually. I’m certainly not going to touch it or trust any new spiders that appear though. I don’t want my parrots to “get over” their scary toys. I want them to play with them. Desensitizing is a kinder and more effective means of introducing something new and potentially fun.

If you frequently see something and ultimately it is of no threat to you, then you cease to be afraid of it. That is the idea of desensitization. That new toy should remain far enough away from the bird that he shows no signs of fear. Watch for the subtle ones, not just the feather-breaking shrieking variety. If he arches his neck, pulls he feathers tight, shrinks further back in the cage, the toy is too close. When your bird appears comfortable, move it closer a few feet always leaving the toy within the comfort range. You may have to leave it across the room for a day, halfway across the room the next, hang it from the outside of the cage before you put it inside etc. This process my take an hour or it may take weeks, but by the time the toy is inside, you can be certain you parrot is comfortable with it, more likely to explore it rather than cower from it. Even better, you can feel confident that you haven’t been responsible for something undesirable happening to your friend and harmed your relationship in any way. (For the record, if you lock me in a closet with a spider we can no longer be friends.)

Posted by Rebecca K. OConnor on 08/15 at 11:43 AM

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August 13 2007

Enrichment? Isn’t that what they do to flour?

by Rebecca K. OConnor

Flour is healthier when it’s enriched and so are parrots!

So why does it matter that Tao won’t play with toys? Sometimes we just don’t know what we don’t know. That goes for animals too. You can give a parrot all the toys in the world, but if he doesn’t know the joy of finding buried treasure, ripping up paper, or peeling pine into tiny chips then the toys are just decoration. And what is it they say…idle hands are the devils playground? A parrot with nothing to do may find behaviors we feel are inappropriate with which to occupy their time instead…screaming and plucking for instance. Parrots, dogs, cats, boyfriends all need enrichment, mental stimulation that gives them the opportunity to use their senses and be the animals that they are. For parrots this means foraging and exploring with their beak. For dogs it might mean using their nose to discover new exciting things in their world. Boyfriends are more complicated, but a sporting event seems to do. Me? I’m easy. Put me in front of a busy bird feeder with a bottle of beer and you won’t hear a peep out of me all day. If Tao learned to explore, engage in and destroy most anything in his cage, I doubt anyone would hear a peep out of him either.