Lil M. writes,
We want to build an outside aviary for our macaw. I would like to have a secure structure, safe from predators.
Our location will be Clarksville, TN. I’m looking at ideas online but thought perhaps asking an authority on the subject would be the best way to start researching.
Mitch mentioned something to me the other day that I had never given any thought to the cage canopy. I had more or less arranged toys in the top part of the cage, from instinct I suppose, but never knew why I did it or thought that others might not do exactly the same.
In the wild, parrots and other types of flighted birds (as opposed to emus and ostriches (that can’t fly) spend a lot of time foraging, often on the ground. All the rest of their time is spent in the upper branches of trees.
This provides the best cover from predators by preventing the things that want to eat birds from easily spotting them while the rustling of leaves alerts the birds to the presence of some creature in time to make every effort to escape the danger. The birds play, sleep and nest for the most part in the top one-third of the tree canopy.
Some of you realize – many of you don’t. The majority of social media posts you read were programmed days or weeks before for “future distribution”. This means whoever is pushing the erudition out won’t be around when you’re reading their content to actually engage you in a discussion about this new important “message” from the person or brand you are following.
Water from a fire hose is fine for putting out fires, but you can’t drink water from a fire hose and you can’t water plants with a fire hose. Getting information from social media is like getting information from a fire hose.
Every parrot owner deals with the issue of messiness with seeds or pellets that get tossed out of the cage or water splashes wetting the cage liners.
No parrot parent likes to have just changed the cage liner, swept or vacuumed debris from around the cage, and provided clean water dishes only to realize that their bird has just decided to soak the entire cage floor and the food by trying to bathe in their water dish or has decided to toss out part of their food in a wide sweep that sprinkles on the newly-cleaned floor, has just taken a poop in their water dish or had poop fall into the newly-served food.
I was at my first AFA convention last week. It was the 41st annual convention of the American Federation of Agriculture. You’re familiar with the organization – right? Or not so much.
Members of the AFA are the unsung heroes helping solve legal, behavioral and nutritional problems if it has anything to do with an exotic bird or parrot (more…)
In a recent article in birds.about.com, Patricia Sund a “Pet Birds Expert”, states the case that the word “cage” is brutal, antiquated and out of date.
I make up words when it suits me – who doesn’t?
I no longer read books. I read the biggest dictionary I could find and now in my spare time I keep rearranging all the words into stories that I like in my head. To that end sometimes there’s just not enough words in the dictionary to explain every thought.
(more…)
Rant
You are reading a blog.
Blogs are considered social media.
I consider myself a social media guy telling my stories to you, listening to yours.
We press the digital flesh every day on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
How many times have you watched in awe as a flighted bird hops off the top of it’s cage – the “flap, flap, flap” then it lands on an inch wide piece of ceiling crown molding or a computer monitor and in bird speak says “what’s up?” Never giving a thought to that gravity thing that keeps the rest of us tethered to Mother Earth.
These are special creatures indeed.
Do we really give our birds enough credit for their ability to adapt?
