Author Archives: Shannon Cutts

My people are part Iroquois. Or at least we think we are part Iroquois. Until my aunt on my father’s side started doing genealogical research, we thought we were part Cherokee. But then she figured out (somehow) that we are also related to Chief Crazy Horse. Who was from the Lakota (Sioux) tribe. So myContinueContinue reading “Wet Bird Couture: The Reverse Crest Mohawk”

In our household it’s a rare crunchy, crispy cracker that doesn’t earn a 5-star rating from a certain feathery someone’s discriminating palate. But when the packaging fits well too….well, that’s just a bonus!

Not everyone is lucky enough to have those cool delicate grey and white extra-long feathers that function in part as decoration, in part as a type of sensory antenna and in part as (I am convinced) parrot ESP. But if you ARE lucky enough to have crest feathers, here is one red-hot look you mightContinueContinue reading “Wet Bird Couture: The Slick and Smooth”

My bird is drawn to green things. He particularly favors shades of green in the middle to darker range, but all green things hold interest. Recently I cooked myself some spinach.

If anything cuter than a freshly showered cockatiel exists, I have yet to see it. Except for perhaps pictures of baby cockatiels. Or baby cockatiel eggs. Or mommy and daddy cockatiels tending baby cockatiel eggs and feeding baby cockatiels. Or pretty much any picture of Pearl. But I am getting off-topic….. The freshly showered cockatielContinueContinue reading “Introduction: Wet Bird Couture”

Sometimes when I take a shower Pearl also wants one. That is my indication that I should adjust the stream to “fine spray” (just the way he likes it) and let him sit under the spray for a bit. But most of the time Pearl’s enthusiasm for shower time has more to do with theContinueContinue reading “Shower Door Aerobics”

As the official avian attendant, I am typically in charge of grooming. This includes neck feather scratching, head and neck massage and of course the obligatory post-session feather pick-up. But occasionally unimportant routine tasks like working to earn rent money prevent me from fulfilling my contractual obligations in a timely fashion. At that point myContinueContinue reading “Power Grooming”

Every so often our house conducts a test of the waffle emergency response system. We bring in a very special expert to help us. The test includes timeliness, consistency, ingredient quality, palatability and, of course, quantity. Here are the steps in case you need to conduct your own test.

My dad (aka Grandpa, aka the “Tall Tree”) and my bird have a special bond. A VERY special, um, bond. Bond. Recently Dad came to visit. Pearl had just woken up from (another) restful nap, so initially he was sluggish. That quickly changed when he saw that his fav special agent was dressed for action.

Marc Bekoff is not a name I was familiar with before I started my research into animal emotions. It is amazing how many cool peeps there are in this world, just waiting to be discovered! Bekoff is the author of “The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy -ContinueContinue reading “The Emotional Lives of Animals”