Tag Archives: cockatiel care

My feathery companion does enjoy a good spring (or summer or fall or winter) shower. The first time I noticed the distinctive avian body language – wings trembling and held slightly away from her body, eyes wide and entreating, body crouched and neck extended forward – I thought she must be begging for something else.ContinueContinue reading “The Loud Silver Hawk”

Parrots (technically, a cockatiel hails from the parrot family) love sunflower seeds. If you broke down the genetic code that formed a parrot from the ancient Archeopteryx, I suspect you would find the chief sequencing proteins came from sunflower seeds. Speaking of which, recently Grandma bought a certain small and feathery someone a special present.

The word “friendship” has so often been claimed by human beings for our very own….but it would seem we must learn to share this great gift with our fellow beings at long last. Thank goodness. I picked up a copy of the book “Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom” by Jennifer S.ContinueContinue reading “Unlikely Friendships”

Pearl, just like any (permanent) adolescent, is quite skilled at making a mess. She can take the simplest of materials – seed, paper towels, and (of course) cockatiel poop, and redecorate the entire inside of her casa. At which point Mommy necessarily shifts into “maid mode”, complete with toothbrush, scrub brush, gloves, bucket, soap andContinueContinue reading “My Mommy, My Maid”

Into every feathery being’s life a little rain must fall. Most days are super-cool. On those days, you might get to pounce on a giant stack of waffles, dismantle the wicker furniture, chew through some delicious window grout, and stare at the prettiest bird in the world for hours in your own personal mirror. Other days,ContinueContinue reading “The Dreaded V-E-T”

When she was a chick, Pearl’s left wing tip was injured. Permanently. Wings, like arms, have three parts – the upper arm (between the shoulder and elbow), the forearm (between the elbow and wrist), and the hand and fingers. Pearl is missing the “hand and fingers” portion of her left wing, which means that onContinueContinue reading “Big Wings”

There are two kinds of domestic birds – “in cage” birds and “out of cage” birds. Pearl may not be able to fly (due to a wing injury when she was a chick) but she is definitely an “out of cage” bird. The only time she likes her cage and wants to be in itContinueContinue reading “Sad Bird, Happy Bird”

My little feathery gal is just as particular (and sometimes downright persnickety) as any human I’ve ever met when it comes to her wants and needs. Such as…. Snax. Family. Neck scratching. Belly kisses. Accessories. A fierce demeanor (every gal needs one, especially when it’s time for the V-E-T). A great view. Spa days.

After reading (and watching) “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill” earlier this year, I developed a much better understanding of the essentially wild nature of all domesticated birds. It’s not like this hadn’t been explained to me in other bird books, but it was how the author, Mark Bittner, highlighted in such intimate details theContinueContinue reading “Wild at Heart”

While there are days when Pearl seems to weary of being stalked by a small purple and green iPhone camera, other days she remembers how important it is for the prettiest bird in the whole world to build a proper portfolio. Here she is practicing different looks for her pending blockbuster hit movie (heck, theyContinueContinue reading “America’s Next Top Avian Model”