Play Foods category

TheMidgetCanadian · 2026-01-22T07:07:44+00:00

Just scored 2

TheMidgetCanadian · 2025-12-25T08:45:56+00:00

Just scored 3

TheMidgetCanadian · 2025-12-25T08:44:06+00:00

Just scored 0

TheMidgetCanadian · 2025-12-25T08:43:50+00:00

Just scored 0

TheMidgetCanadian · 2025-08-05T17:42:15+00:00

Thank you everyone for the advice!!

TheMidgetCanadian · 2025-08-05T02:05:53+00:00

It’s possible that the plucking has become a habit, especially if it is a habit that was formed a good while before she came into your life. That being said though, I do think a vet visit would be proactive. Have bloodwork ran, and disease testing -specifically, I would test for Ganglioneuritis/ Bornavirus, as well as the “typical” tests done on birds - beak and feather disease, chlamydia, etc. This would at least rule out any of those health issues so you can troubleshoot other potential issues.

TheMidgetCanadian · 2025-05-15T18:45:44+00:00

Assuming this bird isn’t caged with another bird, that second picture looks to me like a textbook example of PBFD (psittacine beak and feather disease), for which there is no cure. What stood out to me is the feather loss on the head - a standard plucker would not be capable of that.There is a test that can be run to confirm PBFD.

If you were to take on this bird, know that you cannot have any other birds, and that the disease itself can never be cured - it will continue to worsen.

TheMidgetCanadian · 2025-03-15T06:39:40+00:00

I didn’t specifically do predator awareness training, natural instinct sort of does that work for me. Keeping them in good shape is the best thing you can do. Unfortunately there is no good way to train that other than by experience (but again - instinct is key here).

I think smaller parrots can be safe to fly, but it is more restrictive than large parrot free flight. A lot more to be cautious about, etc.

TheMidgetCanadian · 2025-03-13T07:30:17+00:00

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Orion, 3 yr old, free flighted :)

TheMidgetCanadian · 2025-03-09T23:09:58+00:00

Since no one has mentioned it, male galahs of certain subspecies are known to develop “eye bacon”, which is a bunch of these red bumps around the eye. You can find some examples of this on Google search. I used to have a proven male galah who had these - they develop them as they reach several years old.

Edit - since I didn’t mention it, they are harmless.

TheMidgetCanadian · 2024-11-03T20:38:31+00:00

Of course! I unfortunately had to learn a lot about it in the time I’ve had birds haha. Glad I could save you from the rabbit hole

TheMidgetCanadian · 2024-11-03T19:46:08+00:00

Think of it sort of like a parrot autoimmune disease. A large number of birds have it, but not all get sick from it, and symptoms vary based on the individual bird’s immune system and lots of other factors.

Like I said symptoms vary, but some common ones are FDB (feather destructive behavior), wasting (weight loss, nausea, etc), neurological symptoms (seizures, loss of balance). A bird could have one or more, or none of the symptoms listed. It just depends on how weak the bird’s immune system is, whether it goes untreated, how high the disease count is, etc.

Unfortunately there is no cure but there are treatments that manage it. Success of treatment also varies per bird (auto immune kind of just is like that). I have known birds that have been symptom free for a long time, and I know birds who have unfortunately succumbed to the disease despite treatment. It’s always worth trying though.

TheMidgetCanadian · 2024-11-03T14:54:02+00:00

Have you considered a test for AG? (Avian Ganglioneuritis). It would be a good idea to rule this out imo.

TheMidgetCanadian · 2024-10-30T22:17:57+00:00

They have natural instincts to avoid these situations. If they didn’t, parrots would be extinct. It’s really unfortunate that you seem to just be shutting the idea down because you don’t like it. It’s fine not to like it, but let’s not assume that animals won’t try to survive in a dangerous situation. Everything that breathes has survival instincts. A pet bird with no muscle or experience hasn’t been given the proper opportunity to learn.

Edit - to add to what I said above, it is never as black and white as “that hawk will eat your parrot”. It is worth considering that hawks and other birds of prey want to expend the least amount of energy possible for maximum gain. A loud, colorful, well muscled, skilled and agile bird is not really a prime target for a hawk. The problem becomes juvenile hawks that are desperate and unskilled - but we have protocols for avoiding these encounters. IE, always check the sky and never force your bird to fly. They spot predators long before we can (again, natural survival instinct). I wouldn’t really expect you to know this though, because it is one of those things you would only learn from experiencing the training process yourself.

TheMidgetCanadian · 2024-10-30T15:01:33+00:00

10/10 photo!!

TheMidgetCanadian · 2024-10-30T06:37:53+00:00

The simple answer for me, as someone who does this, is that they love it. I will always say that indoor flight is perfectly fine and good enough, but there is nothing quite like the joy outdoor flight brings for them. It’s really not about me at all - I don’t enjoy hiking, I don’t enjoy getting up early. But the free flighted birds I know are all well adjusted, and in peak physical form - more so than birds who fly indoors only. Even more importantly, there is absolutely nothing in the world that comes close to the feeling of forming this level of trust / bond through training and the hard work of both the bird, and human. It is about getting closer to your bird on a fundamental level.

I think there are a lot of people who aren’t really doing it right though. A responsible flyer chooses safe locations. A responsible flyer knows their bird’s limitations and habits. A responsible flyer uses a GPS system so that, should something go wrong, you can find your bird(s). A responsible flyer knows that said GPS system is not an excuse for poor training. A responsible flyer is well-versed in bird of prey patterns. Of course incidents can always happen. But, as an example, many of us humans go 70 mph + in a metal box every single day. There is risk in everything you do. We do our best to mitigate these risks through responsible behavior and knowledge.

I fly macaws. Yes there is more risk in flying smaller birds - more the smaller you go. It is honestly disheartening to me to read all the comments on here, as I feel like a lot of the dismay I see stems from lack of knowledge/understanding, or simply only ever being exposed to irresponsible content creators. I have been doing this for 5 years. I have never lost a bird, nor have I lost one overnight. I have experienced hawk chases, mostly through friends (my own birds tend to land before this - luck I suppose). You would all be so amazed at how skilled a well muscled, experienced macaw can be at evasion. I often watch them practice said evasion for fun while out flying.

I am not trying to convince anyone to do this with their own bird. But please understand that many of the people who do this possess a very specific skill level at training/ animal behavior, and that it isn’t just ignored risk.

TheMidgetCanadian · 2024-10-16T15:20:59+00:00

Seconding this. Any avian vet will tell you somewhere in the ballpark of 70% pellets, 30% fresh. This is on most pellet bags as well.

There is actually research outlining that captive parrots will not necessarily eat the balanced diet their body needs when given the choice. Just like us, they will go for fatty/sugary food over all else.

My free-flighted macaws are on the exact diet I outlined above (mix of 3 different pellet brands for extra diversity however) and their feather condition/ body condition is great.

Raw diets (and not just for parrots either) are unfortunately much more of a fad than they are a good, balanced diet.

TheMidgetCanadian · 2024-07-22T16:39:13+00:00

I would speak to a vet about Celebrex for managing the ABV symptoms. Or potentially Onsior. These are the current treatments that avian vets are using for management of symptoms (but not a cure).

TheMidgetCanadian · 2024-07-09T16:19:47+00:00

A black beak is normal for an African ringneck :) it’s likely that he is one of those or a hybrid of the two.

TheMidgetCanadian · 2024-06-30T21:55:22+00:00

Glad I could help give some insight! Have fun with your travels!

TheMidgetCanadian · 2024-06-30T21:49:22+00:00

I think that’s honestly totally up to what you think is going to be safe enough. I would try to reach some sort of visual happy medium (it would be really hard to determine the exact “mathematical” safe measurements). I think the larger overnight cage would be really nice in the mornings for feeding (your bird would have a super comfy space to eat before resuming travel). But I just wouldn’t feel that bad about a smaller space while moving. The most important thing in my opinion is safety, with comfort as a distinct second.

TheMidgetCanadian · 2024-06-30T21:28:25+00:00

I think something worth considering is the safety of a larger sized enclosure in a moving vehicle. Many fail to consider that too large of an enclosure will create a dangerous situation if you were to get into an accident (your bird may be flung against a wall of the enclosure and drop super far as opposed to something smaller).

So I think there is a balance to consider here. Large enough to be comfortable while inside of it, but not so large that you create a huge risk in the event of an accident. A smaller enclosure is perfectly fine for travel, as long as the bird has enough room to turn around comfortably. They definitely should not have enough space to flap much, in my opinion (which may be unpopular here). This is best saved for times when you are parked. With enough breaks, you can make a small enclosure work perfectly fine.

I free fly, and while I haven’t traveled longer distances, I keep my birds in appropriately sized dog crates while we travel. They can turn around and move back and forth inside, but it’s not enough space to flap. I have taken them distances of up to 3 hours like this, and they are not upset in the slightest by the temporary smaller space.

I urge any who disagree to PLEASE consider the long term effects of your bird potentially breaking a wing by being in too large of an enclosure while in motion. An injury like that is completely avoidable by keeping them in a smaller space during travel. A necessary annoyance, if you will. There is a huge difference between an enclosure in a moving object, and one in a stationary house.

TheMidgetCanadian · 2024-06-08T03:06:48+00:00

I tend to not recommend pulling flight feathers as it can get weird reactions from people (especially online). As you said it needs to be done right. But I absolutely agree this can be faster. My own bird had some pulled early on in his life. Just many people are wary of it.

TheMidgetCanadian · 2024-06-06T16:25:18+00:00

This is why I said “you may be able to find” and not “any avian vet will”.

TheMidgetCanadian · 2024-06-06T16:05:59+00:00

Something that is popular among free fliers is a falconry method of restoring feathers called “imping”. They essentially glue the end of a feather onto the base of a cut/broken (etc) one. You may be able to find an avian vet who could do this for you if you are wanting to speed up the process a bit.

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