Question 1

Can I give my bird the branches, leaves, pods from the Australian Crows Ash tree?

Accepted Answer

Yes all parts of this tree are safe.

Question 2

Plant Toxins

Accepted Answer

People need to be aware of toxins within plants, seeds and fruits before providing these to your bird. It is important to note that just because you may see a wild bird eating a particular fruit seed, berry or nut etc, this does not mean that it may be safe for your bird to eat. Birds in the wild have a natural process through foraging different foods and materials that counteract the reactions of certain toxins within plants and fruits. For example, Gloria Scholbe an author for The Holistic Bird Newsletter states within her literature that Macaws in South America eat many seeds which contain toxins and to rid their systems of these toxins they eat large quantities of clay per day

Question 3

Safe Plants for your Parrots.

Accepted Answer

This link  provides information on safe wood,trees and bushes for you parrots. Click here

Question 4

Should I bathe my bird? How often and why is it important?

Accepted Answer

Many of the parrot species popular as companion animals today are considered `neo-tropical parrots which basically means that their natural distribution is within the tropical latitudes of the globe. These areas are high humidity and often high rainfall areas, therefore many parrot species in the wild are presented with frequent or seasonal opportunities to bathe and shower. Moisture is essential for long-term feather health and condition and supports proper preening behaviours so therefore opportunities to have feathers dampened helps to reduce poor feathering and in the case of flighted birds will even aid mobility.
Species that particularly prone to feather picking behaviours, such as African Grey Parrots, Eclectus Parrots and numerous Indonesian species of lories and cockatoos, rely on regular bathing to stimulate proper preening and feather care behaviours. The combination of a nutritionally sound diet and regular bathing opportunities results in an optimum level of feather condition.
How Do I Go About Bathing My Parrot?
The techniques used to bathe or provide parrots with access to feather dampening vary and we now consider this essential husbandry role at a species-specific level. In the wild there are parrot species that leaf bathe, those that bathe in pools of water and those that wait for rain showers. Not all parrots appear to appreciate being wet and yet some relish the opportunity so it is important to make a judgement as to the technique used depending on the reactions of the individual bird. Here's a useful strategy guide for bathing parrots:
Outdoor Misting: Use a hose nozzle that caters for an ultra fine mist. Direct the mist above where the bird is placed and allow it to fall in a manner that simulates natural rain. Its a great idea to do this at the same time as regular cage cleaning 2 jobs covered at once! Always mist/shower early in the day and not on windy days where the combination of being damp, cold and in a draft can potentially contribute to illness in birds that may have a compromised immune status. If the hose and water spray has an aversive affect on your parrot then try simply placing the cage beside a garden bed and mist that area with incidental water reaching the cage. Gradually extend the water coverage of the cage in response to a reduction in fear towards the water.
Indoor misting: You can utilise a standard garden spray bottle set to a fine mist. You may even try different water temperatures and see if your parrot has a preference. In my experience parrots are often more responsive to cold water than warm water. Never direct a spray bottle towards a parrot and always allow the mist to fall gently from above.
Leaf Bathing: Use a section of leafy Eucalypt branch and heavily dampen this with water. Place this in the enclosure and allow your parrot to play amongst the wet leaves on the branch.
Bowl Bathing: Use heavy, glazed crock bowls with shallow sides and large diameter for this purpose. Ensure that water depth is not deeper than allowing the bird to sit in the bowl with a water level not greater than their flanks.
The Shower: It may seem odd to some but many parrot owners regularly take a shower with their parrot joining in! Special shower perches are even available on the Internet to give your parrot a place to perch so these could be worth investigating.
Food for Thought
Without regular opportunities to bathe the feather condition and potentially even the skin condition of your parrot may deteriorate. Lack of bathing opportunity has been linked to problem behaviours such as feather picking and poor preening behaviours. Always take a common sense approach to bathing your aim is to ensure that it is non-intrusive, non-stressful, facilitated only when weather conditions are suitable for feather drying and the bathing strategy used is species, or even individually, appropriate.

Question 5

Sunlight

Accepted Answer

Sunlight contains UV rays that provide essential vitamin D3 for birds. This is a vital supplement for breeding birds and to provide ultimate health for your bird. Having a bird near a window in the house does not provide sufficient light needed to give the birds this essential vitamin, as windows block out the sunlights UV rays.

Question 6

Toxic Fumes

Accepted Answer

Cleaning products, pesticides and Teflon dishes should not be used when your bird is in the house. The bird should be put outdoors when these products are used, and the house should be aired out after using these products to ensure there are no gases remaining.

Question 7

What is a safe way of removing or discouraging ants in the aviaries/cages?

Accepted Answer

I remember asking someone about ants, as I think our house is built on a giant ant nest and at different times of the year they can be a real pest..........Their answer was to make sure there were no food crumbs around to attract ants. I realised that these people did not own parrot!. No matter how many times I clean their cages and sweep the floors, there are always some sort of food bits strewn around.......parrots are messy! Because parrots are easily affected by chemicals, you have to be extremely careful, and in fact I do not use any chemicals at all near the birds.
So, first try and clean up as much used food, crumbs etc., as possible.
Next, try wiping all surfaces, if hard, like floors and walls, with a mixture of 50/50 white vinegar and water. This can be used on the bird's cages also. As well as cleaning the surfaces, it also mucks up the ant's scent, which they leave and use for trails. If it is outside, you can try spray the areas around the cages. This will have to be repeated, especially after it rains.
As I said ants rely heavily on scent trails they leave and do not like strong smells, so sprinkling, black pepper, chilli powder, paprika, or cayenne pepper or cinnamon,
You can also boil up bay leaves and / or cloves and spray and water this around on the ground. Even citrus oil can be sprayed  Tea tree oil can also be used as a wipe, or a spray, but be sure not to get it near the birds or other animals, as it could burn them. Some one told me even coffee grounds, if you make fresh brewed coffee, can be sprinkled on the ground. Anything that can descent the area.
As a poison, you can use a mixture of Borax and either jam or honey. mix them together and place in plastic lids, or soak an old kitchen sponge in the mixture and cut up and place around the outside of  your bird's cage. If you have other pets such as cats and dogs, you do not want them eating this, so either cover with wire, or place in sealed containers with holes made in them to allow the ants to and feed, but other pets cannot eat .. The ants eat the mixture and take the borax back to the nest where it will kill even more ants
Any of these mixtures I have described, keep away from your birds and only use on the outside of the cage and protect other pets as well
Another concoction to kill ants is a mixture is 4 tablespoons of Cornflower, 3 tablespoons of  bacon fat, 3 tablespoons of baking power and 3 packets of rapid rise yeast.mix them all together and place near ant trails in containers as explained above, ( don't want other animals eating it), The ants eat this and apparently swell up and pop. Another similar one is Baking Soda and Sugar in equal parts and then the yeast.
Another thing I read, but have never tried is......Apparently, place cucumber peel and citrus skins around as this kills fungus, thats ants feed on.
If you have smooth surfaces you can sprinkle either talc, corn flower, but this can get a bit messy, or draw a thick line with chalk and the ants cannot walk on this, so cannot pass.
If your house is built on an ants nest, it may be just as well as to remove the birds and other pets for a day or so, and get a professional exterminator in to spray your place, or use poisons which are taken back to the nest and destroy the queen ant. Check which companies use natural spays that are not toxic to other pets.......just because it is natural, does not mean that it is not toxic.......pyrethrums are a plant and are natural, but they are still toxic.

Question 8

What plants are safe for our companion birds?

Accepted Answer

All parts of the following plants can be given to your bird. They are classed as being totally safe and also healthy. Chewing and eating native flowers, nuts, leaves, weeds and bark are normal and essential for birds in the wild, this to is true for your companion bird at home.
These are a list of safe plants that we use at the PRC.
All eucalyptus species which include the flowers and seed pods (Gum nuts) that forms after flowering. (All parrots love to chew on the sweet tasting eucalypts flavour on the gumnuts. These nuts and flowers are also a vital source of food and nutrient.)
Dandelion, which is an herb, this is a non native Australian plant, but is safe for birds and provides health benefits as well as enrichment. (This plant is great way to firstly introduce to those companion parrots that are not interested in chewing up branches and leaves.)
Wattle trees including flowering and seed pods.
Melaleucas known as paperbark trees, provide flowers and nut pods.
Banksia including flowers and seed pods. (Black cockatoos love the seed pods and there beaks are strong enough to break it to bits.)
Bottlebrush including flowers and seed pods.
Grevillea including flowers
Lilly Pilly
Lemon scented ti-tree
Milk Thistle and other thistles
Tropical Chick weed
Swamp Dock
For Further safe plant information please read the FAQ- Safe plants for your parrots.

Frequently asked questions