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Birds--General/Questions Answered by Expert Marie Charon
| Subject | Date Asked |
| my love bird hate me | 12/16/2009 |
| Q: hes sitting next to me now and he wont let me pick him up he just trys to bite me. i cant take him ... A: Well, he may just take time to bond with you. Birds tend to bond mainly with one member of the ... | |
| loud cockatiel | 12/13/2009 |
| Q: my roommate has a really loud, really annoying cockatiel. She's not sure of the sex. I've read up a ... A: Birds are flock animals, and they need ALOT of time with their flock, (or in this case their human) ... | |
| seperation anxeity | 12/13/2009 |
| Q: I recently got a young budgie. I lovee this bird, and I take him out all the time when I'm home. The ... A: He really loves you! This is good! Now to help him out. I would give him a schedule. What time will ... | |
| parakeets in same cage | 12/12/2009 |
| Q: I have 3 parakeets, 2 males one female. she recently laid an egg and i was wondering if i should ... A: Most of the time other parakeets in the cage is not a problem. I would take him out when the eggs ... | |
| parakeets | 12/11/2009 |
| Q: i have an aviary of parakeets & budgies. but whenever the female birds lay eggs, & the babis come ... A: It is more likely that her mate is killing the babes, and in the end her too. Sometimes when ... | |
| Taming a Budgie | 12/11/2009 |
| Q: First I would like to thank you for your time. A bit about the budgie, we rescued him. I don't ... A: He is what you call a cage-bound bird. This comes about when a bird is not allowed out of its cage ... | |
| cokatiel | 12/8/2009 |
| Q: My familly owned a cokatiel for 2 years his names is BÉBÉ he talk and is very nice. Since a month or ... A: First you will need to make sure he is in good health by having a vet check him out. Do you have ... | |
| Love Bird Laying Egg | 12/7/2009 |
| Q: We rescued a love bird 4 years ago and this morning there is an egg in the bottom of the cage. Is ... A: The only sure way to age her is to have your vet give her a blood test and approximate her age. A ... | |
| Love Bird Laying Egg | 12/7/2009 |
| Q: We rescued a love bird 4 years ago and this morning there is an egg in the bottom of the cage. Is ... A: I take it she is in the cage by herself? She is laying an unfertilized egg. This isn't abnormal at ... | |
| baby doves | 12/6/2009 |
| Q: is this normal? and if not should take care of them and feed them? and what would i feed them with ... A: Well if their mother has abandoned the nest and you want them to survive, you will have to take them ... | |
| Maroon bellied conure biting | 12/6/2009 |
| Q: I got my bird, Max, about a year ago from a pet store. He was 10 months old and very aggressive when ... A: First it sounds like Max doesn't know his place in the family. Birds are naturally very Dominant ... | |
| ringneck | 12/5/2009 |
| Q: am looking to buy a ringneck parakeet its 7 months old .. its not trained is it too old to be tought ... A: Yes, it can be tamed, it is still young enough where it shouldn't be too difficult, but it will take ... | |
| budgies | 12/4/2009 |
| Q: My daughter has a budgie that has laid 5 eggs. She says that she can't clean the cage until after ... A: yes, it needs to be cleaned, otherwise it will become a walking cesspit of disease and germs. You ... | |
| Cockateils | 12/3/2009 |
| Q: Please tell me how to tell the difference in a male and female cockateil. I have two and when I ... A: The easiest way to tell the sex of a cockatiel is whether they sing or just chirp. Females will only ... | |
| finches | 12/2/2009 |
| Q: i have 4 pairs of finches,about every month i find one egg at the bottom of the cage empty, this ... A: It may be that the nest box, or nest site is not secure enough. Make sure it is secure and eggs will ... | |
| behavrial fixes rescue birds//breeding pairs | 12/1/2009 |
| Q: Were to start? Breeding is a new adventure for me, Pair of blue Indian ringnecks What is the diet ... A: I can't tell you much about breeding. There isn't a whole lot of information out on breeding birds, ... | |
| lovebird egg laying | 12/1/2009 |
| Q: i have 2 female (i think) lovebirds. they have laid 5 eggs. how common is this and how do i ... A: It is normal for female birds to lay unfertilized eggs. It is just their natural, instictive drive ... | |
| my budgie and dove. | 12/1/2009 |
| Q: i got a budgie when it was about 5 months oldd. i had him seperate from my dove for about 4 months ... A: Budgies tend to become more bird aggressive as they mature. Also budgies, cute and little as they ... | |
| keets | 11/29/2009 |
| Q: My question is it normal for my female to lay her eggs far apart and what is the best food to give ... A: They lay eggs over a span of time, that is normal. Here is a really wonderful site all about ... | |
| Male Parakeet and Feather Pulling | 11/28/2009 |
| Q: I have a pair of budgies who are at most times quite content. However, at times when I leave the ... A: I would try putting two of everything into the cage. they should have separate food cups for each ... | |
| Budgie wont play with his swing? | 11/27/2009 |
| Q: I've had my budgie for about 4-5 years, and I just recently bought her a new swing. It has a metal ... A: Well sometimes it just takes time for them to get used to new things in their cage, usually their ... | |
| doves laying eggs | 11/26/2009 |
| Q: I have two doves a male and a female. The female has layed two eggs, how do I know if they are ... A: With both a male and a female in the cage you really just have to leave the eggs to see if they ... | |
| Cockatoo | 11/25/2009 |
| Q: bird has an abrasion on top of breast just under wing that runs along the entire underside of wing. ... A: Well, it certainly sounds like he has quite a wound, that would be best treated by a veterinarian. ... | |
| sick budgie | 11/23/2009 |
| Q: sorry if this is a bit long... i have a male budgie, i got him last year and he was quite young and ... A: It does sound like scaly mites to me. I have always taken any birds with mites to the vet for ... | |
| My bird just threw up! What do i do? | 11/22/2009 |
| Q: I was holding my bird skeeta (parakeet), and she was chirping and biting my nail like she always ... A: Smiles, very happy birds who really love you will regurgitate food for you. It is symbolic of trying ... | |
| Diamond Doves | 11/21/2009 |
| Q: Are diamond doves handlable if you work with them over time? Which other doves are handable? A: Here is a great site about diamond doves. Just cut and paste the link into your browser. ... | |
| WHITE DOVE QUESTION | 11/20/2009 |
| Q: GOOD EVENING...I RECENTLY ACQUIRED TWO WHITE DOVES. ONE IS MORE SENSITIVE THAN THE OTHER..HER NAME ... A: No, I would think she is just showing signs of contentment. Birds fluff up and sit on the bottom of ... | |
| African Grey wing | 11/19/2009 |
| Q: I have a very sweet African Grey that I rescued about 4 months ago. When I got her, she was an ... A: Well it is hard to say. It is possible that she has just aggravated the site and now has a bit of ... | |
| cockatiel primary flight feather loss | 11/18/2009 |
| Q: I have two cockatiels, one female one male. Freckle (female) flew clumsily last night and crash ... A: I would clip her other wing to prevent crash landing from uneven flight until you get the wing ... | |
| Purchasing Another Bird | 11/17/2009 |
| Q: I have a fourteen year old Alexandrine Ringneck who has been alone for the full time. I become ... A: Well, if you work long hours then you might consider another bird playmate for your guy. Birds are ... | |
| Rehab for cockateil | 11/17/2009 |
| Q: My friend's family bought a baby cockatiel about 2 years ago. At first the bird was happy and ... A: She will rehab nicely as long as you are patient. In my experience cockatiels rehab fairly easyily. ... | |
| budgie | 11/16/2009 |
| Q: Yesterday my son found our budgie bird struggling to crawl up side of cage with one foot appearing ... A: No other than a healthy diet, with a lot of fruit and vegies and insulin(to control it)their is ... | |
| lighting for birds | 11/16/2009 |
| Q: I recently was given two beautiful untamed lovebirds, about two years old. I switched them from ... A: Yes, I recommend a full spectrum light such as Vitalight, ZooMed, or featherbrite. Especially in the ... | |
| budgie | 11/16/2009 |
| Q: Yesterday my son found our budgie bird struggling to crawl up side of cage with one foot appearing ... A: My guess is the bird became ill and passed away from natural causes. It actually sounds like ... | |
| let nature take its course | 11/15/2009 |
| Q: i have a pair of love birds that had laid eggs is it best to let them take care of the feeding or ... A: I would let your love birds take care of the feeding for the first 2 weeks and at 14 days old remove ... | |
| sick budgie | 11/14/2009 |
| Q: I have a 2 yr old female who didn't look right a few days ago. she was breathing rapidly and while ... A: if you go to a large pet store like pets plus, or petco, and you go to the bird section where the ... | |
| sick budgie | 11/13/2009 |
| Q: I have a 2 yr old female who didn't look right a few days ago. she was breathing rapidly and while ... A: These kinds of issues generally indicate an intestinal issue, such as infection. Make sure you keep ... | |
| aviary companions | 11/13/2009 |
| Q: I am setting up a large aviary and would like to house my pair of rainbow lorikeets in it. ... A: Anytime you are thinking about caging different species together you really need to speak to a vet ... | |
| Dominant Cockatiel. | 11/12/2009 |
| Q: We have a male cockatiel who is about 5 years old. He is used to being out in the morning for ... A: I'm going to deal with one issue at a time: Unwanted Dominant Behavior: Clipping his wings will ... | |
| Baby doves found on the ground in a feild. | 11/10/2009 |
| Q: Me and my girlfriend are crazy about animals and we happened upon 2 baby doves in a field. We ... A: If you are going to hand raise them, then they will be YOUR birds forever. They won't be able to be ... | |
| Ailing Canary | 11/9/2009 |
| Q: I work at a pet store where we have a very sick canary. We have a limited amount of avian specialist ... A: Well, I am not a vet but my guess is she has some sort of bacterial, or some other infection. As ... | |
| Orphan buddies eggs | 11/7/2009 |
| Q: This is regarding my pet buddies. I have two pairs of buddy birds in my house and one pair started ... A: You can defiantly hatch them yourself. Be ready for a HUGE time commitment though. The eggs need to ... | |
| Two Male Lovebirds fighting. | 11/6/2009 |
| Q: I've had a male lovebird for about a year now (he's just over a year old). We got him a friend to ... A: Lovebirds can be tricky at sharing cages with the same sex; you may never be able to put them ... | |
| possible mites | 11/6/2009 |
| Q: My husband left the door to our deck open and a wild junco flew into the house. My puppy pounced on ... A: Well, there are different types of mites, and different treatments for each, so this is probably a ... | |
| FEEDING RINGNECK | 11/4/2009 |
| Q: I received a baby as a gift. Not sure how old he is. )He startet grooming himself & flappig his ... A: Adel, th point of my previous answer was to ask M.C Birds here on AllExperts.com. She has extensive ... | |
| photo of chick | 11/4/2009 |
| Q: Ive attached a photo of the chick. Emma A: Yes, she is too young to be weened, and she looks to be about 4 weeks. Definitely make sure the ... | |
| Cockatiel chick | 11/3/2009 |
| Q: We have a large avairy at work with lots of different birds, which I'm guessing shouldn't be mixed ... A: First of all NEVER breed in an multi species aviary. I know these birds are at your work and this is ... | |
| Cockatiel chick | 11/3/2009 |
| Q: We have a large avairy at work with lots of different birds, which I'm guessing shouldn't be mixed ... A: I'm guessing that the aviary is full of only Cockatiels? Cockatiels can be breed in multi cockatiel ... | |
| parakeets | 11/1/2009 |
| Q: My b/f and I have two parakeets that we've had for a few years now. They were gifts from me to him. ... A: Well if both birds are female, then they are unfertilized eggs, and will not hatch. You can just ... | |
| Parakeet eggs | 11/1/2009 |
| Q: Our female parakeet laid 5 eggs and sat on them for the recommended time frame. Then one day she ... A: If the birds are attacking each other, especially to the point of really fighting and drawing blood ... | |
| Color of my indian ringneck | 10/31/2009 |
| Q: I have an eleven week old male ringneck I was told was a blue turquoise but I think the breeder was ... A: He does appear to be a blue ringneck to me from his picture but as you will be able to see from the ... | |
| Conures fighting | 10/30/2009 |
| Q: I have a 4 month old green-cheek conure, and a 4 month old Sun conure. Both were raised in the same ... A: Sometimes issue's like this develop as birds mature. They begin to become territorial, etc. If they ... | |
| budgies | 10/30/2009 |
| Q: is it okay to periodically cover up the budgie cage during the day when my son is asleep and i want ... A: If it is just for a short nap period I don't see the harm, but if it is for any length of time then ... | |
| cockatiel behaviour problems | 10/29/2009 |
| Q: We have two hand-reared cockatiels, one male and one female. They have tried to nest a number of ... A: It is not uncommon for cockatiels to show aggression after egg laying, but you will need to separate ... | |
| Ring Neck Dove eggs | 10/29/2009 |
| Q: I have 2 ringneck doves and they just laid two eggs one day from each other on 10/12. They do have ... A: Well, I am not a breeder and my knowledge on these types of issues is a bit limited. The eggs should ... | |
| Found an albino dove, was tame at first but wont let us hold her anymore. | 10/29/2009 |
| Q: My dad found an albino dove while he was working that was leaning up against a telephone pole. He ... A: Well it is hard to say but I will take a guess that she was sick when you found her, and that was ... | |
| baby dove | 10/29/2009 |
| Q: i found a baby rock dove on side of my office so i just took it at my home b'cos it can not fly yet. ... A: The kind of care she needs is really dependent on how old she is. If she can't fly yet I will assume ... | |
| Budgie training | 10/28/2009 |
| Q: I just got a budgie a few days ago and i was wondering how i could train it. I think it's a wild ... A: They can eat couscous, but it cannot be it's staple diet. Like you, your pet budgie needs to have ... | |
| PARAKEETS | 10/28/2009 |
| Q: WHY IS MY PARAKEET ALWAYS SLEEPING/ A: Please read this site on parakeets. If your keet is not keeping to the "norms" then you need to take ... | |
| Cockatiel nostril | 10/26/2009 |
| Q: My cockatiels Nostril was hurt today as he tried to limb down a low perch, he hit his left nostril ... A: No,it is not easy. There are some bird illnesses that can pass to humans, but they are pretty rare. ... | |
| Budgie training | 10/25/2009 |
| Q: I just got a budgie a few days ago and i was wondering how i could train it. I think it's a wild ... A: There are as many ways to tame budgies but this is one that works for me. Remember, it may take up ... | |
| Parakeet behavior | 10/25/2009 |
| Q: A month ago a parakeet came to our yard behaved like he wanted shelter. We caught him with a light ... A: Sitting all fluffed up on the bottom of the cage is definatly a sign that he is ill. You will need ... | |
| lovebird babies | 10/24/2009 |
| Q: my female and male lovebird had 3 eggs. one egg hatched and is now 2-3 weeks old. she has small ... A: The eggs will hatch at about the same spacing as they were laid, so if they week apart you can ... | |
| Parakeet | 10/23/2009 |
| Q: To whom this my concern: I think my parakeet may have a tumor. On Monday I notice a brown hard spot ... A: You really just need to take her for a vet visit! Perhaps there is vet who can answer pet questions ... | |
| doves | 10/23/2009 |
| Q: Three months ago, one of a pair of doves chose my garden to die. We buried it while noticing its ... A: That is very kind of you. As to doing the right thing I don't think you are doing anything wrong by ... | |
| white love doves | 10/23/2009 |
| Q: My two love doves layed an egg this morning 10/22/2009 she wont take care of it.she wont sit on ... A: If you want the egg to mature, then you will need to incubate it till it hatches, and then hand feed ... | |
| Help | 10/21/2009 |
| Q: I have a baby cockatiel it is 23 days old I am hand feeding it. He has been fine untill tonight he ... A: I believe you should contact your veterinarian asap. Hand feeding formula for cockatiel's should ... | |
| fighting budges | 10/19/2009 |
| Q: i have two female budges that live in the same cage, they have lived together for 6 years. ones a ... A: You will need to keep them seperated. You can put the cages right next to each other so they can be ... | |
| my bird won't eat | 10/18/2009 |
| Q: i have an adult eastern bluebird that was hit by a car.it has been 3 days and he has not eaten or ... A: No one is going to help you with him sadly. He is protected and cannot be treated as a pet by a ... | |
| Black Faced lovebird is ill or not ? | 10/17/2009 |
| Q: "Hello; last night i bought a non hand-feed untamed black faced lovebird ( male as pet store guy ... A: He may be sick, but also he may be having anxiety issues. Some birds will kinda withdraw when moved ... | |
| goffin cockatoo | 10/16/2009 |
| Q: Should I be concerned for the health of my 87 year old mother, due to the powder from a cockatoo ... A: Cockatoo's and cockatiel's are two of the most "dusty" exotic bird species, so people with pet ... | |
| Lovebird Chicks have had their feathers plucked | 10/15/2009 |
| Q: I hope you can help. I have a pair of peach faced lovebirds who have recently had 3 chicks. The ... A: Lovebirds plucking their babies feathers is unfortunatly not all that rare, but it is dangerous to ... | |
| Troubled Cockatiel | 10/15/2009 |
| Q: I recently rescued a female cockatiel from somebody who abused the bird. When I got her, she had no ... A: Rest easy, taking the sweater off is not what killed the bird. It was the abuse she suffered at the ... | |
| Troubled Cockatiel | 10/14/2009 |
| Q: I recently rescued a female cockatiel from somebody who abused the bird. When I got her, she had no ... A: Your doing fine. Let her settle in for about a week. After that take her to a small room, ... | |
| baby dove | 10/13/2009 |
| Q: Today, I found a baby dove with feathers, that must have fallen from the nest - One of the legs are ... A: Sure there is hope for 'em. I've had a couple birds here in the rescue with only one leg. You'll ... | |
| cockatiel laying and behaviour | 10/13/2009 |
| Q: i have a female cockatiel who is now 12 months old. She has laid two eggs in two days. I have, of ... A: Well, she is being more aggressive because she is nesting. Female's can lay eggs even without a ... | |
| Love birds | 10/11/2009 |
| Q: What do i do when my love birds have layed eggs and some have hatched but they are not feeding the ... A: You'll have to go and purchase some hand-feeding bird formula and you will need some feeding ... | |
| What to do if a bird is choking? | 10/10/2009 |
| Q: I have 2 cockatiels Today I witnessed what I think may have been one of my tiels choking. Her mouth ... A: She was unlikely chocking, while it is a bit disputed amoung breeder's as to wether she is yawning ... | |
| cockatiel is nipping | 10/9/2009 |
| Q: We have a cockatiel that I bought back in April of this year. He (she, not sure) was a baby and I ... A: One thing that is for certain is that if you give him less attention and more time in the cage away ... | |
| Cockatiel age vs. wing amputation | 10/9/2009 |
| Q: I have had my Cockatiel, Whistler for 20 years and I believe he was 5-7 yrs olds when I got him, ... A: Last night another idea came to mind. You can also put driftwood in the bottom of the the cage for ... | |
| Peachfaced Lovebird Puffy chest | 10/8/2009 |
| Q: this morning i noticed that one of my birds had a puffy chest ...it looked like her crop was over ... A: Alma, I'd try removing the access food from the cage temporarily. Watch and see if your birds crop ... | |
| Cockatiel age vs. wing amputation | 10/7/2009 |
| Q: I have had my Cockatiel, Whistler for 20 years and I believe he was 5-7 yrs olds when I got him, ... A: Has your vet recommended a wing amputation? That in itself seems like a lot of stress, but you ... | |
| Birds die | 10/6/2009 |
| Q: I have 2 cockatiel. Males, one it the Dad. He is 9 and the son is 7. Nothing has changed except the ... A: Debra, I'd go ahead and throw away the food, just to be on the safe side. It is very rare for food ... | |
Birds--General
Answers by Expert:
Marie Charon
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Questions I can answer 1. rehabilitating an abused or troubled pet bird, behavioral issue's, cage and cage care, feeding questions, , most general questions, providing quality care for your bird, and guide you in taming your bird.
Experience
I run a not-for-profit exotic bird rescue, and an animal daycare/boarding service. I also have experience in resolving common behavioral issues such as biting, screaming, feather plucking, aggression, jealousy, anxiety issues, and cage bound birds.
Organizations
NCA Member
Education/Credentials
I have a B.S in Communications and Technical Writing.
Awards and Honors
Dean's List & H.S Society.
Past/Present Clients
Along with Feathered Friends Rescue, I also run Ann Arbor Pet services. This service provides dog daycare, I also provide boarding for dogs, cats, birds, and other small animals. I offer equine services, and exotic bird rehabilitation.
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