I recieved a call from a friend. She was very distraught and rightly so! Two of her birds, an african grey and an umbrella cockatoo that she adopted from PASO had started to develop some strange symptoms about two months ago. She described them as wobbly and off balance. The african grey exhibited the behaviours about two weeks prior to the umbrella. Of course panic ensues as you are unsure if you have a contagion in your aviary.

Unsure as what might be the cause, they removed the bedding from the bird room and changed their diets etc and immediately had the birds vet checked.

The symptoms only got worse with time. The vet was unsure but guessed Racoon fecies Roundworm (Baylisascaris)as the culprit. Slowly and agonizingly she watched as the two birds got worse and worse over time. There is no cure or treatment for this condition and all other options were exhausted.

They have created a beautiful bird room for their dozen or so birds and fearing that others would get sick was always on their minds, specially because they were unsure of the cause and now having two sick birds! It must have been a horrible feeling that few of us have had to experience.

Eventually the African Grey got worse and started to vomit and could no longer perch. The umbrella developed the same symptoms two weeks behind.

Eventually they had to make that horrible choice in having to put down the african grey to end his suffering. A necropsy was performed in hopes that they would be able to save the umbrella from the same fate.

It was determined that it was infact Racoon Fecies Roundworm (Baylisascaris)that was killing the birds.

The family blamed themselves and looked back at how these events could have been caused. They did bring some natural perches from outside into their bird room for the birds to enjoy but felt they had taken the proper precautions in preparing the wood.

They used a pressure washer to clean the limbs and left them out to bake in the sun for a few days, believing this would make the wood safe for the birds.

Sadly, that was not the case. As it is believed that this was the only way for the racoon round worm to have permeated the bird room.

If you plan on using natural branches for your birds, please make sure to follow all the steps listed below:

- Make sure that the wood is on the safe woods to use list as posted on this website

- Do not use wood that is picked up from the side of the road as it could have herbicides are traffic residue on it

- Do not use woods that have been sprayed with a herbicide or pesticide

- Thoroughly clean the limbs with a brush or pressure washer to remove debris, dirt and bugs

- Soak in a 10% bleach solution over night then allow to dry completely which will disinfect the wood

- Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hr which should kill any remaining bacteria or bugs

- Do not keep the wood outside after these steps as further contamination can occur

Our hearts go out to the family for their loss and we thank them for allowing us to post this information in hopes of averting another tradegy.

Nancy Daniels and Family

Labels: behaviour, parrot rescue, racoon feces, safe parrot toys, safe woods for parrots

I have received birds in the rescue for many different reasons. One of the most common is due to the noise they make.

What I have found interesting is an individual’s tolerance level varies from person to person.

Some have brought budgies to us they felt were too loud for them and others the almighty voice of the cockatoo!

All birds will make noise. It is in their nature to make noise when they are happy, sad, bored or when they want food. Parrots make noise just as a baby cries. They also need to make noise as it is natural for them to call home their flock and welcome in the new day!

They will do it when it's inconvenient, like while we are watching TV, trying to hold a conversation or talking on the phone. You can count on it! It is something that needs to be taken under consideration when you own a parrot. If you tolerance for noise is low, then a parrot is NOT a good choice for you!



How we chose to deal with the noise is up to us. We can get mad and frustrated or we can learn to live with it and make it a part of everyday life.


I know that people have asked my husband and I how we can stand the noise as we typically will carry on a conversation even with parrots squawking in the background.

We have learned to tolerate the noise and to live with it. Although not easy for strangers that come to the house or people without birds to understand how we do it, it is part of our life and this is what we do and is now so natural for us we don't even notice it any longer.

This is not to say that they squawk incessantly as most of the time it is actually quiet around here. They have certain moments like anything. They get excited when visitors arrive or if we have been away for a period of time. They get loud when we are eating dinner as they would love to sit and enjoy it with us!

The trick I use during dinner is to feed the birds at the same time we eat. It makes dinner time much more enjoyable!

There is a difference between everyday noise in which we NEED to learn to tolerate and excessive.

Excessive noise would be continuous non stop noise for hours on end when the bird has everything from food, water and toys and has had playtime with his family.

We can teach birds to scream incessantly by our own reactions to a birds screaming.

First we have to make sure that the bird’s needs are fulfilled. It's had playtime, food, water and has plenty of toys to keep him busy.

If he continues to scream, you should ignore it. Even if the screaming persists just ignore it. As I tell visitors here if the bird screams non stop for 20 minutes then suddenly you either yell at him to stop or you go and check on him the bird just won! Next time he will scream longer and longer.

If you can't deal with the noise go out for a walk! Just don't acknowledge the screaming for one second!

Within few days you will see the bird screaming less and less.

As soon as the bird has been quiet for a minute or two reward him with a treat and tell him how good he is for being quiet. Make sure to always praise your parrot during positive moments and reward with treats.

Never pick your bird up when he is screaming as it is only rewarding negative behaviour.

When you have been away for a prolonged period of time your bird will make sounds of joy in seeing you. This is not the same as screaming. It is important that you differentiate between the different sounds the bird makes.

Happy sounds are quite normal and can be acknowledged. There are also moments when we will scream right along with the birds and join in the fun with them. As long as the bird is not incessantly screaming it is fine to enjoy these moments with the bird.

I have heard many horror stories of pet stores telling new owners to squirt the bird with a water bottle. Let me tell you that that is NOT the way to train a bird. All that does is teach a bird to fear water which will make bathing much more difficult. It is also a form of torture! If you ask people that have tried this method they will tell you that it doesn't work anyway!

We have also found people that will cover their bird when they are being loud. This is also not a good idea. You are acknowledging the bird during his screaming. Then covering him when he is actually looking for attention is more of a punishment than anything. Removing him from the room is also detrimental to his well being.

We have found people that have moved the birds into the back of the home and left them in the dark covered and alone. This is no life for a bird. They are such social creatures and want to be part of your flock.

We only hope that if you find yourself using these steps that you either bring the bird to us or start over and bring them back to the family and allow then to be a part of the family.


Before getting a parrot, spend some time around some. In a pet store, at a bird club, zoo or a friends place with birds. Determine if this is something you can live with.

Another important thing to remember is where you live. If in an apartment, condo or highly populated area where noise travels then you aren't going to want a conure, cockatoo or macaw. You are sure to get an eviction notice! Stick to some of the quieter species of birds like the cockatiel and lovebird. It must be remembered that they also make noise and can go on for prolonged periods of times however the decibel level is much lower. Some people can't even tolerate the noise from these smaller birds and neighbors have been known to complain even about some of these.

Some birds by nature can be quiet just as we all have our own personalities so do many different birds of the same species. There are tendencies within the species but even some of the largest birds can be quiet by nature. However to find a quiet cockatoo, although they do exist is quite rare!

The most important thing is to determine your own tolerance level and that of your family as not everyone will agree. Then find a bird that suits your life style. If you presently have a bird, then start today! Make sure he has his wants and needs fulfilled and then ignore the negative. It may take a little longer but eventually the bird will quiet down.

Labels: behavior, behaviour, ontario parrot rescue, parrot noise, parrot sound, parrots

We were surprised to find this article in our monthly bulletin as we were unaware of the impact we had on this couple. This was originally posted in the Durham Avicultural Society Bulletin. We have reprinted it here with permission from the author.

To Durham Avicultural Society

Attention Bulletin Editor


I'm submitting this article to be considered for your monthly bulletin news letter. My wife Jackie and I became DAS members through odd circumstances. We have always been dog and cat people and all our animals are rescue cases. In January of 2005, I was asked by a working acquaintance if I would look after his birds while he went on a one week vacation. He told me that the person that normally did this for him was going through some hard times and was unable to help him out.



He asked me because he knew I was a huge animal lover and it wouldn't cost him any money. A couple of days before he left I went to his home to get a briefing on what I was supposed to do for the care of the birds. When I went to his home he took me to where the birds were kept, it was in an unfinished basement with block walls and one small window at ceiling level with plastic hanging from the beams to keep the heat in. There were three birds in two different cages, two Amazons and one African Grey.



When we went down stairs it was apparent the bird hated him and they appeared absolutely viscous. They went crazy at the sight of him. Now he proceeds to tell me that he has had the birds for about twelve years and has never had them out of their cages and I'm going to have to be careful when I change their food and water because they will attack. He told me the amazons can take off the tip of your finger. Holy cats.......what have I gotten myself into here.



I should have left right then and there but something told me to stick it out. He said just come twice a week to change their food and water. I knew when he left I didn’t have to show up for a few days but I could not get those birds out of my mind. I went to the house the first day he left and just stood by the cages, I had a sadness that drew me back to them. I did not know anything about birds but I was smart enough to know that any living being would go crazy under these conditions. I came home and told my wife Jackie about my thoughts, she could tell this was really bothering me, so later that day she had to go and see for herself. When I took her down into the basement her first thought was it looks like the set from the movie Silence of the Lambs - dark, damp and scary. There wasn’t even a chair to sit on to hang out with the birds.



So this was the beginning of our relationship. Despite the fact there was no way we could put our hands in the cages, it was very apparent they wanted a relationship with us. Bart, the African Grey seemed particularly interested in Jackie. She would bob her head up and down and Bart would copy her movement and stick his tongue out. Shaba would crawl down to the bottom of her cage asking ‘what ya doing’ while I changed her papers. Fred, scared us the most since he would scold us if we came close to the cage and lunge at us. We stayed for about two hours and just watched and talked to them. When we left we both knew that we could not leave these beautiful creatures to suffer in this hell that they had been living in. We decided that we were going to get these birds and if the only thing we could do was give them a clean cage and a nice view it would be a heck of a lot better than how they were exiting now.



When the owner came back I had a very uncomfortable and honest conversation with him. At the end of the conversation he agreed that the birds would be better in our care .In February 2005 we took possession of our new flock. Jackie started to snoop around for some professional help and as luck would have it we were introduced to Carol Davies who lived very close to us. Carol came over to see the birds and quickly noticed how aggressive they were . Carol was on blood thinners at the time and thought it would be too risky for her to try to help us with the taming of the birds. She told us about a couple named Brett and Nancy Daniels who run the Parrot Adopt Southern Ontario agency and if anyone could help us with the birds it would be them. We contacted Brett and Nancy and within a couple of days they showed up at our door. This was an experience that has changed our lives forever. These birds had not been handled for over twelve years. They were scared and as we were later to find out in poor health.



I thought that Brett and Nancy would come and visit with the birds a few times and cautiously try to put their hands in the cage to gain their trust over several visits. Boy was I wrong. On the day they showed up we met them at the door and the first thing I noticed was a huge gash on Nancy’s hand in the perfect shape of a rather large beak. NOW I’M NERVOUS. I tried to ease my tension by making a joke and saying "a bit of a cooking accident”. She responded by calmly stating "it's a parrot bite, look if you got birds your gonna get bit, it won’t kill you, get used to it, it only hurts for a bit.



We gave them a brief history on the birds and they decided they would concentrate on the two Amazons that night. Within five minutes of them being there the Amazons cage was open and I could not believe what I was seeing. Without batting an eye Brett went over to the cage and stuck his hand in until the one bird Fred had a firm grip on his finger and when she was firmly attached he pulled her out. As soon as he cleared the cage Nancy gashed hand and all was next in line to pull out the remaining bird Chauba. It went the same way, a chomp on the finger and out she came.



I must say it was not what I expected at all, I thought my god these people are nuts, I'm surprised they have any fingers left at all. The fact they just got bit did not faze them at all. Brett said "look these birds have cage rage, you got to get them away from their cage to deal with them. What happened in the next half hour was amazing, I realized, my god these people know birds. Not only were they handling the birds, but the birds felt safe with them. The birds were enjoying being on their hands and being told how beautiful they were. Birds that had not been out of a cage or been handled in twelve years.



I thought this has been a great night, what a success, put them back in the cage and we will pick up where we left off another day. WRONG !! Nancy and Brett had different plans, they said look theses are your birds and you might as well start handling them and get bit while were here. It’s not goanna kill ya. They were right we got bit and it sure didn’t kill us. That night gave us the confidence to start working with the birds on our own. We have had to pick up the phone and call Brett and Nancy on occasion for advice as we still have much to learn. I’m happy to say that we can not walk by the bird cages today without the birds rushing out on their own and sticking their foot out so we can pick them up and carry them around with us. Also our African Grey Bart who had never been handled and was completely plucked when we first got him has regained all his feathers . It took a few bites but he now steps up and loves to play PEEKABOO and has crush on our cat Spencer.



Jackie and I would just like to give a special thanks to Carol, Brett and Nancy for sharing their experience and providing the moral support we needed to get through this past year. It has been difficult for us to attend meetings due to the constant care we are providing for an elderly family member that lives with us. We are hoping in the spring to be able to attend some meetings and bring the birds so they can say thanks to our DAS friends for their new freedom.

Labels: african grey, amazons, behaviour, bird bites, biting, parrot

One of the most common problems we run across in a household is a parrot that is unsocialized. The fact that a bird can not be handled by more than one person, or in some cases, not at all, is detrimental to a bird's behaviors. I hear people say "Oh I wouldn't touch him if I were you, he only likes so and so", as the bird lunges at you in an attempt to remove some appendage or another. In other instances, a bird owner will tell you not to approach the animal, or it will crawl to the back of the cage and remain there, shaking and afraid.

One of the best things we can do for our pets is to socialize them. It will help them during times of stress or later in an emergency. There are many ways of doing this and the benefits are tremendous!

We see, and all too often, birds that will only go to one person and are terrified of others, which includes other family members, and strangers alike!

What will happen on that sad day when you are no longer able to keep your pet or God forbid something happens to you!

The bird suffers.......

The Art of Socialization

You new arrival


From the beginning of your pet arriving or even NOW after a number of years! It is never too late to start this process and your bird will thank you in the long run!

Make sure that when your pet first arrives that all family members spend time with your pet. Even small children can participate under the supervision of an adult. It can start with giving the new arrival small treats such as sun flower seeds or almonds. Try to find his absolute favorite food and save it as a treat! Make sure that everyone spends time with your parrot and once the parrot is comfortable with you try to pet him on the head. Not all parrots like to be petted so don't feel too discouraged if this is the case. Hopefully he has already been taught the basic step up command. Let everyone in the home take turns stepping up the parrot.

If you find that he is becoming too attached to one individual, have that individual back off for a while and let the other family members warm up to him. That may mean you should leave the room as even the sight of the favorite person could get them excited enough that they won't respond as well to the others.


Ouside influences

Take them out with you. Get them used to being in a carrier, in a car and handled by strangers.

You can walk around the block or down to the corner store. The more exposure to outside influences the less and less traumatic the experience will be!

It will make trips to the vet less traumatic. Have people come to your home and spend time with you bird.

Try trading with a bird friend for weekends with their birds. Over nighters are a good way to get your bird used to others and he will only benefit from it in the long run.

This will help later down the road for any traumatic events that might take place. In the event something did happen or you need to utilize a bird sitter for a vacation.

A bird sitter is another source for socialization. They work with many birds and can spend time with your bird. Without his comfort zone birds tend to respond well within a day or two.

The more we can help our birds adjust to a changing environment the easier it will be for them to adjust during times of emergency!

Join a bird club, and bring you bird with you. Others at the club are experienced and more than willing to lend a helping hand in holding your bird which will help the socialization process.

Just taking him out in the back yard or front yard will attract neighbours and can be a benefit as well. Exposing him to different environments and people will teach him to feel more comfortable with others. Just make sure they are respectful of your bird and go slow! Make sure there is only one or two people at a time.

I should also point out that it is always best to have people that are willing to work with your bird as not everyone is comfortable. I am giving many examples of places that could benefit you by their experience as well as inexperienced ways. Use what ever you have available to you. My best suggestion though it to join a bird club as these people do have the experience of working with birds and do not

**Most importantly that his wings are clipped! NEVER TAKE A BIRD OUTSIDE WITHOUT A WING CLIP! Remember some can still fly with a clip. You need to know your bird and his capabilities.

The Benefits

You parrot will start to feel comfortable around other people and will probably start to enjoy the company of others!

He will enjoy getting in the carrier for your next exciting adventure!

Trips to the vet or the bird sitter will be less traumatic and he will adjust much quicker upon returning home!

If there ever comes a day when you are no longer able to keep your parrot he will adjust that much easier to a new environment.

Having worked with many birds over the years I see the benefits of socialization regularly and how well the birds respond to it.

They are calmer, happier and well adjusted.

Labels: behavior, behaviour, parrot rescue, socializing parrots

Well this is our blog page. As this is new to me I will be adding all kinds of information and updates about what is happening about PASO. For those that don't know we are a parrot rescue taking in abused, displaced and parrots that can no longer stay with the families.

We rescue parrots from all across Ontario and offer behaviour assistance to parrot owners to help them keep their parrots before they come to the rescue if it is the wish of the owners.

We have some permanent residents mostly those with disabilities and a few others with severe behaviour issues.

We do try to place as many birds into forever homes as possible.

As I said this is our blog and here you will find updates and information about us. Our website is www.parrotadoptontario.com

Labels: abused birds, behaviour, parrot rescue, parrow owners, rescue parrot