All parrots deserve a 10-12hours of total darkness and undisturbed sleep every night. Parrots having a proper sleep and rest throughout a night can prevent possible health problem and behavior problems.

Currently, there are all sorts of cage covers available in the market. Some owners may like the idea of covering the cages, some may not. It’s much more depending on each individual preference.

For me, I use cage covers on Kermit’s and Kiki’s cage. Personally, I find the cage covers essential and useful especially in a busy household during the night. I live in a small apartment in Singapore and sharing a common space with my elder brother, thus space is pretty much limited. Worst I can’t provide a dedicated bird room for Kermit and Kiki.

The cage covers come in handy ensuring Kermit and Kiki have total darkness during bedtime, while family members and me still staying late night. This ensure Kermit and Kiki can easily sleep without the disturbance due to the bright light.

Many might wonder what wrong about birds sleeping under bright light, as long they get their rest what’s to worry? All birds and parrots are photosensitive creatures, a longer daylight may trigger them into breeding mode, potentially lead to behavior problems and health issues. Thus we should always limit the number of daylight hours, thumb rules ensuring at least 10-12hours of darkness and undisturbed sleep will prevent these potential problems.

Kermit, my Senegal Parrot is back in action with his nasty destructions again.

This afternoon, I was drinking Iced Water from my cup with a straw, when Kermit suddenly dashed over targeting at my straw.

He’s attracted to this new “toy”, look at how bad the damages done to the straw! The straw was simply useless, and I can hardly slurp up my drink with this badly shaped straw.

I personally do offer Kermit little chopped garlic clove and he enjoys garlic as I do. I’ve always know that garlic provide numbers of healthy minerals and also known as a natural antibiotic. Offering our feathered pals garlic can promote another healthy element to their diet and can possible prevent any fungi infection.

Until recently, when I happen to come across a health magazine indicating the possible impact to human health when overly consumed. I stopped offering garlic to Kermit.

This does bring to my concern pondering whether is it safe to offer Kermit garlic clove. Will this lead to possible health problem in Kermit just like what may happen in human beings? There isn’t much information around highlighting that garlic or onion can be harmful. This leads me to research and find more about the possible impact of onion or garlic in the daily diet.

In a health magazine, it highlighted that when over consuming of raw onion or garlic can cause anemia. Anemia is actually a health term referring to low red blood cell count. It does sounds quite bad to our health.

I began to search through the web to find articles indicating the possible health problems caused by garlic consumption by birds. Interestingly, I found that onion and garlic contain a kind of sulfur compound which result in a health condition known as Heinz Body Hemolytic Anemia. This result in low red blood cell count which garlic or onion cause the red blood cells to rupture.

Possible symptoms of birds suffering from Heinz Body Hemolytic Anemia:

• Appear weakness (Frequently and easily fall of from perch/Weak foot grip)
• Lethargy
• May appear increase in heart rate.

Although small amounts of garlic clove or garlic powder to enhance flavor in the daily diet is possible, but I guess is to totally avoid so we do not put on feathered pals’ health at risk.

All parrots are well equipped with their chewing and shredding capabilities, and my dear Kermit is no exceptional from the rest. I often named my two lovely, Kiki and Kermit as the “Incredible Shredders”.

I doesn’t have to get a paper shredder in my home office, to shred sensitive documents or mails. I can easily turn to my lovely angels and get them into serious “shredding business”. They simply love the task given with no complaints at all.

I’m sure the appropriate chewing or shredding activities will keep them busy and happy, at least for sure I know they won’t be bored.

Both my lovely angels have their own favorite toys. Like Kiki, she enjoys playing cottons twines and surprisingly she absolutely good in untying the thumb knots on the twines.

As Kermit, he’s seems to set his love for thick cardboards and papers. Especially empty paper towel rollers seem to be the most irresistible toys to Kermit.

Last Sunday afternoon, I was able to capture Kermit doing his stupid stint with an empty paper towel roller. He’s totally into the “shredding” game, once he was offered the empty paper towel roller. Seeing him burrowing in within the towel roller lying on his back busily shredding it away.

I can hardly resist laughing on the stupid yet funny stint he did, but it so fun watching him doing it. He sure does brought lots of laughter to family with his silly acts.

I wonder any of the parrot owners owning african parrots like African Grey or Poicephalus like Senegal Parrot, notice an eccentric behavior that the parrots have when they are young. Perhaps owners that only taken in the parrot at the age of one or two might not have notice it before.

Usually young African Parrots in their juvenile age, tends to build up a habit of scratching vigorously on the cage floor or kicking madly (similar like what you see a hamster does, kicking off the bedding). It may sound a little abnormal for a parrot to behave in this manner. My Senegal Parrot had this behavior for quite sometime, he started since young (even when he’s a baby in the brooder, he did that almost everyday and make a mess with all the beddings) but until recently he stopped.

I’ve ever read about an article from a parrot book addressing the issue. The experienced trainer reviewed it as a normal behavior for all parrots from the African genus referring those like Greys and Poicephalus (Senegal Parrot, Red-bellied, Jardines), and these parrots will grown out of doing it. Generally the habit will fade off as they start to mature. However, the habit can be discouraged by placing in more toys to keep them busy.

Like what most people always say:

“A Busy Bird is a Happy Bird!”

Earlier on I allowed Kermit to shred and play with his paper box, but soon he stopped the activity when he saw me taking out my gadget. Kermit gets really excited when he saw me taking out my Nokia N95 capturing this video. He’s just so happy and excited, roaming around, making all the funny mumbling noise and whistle, surprisingly he did the “Peek-a-Boo” again at video time 0:40.

To us a phone is just another daily necessity item, but to parrots it’s seem like a new toy. Perhaps it’s the recording red LED light emitted that drew Kermit’s attention. Just like kids, CURIOSITY, all they want is to investigate and try playing with it!

The frequency of Kermit saying “Peek-a-Boo” has gradually increased a lot. Every morning, he will say “Peek-a-Boo” with his low volume cute little voice, expecting me to remove the cage cover.

Although the increasing frequency of hearing Kermit’s “Peek-a-Boo”, but he still hesitate to perform the amusing mimicry in front of other family audience. He’s indeed a shy performer.

Below is the video clip taken in the morning. Kermit appears to say “Peak-a-Boo” at video time 0:08, 1:05 and 1:14 respectively.

Kermit is so motivated into saying “Peek-a-Boo” this days. The increased frequency of these words might be the results of a game that I play with Kermit everyday. Like what Kermit says, “Peek-a-Boo” is the name of game.

How to play the “Peek-a-Boo” Game?
I will cover Kermit’s head with a small handkerchief and gently removing it, surprising him with my version of “Peek-a-Boo”. Sometimes, I do surprise him with my “Peek-a-Boo” when he’s quiet and behaving well in his cage. That’s my way to let him understand that whenever he’s quiet, he can expect to play a game of “Peek-a-Boo” with me.

Whenever I start playing “Peek-a-Boo”, Kermit’s pupils will dilate, pining in and out, that’s a sign of an excited parrot. He definitely enjoys and looking forward for this game and stimulated him in saying “Peek-a-Boo”.

I noticed from the day I introduced the “Peek-a-Boo” game, the problems of notorious screaming and contact calls from Kermit seem to improve.

Related Post:
Kermit’s Mimicry: Peek-a-Boo

Have you ever thought of why parrots love to wipe their beaks on their perches and other hard objects?

I happened to capture another a short clip of Kiki, my lovebird wiping her beak after a water bath earlier on. It’s really funny to see her doing it.

All parrots do this. It’s a normal behavior and a natural thing to do, usually happens after eating and bathing. Wiping their beaks on the perch will help them wipe off foreign objects (like food) that stick on their beaks. They also do that to wipe off excess water when their beaks are wet.

I had read before an article highlighting that wiping of beaks can be an indication to mark territory for some parrots. It usually happens when parrots are introduced to new faces and new bird in their area.

Never knew that such simple action of beak wiping can interpret so much meanings.

By the way, did you notice something at the end of the video clip, when Kermit, my Senegal Parrot in the background?

He doesn’t seem happy at all, because the food bowl on the play-stand belongs to Kermit. Furthermore, Kiki is happily rewarding herself with the premium seed mixes on the play-stand. You can’t blame him for giving the stare. Poor thing!

What a deliberately “hijacking” of the food bowl by Kiki. That’s really daring stint from her. However, indeed an adventure for a hot sunny afternoon!

Related Post:
Warmer Climate = Frequent Water Bath

During lunch, I was lucky to capture a sound clip of Kermit saying “Peek-a-Boo”. It’s so fun hearing Kermit repeating “Peek-a-Boo” and his voice is indeed cute. Although there are some limitation in clarity of Kermit’s mimicry.

Sound Clip of Kermit saying “Peek-a-Boo

Kermit started to utter “Peek-a-Boo” just weeks ago. He’s still mumbling and imitating funny noises like the telephone ringing. I’m very sure that his vocabularies will continue to grow!

I can strongly feel how much Kiki appreciates her roosting box that was erected for her two months ago. Basically it’s made out of a plastic container (widely available at any tupperware store, even a used ice-cream tub is suitable), with a cut-out at the top lid as entrance.

I’m planning constructing one for Kermit. Of course, this round it won’t be made of a plastic container, because of the vast different in physical size between Kiki and Kermit. Most probably, I will need to customize a roosting box that is with a dimension of 9-10inch square base and 15inch in height. The following dimension should be sufficient enough for Kermit to move without much limitation. More research has to be done, before commencing the DIY Roosting Box project.

Many might wonder: What’s the different between a roosting box and a nesting box? What’s the need of furnishing the cage with a roosting box?

The difference between a roosting box and a nesting box, is that the roosting box appears to have a bigger entrance. The bigger entrance will allow sufficient daytime within the roosting box, thus this will reduce the possibility of triggering breeding behavior of the parrots.

Next, there are so much benefits of having a roosting box. A roosting box provide a place for parrots where they can withdraw and hide whenever they feel threatened. This gives parrots a sense of security and does build up their confidence in a way. It’s a one-stop in providing shelter, warmth cozy spot for parrots during cold weather. It can be an ideal solution to “block off” disturbance and noise from the household environments, thus I guess it perfect way to ensure our parrots, doing in busy households, have uninterrupted sleep throughout the night.

I’ve ever come across with an article written by a well-known ornithologist indicating that providing a roosting box in the cage is one effective method in combating excessive vocalization. Parrots will not make any loud vocalization or scream excessively whenever they are inside the box. I totally agree with this fact. Kiki seems to be rather quiet most of the time.

Since there are so many advantages, why not let our feathered pals have a roosting box of their own. I believe they will gladly appreciate it, rather than politely rejecting it.