Birds
Parrots grieve and can pluck from loneliness
Feather plucking is usually boredom, stress or grief rather than illness. Foraging toys, daylight and company are the first prescription.
More in Birds
Non-stick pans can kill a bird in minutes
Overheated PTFE coatings release fumes that are harmless to us and lethal to birds. Keep cages far from the kitchen and never overheat a non-stick pan.
Budgies can learn hundreds of words
One budgie holds a record of over 1,700. Birds mimic best in short, upbeat sessions when the household is calm.
A bird grinding its beak is content
The soft grating sound before sleep is the bird equivalent of a purr. Fluffed feathers on one leg mean the same thing.
A bird that flies for ten months without landing
The common swift feeds, mates and even sleeps on the wing, staying airborne almost continuously outside the breeding season.