Papayago Rescue House, Inc.

06/02/2026

Tomorrow is World Bicycle Day, and while your parrot may not be riding through the neighborhood anytime soon, staying active still matters. A balanced chop helps support the energy and enrichment medium and large parrots need to stay healthy and engaged.

This mix features cooked chickpeas for plant based protein and fiber, dandelion greens for calcium and vitamin A, and a sprinkle of unsweetened coconut for texture and healthy fats in moderation. Together, they create a hearty bowl that supports movement, muscle health, and busy beaks.

Think of it as the avian version of a healthy pre ride meal—minus the helmet and questionable cycling shorts.

06/01/2026

In our last post, we discussed why the arrival of a new baby can be stressful for parrots and how behavioral changes are often a form of communication rather than "bad behavior."

So, how do you prepare your parrot before baby arrives? Ideally, preparation should begin months before the due date.

7-8 MONTHS BEFORE BABY ARRIVES
Assess your bird’s ability to
• Step up reliably?
• Stay on a designated perch or play stand?
• Return to the cage willingly?
• Remain calm when people move around carrying items?
Vocal requests are usually followed like: “go home” for them to return to their cage. If not, consult with a certified parrot trainer. It will help your bond immensely.

3–6 MONTHS BEFORE BABY ARRIVES
Start encouraging more independent activities. Increase foraging opportunities, rotate enrichment regularly, and help your bird become comfortable spending time on a play stand or engaging with toys without constant human interaction.
If your bird relies heavily on one family member for attention, begin involving other trusted household members in feeding, training, and enrichment.

2–3 MONTHS BEFORE BABY ARRIVES
Begin introducing baby equipment gradually. Set up items such as strollers, bassinets, swings, playpens, carriers, and nursery furniture so they become part of the environment before the baby arrives.

Allow your bird to observe these items from a comfortable distance and reward calm curiosity.

This is also a good time to begin playing recordings of babies crying, cooing, babbling, and laughing at a low volume while providing treats, training, or other positive experiences.

1–2 MONTHS BEFORE BABY ARRIVES
Work on practical behaviors that will make life easier once the baby is home.
These skills can help reduce stress for both the bird and the family.

AFTER BABY ARRIVES
Maintain routines as much as possible. Consistent sleep, meals, enrichment, and out-of-cage time help parrots feel secure during periods of change.

Allow your bird to observe the baby from a safe distance and reward calm behavior. Never force interactions and never leave a bird and child together unsupervised.

Remember, the goal is not to make your parrot love the baby.

The goal is to help your bird understand that this new little human is not a threat to their safety, security, or place within the flock.

05/31/2026

There is something difficult about loving parrots well: the more we learn, the more we realize how much we still do not know.

Parrot care has changed. Things many of us were taught years ago about diet, social needs, environment, training, enrichment, breeding, housing, and even behavior have evolved as more observations, veterinary medicine, behavioral science, and caregiver experiences have accumulated.

That can feel uncomfortable to those who have made birds their platform, living, queen, or king of knowing.

But challenging husbandry norms is not a criticism of the people who followed them. Most people did the best they could with the information available at the time.

At the same time, “everyone does it differently” cannot be the finish line when emerging evidence suggests a practice may increase stress, reduce welfare, or create avoidable harm.

Questioning should not be seen as judgment.
Asking for evidence should not be seen as criticism.
Changing our minds should not be seen as failure.

One of the hardest parts of parrot care is that love alone does not automatically equal expertise, and expertise itself should never stop growing; thus, it isn’t expertise but knowledge of the day.

If people are afraid to ask questions because they expect “how could you?” responses, we lose opportunities to improve care. If people feel punished for changing course, we discourage learning.

The goal is not perfection.
The goal is a community where we can say:
“I didn’t know.”
“I learned something new.”
“I’m changing what I do.”
"I may need help."

Our parrots do not need us to be right all the time.

They need us to remain curious enough to keep learning. They need this more than whether they eat their chop every day.

Parrot care is a lifelong study of your species, of the individual bird in front of us, and of ourselves. Think Li Quan, Leela Hazzah, Jane Goodall. Be like them rather than an influencer.

05/30/2026

Saturday Puzzle: What Did You Notice?

Two recent findings from parrot welfare science. Read the summaries and see what you remember.

Research Snapshot #1
Published: 2025
Researchers studying captive parrots found that enrichment is becoming less about simply giving birds “more toys” and more about creating opportunities to perform natural behaviors. In a recent study, parrots receiving enrichment showed improvements in behavior, including reductions in feather-damaging behaviors and increased engagement with their environment. Interestingly, not every bird responded the same way, suggesting that enrichment may need to be individualized rather than copied from bird to bird.

Puzzle Questions:
A. According to this research, enrichment is becoming less about adding objects and more about:
□ Giving unlimited free time
□ Creating opportunities to perform natural behaviors
□ Rearranging cages weekly
B. True or False: Every parrot responded to enrichment the same way.
C. Name one natural behavior you think enrichment should encourage.

Research Snapshot #2
Published: 2025 (expert consensus based on companion parrot welfare indicators)
A large expert review examined how caregivers can better monitor the welfare of companion parrots. Experts agreed that some of the strongest indicators of welfare are not appearance alone, but behavior. Changes in activity, social interaction, exploration, abnormal behaviors, and opportunities to express species-typical behaviors ranked among the most important signals of well-being. Diet, life history, and environment also matter.

Puzzle Questions:
A. Which was identified as most useful for monitoring welfare?
□ Feather color only
□ Behavior changes and ability to express natural behaviors
□ Cage size alone
B. Check all that may influence welfare:
□ Diet
□ Early life experiences
□ Environment
□ Species traits
C. Bonus: What is one behavior in your own bird that tells you they’re doing well?

Answer Key:
1A = Creating opportunities to perform natural behaviors
1B = False (individual birds responded differently)
2A = Behavior changes + opportunities to express natural behaviors
2B = All of them

05/29/2026

05/28/2026

05/27/2026

GA PSA:

05/27/2026

Wellness Wednesday: Gut Health = Bird Health

Did you know that your parrot’s gut has its own tiny ecosystem of bacteria and microbes and that those microscopic partners influence everything from immunity and feather quality to mood and behavior?

Emerging research in psittacine nutrition and microbiology shows that a parrot’s gut microbiome changes with diet, stress, and environment. Birds fed a variety of fresh vegetables, fiber, and balanced pellets have a healthier, more diverse gut flora, and often show brighter feathers, steadier energy, and improved overall wellness.

Healthy gut signs:
• Well-formed, consistent droppings
• Good appetite and stable weight
• Glossy feathers, bright eyes
• Active, social, curious behavior

Possible warning signs:
• Loose, smelly, or irregular droppings
• Undigested food in droppings
• Sudden behavior changes, lethargy, feather plucking

Support your bird’s gut:
1️Offer a variety of safe, fiber-rich vegetables and high-quality pellets
2️Avoid abrupt diet changes; let the gut adjust gradually
3️Keep foraging interesting and natural
4️Check in with your avian vet if you see lasting changes in their p**p

Learned lessons:
• We send newly adopted kids home with probiotics with directions
• Don’t keep them on probiotics nonstop
• If your vet gives antibiotics, ask them about the use of probiotics afterwards
• Probiotics are not created equal
• We use VisbiomeVet Advanced GI Care as the best probiotics (avian vet-recommended and approved) we have ever used

At Papayago Rescue House, we believe true wellness starts in the gut, nurturing every rescued bird from the inside out.

05/27/2026

GA PSA!

Please spread the word so we can reunite this found bird with its family! FOUND on May 26, 2026 in Marietta, GA 30060 near Clay National Guard Center

Message from Finder: "I will be taking the bird to a vet tomorrow. Please use my provided email if this is your bird "

Description: Yellow budgiegar

Do you have information? Contact finder here: https://www.pawboost.com/p/72930286

Lost or found a pet? Report it to PawBoost here: https://www.pawboost.com/l/rpf

⚠️ WARNING: Please be cautious of users offering ‘pet tracking services’ in comments. We recommend only working with local shelters and verified organizations. Never send money to unknown services.

05/26/2026

Amazon parrots love variety, and this chop delivers. A mix of cooked millet, lentils, red bell pepper, and hibiscus flower creates a bowl packed with texture, flavor, and nutrition for these bold birds.

Cooked millet provides easy to digest energy, while lentils add plant based protein and fiber to help keep Amazons active and satisfied. Red bell pepper brings a bright crunch along with vitamin C and beta carotene for immune and feather health. A sprinkle of dried hibiscus flower adds antioxidants and a tangy twist that turns ordinary chop into something a little more exciting.

For birds known for strong opinions and even stronger personalities, a colorful bowl goes a long way.