Diet for Eclectus Parrots

By Dr. Scott Ford

These are my diet recommendations for large parrots such as budgies, cockatiels, and grass parakeets. Free free to download and share the handout.

Recommended Diet

For pet ecluctus parrots I recommend a diet consisting of:

• 50% formulated commercial diet (e.g., “pellets” such as Zupreem, Harrison’s Adult Lifetime, Lafebers, Roudybush, Kaytee, etc. OR a hulled seed/formulated matrix diet such as Lafeber Nutriberries).
• 50% fresh vegetables and greens. These can be presented cooked or raw. Good options include kale, leaf lettuce, peas, sweet potato, squash, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli. Avoid high starch items such as potato or corn.
• A small amount of seed or nut fragments, presented as a reward from your fingers or from a foraging toy, NOT for “free” in a dish.

If your bird does not already eat pellets, you must transition their diet very carefully. This is especially important for small birds (e.g., conures, cockatiels, budgies and smaller). Below are guidelines for your species:

Steps for Diet Conversion

1. Separate food: During this introduction period, offer pellets in a separate bowl from the old diet. Don’t mix pellets and seed together as it will encourage them to dig under the pellets and waste more food.
2. Daily food familiarization sessions: With the bird sharing time with you from its training perch, eat (or act like you are eating) the food in front of your bird. Make sure that you really enjoy the food item and show your enjoyment to your bird. Offer some to your bird, but do not force them to eat it. Give them a limited time to accept the offer (a few seconds). If they don’t take it, keep “eating” the food and make it obvious that you are enjoying it. Do this daily as it must be seen as a regular flock behavior.
3. Trial Period: Once your bird is eating the pellets during these familiarization sessions, you can try removing the old diet for a day. Change the papers at the bottom of the cage and remove the dish used for the old diet. If they eat the pellets then you will see formed droppings in the bottom of the cage, even if it’s unclear if they are actually eating the pellets. The droppings may be larger and lighter in color than when on seed. Additionally, food colorings, if present, may be seen (orange coloration for example in Zupreem pellets).
4. Keep Going!: If they pass the trial period day then you can keep going with just pellets and vegetables/greens. If they do not eat then the droppings will be smaller with white urates and tiny, dark, poorly formed feces. If this occurs, offer the old diet again and keep doing your daily familiarization exercises. Sometimes it takes days or weeks of persistence so don’t give up!
5. Treats/Training: Tiny fragments of nuts or small seeds can still be used as rewards for good behavior or trick training. They will be much more valuable to your bird if they are not part of the everyday diet. For most birds, this should equate to no more than a few grey-stripe sunflower seeds or a single peanut or two.

Diet for Small Ground-Feeding Parrots

By Dr. Scott Ford

These are my diet recommendations for large parrots such as budgies, cockatiels, and grass parakeets. Free free to download and share the handout.

Recommended Diet

For most pet psittacines (parrots) I recommend a diet consisting of:

• 80% formulated commercial diet (e.g., “pellets” such as Zupreem, Harrison’s Adult Lifetime, Lafebers, Roudybush, Kaytee, etc. OR a hulled seed/formulated matrix diet such as Lafeber Nutriberries).
• 20% fresh vegetables and greens. These can be presented cooked or raw. Good options include kale, leaf lettuce, peas, sweet potato, squash, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli. Avoid high starch items such as potato or corn.
• A small amount of seed or nut fragments, presented as a reward from your fingers or from a foraging toy, NOT for “free” in a dish.

If your bird does not already eat pellets, you must transition their diet very carefully. This is especially important for small birds (e.g., conures, cockatiels, budgies and smaller). Below are guidelines for your species:

Steps for Diet Conversion

1. Separate food: During this introduction period, offer pellets in a separate bowl from the old diet. Don’t mix pellets and seed together as it will encourage them to dig under the pellets and waste more food. Also, I recommend feeding the smallest size of pellet available, usually the type made for budgerigars (parakeets). Small crumbs and morsels are usually more attractive for exploration of new foods.
2. Daily food familiarization sessions: If your bird is not very tame or tends to fly around a lot, it’s advised to trim their wings to help them stay with you during these sessions. Spread a small towel on a table, sprinkle some of the pelleted diet out, and place your bird in the center. Use your hand to simulate a bird scratching, pecking, and eating the food. Crunch them in your fingernails or flick them around gently. This will encourage your bird to try them also. Do this daily as it must be seen as a routine flock activity.
3. Trial Period: Once your bird is eating the pellets during these familiarization sessions, you can try removing the old diet for a day. Change the papers at the bottom of the cage and remove the dish used for the old diet. If they eat the pellets then you will see formed droppings in the bottom of the cage, even if it’s unclear if they are actually eating the pellets. The droppings may be larger and lighter in color than when on seed. Additionally, food colorings, if present, may be seen (orange coloration for example in Zupreem pellets).
4. Keep Going!: If they pass the trial period day then you can keep going with just pellets and vegetables/greens. If they do not eat then the droppings will be smaller with white urates and tiny, dark, poorly formed feces. If this occurs, offer the old diet again and keep doing your daily familiarization exercises. Sometimes it takes days or weeks of persistence so don’t give up!
5. Treats/Training: Tiny fragments of nuts or small seeds can still be used as rewards for good behavior or trick training. They will be much more valuable to your bird if they are not part of the everyday diet. For most birds, this should equate to no more than a couple of grey-stripe sunflower seeds, an almond sliver, or small fragments of nuts.

Diet for Small Tree-Feeding Parrots

By Dr. Scott Ford

These are my diet recommendations for large parrots such as conures, parrotlets, and lovebirds. Free free to download and share the handout.

Recommended Diet

For most pet psittacines (parrots) I recommend a diet consisting of:

• 80% formulated commercial diet (e.g., “pellets” such as Zupreem, Harrison’s Adult Lifetime, Lafebers, Roudybush, Kaytee, etc. OR a hulled seed/formulated matrix diet such as Lafeber Nutriberries).
• 20% fresh vegetables and greens. These can be presented cooked or raw. Good options include kale, leaf lettuce, peas, sweet potato, squash, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli. Avoid high starch items such as potato or corn.
• A small amount of seed or nut fragments, presented as a reward from your fingers or from a foraging toy, NOT for “free” in a dish.

If your bird does not already eat pellets, you must transition their diet very carefully. This is especially important for small birds (e.g., conures, cockatiels, budgies and smaller). Below are guidelines for your species:

Steps for Diet Conversion

1. Separate food: During this introduction period, offer pellets in a separate bowl from the old diet. Don’t mix pellets and seed together as it will encourage them to dig under the pellets and waste more food. Also, I recommend feeding the smallest size of pellet available, usually the type made for budgerigars (parakeets). Small crumbs and morsels are usually more attractive for exploration of new foods.
2. Daily food familiarization sessions: If your bird is not very tame or tends to fly around a lot, it’s advised to trim their wings to help them stay with you during these sessions. Sprinkle some pellets in your cupped hand and perch your bird on your finger tips. Use your opposite hand’s fingers to simulate a bird scratching, pecking, and eating the food. Crunch them in your fingernails or flick them around gently. This will encourage your bird to try them also. Do this daily as it must be seen as a routine flock activity.
3. Trial Period: Once your bird is eating the pellets during these familiarization sessions, you can try removing the old diet for a day. Change the papers at the bottom of the cage and remove the dish used for the old diet. If they eat the pellets then you will see formed droppings in the bottom of the cage, even if it’s unclear if they are actually eating the pellets. The droppings may be larger and lighter in color than when on seed. Additionally, food colorings, if present, may be seen (orange coloration for example in Zupreem pellets).
4. Keep Going!: If they pass the trial period day then you can keep going with just pellets and vegetables/greens. If they do not eat then the droppings will be smaller with white urates and tiny, dark, poorly formed feces. If this occurs, offer the old diet again and keep doing your daily familiarization exercises. Sometimes it takes days or weeks of persistence so don’t give up!
5. Treats/Training: Tiny fragments of nuts or small seeds can still be used as rewards for good behavior or trick training. They will be much more valuable to your bird if they are not part of the everyday diet. For most birds, this should equate to no more than a couple of grey-stripe sunflower seeds, an almond sliver, or little fragments of nuts.

Diet for Large Parrots

By Dr. Scott Ford

These are my diet recommendations for large parrots such as Amazons, gray parrots, cockatoos, and macaws. Free free to download and share the handout.

Recommended Diet

For most pet psittacines (parrots) I recommend a diet consisting of:

• 80% formulated commercial diet (e.g., “pellets” such as Zupreem, Harrison’s Adult Lifetime, Lafebers, Roudybush, Kaytee, etc. OR a hulled seed/formulated matrix diet such as Lafeber Nutriberries).
• 20% fresh vegetables and greens. These can be presented cooked or raw. Good options include kale, leaf lettuce, peas, sweet potato, squash, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli. Avoid high starch items such as potato or corn.
• A small amount of seed or nut fragments, presented as a reward from your fingers or from a foraging toy, NOT for “free” in a dish.

If your bird does not already eat pellets, you must transition their diet very carefully. This is especially important for small birds (e.g., conures, cockatiels, budgies and smaller). Below are guidelines for your species:

Steps for Diet Conversion

1. Separate food: During this introduction period, offer pellets in a separate bowl from the old diet. Don’t mix pellets and seed together as it will encourage them to dig under the pellets and waste more food.
2. Daily food familiarization sessions: With the bird sharing time with you from its training perch, eat (or act like you are eating) the food in front of your bird. Make sure that you really enjoy the food item and show your enjoyment to your bird. Offer some to your bird, but do not force them to eat it. Give them a limited time to accept the offer (a few seconds). If they don’t take it, keep “eating” the food and make it obvious that you are enjoying it. Do this daily as it must be seen as a regular flock behavior.
3. Trial Period: Once your bird is eating the pellets during these familiarization sessions, you can try removing the old diet for a day. Change the papers at the bottom of the cage and remove the dish used for the old diet. If they eat the pellets then you will see formed droppings in the bottom of the cage, even if it’s unclear if they are actually eating the pellets. The droppings may be larger and lighter in color than when on seed. Additionally, food colorings, if present, may be seen (orange coloration for example in Zupreem pellets).
4. Keep Going!: If they pass the trial period day then you can keep going with just pellets and vegetables/greens. If they do not eat then the droppings will be smaller with white urates and tiny, dark, poorly formed feces. If this occurs, offer the old diet again and keep doing your daily familiarization exercises. Sometimes it takes days or weeks of persistence so don’t give up!
5. Treats/Training: Tiny fragments of nuts or small seeds can still be used as rewards for good behavior or trick training. They will be much more valuable to your bird if they are not part of the everyday diet. For most birds, this should equate to no more than a few grey-stripe sunflower seeds or a single peanut or two.

Helping A Wild Bird

By Dr. Scott Ford

I applaud anyone who is willing to stop and show compassion for wildlife. Handling and treating wildlife can be dangerous, both to you and for the patient. In the United States, it also requires state and federal permits to be conducted legally. Here are some steps to follow when you find an injured or sick wild bird:

1. Your welfare comes first. If you don’t feel comfortable getting close to an animal, don’t do anything. Contact one of the organizations below or your local animal control or police.
2. If the bird is in immediate danger from weather, predators, vehicles, or other hazards, please move it out of danger, if there is minimal risk to yourself. With raptors it’s best to wear gloves or use a coat or blanket to put over the bird before attempting to pick it up. Birds of prey calm down when they cannot see so keeping the head covered is most important. Be aware of the talons and either hold the legs or just keep them wrapped up snugly so the feet don’t have room to strike.
3. Contact a local rehabilitator using the links below.
4. If you cannot get the bird to a rehabilitator in a timely manner, place it in a cardboard box or pet carrier in a warm, quiet, dimly lit space. Water can be offered but no food should be given. It’s important to keep voices low and viewing to a minimum.

Local Wild Bird Care Facilities (Greater Milwaukee, WI area)

• Wisconsin Humane Society in Milwaukee, WI
• Wanakia Wildlife in Richfield, WI
• Fellow Mortals near Lake Geneva, WI
• Pine View Wildlife Rehab near Fredonia, WI
• Raptor Education Group near Antigo, WI
• Dane County Humane Society Wildlife Center in Madison, WI

Outside of Milwaukee Area

National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association- Helpful Tips and Lookup Tool

Wild Baby Birds

The most common baby birds people find are songbirds (passerines). They stick pretty tight to their nests until they have enough coordination to leap from branch to branch and enough feathers to regulate their own body temperature. This stage is called a “brancher” and is usually achieved when just a week or so old. The babies can’t even fly yet and are still dependent on their parents for food, and they are usually not far away. Baby birds are often fed every 10-15 minutes by their doting parents and they locate each other by calls and remembering where the babies were last perching. For these reasons, if you find a baby bird, don’t move them or hang around or you will make it difficult for their parents to find and feed them. There are exceptions such as if the bird is in immediate danger or you find it with a fallen nest. In those cases, move the baby and/or the nest to a safe place with some concealment. Usually a bush or low branch in a tree will suffice. Watch for a distance for a while to make sure the parents find them again. If a baby bird is injured or looks sick then you will need to deliver it to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator (see above).

Veterinarians Receiving Injured Wild Birds

This video was made by a friend and veterinary colleague, Dr. Laura Johnson, to illustrate how small animal veterinary clinics should ideally receive and initially care for injured birds of prey.

30+ years experience treating wild birds

Dr. Scott Ford’s career began with wild birds began as a college student in Alaska. Since then he has treated thousands of birds from a wide array of taxons and a diversity of situations including wildlife rehabilitation, oil spills, field research, falconry, and zoo settings. To see if Dr. Ford can help with your unique needs, please fill out the form below:

Finding a Pet Bird Veterinarian

By Dr. Scott Ford

Seeing Dr. Ford

If you are looking for an in-person or remote veterinary consultation with Dr. Ford, please visit this page.

Other Avian Veterinarians Around Milwaukee

These are local veterinarians who demonstrate interest in seeing avian patients and who refer patients to me from time to time. It is not necessarily an endorsement as I have not been able to work closely with all of them. If you know an avian veterinarian in or near Wisconsin that you’d like listed, please comment below.

• BluePearl Pet Hospital in Glendale, WI They also operate an emergency service.
• Brook-Falls Veterinary Hospital in Menomonee Falls, WI
• Delafield Small Animal Hospital in Delafield, WI
• UW Veterinary Care (University of Wisconsin-Madison) in Madison, WI
• Gentle Vet Animal Hospital in Green Bay, WI I have worked with Dr. Daniel Gray on several cases. He and his staff are familiar with pet and wild birds.

Outside of Milwaukee

There are two excellent search tools available to you. Bear in mind that sometimes information can get a little out of date if a clinician moves, retires, etc. so be sure to call and make an appointment before showing up.

Member search for the Association of Avian Veterinarians (an international association for avian-interested veterinarians)

Search for Board-Certified Avian Veterinarians at the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners

Tracking Scoters from Yakutat, Alaska

By Dr. Scott Ford

In April of this year I had the pleasure of dropping into the small Alaska town of Yakutat to assist Alaska Department of Fish and Game. My role was to implant satellite transmitters into 18 surf and white-winged scoters to track their movements. There are still many unknowns about where sea ducks go to breed after staging or wintering in Southeastern Alaska. This study will help fill in those gaps.

The crew of biologists had the really tough job– they were out in boats most of the days in all but the roughest weather. The birds were caught using floating mist nets with decoys to help lure the birds in. It wasn’t hard to find the scoters as recent herring spawn created a feeding bonanza for not just them but a myriad of species of birds and marine mammals. In fact, part of the problem was preventing the capture of non-targeted species.

I’m happy to say that all the birds did well and continue to transmit data 4 months later. This is rather extraordinary as scoters are notoriously delicate from the standpoint of invasive implants. It’s rare that an implant project with surf scoters does not result in some loss within a month after surgery. It’s difficult to know for sure but losses may be the result of direct complications from surgery (e.g., infection) or indirectly through decreases in ability to feed, stay warm, or avoid predation. I strive to disrupt the lives of the birds as little as possible and have pioneered the use of multimodal analgesia. I have also made my own modifications of surgery technique & bird handling and have advocated for the use of isoflurane and pressurized oxygen for field anesthesia. Hopefully this combination has helped increase survival and comfort for our implant patients.

I’d also like to credit the efforts of the crew of biologists: Tasha, Caroline, Dennis, Jason, Adam, Captain Greg, Courtney, and Tyler. Tyler put the trip together and all of them tirelessly captured the birds and delivered them quickly to me for surgery. They were a fun group to work with and I look forward to working with them again on future projects.

I can’t leave this off without telling you about Yakutat. It’s a tiny town with a lot to offer. It’s best known for world class salmon fishing, which is the biggest draw for many regulars. There’s a lot of guides in town but my recommendation is John Latham of Blue Heron Inn. Not only does he have a great place to stay but he can hook you up with guided fishing excursions. He has over 50 years of experience in the area so you won’t find a better guide.

But even if you don’t fish, there’s plenty to enjoy. The backdrop of mountains is a feast for the eyes. I couldn’t help but use some of my waiting time to do a couple of sketches on my iPad. And wildlife is right outside the door. During my waiting hours I was fixated by 4 active bald eagle nests within a half mile of our lodge. Beach combing was my near-daily exercise routine leading me to find forgotten stone markers, eagle skeletons, and wrecked boats to explore. There’s a hangar at the airport with a completely intact C-47 that saw action in Normandy and Sicily in World War II. The owner, Bob Miller of the Situk River Fly Shop, loves to show it to people so stop in there if you visit. And, when the weather was too rough for capture activities, we piled into the rented Suburban and drove out for day hikes to places such as glacier-filled Harlequin Lake shown below. I think it’s safe to say that there’s something for everyone in Yakutat.

I’ll keep you updated on what we learn from the ducks. Stay tuned!

One Eagle’s Journey

By Dr. Scott Ford

The story of pilots and wildlife volunteers coming together to transport an injured bald eagle to where it could get medical attention. This is from my Field Notes archives, originally posted on November 20, 2011.

Work is like a box of chocolates… you never know what your gonna get. That’s my take on Forrest Gump’s commentary on life throwing us curve balls. No sooner did I return from Haines, Alaska and a wonderful 2-week externship with veterinary students at the American Bald Eagle Foundation, than I received a consult request on a bald eagle that turned into a journey with a life of its own.

The adult bald eagle was found in a Mount Vernon, Washington back yard, unable to fly. The bird was recovered and transported by a volunteer to Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (www.wolfhollowwildlife.org, 360-378-5000) in Friday Harbor, WA. Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator Penny Harner contacted me about the bird and provided photos of radiographs (x-ray films) that indicated a dislocated wingtip. This type of injury may be treatable surgically. It sounded like the wingtip was viable so I offered to perform the surgery. The problem was how to get it to me as Friday Harbor is not a simple place to access.

It just so happens that I am also a member of the Kitsap Aviation Squadron (www.kitsapaviation.com), a flying club based in Bremerton, WA, though economics have put a bit of a damper on maintaining my own pilots license. Karl Hadley, a local physician and fellow member, helped me reach out to other members in the club. A number of pilots stepped forward immediately to offer funds for gas and volunteer their services to fly up and retrieve the eagle. On Sunday, November 20th, members Jay Villalva and Bob Case generously flew me up in a Cessna 207 (turboprop I might add!) to examine and retrieve the bird.

Unfortunately, the wingtip was already devitalized (e.g., tissue was dead) and beyond anyone’s ability to repair for flight. However, the bird was otherwise in great condition so we transported it back to Bremerton and I checked her into All Creatures Animal Hospital, a veterinary clinic in Bremerton where I see patients (www.allcreatures24hr.com, 360-377-3801). Watch the video of her transport:

On Monday, Novermber 21st, Susan Ford performed anesthesia while I debrided and removed the necrotic wingtip. Pre-vet student Kendrick Oppenheuzen also assisted and documented the surgery on video. You can check out my edit of it below, just beware that YouTube marked it as “age-restricted” as it contains some blood (it is surgery after all), but it’s not too gory for teens and above in my opinion:

The next day I transported her up to West Sound Wildlife Shelter (www.westsoundwildlife.org, 206-855-9057) where she will recuperate. Because I know that she is going to spend the rest of her life in captivity, I will be trying to gain her trust so that she will be more comfortable around people. This will be through positive reinforcement and keeping negative experiences to a minimum (e.g., less hands-on treatment).

By the way, EVERYONE that has helped with this eagle’s journey has volunteered their time and services. This all came together within 24 hours and is a great demonstration of how much people care about wild creatures and how much good can be accomplished when people pitch in together.

Do you want to know more? Do you want to DO more? Check out these organizations or drop me a line:

Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
West Sound Wildlife Shelter
Kitsap Aviation Squadron
All Creatures Animal Hospital

Want to see more photos? Click HERE to visit the YouTube site and leave your own comments on this story.

Updates

January 22, 2012: It’s been far too long since an update of this eagle’s progress. The good news is that her treatment was boringly normal after transport and surgery. Within a week she was mostly healed and in the weeks since she has been moved to an outdoor flight enclosure. A couple of weeks ago I performed a routine recheck and was pleasantly surprised to have her fly over my head! See photo at right– a blurry image transferred from a video clip. She cannot fly well enough to survive in the wild but being able to fly partially increases her chances for a comfortable life in captivity. Because her treatment phase was quick and relatively hands-off, she also has demonstrated some tolerance for people, though any sort of a “manned” bird situation would require a lot more training and evaluation.Thanks, again, to all who contributed to Friday’s transport and care!Return to Main News Page for more articles…

Teaching in the Yukon and Southeast Alaska

By Dr. Scott Ford

A trip through Southeast Alaska and up to the Yukon to teach others about caring for injured wild birds. From the archives, originally posted in April, 2011.

I just returned from a great trip to Alaska and Yukon Territory. I started by flying to Haines, Alaska, renting a car, and driving up to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. The weather was absolutely clear and beautiful (and stayed that way for most of my trip!).

I was hosted by Dr. Maria Hallock at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve. This 1000-acre preserve is home to herds of dall sheep, caribou, black-tail deer, muskox, and mountain goats as well as arctic fox and lynx. They just completed construction of a new hospital facility and are planning on seeing some more bird rehabilitation action in the future. So, I was invited to teach a 2-day class on wild bird medicine to a group of some 15 conservation officers, volunteers, technicians, and veterinarians. It was a great turn out and everyone was very excited for the exchange of knowledge. I particularly enjoyed the wet labs where we practiced techniques with carcasses (these were found dead… the less fortunate wildlife from the region).

Maria and her family were great hosts and made me feel right at home. Dr. David Mossop from Yukon College helped make the event happen and was also a great tour guide for the area. With his help, I made it out to Swan Haven on nearby Marsh Lake (see photo to the right). Weather was gorgeous on the return trip to Haines and was able to stop and spend time watching the willow ptarmigan in Chilkat Pass. They were lekking (the ptarmigan mating game) and were very approachable. Unfortunately I didn’t make a sighting of any gyrfalcons as I had hoped but I still had a great time.

I also made stops in Haines, Juneau, and Ketchikan to see pet and wild birds for medical evaluations. A special thanks to David Mossop, Maria Hallock, and the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, the American Bald Eagle Foundation, Juneau Raptor Center, Michael New at Juneau Veterinary Hospital, Dayna Robertson, Jim King, Bob Armstrong, Steve Lewis, Cheryl Fultz, Ketchikan Indian Community (esp. Tony Azure), and SEAPRO for their hospitality and support that made the trip possible.

In all, I attended to the health of 36 birds: 2 ravens, 10 bald eagles, 1 golden eagle, 3 red-tailed hawks, 1 great grey owl, 1 eastern screech owl, 1 northern barred owl, 3 great horned owls, 1 turkey vulture, 1 northern flicker, 2 falcons, and 10 parrots. I was able to pass on knowledge and hands-on training to over 20 people including helping pass on a jugular vein blood draw technique for the US Fish and Wildlife Service to obtain good contaminants-analysis samples from bald eagles. I had a great time and Alaska and the Yukon served up some of the best weather I’ve ever seen for this time of year (61°F on a sunny day in Ketchikan!)– doesn’t get any better!!