Editor’s Note: What follows is a compilation of stories from pet bird guardians whose birds were diagnosed with Aspergillosis (aka “asper”), a severe disease that strikes quickly. We hope these stories will help other bird owners by alerting them to the causes and symptoms of this deadly disease. Readers desiring more background on Aspergillosis may refer to our prior newsletter article. View PDF in new window

Editor’s Note: An “Angel Bird”, in Mickaboo terms, is one we highlight because of his or her medical condition and correspondingly high veterinary expenses. Here are updates on two recent Angel Birds. You can see more of our current Angel Birds and learn now to sponsor them at this webpage. View PDF in a new window

Being a Mickaboo species coordinator is a lot of work (I know this as I am the Lovebird coordinator) and when you are on the team that handles one of the most often surrendered species (budgies, aka parakeets), it takes teamwork to keep up with the calls and emails from individuals who want to surrender their birds, shelters who want us to come get their birds, people who might provide foster homes, others interested in adopting, and ... well, you get the idea! There is a lot of work involved. In this article, we feature one of the awesome members of this team, Catie Kniess. She goes above and beyond and volunteers in other roles as well. I recently had the privilege of interviewing this very busy volunteer so we could all have a chance to get to know her better. View PDF in a new window

Designing and building an indoor aviary may be easier and less expensive than you think – think big!

One of the most effective ways to help your companion bird or birds live a happier and healthier life is to provide as large a cage as you can afford for the space in which your birds. As a cockatiel “parront” for the last nine years, I have always had an interest in making my birds’ space as natural and accommodating as possible, so that they get enough exercise and have room to play and roam and forage. After graduating to larger cages over the years, I finally decided what I really wanted was an indoor aviary. View PDF in a new window

Avian Borna Virus, the causative agent for Proventricular Dilatation Disease (“PDD”) and several other neurological problems, has with good reason been an important issue in the avian community for some time. Recent advances in testing, understanding and treatment have made this a very hot topic. This article attempts to summarize some of the research findings. View PDF in a new window

Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program providing a means for sites such as ours to earn advertising fees by advertising and giving supporters a specific link. At least 4% of your Amazon purchases will be donated (by Amazon) to Mickaboo if you use the link at this webpage – at no cost to you. Bookmark it! View PDF in a new window

When I was a wedding and special occasion singer, I would often see a “dove release” as part of the ceremony. How breathtaking and awe inspiring it was to both myself and the other attendees to watch these majestic birds fly high up into the sky, circle around and then fly off to some unknown destination. Each time I witnessed it, I became more intrigued and wondered what was involved in training these birds to perform so magnificently. I was determined to find out and see if I too, could possibly do the same and be able to add this to my repertoire of services to make additional money at these events. View PDF in a new window

Nika is a gorgeous Senegal Parrot who enjoys her human companions and has some very sweet and funny antics. She is excellent at mimicking noises (kissy noises, clicks, beeps, whistles, and zippers!) and has some great vocalizations. She is a very funny bird and fun to communicate with. She can talk in something akin to baby speak including occasionally learning new words ("hello", "pretty bird", and recently "good girl"). She would do best in a low-keyed atmosphere. Read More...