Thomas Dutton BVM&S CertAVP(ZM) DipECZM(avian) MRCVS European Specialist Avian Medicine, RCVS Specialist in Zoological Medicine
Dr Tariq Abou-Zahr CertAVP(ZooMed) ECZM(Avian) Resident MRCVS

The parrot beak is a highly specialised organ and is constructed of modified skin supported on the maxillary (upper) and mandibular (lower) bones. It is strong and designed to withstand the incredible force generated by the muscles of mastication.

Beak disorders can have a wide range of underlying causes. Nutrition and husbandry are both important in beak development and maintenance. Poor hand-rearing techniques can lead to developmental beak abnormalities and is a common cause of scissor beak. Poor nutrition leads to poor beak development – leading to weak and sometimes overgrown beak tissue. Providing sufficient enrichment to parrots is important to allow adequate beak wear and reduce the requirement for routine beak trims/burrs. Traumatic injuries are the most common acute beak injuries with bites from other parrots being the most common cause. When they fight, parrots will frequently bite an opponent’s beak and feet. Flying injuries (window strikes) and bites from other domestic pets are also frequently reported as a cause of beak injury.

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By Roz Paterson

Moving from London to Jersey with four feathered friends was surely going to be a memorable experience. The trip would need some serious planning starting with the birds, and I had 12 months to teach them travel cages can be fun!

Ollie, my Orange-winged Amazon, was going to be the biggest challenge. He had been with us for nearly four years and we were still working on taming and training. He also has Aspergillosis and the last thing I wanted was for the trip to stress him. At that point Ollie wouldn’t walk on flat surfaces, but he was able to step up on a hand held perch, so that would be our starting point.

However, first I had to desensitise him to the presence of the carrier by bringing it increasingly closer to his big cage, and I was careful not to evoke more than the mildest of reactions. It took over a week to achieve this. When it was eventually positioned next to his cage, Ollie climbed down onto the carrier roof and door to check it out. Success!

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By Robert Alison

The Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) is an iconic species that was common historically throughout its 10 million square kilometre range. But, anecdotal information indicates that, starting in the late 1940's, a steady population decline has taken place, largely due to habitat loss and rampant poaching of Macaw nestlings for sale on the black market. However, recent remedial conservation initiatives have successfully boosted some Macaw sub-populations, and there are indications of range expansion.

Scarlet Macaws are exceptional psittacids. Their brilliant colouration and large size are unmistakable, making them enormously popular among birders, photographers and other ecotourists. They are noisy in flight, with their raucous squawks being easily heard at great distances, although they forage silently.

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By Sally Blanchard

Some re-homed parrots come from homes where they received excellent care and nurturing attention, although will still go through a period of time to adjust to the changes in their lives and some will be grieving the loss of the previous people in their lives. Parrots are capable of learning throughout their lives, all they need is a patient, nurturing and knowledgeable teacher to win their trust. Other parrots may have received barely adequate care or may have suffered neglect and even abuse.

They will be more difficult to win over and probably take longer. However, it is still possible and these needy parrots are totally worth the time and energy it will take.

The basic behavioural problems that I see in many re-homed companion parrots are:

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