But perhaps I've answered my own question. I think the keyword is "foraging". Since parrots in the wild must forage (foraging: the act of looking or searching for food or provisions) there must be a certain need for this behavior. Actually, it keeps their little brains busy and is enjoyable for them. Check out this cute and informative site on foraging: http://foragingforparrots.com/

(just look at those beady eyes pinning in excitement!)

So maybe the answer to the question is a resounding YES. It really does taste better on the floor.


♫♪♪

This has been a bad month for me health-wise. The weather outside has been freezing, and as a result I've gotten a cold twice this month. In fact I'm convinced this latest one is actually the flu. Being I've felt like poo, I wasn't spending as much quality time with Nani. Sure I would hold her, but she would act like she wanted to go back right away only to beg to step up again when I'd put her back. Although I routinely let her out to play all day, she started being a crabby pants. Biting harder while play wrestling (one of her favorite pass times), squawking and screaming much louder, and when she wasn't being loud she was doing her beeping noise CONSTANTLY. It may sound offenseless, but this low pitched beep can drive a person crazy after only a few minutes let alone all day. beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. See? It's even annoying in print. I managed to order some new foraging toys which kept her entertained for a little while, but not completely.

Well I knew full well that she was acting out because she wasn't getting the attention she requires of me. Since we hadn't done a session of trick training in a little over a month I decided to give it a try. I could sit up in bed during the session and not expend a lot of energy. Although I knew she enjoyed doing trick training, I was surprised at how excited she got over it. She picked up a new trick, the flip, in about 5 minutes! And that 5 minutes was all it took because as soon as I returned her to her cage she spent the rest of the evening playing quietly...even when I would leave the room. Now she was completely content to entertain herself. It was then that I realised just how important it is to stimulate their little minds in order for them to be truly happy.

I suppose there are some species of parrot who are more inclined to just wait it out, perching quietly in their cage (at least for a longer period of time than a Caique). But how many of us have wondered why our birds start to scream and bite "out of the blue". Of course there could be other causes, but why not try teaching a simple trick the bird can learn and be rewarded for? I look at it this way: You can buy a child a video game that will keep his attention for a while, but he soon becomes restless and starts to whine that he is hungry, bored, etc. Take that same child to the park to play ball for an hour and he's as happy as can be. Parrots are no different. Toys are important, especially educational and foraging toys, but take just a few minutes out of your day to teach and interact with your bird and they are as content as could be.

So I'm still sick as a dog, but Nani is in the other room quietly playing right now. Why? I believe it's because we've had our daily training session and she's now happy to entertain herself for a while (although I suppose I should be sleeping).

Hello to all my new readers! Nani and I would like to thank you for stopping by. Please note that on the right side of the page, just below "Categories" is a link to "Follow This Blog". Once you click on the link you will be able to choose to follow publicly or privately. By choosing to follow The Doodle Bird Blog you can stay updated with this blog's posts on your Blogger Dashboard.

Supplies:

• 1 unfinished wooden cup with loose fitting lid (can be found at most craft stores)


• 1 wooden flower cutout


• 1 quick link clasp


• 12" section of nickel plated chain


• 1 bird safe bell

1. Start by drilling a small hole in the center of the flower cutout, wooden box, and lid. You may also want to dye the pieces different colors using food grade coloring.




2. Attach the bell at one end, and thread the other end through the holes starting at the bottom of the box. Finally, attach the quick link clasp at the top and hang.

3. Put one of your birds favorite treats in the cup. At first you may want to show him what you're putting in. For some you may need to demonstrate how to get the treat out. Give it some time, eventually he will get it.

While at a local second hand store (where I frequently go to find possible toys for Nani) I came across this roll of black honeycomb type plastic ribbon for a dollar. I'm really not sure what it's used for, but I thought it might make a good foraging toy because the holes were the perfect size. I suppose this material wouldn't work for larger parrots, but small to medium sized birds would be fine. At the dollar store I picked up a roll of red ribbon and went home to start my creation. I wasn't sure if Nani would try it out, but it ended up being a hit! So for only $2 I can make multiple foraging toys...not bad.

Materials:

• 1 unfinished wooden box
• rocks
• "Great Stuff" foam
• 1 bird safe tree branch
• 1 24" x 24" wood board (not shown)
• toys

Purchase unfinished wooden box from a craft store. Some of them come with a hole already in the top. Otherwise you can drill a hold the size of the base of the branch. Fill the bottom with rocks, the heavier the better.
Not Shown: Before adding the rock, attach a 24" x 24" wooden plank to the bottom side of the box for extra support to prevent the tree from falling over.



Fill the box with "Great Stuff" foam 1/2 to 2/3 from the top of the box completely covering the rock. This stuff expands significantly as it dries.


Place tree branch into the hole in the wet foam. I have used a Staghorn Sumac tree (NOT Poison Sumac!). It's ok leave the leaves on the tree branch, your bird will have lots of fun pulling them off. You will have to support the tree upright while the foam dries. Leave it overnight to become firm. If some of the foam comes out through the whole simply remove the excess with a knife. To prevent your bird from chewing at the foam you can place wood blocks into the open areas. Now it is ready for toys to be hung!

One of Nani's first (and now favorite) foraging toys is the Tiki Takeout by Nature's Instinct Foragewise toys. I removed the first set of larger wood sticks due to the fact that she's a smaller bird and initially lost interest because it was too hard for her to get at the goods. She still has to work for it though, and seems to really enjoy this toy! Below are a few photos and video:

This was the first foraging idea I tried on Nani, and it was an immediate success! I think her "natural instinct" to attack and destroy paper of any kind helped too. This is a very, very inexpensive way to incorporate foraging into your birds daily feedings.

First, take several sheets of paper (in this case I used printer paper) and cut them into 4" x 4" squares.

Next, place various food items in the center of each piece of paper such as nuts, dried fruit, and pellets. Make sure you only put a few morsels in each wrapper or your bird will fill up after just one "candy".

Then fold two facing sides toward the center, covering the food treat.

Finally, twist the remaining two sides just like the plastic on a piece of hard candy and give it to your bird. I also place these candies in and around her cage to discover. You can hang them in the chain on toys, inside play huts, in between the bars on the cage, etc.

Once your bird gets the hang of opening up the paper, try using several sheets folded instead of one or a thicker paper like construction paper to make things more challenging.

How important is foraging? In the wild parrots exhibit four main behaviors: socializing, grooming, sleeping, and foraging. Most of the day, over two thirds, is spent foraging for food. In captivity, however, our pets rarely spend time foraging. Why? Because we serve them their food on a silver platter. What's the result? A fat bird! A bored bird! A perch potato! Many birds whose minds are not stimulated with toys and foraging opportunities become feather pluckers, self mutilating themselves. A little known fact is feather plucking can be "treated" with foraging toys and activities. It may or may not "cure" the bird, but either way the destructive behaviors should improve. So how can we as parrot owners provide foraging fun for our pets? Here are some suggestions:

• First, the bird may be a little rusty on his foraging skills, so it is our job to teach him. You'll probably have to show him where the treats/food is.
  
• Second, for the "lazy" bird, why would he bother working for food if he has a full bowl of goodies? I'm not saying its always a good idea to remove the food bowl entirely, at least not at first. But limit the amount of food you put in and save treats for foraging. You can also try covering the food bowl with a paper towel and rubber band (at first make a little hole so he can see whats inside, once he gets it you can stop making holes).
  
• Hide food. I cut up small portions of paper and put a few nuts or dried fruit in the center. Then I roll it up like a candy wrapper and hide these throughout Nani's cage, rarely in the same spots. To make her work a bit harder I will use paper cups (the cone kind) to wrap up the treats because its a little tougher to chew open.
  
• Buy little cardboard boxes (or wooden boxes with no metal hardware) from the craft store to fill. For added entertainment, fill it with shredded paper so he has to dig for the food.
  
• Find pine cones outside (only where you are absolutely positive there has been no pesticides used) and stuff nuts, pellets, and other goodies inside. You can hang these from a string (see video below) so the bird has to figure out how to get at it.
  
• Once he learns how to forage, don't always put a food item inside. This will keep him guessing.
  
• Get some natural branches to stick in or around his cage and skewer some grapes or other favorites in various spots so they have to climb around to get them. WARNING: Make sure you choose branches that are bird safe. Here's a list of safe/unsafe plants.
  
• Other possible foraging containers are: egg cartons, brown paper bags, cereal boxes, coffee filters, corn husks/tamale wrapping, plastic colored eggs (you can make holes in them), natural wicker baskets (no paint or stains), small plastic containers.

Here are a few videos of Nani with some handmade foraging toys I made. One is a pinecone with bits of nuts and dried fruit stuck inside, and the other is a paper cup with a treat in it. In the first video you can see she is interested but doesn't know how to get at the treat. She gets frustrated and climbs away to play for awhile. In the second video, taken a few hours later, she decides to give it another try and this time she's rewarded for her efforts!

Below are some commercially available foraging toys to try:

Barrel Of Fun

Learn 'n Turn Logs

Birdie Plunk

Quaker Jack Pizza

More foraging resources:

• Captive Foraging DVD
• Captive Foraging Foot Toys (video)
• Parrot Toys and Play Areas
• Teach Your Bird To Forage & Avoid Destructive Behaviors
• Foraging: It's For The Birds (video)
• Captive Foraging For Parrots Blog
• The Parrot Enrichment Activity Book (free download)
• Birds Just Wanna Have Fun Toys