Monday, October 22, 2007

FEATHERS ARE:

Feathers donated my Mr. Spock. These are his tail and wing
feathers shed during the molting process over many years.

Mr. Spock

If it has feathers...it is definitely a bird. That is to say, only birds have feathers. Furthermore, all birds have feathers...no feathers?...not a bird. While all feathers generally have the same basic elements, they can vary tremendously in appearance, shape and size. That is because different types of feathers have different functions. For example, the long and strong tail and wing feathers are primarily involved in flight. Various types of smaller and softer feathers provide insulation from water and cold.

According to wikipedia "Although feathers are light, a bird's plumage weighs two or three times more than its skeleton" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feather. That reminds me of the old riddle from when I was a kid: Which weighs more, a pound of rocks or a pound of feathers?

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Bird Toys


A pet bird, such as a parrot, should have a bunch of toys. It's a good idea to no let a pet bird have them all at the same time. Mr. Spock, our cherry-head conure, has lots of toys and interesting things in his cage and on his playpens. Sometimes a new toy will be there for weeks or even months before he tries them out. Then one may become his new favorite for a while. Six or eight toys would be a good start. Some of Spock's favorite toys are not even store bought. He LOVES the cardboard tubes from paper towels...he rolls them, flips them, flings them, etc. Sometimes I even hang them on a rope in different places for him to play with. It's a good idea to rotate toys every six months or so...move a couple out and a couple in.