Responsible parrot owners recently joined Best Friends Parrot Vet Tech Ken Theus to learn about the importance of toys and foraging activities for parrots. The well-attended class was co-sponsored by Best Friends Animal Society and Feathered Friends of Las Vegas. Several class assistants were on hand to teach various toy making designs for parrots of all sizes.

Laura Allen, a Best Friends attorney, survived three years of law school so she could teach parrot toy making ideas. Laura discussed the CITES regulations governing the international trade of parrots and the U.S. Wild Bird Conservation Act. Laura taught attendees how to make beautiful parrot toys using drinking straws and plastic chain. These toys are both functional and economical.

Karen Mierta, President of Feathered Friends of Las Vegas, introduced two Macaws currently available for adoption or foster from the organization. Stanley is a very mellow Green Wing Macaw. Margarita, the Blue and Gold Macaw, is has a sassy yet sweet personality. Gypsy the Military Macaw and the two Cockatiels Baby Huey and Buster could not join the class, but they are all available for adoption through Feathered Friends of Las Vegas. If you are interested in finding out more about these parrots, please go to the website for Feathered Friends of Las Vegas HERE

Erin Giebink, a very active volunteer at the Parrot Garden, also presented some of her elaborate toy designs that look like they came straight out of a catalog. Erin started making parrot toys years ago for her own cockatiels and Quaker to keep them active and save money in the process.

Parrots in the wild spend much of their day foraging for food, avoiding predators, socializing with their flock, and searching for safe nesting or roosting sites. When they are not busy, they are resting. As humans, we want to provide for our parrot’s every need and we unintentionally take away many of the activities that would normally keep them busy. The toy making and foraging class presented parrot owners with new ideas to keep their parrots active and entertained. These activities help prevent parrots from becoming bored which may lead to destructive anti-social behaviors such as feather picking and self-mutilation.

Foraging toys combine a toy activity with a food treat. This encourages the parrot to search for food much in the same way they do in the wild. When introducing foraging to your parrot, it is important to start easy and show the parrot how to be successful to get the food. As your parrot learns, you can make the foraging activity more difficult. The class learned how to do this using a coconut shell foraging cup toy we made during class.

Participants in the class were invited to take home some of the toys they made during the class. All of the extra toys that were made during the class were donated to the Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary in North Las Vegas.

Story by Ken Theus
Photo by Erin Giebink