Join Our Flock & Get 10% Off Your First Order  -  Sign Up
Toggle menu

Dot Schwarz


Benni and Mina | Reflections on Free Flying Macaws

Dot Schwarz reveals more on free-flying Parrots.  Benni, Blue and Gold Macaw, took his first flight in March 14th, 2015. He was around 28 weeks old.  His flights now number over 2500. For fun, for nostalgia and because I’m a note taker, for training purposes for internet forums, I’ve logged every session when the Parrots […]

Tolerating Other People’s Views On Parrots

Dot Schwarz tells us how to tolerate other people’s views on Parrots. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.Antoine de Saint-Exupery  No caring, conscientious animal or bird lover would disagree with that statement.  But how far does responsibility stretch?   Let’s look at tolerance when it is applied to the care of captive birds. […]

Noisy Parrots

Dot Schwarz discusses noisy Parrots. A man entered a pet shop and asked: ‘I’m looking for a pet Parrot. Have you got a quiet one? The salesman shook his head. ‘The toy shop is three doors down, Sir.’ Incessant screaming is one of the reasons Parrots are relinquished. The care givers cannot stand the noise. Often […]

Parrot Husbandry

Dot Schwarz looks at the history of Parrot husbandry.  Everything changes, so does personal experience, advice and research concerning our absolutely life changing experience of keeping or breeding captive Parrots. I’ve noted  some recent trends concerning nutrition, environment and enrichment that I’ve tried to incorporate into my own practice. They’re not completely separate topics. What […]

Parrot Intelligence – Part 3

Dot Schwarz takes a look at Parrot intelligence. Dr Nathan Emery (Senior lecturer in Cognitive Biology, Queen Mary University of London) puts it like this: ‘The problem may be one of likeness: we look at chimpanzees and it’s like viewing ourselves in a slightly crooked mirror.   But seeing a crow and recognising a fellow clever, […]

Think Parrots 2019 Review

Dot Schwarz reviews Think Parrots 2019. There are three sides to Think Parrots.  Imagine an equilateral triangle – captioned – A Superb Day Out.  One side is commercial, one side is educational and the third side is social. Arriving at Kempton Park Racecourse in Surrey on the second Sunday in June, (previous day’s rain had […]

Why Are Parrots So Clever?

Why are Parrots so clever? Dot Schwarz reveals how a Parrot’s brain works and what makes them so clever. Have you ever wondered how a Parrot with a walnut-sized brain can outperform a monkey with a brain the size of a lemon? I know that I have. Belief Recent research has given scientific backing to […]

What Can We Learn From Wild Parrots?

Dot Schwarz tells us what we can learn from wild Parrots. Can the lifestyles of wild Parrots teach us how to improve the lives of captive Parrots? I believe they can. Our Parrots are not domesticated birds; often they’re only a few generations from their wild ancestors. Therefore, to understand a captive-bred bird’s requirements, it’s helpful, if […]

What We Can Learn From Parrots

Dot Schwarz tells us what we can learn from Parrots. Into my third decade of Parrot husbandry, I ‘d like to share some of the techniques and methods that I’ve learned from teachers, breeders, friends, books and Internet searches and even more importantly what my Parrots have taught me about themselves and how it’s changed […]

How Do Parrots Help Us?

Dot Schwarz tells us about Parrots that are helpful. Let me tell you about two Parrots that I’ve met recently.  Mia’s story is how a Parrot’s life changes for the better with a suitable home. Rio’s story has that element, too, but also how Rio has changed Josh’s life. Mia            First […]