Normally I am not one to make New Year’s Resolutions, I am however a big To Do List maker, and it occurred to me that Resolutions are really long term To Dos. So I decided to sit down and write out a few of my Parrot Resolutions for 2013, and by sharing them with all of you, perhaps I can give you some ideas for your own Parrot Resolutions, as well as making myself publically accountable for their completion.
I would encourage you to think about making some Parrot Resolutions of your own. What enrichment changes would you like to make? New perches, playstands, toys, build an aviary or cageollers? Plant a parrot garden? What nutrition changes would you like to make? Make mashes, chops, sprouts, birdie breads, learn to dehydrate and make healthy crackers or homemade nutraberries? What behaviors would you like to train? Targeting, flying, tricks? What else could you do to improve the life of the parrots in your home?
So here’s my list of Parrot Resolutions for 2013
• Organize and store my toy making supplies more efficiently, so that I can be more efficient with my toy making time and make more toys for my parrots as well as sending more toys to rescue/ sanctuary groups
• Make new shower perches, one for each parrot, and arrange them in such a way that they can all come in the shower with me each morning
• Get Winnie (my White Fronted Amazon) into the bathroom, then into the shower.
• Make new playstands for Trixie & Annie (macaws) make hanging playstands for Ariel & Winnie (amazons)
• Add at least one new perching/playing area to each room in the house
• Increase the amount of foraging my parrots need to do for their food, with an ultimate goal of foraging for all their food
• Teach Annie (Greenwing Macaw) flighted recall
• Re-teach Winnie to step onto a handheld perch (this was something than Winnie learned to do very well when I first got her, but after a severe illness, and some traumatic handling a while back, she stopped all stepping up behaviors)
• Teach Ariel (Panama Amazon) to allow unrestrained nail trimming
• Increase Ariel’s flying (she’s overweight and needs more exercise)
• Make more dehydrator crackers, dried foods (to be used for foraging)
• Begin construction of an outdoor aviary
A Bird's Best Life 
Do you have any suggestions or how-tos (or patterns) for making playstands and shower perches? I have been wanting to make some for my apartment for my Jenday Conure, but dont really know how.
Thanks!
Yes Karen, I do! Please bare with me a bit, I’m hoping to make some new shower perches this weekend and I’ll take photos and write out step by step instructions as I go for a new post for next week. I will do the same as I make new playstands a little later into the year.
In the mean time check out Kris Porter’s site Parrot Enrichment (http://www.parrotenrichment.com/) Nyla Copp’s site Birdie Buddy (http://mybirdiebuddy.com/) and the FaceBook group The Parrot’s Workshop (http://www.facebook.com/groups/TheParrotsWorkshop/) for great ideas and inspiration for playstands.