Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary

Hartshorn Arboretum is frequented by children and adults alike, appealing to all sorts of people with its historic woodland garden and educational motives...

Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary

Shannon AronsonThe Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary is a treasured and valued part of the Millburn-Short Hills community. Founded in 1923 by Cora Hartshorn, the Hartshorn Arboretum is frequented by children and adults alike, appealing to all sorts of people with its historic woodland garden and educational motives.


The mission of the Hartshorn Arboretum is to encourage an understanding of the connection people share with the environment. In order to achieve this mission, the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum provides programs that combine the arts, sciences, and the humanities. The Arboretum executes four central functions: education, outreach, research, and zoological and horticultural display. Additionally, the Arboretum assists the local schools and community institutions as well as citizens of all ages.

This impressive arboretum hosts 45 species of trees, one of the state's greatest groupings of wildflowers (more than 150 kinds), 100 species of birds, rare ferns, and 275 year old tulip trees. The glacier-created natural amphitheater is only one of the unique geological features boasted by the arboretum. It is also one of the official monarch butterfly tagging and observation sites. The arboretum provides nature and environment classes that are one semester in duration, which is a unique service to be offered by an environmental center.

This oasis for migrating birds is committed to preserving the environment and educating the community. The Arboretum is supported entirely by the community and hard working volunteers. It is truly reflective of the mentality of much of the community in that it prioritizes education, understanding, and outreach. New home owners in the Millburn-Short Hills area will be happy to know that the community has a heart - as indicated by the brand new addition to the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum.

Shannon Aronson top Real Estate Agent in New Jersey.
For more essential information please visit http://www.shannonaronson.com
By Shannon Aronson
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How to Tame a Budgie

How to Tame a Budgie**Begin your training sessions with 10- to 15-minute sessions a day....your budgie can become one of your closest friends in no time...

How to Tame a Budgie

When taming a budgie, it takes a lot of time and patience. In order to tame a budgie, you must develop a bond of trust between you and your pet. Remember that you are bigger than your budgie, and it is possible for him or her to feel threatened by your size. By developing your relationship slowly with plenty of patience, ease and affection, your budgie can become one of your closest friends in no time. Read on to learn how to tame a budgie

Things You'll Need:

Your pet budgie

* Patience * Affection * Trust * Love

Step 1

Begin your training sessions with 10- to 15-minute sessions a day. These will be the tools to building a bond of trust between you and your bird.

Step 2

Visit your bird by his cage at about the same time every day. Talk softly to it, and leave your hand in front of the cage so that he or she can see it. Don't wave it with any big motions, but just leave it still so that they can see it. Make sure that you aren't moving around a lot during your first few times of training. You can say things such as "Pretty bird" or "Hi birdy." Talk very softly as if you were talking to a baby or young child.

Step 3

Begin slowly opening the door to your budgie's cage after about four to seven days of just talking to your bird. At first the budgie may act afraid, but with time and your trust, he or she will slowly begin to open up. Start just by leaving your hand in the cage without actually putting it near the bird. The idea is to let your budgie get used to having your hand in the cage.

Step 4

Offer your budgie a treat such as millet spray or wet leafy greens. Try this trick after about another four to seven days of leaving your hand in it's cage. Hold the treat near the budgie's perch or where he/she can reach the treat. With a little time and patience, the budgie should eventually come over to your hand to take the treat. Just lay your hand still holding the treat so that it does not appear threatening to the budgie. Start by holding the treat far away at first, and then gradually hold it closer and closer as the budgie begins to trust your hand. This could take three to five different times before it is successful.

Step 5

Hold your hand near your budgie once he or she has learned to trust your hand. Approach your bird slowly, so that it does not scare him or her. Use your index finger as a perch for the budgie. Take your finger and hold it under the budgie's lower abdomen and try to get it to sit on your finger. The budgie may appear afraid at first and go away. Take plenty of patience to try again, and avoid using your hand to go after the budgie. Let the budgie decide for itself when it will jump onto your finger. Once the budgie has gotten onto your hand, hold it very still, and then reward him with a treat. Talk softly to the budgie as it sits on your finger.

Step 6

After your budgie has gotten onto your finger, you can be awarded with a great bond of trust from your budgie. From this step, you can begin training to let your budgie out of it's cage if you wish. It could be some time before your budgie decides to move away from it's safe area. Congratulations on your first steps towards taming your budgie.

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By Ariana Cherry
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Some Interesting Information on Birds

Some Interesting Information on Birds--Birds are the only vertebrate animals to have a fused collarbone (the furcul a or wishbone) and a keeled breastbone.**Birds are social animals and need exercise in unconfined areas. Birds are vertebrates with feathers,...

Some Interesting Information on Birds

Birds are amazing creatures did you know that birds have been clocked in migration by radar to be moving about 30 mph for songbirds, and 45 for shorebirds. Much of the speed of migration depends on wind conditions and some birds slow down to conserve energy when they are aided by wind. Birds are technically referred to as the classification of Aves or Avians . They are warm-blooded creatures and are very similar to mammals . Birds are an important food source for humans. The most commonly eaten species is the domestic chicken and its eggs, although geese, pheasants, turkeys, and ducks are also widely eaten.

Birds are the only vertebrate animals to have a fused collarbone (the furcul a or wishbone) and a keeled breastbone. Birds are warm-blooded, egg-laying, vertebrate animals. They are covered in feathers and their forelimbs are modified into wings which are used for flight. Birds are incredibly diverse in size, color, and lifestyles. They range in size from the 2.5 inch, 0.08 ounce Bee Hummingbird to the Wandering Albatross with an 11 foot wingspan.


Birds are social animals and need exercise in unconfined areas. Birds are vertebrates with feathers, modified for flight and for active metabolism. Birds are a monophyletic lineage, evolved once from a common ancestor, and all birds are related through that common origin.

Birds are easy to love and being bipedal their feet are usually adapted for perching and never have more than four toes. Hearing and eyesight are well developed but the sense of smell is usually poor. Birds are important elements of nearly every ecosystem on earth and many plants depend on birds for pollination and seed dispersal.

They are often illusive and not particularly cooperative subjects. They are rather small, shy, and keep their distance but can be social and communicate using visual signals and through calls and song, and participate in social behaviors including cooperative hunting, cooperative breeding, flocking and mobbing of predators. Primarily socially monogamous it has been found that some species have polygamous or polyandrous breeding systems.

No matter how you describe them birds are amazing creatures.

http://www.my-bird-houses-4u.com/articles/articles.html
By Mike Yeager
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Make the Perfect Hummingbird Feeder Mix

Hummingbird Feeder Mix--Hummingbirds love a feeder mix to have sugary water that is refilled with fresh supplies regularly.,For your hummingbird feeder mix, use about four parts water and one part sugar...

Make the Perfect Hummingbird Feeder Mix

Hummingbirds are great to have in your garden, and while the best way to attract them is always going to be colorful plants which produce lots of nectar, hummingbird feeders can help attract the birds even if you are in the center of a city. You will be surprised how easy it is to attract the hummingbirds, and once they are they become regular visitors to your garden it is fascinating to watch the beautiful birds.

Hummingbirds love a feeder mix to have sugary water that is refilled with fresh supplies regularly. Like any bird, if you make the feeders a reliable source of nutritious food the birds will get to know it, and before long they will keep returning. Hopefully they will also bring some friends too! It is important to keep away other animals and insects from the feeder otherwise the hummingbirds may decide not to use it. One of the main insects you'll need to try and keep off the feeder is ants, as they will be attracted to the sugar water. You could try to deter them by surrounding the feeder with a pool of water or by keeping the feeder well off the ground.

For your hummingbird feeder mix, use about four parts water and one part sugar. This makes it very sugary which is exactly what the nectar from a plant would be. Make sure that your feeder is never empty so that the feeders become a food source the birds can rely on, and be patient. Sometimes birds find the feeder immediately and other times they take longer, but in the end they will nearly always arrive.

Richard Cross is owner of a blog all about Hummingbirds
By Richard Cross Terris
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Love Birds - What Does it Take to Care For These Special Pet Birds?

Love Birds -A large parrot such as a Macaw can live for 60 or more years, while a Love Bird seldom lives more than 15 years.**Love Birds, like all parrots, are extremely social creatures and crave the company of others...

Love Birds - What Does it Take to Care For These Special Pet Birds?

You've probably seen these gorgeous birds in your local pet store. They are the miniature green parrots with the big expressive eyes. Love Birds are a good choice for someone who wants a parrot, but doesn't want the commitment that a large parrot requires. A large parrot such as a Macaw can live for 60 or more years, while a Love Bird seldom lives more than 15 years.


Before you go out to buy a Lovebird, you should be aware of what you're getting into. Lovebirds, like all parrots, are relatively high maintenance pets and therefore require a dedicated and special type of pet owner. Here are some important factors to keep in mind.

Companionship

Love Birds, like all parrots, are extremely social creatures and crave the company of others. If you don't have a few hours to spend with him every day, then you'll need to buy another lovebird to keep him company. Without the companionship of humans or another bird, your bird is likely to exhibit problem behavior such as extreme aggression, excessive preening and constant squawking.

Choosing The Right Lovebird

An ideal lovebird will be 6 to 10 weeks old and hand--fed. A young, hand--fed bird is much easier to tame and train than an older, parent--fed lovebird.

The most commonly available species are:

* Peach Face - This species is usually green, with a peach head, face and neck.

* Fischer's Lovebird - This bird has a green body with shades of yellow and orange on their head and neck.

* Masked Lovebird - This bird has a green body, with a dark brown colored brown mask around their face and neck. Just below this mask is a yellow band of feathers.

Housing

Love birds require a large cage with plenty of room to stretch out their wings and play -- obviously a pair will require a larger cage than a single bird. The majority of the cage bars should be horizontal and there needs to be a few perches located at varying levels. Place plenty of toys in their cage to keep them stimulated.

Health

Love Birds require daily exercise to keep them healthy. This means you should let them out to fly every day in a safe room. Make sure there are no open windows or predators (such as dogs or cats) in this room.

You should feed your love bird a quality parrot seed mix and plenty of fresh, clean fruits and vegetables that are bird--safe. This will give them a good variety that matches what they might find in the wild. You'll need to remove any uneaten food every day.

Learn more about Love Birds at http://www.petcarejournal.com/love-birds.html - a website designed to provide you with pet articles and resources that will help you get the most out of your pet keeping experience, no matter what type of pet you own.

By Jennifer Manning
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Stop Parrot Biting - Quick and Simple!

Stop Parrot Biting -Bird biting is a terrible condition brought on by one of two things; stress or lack of training. Birds by nature are animals that need companionship...

Stop Parrot Biting - Quick and Simple!

If you own any kind of parrot, chances are that you've been bitten. There really isn't a around it. If you have a bird you will get bitten, but the good news is that with proper training you can train your bird to be a loving affectionate life time companion.

Bird biting is a terrible condition brought on by one of two things; stress or lack of training. Birds by nature are animals that need companionship. When they don't receive an adequate amount they lash out at the world by feather plucking and more commonly biting. That's why it's so important to make sure you have time for you parrot. Simply letting the parrot out to enjoy daily household chores will suffice. Let the bird sit at dinner with you or watch you while you're doing the dishes. This will make your bird feel like he's really a part of the "flock".

It's is also very important to start training your bird at a very young age, as with people the sooner you start to teach them the easier it will be for them to learn. That doesn't mean that you can't teach an old bird new tricks but it will take a slight bit more dedication. The trick is to use positive reinforcement to get the responses you want.

Biting does hurt but with proper training and enough of the right kind of interaction your bird can be transformed in to a loving companion for many years to come.

For a step by step way to quickly stop parrot biting Visit http://www.Parrot-Training.info
By Robert Parr
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Amazon Parrot Training

Amazon parrots--Preparing to train your Amazon...Training to prevent and eliminate aggressive and unwanted behavior....

Amazon Parrot Training

Amazon parrots are one of the most widely known companion parrots. In addition to their brilliant green feathers and beauty, which makes them a showcase in any home, they posses a wonderful personality. They're social, energetic and highly intelligent birds. When handled properly, socialized and trained, they're a fantastic addition to a family. Training and socialization begin before you ever bring your bird home.

Preparing to train your Amazon.

It's important to understand that while there are a few theories on animal training the one which provides lasting results and creates a unified and trusting relationship are training methods based on positive reinforcement. Beside the obvious animal cruelty issues with negative reinforcement training methods, they tend to create more problems than they resolve and the training efforts do not last.

Seriously, would you respond well to someone who screams at you or hits you or would you prefer to receive praise when you do something right? Guaranteed, your Amazon will respond much better with praise. Additionally, you'll avoid breeding horrible aggressive behaviors which commonly cause owners to give up their beautiful birds.
Tips and strategies for training your Amazon Parrot.

Time it right. Timing is everything, right? When it comes to training your Amazon Parrot a schedule helps them to know what to expect. Take some time to determine what schedule works best for you. It's important to know that your Amazon may respond better before meals. They're hungrier and more motivated to learn for treats. This means that before breakfast and dinner time meals may be the best time to train. It's very important to make sure your Amazon gets enough to eat though.

Additionally, pay attention to how long your training sessions last. Too long and your bird will become bored or tired of the training.

Start small. Playing dead and rolling over are fun tricks to teach and to show off to your friends and family however they're definitely not beginner tricks nor do they do anything to curb and prevent unwanted behaviors. The best task to start with, particularly if you and your bird are new to training, is target training.

Target training is a tool you will use time and time again and it's a great way to introduce your bird to training. It's the perfect trick for fearful or aggressive birds. Another trick is the step up and step down trick - which makes retrieving your Amazon from their case easy and stress free.

Once your Amazon Parrot has mastered the basics then you can move onto training your Amazon to talk and other fun and delightful tricks. However if you're dealing with unwanted behaviors like biting, screaming, and feather plucking


Training to prevent and eliminate aggressive and unwanted behavior.

If an Amazon hasn't been properly socialized they may become fearful and potentially aggressive. Additionally aggression can surface during maturity or it can be the result of habits which have formed in your household.

For example, if your Amazon screams when you come home because they want to be let out of their cage and you proceed to let them out of their cage, you've trained them to scream. It happens quickly and then you're stuck with a behavior which drives you nuts.

Trick training is the absolute best way to eliminate fearful behaviors because it builds a bond of trust between you and your bird. Additionally, trick training teaches your bird the rules of the house and that you're the boss. It creates a system your bird can count on and trust.

Quite often bad behaviors are caused by boredom. This is particularly the case if you have a very intelligent bird like an Amazon Parrot. Trick training keeps your bird's amazing brain stimulated and challenged. Trick training engages your Amazon's problem solving skills. It keeps them busy and eliminates boredom, thereby reducing or eliminating behaviors caused by boredom.

To discover more Amazon Parrot Training Tips and Techniques, sign up for Dave Womach's free parrot training newsletter where you'll discover how to fix dozens of parrot behavior problems.

By Dave Womach
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Training Your Cockatoo

Training Your Cockatoo--To begin training a cockatoo it is important to first understand the difference between positive reinforcement training and negative reinforcement training...

Training Your Cockatoo

It is this flair for the dramatic and sense of entitlement that makes them both a very charming bird and an impossible bird. Good news...training your cockatoo will make them significantly easier to deal with. Less impossible, more charm.


So how exactly does one go about training cockatoos?

After all, they're temperamental animals right? Sometimes. Part of the reason a cockatoo may have behavior problems like screaming, biting and feather plucking, is because they've been allowed to get away with those behaviors. This is often the case for younger cockatoos. Once they reach maturity and take on a few new behaviors it all seems like too much. Owners become frustrated and the behavior problems escalate.

To begin training a cockatoo it is important to first understand the difference between positive reinforcement training and negative reinforcement training. To understand it let's take a look at two examples.


I'm sure it will be very apparent which one is which.

Scenario One. Owner comes home from work and bird starts screaming in their cage. It's obvious they want to come out of their cage. "Stop screaming!" the owner yells throwing their keys at the cage. The cockatoo stops screaming.

Scenario Two. Owner comes home from work and the cockatoo starts screaming in their cage - they want out. The owner puts their keys and bag down on a side table and walks past the cockatoo. The owner tends to their business until the cockatoo stops screaming at which point the owner walks over to the cage praises the cockatoo verbally and lets them out of their cage.

Okay so scenario one is negative reinforcement and scenario two uses positive reinforcement. What's the difference if they both result in the bird stopping their behavior? Scenario one will ultimately result in more bad behaviors. Screaming and throwing things causes fear and stress. Fear and stress cause biting, thrashing, feather plucking and it can actually cause more screaming.

Positive reinforcement teaches your cockatoo that they are rewarded for not screaming. Eventually, by repeating this technique, you're training your Cockatoo to not scream. They'll learn they get let out of their cage much faster when they're behaved. Your job is to be consistent. Always let them out of their cage as soon as they stop screaming - always reward them for the desired behavior.

Because cockatoos love attention, negative or positive it doesn't matter, it's important to give them the kind of attention which results in behaviors you want them to have.

A few additional tools you could use in that scenario to speed up the process.

A clicker. A clicker is a little tool you hold in your hand. When you press it, it makes a clicking noise. This clicking noise is used by trainers to signal to the animal being trained that it's performed the correct behavior. It takes practice to perfect the timing, however when used correctly it can significantly increase training time.

Treats. Just like you, all cockatoos have a favorite food. While yours may be a good hamburger or chocolate, cockatoos tend to favor seeds and nuts. Click, hand your bird a little treat and give them lots of praise. Cockatoos love praise. They'll be so tickled they'll be happy to not scream.

Patience. Each and every cockatoo has their own personality. That's why they're so loved. Your cockatoo's personality may mean they don't cooperate right away. If you spend a week, two weeks, maybe even three weeks listening to your cockatoo scream and scream trust the training method and practice patience. They will catch on. Are you letting them out right when they stop screaming? Are you praising them? Hold steady, once your cockatoo catches on you'll be good to go. They're smart, it'll happen.

A good training guide. Can you bake a cake without a recipe? Build furniture without a plan? No, probably not unless you're an expert. The same holds true for training your bird. You're not an expert, use a plan created by experts. Find a training program, video, DVD, or coach who can teach you how to train your bird. Try to do it yourself and you could end up making things worse. You could end up scaring your bird or stressing them out - both of which create bad behaviors.

Now we've spent a lot of time talking about a particular scenario which involved screaming however it is important to know you can train away any undesirable behavior. We could replace screaming with thrashing. We could say your cockatoo bites you when you don't pay attention to them or when they're done playing. The key is to not react negatively to the behavior. Don't scream, don't drop or hit them. Don't react.

Reward good behavior and take your cue from the experts. You don't have to let your beautiful cockatoo rule your life. You can be the boss and you can live with a charming cockatoo once again. Training cockatoos is possible.

To discover more parrot training tips and techniques, sign up for Dave Womach's free parrot training newsletter where you'll discover how to fix dozens of parrot behavior problems.

By Dave Womach
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Pet Birds Require Daily Interaction to Keep Your Bird Happy and Healthy

Pet Birds --Keep Your Bird Happy and Healthy--Great care must also be taken when feeding your bird. Each species requires different nutritional needs. If you put any bird on an all seed diet...

Pet Birds Require Daily Interaction to Keep Your Bird Happy and Healthy

Owning a pet bird or birds, whether they be a parrot, dove or canary, require daily interaction from you, the bird owner. Birds are highly intelligent creatures who are very social beings. They give unconditional love and need to receive the same unconditional love back to them.

Alex the gifted parrot proves to us that the idea of a " bird brain" is completely wrong. In fact the study that Dr. Irene Pepperberg did with Alex an African Grey parrot for 30 years of research, shattered scientists understanding of the Avian brain. Alex eventually learned enough speech elements to identify 50 different objects, 7 colors and 5 shapes. He learned to count quantities up to 6 including 0 and was able to articulate certain desires and could even express frustration with repetitive scientific trials. Alex's emotional development was similar to that of a 2 year old human child, , and his intelligence was that of a 5 year old child.

This evidence about Alex tells us that birds definitely need interaction. My experiences with my cockatiels and one parakeet (little parrots) also prove that pet birds need daily interaction and affection. Affection is highly important as well and the interaction. They ask me with their body language to pet them every day. They also like me to stay near them as if in a flock. They may ask to get on my shoulder or lap. I take my birds for a ride in the car about once a week to my Mom's. She loves to see them, and they love going for a ride in the car as well as visiting my Mom, sister and their dog. I don't let them out of the cage when I am there because of too many dangers. I take them in one bird cage which I bundle up in blankets for protection. The thickness I use depends on how warm or cold outside it is. Birds like to feel safe in their cage so the blankets covers all sides except half of the front part to look out of. I completely cover the front in bad weather or too much sun until we get into a more comfortable environment.


Great care must also be taken when feeding your bird. Each species requires different nutritional needs. If you put any bird on an all seed diet, he will get very sick or die from malnutrition. My cockatiels for example are given organic parrot pellets, Dr. Lafeber's Nutriberries for Cockatiels and some oatmeal, flax seed meal and a little millet seed. There is a nice variety of nutritional bird food in their dish which they can forage through. Foraging helps stop the boredom of your pet bird's meals. Even fresh fruits and vegetables are highly recommended and necessary for your bird's diet. I give my birds a little piece of berry from my frozen berry medley every day and some soybeans that were previously frozen and heated. But when I can get fresh vegetables and fruit, I give them apple, cooked broccoli, chopped carrot, sweet potato, white potato and corn. First thing in the morning, I give them a couple of Trader Joes O's which are almost like Cherrios. I will also give them little pieces of Spelt bread which has whole grain goodness.

My 2 cockatiels require attention from morning till evening, and I do enjoy spending the time with them. They love to be petted and have their little heads scratched. They love being talked to and like to spend play time on the floor with bird toys, ladders and special wood for birds to chew on. Their cages require daily cleaning as well as the bird dishes. Birds are messy. Water will be splashed around with seed husks, loose feathers and droppings that require daily clean up. When I go out, I put them in their cages, one in each cage if the younger bird is pushing the older bird around too much. Some times they like to decide which cage they want to stay in. I also turn on the radio with soft music or cartoons on TV. They enjoy very young childrens cartoons.

Birds may create allot of work, but the rewards of unconditional love and companionship from your feathered friends are priceless.

Parrot Health, Training
By Barbara Delgiudice
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/