Do Parrots Dream?

We were jolted awake this morning at about 5:30 am with the sound of a humongous thump, followed by the furious flapping of wings. Just getting light enough to see, we scrambled out of bed to check all the parrot cages to see which parrot fell off its perch. We found our female Blue and Gold macaw Miss Bubba Boy clinging to the side of her cage, quite agitated and somewhat disoriented. We suspect that a bad dream caused her to fall off of her perch.

Our female Blue and Gold macaw Miss Bubba Boy enjoying apple cider at the

Ballard Farmers Market.

Which got us thinking while we were trying to fall back to sleep (just who wants to get up at 5:30 am on a Sunday, really!). Do parrots dream?


It is pretty well established that parrots are capable of cognitive reasoning. Parrots can carry out actions purposefully, and they are capable of quite sophisticated problem solving. So it would not be any surprise to us that parrots dream and even suffer nightmares.


Although the episode this morning was a first for our female Blue and Gold macaw, this was not the only time we've been jolted out of bed in the dead of night by one of the parrots falling off its perch. Of our eight parrots, three have experienced falling off their perches during the night. Other than Miss Bubba Boy, our Greenwing macaw and Diva parrot Roxanne,

Our Greenwing macaw and Diva parrot Roxanne, named for the song.

as well as our female Congo African grey parrot Arua, have fallen off their perches during the night on multiple occasions.

Our female Congo African grey parrot Arua, just hanging out!

We wonder if birds with greater brain power such as African greys are more prone to dreaming than other birds? We have thought that possibly the parrots were startled during the night by some sound coming from outside the house which may have caused them to fall of their perches. But in at least two cases we can recall, we were wide awake in the night when the falling episode occurred, so we can rule out external causes.

Other times we'll be lying awake in the dark of night and hear one of the parrots start to vocalize. Our male Blue and Gold macaw Aboo will softly start speaking to himself, in a voice barely audible.

Our male Blue and Gold macaw Aboo playing with our Hyacinth macaw Princess Tara.

Is he talking in his sleep. We'll hear our foster Ruby macaw Mr. Cracker laughing out loud in the middle of the night. Is he reliving a prior event in his dreams. Old enough to be a possibly wild-caught macaw, we wonder if he's dreaming of his life before? Mr. Cracker will also on occasion start up a conversation with himself.

Our foster Ruby macaw Mr. Cracker is old enough to be a wild-caught macaw.

And then there was the night we were awakened by our female Blue and Gold macaw Miss Bubba Boy laughing maniacally in the dead of night as if she were an ax murderer ready to commit a crime. Needless to say, we didn't get out of bed!

So, what do you think? Do parrots dream? We think so. And unfortunately experience nightmares as well. If you have any experiences with your parrots dreaming, please share them with us.

We're Having a Contest. Our First Ever!

Here's your chance to win fame and fortune! Well, at least fame anyway. And some nifty prizes. We're looking to update our logo for the Parrot Wranglers trade association: the International Parrot Wranglers Association. Oh, and the winner will receive an honorary lifetime membership in the International Parrot Wranglers Association. Not a parrot wrangler? Not to worry. We'll make you an honorary Parrot Wrangler. We just need your graphic arts expertise.


Wait, there's more! The winner will also receive a couple of embroidered shirts from Seattle's Parrot Cafe, as well as one of our new TheParrotCafe.com caps:

A Parrot Cafe tee-shirt from Seattle's original Parrot Cafe

(size Large only, various colors)

One of our new TheParrotCafe.com tee-shirts

(size Large only, color Stone)

And last, but not least,

One of our new TheParrot Cafe.com caps

(one size fits all, color Khaki)

So here's the contest details: We need you to start with this photo of the International Parrot Wranglers Association mascot, our male Blue and Gold macaw Aboo. Aboo is a cowboy in every sense of the word, and a perfect parrot to serve as spokesparrot for the International Parrot Wranglers Association and model for our new logo.

Just right-click on the image to download a copy of the photo, or message us and we'll email you a jpeg format copy.

The new logo for the International Parrot Wranglers Association needs three elements added:

A Cowboy Hat!

A Lariat!

And Every Modern Cowboy Needs a Pair of Sunglasses!

Of course, these are just examples. We know that you can come up with better artwork, and the winning entry will be the one that utilizes the three elements on our spokesparrot in the most creative fashion.


The completed entry must be submitted in a jpeg format file. Of course, all entries become the property of the International Parrot Wranglers Association and The Zen Parrot. We don't know when the winner will be declared, but we'll know the winning entry when we see it. And then we'll declare a winner.

Good Luck! And Happy Trails!

Seattle Method Cold-Brew Iced Coffee

We don't have a lot of reason to drink iced coffee here in Seattle. Today in mid-July we're lucky to hit 70 degrees! But on those few odd days when it actually does get warm here (say 80 or so) we like to switch from hot coffee to a substantial glass of really good iced coffee. There's more to iced coffee than just pouring brewed coffee over ice. All you get is a glass of lukewarm diluted coffee. See our earlier blog post for various iced coffee methods we like. Most are easy, and some are even quick.


Over the years here in Seattle we have developed our own cold-brew iced coffee method, which we have given the innovative name Seattle Method Cold-Brew Iced Coffee! This method is simple, although not quick. Try it out, and we guarantee you'll experience the smoothest and creamiest coffee drink you'll ever make yourself!


Coffee, iced or hot, has two primary ingredients: Coffee and Water. Use low quality coffee or poor water and you will invariably end up with undrinkable coffee. We recommend you start with with 100% Arabica coffee beans, such as the Triple Certified Organic, Shade Grown, Fair Trade coffee we offer online under our own label at TheParrotCafe.com.

Additionally, unless you live somewhere like Seattle or Anchorage with exceptionally fine tap water, use filtered water. Remember, coffee is ninety percent water!

We use a twelve (12) ounce Bodum press (also known as a French Press) for making our Seattle Method Cold-Brew Coffee. Perfect for one or two people. To serve more people, or for making a larger supply of iced coffee, just use a bigger pot. Be sure to adjust the amount of ground coffee accordingly. If you don't have a Bodum press, any kind of glass container will do. You will just need to use filters to separate the brewed coffee from the grounds.

We use whole bean coffee, which we prefer to grind ourselves. Whole beans store longer than ground. Much longer! Grind the coffee coarse for a Bodum pot. If you use a filter system, grind medium-coarse. We recommend four (4) ounces of coffee per each twelve ounces of water.

But the grounds in the Bodum press, or other glass container. Add water. Simple. Then just wait. At least eight (8) hours. We generally prepare the coffee just before bed, and let it sit overnight on the kitchen counter. No need to refrigerate. It's not going to spoil. Plus, the ice will cool it off! Be sure to energetically stir the coffee into the water, or you'll just have a clump of wet coffee grounds sitting on the top of the pot in the morning! If you're using a Bodum press, leave the plunger off the press for the night.

In the morning, you'll find a thick crust of coffee grounds on top of the pot which you can almost cut with a knife. Once again, energetically stir the pot. You will magically see an eye pleasing and mouth watering Crema develop on the top of the pot, just as if you were pulling a shot of espresso. Be sure to thank the heavens. This is where the flavor of the coffee resides!

Now place the cover on the Bodum pot and push the plunger down as far as it will go. Or if you're using some other glass container, filter the coffee to separate the grounds.

You will end up with the equivalent of four shots of espresso. Only with twice the caffeine. A little known fact regarding espresso coffee: the steam extraction method utilized by the espresso machine only captures about half the caffeine in a regular cup of joe! Four shots of coffee; enough for a couple of glasses of iced coffee (unless you like it really, really strong). And about the grounds. Don't just throw the coffee grounds in the trash. Coffee grounds are one of the best sources of nitrogen for plants that there is. Dig the grounds into your garden and flower beds, Best fertilizer that you don't have to pay for (since you already paid for it)! And that's another reason to use organic coffee.

You can serve the coffee either hot or iced. If hot, just add the desired amount of water. If iced, just add ice! No need to add extra water. Unless you like whimpy coffee.

Add the coffee!

Top it off with the flavoring of your choice! You can use syrups or milk. We're partial to organic soy milk.

Kick back. And enjoy!
Let us know if this isn't the finest iced coffee you've ever tried.

Bathing Your Parrots

Our female Congo African grey parrot Arua loves to bathe in her water dish. Taking a shower? Not so much.

Some parrots love to bathe. Some parrots would rather not. Bathing is an essential part of feather care and maintenance. Most parrots and other birds naturally take to the water to bathe. Just try keeping your outside bird bath full during those hot summer days! Some parrots are highly particularly about how they bathe. Other parrots are not. Be thankful if you have a parrot that belongs to the latter category. If the former category, just keep plenty of towels and wipes handy. It's another problem entirely if you have a parrot that refuses to bathe. Then you'll need to experiment with different solutions to try to encourage the parrot to dip its toes in the water.

Of our eight parrots, four of our five macaws love to take showers with us, perched on our hands and arms in the bathtub. Our foster Ruby macaw Mr. Cracker probably would as well, if we could get him to step up. Instead, he prefers to bathe in his water dish. Somewhat modest, he doesn't like people watching him bathe, so if we're in the room when he wants to take a bath, he'll politely pipe up with a Bye, Bye, until we get the message, and leave the room.


Our male Goffin's cockatoo Kid Kadra loves to bathe and would probably take a bath daily if we were up to it. His preference is a spray bottle on the shower rail in the bathroom. Barring that, he'll sit on the shower rail and bathe in the spray of the macaws taking showers.

As our male Goffin's cockatoo Kid Kadra demonstrates, sometimes a bath just needs the right soundtrack! If a shower is not in the offing, maybe a parrot just needs to settle for a soak in the nearest tub, or water dish, especially on those hot summer days:

Our female Timneh African grey parrot Tillie will tolerate a spray bottle on the shower rail. Usually she'd rather not. On those occasions that Tillie will take a bath, she can get quite animated:

On those rare occasions when Tillie really really wants to bathe, no parrot enjoys a bath as much as she does!

For sheer entertainment value, we can't beat our female Congo African grey parrot Arua. Arua loves to bathe. But in her water dish, not the shower. She's very large for an African grey. Our avian vet Tracy Bennett called her fat the very first time she met Arua, but that's another story entirely. Plus, her water dish is very small. A Number 1 Fenix crock. That's a lot of parrot in a confined space. Much water displacement:

We've tried putting out large water dishes and trays for her to bathe in. She ignores them. So now, when she jumps into her water dish, we just lay out the towels along the side of her cage.


If you have a parrot resistant to taking a bathe, two things you can try. If you can take a cage outside on the porch or in the yard on a warm day, let a hose spray across part of the cage, but leave room for the parrot to retreat to if the bird doesn't want to get wet, or wants to get out of the water. If you're not able to take the parrot outside, get a parrot perch for your shower, and let the shower flow over part of the perch so the parrot can choose to take a dip or not. Just keep trying different methods until you find one that works for your parrot.


Of course, some of our parrots will tell you that the best part of any shower is the blow dry following the shower!

Our male Blue and Gold macaw Aboo is a cowboy when it comes to taking baths. He'd rather not, until he becomes so gamey even he can't stand it. But the blow dry? Just loves it!

Happy Bathing!

The Perfect Iced Coffee to Cool off Summer

Summer is here, almost (except maybe here in Seattle). What better way to cool off than with a perfect glass of iced coffee? Iced coffee is not just a simple matter of plopping some ice cubes in your coffee cup. If you do that, you'll just end up with tasteless diluted coffee. Yuck!


There are probably as many recipes for iced coffee as there are coffee traditions. Here are a few of our favorites. With a little effort you can create a great glass of satisfying iced coffee!


For traditional iced coffee, how about a recipe for Perfect Iced Coffee? The obvious drawback to this recipe is the requirement to allow the coffee to steep for a minimum of eight hours. If it's hot and you're thirsty, who wants to wait eight hours? But if you can wait, this is a good basic recipe. Best to make before bed and let steep overnight so it's ready first thing in the morning!

For quick and fresh iced coffee, nothing beats the Japanese Iced Coffee Method. Instead of keeping cold-brewed coffee sitting and oxidizing in your fridge, the Japanese Iced Coffee Method brews each cup fresh.

A variation is the Steep and Strain Method, also known as New Orleans Iced Coffee. The secret to New Orleans Iced Coffee is a coffee concentrate made by steeping coffee grounds in cold water. Again, the drawback is the requirement to let the coffee concentrate steep overnight.

If you're feeling adventuresome, try some iced coffee that is flavored and spicy. We like Thai Iced Coffee, which has cardamom infused into half and half. This may be a stronger iced coffee than many Americans are used to. But hey, life is short!

We think that vanilla and coffee go together like Laurel and Hardy. For a great flavored iced coffee, here's a recipe for Vanilla Iced Coffee.

So you've got a perfect glass of iced coffee. What could make it better? Well, there's homemade Coffee Ice Cream!

So there you have it! Our suggestions for beating the heat this summer. Or just drinking damn fine iced coffee. If you have any regional or national recipes for perfect iced coffee, please let us know. We'd love to try it out as well.


Our final suggestion for making that perfect glass of iced coffee: Forget the Folgers, or even the Starbucks. Start with a really fine coffee, such as the Triple Certified Organic Shade Grown Fair Trade Peruvian Rainforest Coffee that we sell at The Parrot Cafe. Additionally, use fine water as well, not just regular tap water unless you live somewhere like Seattle, which is blessed with exceptional tap water. Think about it. Coffee is ninety percent water, so if you use poor water you'll end up with a poor coffee drink. Use a filter if you can.

How Does Your Parrot Communicate With You?

How do you communicate with your parrot? More importantly, how does your parrot communicate with you? How does your parrot for example, tell you when he or she is hungry or thirsty? With our parrots it's simple. They tell us. In plain English! At least some of them do.

When our female Congo African grey parrot Arua wants food she tells us: Apple. This is actually a change from her original word for food: Hot. So when it comes dinner time she starts asking for Apple. And when we give her her food dish, she confirms that it is in fact Apple. Of course Apple, or even Hot, is certainly better than the extreme pressure that she used to put on us when we were fixing birdie meals, when she would  insistently repeat: You Done Yet?

Our male Blue and Gold macaw Aboo draws a distinction between people food and parrot food. When he wants people food Aboo says: Hot. When Aboo wants parrot food he says: Crack. Presumably Crack is short for cracker, and not the other thing. But Aboo is a rescue bird, so no telling! When Aboo is thirsty, he occasionally says: Water.

Our female Blue and Gold macaw Bubba Boy (no, we didn't name her) also tends to say Hot when she wants to be fed. Makes us curious if they learned this word independently of each other, or learned it from each other. We're pretty sure Aboo started saying Hot when asking for food before the others picked it up.

Sometimes but not always, our foster Ruby macaw Mr. Cracker simply says: Food when he wants food. No mistaking his meaning there. Mostly when he's hungry he dances for his food. If he's really hungry he starts whacking his treat box.


Since we originally posted this story, Mr. Cracker has come up with a new phrase we've never heard before, and almost a complete sentence by macaw standards. We like to sleep in on weekends. One Saturday morning recently we awoke to Mr. Cracker calling out several times: Cracker. Food. Come here! Nothing like waking up to a demanding macaw.

A lady of few words, our Hyacinth macaw Princess Tara will on a rare occasion say Water when asking to drink water from the kitchen faucet. We all know that the best water in the house comes from the kitchen faucet! When she's hungry and wants to be fed she just starts honking, and anyone who's been around a honking Hyacinth macaw knows how ear-splitting that can be!


So that's five out of eight parrots in our flock that can actually ask for food or water by simply asking for food or water! So how about you? How do your parrots communicate to you that they are hungry or thirsty? Or any of their other needs and desires. Both of our Blue and Gold macaws for example, say Let Out, or Let Me Out when they want out of their cages.

Of course we're partial to our littlest parrot, our female Timneh African grey Tillie. When she wants our attention she doesn't scream or honk. She just pipes up in the sweetest little voice and says: Hi Sweetie! It's Me!

Animal Trafficking in Mexico, Around the World, Endangers Parrots and Other Animals

Here is something to consider the next time someone says that parrot and wildlife smuggling is a thing of the past:

The Defenders of Wildlife in Mexico said, “It is estimated that between 65,000 to 78,000 parrots are caught illegally every year and from them, 77 percent die before they arrive in to the hands of a buyer. The mistreatment these animals suffer explains the high mortality rate.”

Animal Trafficking in Mexico, Around the World, Endangers Animals - Hispanically Speaking News

Sadly, we will see the extinction of many wild parrot populations within our lifetimes!