Her interest in pet birds started at the age of 9, when she saved up her penny collection to buy Elvis, her cockatiel companion of 22 years. Little did she know then that her love of birds would some day lead to a career in which being chased by a cockatoo during a photo-shoot, having a 5-minute phone conversation with a reader’s African grey parrot , hand-wrestling a caique to get her pilfered ring back and having her work desk “re-decorated” by a visiting Amazon parrot were all just another day at the office. She has a degree in English from the University of California, Davis.

Her journey in the bird world has taken her to the remote areas of Brazil to see hyacinth macaws in their native habitat, as well as on bird-watching trips to Spain, Puerto Rico and Mexico. She is especially thankful to have met so many passionate pet bird owners throughout her years at the helm of Bird Talk magazine.

Laura Doering is the former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. She has authored a multitude of articles covering all aspects of pet birds and their care, and has had the opportunity to interview world-renowned avian behaviorists, veterinarians, aviculturists, researchers and conservationists.

Get Work Done: Tips To Keep Your Bird Happily Distracted As we hunker down at home to do our part in stopping the spread of the coronavirus, many of us might find ourselves in a conundrum: how exactly to get work done when our birds and other pets beckon nearby?

Fun Things To Do With Your Bird At Home To keep safe during the coronavirus pandemic, many of us face spending most of our time at home. But being stuck indoors can seem less burdensome if we look for a silver lining each day—one being the opportunity to have fun with the flock!

Lories & Lorikeets: Bold & Beautiful Lories and lorikeets are beauties from the family Loriinae that boast some of the brightest plumage among parrots. Their personalities are also colorful, and their unique diet gives them plenty of energy to fuel their always on-the-go tendencies. Learn what else sets these vibrantly colored parrots apart.

Meet The Kakapo, The Lovable, Rotund Parrot With Peculiar Ways How far would you travel for love? If you were a male kakapo parrot, you’d walk the equivalent of a 5K, as in over three miles (and that’s not counting the walk back)! A lovesick male kakapo parrot embarks on his long stroll each night during breeding season as he tries to beat out the competition for a female’s attention. Learn more about this adorable, rotund parrot with peculiar ways.

New To Conures? Answers to Common Conure Questions Are conures parrots? Do they talk? What size cage do they need? What food provides the best nutrition? Find the answer to these and other common questions about conures.

Four Parrot Behaviors That Might Baffle New Owners Not only can parrots fly and have the ability to mimic human speech and sounds, but they are also capable of some seemingly perplexing behaviors that don’t fit the typical dog or cat pet mold. Here are four parrot behaviors that bird stewards are likely to encounter that might seem baffling at first.

Meet the Kea: New Zealand’s Naughty Alpine Parrot Let’s talk about a parrot that might be scary to some people—one that can be carnivorous, resides where no other parrot dare ventures and, for fun, seems to enjoy wreaking havoc on the tourists who visit.

Birds In The News Consider adding “birds” to your Google News alert topics. Doing so might just lead you to some fascinating finds. Here are some recent “birds in the news” stories worth checking out.

Summer Heat & Our Birds Summer — that sizzling time of the year when we try to stay hydrated and perhaps indulge in water-dense foods like watermelon and other juicy fruits. When exposed to the summer heat, we might break out in a sweat and seek shade to cool our bodies down. What about our feathered friends…how do they stay […]

Celebrate Your Bird April 11 April 11 is National Pet Day — a day to shower your pet with some extra love!

Cockatiels Are Cockatoos, Too You might have a cockatoo in your home without even knowing it! Yes, your diminutive cockatiel—the most popular pet bird in the US—is, in fact, related to the much larger cockatoos. When you take a closer look at the cockatiel, you’ll start to see the cockatoo connection.

It’s Cold Outside! Tips to Keep Your Bird Safe & Warm The Midwest is experiencing a rare “polar vortex” and the coldest weather in decades, which makes staying warm indoors is a must. Here are some tips to ensure that everyone, including our feathered family members, are safe and comfortable at home during this cold snap.

Female Budgies Prefer Puzzle-Solving Males & Other Bird-Centric News Stories In this bird-centric news roundup, see the tricky way researchers got female budgies to ditch their preferred mates to those trained to solve puzzles, as well as learn as well as who packs a more powerful bite—T-Rex or finch? Also see how the engineering marvels of a birds’ feathers might one day inspire better adhesives and aerospace materials, and meet Alex the honking cockatiel, the viral sensation that saw his fame inexplicably explode across the internet.

New Research: Secret to Parrot Intelligence? It’s In Their Genes Check out what scientists are learning about parrot genes, as well as research on laughter being contagious among parrots, how parrots’ feathers evolved to be to so shiny and how some birds of prey are battling drones in their airspace in this look at this birds in the news compilation.

A Fun Look at “Spooktacular Parrots” This Halloween It’s that spooky time of the year! Some parrot species seem to especially mesh with a Halloween theme. Here is a lighthearted look at parrot species that bring “trick or treat” up a notch.

Foraging For Food Satisfies Parrots’ Appetites & Minds Giving your feathered friend food is essential, but the way that you provide it matters, too! Will parrots work for their food? You would be surprised!

Birds’ Amazing Physical Powers If you’re a bird lover, you’ll especially find these bird-focused articles worth a read, as they showcase more bird superpowers!

Did Avocado Fumes Cause Bird’s Death? As a healthy food for people, avocado is more popular than ever, and along with that comes an abundance of avocado recipes. Unfortunately, a recent bird death brings up the question, “Could fumes from frying an avocado be dangerous to pet birds?”

Healthy Habits We Can Learn From Our Birds Looking for some healthy habits to try in the year ahead? Good news! Chances are you have your very own health coach living with you right now — look no further than your feathered friend!

Newsworthy Bird Stories Do a Google news search with the key words “parrot” or “bird.” You might be treated to some fascinating and downright entertaining bird stories — perfect topics to read aloud to your pet bird!