Little Beaks

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Little Beaks Welfare advocacy and education for small companion birds. Lifelong sanctuary for the most needy. Based in Perth, Western Australia. www.littlebeaks.org

08/10/2026

Why do birds suddenly decide it’s bath time the moment you change their water?

Not only that, they start gathering in anticipation when the empty dishes are there waiting to be filled.

Fresh water is appealing, but there’s potentially more happening here.

Birds can learn to anticipate daily routines, and in social species like zebra finches, seeing another bird start bathing may encourage others to join in.

There's nothing quite as cute as a spiked post-bath finch 😊

Video Description: Four male zebra finches gather in a shallow, circular terracotta dish on the aviary ground immediately after a water change. Their grey feathers contrast with bright orange cheek patches, red-orange beaks, finely striped black-and-white chests and boldly patterned tails. They dip their heads and chests into the water, rapidly fluttering their wings and shaking their bodies, sending little splashes in every direction.

08/10/2026

On the topic of AI…

First and foremost, Little Beaks does not use AI to generate images or videos (the birds would strongly protest... and seriously, I doubt anything could adequately replicate the antics of this lot!).

But AI is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid. It’s being integrated into our phones, search engines, social media, workplaces and everyday services, often without us even realising it.

I’ve long been torn over not AI itself, necessarily, but how it’s developed, trained and used, and the impact it has.

There are very real concerns about its environmental impact, copyright, privacy, and the treatment of artists, writers and other creators. These are concerns we share.

At the same time, AI can offer meaningful benefits, particularly when it comes to accessibility. For some people with disabilities, AI tools can help overcome barriers to communication, understanding information, organising and completing tasks, and participating in everyday life.

Of course, AI also has significant limitations. It can produce inaccurate or misleading information, sometimes with remarkable confidence. Even when it’s useful, knowing when to trust its output, and when to question it, isn’t always straightforward.

On a personal note, I also have to use AI professionally. It’s increasingly part of the tools and processes involved in my work, so avoiding it altogether isn’t realistic. That doesn’t mean I’m comfortable with every aspect of it, or that I think its widespread adoption makes the ethical concerns any less important.

In fact, having to engage with it regularly has made me think more critically about where it genuinely adds value, where it creates problems, and whether there are better alternatives.

It’s a complicated subject, and one I’ve been thinking about quite a bit.

So, before we share more about Little Beaks’ own approach, we genuinely want to hear your thoughts.

If AI is becoming almost impossible to avoid, how do we decide which uses are acceptable and which aren’t?

Where do you draw the line? Does it depend on what AI is being used for, who benefits, or whether alternatives exist?

We’re interested in hearing different perspectives, including from people who use AI enthusiastically, and those who would prefer not to use it at all.

There aren’t necessarily easy answers, and that’s part of why we’re having the discussion.

06/10/2026

Pav, the seasoned performer.

Not even being swiped at (intentionally or not) by another weiro's tail derails his focus.

video description: A grey weiro with a yellow face, bright orange cheek patches and white wing markings stands on a branch close to the camera, whistling and performing with small head and wing movements. Another weiro, perched on the camera, swings their long tail, swiping the performing bird. Pav turns and shifts along the branch, continuing his song. Other weiros perch on branches in the aviary behind them.

27/09/2026

Making them work for their food… 😏

But seems they're enjoying the challenge!

Hanging their celery means they get to climb, balance, pull, reach, and work out how best to get at it.

Do you give food in any creative sorts of ways? Feel free to share - never too many ideas for enrichment 😊

video description: A large bunch of celery hangs upside down inside the aviary, among some hanging branches. Several budgies and weiros gather around it, climbing onto the leaves and stems and nibbling as it sways beneath them. Birds come and go throughout the video, while other budgies and weiros perch on nearby branches in the background.

26/09/2026

Is she trying to make a nest? 🤔

Maybe.

Female budgies can investigate and modify potential nesting cavities, including gnawing at the inside.

But wild budgies don’t normally dig burrows. They’re cavity nesters and typically use existing hollows in trees.

So while this very determined excavation could be related to nest-seeking behaviour, we can’t know that’s why she’s doing it.

At Little Beaks, there’s a balance. We want the birds to have a complex, natural environment where they can dig, forage, explore, and make their own choices. But we don’t provide nest boxes or deliberately create opportunities for breeding.

So she can continue her mysterious excavation. We just won’t be furnishing it as a nursery. 😅

Her male companion, meanwhile, seems much more interested in her than she is in him. He hangs around, tries to interact, and eventually gives up and preens beside her instead.

She has a hole to dig.

Video description: A female budgie with a slightly dirty beak and dirt-stained yellow feathers is hard at work digging a hole in the aviary floor. A male light green and yellow budgie stays close beside her, watching and occasionally trying to interact with her. She remains focused on digging and largely ignores him, so he settles nearby and begins preening himself while she continues her excavation. Near the end, she suddenly jumps out of the hole and lands in front of him, mid-preen, almost looking like she's saying hello, but he turns and waddles off-screen, and she returns to her digging.

20/09/2026

Parrots have a sweet tooth… right? Ours might disagree.

Fruit can be part of a varied diet, but for the birds here it’s treat food rather than an everyday staple. Perhaps surprisingly, it's not generally as popular as vegies.

Why? Possibly a variety of reasons.

Texture, familiarity, individual preferences, foraging opportunities and even what the rest of the flock is eating can all influence what a bird chooses.

That’s why vegetables can be surprisingly popular - crunchy stalks, leafy greens, and other vegetables they can tear apart offer more than just nutrition.

Apple still gets plenty of attention. Just not necessarily as much as you’d expect.

Video description: A few chunks of cut apple sit on the ground of an aviary. Budgies and weiros, and a couple of kakarikis, approach and investigate it, with some nibbling at the exposed flesh.

Yesterday was National Pet Bird Day in the US.We’re Australian, so technically we didn’t miss anything, but I know a lot...
18/09/2026

Yesterday was National Pet Bird Day in the US.

We’re Australian, so technically we didn’t miss anything, but I know a lot of you are American, and the day deserves recognition.

Plus, management (pictured here) has agreed that companion birds probably deserve more than one country’s designated day anyway.

So rather than simply telling you how much we love birds - which hopefully isn’t news to anyone here - we thought we’d do something a little different.

If you’d like to do one thing for companion birds today, here's some suggestions.

• If you haven't seen an avian vet before, find the details of a vet near you who treats birds and save them somewhere you can find them quickly.
• Take another look at your bird’s environment. Is there something you could change to give them more choice, movement or enrichment?
• Put a little money aside for future veterinary care, if you’re able to.
• Learn something new about the species you share your home with.
• Check that your bird’s identification and emergency information are up to date.
• Add an accessibility description next time you share a bird photo or video, so more people can enjoy it with you.
• Share good-quality verified bird welfare information when you come across it.
• If you see something concerning, find out what the appropriate reporting or support pathway is rather than starting a pile-on.

You don’t need to do everything.

Just pick one.

A lot of animal welfare happens after something has already gone wrong. Rescue will always matter, but we’re increasingly interested in what happens before that point.

One of the best things we can do for companion birds is make sure fewer of them ever need rescuing in the first place.

Image description: A pale yellow and white weiro stands on a person’s hand inside an aviary, staring directly into the camera from very close range. They are looking slightly upward, beak front-on, with their chest smaller in perspective, giving them a curious and authoritative appearance.

16/09/2026

Morning waddles and nibbles ❤️

video description: a close up view of a small flock of budgies gathered closely around a large bunch of fresh curly kale on the aviary floor. They waddle about and enthusiastically nibble at the leaves, with different budgies moving in and out of the group as they eat.

06/09/2026

Two questions:

Would you use a companion-bird directory?

What would make it genuinely useful?

We’ve already built most of the architecture for a searchable directory connected to the Little Beaks website. We’re now working out its most useful purpose and what information it should contain before we finish and launch it.

(This is currently Australia only, but depending on interest may be expanded.)

The first section would help people find vet practices that treat companion birds. Listings could include:

• Whether the clinic focuses on birds and exotic animals or is a general practice that treats birds
• Address and directions
• Phone number and website
• A 'last checked' date
• A way to report incorrect or outdated information

People could search by suburb or postcode, choose a distance and see nearby practices from closest to furthest.

We’re also considering a companion-bird sanctuary and surrender-service section. It would sit within the same broader directory but have its own entrance and filters, so someone looking for urgent vet care wouldn’t have to search through unrelated listings.

This will initially be part of the Little Beaks website rather than a separate app.

We’d love some honest feedback:

• Would you use this to find a vet for your bird?
• Would a companion-bird sanctuary and surrender-service section also be useful?
• What information would you want included?
• Is there another bird-related use for this system that would be more valuable?

The structure is already there. We want to make sure we use it to solve a genuine problem - not simply create another directory that gradually becomes outdated.

05/09/2026

What's your birds' favourite vegie?

These guys did not take to kale the first time it was offered. How times change 😂

Some changes are coming here too... more on that soon, but I've been slack posting recently so wanted to make sure I gave you a video.

Thanks for all of your ongoing support ❤️

video description: Several budgies gather around a bunch of leafy kale hanging among a few low branches in the aviary. They nibble at the leaves while moving around one another, changing positions and joining or leaving the group. Pudge the plumhead is also present, grasping a branch and reaching forward to the top of the kale just below.

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