Editor: Mara Ellison
Mara Ellison is a long-time companion-bird keeper based in the Pacific Northwest. She brought home her first cockatiel at 19 and quickly learned that routine, play, and a calmer room setup matter as much as cute photos. That first year turned into a lasting habit of note-taking, toy rotation experiments, and helping friends make bird corners feel more livable.
Over more than a decade she has lived with cockatiels and other small parrots, volunteered at community pet-education booths, and built Cockatiel Foundation as a plain language lifestyle library for people who want practical home ideas without clinical cosplay.
Mara is not a veterinarian, veterinary technician, or licensed animal behaviorist. She writes as an experienced hobbyist and explainer. Medical decisions belong with a qualified professional who can examine the actual bird.