Meet Jason Crean | Avian Nutrition Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jason Crean and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jason, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my brand’s success is my educational and practical experience. To be a pet nutritionist, a bachelor’s degree in biology, for example, is typically all that is needed. Having both an undergraduate and a graduate degree in biology, along with a certificate in Zoo and Aquarium Science has been incredibly valuable to me as a pet nutrition consultant and formulator of unique products. Knowing how to navigate the scientific research available has helped me create products that are biologically appropriate that can help support the mental and physiological enrichment needed by birds in our homes and other managed situations. There are a great many myths when it comes to nutrition, particularly around avian nutrition, so I take my role as a nutrition educator seriously, both formally as a university professor and in my formulation work. All of this coupled with over 30 years of experience working with countless bird species has added to my repertoire over time.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Biodiversity Bird Blends takes what we know about the foraging habits of the many avian species we manage and helps our clients provide biologically appropriate options that not only enrich the body, but also the mind. To truly provide an enriching environment for our pets, we need to take into consideration their natural history, or how they have evolved to live in their wild habitats. And since birds like most parrots spend much of their day foraging, it’s important we provide an environment that allows for these naturalistic behaviors. This means providing a variety of food items that allow birds to experience different tastes, textures, smells and more. This also includes the line of avian teas I have formulated as most birds drink from sources that have plant components leaching compounds like tannins into the water. We can take advantage of this by blending the many different beneficial herbs, flowers, teas, etc. that science has shown us have benefits. There are teas that have been shown to reduce anxiety, support detoxification, reduce inflammation, and more. Adding teas to the drinking water can help support any bird’s health and even offer additional nutrients. It is important to get teas for your animals that has been formulated by someone who knows what they’re doing; too many think they can just throw some things together without any negative effects. I am happy that I can use my background in science to understand the many different items I am blending so they can benefit the birds we keep.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As someone who lives in Central Florida, there are a host of places to visit… and because of my bias towards birds, I tend to go where wildlife is part of the experience. One of my favorite places to visit is St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park is an accredited institution that cares for many different species and is directly involved in conservation and research, Though known for the large number of species of crocodiles and alligators, they also have a host of other species including mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and, of course, birds! I also love visiting Disney Animal Kingdom and the Central Florida Zoo, two additional accredited institutions with the similar missions of conservation and education.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I attribute my motivation toward animal nutrition to my longtime friend and veterinarian Karen Becker, DVM. I met Dr. Becker over 25 years ago when she was a young doctor at an animal hospital where I was bringing my pet birds for exams. She was already a wealth of knowledge and an unforgettable personality! As we progressed through our career paths, we both came to understand that processed pet foods were not what they claimed to be. After collaborating with her, I began moving my animals to diverse whole food diets, minimizing and eliminating the processed pellets and kibble, with great results. And as I continue to expand the number of species I keep, I see the benefits of whole food diets and owe so much of this knowledge to Dr. Becker. She is now one of the most followed veterinarians in the world on social media thanks to her online educational platform and publications.

Website: https://biobirdblends.com

Instagram: drjasoncrean

Linkedin: drjasoncrean

Twitter: @drcrean

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DrCrean

Image Credits
All images taken by me.