Posted: November 4, 2009 at 4:46 pm | Tags: article, attention, Bye, Chalkie, chatter, cockatoo, contact, Corner, crest, favourite, firm, Helens, member, newsdesk, noise, November, Pets, pets corner, phrases, public, rangers, Sherdley Park, st helens star, Staff, Star, Text, today, Tuesday, visitor, visitor attraction, white bird, wing
1:04pm Tuesday 3rd November 2009
A COCKATOO has been stolen from Pets’ Corner at Sherdley Park, St Helens.
The bird, called Chalkie, is a firm favourite with visitors, and rangers have today urged Star readers to help track him down.
He was donated to the park’s visitor attraction by a member of the public and has become particularly popular with children, who are amused by his endless chatter and raucous calls.
He is a large white bird with pale yellow markings, both on his crest and beneath his wing.
He can at times make a great deal of noise and phrases he often repeats include “Hello Chalkie”, “Bye Bye” and “I’m pretty”!
If your attention is raised by a bird of this kind recently moving into or around your area please contact the Pets Corner Staff on 01744 833450.
Posted: November 4, 2009 at 4:44 pm | Tags: african gray parrot, cockatoo, conclusions, contra costa times, crows, daily basis, decades, gary bogue, intelligent birds, irene pepperberg, mark twain, morsel of food, nuts, parrots, px, ravens, species of birds, surroundings, uncanny ability
Posted: 11/04/2009 01:00:00 AM PST
It is wiser to find out than to suppose.
— Mark Twain
Dear Gary:
You knew I’d chime in to your request for a list of most and least intelligent birds.
For proof of intelligence, most people would have to rely on scientists who have performed numerous studies on various species of birds. Irene Pepperberg’s decades-long study of the African gray parrot has clearly shown the parrot’s ability to answer complex questions such as, “What matter?” “What color?” “What different?” Amazing intelligence, and we marvel at it because they “speak English” to answer the questions.
The studies done with crows and ravens prove an uncanny ability to use tools and solve problems, like pulling up a string with a morsel of food at the end. I personally have a relationship with the wild crows on one street that I frequent because they roost above the road waiting for a car to drive over their purposely dropped nuts. I always aim my tires to accommodate them!
But I draw my conclusions personally because I work and live with many parrots. I experience, on a daily basis, how interactive and interpersonal their relationships are with people and the others around them. They have an ability to comprehend their surroundings and comment on them clearly, in context, in English. Just try to eat something near a parrot without him asking for a bite or asking you if it’s good. While I distribute the water bowls to the cages, many parrots will
announce my arrival by declaring, “water!” If I am doing something in an adjoining room that makes noise, my gray or my cockatoo will ask me, “What are you doing?” and they truly want to know!What is intelligence and what is instinct? What is learned over eons of development to survive is not the same as what is learned by intently experimenting with something new to discover its benefits. My cockatoo, Chauncey, can quickly turn complex mechanisms to retrieve his food from foraging units in his enclosure. To keep his incredible mind challenged, this is the only way he gets his food. However, his instincts make him flinch wildly if he perceives something new has been added to his environment.
You’d think his intelligence would quickly come to terms with the new item, but his instincts are built in to react to keep him alive and safe. Once it is determined that the new item won’t eat him, he investigates it to see what it can do for him.
So, my vote for most intelligent bird is the parrot. To be more concise, the African gray and the slender billed cockatoo. The fact that they are so intelligent and long lived makes them extraordinarily challenging companions, not pets, that last a lifetime. Be aware that they are messy, loud and very high maintenance, but the relationship with a parrot is unlike any other. One reason for this is their high intelligence.
As for least intelligent, I know a flock of turkeys “… but I won’t go there. They’re too beautiful to bash.
Gayle Reece, Parrot Nanny, Lafayette
Dear Gayle:
Having a parrot ask you to change the TV channel to watch “Monday Night Football” is a tough act to follow, but other birds are also quite bright.
A Cooper’s hawk had bad luck hunting birds on my backyard feeder because they always saw her coming and hid. One day the hawk dropped to the ground from the fence, tiptoed under the bushes clear across the yard until she was directly under the feeder “… then flew straight UP to snatch one of the unsuspecting songbirds.
How’s that for problem solving? Pretty smart.
(Everyone: Send me your lists of the five MOST and five LEAST intelligent birds. I’ll compile the results here.)
Posted: November 4, 2009 at 4:40 pm | Tags: Aug, Australia, Australian, australians, beach, black, Budgie, budgie smugglers, catwalk, cbd, charity, Circular, circular quay, city streets, Coverage, cultural identity, event, Experience, festivalNEWS, finance director, guinness world records, historyPerth, holly madison, hugh hefner, Indigenous, International, Las Vegas, Mentoring, mentoring programs, November, paradeHerald, Plus-size, Quay, raising money, Related, rugby players, size models, sizzlesAdelaide, smuggler, sponsorship, standstill, Strut, Sun, support, swimwear, swimwear parade, SYDNEY, Sydneysiders, university, university education, Wallabies, world record, Youtube
AAP
November 03, 2009 12:00am
Budgie smugglers
Budgie smugglers belong on the beach but will be seen in city streets / File
* Attempt at world’s largest cossie parade
* Budgie smuggler fans to take to the streets
* Raising money for indigenous Australians
SYDNEY’S CBD is the unlikely setting for an attempt to break the world record for the largest swimwear parade.
Despite having plenty of iconic beaches to choose from, organisers have instead opted for Sydney’s financial district, Martin Place, as the start point for the inaugural Strut the Streets parade.
The Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) charity expects up to 1000 Sydneysiders clad in budgie smugglers and bikinis will bring the city to a standstill as they walk to Circular Quay.
The charity aims to help increase the number of young indigenous Australians participating in university education through mentoring programs.
“I thought doing it in the CBD would be a bit more on the larrikinish side and in touch with our cultural identity rather than a parade down a catwalk or at the beach,” said AIME finance director Adam Linforth.
The current world record for a single swimwear parade stands at 281 participants and was set in Las Vegas, organised by Hugh Hefner’s girlfriend Holly Madison.
Related Coverage
* Not just a man’s gameAdelaide Now, 25 Sep 2009
* Jennifer Hawkins sizzlesAdelaide Now,
* Plus-size models make historyPerth Now, 21 Aug 2009
* Rice attends people’s fashion festivalNEWS.com.au, 17 Aug 2009
* Swimwear on paradeHerald Sun, 16 Aug 2009
AIME hopes to persuade ordinary Sydneysiders to take part in the event and raise thousands of dollars by charging $50 entry and encouraging sponsorship.
Several Wallabies rugby players have already lent their support for the event, posting messages of support on Youtube.
The parade is being held at midday on International Guinness World Records Day – November 12.
Posted: November 4, 2009 at 8:44 am | Tags: avian nutrition, beak, behavior consultant, birdie bread, cockatoos, essential oils, feathers, fun toys, nutrition care, old water, parrots, pin feather, rain forest, rare instance, respiratory ailments, routine care, shampoo, sheaths, two eggs
by Marilu Anderson, Avian Nutrition, Care and Behavior Consultant
Phone: (503) 771-BIRD
Bathing parrots – parrots and water – why, it’s a combo as natural as hookbills in the rain forest! Since most parrots come from some degree of rainforest climate in the wild, it makes sense that their domestically raised offspring living in our homes would be genetically inclined to enjoy bathing. Bathing birds is a vital and necessary part of their regular routines, just like good diets, fun toys, and interaction with their humans. Bathing helps keep skin and feathers in tip-top condition. It’s also helpful during molting, for birds with respiratory ailments, hyperactive birds, pluckers, and those easily bored. A good soaking bath helps soften pin feather sheaths, removes dander, and encourages preening.
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So, why is it so many people either rarely bathe their birds, or tell me their parrot “hates” baths? It doesn’t make sense! So, let’s examine the bath in all it’s glory. First of all, all you need to give a parrot a bath is a bird, some water, and some time! I always chuckle when I see ads for “X” # of dollars for bathing a parrot. At our boarding facility a daily bath is part of routine care and included as part of basic care. Parrots rarely need cleaning with anything more than plain old water. In fact, using soaps can overdry skin and feathers, and remove essential oils. The only time a shampoo would be needed is in the rare instance of a bird getting into something messy, oily, or sticky – and, of course, since all out of cage time should be fully supervised, this should never happen, right?! Some Cockatoos who enjoy playing in newspaper can become soiled and discolored to the degree that occasional sudsing is needed. (Since you should ALWAYS wash hands before handling birds, they should NOT be getting soiled with potato chip grease or nicotine or ANYTHING else on your fingers!)
How to bathe? There’s lots of options – the shower, a spray nozzle with the bird in the sink, plant misters, bowls of shallow water, etc. Some birds love water in any form, they tend to be the guys who are always dipping as many body parts as possible into their water dishes. Others are more selective as to presentation and temperature. Sherlock, my male B&G Macaw, loves to bathe in the back yard, on a playstand, with cold water straight from the hose thoroughly soaking him. Amber, my female, prefers that I hold her on her back under a soft, warm shower spray that gently soaks her tummy. One of our clients, Sam, the Quaker, likes to puff up in a big ball and walk backwards in circles in a glass pie plate with 1 ½” of water, any temp. I generally recommend a lukewarm temp for bathing most birds. With spray bottles, filling with hot water usually results in a warmish spray by the time it comes out. **Spray bottles should NEVER be used as a form of discipline, punishment, or training. This “quick fix” does NOT resolve any behavioral issues, but DOES violate a parrot’s trust and lead to a dislike of bathing! For birds who’ve been treated this way, try any method BUT a bottle. There are also pump-type misters that you prepump and they remain pressurizes. All you do is push a button and they put out a very fine, soft steady mist that’s virtually soundless. Many apprehensive bathers have become total converts with these misters.
How often? Bathing is best done daily, year-round, early in the day so the bird fully dries before bedtime. I’m not a big fan of blow drying birds as it’s excessively hot and very hard on skin and feathers. Also, many blow dryers (especially when new) have a Teflon coating which, when very hot, emit the same toxic fumes as non-stick cookware. Many parrots, however, seem to love being blowdried, so if you do use one, turn it to the lowest setting and only partially dry the bird with it. Most parrots enjoy being cuddled in a towel post-bath, which soaks up excess moisture. This also fosters trust and helps birds get used to toweling as a gentle, positive experience. If you can’t bathe your bird daily, then 2 – 3 times per week is the minimum I recommend. Feather pluckers and molting birds especially need baths as often as possible. Avoid drafts, and turn up the heat if need be. If your bird still seems overly chilled, use a heat lamp next to his cage.
How to encourage reluctant bathers? Be patient and creative! Many birds head for the water dish as soon as you start the vacuum – the sound seems to stimulate a bathing response. So, before the bath, turn on your vacuum in a corner of the room and leave it on as you bathe your bird. Like eating and playing, bathing is a learned behavior and easier with a mentor. Let the timid one watch your other birds enjoying bathing. If he’s an only bird, show him by putting him on the shower curtain rod while you shower, or spray yourself (and other game family members) with a spray bottle. Laugh and have fun! Your attitude toward birdie-bathing is a definite factor and influence on how your bird responds. All bird interaction needs to be trust enhancing and fun for the bird. If you are apprehensive and fearful, he will be, too! Spray up in the air so it falls gently, like light rain, as opposed to squirting him full force in the face. African Greys, in particular, tend to be shy about many new things, including bathing. Even the ones who love it, like my Timneh, Ani, may complain and seem offish at first. Use lots of encouragement and verbal praise, and go s-l-o-w. Try little mini-baths daily in the beginning, and pay attention to what your bird enjoys. Start with feet and tail, then gradually move up the body.
The ultimate goal is to get birds used to regular bathing to the point where it’s a positive and integral part of their daily routine. Whether a dusty, powder down ‘tiel, ‘too, or grey, or a rain loving Macaw, Amazon, or Conure, it’s best to “soak ‘em to the bone”, as I say. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing your parrot, sopping wet, hanging by his toes, as he’s dripping, flapping wings, and vocalizing to his heart’s content! Now that’s a happy, healthy, and content bird, one much less apt to pluck, scream, or exhibit obsessive behaviors. So, NO MORE EXCUSES – let’s all get wet!!
Your Parrot Place
Posted: November 4, 2009 at 8:42 am | Tags: beak, chew, mine, parrot rules, saw it
I know these have been floating around out there for a long time, but that doesn’t make them any less true!
1. If I like it, its mine.
2. If it’s in my beak, its mine.
3. If I can take it from you, its mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, its mine.
5. If its mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I’m chewing something, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks like mine, its mine.
8. If I saw it first, its mine.
9. If you have something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
Posted: November 4, 2009 at 8:40 am | Tags: anatomy lessons, behavior consultant, bird nutrition, blood feather, blood feathers, blood supply, blood vessels, cockatiel, cockatoos, corn starch, crest, e email, first aid kit, forceps, mutations, needle nose pliers, professional groomer, quill, soft tissue, trims
by Marilu Anderson, Bird Nutrition and Behavior Consultant
Phone: (503) 771-BIRD
I recently got an e-email asking me to do an article on blood feathers, as a lot of birds are molting now and this person already had to pull one on their grey. Then I got a call asking if a client could clip the one new feather that came in on each wing of her cockatiel, allowing him some flight. She wasn’t familiar with blood feathers and could easily have cut into one had we not talked. So it seems prudent and timely to get into some basic anatomy lessons!
First, what is a blood feather? Quite simply, it’s a growing, new feather with a live blood supply. Because of the blood still nourishing the feather, the shaft of the quill will look dark – maroon or almost blackish, instead of the usual white or clear look of a fully emerged feather. Once the feather has grown in completely, the blood vessels shrink and dry up as they’re no longer needed by the fully formed feather. Normally, blood feathers are seen on the wings and tail, also on the crest of birds like cockatoos.
Blood feathers are completely normal – problems arise when they are either cut or broken. That’s one of the reasons I suggest using a professional groomer to do wing (and nail) trims. Cutting a blood feather on a wing will cause profuse bleeding, which can be impossible to stop, requiring pulling the feather so the bird doesn’t bleed to death! That’s what the forceps or hemostats listed the first aid kit in my recent First Aid article were for! In a pinch, you can also use needle nose pliers.
NEVER use styptic powder to try and stop bleeding on soft tissue – if the cut is a small, mild one you can sometimes coagulate it sufficiently with corn starch, however.
Some birds are just prone to breaking blood feathers, especially lutino mutations of many species, particularly cockatiels and ringnecks. Birds who are nervous and thrash around a lot are also apt to break blood feathers. It’s another reason to ensure a large cage is provided for your bird – one too small or overcrowded makes it easier for a bird to break a feather. Knowing your bird’s habits and peculiarities can help prevent problems. Remember to visually inspect all birds daily – even a quick once over morning and night can help you catch a problem early. Feather pluckers also often chew into blood feathers, though in my experience, they usually coagulate and stop bleeding on their own. It can still be unsettling, though, to find blood drops on the cage papers in the morning!
Regarding wing clipping – to protect incoming blood feathers, leave the feather on each side of a blood feather on the long side to support it. Also, never clip up into the wing coverts or blood feathers are left unprotected and much more apt to break.
To pull a blood feather, locate the break, then grasp the feather with hemostats just above the break and pull firmly and quickly in the direction of growth. Obviously, the bird needs to be restrained, preferably in a towel. Removing the feather should stop the bleeding. If not, a portion of the shaft may be remaining. If that happens and it is broken below skin level, you will probably need to get to a vet. Apply pressure and corn starch as a lot of blood can be lost before getting to the vet’s office.
Pulling a blood feather is very painful for a bird, so it’s not something you want to do unless absolutely necessary. It’s also something you need to approach with confidence. If you’re uncertain, contact a professional. Leaving a profusely bleeding feather alone, hoping it will just stop on it’s own can kill your bird!
So, watch your bird carefully when new feathers are coming in. Provide a nightlight for cockatiels and others prone to “night frights.” Use a professional groomer that you trust. Don’t overcrowd the cage. Have your first aid kit and the vet’s phone number handy, just in case!
P.S. Broken blood feathers are the ONLY feathers that should ever be pulled. Pulling feathers to force new growth or for cosmetic purposes is something I seriously disagree with – question anyone who suggests doing so!
Your Parrot Place
Posted: November 4, 2009 at 8:36 am | Tags: added bonus, african grey, african greys, classical music, cockatoo, dish, grapefruit seed extract, great time, gse, habit, laundry, matter what level, parrot, parrots, pasta, perches, scratches, undivided attention, vegetables
by Taylor Knight
www.yourparrotplace.com
We are all busy these days and I know it’s hard to meet all the demands in your life. But, it’s time for a breather. Take an some time with each of your feathered kids and give them the royal treatment. I know some of you out there have multiple birds, so it doesn’t have to be all the parrots in the same day! Get into the habit of doing at least a short version of this regularly. Your parrots will thank you! Some birds are more ’social’ than others. Two of mine I can pick up and snuggle with without fear of needing stitches. The other one I have to be really careful with. I use a stick as his main form of transport. No matter what level of ’snuggliness’ your parrot prefers, you can adjust each step to your parrot’s comfort level.
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I hope both you and your feathered kids have a great time. Not only is this a great time for your bird, but you get a relax a bit as well. For an added bonus, turn the phone off!
Spend some quality one-on-one time
Just hang out together. Let them help you pick up around the house. My cockatoo likes to help me fold laundry. One of my African Greys prefers to chat in English back and forth. My other African Grey likes to sit on me and get scratches while I lay on the couch.
He runs up and down me, the couch and sometimes perches on my knee and just sits there. You could put on some rainforest or classical music and just sit quietly together for a little bit. There are no rules, the point is just to give your bird your undivided attention.
Share a meal
Fix up some nice vegetables, fruit, pasta or any other bird-safe dish that pleases your parrot’s palate. Share with your bird, heck, eat off the same plate. One bite for you, one little bite for them. Of course, remember to give them their own spoon or fork so you don’t give them your icky human germs.
Interactive Play
Hand toys like birdie bagels, barbells or marbella shapes; a piece of rope, a popsicle stick, a towel, even a wadded up piece of paper can be really run interactive bird toys.
There are hundreds of safe and fun things to play with. Lighten up and show your bird a good time. One of my African Greys loves to play catch with a wadded up piece of paper. When catch time is over, he loves to shred it up. It doesn’t have to be expensive, it just has to be fun!
New Toy
Give your parrot something new to do when hanging out in inside the cage! Remodel a little. Rearrange the toys that are in there and purchase a new one. Parrots get board! Why not buy an extra toy or two for later while you are at it. You could rotate the toys when your parrot loses interest in it. I have a birdie toy box that all my toys go into. Periodically, I pull their current toys out and put some from the box in. The others go back into the toy box for later use. If the toys are damaged quite a bit, see if you can use the parts from several toys to make a new toy. Rotating and recycling toys prevents boredom, saves you money and gives your parrot a change of scenery regularly.
Shower
What pampering session would be complete without a nice shower or bath? Depending on your parrot’s preference, let them splash around in the sink or tub. Mist your bird with a squirt bottle or for a finer water spray you could use a birdie mister like Mr. Mister. I use a Mr. Mister for all my parrots, in fact they have their own shower perch. Whatever they prefer, make it fun!
Posted: September 5, 2009 at 7:17 pm | Tags: @birdchatr, birds, favorite food, follow, interaction, motivation, negative attention, parrot, parrot training, patience, pet, Pet Parrots, positive train, sessions, trea, tweets, Twitter, undesirable behavior, undesirable behaviors
Training pet parrots has benefits that extend well beyond the entertainment value of a parrot that can talk and do tricks. Training will strengthen the bond you have with your parrot, who will look forward to the one-on-one attention involved in training sessions, especially when success means lots of praise and attention along with favorite treats. In addition, teaching some simple commands will make handling your parrot easier.
Keep it Positive
The key to training your parrot is to keep the interaction positive. Three concepts provide the basis for parrot training:
- Parrot does something good –> give a reward
- Parrot does something undesirable –> ignore it
- Never punish your parrot
Obviously, this is a bit simplistic, but your goal is to shape your bird’s behavior into what you want by a giving a reward for good things and ignoring (no reward, no reaction) for bad things. The reward can be a favorite food treat, but simple praise or a play session with a treasured toy can be good motivation for some birds. If your bird is doing something undesirable, you must simply ignore the bird (your bird will not respond to punishment). A negative reaction can turn into a reward if your bird is looking for attention (negative attention is better than no attention), so you must be careful not to unintentionally cause some undesirable behaviors to increase due to your reaction. Ignoring behavior might first cause it to intensify, but eventually the undesirable behavior will most likely stop. How you approach training can help keep training positive:
- Train only when you are relaxed. Positive training does take patience!
- Pick a time when your bird is attentive and not distracted by eating, preening, or household activity.
- Frequent, but short, training sessions are generally more effective. A few minutes at a time, several times a day, works well.
- Pick a favorite reward (but don’t overdo it if it is food).
- Once your bird catches on to something, don’t give a treat every time (switch to praise part of the time) or your bird may only do the behavior if he/she knows you have a treat handy.
- End each session on a positive note. Wait for a successful attempt or at least a good try at whatever you are training, give a treat, and move on to something else.
- Keep training sessions upbeat and fun for your bird.
Very Basic Training: Step Up and Step Down
If you had to choose only two things to teach your parrot, these would be then ones to pick. This means training your parrot to step up onto your finger or wrist (or hand-held perch) on command, and then step back off again. These are relatively easy and extremely important skills to teach. Stepping up is quite a natural movement for a bird so it is generally easy to train this on command (stepping down is a bit trickier to teach). Getting your bird to step up and step down on command makes handling much easier and helps you to set some boundaries for your bird (for example, you can more easily remove your bird from areas of you home that are not bird-proofed, return a bird back to his or her playgym or cage, etc.). If you have a baby bird, he or she is probably pretty cooperative but starting early with the step up and step down commands is still a good idea. Not only does training a cooperative baby allows you to give lots of positive reinforcement, it sets a good foundation for training more skills to your bird in the future.
Posted: September 3, 2009 at 10:00 pm | Tags: @birdchatr, follow, tweets, Twitter
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Posted: September 1, 2009 at 10:00 pm | Tags: @birdchatr, follow, tweets, Twitter
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