parrot living

Behavior Works - Why, Yes It Does

2010-03-28T18:42:00.001-04:00

Behavior Works is a veritable treasure trove of important information for people who live with pets, parrots in particular. The site is "owned" by Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D., department of psychology at Utah State University where she's been studying and building awareness and tools for understanding animals behavor and creating better relationships between animals and people.

Here's what ths site says about her:
Susan is a psychology professor at Utah State University. Over the last decade, she has helped pioneer efforts to apply to animals the scientifically sound teaching technology and ethical standard of Applied Behavior Analysis that is so effective with human learners.
Susan has given a wide variety of workshops and conference presentations on animal learning and behavior around the world. Students from 22 different countries have participated in her courses, Living and Learning with Animals and Living and Learning with Parrots. Her articles have been translated into 9 languages. Susan is also a core member of the US Fish & Wildlife Service's California Condor Recovery Team and has been nominated for the Media Award, given by the International Association of Behavior Analysis, for her efforts to disseminate to pet owners, veterinarians, animal trainers and zookeepers the essential tools they need to empower and enrich the lives of all learners.

Good woman, huh? She's my idea of a real celebrity, so I must admit I'm a bit star stuck by the fact I even emailed with her as I was getting hooked into her online study group mentioned just below.

On her site are a number of what would consider to be "must-read" articles. I've joined her Parrot Behavior Analysis Solutions online study group which is super. It's run through Yahoo like a chat room - but IT"S NOT A CHAT ROOM. It's very well run and focused -- set up like a class. You need to follow the instructions given, so they can maintain this structure and help more people learn how best to relate their parrots.

I could go on, but fact of the matter is, everyone who lives with a parrot needs to read her stuff, read the stuff she recommends, and join the web study group. I believe "just do it" is the appropriate phrase here.

Birdie Byte:
Susan recommends everyone with a parrot, and / or other animal companions, or even a kid or husband, read Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor. I'm reading it now, and it's fab for sure. Well written, good sense of humor, matter-of-fact and important. Buy it.

Parrot University and the Aviator Harness

2010-03-14T23:11:00.000-04:00

So I'll come right out with it and say straight up I don't dig breeding parrots as pets. Yes, there are professional programs to breed parrots extinct, or close to extinction, in the wild and I buy into that. But breeding thousands of parrots a year already in abundance in shelters makes me crazy. They live long, and they're not easy to own on any front. If you wants a parrot, there are enough in rescues so everyone and, unfortunately, anyone, could own one if they chose. And this is not good. 'Cause not everyone wants a parrot.

Ok, 'nuf said.

Regardless of this pretty strong opinion, I have come across a breeder, The Parrot University in Sunbury, Ohio, who strikes me as exceptionally responsible and could teach me a thing or two, I'm quite sure. I haven't visited their facility, just their web site. But they have been cited by Barbara Heidenreich, so I am willing to believe their portrayal of themselves is truthful and accurate.

I'm always hesitant to base my opinion solely on an online representation of a breeder - many "parrot mills" operate like "puppy mills" where the perpetrators show beautiful pics of baby parrots in cushy cuddly conditions while hundreds of adult breeder parrots live "off-camera" behind the scenes in abhorrent conditions doomed to lives of misery and abuse. Ok, so maybe it wasn't 'nuf said. Whoops.

Based on their web site and a product I bought from them called the Aviator Flight Harnass, I'll say it appears they know what they're talking about and, better yet, it appears they have the best interest of parrots at heart.

If I didn't think this, I wouldn't have bought the harnesses for my birds. I just don't buy from unscrupulous pet operations, if I can avoid it. And I can almost always avoid it.

So, finally, about these harnesses.

I bought them last fall -- they're about $36 each with free shipping worldwide --all excited to train my birds to wear them so we, or rather they, can go flying outside by summer.

Boy, was I optimistic. To put it bluntly and whinily, this harness business is hard which miffs me slightly because they make it look so easy.

They being Parrot University, who sends you this lovely DVD aong with the harness explaining in great detail how to go about getting your bird to accept the harness. In fairness to them, they are quite honest about the reality that its much easier with young birds, and I can confirm they are not kidding. However, I can only assume it's much easier with young birds who have yet to develop issues and who have been exposed to the harnesses since they practically popped right out of the eggshell, since this is not my personal predicament.

All but Theo, my one Military macaw, are not going for these harnesses. For Theo and the others I started the way Parrot U said to start, and I am stil on a combo step one - leaving the harnesses lying about in non-threatending locations; holding the harness when I'm holding the birds; putting it on my head,wrapping it around my neck. You get the idea. Some tolerate this, some can't stand the thing too close. I have been able to drape the harness on one or two. But that's as far as I've gotten with all but Theo.

For the first time yesterday, Theo let me put the thing on him. Join me in a big "WOOHOO," if you would.

Now, the "putting on" was still a little dicey. I did not force. OK, well, maybe a wee bit. He doesn't like his wings messed with, so he protested slightly with that. But it went on and stayed on for about 15 minutes. And then off. Stupidly I did not take a picture.

But we did it again today, and here's his pic. You may notice that Theo's crop is a little extended which is right. He was sped fed (fed too much too infrequently as a baby which stretched his crop; he was starving to death when I got him from the rescue.). So he needs to wear a crop bra almost all of the time except at night. You'd think that would make putting the harness a lot easier, and it does -cause he was the first to accept it. But it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be for him. Still took a very long time.

Here's Theo in his crop bra to the right. Ain't he darlin'? He is such a peach of a bird, it's unbelievable. A big old teddy bear, thus his name Theodore.

So while I was getting a bit depressed 'cause I want my birdies to be able to fly this summer, at the vert least be outside, now know it's possible. It will just take more patience with the others who are older. Theo is just about six and very tolerant. And I suck at patience, but I'm really working on it.

This one success helped muster up a more positive attitude and revive what was a waning commitment. I just have to get the flock to agree that, "Yes!, harnesses are a good thing." Good luck with that, huh.

Picky Purple Pellet Eaters Unite!

2010-02-20T10:00:00.001-05:00

This is a plea to Zupreem, a bird food company most of you know.

I buy your fruit and natural pellets to add into a mix I make myself that also includes Roudybush pellets for some of my birds who will eat those.

My beef is with your fruit pellets, and I suspect I'm not alone.

I have a few parrots who eat Zupreem fruit pellets, but none eat all of the colors. Mealy Amazon Fred is a picky purple pellet eater, along with his belle Callie (both pictured at left) who will spice up her pellet diet with an occassional orange or yellow. Never a red and green pellet can pass their beaks; these colors deeply offend their delicate, sophisticated palates, you see.

As servant to these two, and my other equally picky pellet eaters (does any parrot eat all of the colors?), I spend a silly amount of time picking out the purple, orange and yellow pellets for these two in particular, so I can best monitor how well they're injesting their pellets.

To put it bluntly, this is a pain and a waste. Only one other bird in my flock can eat a similar sized pellet, and he gets all the red and green with the occasional purple that slips by me, but he only really likes the red and purple. Not a single bird can bear the green.

You can see my dilemma.

Sooooooo.....Why can't you sell colors separately? I betcha it would be a smash hit.

If anyone is out there, please chime in if you agree.

People with Picky Purple Pellet Eaters Must Unite!

Birdie Byte
Many birds seem attracted to Zupreem fruit pellets. They are widely distributed and marketed, so it's often the first pellet new birds owners introduce to their birds.

There's much debate about the nutritional content of Zupreem; it has a very high sugar content for one, and that's not great for our birds.

But I feed it because most of my rescues came to me already on a Zupreem diet, and I figure better they eat Zupreem pellets than none at all. Plus I feed plenty of fresh fruits, grains and vegetables, so I think they eat pretty well. And I offer birdie muffins made with Roudybush Crumble to everyone.

Almost all of my birds eat a dry mix I make myself that includes the pellet(s) of their choice. I just think they need more variety than one kind of pellet. Plus I go one size smaller than the manufacturer suggests; there's much less waste. (Don't go too small because that could cause your bird to choke)

So here's my small bird (small to med conures, senegal) mix, in equal parts more or less, lexcept the seed is less. I eyeball it.

Zupreem Fruit, Cockatiel, 2 parts
Roudybush Crumble, 2 parts
One of the Higgins Seed Mix (Veracruz, Celestial, Tikal), 1 part
Vita seed mix, Cockatiel , 1 part

My guys really like it.

Nightmare on My Street

2010-02-13T22:00:00.002-05:00

It was cold and dark. I had just pulled into my driveway after work and a quick trip to the grocery when I was accosted by my birds' daddy, Kevin, who was borderline hysterical uttering a phrase I never thought I'd hear, "Gigi got loose."

Gigi is our Nanday conure, our first bird, the love of our lives. We love all of our birds dearly, but Gigi holds a special place in our hearts for so many reasons.   She is a friend to all - people and birds. There's not a soul she doesn't love.  She has been fighting a terrible affliction that affects both of her feet, and she takes it in stride, always cheerful, always sweet.

That late afternoon, Kevin had taken her to our vet for another of many checks on her feet.  She had been snuggled into his chest on the drive home and didn't want to go back in her cage for the walk from the car to the front door. He had succumbed to her sweetness and didn't make her. It was about 6:00, and night had fallen. It was 18 degrees outside.

Something spooked her, he stupidly didn't have a good hold on her, and she flew away, over the garage and into the back yard.

She is not clipped. The vet and we agreed that to clip her would add unnecessary stress to her already stressed out self a a result of her foot condition and her melange of medications.   Plus I'm just not keen on clipping. (You can all criticize if you choose, but I've read plenty about the clip / no-clip debate, and despite the risk, I remain unkeen on clipping.)

After she passed over the garage and around the back of the house, he lost sight of her. We have a large backyard surrounded by lots of trees. We were hoping she gort caught up in them, and missed the few openings that could lead her just about anywhere.

I was in shock, in panic and eventually in agony. We manned flashlights and started looking and calling. But I knew it was near hopeless in the dark with Gigi. Gigi has an endearing, but in this case, utterly frustrating behavior. She doesn't make a peep in the dark, except a charming whisper, barely audible unless she's nestled in right against your ear. We called and looked near and far until 1:00 am. Nothing. I knew our only hope was daybreak, and if she had heard us and the other birds from inside that night, she may stay close.

I was having intermittent nervous breakdowns.  I can't even explain the feelings, the heartbreak, the hopelessness, the anger at Kev. She's my kid, and I couldn't imagine her out there cold and scared.  It was beyond awful.

I think of myself as a spiritual person, but not a religious one. I pray, but not often or regularly.
But I prayed, I bargained, like I never had prayed or bargained before. I had horrible thoughts. I felt guilty for being inside and warm.

Oddly, in the winks of sleep I got, I dreamt of reunion, not of not finding her. I dreamt she came flying to me.

Ok, so you may be thinking "what melodrama." But I don't give a crap. This was one of, if not the, worst days of my life.

We got out of bed at 5:30.The night had crept along at a snail's pace, and it was still creeping. A friend had told us the sun was coming up at about 6:30 am. We were back outside calling at 5:30, but it was still dark, so still nothing. We checked the Weather Channel for the sunrise time. It said 7:15, and I about screamed. It was supposed to be 6:30. That 45 minutes was just stupidly slow.

At 7:00 the light was showing. I was outside the minute I saw any signs of day. I called, and thought I heard a bird (it was a wild bird), so I started towards the sound, who knows why. It wasn't her. But I called again, and my ears heard her.

She squawked. There she was. Kevin was just coming out of the house, and he heard her too. She was in the trees and shrubs somewhere on the border between our house and the neighbor behind us.

We called, she squawked back. Kev got to her first, and saw her perched deep inside about 8 feet up in this rather inhospitable tall shrub / tree. I got there shortly afterwards, and stood under her while he went to fetch the ladder.

He got back and went up and grabbed her sweet little heiney right off a rather jaggedy limb and handed her right over to me. I was elated, shocked, thrilled and incredibly grateful. And she was clearly happy.

Surprisingly, her body didn't feel cold. Her feet were chilly and a bit scraped and nicked, likley from both the tree and her biting at them since she hadn't had her meds the night before. But she was alive and relatively well. We called the vet, and he felt he didn't need to see her. She was already on antibiotics for her feet, so if she were to catch cold that was a built-in preventative I guess.

But she was alive and the 13-hour nightmare on my street was over.

Here's my sweet baby girl (pre-foot affliction)

Birdie Byte
Barbara Heidenreich has just released a DVD called Get Your Bird Back, and I hadn't bought it in time. And if your bird is lost, it'll be too late to order the DVD. I haven't seen it yet, but I bet it's great and something every bird owner should have on hand.

So better safe than sorry. Get your copy now, so you'll have it if you need it.

Rescues Are Resources Too...For More Than You Might Think

2010-02-07T10:00:00.004-05:00

Rescues are just for adoption any more, although they are certainly good for that too. Many offer other services to raise money to help offset their costs.

Need to board your bird?
Have a concern about a behavior your bird is displaying and need some good advice?
Need supplies like perches, food or toys?
Want to take a class or attend a lecture or workshop about companion birds?
Need to find a good vet in your area?

Many rescues are equipped to board, consult on behavior and sell supplies. Still others offer classes or hold special events as fundraisers.

I can't think of a better resource in the bird world than a reputable rescue. Always keep in mind all rescues are not created equal, and a visit to the location and talk with the volunteers is always wise before you take any advice. And if something doesn't seem right to you about how the rescue operates or what they say, trsut your instincts and go for a second opinion.

But by and large, rescues are committed to helping birds. So find out who and where your local rescue is and make friends. You might consider helping them out if you have some free time or have a special skill.

And remember, by using your local and any rescue as a resource, you're helping them help birds! What could be better than that?

Birdie Byte

When you connect with rescues and use their services, you help parrots like Patagonian conure Violet, one of my favs at my local rescue, Feathered Sanctuary.

She came from owners who covered her all of the time; they found her too noisy. (We don't think she noisy at all. She chirps away most charmingly.)

She arrived plucked on her chest and wings and very underweight. She's put on a few grams since her arrival and she has taken every cockatiel, budgie and lovebird at the rescue under her wing until they find a new home.

Unfortunately Violet hasn't found her forever home, but she will. Until then, she holds a special place in the heart of everyone she meets. If by chance you're interested in Violet, you can call Feathered Sanctuary in Lancaster, 717.284.3306, to learn more about her. (Although I'd think I'd cry for days if she were adopted, I wish her the loving human, and cockatiel, budgie, and other small bird, companions she deserves.)

Feathered Sanctuary boards birds, offers behavior consultations for donations and sells toys, perches, cages, and food just like a pet store would. Only all of the proceeds go to rescue bird care.

Nanday Goes Peek-A-Boo

2010-01-31T15:40:00.000-05:00

Work is crazy right now, so not much time to blog. My birds come before my blog. Hopefully things will slow up shortly, but for now, this video is worth a peek - a peekaboo in fact. It's not my Nanday, but another who is a real charmer by the sound of it.

Enjoy.

Scream Fest...On Purpose

2010-01-19T10:00:00.036-05:00

When I adopted my first secondhand parrot, Nanday conure Gigi, I read over and over again how loud Nandays can be. I wasn't discouraged in the least, but I did read about what to do when your bird is a screamer, or loud, and since then, nine parrots later, this info has come in handy.

First thing to master is " the ignore." Do nothing save for maybe leave the room, which is probably the last thing your parrot wants you to do, but likely the first thing you want to do. Other than leave, do not respond in any way. Do not change what you're doing. Do not look at your parrot, tell your bird to be quiet or gently coo to your bird. Do nada.

The second, more proactive approach is to work a Scream Fest into your daily routine with your bird. This can be unbelievably satisfying for your bird(s), and if you have a job like I do, it can be a lifesaver in the sanity department.

So how does one go about a Scream Fest?

When I get home for work, all birdies come downstairs and go on their playstands. After fresh food and water are doled out, and they've had a chance to snack a bit, I grab a bird to help me conduct the evening's symphony (or should I say cacophony?). I sing loudly to start it off, dancing with conductor bird of the evening on my arm, and then call each bird's name and imitate some sound I know they love to make.   It doesn't take much to get the flock to going.

They scream, sing, whistle, bang bells, and have a grand 'ole time, really, really loudly. The whole affair is ridiculous...looking and sounding.   But who cares?  Our house, our asylum.

We do this for 10 minutes, sometimes 15, if I've had a day from hell.  Then we settle down, the denouement as it were, and it's over. They go back to eating, preening or playing, and I do what I need to - in relative silence.

This has worked for me. If you have a problem screamer, let them get it out and have fun doing it with you.  But make the Scream Fest something you initiate, preferably soon after you've come home from work, or returned from errands when your parrot friend is expecting a little acknowledgement and attention from you.

It's not a good idea for you to allow your bird to commence a Scream Fest. This could be confusing - how will your bird know when it's ok and when it's not?

But do have one regularly, and you'll be amazed at the results. A Scream Fest a day, keeps crankiness away!

And always keep in mind intense vocalizations we think of as sreaming are completely normal and, one could argue, very appropriate, at dawn and dusk. These are the times parrots are noisy in the wild.  I haven't attempted to change this in my parrots because it doesn't bother me, and I think they should be able to answer nature's call and be parrots.

Birdie Byte
Incidentally, I lucked out because my Gigi is not a very loud bird; I love every last noise she makes.   In fact, I haven't found Nandays to be particularly loud. My Mitred and Gold-Capped conures can beat a Nanday any day on the vocalization front. And don't get me started on cockatoos....you cockatoo owners know what I mean - see the video below if you doubt the vocal prowess of a Too.

But ALL BIRDS MAKE NOISE, and frequently they're loudest when it's most inconvenient for you - when you're on the horn with your kid's doctor, or you've just connected with a real live person on the phone after navigating umpteen voice prompts.

It's really a question of tolerance level. Before you decide to bring a bird into your life, be sure you know what that species can sound like at its worse. Visit your local rescue to get acquainted with different species or talk to your avian vet. If you feel you must have a baby, a sign of a good breeder is one that addresses this question and wants to help find a companion that's right for your temperment.

Senegals - The Little Cubists

2010-01-15T10:00:00.004-05:00

I read recently on Dee Haven's rescues about Senegal Brightsides about her affinity of ice cubes. Other than it generally being quirkily cute, it was fascinating to me because my Senegal Beaker has the same fondness for these frozen treats. She regularly bobbs for cubes in any water glass that might be sitting about the house, and then holds one in her wee talon and munches on the thing for five, maybe 10 minutes. I've always wondered about it. Is a trait and if it is, what's the attraction or origin of this behavior?

My cursory google research has yielded nothing worthy yet, other than a startling number of people experiencing this same behavior. So maybe it's not that unusual after all.

If anyone knows the whys or wherefores of these little cubists' mania, do tell.

For now, take a minute and ponder:

"The Cubist" -- A Photographic Study of Senegal Beaker Having Her Way with an Icy Delight.

Preparing to bob for an ice.

Got one.

Ha, ha, all mine.

I think I'll savor this one lick at a time.

Oh, to hell with that. This is no time to be dainty.

Birdie Byte

Did you know that Senegals have been known to live to 50 in captivity? Their life span in the wild is 25 to 30, and they are native to West Africa, specifically, if you can believe it, Senegal (wow), Gambia, Guinea-Bisseau and Guinea. Their habitat is open woodland and savannah. For my part, they are darling, persnickity, somewhat unpredictable, playful and smart. They love to forage for food in their cages - very quick to figure it all out.

Easy Birdie Bread

2010-01-12T13:00:00.041-05:00

Fast and Easy Birdie Muffins

Everyone seems to have their own version of Birdie Bread / Muffins, and I'm no different.

But because this is ridiculously easy, I thought I'd share it. I give credit for the concoction to Lynne, president of rescue Feathered Sanctuary, for turning me on to this great recipe.

Birdie Muffins
1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
3/4 cup Roudybush crumble pellets
(you can use any smaller pellet, I just happen to think Roudybush crumble works best, particularly for birds who haven't learned to eat their pellets yet; it melts right inot the birdie muffin)
1 egg lightly beaten
1 jar of organic baby food
(sweet potatoes, squash, fruit blends - non-organic baby foods have been found to have carcinogens)
2 T. of water or add a small 4 oz. container of applesauce
Optional: Talk to your avian vet first, but for sick or immune-compromised birds, add in 1/2 bottle (.5 oz) of Avx Booster from Harrisons. Heat the bottle to liquefy.

Mix it all together, and let rest for 5 minutes or so. Scoop into muffin tins (Baker's Secret and EKCO nonstick bakeware do not contain PTFE, the fumes from which are toxic to our birds - see below for more).

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Makes about 12 birdie muffins.

Please do not use bakeware with Teflon as the PTFE fumes emitted from hot Teflon are deadly to birds. Two brands of bakeware that do not produce PTFE fumes are Baker's Secret and EKCO. See a more detailed article on birds and PTFE fumes by clicking here. (By the way, PTFE fumes are not so great for people either.)

Voila! All of my birds eat it up.

Birdie Byte
Birdie muffins or birdie bread with pellets mixed in is a great way to get pellets into a bird that prefers seed (wouldn't they all, if they have their druthers?). An all-seed diet isn't good for our birds. Pellets, as well as a nice assortment of veggies, fruits, sprouts and whole grains, is what they need to be healthy and happy.

Off-limit foods and drink:
Chocolate, avocado, parsley, mushrooms, onion, alcohol of any kind, "recreational" drugs and more.
For a more complete list of toxic foods and plants, click here.

Birdie Bread Mixes & Recipes
Momma Bird birdie bread mix
Harrisons birdie bread mix
BirdsnWays recipes (birdie bread / muffin recipes and more)
Amazing Amazons Birdie Bread recipe

Shop Rescues

2010-01-09T13:00:00.004-05:00

I thank the organizations that saved my birds,
like silly Mealy Amazon Fred below, in the first place.

I am grateful to all of the good people who do animal rescue work. It is a heartbreaking road, but thankfully, rewarding too.

So if you love animals, why not do all you can to help these groups? You can't beat an outright cash donation, which I'm sure any of the rescues to the right would appreciate, but there are other ways to help too.

Shop
Many rescues sell supplies to help fund their operations. Find out if you have a parrot rescue in your area, call them up and ask if they sell supplies. I bet they'd love to have you as a customer.

If you don't have a parrot rescue nearby, or if you do, but they don't sell supplies, buy from one over the web.

Give Stuff
Rescues need all kinds of stuff that you probably have in excess, from towels to TVs. Most have a wish list posted on their site or at their location. Cages, playstands, DVD players, radios, computers, printers and much more. And while rescues expect and appreciate hand-me downs, they are not your local dump. Used is fine; dilapidated, disintegrating or just plain gross isn't. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it does need to be clean and safe.

If you're a rescue, and you sell bird supplies in your town or over the web, please post your site in a comment, so I can list it to the right under my rescue and / or shopping links.

Birdie Byte

Online Rescue Shops
The Gabriel Foundation's Bird Brain store
Healthipet Network - New Jersey

Friendship & Positive Reinforcement

2010-01-06T13:00:00.006-05:00

Allie, My Ham
I mentioned in an earlier blog that parrot behavior consultant Liz Wilson focused on two themes when I contacted her about how to "handle" my Military Allosious, or Allie, his unruly behavior and his relentless regurgitation.

The first was foraging which I wrote about here.

The second was to think about relationships with companion parrots as friendships, not parent-child or romantic relationships. Allie was regurgitating because he found me attractive, as in mate attractive. I was unintentionally doing stuff that returned his affections - holding him too close, kissing him too much. You get the picture.

My second challenge with Allie was teaching him some rules of engagement. His freewheeling lifestyle pre-me didn't help. This was a bird that was permitted free reign in his former home. There, his cage didn't even have a door on it.

All of these factors contributed to his demand for attention that was turning aggressive when he didn't get what he wanted from me.

He wanted to gurge. He wanted to turn the back of an antique wooden chair into kindling. He wanted to crawl on the rug and regurgitate all over it. He wanted to step up and never, ever step down to go in his cage or onto a playstand.

If I disallowed any of these behaviors, he lunged, bit, hung off my shirt in true contortionist fashion with the goal of landing a strategic bite to show his displeasure. Once, hanging and swinging upside down from my sleeve, he took a nice chunk out of my stomach that sent me crumpled to the floor. I was not pleased. I made the call my avian vet and then to Liz.

What I needed to do was back off and establish some boundaries for myself in order to help him. I needed to remind him and me that he's a parrot and teach him parrot skills like working for food, foraging. I also needeed to reinforce good behaviors and limit opportunities for bad ones. I needed to be strategic about my interaction. I needed to use my head and my heart, so we could have a nurturing, respectful relationship.

No dominance. No anger. No force of any kind. Mutual respect, that's the key.

We must respect parrots' nature, their species, the behaviors that make them parrots.
We must respect their ability and need to make choices - on their own, not forced by us and our desires. Sometimes we may or may not agree with these choices, but our role is not to berate or punish. It is to support and guide towards better choices, like one would with a friend.
We must behave, or learn to behave, in ways that earns us respect in the eyes of our parrots.

Respect allies nicely with the idea of positive reinforcement too. Barbara Heidenreich founder of Good Bird, Inc magazine and web site uses and teaches this method, as do many other animal behaviorists and trainers. I use it with my birds, but more consciously now than I did before in everyday activities with my parrots. I still find myself saying "No" on occassion to things I don't want them to do, as a reflex, but I'm getting better.

A simple 1, 2, 3 example of positive reinforcement:

Your parrot is screaming. You ignore the screaming or leave the room, right? (You do not coo, tell him to shut up, or respond to this screaming in any way verbally or physically, except to maybe leave the room, right? Because if you would do any of these things, that would be encouragement because it gets a reaction which is what your bird wants -- any reaction. So you do not respond or react.
Eventually he quiets down (Yes, this could take some time).
He quiets down, so you proceed to fawn all over him. He gets to step up, he gets a head scritch, he gets a favorite nut in its shell or a piece of dried fruit. He gets what he wanted, something that's pleasurable to him, because he's quiet, which is what you want. This is postive reinforcement. Everybody's happy.

It works. It really does. For everything. But it isn't an instant fix. It takes time for your parrot to grasp what's happening, particularly if you haven't been operating like this from the start with your bird. Your parrot will experience some confusion if a certain behavior he exhibited used to get a rise out of you, and now it doesn't. He'll try harder for awhile to make what used to work, still work. Hang on gently, but hang on. This can take months or years. Please stick with it, and you will reap the reward of a mutally respectful, happy relationship with your parrot.

If you're wondering, Allie and I are doing great. He's learning to step down when I request it (stepping up is never a problem with this bird). He rarely lunges. His gurging has lessened, some of which I do credit to the Lupron injections to control his hormones. And he forages or rampages cardboard boxes for his ultimate foods - almonds and walnuts. Nuts for the nut. In Allie's case ,we were lucky. Allie was a fast learner. It took us about five months. But we've much more to learn together, and I look forward to every day with him and all of my birds.

Befriending a parrot is a process, not a project with a beginning and end. In that way, it is kind of like parenting except these kids don't grow up and leave the house. They depend on us for their well-being for as long as we share our lives with them, and in return, we get immeasurable joy.

Birdie Byte
Make it your mission to find out what motivates your bird.

What does he / she like best? Nuts? Sunflower seeds. Head scritches?

Your relationship with your bird will blossom if you know this potent piece of info. For my senegal, Beaker, it's head scritches.

For Allie, its walnuts, almonds, and a short spell in front of the mirror laughing together, or dancing.

If it's food, remove that food from your bird's regular diet and only use it for training. I didn't do this at first, because I'm wussy, and thought it was mean 'cause "they liked it." It's not mean. Once I came to grips with this little concept, we were full steam ahead.

Please post a comment about what you find motivates your bird to learn with you.

Baths

2010-01-03T13:00:00.001-05:00

Splish Splash Elmo's Taking a Bath...in His Water Bowl
Some kind of regular bathing is critical to our birds' feather condition and overall well being. Being forest, and more often rain forest dwellers, you'd think they'd all love baths. Well, I'm here to tell you they often don't at first, but they can learn to like, if not love, a dip.

Of my nine, two are offended by showers. Three tolerate them, perching stoic on my hand or nestled into my chest. The remaining four seem to truly like getting wet, under the right circumstances.

For the conures and parakeet, a bowl, their own water bowls mostly, is the chosen method (see above). Senegal Beaker takes the plunge into a bowl of some sort too, but she likes showers. My younger Military macaw Theo like showers - now. I had to introduce the concept slowly, showing great enthusiasm for the practice and a demonstrated willingness to get just as wet as he did.

I take all but the truly offended two, Mitred Little Fred and Military Allie, into the shower with me, one at a time once a week in the winter time. In summer, more often. I adjust the water temperature to the cooler side of lukewarm which they seem to prefer, although I can't say I do. I freeze my tush off Dec-March. We bathe early in the day so they have time to dry before going to bed.

Allie is just coming around to baths in the bathtub, water an inch or two deep. We may or may not move onto showers. Again, going slow, steady and short is proving the way to his approval. I use a spray bottle on the gentle setting to keep his feathers neat and tidy in between bath forays. The conures, parakeet and senegal want no part of the spray bottle.

Little Fred takes a bath in his water bowl whenever he feels like it, and we leave it at that. I've had little Fred two years and my vet suspects he was a wild caught bird. His age, mid twenties, the tattoo on the under side of his wing, and his propensity to panic attacks are apparently telltale signs of a wild caught Mitred, which was a very popular conure to trap and sell. Fred is easily frightened to the point of terror, so if his water bowl is what he prefers, so be it. He dives in his bowl often, so I figure he's adequately clean.

Bath Dos

Luke warm to cool water temp
If you use a pan or bowl to offer a bath, keep the water level shallow, to an inch or two, depending on bird size.
Bathe from morning to early afternoon only, so there's time to dry and preen.
Introduce bathing slowly, keep at it steadily, and keep each encounter short and pleasurable. This could take months or a year or two. But slow is preferable to a permanent phobia of water.
Show your bird showering is fun. Shower in front of your bird. He / she can watch from another place in the bathroom, or a perch in the shower but out of the water. Make sure your toiler lid is closed in your bathroom and the door is closed. The humidity from your shower will do your bird good.
Shower together, if your bird likes it.
Always supervise when your bird is bathing.

Bath Donts

Don't point a shower or sprayer to their nares (nostrils).
Don't put a wet/damp bird near a draft.
Don't use soap, shampoo or anything but JUST WATER. Any stuff you put on your bird's feathers will be ingested during preening.
Don't put your bird to bed wet.
Don't force a bird to bathe a certain way. Experiment until you find a way he or she enjoys water. Baths should be fun and refreshing.
Don't use a blow dryer which dries out feathers and skin, defeating the purpose of the bath in the first place. "Towel dry" your bird if you and your bird are accustomed to towels.

Birdie Byte
Adorable Quaker Parrot Taking a Bath

So, You Want a Parrot?

2010-01-02T13:00:00.000-05:00

Gigi the Gymnast
I am very much in favor of adopting rescue birds before "buying" a parrot. That really goes for almost any pet. It's not that I'm against breeding cats and dogs; I'm against animal abuse, neglect and over-population. The unwanted pets -loving homes equation is simply too imbalanced, and rescues are overflowing with animals - cats, birds, bunnies, reptiles and parrots - as a result.

But there are factors that make parrots more prone to rescue than a cat or dog. Just a few are:

much longer life span
behavioral problems that are frustrating and confusing for most people to solve - screaming, feather to furniture destruction, self-mutilation, biting, hormones and more
greater expense; greater care demands
the reality that parrots are not domesticated; even parrots bred to be companions are only one generation removed from the wild and, therefore, require more education, even skill, to handle
impatience

Unlike a cat or dog, parrots' natural behaviors don't really suit homeo sapien home life. They're built and programmed to fly, not sit in a cage, even perch on a play gym all day. So I'm not really sure parrots should be bred (unless to prevent extinction and in a very conscientious fashion). I'm quite certain they, and other animals, shouldn't be mass produced for people to purchase on a whim.
A parrot, even a canary or cockatiel, should be a very considered addition to anyone's life. I can unequivocally say parrots should never be acquired on impulse. Never.

Ok, so never say never, and knock me off my soap box, I did that very thing with my first parrot Gigi. Adopted her clueless. But the two things I know I do have is an incredible compassion and patience for animals and insatiable curiosity, both favorable attributes for parrot living.

How did Gigi's arrival come about?

I was working for a local land trust and a colleague announced one day she needed to find a home for her family parrot, a 3 1/2 year old Nanday conure. (A what? I'd never heard of a conure, or a Nanday) She had bought the bird for her son and daughter who were now teenagers who had become disinterested, an all too common situation. The little parrot lived in the laundry room (ugh).

I don't know what made me say it, but "I'll take her" came out. I had never had a parrot, never even thought about having a parrot. I knew nothing. It marked the beginning of what is becoming a lifestyle - parrot living.
After a compatibility visit - it was love at first site for Gigi and me - and three weeks of intense preparation and research, including purchasing every parrot book I could lay my hands on and visiting every web site I could find on the subject, I brought her home for good. Three years later, she remains the light of my life. She is a perfect bird save for a persistent and heartbreaking medical problem I'll cover in another post.

Each of my nine parrots are rescues, each were relinquished for different reasons, and it all started with this peach, this sweetheart, this exceptional creature, Gigi.

I am indebted to my colleague and my Gigi forever for introducing me to the wonderful world of parrot living.

Birdie Byte
Gigi recommends research and rescue if you want to befriend a bird, great or small.

Rescues that take in birds and find them loving homes:
Feathered Sanctuary, my local rescue in Holtwood, Pa., where I adopted all of my birds, volunteer and serve on the board.
Best Friends
Gabriel Foundation
The Lily Sanctuary
Phoenix Landing

Great reads:

Avian Enrichment Web Site

2010-01-01T03:50:00.000-05:00

My little plucker, Mitred conure Fred. Very likely a wild caught parrot,
he's estimated to be about 25 years old.

I'll be short and sweet on this gem, Avian Enrichment.com, a fabulous e-commerce web site for parrot toys, games, training and information. I highly recommend their e-newsletter, and their collection of funny parrot videos is a hoot. There'll be more to come on this resource.

Birdie Byte
Check out http://www.cockatoorescue.org/ to see their exquisite aviaries that strike me as easy to build at a reasonable cost. They even provide detailed instructions on how to build one for your own flock.

Foraging: Caitec & Cardboard

2009-12-31T13:00:00.000-05:00

Allie Hiding in His Toy
If you live with parrots, you've probably heard about foraging. Birds "forage," or scrounge about for food, in the wild. They have to hunt for their food, and they spend a large part of their day doing it. Keeps them very busy.

In our homes, that all-consuming task of finding food, the job they're programmed to do, is eliminated. We supply the food by dumping it in a bowl. If we're good parrot people, we offer toys and games to keep them busy instead of flying around, looking for a mate and searching for food and safe shelter.

Toys are great, and they're absolutely necessary. But foraging is another outlet for activity. I've been researching and playing about with foraging for some time. Quite honestly, it seemed a little daunting from a time management perspective.

My first attempt involved rolling nuts and dried fruit in newspaper and sticking these "newspaper balls" in toys for the parrots to find. I spent about 15 minutes making the newspaper balls for the two amazons, and they spend 30 seconds taking them apart, eating some of their findings and tossing or dropping the rest. Hmmmm. I was a little discouraged. I tried a few more times, and then I lost interest because I simply couldn't figure out how I would keep up with it for eight birds.

Then came Aloisious, Allie for short. Allie is a Military Macaw and my newest and ninth (and I swear my last) bird. He's a rescue, I've been told about 14 years old. He's a feisty, fiery bird, with loads of personality and an unhealthy obsession with me which was primarily manifested in relentless regurgitation. I solicited a number of opinions on what to do about this regurgitation. I got everything from allowing, but ignoring; to allowing and fawning over the "gift" to show I appreciated it; to absolutely shutting it down; to creating distractions; to medication. As with most things, certainly most things parrot, I settled on a blended course of action that seemed to suit this bird and was manageable for me.

Before doing anything, I took Allie to my exceptional, caring, super smart certified avian vet, Dr. Don Zantop (Dr. Z) in Fallston, Maryland, for his advice and to make sure there was nothing medically going on to cause this incessant gurging. The regurgitation was hormonal and directly related to Allie's attraction to me. Dr. Z believed firmly the regurgitation needed to be controlled for health reasons. Over time, excessive regurgitation can erode the esophagus and cause other health issues that can result in death. That was all I needed to hear, so we started his prescription of Lupron injections, in a series two weeks apart, that day. Dr. Z. also suggested I contact parrot behavior consultant Liz Wilson to strategize about how to manage Allie's compulsions.

After a bit of phone tag, Liz and I connected. Allie was on his second Lupron injection by then, and was a little less gurgy, but still rammy and aggressive when he didn't get what he wanted (a result of hormones and a completely undisciplined childhood, a discussion for another post). Her common sense, no nonsense advice:

- foraging
- friendship

I'll talk about friendship at a later date, I whined a bit about my prior attempts at foraging, and she rightly cut to the chase by sharing the wonders of Caitec and Cardboard. Caitec is a company that sells foraging systems, foraging toys and a host of other parrot paraphernalia - cages, toys, playstands and more. I rang them up clamoring about needing help setting up nine birds to forage. I was put in touch with Bill McGrath who was a wealth of information and very helpful in pointing out the right foraging systems and toys for my varied flock of nine.

I spoke specifically about my rather destructive Military Allie, and Bill advised a stainless steel baffle cage and another plastic contraption with four pull-out drawers. I ordered those up as well as a whole battalion of stuff to help start my birds on the foraging trail.

I'll talk about progress with my other birds in next posts, but right now, I'll share how it's going with Allie.

First, it's important to point out I've since heard about an alarming incident with the baffle cage. The Scarlet macaw of a fellow parrot person somehow wedged is foot in between the bars of the baffle cage and broke his foot. My friend has since tossed her baffle cages. I have not, because Allie has really responded to it and like to pry apples, squash and other fresh foods out of there. Instead, I've removed it from his cage and hung it from his playstand, so I can supervise and intervene if something goes awry. I suppose it can still present a danger, but life is rife with fluky danger and I've chosen to mitigate the danger as best I can while still allowing him his fun (it's better than an eroded esophagus).

The plastic four drawer toy lasted in his cage about two days. Once he really discovered it, he ripped it off the side and tossed it around like, well, like a piece of cardboard.

Which brings me to Liz's second ingenious recommendation - cereal boxes, pizza boxes, shipping boxes, gift boxes...you get the idea. In other words, cardboard. Cardboard is currently saving me money and, to a degree, saving my bird. Empty cereal box, instant toy. I stuff it with scrunched up newspaper, in which I bury nuts in the shell and other unperishables in more rolled up newspaper. The lure is unmistakable and a God send. Allie bangs these boxes around, uncovers his favorite walnuts, and then bangs around the boxes some more. A cereal box can be loaded up for two, maybe three, days before it's beyond recognition, but it hasn't cost me a dime and he's had a ball. Same goes for any box.

Keep in mind that boxes with tape, tape residue, or illegal foods like chocolate, on them are not suitable. Sticky stuff is no good for your bird.

The cardboard can be recycled after your bird has done his damage.

I tell my friends to save their boxes for me too.

So, embrace cardboard and Caitec, great sources for parrot foraging and fun.

goodbirdinc.com

2009-11-27T17:45:00.000-05:00

We as parrot people must constantly avail ourselves to new information, new ideas, new ways to engage our friends.

First source of dynamite info is http://www.goodbirdinc.com/. This web site and its creator, Barbara Heidenreich, will appear over an over again on this site. I am a disciple of hers, though she doesn't know it. I encourage you to explore her site, order her training and informational DVDs and subscribe to her magazine of the same name, Good Bird magazine. These are fantastic resources for anyone interested in companion birds.

A companion parrot is typically caged and therefore utterly dependent on its caretaker for just about everything. Food and water, sure, just like a traditional pet. But also interaction, stimulation and freedom, which one could suggest, a parrot never truly experiences living in homes with people.

I struggle philosophically, intellectually and emotionally with parrots as pets. Parrots are birds, built to fly, forage for food, mate, nest and raise babies - freely. Most captive birds don't ever engage in these behaviors naturally, at will. I do believe parrots can have good lives in captivity - at least partially. (I partially believe it, and they can live partially good lives. But that's a debate for a different day, and quite possibly a moot debate at that. Parrots are kept as pets. We must do our best to raise awareness for their needs and educate on how best to live with them.)

Depending on species, parrots can live to be 15 or so (parakeet); 25-35 (conure, senegal), 45 (African or Timneh grey) or 80+ (amazon, macaw). Given this reality, it's pretty likely most parrots will outlive their owners which means they have more opportunities for good circumstances and more risk for bad ones.

Parrots are not domesticated; they are wild and require educated handling, patience and consistency to be able to live in harmony with people in their homes.

These two facts make parrots unique; unbelievably stimulating, rewarding creatures to be around; and extremely frustrating and confounding "pets."

If they live out their lives to a natural old age, it is almost guaranteed our parrots will have more than one home, more than one caretaker. If they were "brought up badly," they're also guaranteed to bounce from home to home.

As friends to parrots, it is our job to help them live well and train them to be good birds, so they can be the alluring, engaging creatures they can be and down the road, comfortably transition to a new home. Good birds are wanted birds, and more likely to live well. Parrots living well is the goal.

Starting Out

2009-11-27T15:28:00.000-05:00

Best Friends Elmo & Gigi

This is my first blog and first blog post. The long view is for this blog to become a well-organized, collaborative, welcoming repository and exchange of information and resources for people who are, or want to become, parrot parents. It is also intended to help raise awareness for the third or fourth (the jury is still out on which) most popular "pet" in the U.S., possibly the world -- the plucky, in more ways than one, precocious parrot.

I am the proud parent and friend to nine rescue parrots of varying sizes, ages, colors and creeds. They are, in order of adoption first to last:

Nanday conure Gigi, 6 years old
Gold Capped conure Elmo, 13 years old
Parakeet Lucy, 3 years old
Mitred conure Fred, 23 years old
Military macaw Theodore, 5 1/2 years old
Senegal Beaker, 9 years old
Blue Front amazon Callie, age unknown
Mealy amazon Fred, age unknown
Military macaw Aloisius, Allie for short, 14 years old

It all began with Gigi who I adopted from a family who felt they were not giving and could not give the future give her the attention she needed. I knew I was an animal person and a parrot seemed like fun which made me like most people who decide to take on a parrot. Enamoured, but clueless.

But I am super inquistive. So before I went and fetched her home, I researched - online, books, vets. I got a lot of good, but conflicting, info that dialed up the intrigue and effort to find out all I could. Living with a parrot didn't seem as straightforward as most pets, but I felt capable and challenged. I was determined to get it right and give this little nanday pumpkin the best ever.

I have since made numerous mistakes with Gigi and my other birds, and thank goodness, I've been forgiven. I've also learned perfection and parrots don't go together any which way you slice it.

I hope to share some of my shortcomings as well successes, and I invite others to post theirs. The hope is that this blog can help people and parrots live well together.