A special message to companion parrot owners

The Parrot Society is no longer holding monthly meetings on the second Wednesday of each month.
Instead, we are hosting quarterly meetings on the south and north sides of Brisbane to replace the
monthly format.
We have made some exciting changes to these meetings for your benefit too. The PSOA is
determined to bring together a viable group of companion parrot owners for the purpose of
information sharing and networking that is specific to your needs and interests.
We see this initiative as an Australian first whereby a special forum is provided to allow companion
parrot owners a chance to get together, exchange ideas and have a fun, sharing time in a relaxed
social environment.
Gary Colvin, the Parrot Society’s companion parrot writer will be chairing our first forum to discuss the
topic of foraging and further enhance his recent article and road test on the subject in the March April
issue of the PSOA News.
Jim McKendry, who is known to many of you through the Parrot Society and BirdKeeper magazine,
has just returned from his visit to the USA and Costa Rica. He will be presenting at our June meeting
along with leading avian veterinarians, avian medical researchers and experts in their field.
This is your opportunity to get involved in the formation of a fantastic group of like-minded
aviculturists. The Parrot Society hopes to foster the growth of this companion parrot owner’s forum
into a dynamic group that is proactive in its coordination and future. We are committed to catering for
your needs as demonstrated by our Parrots convention programs in 2004 and 2006.
Our meetings are a free educational event that includes endless complimentary tea and coffee upon
arrival and throughout the meeting. A hot buffet dinner is also available at low cost during the
evening’s program. Please confirm your intention to dine with us before Friday 16th of March by
phoning myself on 07 3289 2523 to establish catering numbers for the venue.
You are welcome to bring along your feathered friend to add to your enjoyment as well as any human
friends you feel would also be interested in attending. There will be trade displays and our extensive
PSOA Sales Table for your convenience too.
I personally look forward to your attendance in helping us create what we are sure will become an
outstanding success for the Parrot Society of Australia and aviculture in this country.

Next Meeting is in June, please book your support NOW!

Kind regards,
Stewart Williamson
President
Parrot Society of Australia Inc.

Through, and part of the Parrot Society of Australia, we wish to form a group of companion parrot owners, that can meet, share and learn from each other at each Parrot Society meeting. As a group we can have speakers and cover topics that are of interest specifically to companion parrot owners. Things such as taming and training, environmental enrichment, toys, feeding and nutrition and anything that is of interest to you.

To make this successful, we are going to need the support of the companion parrot community to get behind it and help it grow and succeed. We need everyone to have an input on the direction you want this group to take and help in making it happen.

Have a think of any suggestions and things you want to see and contact me on garycolvinau@yahoo.com.au and please list your subject as Companion Parrot Group, or The Parrot Society on president@parrotsociety.org.au
Things to consider could be,
1.Topics of discussion
2. Do you want just open forum meetings, as just get-togethers?
3. Do you want to bring your companion parrots t the meetings?
4. Do you want to arrange other outings and parrot get-togethers, such as parrot picnics or toy making days?
5. What services do you want to see?

There are lots more things that can be added to this list, but we want to hear from you, so we can help make this group for you and by you.

I look forward to hearing from you all and we can discuss the findings of what you want and how we can implement it, at the next meeting
Till then,
Cheers Gary

Topic for March Parrot Society Companion Parrot Group Meeting:

Most Of our companion parrots live a solitary life, with most of their natural behaviours greatly restricted, if not missing all together. Sadly we are seeing more and more abnormal behaviours, such as screaming, biting, feather plucking and self mutilation, becoming common place in many companion parrots.
Trying to mimic some of a parrot’s natural behaviours can assist in giving our companion parrots a more fulfilling and happy life while living with us. Keeping our parrots flighted so they can still perform what they are designed both mentally and physically to do, FLY, adds greatly to their health, both physical and mental. Giving your parrots as many and varied experiences as possible, but always in a non threatening way, can add interest to an otherwise dull existence. Natural branches and materials for them to perch and use as grooming aids, can lessen the need for nail clipping, while also preventing foot and leg problems and even arthritis.
Multiple cage housing can help mimic the act of having a roost and a different play and feeding area can help add interest to their day, as well as assist in preventing territorial issues.
Last but definitely not least, is Foraging. This is such an important and natural behaviour and one that takes up most of a wild parrots waking hours. In the wild, parrots will spend most of their day flying and seeking out food and water. Some food may take more effort to extract, such as various seeds and nuts from their kernels.
When you compare the activity of a wild parrots day and that of a companion parrot, they are vastly different and the companion parrots life is quiet boring and uninteresting with vast spaces of time with very little to do.
Most companion and even aviary birds have their food delivered at the same time and to the same bowl, placed in the place, every day, for their entire existence. Never having to work to obtain their food, couldn’t be further from how real life is.

Foraging can provide your parrot with brain food by making him think how and where to obtain his food. Making him work for his food will occupy his time and break up a monotonous day. We are not sure how parrots think, but if they are capable of thinking in terms of achievement and skill, I am sure foraging will help. In recent studies, it has been shown that animals actually prefer to forage and work to get their food, rather than just eat food from a bowl.

If your parrots have always received their food in a bowl, you may have to start off simple and build slowly in the complexity of how you hide and distribute their food. Start off with food in obvious places, such as their usual bowl and only slightly disguise it, or hide it, till they get the idea. You do not want to frustrate, cause anxiety, or scare your parrot from eating. Some parrots can be very superstitious about novel and different objects in their cages, so let your parrot guide you in his progress of what you can and cannot do. You want to enrich and fulfil your parrot’s life, not terrorize or confuse and frustrate him. Luckily parrots are very inquisitive and love investigating and learn quickly.

Most parrots catch on very quickly and once you have them playing the game, there is no reason why you will ever have to feed your parrot in a plain bowl, ever again.
While all this sounds a lot of work, once you get started and get yourself set up, the extra work is minimal and they benefits greatly out weigh any inconveniences.

Remember to vary the food dispensers you use and use various types and different positions in the cage. Even a new toy will lose its novelty, if used all the time, so have a variety of ways to feed your parrot and change them regularly. Do not be sacred to incorporate several different feeding types each time you feed.

These days the range of parrot toys are increasing at a rapid rate and luckily many manufacturers have discovered the foraging market and are releasing more and more very clever foraging toys for all different types and sizes of parrots.

Please support the PRC by purchasing foraging toys from their online store

www.parrotrescuecentre.com

PARROT SOCIETY MARCH 2007

GARY COLVIN

How do Animals Communicate with us?

We all know that animals have their own physical means of verbalizing; barking, mewing, squawking…... And although they do not have the capacity for fully functional speech as we know it(with the exception of some of our very gifted parrots!), scientific research continues to prove that animals produce the same chemical reactions as humans when they are exposed to certain events, stimuli and environments. From my experience animals think, feel, reason, love, feel pain & emotions like we do. And they too want to communicate these thoughts and feelings with us. When an animal does not have the means to communicate with us in our own language they will communicate via their body language, by displaying various physical behaviours and by utilizing the language that we are all born knowing; that is the language of telepathy! It is through telepathy that I am able to communicate with our animal friends.

The word telepathy conjures up many negative stereotypes. Which is quite fascinating since we all frequently do it …..and so do our animal friends!
Telepathy is the transference of pictures, symbols, thoughts & feelings from one to another. It is the little picture you see in your mind, the little voice you hear in your mind and it is those sensations that you feel whilst you are engaged in thought and/or conversation. Words are simply the verbal symbols that we use to match those inner visions, thoughts and feelings.

In everyday life we are telepathing as we speak to each other and to our animal friends. They actually understand these pictures and thoughts more than the words we say to them. The more aware of it you are the easier it is to recognise it as a form of communication.

The beautiful aspect of telepathy is that there are no distance boundaries. Without going into Quantum physics I will just say that we are all connected at an energetic level - humans, animals, plants, our environment….even objects like your car. Have you ever noticed that it is when you are having a "bad" day your car won't start, or your computer crashes? It is a result of the energy we are sending out.

When I connect with an animal to establish a communication I am tuning into their energy. I do not need to be in the same room or even the same country. There are many examples of this phenomena in our daily lives….the most noted is when you are thinking of a friend or relative whom you not have seen for a while and the next thing you know….they phone you or you see them somewhere unexpectedly. How many times have you been thinking about something only to have the person you are with mention the exact same thing? Or, to relate it to animals…how is it that some animals know when their people are coming home? See my own story about Pippin below.

One thing to remember….. the information and messages we send and receive occur at lightening speed. This is why most people don’t recognize it. By the time the message has been received you will have already disregarded it and be thinking about the next thought. So, an exercise for you to practice is to simply start taking notice of all of your internal chatter, visions and thoughts. This recognition and being aware of the messages is the first step in communicating with your animals friends and strengthening the bond you share.

Pippin's Story
Meet Pippin….. She is delightful and after only a few months of being part of our family she has steadily been warming up and showing us her personality and some of her behaviours. One of those behaviours is to start running back and forth whilst making a very cute sound when one of us leaves the house or arrives home.

A number of weeks ago my husband and I were both out together. We had decided that it was time to come home when we received a call from our security company telling us that our alarm had been activated. We automatically assume that perhaps Pippin, whose cage is situated within the alarms sensor range probably slipped off her perch or began flapping enough to set off the alarm.

Fortunately when we arrived home we found everyone safe and sound.

The following Saturday, once again as we were on our way home we received another call from our security company saying that “yes” our alarm had been activated. Yet again, we arrive home to find everything as it should be.

Then, one midday I was at one end of the house when I heard Pippin run to the bottom of her cage and start to do “her thing”. I thought “Hmmmm….she only does this when one or both of us is coming or going” then I got the message….my husband was on his way home! Sure enough 3 minutes later he called to say that he was on his way and had left only 2-3 minutes ago!

We had one more incident that occurred whilst my husband and I were both out, but in separate locations. As it turned out we were on our way home at the same time. We each received calls from the security company to let us know that the alarm was activated.

Pippin continued to validate that she was "tuning into" our thoughts and intentions of coming home. As soon as we had made the decision to come home she picked up our energy, got the message and began to do her "dance of excitement"!

Just to clarify for those of you who may still question the validity of Pippin “telepathically” picking up when we are coming home 1. In all cases we had been at least 30 minutes drive away, so there is no way she could have heard the car & 2. We don’t have regular times of coming and going so there is no way she can do this as a routine time-structured behaviour.

Needless to say we have remedied the situation so that Pippin does not set off the alarm in the future.

Next month: I will discuss the difference between an Animal Communicator & a Pet Psychic!

Leah Petersen is a well respected Animal Intuitive with a client base from around the world. She has successfully facilitated Animal Communication readings for many pets and their people. Her unique gift provides you with a glimpse into the sacred innermost thoughts and feelings of your beloved animal companions.

Consultations are conducted in person or via telephone.
Phone: (07) 5556-0335 or Mobile: 0427-157-156

If you believe your parrot has a physical ailment or illness please see a qualified Avian Veterinarian before seeking an Animal Communication session.
Investigate the physical, then explore the spiritual!
For On-Line bookings & further information please visit my web site at;

www.animalinstincts.com.au

Please Click here for our full product range.

QUESTION?

ANSWER!

Jim’s Feedback...
I’ll answer Amy’s first question on harnesses in this issue and then look at why cockatiels are such finicky eaters in the next!

Bird harnesses have become very popular over the past few years. Different people are likely to have different opinions on the use of harnesses with birds. Personally, I don’t use them with my birds, as I don’t take my birds into situations that might necessitate harnessing the bird. Whilst I don’t use harnesses myself, I know of a number of people who do and the outcomes seem to be OK in most cases. My philosophy is that I’d rather see a companion parrot owner spend time working with their parrot and training it to wear a harness than clip its wings. Parrots with wings make me smile lots and I think harnesses might be helping a few pet parrots out there keep theirs!

There are some great Internet sources of information on harness training and I have linked a few at the end of this column. First though, here are a few of my thoughts on the use of harnesses with pet parrots...

*A harness should never be considered a `taming’ tool. It is what it is – a physical restraint to stop a bird from flying away. Before attempting to train your parrot to wear a harness consider `why’ you want to use a harness. If it is to `tame’ your parrot then you need to consider better and more sensitive strategies.

*If your relationship with your parrot is not a very confident and highly interactive one, where your parrot accepts a high degree of physical handling, then you need to work on the relationship and trust building first. By achieving an interactive relationship first you will minimise potential problems caused by placing a harness on a bird that is already apprehensive around human hands. Some parrots are simply not the best candidates for wearing a harness and being placed in situations that might necessitate a harness. Consider if your parrot is likely to be receptive to wearing a harness, rather than making the decision based solely on your needs and desires.

*Most requirements for using a harness come from a desire to have a flighted pet parrot with the owner in outdoor environments. This is valid and I know of a number of harness users who are very responsible and have done an outstanding job of training their parrot to accept wearing a harness and associate it with positive and motivating experiences. Always be mindful that when you take a parrot into an outdoor environment that you are no longer in control of the many variables that could potentially cause harm to the bird. A harness is not a guaranteed protection from harm for a bird on someone’s shoulder in an outdoor environment. Anytime that a parrot is outdoors, the handler needs to be very conscious of what is happening in the environment and remove the bird from potential hazards if they are encountered.

*Desensitising your parrot to having a harness placed on it can be challenging. However, if you take a slow and sensitive approach then it can be achieved, hopefully with minimal difficulties. Restraining a parrot and placing a harness on it may result in aggression towards the owner, so you need to be considerate of the parrot and appreciate that having a harness placed on it is a very unnatural and potentially irritating experience. Introduce the harness as an object that the parrot can explore, pick up and interact with, before progressing to working on fitting it to your parrot.

*When your parrot is comfortable with the harness as an `object’ that is not threatening then you can take the next step in placing the harness strap over the wing of the parrot and then removing it after a second or two. You can then gradually lengthen the time the harness is over the bird, effectively allowing the bird to get used to having a foreign object placed over it. It’s at this time that it’s a great idea to positively reward allowing any part of the harness to be placed on the parrot. You can do this by delivering a food treat that is especially favoured by your bird every time you interact with it and the harness. You need to then use the body language of your parrot to guide your progress towards longer periods of having the harness placed over it. If you have done a good job of positively rewarding such interactions with a food treat or another effective form of reinforcement, then your parrot will learn to associate the harness with the delivery of things it is motivated towards and enjoys receiving. If this learning process is achieved then the bird will behave in a manner that increases the likelihood of receiving those rewards again in the future.

*When your parrot is comfortable interacting with the harness and allows it to be placed over it, then you can start working on clipping the harness on. Once again – start with on and off, followed by the delivery of a reward. Gradually increase the time it is on and keep up the reinforcement.

*Patience produces the greatest rewards with pet parrots. Set yourself up to succeed with a realistic time schedule for working with your parrot to harness train it. Keep sessions short and filled with positive reinforcement. The best outcomes are achieved when a parrot has time to learn gradually, with each step along the way well reinforced.

*Some parrot owners can progress to their bird wearing the harness within a few short training sessions. It will all depend on the individual bird and the sensitivity and skill of the owner in successfully achieving harmonious harness wearing!

It would be great if some of the harness companies would produce a DVD that shows clearly the steps in getting a parrot wear a harness. Manufacturers of various dog harnesses have produced similar DVDs and these are very beneficial. Unfortunately, I have seen some really traumatic attempts at getting a frightened parrot to wear a harness and these shouldn’t occur. Hopefully one of the manufacturer’s will produce a great visual guide showing the step-by-step process. The first one that does will get my endorsement! In the meantime, here are two really good articles that will give you more insights into successfully harnessing your parrot...

http://www.parrotchronicles.com/2005/features/harness/harness.htm
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww25e.htm

Best of luck with the harness training Amy! Next time we’ll look at that Cockatiel feeding dilemma – a really common issue amongst owners of pet Australian native parrots.

I’d really like to encourage all companion parrot enthusiasts to attend this year’s workshops at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Our next workshop series will be...

Level 1: Saturday June 30th from 8:30am until 1:00pm
Level 2: Sunday July 1st from 8:30am until 3:30pm

Numbers are filling up for these workshops but places are still available so download a registration form from http://www.pbec.com.au/education/workshops.htm soon and send it in to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. By doing both of our workshops you will be engaging in the most comprehensive educational experience for parrot owners that is available in Australia. I’d love to see you all there!

Kind Regards, Jim McKendry BTeach BApp Sc
Parrot Behaviour & Enrichment Consultations
http://www.pbec.com.au
jim@pbec.com.au
mobile: 0421 175 841

www.pbec.com.au

The Parrot Rescue Centre spends a lot of time and resources in doing what is best for the parrots by ensuring the birds are regularly vet checked, given fresh food, enrichment, clean aviaries and cages, providing natural habitats and by building larger enclosures.

The PRC is not a large organisation, it is privately owned and managed by Zarita and Family. To help fund the PRC Zarita has created the PRC shop and bird boarding services and also relies on the generosity of the public. The PRC does not receive any financial assistance from the government or other large organisations.

We need your help and support to continue to provide a high standard of care to the PRC parrots.

The PRC needs your HELP NOW. Due to regular vet checks, illness and sudden deaths amongst the PRC birds within the last six months, the PRC vet bill has exceeded $2000. We really need your support to help pay this account. If you are wanting to help the PRC, please send us a cheque made out for Currumbin Veterinary Services to the Parrot Rescue Centre.

Thankyou for your support.

Thankyou for your kindness.

Yours truly,

Zarita Garozzo

Member Moments - Story of the month

Hi Zarita,

You might remember that I emailed you a couple of months ago, in some confusion about my Rainbow Lorrikeet, Polly. We had inherited her from friends who found her a handful, after she flew into their backyard.

She was quite aggressive to start with but she had settled down quite a bit with us. But then she started going 'crazy' and bit my kids whenever they came near me, if I was holding her.

You had explained it was probably due to it being mating season and that she (Polly), thought I was her mate. Things were looking grim, but I really didn't want to get rid of her.

So, in desperation, I decided to give her 'time outs' - if she was antisocial at all, I would put her back in her cage and put it outside. We would all ignore her, no matter if she screeched or whatever, for about half a day.
Then she would get another chance. If she bit or showed any aggression towards the children while I was holding her, she would go back in time out.

I was amazed at how well this worked - like a child, she hates being ignored and away from the family. Now, I rarely need to do it, but she needs much shorter time outs to get the message. She is obviously very smart, because she really does try to be good!

She is still in the house and part of the family. She is sitting on my shoulder right now and chattering away to me. We had a close call a fortnight ago when Polly got down and pecked our dog one too many times. Even though the dog only 'mouthed' her as a warning, poor Polly's eye heamorrhaged severely and she spent four days in hospital. She has been well nursed by all of us and she cab open the eye for increasing periods now. It even seems she can see out of it. She has become even more affectionate since this incident.
She wouldn't eat at first at the vet, but I brought all her favourite foods in and sat with her for ages. She picked up after that and was soon home.

Thank you so much for your advice on parrot behaviour - it played a major part in us being able to keep Polly. We are now hand raising a baby cockatiel that was given to us, so we are very fast learning about birds! I just wish there was a course or something that people had to do on parrots before they could buy them, because until you understand their behaviour, it can be quite hard going.

All our friends were worried about Polly when she was sick - she is very hard to ignore - even when I'm on the phone they can hear her! So even though she started out as a bit of a rebel, everyone thinks she is pretty amazing.
We are going to our home schooling group today and Polly will come along, so everyone can make a fuss over her being okay.

Thanks again for your advice,

Cathy.

It’s that easy! We look forward to hearing your stories!

Written by Peter Wilson
BVSc MACVSc
Avian and Reptile Practitioner

To contact Peter Wilson Click Here

This article was published in Paws and Claws Journal March/June 07

Leave your precious birds with understanding and knowledgeable parrot carers.

We provide quality care for your pet birds including clean housing, healthy diet, enrichment, interaction and training (extra fee).

Your bird will not have time to be bored or sad, so stress and frustration will be less likely.

All funds made from bird boarding are directly used by the Parrot Rescue Centre to help with caring and maintaining the sanctuary birds environment.

• Tested negative to Psittacosis
• Tested negative to PBFD
• Faeces Tested negative for worms and bacteria
• Examination suggests that the bird is clinically free of illness or infection and is considered in sound physical health by the examining veterinarian

For more information please contact:

Zarita Garozzo

Parrot Rescue Centre Co-coordinator on:

Ph: 07 5569 2840

Email: zarita@parrotrescuecentre.com

Remove from Mailing List in the subject line, to zarita@parrotrescuecentre.com

You will be excluded from future mailings