It’s the start of another year and I hope it is a happy and prosperous one for all. I personally would like to take this opportunity to say 'THANKYOU’ to all the dedicated and loyal friends of the Parrot Rescue Centre, and a bigger Thankyou to all the volunteers who sacrifice their time to help the PRC birds live better and happier lives.

A very "BIG THANKYOU" to a handful of people who have taken the time to help build the PRC into what it is today.

• Grant and Leah Petersen who where so generous with their time and dedication to build the PRC website a couple of years ago, through the website the PRC has been able to grow and start to achieve its long term goals. Also thankyou for your continuous support and encouragement throughout 2006.
• Lloyd Marshall from Talking Birds Newspaper for his ongoing support and help with promoting the PRC.
• Jim McKendry our Behaviour Consultant who generously writes articles for the monthly Newsletter and refers business to the PRC continuously.
• Peter and Penny Wilson who also write a monthly article and health check all the PRC Parrots at a discounted rate.
• Verna Shannon our Behaviour Consultant who has written for the PRC Newsletter and continues to promote the PRC shop and Boarding to her clients.
• Naomi Britten who is the NSW co-ordinator for Adoption and Placement and donates 100% of her spare time to the PRC- THANKYOU!
• Jan Harris who takes the time to come and clean, play and make toys for the PRC birds and who has been a wonderful friend for me throughout 2006.
• Nicky Munro who takes on Sulphur Crested Cockatoos from the PRC and has so much patience and dedication- we love you NICKY!
• Jason and Johanna from Paws and Claws Magazine who generously provides us free advertising and support,
• Karen Bodman who continues to take on aggressive parrots and provides her time to help at the PRC whenever it is needed.
• Bill and Lucresha Fraser from Breeders Choice who allow us to have a stand in their show room to display our toys and accessories - A BIG THANKYOU also to the staff (TONY!)
• Kim Cooney from Pet Directory for free advertising in some of the directories around Australia.
• Natasha Vought who is an artist that is painting for the PRC and donating profits to the PRC.
• Rachael and Mark who own Kenichi and Koko - thankyou for continually buying big from the PRC shop you have been a great support.
• Jamie Carpenter for helping with the cleaning, maintenance and building of aviaries at the PRC , making of toys, training parrots and generally providing time and love to play with the birds in permanent care.
• And of course MYSELF for starting this journey!!!!
  
  

Welcome to the world of Animal Communication and Intuition. My name is Leah and I see, hear, know and sense the thoughts and feelings of animals. I am so honoured that the Parrot Rescue Centre has asked me to provide a regular section in their bi-monthly newsletter.

For those of you who are new to the concept of humans communicating with animals, I am sure you will find my forthcoming articles and topics enlightening and enjoyable. I look forward to introducing you to a whole new and exciting perspective of your beloved companion parrots life with you. I am going to talk about animals as sentient beings, souls that think, feel, love, make choices and have a purpose for being with you.

I invite you into my world, where animals tell me their likes and dislikes, how they feel emotionally & physically, what they need & why they do the things they do!

A little bit about me…..I have been talking to and connecting with animals for many years and although I had a slight awareness of this connection it wasn't fully acknowledged until I crossed paths with a beautiful, tenacious and very cheeky Yellow Tail Black Cockatoo, named Nowra (by the way - the name Nowra comes from the aboriginal/indigenous language and translates to; Black Cockatoo!) Nowra only had a short time with us, but he has been the greatest teacher and guide I have ever had. I won’t go into detail except to say that I do have a very special place in my heart for parrots. I will tell Nowra’s story a little later on down the track.

Since Nowra passed into spirit I have been working as a professional Animal Intuitive. I communicate with all species of animals, both those living and those that have passed into spirit. I am honoured that the animals have such faith in me and feel that I am a worthy recipient of such treasures. With their permission I see, hear and know their innermost thoughts, needs, wants and desires! ??My gift, if any, is simply to pass their messages on to you and it doesn’t come from me…it comes through me – from them to you!
Coming up in my forthcoming articles I will expand on topics related to Animal Communication, give tips on how you can improve your intuition and share some stories from some very wise parrots with whom I have communicated.
Next….I’ll explain how Animal Communication actually works!
...always with love & gratitude
Leah xxx

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.

NUTS IN SHELL are now available by the KILO!

ALL TROPIMIX Range is now back in stock

Kaytee Exact Rainbow and Chunky Pellets now available!

Lots of exciting new toys will be added to the shop this year!

1. How do i stop Biting and Aggressive behaviour? Part 2

In the previous PRC Newsletter we started a series looking at aggression in pet birds. The first focus was on acknowledging that differences in behavioural tendencies of certain species groups may provide us with insights into firstly, whether it is natural for that species to accommodate intense physical preening from a mate and secondly, how a lack of natural accommodation for this interaction can often precipitate aggression in pet parrots forced into preening interactions with humans. If you missed the last newsletter then contact Zarita to request it! In this issue we’ll consider monogamous pair bonds as a further general influence on aggressive behaviour in pet parrots and offer some insights on how to best manage this.

One of the most endearing aspects of parrots as companion animals is their tendency to form strong bonds with their human carers. Many (but not all) species invest in a monogamous pair bond in the wild. This investment has evolved to provide the optimal outcome of reproductive success for the form of breeding strategy employed by most parrot communities. In captivity we tend to see this duplicated, with the result of an individual in the household establishing a relationship with the bird that is often to the detriment of interactions that others may be seeking to share. This scenario is a common factor leading to parrots being re-homed. It’s unfortunate that this is the case as it’s really up to us to establish some fair expectations of our parrots when we commit to keeping them as pets. If we are aware that there is a strong likelihood of them over-bonding with one individual in the environment then we are challenged to work on handling, training and positively reinforcing interaction schedules with our parrots throughout their life. This is essential if we wish to minimise the potential for problems developing that can quickly break down social relationships in the human-parrot flock. So let’s look at another common issue that arises with pet parrots and human carers that may result in bites occurring: Territorial Aggression.

Success for parrots in the wild environment is dependent on how they achieve and maintain access to resources. We can easily identify food and water as primary resources required for survival, but if we look at social success, and ultimately breeding success, we should also consider resources such as access to roosting perches, ownership of nesting sites, access to a bonded partner and possibly even something less tangible such as `personal space’. When resources are limited, competition increases in the wild. Such competition occasionally requires rigorous defence strategies in order to maintain ownership of and access to these valued resources. Nothing much changes in our living rooms. The artificial environment of the pet parrot cage offers a one-stop resource shop, complete with food, valued roosting areas and maybe even a nest box or `happy hut’ to make things seem even more like `home’. It’s not unreasonable then to expect that if we have provided all of these resources in one locale in our home that over time it can become an area worth defending if our parrot views an intruder into this environment as competing for its resources. The intensity of territorial aggression that is displayed by a parrot is learned over a period of time, often with `us’ as the key element in the environment establishing a learning sequence whereby progressively stronger aggression is required by the parrot to achieve its behavioural goal of defending its territory. Aggressive defence of resources rarely progresses to the inflicting of a bite amongst parrots in the wild. Unfortunately, this is often the end result in captive situations. This occurs largely due to our ignorance of the non-verbal cues parrots present to communicate with us. Our failure to appreciate the need for a two-way communication dynamic precipitates many aggression and biting problems with pet parrots.

Where territorial defence behaviours get out of control and become a serious issue is when we have failed to maintain positive reinforcement based training with the parrot. Consistently implemented positive reinforcement based interactions help to establish an environment that reduces the perception of non-bonded humans as competing for resources and increases the potential for them to be viewed as stimuli in the environment that offer additional, highly valued resources. Achieving this shift in stimuli association provides an alternative influence on the behaviour of our pet parrot. As an example, responding to handling cues such as `step up’, ultimately needs to have a greater consequential reinforcement value to the parrot than standing on top of a cage and biting a presented hand. The learning environment for our parrot needs to bet set up to provide clear behavioural alternatives so that;
a) Our parrot has choice
b) It develops a relationship between the behavioural choice it makes and the consequential reinforcement it receives for that behaviour and;
c) We respect the choice that our parrot makes and resist the temptation to enforce handling when it obvious that our parrot is not receptive to us.

If the choices that your parrot is making are not achieving a behavioural goal that you have set then it is up to you to re-evaluate your expectations, improve your reinforcement schedule for the desired behaviour and perhaps most importantly, re-think how you have arranged the environment to set the parrot up to succeed with the highest potential to present the behaviours you seek. Managing the feeding schedules of our parrots obviously provides opportunities to deliver highly valued primary reinforcers that can often help to persuade a parrot that has started to establish aggressive behaviours in specific contexts within the home environment to behave differently. Rather than providing all free feed opportunities within a single enclosure or area where territorial aggression is suspected, it may be more effective to deliver food and certain food types at different times of the day, in different contexts, and to reinforce different behavioural goals. If your parrot has access to all of the resources it considers necessary to maintain ownership of, then it is unlikely to be motivated to interact with stimuli in its environment that present no `real value’ alternatives.

In summary, avoiding and managing territorial aggression can be achieved via the following...
• Developing a sensitive awareness of non-verbal, visual cues that may indicate that it is time to step back and away from a potential confrontation.
• Appreciating that many species of parrot are not naturally receptive to the sort of communal interactions that we expect from `pets’. We are therefore continually working to help them learn that communal interactions can be just as positively reinforcing as developing a monogamous relationship with a single household member.
• Maintaining consistent interaction schedules with pet parrots where each human member of the flock delivers highly valued reinforcers for desired behaviours presented by the pet parrot.
• Minimise handling and preening interactions that promote the sexual bonding of the parrot with one individual in the household.
• Establish feeding schedules that provide opportunities for the parrot to present behaviours that are an alternative to or incompatible with biting and territorial aggression.
• Continually re-evaluate how you have arranged the environment of the bird so that it is best set up to succeed with behavioural choices that you desire.

As usual, this just pretty much touches the surface of what can be a complex behavioural issue. I’ve actually introduced some pretty cool behaviour analysis concepts such as `Differential Reinforcement’ without elaborating on them this time around. Perhaps next issue we’ll find out what `Differential Reinforcement’ is all about and how it is one of our most powerful tools in behaviour modification with pet parrots.

I would highly recommend that anyone managing aggression and biting in their pet parrot purchase `The Parrot Problem Solver: Finding Solutions to Aggressive Behaviour’ by Barbara Heidenreich. This is available via http://www.birdkeeper.com.au and is an excellent starting point to recovering relationships with aggressive parrots. If you require individual consultation services to work on biting and aggression then please check out my website at http://www.pbec.com.au

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 Jamie. To help fund the PRC Zarita and Jamie have created the PRC shop and bird boarding services and also rely on the generosity of the public. The PRC does not receive any financial assistance from the government or other organisations.

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

• Heavy-duty vacuum cleaner
• Large Powder coated cages
• Aviary Mesh
• Steel tubing
• Toys (all sizes and parrot safe)
• Portable hospital cages
• Dog and Cat transport carriers
• Stainless steel food cups
• Ceramic water dishes.
• Paper Towel
• Large Dark coloured blankets or mats

Po Box 797

Mudgeeraba, QLD 4213

Thankyou for your kindness.

Yours truly,

Zarita Garozzo
PRC Director

Member Moments - Story of the month

Inspired by the play area that Zarita & Jamie had created for the holidaying parrots at The Parrot Rescue Centre, my husband & I set about to create that same great area for Jasper, our 2 year old blue & gold Macaw. Up till now he had spent his time during the day between his big cage on our veranda and on his stand inside wherever we were, but we were always aware that he needed much more room to play & keep entertained.

After enclosing our side veranda with avian mesh he now has, not only a very large safe playroom, but an area to call his own and still be directly part of all the happenings of the household as the veranda adjoins the main living area of the house. It’s a whole entertainment place for him now. Hanging from the ceiling there is a tree branch complete with it’s many limbs for climbing & shredding. He also has a stand made of tree branches, and foragers, ropes, a swing & toys are also suspended from the ceiling. During the day he has his big cage outside with him where there is food & water & it seems to be the place he chooses to have an afternoon nap on occasions. And not surprising seeing the way he plays when out there. After seeing Jasper so happy & lively I strongly recommend such an area for all large parrots to spread their wings.

Written by Pam McNally

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

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

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