Dear Zarita,
Thanks for the always-informative Newsletter. My Sun Conure has started to peck at his toy/toys until he regurgitates and then eats. Is this a behavioural thing or dietary? I removed one toy as I thought it was over exciting him but now he is finding alternatives. He is also making love to his bed (if this helps you diagnose). I would be grateful for any answers or ideas on this. Thanking you. Lee Bell

Thanks for sending in this question Lee and thanks for supporting the Parrot Rescue Centre! The scenario you described is a common issue amongst companion parrot owners and one that we can hopefully share some insights into through your question.

Regurgitating food onto toys and masturbating on inanimate objects in the cage are certainly strong behavioural indicators of a parrot that is keen to prove that he or she has `come of age’ so to speak. These behaviours can be observed in both males and females, particularly in species groups such as the Conures. As artificial as captive life is for most pet parrots, there are some natural behavioural tendencies that can be difficult to avoid and this is certainly the most classic example. What we’re observing here isn’t `abnormal’ behaviour – it’s natural behaviour being expressed in an unnatural environment. In the absence of a receptive conspecific (same species) mate, the toys and birdie bed are simply offering an outlet for sexual behaviour to be directed towards. Often it’s the owners of the parrot that are on the receiving end of such unwanted advances. We’re not always comfortable with our animals becoming sexually mature and therefore being exposed to the behaviours that are associated with that often make us a little uneasy as well. It’s undoubtedly one of the numerous reasons behind the desexing of many of the animals we keep as companion pets. We don’t desex pet parrots therefore we can expect that at some stage in the life of most companion birds that we will see behavioural changes attributable to the onset of sexual maturity. I can still remember my own Conure outrageously displaying and sexually engaging with her mirror when given the opportunity. Visitors would sit and watch these displays and marvel at what an odd creature I had living in my house – unaware of what was `actually’ going on! For most pet parrots such behaviour is harmless and may present infrequently enough for it to be ignored and is of no real concern. One of my Amazon Parrots will occasionally regurgitate to me but this is infrequent and largely ignored, or his attention is carefully redirected. He is an aviary bird and simply handling him in certain ways and building up his excitement levels can see such behaviours being presented. For a few parrots out there though, such behaviours can increase in their frequency, duration and intensity, become repetitive or excessive, and may suggest that some modifications to the environment and daily management is needed. Here’s a basic summary of recommendations that I would suggest for you...

*Seek Veterinary Advice: The first stage for you is to access an avian veterinarian, have a health check-up done on your Sun Conure and discuss your concerns with your vet. If you have not already determined the sex (male or female) then I would recommend doing this. This knowledge can be particularly important if the bird is a hen. Female parrots will still lay eggs even when kept on their own and owners should know how to handle situations such as egg binding. This is again, something to discuss with your avian vet.

*Understanding the Behaviour: The onset of sexual display behaviour has a number of associated distant and immediate `antecedents’ – the events or conditions in the environment that set the behaviour up to occur. There are three key antecedents that are most often influencing the behaviours described here. The first is usually a diet that is high in fats, sugars and nutrient density. Such a diet provided all year round (as is usually the case with pet birds) can set off a cascade of physiological triggers that switch on the sexual response of the bird to an environment that really is prime and flush with great food availability for the rearing of young. The next key element is often how we have arranged the environment in terms of presence of suitable areas to nest in, such as `birdie beds’ or nestboxes, the presence of reflective objects (parrots don’t recognise their reflection as their own as higher order primates do – they often either ignore it, view it as a rival or display sexually to it), and even time playing around on the couch behind cushions, under cupboards etc. You name it, I’ve seen parrots setting up a whole suite of places around the home as a possible nesting site and engaging with everything but the kitchen sink in a sexual manner. The third antecedent, and perhaps the most immediate, is often our own physical handling and interaction schedules with the bird. We often inadvertently `turn them on’ through our tactile handling of them. Humans are primates and as such, we have an intrinsic `hands on’ approach to the way we engage affectionately with people and animals close to us. Excessive amounts of time spent mutually preening our parrots, especially in areas under the wings and over the back and abdomen are the perfect signal to your bird that can suggest you’re just as keen as he or she is to take the relationship to the next level. Let’s face it, any Sun Conure living in a predator free environment, offered a veritable smorgasbord of food on offer 24/7, provided with plenty of spots to set up happy homes and being turned on by their human buddy really is establishing the conditions for exactly the behaviours we see described here.

*Behaviour Management: Modifying the behaviour may require an evaluation of the daily diet of the parrot and a reduction in the amount of high sugar fruits, high fat seeds and nuts and the provision of a daily food management plan that also helps to redirect some of the time spent sexually displaying to toys towards time spent actively foraging for food in foraging system toys. Often just setting the environment up so that our parrots need to spend more time `working’ for their food in an enriched enclosure can be enough to see a reduction in undesirable behaviour and an increase in alternative or incompatible behaviour.

*Re-evaluate your handling schedule with your bird and minimise opportunities for inadvertently presenting interactions that may be developing a heightened state of excitement and leading to increases in sexual responses from your bird.

*Replace non-functional `passive’ toys in the cage with `active’ foraging toys and increase time outside the cage that is devoted to training simple play behaviours or novel tricks, rather than indulging in excessive preening. Remove toys that are receiving excessive attention but be prepared perhaps to tolerate occasional sexual behaviour towards novel items in the cage. At the very least, rotate toys and enrichment items in the cage more frequently to reduce the level of `attachment’ that might be occurring whilst increasing the potential for exploring new stimuli.

*Make a decision about the birdie bed being in cage. These can certainly be appreciated by parrots such as Conures but perhaps withdraw it for a few weeks while you are reworking the diet and enrichment schedule and reintroduce it at a later stage. Alternatively, simply remove it during the day and place it in the cage in the evening – a great cue perhaps for `day’s over’, time for some rest.

From the above it should be obvious that managing these behaviours requires an approach that appreciates the influence of a range of environmental factors – your own behaviour being an important component of that. Hopefully with some simple changes to the diet and enrichment schedule you will see less of a `Sex Starved Sunny’ and more of a `Seed Seeking Sunny’ in the future.

Kind Regards, Jim McKendry
Parrot Behaviour & Enrichment Consultations
www.pbec.com.au | jim@pbec.com.au
Clinic Consultations available 3rd Saturday of every month at Brisbane Bird & Exotics Veterinary Service – see website or e-mail Jim for details!!!

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Though micro-chipping is more common with other companion pets such as dogs and cats, having your pet bird micro-chipped, as a form of identification, is a fairly new concept. Most birds are identified by the ring system around their leg, but this can be easily cut off in the cases of theft, while microchips cannot be removed, except surgically.
Up to now, most of the birds that have been done fall into the, rarer, more expensive and larger breeds and will usually be done before the new owner picks up their bird.
What Is Micro-chipping and why should you do it?
Basically a microchip is exactly what it says, a microchip, about the same size and shape as a grain or rice, which carries a barcode which is unique to each individual chip.This microchip is inserted into the bird and when a scanner is run across the outside of the bird, it reads the barcode and will display a number, which is unique to that bird.When a bird is microchpped, all of the owner’s details including name, address, phone numbers, alternative contact numbers, the bird’s name, age, sex, breed, and colour are all stored at a central data base. All this information is kept in strict confidence and no one can access these details, except the company. You can easily change your details, should you move, or if the bird is sold to a new owner, by ringing the company, or going on line and accessing your details though entering your secret pin number.

There is no need to be scared of people accessing your details, as if someone rings the central data base claiming to have your bird, the data base will only ever give out a phone number so you can be contacted, or will take their details and contact you, so you can contact them personally. Complete confidentiality is guaranteed. This recovery system operates 24 hours a day.
Unlike cats and dogs, where microchips are placed under the skin, usually on the back of the neck, a bird’s anatomy and skin is very different, so in a bird the microchip is inserted into the pectoral muscle. It is placed inter muscular, not sub-cutaneus, in parrots, so that they cannot chew on them and break the glass casing, which would render them useless. The glass casing is extremely strong and protects the microchip from damage.
The microchips come in a needle which is sealed in a sterile packet, so it is safe and hygienic and once inserted, doesn’t seem to cause any problems and the parrot wouldn’t even know it was their.
Having your bird micro chipped, gives you definite proof of ownership, should your bird get lost and ownership be in dispute. If your bird does escape and is found by a vet, or handed in to animal rescue centre, all of these places have scanners and can scan you bird and to find contact details through the data base.
I must say that at the moment, because most smaller, more common variety of birds are not micro chipped, at lot of birds such as budgies and cockatiels are not being routinely scanned by the vets and refuges, but as more people get their birds micro chipped, these organisations will start doing it routinely. If you do microchip your bird, it does mean that you can ask any or these places to scan any new birds that come in, so should your bird show up, they will be able to contact you.

What sort of parrots can be micro chipped and when can it be done?
Any type of parrot can be micro chipped and vets have done down to 70 gram size bird, but could do smaller passerines, so it definitely isn’t only for the larger birds. Personally, I would always microchip any pet I own, for my peace of mind, and this means having my parrots micro chipped.
Unfortunately, unlike cats and dogs, our parrots need an anaesthetic to have a micro chip implanted, so usually it is best for convenience, cost and cutting down on anaesthetics, to have micro chipping done at the same time as another procedure, such as surgical sexing, (if necessary), any other operation, or when you are having your yearly “Healthy Bird” medical check up, and bloods are being taken. Most of the good breeders of large exotic parrots have it done at one of the pre-purchase health checks at the vets and just add the cost onto the bird’s purchase price.
 Prices for micro chipping can vary, but for a short general anaesthetic, a micro chip, implanting it by your vet and life time registration by the central data base, you probably looking at about $100 to $120 approximately. This really not a great deal of money for the peace of mind of knowing your parrot has permanent identification for its entire life.

Problems?
We are very lucky here in Australia and do not have the same problems counties such as America have had with micro chipping. All micro chips and scanners in Australia must be ISO standard, which means all scanners must read not only all the current 15 digit microchips, but will also read the old 10 digit micro chips. In America there has been a variety of chips and scanners and not all scanners will read all chips. This has caused problems with birds being scanned and no reading showing, when in fact the bird was micro chipped. If you read this on any of the bird chat lists, or magazines, you can be assured that this is definitely not in Australia, where we have strict regulations to prevent this.
Some people talk about micro chips moving in the body of the animal. This has happened in rare cases, mostly highly active breed of dogs, where the chip can move down onto the shoulder blade, but because the chips are placed in the pectoral muscle, in birds movement is not a problem. All the new chips now being sold are non movable chips, so this prevents movement as well.
This biggest problem is having to have an anaesthetic, as I discussed earlier, but, it is a one off procedure and avian vets are highly skilled at performing these.

As well as micro chipping, keep good records about your parrot in a safe place with photos of your bird, which can be used to make up missing posters, should you lose your parrot. Take photos showing any distinguishing markings such as feather patterns, or facial features, such as the markings on macaws, which can be as individual as finger prints. Even close up photos of your birds feet can show very individual features, which may prove ownership. All this info can be kept together with veterinary visit details and weights of you bird and put somewhere handy should you need it.
As a last word on micro chipping, a new micro chip has just been developed called the Biotherm chip, that as well as storing a bar code, has a heat sensitive element that can read your bird’s temperature. When scanned, the number will be displayed as well as your bird’s temperature. This will certainly make reading a birds temperature by a vet much easier and more comfortable for the bird. These are available now, but relatively new and for these to work properly, vets and refuges will have to buy new scanners, that will read the old chips, as well as this new temperature taking micro chip. It may be a few years till they are common place, but it just goes to show where modern technology is now taking us.
Many thanks to Dr. Adrian Gallagher for his assistance in writing this.

I just thought i would send you a quick email and photo of roxy our baby quaker who absolutely loved the jolly ball as soon as we gave it to her, she even had a sleep in it half hour after she got it.

Regards Sharna

The PRC Parrot Shop currently has selected toys on special, please look out for products that are marked in Red.

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The Parrot Rescue Centre spends a lot of time and resources in doing what is best for the parrots in its care 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, Jamie, Bella and volunteers. To help fund the PRC we have created the PRC Parrot Shop, Bird Boarding services and the Sanctuary Program 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 and also to continue to provide the Website, Newsletter and other services such as Sanctuary, Rescue, Rehabilitation, Adoption and Placement programs.

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Yours truly,

Zarita Garozzo

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Story of the month of July/August

A Day For the Birds

I went to bed but it was impossible to sleep. I'd been looking forward to the next day for a long time. I was in Copan, Honduras and on my way to see Macaw Mountain Bird Park, the place I'd heard about by chance back home on the Gold Coast. Even though I hadn't slept I was buzzing, and when the morning light broke I was ready to go. We flagged down a tuk-tuk and made our way through a series of steep, windy, muddy roads through the rainforest.It was a miracle our tuk-tuk didn't flip over from meteor-like potholes dotted along the road. Nestled in a gully, it felt like the whole area was blanketed in silence. And then... as if cutting the silence like a knife to butter, a cacophonous chorus erupted from a flock of macaws. Through the trees we saw our turn off. We had arrived.

Macaw Mountain is a parrot sanctuary/refuge and houses mainly macaws, hence the name. The birds here have been rescued from the illegal bird trade, injury/sickness, as well as general neglect and abuse. The park currently has over 200 birds that are being cared for. As well as macaws, there were many amazons and a few different species of toucans, parakeets and conures. Our entrance ticket of $5 included a free optional personal guide to show us around and explain how the park worked. Our guide Carlos showed us the rehabilitation area, where the birds first arrive once brought into the park. No one except the bird keepers are allowed into this area as many of the birds are understandably extremely stressed, mainly due to human mistreatment. They are given a beautiful, lush and peaceful environment in which to recuperate by themselves for as long as they need .They are monitored closely by an avian vet. When they show signs of progressing they are introduced into one of several huge enclosures with other birds of their kind, and/or other compatible birds. What a joy it was to walk around the park and see those beautiful birds happily playing, foraging, chewing and singing in the company of other parrots.

When the birds have done well interacting with other birds and they have their full strength back, they are released and closely monitored. However, as many rescued parrots have spent most of their lives in a cage so small they can't even spread their wings completely, they do not have the instinct or skills to adapt to and survive the wild. My husband and I saw a lot of this as we traveled through the majority of Central America. We noticed the cages that were sold in markets were maybe twice the size of a laptop, there was no variety, only that size. Occasionally I saw a couple of cages for sale that were the size of a small aviary, however this was the exception. Whilst going from place to place especially in Nicaragua we saw many parrots in these small cages, 99% of them were amazon parrots of different sorts. They were popular most likely because they are cheap up there and easily available. Nicaragua is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. When possible, we would try to see these caged birds to talk to them and just keep them company for a little while (not that we broke into anyone's yard, but the thought was there!). Their stoic form usually turned to joy when someone talked to them and gave them some loving attention. One little cutie started really showing off and did some somersaults on his steel perch.

I wish I could have rescued those magnificent creatures from that dull life, the feeling of helplessness for them lumped up in my throat. I could just pick up the cage, run like hell and find a place I could let the bird go free, but would it know how to fend for itself? It would in most likelihood be recaptured, and the problem would manifest itself in a different way. Few things seldom touch my heart more than the plight of these beautiful, loving, smart creatures who, I believe, have a fate worse than death in a small 'cell'. I'm sure I'm preaching to the converted when I say this. Larger parrots are very smart, macaws can have the mind of a 4 year old. Imagine a 4 year old child being locked up in the space the size of a bathroom for decades. A bit skew? Well yes. But large parrots can live as long as we can, sometimes longer. No wonder their inquisitive minds go crazy and resort to feather plucking and other destructive behaviours when they have no stimulus or living space. I asked Carlos why people in the area put such big birds in such small cages. He said it was due to lack of education. I can appreciate the sentiment, but how much education does one need to see that keeping an animal like this is just downright wrong? Well, that's my opinion only.

The rescued captive birds at Macaw Mountain live out their days in some large amazing enclosures, where they can be admired and appreciated they way they should be. Some of the birds have lovely, people friendly temperaments, and every day those ones are let out of their enclosures into a large open ''interactive' area where people are welcome to hold them and talk to them.  They are totally out in the open all day long  in a lovely space  sitting in trees and you can approach any one of these birds, there are about 40 in total. This was my favourite part of the day. We were the only people in the park and had all these birds to ourselves. Carlos said the park never got very busy, which I could imagine would be good for the birds. After taking a few photos of us with 4 macaws on our shoulders, he left us to enjoy this area by ourselves. We spent a good couple of hours here and got to know some real characters, they all had really unique personalities. We held many of the birds and enjoyed watching them playing around. Our most memorable encounters were meeting a rare buffon's macaw - a green macaw with some red feathers around its face, he is larger than the blue & golds and scarlet's. We called him Gramps because as far as anyone knew, he was the oldest macaw in the park. He really liked Andy, my husband. I formed a formidable bond with one of the amazon parrots whom I called Happy. He was the most gentle and loving bird I have ever met and just downright refused (in a very gentle and loving way) to get off my shoulder, so he stayed there with me the whole time. It is truly amazing how much love these guys are capable of giving when they themselves are in a loving environment. Parrots can add a real depth and enrichment into our lives, but we must be loving and patient toward them, giving them a fair chance to really shine. The ones that are locked up in small cages with no real human or other bird interaction are not given a chance which is a tragedy. Clothed inside those feathers are little guys who can be faithful companions and lifelong friends.

Trafficking is a huge problem in Central America, as in many other areas of the world that are blessed with beautiful birds. I've been trying to research some statistics, but everywhere I've looked have presented different figures. It is serious nonetheless. The smuggled birds have to endure the worst of conditions to make it to their destination alive. 9 out of 10 don't make it, the smugglers know this. The good news is the governments in Central America are collectively taking action against parrot trafficking. The smuggled birds intercepted by the Honduran government are sent to Macaw Mountain.

I would go as far to say that the time we spent with the birds that morning was the best morning of my life. It was gut wrenching to say goodbye to all the birds, and particularly my new special friend, Happy. But I walked away content knowing there was a wonderful place for these rescued birds, where they could live in peace and freedom from the terrible things they previously experienced. Macaw Mountain is a great place to visit even for people who aren't into birds; there is also a natural swimming hole and a small coffee plantation in which the park harvests their own coffee (which by the way is awesome!)

My husband and I are on a year long around-the-world trip, and we have seen so many amazing birds in our travels. I am writing this article from Dakar, Sénégal, where we are based for 6 weeks on a short NGO assignment. There are 2 gorgeous native parrot species here, and unfortunately we have seen some wild caught birds for sale and other sad things, not a note I want to end on.
 
I have 8 fids (feathered kids) of my own whom are in the wonderful care of my mother until we come home. Everything we have seen and experienced while we've been away only makes me love my birds even more. We hope you have enjoyed hearing about Macaw Mountain as much as we enjoy remembering it and we also hope that we can all appreciate our birds a little more.

How to enter the monthly draw to win a PRC recommended parrot toy and have your birdies picture and story part of the PRC Newsletter.

· Fill out the Parrot Rescue Centre Membership Form
· Write a story about your feathered friends, whether emotional, funny or silly
· Send it to zarita@parrotrescuecentre.com
· Include a photo of your bird as an attachment on the email.

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

Sexually frustrated pet birds can also become obsessive compulsive about drinking.  I often have concerned owners bringing their pets to me because they think they have diabetes or kidney disorders.  These birds are also single pets without a mate.  They are bright, active, alert with no apparent signs of physical illness.  However, their owners are concerned that they are passing droppings with lots of excess fluid.  When questioned, they admit that the birds also drink great quantities of water.  Naturally, this water is passed from their bodies in the form of excess fluid in their droppings. Very often with these birds, the introduction of a mate and a change in the way the owners relate to the bird, results in a more normal pattern of drinking and an end to the excessive fluid in their droppings.

Sexual frustration can also result in obsessive compulsive grooming habits which easily develop into feather picking and self-mutilation.  Single pet male cockatiels very commonly pluck their own feathers as a result of sexual frustration.  I commonly see single male cockatiels inappropriately bonded to a human member of their flock.  Mixed marriages don’t work the bird knows something is not right.  Their chosen mate can’t have sex with them and won’t get into the nest to lay eggs.  With their mating behaviour blocked, they resort to obsessive grooming to replace this need. Obsessive grooming soon leads to feather plucking and in extreme cases, self-mutilation.

Another cause of obsessive compulsive grooming or feather plucking occurs if there is any change to the flock dynamics. If a family member dies or leaves home, or marries or begins a new relationship or a new pet or baby is introduced into the household, these changes block a bird’s normal interaction with their flock and so they channel their frustrations into obsessive grooming that can result in feather barbering, feather plucking or self-mutilation. Sudden changes in environment eg cutting down a favourite tree or moving home can also cause anxiety related obsessive grooming in birds.

When their foraging instinct is blocked, birds can also become obsessive compulsive about some other behaviour.  Single birds kept in sterile, bare cages have no opportunity to forage for food.  Seed and water are placed in bowls and the bird has nothing else to do except eat or drink.  Without opportunity to forage for food many pet birds become obsessive compulsive about eating, drinking or over-preening.  Pet bird owners need to present opportunities for their birds to forage food items. Present your bird with a lot of different types of “bush tucker” that is suitable for their dietary needs.  Eg. Budgies, cockatiels, cockatoos, galahs love to forage on fresh green seeding grasses.  They happily spend time husking each seed and chewing up the juicy leaves and stems of the grasses.  All birds enjoy chewing on “browse” i.e. fresh, green, leafy branches of Australian native trees placed in their cages daily.  Gum nuts, seed pods, fresh thistle are all forms of natural forage for pet birds.  Specific foraging toys can be purchased from the Parrot Rescue Centre on line shop.  Birds have to use their brain to find the treats hidden in these toys.  With the help of an excellent DVD “Captive Foraging” (also available at the Parrot Rescue Centre on line shop) and their own imagination, owners can invent many ingenious and safe ways to encourage their pet bird to engage in natural foraging behaviour.

If a single pet bird is inappropriately bonded with a human member of their flock, they can become obsessive compulsive about calling and vocalizing.  In the wild, a mate is never separated from their bonded partner.  If such separation occurs, it is natural for the birds to call to each other.  If a bird is bonded to an owner who works 9 to 5 it will often call obsessively (and drive everyone else in the household mad) until their mate returns each day.

Birds are complex animals and we need to understand this when we take on the responsibility of owning one of these remarkable creatures.  It is very important to maintain balance in their lives and try to avoid situations where natural behaviours are frustrated.  Where practical or possible, all pet birds should have an opposite sex mate of their own species to ensure that they have a natural outlet for their sexuality when they reach puberty.  Owners should always act as the parent to their bird, not their “lover”. We need to make sure that we guide and socialize our pet birds to ensure harmony within the family flock.

Their environment should be safe and stimulating with plenty of food foraging opportunities.  If we can provide opportunities for the pet birds to engage in all of their natural behaviours, we will be less likely to be confronted with dysfunctional obsessive compulsive pets. Our lives and that of our pets will become more harmonious and rewarding.

Written by Peter Wilson
BVSc MACVSc
Avian and Reptile Practitioner

To contact Peter Wilson Click Here

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