Volume 8 October 2005
Basic Training Part 2, PRC Tips: Water and Toy Safety
Unique Opportunity - by Jim McKendry
The Parrot Society of Australia have organised a special meeting event for November that will feature none other than Steve Martin - perhaps the finest and best known avian trainer in the world. This is an incredible opportunity to listen to Steve talk and see him in action. The event will include a PowerPoint presentation by Steve, followed by some hands on demonstrations with parrots and some Q&A time. This will be Steve's only public presentation on the east coast of Australia so it's certainly an event that anyone involved with companion parrots should attend. To find out a little more about Steve go to http://www.naturalencounters.com

This event will be held on the 27th of November, 2005. Venue details are yet to be confirmed however it will definitely be held in Brisbane. There will be a cost involved with proceeds beyond expenses going towards the new Conservation, Research & Education Trust that the Parrot Society has formed.

If you are keen to attend then you will need to contact:
Stewart Williamson (Parrot Society of Australia President)
on 07-3289 2523 or president@parrotsociety.org.au

Bookings are essential for this event and places will be limited.


Steve Martin & friend
To Fly Or Not To Fly -That Is The Question
The Following Article is written by Steve Martin
President, Natural Encounters, Inc.

Published in PsittaScene Magazine
Publication of the World Parrot Trust, November 2002
Prologue:
It happened again, someone sent me an email asking how to teach his parrot to fly free outside. If I only had a nickel for ... you get the point. My standard response to this question normally involves a short, professional cautionary note couched within a biology lesson detailing the fundamentals of learning flight skill. My politically correct response does not include the questions I really want to ask like, why in the world would you want to let your parrot fly outside exposing it to all the dangers a caregiver is supposed to protect a bird from? And, have you asked your bird if it wants to be forced into this risky, great unknown? The bird’s entire life has been spent indoors, protected from the dangers of the highway, pond, dog, electric wires, and countless more hazards awaiting the naive parrot. “My bird loves to go outside” is the chorus I have heard too often from well-meaning owners who often misinterpret the flapping of the half-panicked, clipped-winged parrot gripping tightly to their fist closed securely over its feet. “He loves to exercise his wings when we go outside. If I let his wings grow in he will be able to know the joy of flight.” This scene has been played a million times, and unfortunately will be played a million more.
 
Introduction
One of the hottest topics on the parrot list serves these days is whether or not a parrot owner should clip the wings of their bird. One side says “it is your responsibility as a parrot owner to clip the bird’s wings to protect it from injury and allow it the freedom to experience the outdoors without fear of it flying away.” The other side counters that “it is cruel and unusual punishment, indeed it is abuse to clip a parrot’s wings. How can you deny the bird it’s right to freedom?” It is amazing to me that the two camps are so far apart. I believe when two sides are so adamant about opposing views the best answers usually lie somewhere in the middle. So, I’ll take this opportunity to share my views and explore this contentious subject.
 
To Clip Or Not To Clip
Whether or not to clip a parrot’s wings depends on many factors. I believe the most important of these factors should be the health and welfare of the bird. For a true assessment of the value of flight to parrots you should start with its natural history. Why do parrots need to fly in the wild? It occurs to me that the most important reasons parrots fly in the wild is to locate and establish breeding sites and territories, locate and acquire food, access safe roost sites, and, very importantly, they fly to escape predators. I am sure there are other reasons parrots fly, but these are the most important. Some people might say that parrots fly for fun. This may be true, but let’s leave it for later.

Can we accept the reasons I mentioned above are the main reasons parrots fly in the wild? If so, can we also accept that these reasons are not important in captivity? Parrots have food, water, territory, safe roosts and no predators in their captive environments. So, is flying important to companion parrots? Some people believe flying is important because it helps keep birds more physically fit and healthy. I personally think this may be true. However, I suspect if someone researched the longest-lived parrots in history they would find those birds had clipped wings. Some other people believe it is important for a parrot to fly-free because it is fun, enriching and as much a part of a parrot’s nature as walking is to humans. This may be true as well.
 
Let’s fly
Ok, for whatever reason, let’s suppose that you have decided you want your parrot to have the power of flight. The next step is to investigate whether or not your bird is capable of flight. The fact that your bird has flight feathers does not necessarily mean it is going to be a competent flyer. Many parrot owners have let their companion parrot’s clipped wings grow in only to be disappointed when the bird did not exercise its new flight power. Parrots, like most other birds, develop their flight skills in the first few months of their lives. Nature provides motivation for a young parrot to launch itself out of the nest cavity and try its wings for the first time. Like a child learning to ride a bicycle, a young parrot will make many mistakes as it develops the skills and coordination required to become a master of the sky. A companion parrot that had its wings clipped before it learned to fly will miss out on this very important period of its life and may never develop good flight skill. When the owner lets the birds wings grow in, the bird’s first attempt at flight may be similar to putting a person on a bicycle for the first time in his or her life and sending them racing down a steep hill.
 
The Techniques
For the past 26 years, I have flown many parrots outdoors in the shows we produce. The training I give these birds before they ever fly outside is far more involved than most people might think. We raise our birds in groups, or pairs, in large cages where they can fly from perch to perch (usually around 8 feet apart). We also have three large flight pens (up to 50 feet long) where we conduct two or three training sessions per day … every day. It takes about two months of intensive training before I am comfortable flying a parrot outside. Plus, I have a great staff of professional animal trainers who play a very important role in educating these birds. They have an excellent working knowledge of Operant Conditioning and Positive Reinforcement training techniques, and they have developed insights and sensitivities that are simply not required when working with parrots that have clipped wings. One more thing to consider, what I have mentioned here is only a fraction of our training process. There are many more key elements, and several more steps that we take to insure the safety of our birds. I believe anything less would be putting the birds in jeopardy.

The flight pens I mentioned above are great alternatives for anyone who wants to allow their birds to express their power of flight without the risks associated with flying free outdoors. The size and materials used for the flight pen would depend on the budget, but the larger the cage the better for flight confident birds. I believe a flight pen should be at least eight feet wide, eight feet tall, and 16 feet long. Of course, larger is better. Strong wire mesh is the best material to use for most parrots. However I have used a strong nylon netting for some parrot flight pens with good results. It is important to note that most parrots can chew through the nylon netting so the perches should be situated in the center of the cage and not come close enough for the bird to grab hold of the netting. Also, it is best to monitor the birds anytime they are in the flight pen, and do not leave a bird in a nylon netted flight pen over night. Owls can startle a bird in a flight pen and can easily grab the parrot as it hangs on the side of the nylon netted cage. A large flight pen is very beneficial, both mentally and physically, for birds that are confident flyers. It is also a great place for young birds to learn their flight skills. However, a bird that did not learn to fly at an early age will have some trouble learning the flight skills required to use the entire facility and may just choose not to fly at all. One last point, be sure the flight pen offers shelter from the sun and easy access to food and water.
 
The Human Factor
My job not only involves training free-flight birds, I also train people. I have trained over 500 professional bird trainers to fly many species of birds in free-flight programs. I have also given countless workshops and talks to companion parrot owners. These experiences have taught me that the most important factor in free-flying (or even owning) parrots is “humans.” The human factor often outweighs the animal factor when I consider free-flying birds. Not all humans are created equal. Some people have a talent for understanding birds; an empathy that allows them to sense what is going on inside that bird's mind. Still, others are so far away from even the most basic understanding of what makes a bird tick that in my opinion they should not be allowed to have birds. These are often the people who obtain a bird simply for self-serving purposes. One guy wanted me to teach him to train his bird to do tricks so he could "pick up more chicks at the beach." Unfortunately, anyone can own a parrot.

Owning a parrot is like driving a car ... anyone can do it. However, free flying a parrot outside is like driving a car in the Daytona 500. It should be reserved for only the most experienced and talented people who have the right equipment. In the case of flying parrots free outside, the equipment must begin with a good working knowledge of behavior modification techniques that are based on positive reinforcement, and a bird that is a confident and capable flyer.

Flying birds free outside is something I can readily discourage. Flying parrots free inside is something that I choose to leave up to the individual parrot owner. However, I will offer the following thoughts. Many parrots enjoy the opportunity to use their natural flight skills. These birds are the ones that have good flight skills and confidence, the ones that can maneuver around corners, change direction in mid air, and make controlled landing each time they fly. These flight-confident birds are less likely to get injured than birds with lesser flight abilities, but they are not immune to accidents. Even the best flyers have drowned in toilets, crashed into exposed windows, gotten hurt landing on hot stoves, or have flown out open doors or off the shoulder of their owner who forgot they were with them. This list of lethal possibilities is probably just as long, or longer, for parrots with clipped wings. For instance, many parrots with clipped wings are stepped on by their human caregivers each year, something that rarely happens to parrots with good flight skills. Even parrots with clipped wings have flown away when taken outdoors. Clipping a parrot's wings does not guarantee that it cannot fly. Plus, a parrot with clipped wings outdoors is still vulnerable to accidents involving cars, dogs, cats, bodies of water, traumatic impact with the ground or other hard objects, etc.
 
Summary
The debate over whether or not to clip a parrot’s wings will likely continue as long as humans keep parrots as pets. There are valid points to consider on both sides of the argument. My hope is that people will consider the health and welfare of the birds, plus their own personal abilities and living situation, when making this very important decision.

I will continue to caution people on the dangers of free-flight parrots and will avoid encouraging anyone to free fly a parrot outside through my books, lectures, or videos. For me, this is the only ethical position I can take. If I include free-flight in a book, lecture, or video it would be similar to giving instruction on sky diving without following up with personal attention. I would have to assume that the person would read the book and understand it enough to be successful. If something went wrong, I would have to share in the responsibility.

I believe most parrot owners are responsible people who want only what is best for their bird. Sometimes this means leaving the bird full-flight, and sometimes this means clipping the bird’s wings. The choice is yours to make and your bird’s to experience. Let the choice be made with the bird’s health and welfare in mind.

(This article is protected by copyright, therefore the PRC acquired special permission from the World Parrot Trust and author to reprint this document.)
Greenbank RSL Dog Day Out Challenge and The Road Home Launch
 
The Parrot Rescue Centre will be attending this event and will have a Marquee set up on the day.
Please come for a visit.



This is basically a family day where Greenbank RSL 'challenge' Brisbane pet owners to bring their dogs along to the event and for every dog that turns up Greenbank RSL will donate $100 to the RSPCA
 


   
When:
 Saturday 8th October
What time:
 10am - 1pm
Where:
 Fairfield Park, Brisbane (next to RSPCA Shelter)
Fee:
 No Charge
 
Positive Reward Training - By Verna Shannan


Basic Training - Part 2

The purpose of this second series of lessons for your bird is to get him to stand at the aviary door and wait quietly while you open it and to have him step up onto your hand when you give the command. If you are just beginning and haven’t read the previous issues of Talking Birds, I suggest that you do so before embarking on these lessons.

Your bird should, by this time, be happily eating from your hand while sitting on the top, back perch. He knows his name and he understands the word “Good,” which you are using as a bridge.
1.
 Start to lure the bird down to the bottom perch with the treats; one at a time, going further down, saying ‘Good’ at every stage and giving him a treat, until he is sitting on the lower perch just behind the cage door.
 
2.
 Stand or sit in front of the cage, breathe deeply and slowly, say “Settle,” and wait for your bird to be still and quiet. Sometimes he will be jumping up and down and screaming in anticipation at this point so wait until he stays still, even if it’s only for a second, before saying “Good,” and giving him a treat.
 
3.
 Gradually, over the next few training sessions, using the word ‘Settle,’ or something like it, make him stay still and quiet for a little longer before rewarding him. This will teach him to calm down on command. You will always be grateful for this skill, especially if you can teach it to yourself at the same time. It is very useful (for the bird), when the lawnmower or the vacuum cleaner starts up, or anything else that frightens him or sends him into a frenzy.
 
4.
 Open the cage or aviary door slightly and slowly hand the treat through the doorway. Bridge and reward with another treat. Gradually open the door up more and more until it is wide open, bridging and rewarding all the way. If the bird tries to come out or to bite you, stop, close the door, walk away and go back in a few minutes. Give him three chances then leave him in his cage and do not feed him his meal for twenty minutes. Start again at the next training session.

These steps are worth doing, even if your bird is very tame, because it will teach him self-control and it will be very satisfying for you to have such a well-behaved bird. It’s a bit like having a dog which will sit and stay when told to do so.

When your bird is comfortable being hand-fed in the cage through the open door move on to the next steps, if you are training a bird that isn’t tame.
5.
 Hold your hands in the prayer position with a treat between the thumb and forefinger of your right hand.
 
6.
 Slowly place both hands on the perch, with the left palm up and right palm down. Wait for the bird to take the treat. Bridge and reward with another treat while leaving the left hand on the perch.
 
7.
 When your bird is comfortable taking treats from your right hand, while your left hand stays in position, start to move the right hand away slightly so the bird moves closer to your left hand and eventually has to lean across to reach the treat. Don’t forget to keep saying “Good,” and reward him at every stage
 
8.
 The next step is to have the bird actually touch your left hand as he reaches over for the treat. Hold the treat high so the bird’s beak is not close to your left hand. If the bird does try to bite you, you have moved too far, too fast. Say nothing, drop both hands, close the door, walk away, ignore the bird for five minutes and start again. Give your bird three chances then leave him in his cage. Do not feed the bird his meal for twenty minutes.
NOTE: It is always your fault if you move too fast and get bitten so keep your temper.
9.
 Start saying, “Up” or “Step up,” when your bird leans further across your left hand. Don’t bridge and reward until the bird lifts a foot ever so slightly. Next while saying “Up,” wait for the bird to actually touch your hand with his foot before bridging and rewarding.
 
10.
 Once your bird is actually stepping up onto your hand let him go back to the perch as soon as he wants, which is usually straight away.
 
11.
 When the bird is happy to stay on your hand for a while, start moving away from the cage little by little, day by day while you keep reinforcing with treats.
   
Always have the bird step up to things rather than down. Have your hand in front of his chest to have him step up to you. Then hold your hand, with the bird at chest level to the perch, so he has to step up to the perch in order to leave your hand.
 
NOTE: Never work for more than 5-10 minutes at a time, keep your patience, stop before either you or the bird get tired or irritable. It might take one or two sessions to get this far or it might take months. It all depends on the age and history of the bird, the time you put in and your competence. Do not ever let the bird see you getting irritable. Never, ever shout abuse, this will completely alienate your pet.
   
12.
 After morning training time give your bird his breakfast of fruit and vegetables. After evening training time give your bird his pellets.
   


NOTE: If your bird gets to a stage where he is not interested in the treats you are giving him as rewards cut the session short. If he is not interested at the beginning of a session cut his pellets down a bit.

Please contact me if you need help with your parrot or parrots and I will send you a list of my fees and services.

Birdbrains@bigpond.com Mobile: 0407 911 474
   


Don’t miss the chance to come to this one-day workshop at the Parrot Rescue Centre on the Gold Coast.

Topics covered will be:
Understanding bird behaviour,
enrichment,
diet,
housing
& training.

There will be some hands on work with our birds. It will also involve a tour of the Parrot Rescue Centre and seeing trained native Australian birds free fly outside.
Presented by:
 Verna Shannan (Parrot Behaviour Consultant)
Place:
 Mudgeeraba
Date:
 5th November 2005
Time:
 10am-4pm
Cost:
 $100 per person or $150 for two people
For Bookings please phone: 0407 911 474
Birdbrains@bigpond.com Mobile: 0407 911 474
 
Published in Talking Birds Australian’s Avian Newspaper- December 04
Australia's only newspaper devoted to the care and breeding of birds - including finches, canaries, parrots, cockatoos, budgies, softbills, pheasants and waterfowl. It is full of news, information and feature articles from Australia and around the world. For more information visit: www.talkingbirds.com.au
Companion Parrot Support Network

Can you have a breeding pair of birds and still maintain the companion relationship outside of breeding season or is this unrealistic? Should we simply acquire a different but compatible bird?

Companion Parrot Support Network-FREQUETLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Can you have a breeding pair of birds and still maintain the companion relationship outside of breeding season or is this unrealistic? Should we simply acquire a different but compatible bird?

One of the great myths of companion parrot keeping that still persists today is that you can’t maintain a close relationship with more than one parrot in your household – especially if you have two of the same species. Whilst achieving a harmonious human-parrot flock dynamic with multiple-parrots in your home environment is not automatic, it is certainly possible.

A little history to consider first…
The thinking behind having to keep a parrot isolated on its own to maintain its `tameness’ stems from earlier times in pet parrot keeping. If we look back to not more than 15 years or so ago, many parrots that found themselves in pet households were often wild caught or aviary-bred, parent reared birds. Handrearing of parrots was still in its infancy and indeed when I first became involved in the keeping of parrots as pets it was extremely difficult to locate anything more than handreared cockatiels. It was more common to find `hand tame’ birds offered for sale – often wild caught or aviary bred juvenile cockatoos that had been `tamed’ to some degree. Combined with little in the way of sound, logical, positive reinforcement based training and behaviour understandings, in these contexts it was certainly more challenging to develop close relationships with multiple parrots that weren’t initially imprinted during their infancy. It’s not difficult to understand that if a parrot has a history of aversive experiences with humans then they’ll certainly be more inclined to shy away from attempts at handling and seek comfort in the close companionship of one of their own kind. Consider that parrots thrive on predictability when it comes to other organisms in their environment. For many wild-caught or parent-reared parrots, humans represent an unpredictable and potentially aversive experience compared to the predictable and natural interactions of their own kind. Today, for many companion parrot owners, things are different. Most of the birds we see in pet homes were handreared, some even from the egg, resulting in a high degree of imprinting. This often then translates to a high degree of receptivity to human handling and willingness to accept human interactions, even in the company of other parrots.

Understanding your goals…
The first thing that I ask my clients when they are considering adding another parrot to their flock is what their goal is in terms of the social dynamic they wish to achieve. Whilst some parrot keepers simply want to gain experience with a different species and don’t mind if their birds are socially incompatible, others are seeking a high degree of compatibility all-round – between parrots and humans collectively. This is a major influence when it comes to the `choice’ of species. Once the new owner is clear in what they hope to achieve from a social point of view we can then work on matching compatibilities from a behavioural and environmental perspective. Obviously if there is no great desire to achieve social compatibility, the selection process isn’t very complicated.

Species to Species Compatibility…
If the desire is to have a group of parrots that will engage with each other physically then an understanding of the general behavioural traits of the different species groups is required. As an example, species with non-physical pair bonds such as Asiatics, Eclectus and Australian parrots from the Polytelis, Alisterus and Platycercus genera cannot be expected to sit on a perch with a conure or a cockatoo and indulge in mutual preening. Some species also have general tendencies to exhibit territorial behaviours and aggression with less stimulation than others. This may be why we tend to observe a high incidence of social aggression amongst lorikeet and lory species due to their naturally high level of competitive behaviours. This is where an understanding of the interactive behaviour dynamics of each species in the wild and their natural pair bond behaviours will guide an understanding of what to expect in captivity. Contacting a parrot behaviour consultant should provide some clarification of what to expect from species you are considering.

Human-Parrot Relationships…
A huge number of variables exists that will ultimately influence the degree to which a human can maintain close interactivity with multiple parrots in the same environment. The scope of these is far too great for this forum but here’s just a couple of considerations…

  • Age will always play an important role in social dynamics and social receptivity. The way a young parrot facilitates interactions may differ to that of a sexually mature bird. Often it’s easier to achieve a highly interactive multiple-parrot flock when the birds are raised together from an early age and a level of equality in experiences with their human keepers is achieved.
  • Behaviour is manipulated as a consequence of environmental feedback. If we wish to achieve a high degree of interactive, social behaviours from our pet parrots then we need to ensure that such behaviours are reinforced in a highly positive way. Basically, you need to provide a high degree of motivation for your parrots to want to interact with you in preference to or in equality with each other. This is achieved via life-long approaches to daily handling, interaction, training and positive reinforcement schedules. The more you provide a consistent routine of interactions revolving around creating highly valuable and motivating experiences for your parrots, the keener they will be to see you and want to interact with you each day.

Maintaining Relationships with Breeding Birds…
This is certainly achievable but each scenario is likely to present a different degree of `possibilities’, often dependent on the personality of the birds you are working with, which may once again, relate back to species differences. I know of a couple of owners of a Indian Ringnecked parrots who have a wonderfully interactive relationship with these birds right throughout the breeding season – even with young in the nest! These may be exceptional situations but it does however prove that it is possible. Species such as Cockatoos and Amazons however may present significant aggressiveness in such situations so therefore you would need to evaluate the appropriateness of your expectations at certain times of the year. As an aside, research into the circulating sex hormone profiles of parrot species is extremely limited. There are some trials being conducted however that might give us some insights into the role of hormones and seasonal behaviours in parrots in the future. Such findings will further enhance our understanding of how to interact with these creatures more sensitively.

Same Species or Different?...
My personal preference is to keep companion parrots with at least one other member of the same genus, if not the same species. But it really comes back to what your focus is and whether you want to achieve the dual goal of strong compatibility between the animals as well. A few generalisations do exist that may further influence thinking in terms of keeping the same species together in household pet environments. One in particular is the sensitivity of sexually mature female Eclectus to the presence of other female eclectus. Bachelor groups of males may provide the best long-term compatible scenario for many species. Of course, hybridisation is a major issue to consider as well and this will offer a further influence on selection suitability for closely related species. Once again, if you really want to discuss your goals and get some advice applicable to your situation then engage in a consultation with an experienced behaviour consultant.

Wonderful `flock’ relationships can indeed be established where multiple parrots, even of the same species and in some cases even with breeding pairs, can indeed be achieved with the maintenance of quality interactions with human keepers. We need to be aware however that there may be inevitable changes to the degree to which our parrots are motivated to interact with us as well. It’s a compromise that is often rewarded by experiencing a whole other level of parrot ownership.

I offer phone consultation advice dealing with this specific topic as part of my consultation service scope. If you are considering adding another parrot to your companion flock then send me an e-mail with your postal details and I can mail you a brochure with information on my consultation services and Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary workshop experiences.

For more information about my workshop experience or to receive a pamphlet with information about my consultation services simply contact me via jim@parrot-behaviour.info or via my website at http://www.parrot-behaviour.info

Kind Regards, Jim McKendry
Companion Parrot Support Network Founder
Parrot Behaviour & Enrichment Consultations

Do you have a parrot behaviour or care FAQ that you would like me to answer via the PRC Newsletter? If so then e-mail your question to Zarita via zarita@parrotrescuecentre.com

Written By Jim McKendry
Pet Parrot Behaviour Consultant and Co-ordinator of the CPSN.

To access information on the Parrot-behviour.info website and the CPSN initiatives please visit:
www.parrot-behaviour.info.com
Don’t miss your chance to attend the last Companion Parrot Workshop for the year at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
Presented By:
 Jim McKedrey (Parrot Behaviour Consultant)
Place:
 Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
Date:
 4th December 2005
Time:
 8am to 3pm
Cost:
 125 per person
   
For Bookings please phone: Cait Feldmann, Education Manager CWS, via phone on 07-5534 0846
PRC TIPS - Toy Safety

Toys that are manufactured for parrots can sometimes be unsafe. Larger parrots are able to break plastic and metal parts and if these are digested it can cause chocking and death. It is essential to watch out for human baby toys used for larger parrots, as in some cases it has been know for parrots to open up plastic rattles and get their beak and even tongue stuck. Rope toys can become dangerous if chewed excessively and digested, also the threads can cause the birds to become tangled and loose circulation in toes, legs and even strangling themselves. Toys made out of wood products should also be assessed, as treated timber is lethal to parrots and will in some cases cause immediate death

   
PRC TIPS - Water







It is important to watch out for open water when birds are allowed to roam around the house. Toilets, sinks, buckets, large cups, pot pans in the kitchen and bathtubs filled with water are dangerous if your bird falls into them, as once they are wet or upside down they are unable to pull themselves out and normally will drown.

  

Featured Product of the Month from the PRC Shop

PRC would like to provide you with some resourceful information each month of selected items from the PRC shop. The PRC personally uses all items provided in the Shop to ensure there safety, durability and excitement factor. Remember most PRC birds live in aviary environments and practice there natural chewing ability 24/7 therefore toys put in our aviaries do not have the same length of durability as a pet parrot kept indoors. When toys are tested with the PRC indoor parrots, the toys have a longer durability rate.

Tropican Pellets

Why Feed my bird Pellets?

It has been the tradition in this country to feed caged birds on bird seed.

Of course, birds can survive on a seed diet, but the length of their survival and the quality of their life is compromised heavily under these circumstances. The problem is that, in the wild, birds are free to seek out exactly what they require in regards tot the correct vitamins, minerals and fat levels – they know what they need.

In an attempt to offer variety and overcome some of the deficiencies of an “all seed” diet many people offer their birds fruits and vegetables etc. Fruit and vegetables make a good carrier for a water soluble vitamin/mineral supplement to add to a seed based diet, but they do not contribute much themselves as they are mostly water, with some fibre and relatively low levels of vitamins. Their remains can also cause sanitation issues, and leave a large amount of unwanted mess to clean up after they have been picked through.

The most dramatic nutrient problem with a seed only diet is not their deficiencies which can hopefully be met with supplements, but their excess of fat, which cannot be removed prior to feeding. Fat levels in the three most commonly fed seeds are so hight that they are referred to as “oil seeds”. High fats result in feather and skin problems, small stools and low water intake, shortening and reducing the quality of a bird’s life.

Hagen (Hagen Avicultural Research Institute) of Canada has spent 15 years and many millions of dollars researching bird nutrition. The complete bird food “TROPICAN” is the result of all these years of hard work, developed by Mark Hagen M.Ag director of Research at HARI.

HARI understands that often a gradual introduction of the change of a bird’s diet is important and has three ranges of foods using Tropican Food Pellets.
PRC online Shop only supplies Tropican in all sizes, if you are interested in Premium or Tropimix please contact the PRC by email or phone.
Premium- Blend of premium seeds, nuts, oil seeds, fruit with a small amount of Tropican granules. Specially formulated for Budgie, Canary, Finch, and Lovebird/Cockatiel, small and Large Parrots
Tropican- A full mix of extruded pellet food, made from a blend of Nuts and fruit mixed with a comprehensive range of vitamin and mineral supplements. Available in Lifetime Lovebird/cockatiel, Lifetime Small and large parrot, Baby formula and parrot biscuits.

Tropimix- an even blend of Tropican pellets and premium hulled seeds, nuts, legumes, vegetable and fruit. A 100% edible mix available in Lovebird/ Cockatiel/Small and Large Parrot.

For more information on HARI please visit: http://www.hagen.com

Written by Verna Shannan

Literature is supported by Hagen Foods.

Member Moments

From the Month of October!
Sharni


I am finding that living with a Quaker is a whole new experience in noise, chatter and bossiness. She is almost 9 months old now and every day is a new adventure. Unfortunately, I work 5 days a week but when I am home, there is no time to sit and relax - she wants to come out and see what is going on. We go on walks or picnics on the weekend - I am very lucky because she is a very social creature and doesn't mind people patting and admiring her. We had quite heavy rain on Sunday and so I sat out on the back veranda with her as she has never seen rain before. It is just wonderful being with animals when they experience something for the first time. She was quite intrigued by it all and there were currawongs swooping and diving in the rain so that kept her amused - she did not make a sound for half an hour - she was just fascinated by all of it.

Thanks to your Newsletter, I have decided to get her a bigger cage so I can give her more stimulating things to do when I am not there. And I am about to buy her (and the cockatiels) more toys from your shop. The toy I got from you recently has proved to be a good investment - if she is waiting to come out of the cage she will play with it for a while. But I can see that she needs a variety of things to keep her stimulated. I like the idea of her foraging for food as well. Your article on stringing the nuts together was great and will try and do it this weekend.

Congratulations on another fantastic newsletter.

Kind regards,

Jan Cullen
Story of the Month:


October: “Sharni” Jan Cullen has won best story for the month of October!

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, weather 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!

PRC Support Conservation
What is Conservation?

Conservation involves protecting remaining habitats as well as the birds themselves.

What we can do?

  • Do not buy a wild-caught bird for a pet.(Don’t feel sorry for the bird, as the supplier will just replace it with another if you purchase it)
  • Do not buy furniture, building materials and other items made from mahogany, rosewood, teak or ebony. These are rainforest woods. Buy purpose grown wood, such as pine.

The Parrot Rescue Centre conservation initiative is in place to help provide an awareness to all, that if we do not support conservation organisations, who then will protect our native wildlife. We hope that our membership and support of these large organisations who do so much for our eco system, will encourage you to become an active member also, remember together we can and will continue to make a difference.

The Parrot Rescue Centre is an active member of the following organisations:
The World Parrot Trust
The World Parrot Trust work to achieve the survival of parrot species in the wild, and the welfare of captive birds everywhere.

To achieve this they:

  • Restore and protect populations of wild parrots and their native habitats
  • Promote awareness of the threats to all parrots, captive and wild
  • Oppose the trade in wild-caught parrots
  • Educate the public on high standards for the care and breeding of parrots
  • Encourage links between conservation and aviculture
THE CHARITY FUNDING PROJECTS AND PROMOTING
EXCELLENCE IN PARROT CONSERVATION AND WELFARE
   
Birds Australia
  • Birds Australia is dedicated to the conservation, study and enjoyment of Australia's native birds and their habitats.
  • Birds Australia has joined with bird and habitat conservation organisations worldwide to form a global partnership called Birdlife International.
An Organisation dedicated to the conservation, study and enjoyment of Australia's native birds and their habitats.


“From the Avian Vets Desk” - Pet Parrots and Wing Clipping


Routinely, in my avian practice, I encounter many problems associated with pet parrots that have inappropriately clipped or unclipped wings. These problems range from accident and injury to psychological and behavioural problems. Pet parrots without wing clips (i.e. fully flighted) and pet parrots with excessively short, “hacked off” wing clips are the usual victims of misadventure within the home environment.

Some pet parrot owners have a philosophical aversion to restricting the flight of their pets. They allow them to fly freely within the house. They fail to understand that the home can be a death trap to free flying pet birds. As an avian veterinarian, I see the end result of unsupervised free flight in homes. Birds without wing clips can smash into windows at speed. They fly into ceiling fans, drown in open toilets, land on hot stoves and pans of hot fat etc. They also escape through doors and windows inadvertently left open. Therefore, I recommend wing clipping to prevent this type of trauma. It is the responsibility of the pet owner to protect their parrot from the hazards of the home environment. Wings should be clipped to protect the parrot from injury.

Excessively short wing clips can also cause many problems. Birds with “hacked off” wing clips fly like a rock. I commonly treat young birds with open wounds to their chests as a result of falling heavily onto tiled or wooden floors because of an inappropriately short wing clip. Traumatic injury to unprotected wing tips is another common result of a “hacked off”, excessively short wing clip. If the primary flight feathers are cut too short, there is no protection for newly growing blood feathers on the wing tips. In such cases I have to imp feathers (add feather extensions) to protect emerging primary flight feathers and the wing tip from injury.

The main purpose of the wing clip is to prevent injury to the pet parrot in the home and also to aid in training and taming the bird. A proper wing clip allows a bird to exercise his “wing flapping” pectoral muscles. This is very important in young, developing birds. It also gives the bird “coasting” ability, so he doesn’t fall like a rock when attempting to fly. First wing clips should be done by your avian veterinarian or avian technician. It is important to learn the correct way to trim a bird’s wings. In our practice, we usually recommend a “training” wing clip. This involves clipping approximately a third to a half of the first seven primary flight feathers of each wing. This wing clip allows young birds to glide to the ground without injuring themselves. It also prevents birds from flying up and away during training sessions.

Clipping wings is a two person job. One person should hold the bird while the other clips one feather at a time. By cutting one feather at a time it is easy to avoid cutting newly growing blood feathers. It is important to be conservative with the wing clip at first. It is always easier to correct a wing clip that is too long rather than to rectify one that is too short. We always give each bird a test flight after a wing clip to see whether we need to adjust the length of the clip. A correct wing clip should enable the bird to glide downwards but not gain height.

The “training” wing clip is one of the most important aids to taming and socializing the pet parrot. It immediately changes the pecking order in the bird/owner relationship by preventing the bird from being dominant. It is impossible to try to tame and socialize a bird that can fly away.

It is always important to check the status of a bird’s wing clip. A well trained parrot will be accustomed to allowing the owner to hold out his wings and to check the length of the flight feathers. If some feathers have grown longer than the clipped ones, it is then a simple matter to “cut along the dotted line” of the remaining clipped feathers.

However, a “training” wing clip does not prevent a bird from flying away outside the house. The purpose of the wing clip is to restrict the flight of the bird within the home. Outside, a gust of wind can give the bird the lift it needs to fly away. If you want to take your pet outside, train it to accept a bird harness.

An appropriate wing clip can actually enhance your parrot’s quality of life.

Written by Peter Wilson
BVSc MACVSc
Avian and Reptile Practitioner

To contact Peter Wilson Click Here
Bird Boarding

Do you need a guilt-free holiday?

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.
Bird Boarding Health Check Requirement

All Boarding Parrots are required to undergo a health check by a qualified Veterinarian preferably an avian specialist or vet that has a special interest in birds, please Click Here to find your nearest suitable vet.

Health check should include:
  • 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

Meet some of the family

Species:
Red Tailed Black Cockatoo

Name: Simba

Age: 4 years

Sex: Male

About Simba:

Simba was surrendered due to his owners lifestyle change and is now a permanent resident at the PRC. He has had only one leg all his life. He is a confident flyer, landing as if he had two feet and has learnt how to scratch himself with perches and his wings instead of his feet, he has also taught himself to lie on the perch to release pressure from his foot. We continually attach gumnuts and branches onto his perches for him to chew, as he cannot hold anything in his feet, also he is provided with fresh perches to prevent bumble foot from occurring (this is an infection on the bottom of the foot, which is cause from constant pressure on the one foot. He cannot excrete faeces normally therefore he is handled regularly for cleaning and to help him preen his head.

Can I Adopt a Parrot?

Yes, if you pass the essential assessment process.

It is vital that the PRC have a assessment process for people wanting to adopt a parrot, as many of the parrots that have been surrendered to the PRC have been given away because of behavioral issues.

The PRC does the best they can through the rehabilitation process to ensure that these behaviors are controlled although when re homing these birds we need to ensure the parrot owner has a good understanding of parrot needs and requirements.

These birds do not deserve to be moved from home to home anymore, so if you are adopting a bird from the PRC it is going to be a life long commitment.

Click here for more information and to apply
Links

Parrot-Parrot is a site dedicated to the smaller parrots such as lovebirds and budgies, but it is also an excellent resource for information on ALL birds and parrots. They provide information on avian health, nutrition, toxin and dangerous toy alerts.
 
Since March, 1992 Pet Search has been successfully reuniting Sydney's lost pets with their owners. Pet Search can help you search for your lost pet across the whole of NSW.
Next Month Highlights:
Positive Reward Training Part 3, FAQ, Parrot Tips
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