This is the website for one of my favourite parrot people - I have been admiring her writing a long time now! Liz has a way of explaining these complex creatures in clear, easy-to-understand terms. Some of her articles are posted here - even if you don't own a parrot, you will want to read them for the insight you will gain on the avian perspective.

Many a human has learned this lesson the hard way - somehow, it seems so easy to believe that trouble will never happen to us! But Gary from New York State writes, "Never, never, leave your canaries out overnight! Just once is all it takes for a raccoon to snatch them and leave you a horrible sight the next morning... Please inform your readers!"

Racoons are not the only predators, and canaries are not the only pet birds at risk. As well as coons, you must watch out for some dogs, most cats, biting or stinging insects, hawks, owls, rodents of any kind, and more!

In the case of larger birds, you need to be certain that the bird is properly wing-clipped, and you need to keep an eye peeled for anything which might startle him.

So by all means, enjoy the summer weather with your bird - but do please remember to be careful. After all, you don't want to end up inadvertently sacrificing both your pet bird and your peace of mind for a little time in the sun!

Our next issue is due out August 5th - until then, may you and your birds enjoy all the best of everything!

Robirda

Welcome to the Companion Birds eZine

For bird people who care.

Hello! Welcome to the twenty-fourth issue of Flock Talk! If this ezine is helpful to you, please visit www.robirda.com/useful.html   Send any comments, ideas, tips, tricks, stories or feedback to Robirda

Feature Article

Pet birds are the third favourite pet in North America. Exotic birds are big business, and it's not surprising that many have decided that they want a large slice of this 'pie'. The proliferation of inexperienced breeders, too many of whom are irresponsible, ignorant and greedy, is creating a huge problem. Sally Blanchard recently began to term this phenomenon the "Poultrification of Parrots".

The victims of this trend are both the birds and their new owners. The owners, because they may very well wind up with a bird ill prepared to face a long life as a family member. The birds, because most end up with major physical, emotional and behavioral problems, some lifelong.

This makes it essential that before even considering buying a pet bird, would-be bird owners must first learn how to tell the difference...

by Wilhelm Kiesselbach
http://www.nd.edu./~kkiessel/

Anyone who has ever seen a bird stuck in a filthy cage with pain in its eyes, reminiscent of a child in purgatory, will share my anger, frustration, and disgust. Ignorance and greed cause some of the worst acts of cruelty ever perpetrated on Nature's most precious, unusual, beautiful and intelligent creatures.

Cats and dogs, when sold at the tender age of 8 to 12 weeks, are already well-prepared, for the most part, to be a good human companion. They have been bred to be companions for centuries. Their emotional make-up is similar to ours, and our species have been well acquainted for hundreds of generations. They are a very long way from being the wild animals they began as, and the relatively minor tasks of housebreaking and obedience training is often all it takes to have a good housepet.

This is a completely different scenario than that found in the relationships we have with our pet birds. This means that the skills needed for breeding and socializing good pet birds are entirely different.

Most pet birds, especially the psittacine species, are still essentially wild animals. What is more, they can have the intelligence level of a dolphin or a five year old human child. Their brain to body ratio is equal to that of a human, and they have the maturity pattern of a human teenager.

They must be taught to function in a natural and a human 'flock' environment. Bonnie Doan-Munro, who wrote 'My Parrot, my Friend', extensively quotes renowned child psychologists in her advice about rearing parrot chicks, with good reason.

In the wild, baby parrots are taught flock behavior by their parents, aunts and uncles. It takes years. African Greys, Cockatoos and Macaws have been observed still being fed up to the age of two years old.

Where this is neglected by human breeders, the emotional development of the bird is stunted and it will eventually develop serious behavioral problems. These can express themselves as feather mutilation, biting, screaming or anxiety. Caring for such a parrot requires extensive patience and knowledge.

Breeding parrots requires a real sense of responsibility for a truly unique creature. It requires total familiarity with the emotional and dietary needs of the babies. Equally important, it requires a thorough knowledge of the nature of parrots, not only as chicks, but during adolescence and maturity as well.

When buying a baby parrot, please remember that this cute little bundle of joy, under the wrong circumstances, has all the potential to grow up to be anything but cute. This little feathered person can live to be eighty years old, may outlive you and under certain conditions (supported by a breeder's immorality and a buyer's ignorance), is sure to grow into a veritable monster. Most of these unhappy creatures end up in a dark corner, a dingy basement or garage, while more can be found at the local swap meet, or in a newspaper ad as 'second hand' parrots, being shoved from one 'home' to the next.

The responsibility to see that this does not happen belongs to both the breeder and the buyer. In order to minimize the chances for disaster, you must educate yourself before you buy a parrot. Make sure it will fit into your lifestyle and that you have the money to properly support him or her.

Then, and most importantly, find a good breeder.

In order to know what is wrong, you first have to know what is right. In order to know what is right, you must educate yourself before you embark on your search.

NEVER buy from a pet store unless you are absolutely sure that it is reputable and that the birds it sells are also bred there. Otherwise you are buying a 'cat in the bag'.

NEVER, NEVER buy from large pet stores, or any of the other mass merchandizing organizations. They are the biggest offenders of the 'Poultrification' phemomenon.

Their parrot eggs are incubated mechanically by the thousands - the chicks are gavage fed. This method squirts a predetermined amount of formula directly into the crop. There is no proper weaning, no fledging, no time spent learning to socialize - they don't care for the birds or what will happen to them once they are pushed out of the door. As aresult, anybody who buys one of these birds will pay an unmentionable price, one high in stress, heartbreak, and trauma to both the owners and the birds.

NEVER buy from a breeder who does not at least meet the qualifications listed below, and never, never, NEVER buy a parrot on impulse - from anyone!

The keys to identifying a good breeder are:

• WEANING: Make sure that the bird will be completely abundance weaned. Force weaned birds are an invitation to problems. Weaning takes time. It is a labor of love, and the most telling indicator of the breeder's sense of responsibility. NEVER buy from a breeder who is willing to sell unweaned or force-weaned birds. The story that weaning a baby bird helps the bonding between owner and bird is unmitigated nonsense, a rumor spread by those who are trying to avoid the work it takes to properly wean a baby bird. A breeder selling unweaned or improperly weaned birds is irresponsible and unethical. If you find such a breeder, run!

• FLEDGING: A baby bird needs to learn how to fly. This is important for his/her self confidence and mental health. Although you probably should clip his wings later on, for his safety, he or she should be properly fledged first. Mostly, this entails leaning to fly - including take-off and landing. These skills are essential to a bird, and must be learned early in life. Fledging a bird is the responsibility of the breeder. If that is not happening, you have found a bad breeder - run!

• SOCIALIZATION: In order to fulfill their pet potential, baby parrots must be socialized. It means that they learn to be comfortable with changes, that they will accept new 'flock members' without trouble, and that they are comfortable in changing environments and situations. If the birds are not being socialized, you have found another poor breeder - run! (editor's note; you may find you get rather a lot of exercise while looking for a good breeder...)

• DIET: The proper diet is an important part of keeping a pet bird healthy and happy. Feeding them solely on pellets or seeds is not the way to achieve that. Their needs vary with each species, and it is the breeder's responsibility to provide this diet as a part of the abundance weaning process. It should always include fresh greens, fruits and vegetables. If that is not the case, you have met yet another bad breeder - run!

• CLEANLINESS: Take a look at how the parent birds are kept. Are the cages clean and large? Is the water dish filled with fresh, clean water? Is the diet correct? Are there toys available in all cages? If the answer is no, you can be sure that the breeder either doesn't know any better or doesn't care. In either case - run!

Sally Blanchard has developed a list of questions to qualify the breeder of your bird, which covers the issues mentioned. However, it is my opinion that a bad breeder will have no trouble lying to you. If you can't find one in your neighborhood and must talk via the phone, get references, names of previous customers, and be sure to talk to them. The best way to investigate a breeder is to meet them face to face - and remember, you must know what is important.

Example 1:
One day a lady showed up in a Grey Chat - she was planning to get an African Grey and she had questions. Lots of them - about cages, toys, diet, full spectrum lighting, raising a baby, behavior modification - and she did not have a bird yet, not even a breeder. She read and asked and checked for about six months. Then she went looking for a breeder. She found one, 200 miles away. She visited and liked what she saw. She ordered the chick and visited again, almost every weekend. Desi, her little TAG (Timney African Grey), is now about a year old and is the joy of the entire family. She travels with them, talks up a storm, and is a happy, charming and very bright little companion.

Everybody is a winner, especially Desi. She is a winner because her HuMom did everything the right way.

Example 2:
I have a second hand bird, an 8 year old male Eclectus (Simon). His Mom surely loved him, but she had no idea how to qualify the breeder, and never took the time to learn what was important for his well being.

Simon is one of the sweetest little guys I have ever seen - but he is totally dysfunctional. He had literally plucked himself bare when I first met him and brought him home.

He has no idea that he is a bird. I love him with all my heart and am very sad that he was cheated out of his full potential for birdie happiness. He is still dysfunctional, and may always be. Some feathers are growing back, but most never will. Simon was the loser. Guess who did this to him?

In the final essence it is all your responsibility - and the magic word is education. Don't become a participant in this endless cycle of misery. Instead, educate yourself, and help to educate others. Ultimately, this is the only solution to this terrible problem. Be like Desi's Mom, not like Simon's - and remember, you are getting a child, if a feathered one. Don't support the abusers, instead, help weed out bad breeders!

by Wilhelm Kiesselbach
copyright © July 2001
http://www.nd.edu./~kkiessel/

"I would like to build an Aviary!! Could you suggest any ideas on where I can get further information?"

My answer;

"Hello! Are you talking about an indoor aviary or an outdoor one?

"The requirements for an outdoor aviary are almost as stringent as building a house for people - they have to be predator, insect, and rodent-proof, and there has to be a well-lit, draft-free shelter available. It must be easy to clean, and you should know that they can be a lot of work to maintain, as well as expensive to build.

"You will need secure storage for supplies and utensils, and a water supply, unless you plan to cart crocks and dishes back and forth. An outdoor aviary needs to be well insulated, with a sound roof. Depending on your winters, some heat and supplemental lighting may be needed, and steps may need to be taken to keep unfrozen water available at all times.

"Indoor aviaries can be quite simple, by comparison - but you will need to spend a fair bit of time watching your birds while they are living in it. There is often some bird or another who is being too aggressive and needs to be removed, to ease the stress they cause other birds.

"Most canaries, males especially, can't be allowed to stay in an aviary with other birds for more than half the year or so - they are just too territorial.

"So really, the design you use should start with your needs. A design which works wonderfully for somebody else could be completely the wrong thing for your situation.

"Do check in your local library - they are a great source if information. But remember to keep your own perspective, too, and look over whatever ideas you uncover with your own special needs in mind."