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www.parrotmag.com August 2014

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Australian
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King Parrots
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A quick way to turn full screen mode The Moluccan + mutations
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Which
eMag Navigation tips macaws make
Important update: best pets?
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EB Cravens
and instructions if you are new
to reading interactive PDF files.
Parrots
feather-plucking
Alan K Jones, BVetMed MRCVS
Lovebirds –
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Amazing volunteering opportunity coping over
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of our new eMag. Your comments In the Amazon Rainforest! holiday period
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Think Parrots Welcome
Parrots magazine After two successful shows at Woking
Leisure Centre, it was a daunting decision
I am delighted to say that Sally
Blanchard, one of the top parrot

£2.98
to move away to another venue. behaviourists in the US, and writing

£3.40 pay just

But after the show at Kempton Park for this magazine on all aspects of
Racecourse, all our fears were unfounded behaviour, was a huge hit at our
as, without exception, visitors were delighted and very happy. Think Parrots Show! Sally has over 40 years’ experience
There was a wide range of exhibitors offering just about of working with parrots and as well as answering your

SAVE £5! and claim a

everything for your parrot, and it was satisfying to see Java behavioural queries in our Parrot Queries pages, she is also
trees, large cages and lots of goods winging their way out to currently writing a series of Personality Profile articles. This
visitors' cars. month she writes about Moluccan Cockatoos from firsthand

FREE CD worth £19!

experience and explains just about everything you ever
“Many thanks to all wanted to know!
at Parrots magazine EB Cravens, another top expert on parrots, writes about
for their work to put
the large macaws (and more) and explains which ones, in
together another
By subscribing for 12 months, you pay just great Think Parrots
show.”
his view, make the best pets and why. Leslie Moran writes
about the dangers of feeding sugar to our parrots and Alan

£2.98 per copy, saving over £5 on shop prices!

K Jones, BVetMed MRCVS brings us right up-to-date in a
The Masterclasses comprehensive article on feather-plucking – an article not
run by Peter Scott to be missed!
And that's not all. When you take out a 12 month subscription FRCVS, Rosemary
Low and Sally Blanchard boasted
Karen Chudley writes in her usual amusing fashion
about all the different “perching” she provides for her
for just £35.75, you can claim a CD containing a year's eMags 300 people plus in each and went mixed flock to suit their individual needs, all the different

worth £19 absolutely FREE to view on your laptop or tablet, down extremely well. Many told me
they had learned a great deal and
toys they have and their preferences, and generally gives
readers many great ideas on improving day-to-day living
or could not wait for next for their birds.
year's event! From Australia, Allen Friis sends us wonderful and
a DVD Parrots Look Who's Talking! worth £16.95 absolutely FREE. A massive free exclusive pictures of Australian King Parrots in the wild,

FRONT PAGE
car park for up to 850 including pictures of two naturally occurring mutations!
These CDs are a great way to catch up on back issues for your cars was available with Svetlana Velichko has been visiting New Zealand and

laptop or tablet. The DVD Parrots Look Who's Talking! is one of Kempton's very own
railway station right
the most amusing programmes about parrots and guaranteed alongside. Catering was greatly
by all concerned and
improved with a much larger menu
to entertain. for food and refreshments from jacket
potatoes and salads to burgers, hot
shares with us a magical day she had in the mountains
of South Island when she realised a dream and
“An excellent effort encountered not one, but two, different groups of the
super-intelligent keas.
cannot praise highly
enough. Next year Loads to read in this issue and I hope you enjoy it!
can't come quick Next month we will be celebrating our 200th issue of the

Enjoy the benefits:

CONTENTS PAGE
dogs, doughnuts and crepes, as well enough!” magazine, so don’t miss it!
as an ice cream van on site.
Kempton Park Racecourse offered a much improved all Pauline James
SAVE on cover price round venue with ample room to spread out with picnic tables
outside. The weather was really good which added to a great
Editor

FREE delivery to your door and memorable day out for the many visitors who attended.
We have included here some pictures and visitor
If you would like to write about your parrots, and
have some good photos of them that you can
NEVER miss an issue comments and will be publishing an eight-page supplement
in our next 200th issue showing much more of this very
send us by email, we would love to hear from
you! If you would prefer not to write it yourself,
but would still like to tell your story, please
Prices AVOID trudging around the shops enjoyable parrot event.
contact us and we will write it up for you.
John Catchpole

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 arrots magazine is published 12 times a year by Imax Visual Limited, The Old Cart House, Applesham Farm, Coombes,
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magazine Publisher: John Catchpole – editorial@imaxweb.co.uk Editor: Pauline James Administration: Jean Arnold
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A u g u s t 2 0 14 Parrots eMag 3
 FULL SCREEN ON / OFF
Volunteering
Opportunity
Esperanza Verde, Peru
This volunteering opportunity set in the heart of the
Amazon Rainforest involves: helping to build an already
“up and running” animal rescue centre. Carrying rocks
from the river, mixing huge amounts of cement by
hand and general carpentry are typical activities for the
18 24 34 26 strongest, but there are plenty of other tasks to be handed
out too, including baby-sitting the family’s two children.
No experience required!
In the words of one volunteer, the routine for caring for
the animals goes something like this: cutting fruit, mixing
food and placing it in their respective buckets. Visit Rincay,
the tapir, who will try to take a bite of your clothes. Cuddle
him and make sure that he and his friend Pepito, the
tortoise, are healthy. Continue to the aviary and from there

10 30 36 12 8 go to the monkeys.
Mica is the least shy monkey and will probably follow
you around for most of the trip. She tends to fall in love

Contents AUGUST 2014

with volunteer guys, but ignore her and she’s fine. At
the monkey feeding table you will also see Igor, Tika (the
coati), Camilla and Jordi, which is an amazing sight. In
magazine the evening it’s time to feed the animals, the volunteers’
favourite is Elmo, the sloth. As soon as you enter his cage

VOLUNTEERING IN PERU p.5
This volunteering experience is getting back to nature with
the animals and birds of the Amazon Rainforest
PARROT NEWS p.6
Catch up with all the latest, top parrot news stories
from around the world
PERSONALITY PROFILE: MOLUCCAN COCKATOO p.18
Sally Blanchard writes about her many years of experience
with the Moluccans she has known and trained
NATIVE SUBURBAN TREES VITAL FOR PARROTS p.22
Researchers explain why planting native trees in parks,
gardens and along streets is so important
BOOK REVIEW: THE PARROT TICO TANGO p.40
A lovely, busy book for young children with an important
moral and eye-catching illustrations
YOUR PARROT QUERIES ANSWERED p.42
Our team of experts are here to answer your questions.
Please email or write in with your queries
FRONT PAGE
he comes straight towards you and tries to climb onto you.
You will be living rather primitively, as there is no
electricity and no hot water. The biggest city nearby
is Pucallpa (about three hours away), but the town of
Curimana is closer, (about one hour away) and you
can find most necessities there. The village of the local
community Bello Horizonte is just across the river.
The surroundings are beautiful and you will be staying

AMBASSADOR SPIX’S MACAW DIES p.8
Presley the Spix’s Macaw found living as a pet in Colorado
was returned to Brazil to help save his species
NEWS FROM LORO PARQUE p.10
All the up-to-date news of their 2014 breeding season,
including many rare parrots
LEAVING A LOVEBIRD BREEDING COLONY FOR HOLS p.24
Plan your breeding season so you are away at the
least vital time
ROYAL KINGS & NATURAL MUTATIONS IN THE WILD p.26
Allen Friis sends us wonderful photos from Australia of
two naturally occurring king parrot mutations
LETTERS PAGE p.44
The debate on feeding pellets to Green-cheeked Conures
goes on…
IN THE NEXT ISSUE p.45
News of what is coming in the September issue. Celebrate
with us, with this special 200th edition of the magazine
CONTENTS PAGE
with your hosts Olivia and Douwe. Their family are the first
to settle on the other side of the river. You can swim in a
nearby river and there is a small waterfall with a small
basin for bathing.
Three weeks is the minimum stay and the cost is £44
per week. You can pay in local currency - 210 Peruvian
Nuevo – or in US dollars, (approximately $75), which covers
food and lodging, and includes a contribution for materials
for the continued development of the Centre.
For more information, including a video and reading
about the experiences of previous volunteers see the

BIRD ALERT p.11
It’s all about African Greys this month, that have been stolen,
lost and found
COMPLETE PSITTACINE p.12
EB Cravens discusses which large macaws make the best
pets and explains why worldliness is vital to parrots
PREVIOUS PAGE
UPDATE: PARROTS FEATHER-PLUCKING p.30 BACK COPIES p.46 website:
Alan K Jones, BVetMed MRCVS writes a comprehensive article Articles are not repeated so build up a library of knowledge www.esperanzaverdeperu.com
on all the things that can cause feather-plucking and the cures on parrots by buying back copies
Olivia and Douwe’s contact details.
MY ENCOUNTER WITH WILD KEAS p.34 PARROTS CALENDAR p.50 Email: info@esperanzaverdeperu.com
Tel: +51 968 520 911 / +51 972 722 910
Svetlana Velichko shares with us her magical day when If you would like your parrot event included
Address: Esperanza Verde, Apartado 85, Pucallpa, Peru
she met two different groups of keas send us an email!

THE HOLISTIC PARROT p.16 ORINOCO’S HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM p.36 CLASSIFIED PAGE p.51

NEXT PAGE
Leslie Moran discusses the dangers of feeding sugar to birds Karen Chudley discusses perches, toys and fun times Parrots for sale and wanted, and specialist bird societies
and explains why sugar in fruit is different with her parrots are all featured

4 Parrots eMag A u g u s t 2 0 14 A u g u s t 2 0 14 Parrots eMag 5

Parrot News
Drive carefully,
parrots crossing!
With all the successful
breeding seasons in recent
years, the Bahama Parrot is
thriving in Abaco, causing the Bahamas
National Trust (BNT) to install six parrot
crossing signs on the Ernest Dean
Highway, between Crossing Rocks and
Sandy Point.
“Due to management efforts and
breeding success, the Bahama Parrot
population on Abaco has increased,” said
Marcus Davis, deputy park warden for
Abaco National Park, where the parrots
breed. “The parrots regularly fly over
the Great Abaco Highway and the Parrot
Crossing signs will alert motorists to
proceed with caution.”
The BNT has been conducting
surveys in both Abaco and Inagua on
Feathered Friends
Photo Competition
We are proud to announce that
Victoria Gage from Somerset is the
winner of the Facebook “Feathered
Friend’s” group monthly photo
competition. She will receive a six
month subscription to Parrots
magazine.
The group is located in the UK and run by
Sheila Ambrose, who would love to hear from
other enthusiastic parrot owners.
Contact details:
www.facebook.com/pages/
Feathered-
Friends/197863400259322
6 Parrots eMag
Please send any news stories you have to:
editorial@imaxweb.co.uk or Parrots magazine, The Old Cart
House, Applesham Farm, Coombes, West Sussex BN15 0RP, UK
Ecuadorian
Amazon survey:
More questions than
answers
A team of UK researchers
from Chester Zoo who spent
three weeks in South America
studying the newly-classified Ecuadorian
Parrot - one of the world's rarest parrots - have
returned with more questions than answers.
The parrot was reclassified from being
a sub-species of the four-strong Amazona
autumnalis group with a combined
population of around 5 million, to Amazona
lilacina, only in December 2013. Due to
this population being estimated at only
the Bahama Parrot populations, for the
Parrots
past 10 years, and the surveys have
been showing that the populations are
barter
bouncing back. The Abaco population
is unique because it is the only ground-
with nuts
nesting parrot in the Western Hemisphere
and it is also the only parrot in the world
In a study, published
that has adapted to fire.
The Bahama Parrot was once found in the journal Biology
Letters, parrots have
on seven islands, but now can only be
found on Abaco and Inagua which has shown an ability to barter “so-so” nuts
led to the protection of the parrots under for preferred nuts or foods, and in doing
the Wild Birds Protection Act and CITES. so have exhibited remarkable self-
The breeding area of the parrot in Abaco restraint - even out-performing some
children.
is protected in the Abaco National Park,
In studies from the 1970s, children
which was created in 1994.
were presented with a marshmallow
and were told that they could either eat
it now, or wait and receive a second
one, if they could hold out for a time
delay of some minutes. Those that were
able to wait, have gone on to be more
successful as adults than the children
who gulped down the first marshmallow.
The ability to strategically wait, therefore
is very important in the course of human
development. Now we can say it’s
important to bird development too.
Alice Auersperg, from the University
of Vienna’s Department of Cognitive
Biology and colleagues, presented
a Goffin’s Cockatoo with food snack
options. The best of the bunch, from
the bird’s perspective, were pecan nuts.
Mirroring the kid-marshmallow
experiment, the researchers next offered
the birds an even better deal. If the
birds did not eat the pecan, they could
A u g u s t 2 0 14
FULL SCREEN ON / OFF
amid the mangroves of Cerro questions about the birds' However, Dr Pilgrim said it
Blanco, located along the breeding behaviour. Based was possible the male also
coast of western Ecuador.” on data from earlier surveys remained near the nesting site
"We knew from notes and literature, the researchers at breeding time and while there
made on our previous visit assumed they would be is some concern, there is still a
that the parrots roosted in the
mangroves and flew to the dry
monitoring the parrots during lot to do before we can make
the breeding season. However, clear and bold statements
forests to feed. The assumption the team found no proof that about what is happening there.”
was they did so to protect they were breeding at that time. But many positive aspects
themselves from predators that The team monitored the also came out of the teams visit
600, and being split into sub- were not found on the mangrove daily flights made by the parrots to Ecuador. Dr Pilgrim said,
populations of less than 250, islands. But we found they from the mangroves to the dry “The dry forest area of Cerro
means that it has now been flew a long way out into the forests, and the return journey Blanco appears to be extremely
afforded “endangered” status mangroves,” said Dr Pilgrim. at the end of each day. One of well protected and there is
and funding to protect it. "Local shrimp farms use the methods used to assess certainly a lot of ranger activity.
“The truth is there are a bird scaring devices, designed how many birds were breeding All the time we were in the
number of things we didn’t to frighten the herons and was to count how many single forest, we did not come across
expect,” explained expedition shore birds to stop them eating birds were making the flight, people who could be potentially
leader Mark Pilgrim, director the farms' stock and whether assuming breeding hens were poaching or tree felling. In that
general of Chester Zoo. “One this is affecting the parrots’ absent as they were carrying sense, it is very reassuring that
example was how the birds behaviour we don’t know.” out nesting duties and the the forest, the nesting sites and
chose their roosting sites The study also raised single birds were the males. the mangroves appears to be
Although the birds fly in well protected.”
large groups, Dr Pilgrim said, “It Dr Pilgrim said plans were
trade it for a cashew. Apparently to this species they are the was relatively easy to spot pairs in place to repeat the Cerro
yummiest nut of all! within the group, but the team Blanco survey every third year
“When exchanging for an upgrade, the Goffin's acted only recorded 11 per cent of the in order to build up a long-
astonishingly like economic agents, flexibly trading-off birds in flight as “singles,” which term dataset that would allow
between immediate and future benefits,” explained Dr would be a very low percentage researchers to monitor the
Auersperg. “They did so, not only relative to the length of of LibertaQtrAD_Raleigh_LibertaQtrAD_8324Voyager
the population reproducing. 29/10/2013
parrots' population 10:57 Page 1
dynamics.
FRONT PAGE
delay, but also to the difference in trade value between the
‘currency’ and the ‘merchandise.’ They tended to trade their
initial items more often for their most preferred food, than for
one of intermediate preference value and did not exchange in
Cages for all enthusiasts
a control test in which the value of the initial item was higher
than that of the expected one.”
Dr Auersperg continued, “While human infants or primates
can hold the initial food in their hands, one should also consider
that the birds were able to wait, while holding the food in their
CONTENTS PAGE
beaks directly against their taste organs. Imagine placing a
RALEIGH
cookie directly into a toddler’s mouth and telling them they would
only receive a piece of chocolate, if the cookie is not nibbled for Scan the code for
information on this cage
over a minute.” Aside from revealing how intelligent these birds from Mike Simmons
are, the study also shows that researchers can become very
popular with birds if they regularly feed them tasty nuts!
Parrot enthusiasts watch .... SCAN THE CODE
PREVIOUS PAGE
Mike Simmons
Bird trainer
For more information on
the Liberta range of cages
with Mike Simmons
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL STOCKIST OR ONLINE
MERCHANT OR CALL US FOR YOUR NEAREST SUPPLIER
NEXT PAGE
http://news.discovery.com/animals/pets/parrots-barter-with-nuts-130312.htm
A u g u s t 2 0 14 Parrots eMag 7

Ambassador Spix’s Macaw dies
Presley, probably one of
only two, original wild Spix’s
Macaws (Cyanopsitta spixii)
still alive in 2014, has died
aged approximately 40
years old.
Presley captured the
attention of the public when he
was found in a Colarado living
room, kept as a pet. He then
FULL SCREEN ON / OFF
Presley suddenly taken ill
Presley was transferred to
the veterinary hospital at
Botucatu, near Sao Paulo,
Brazil, at 6am on 25 June
2014, because he was found
to be suffering from a loss FruitBlend © Natural
of appetite the day before, With natural fruit flavours With added vitamins and minerals
although he didn’t appear
to be sick. The veterinary

Presley was in fine condition even at an estimated 40 years of age.

care, concern, and the effort
to help and preserve was
amazing, but on the other side,
the greed, selfishness and lack
of concern for the animal world
was the dreadful downside.
passed back and forth past his
aviary all day.  We truly believe
he had a very good life for his
last eight years. ■
* Read about how Presley was
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with round/oval shaped nuggets. With no artificial colours or flavours,
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“ My boy loves to eat this. No mess, no waste, and much to

His carers explained, “What
we will miss most about him is
his cheery vocalisations as we
Presley was featured in the August 2003 edition of Parrots magazine
found and repatriated to Brazil “
“
in the August 2003 issue of
Parrots magazine.
“
I would def recommend this product, easy his delight he can fit several under his tongue whilst eating
another lol!
to use, clean and no waste.

went on to become a legend
when director, Carlos Saldanha
made the cartoon film Rio,
about a hapless macaw and
his journey to a new life, based
on the real life story of Presley
being repatriated to his native
Brazil, eight years ago, to help
FRONT PAGE
Pupllepuma Mightmolly
hospital is a high quality
institution and he was under “A perfect family flick”
the care of the vet who was
to be responsible for his
future care. VeggieBlend™ NutBlend™
Recent health tests
With natural carrot flavour With delicious nut flavour
determined he had a heart
condition that required constant

save his species that became
extinct in the wild in 2000.
When Presley’s mate died his
owner said, “He lost his sparkle
and began feather-plucking.”
Having only learnt in the last
two years of having him that he
was extremely rare, his owner
decided it was time to return him
to his natural homeland. Here
CONTENTS PAGE
veterinary monitoring, and he
needed to undergo further tests
to determine his treatment.
It had been previously
decided during the annual
health check visits by Lorenzo,
Micheal Lierz, Dominik
Fischer, Rodrigo del Rio do
Valle and Patricia Sarafini, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “Vibrant, VeggieBlend™ provides healthy and balanced nutrition
funny and sweetly uplifting” Heat
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PREVIOUS PAGE
sought after vegetables plus you have the peace of Natural nut flavour and nut shaped nuggets adds variety to your bird’s diet
he could contribute to the very captive breeding programme makers of ICE AGE comes a high-flying animated comedy for the whole mind that every bite is nutritionally complete! creating an interesting meal your Parrot will enjoy. Packed full of
limited gene-pool in the captive now that artificial insemination family. Blu is an exotic pet bird who believes he’s the last of his kind. flavour plus you have the peace of mind that every bite is healthy!

“
breeding programme to help can be carried out in Brazil.  But when his owner learns about Jewel, Blu’s female counterpart in Rio
save the species from being lost Even if Presley was unable de Janeiro, they set out on the adventure of a lifetime. Even though he’s All of them have taken a liking to

altogether.
Before Presley made the
long journey home, a veterinary
“
to produce viable sperm at
his age, he could be used to
never learned to fly, Blu befriends a group of wise-cracking city birds
who help him find the courage to spread his wings and follow his destiny!
them and will eat all of the pellets
“
without dropping them and leave
“
My macaw, african grey and amazon
very little waste. all love Zupreem Nutblend!
stimulate a female to lay eggs catalinadee
Jytte

health check showed he was for artificial insemination, as

in good physical shape even there is a preponderance of
though he was kept clipped, female Spix’s. Rio is available now on
had little exercise, was fed only To his carers, Presley was DVD from the Parrots
www.northernparrots.com/zupreem

pellets and was unaccustomed
to be bathed.
NEXT PAGE
a symbol of the best and the magazine shop – turn
worst in mankind.  The love, to page 48 Phone: 0800 488 0345
Email: info@northernparrots.com
Northern Parrots, Unit 21 Cuba Estate, Ramsbottom, Bury, BL0 0NE, UK

8 Parrots eMag A u g u s t 2 0 14
News from the
Loro Parque Fundación
by DR MATTHIAS REINSCHMIDT, ZOOLOGICAL DIRECTOR, LORO PARQUE, TENERIFE
A s the breeding season progresses
so more and more young birds hatch
with their parents or are raised in the
Baby Station at Loro Parque. Our three
little Yellow-faced Parrots (Alipiopsitta
xanthops) - formerly known as Yellow-
faced Amazons - are almost fully
feathered now and are about to fledge in
the Baby Station.
Three young Yellow-faced Parrots
(Alipiopsitta xanthops)
From three clutches of eggs from
Green-winged Macaws (Ara chloroptera)
three young birds have hatched, which
are growing vigorously as a sibling group
in the Baby Station. Just eight weeks
old, they look very cheerful and examine
everything that is going on in their
environment.
The first Red-browed Amazon
(Amazona rhodocorytha) has also
hatched and is being hand-reared,
along with two young Goldie’s Lorikeets
Three young Green-winged Macaws
(Psitteuteles goldiei). A young female
10 Parrots eMag
Construction site at Loro Parque where the
Veterinarian, Nujacet Fernàndez Gallardo, from
Loro Parque checking over a young female
Eclectus Parrot (Eclectus roratus riedeli)
Eclectus Parrot (Eclectus roratus riedeli),
reared by hand, is also close to fledging.
(Ara chloroptera)
Animal Embassy will be built
Our latest project at Loro
Parque is our brand new Animal
Embassy. Here visitors will have the
opportunity to experience watching
Loro Parque employees working
with the animals behind protective
glass panels. This building will
provide a new baby station for our
baby parrots, an animal clinic and
a research station for behavioural
experiments. In addition, there
will be ample space for the Loro
Parque Fundación to present the
conservation projects and efforts it
supports around the world. ■
Photos: Dr M Reinschmidt
A u g u s t 2 0 14
African Greys stolen, lost and found
I t is very pleasing that parrot thefts are still well down for the time
of the year with only one case worthy of a mention. It concerns
thieves who broke into a pet shop in South Wales and stole three
African Grey Parrots. Two of the birds were on display for sale but
the third was the personal pet belonging to the owner. All three
parrots are identifiable, but the hand-tame Grey is particularly
distinctive as it has one nostril much larger than the other.
There is no doubt that these African Greys were stolen for
re-sale purposes and we appeal for any information as to their
whereabouts. In addition to the stolen birds, the thieves got
away with a brown rat snake, heavy duty dog leads and chains,
together with other dry goods including dog chews and treats.
As they say on Crimewatch, “Give us a call.”
During the warmer months we receive far more reported
cases of “lost and found” parrots escaping from open doors and
windows, especially conservatories which normally get too hot
when the sun is out. It is therefore satisfying to inform readers
that there are always successes in the reuniting of pet parrots
with their owners. So here is the good news:
Such cases this month include an elderly couple in Wales
who regularly sit in the garden with their African Grey on their
shoulders. As often happens, some sudden noise was heard
and it flew off. Two days later it was found a couple of miles
away in a rural area. The finder called our office and stated the
bird had a leg ring, but was correctly reluctant at first to disclose
the details. The owners could not produce the ring inscription
www.parrotmag.com/lost-and-found-register
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A u g u s t 2 0 14
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immediately as it was about seven years old and no note had
been made of it. We did however track down the breeder who
luckily kept such records and through that information the bird
was duly returned home. Please note, The Parrot Society can
provide copies of pet parrot passports for such purposes.
Another African Grey lost in Reading, Berkshire was later
found and the owner traced via its microchip. Yet another Grey
flew away from a young girl who had her bird in a harness in
the garden at Crawley, West Sussex. Again it was spooked and
slipped from its handler. Fortunately it stayed in a local tree and
was recovered.
FRONT PAGE
We often say that short-tailed parrots are not usually long
distance flyers and invariably they are traced within a couple
of miles or so, but this is not always the case and an African
Grey lost in Crewe flew ten miles. A Yellow-headed Amazon
from Oakhampton, Devon travelled seven miles before being
tracked down.
Many of these cases that are resolved satisfactorily are
due to having a positive means of identification, such as rings
and microchips. We regularly advise that all birds should be
CONTENTS PAGE
chipped. This can be done quite cheaply by avian vets who will
immediately register the details on the relevant pet database.
If you see a loose parrot, or lose or find a bird, our contact
details are available on the www.parrotmag.com website’s
Lost and Found Register. ■
John Hayward National Theft Register
Tel: 01869 325699 Email: jh@ntr.supanet.com
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14/01/2014 16:34
Parrots eMag 11

Complete Psittacine By EB Cravens
Which large macaws make the best
pets, the apple seed myth and
teaching worldliness…
I
often have topics about which there is not really enough data to merit a full magazine
piece, so I keep them filed away until I can gather several together for a “random
thoughts” article. Here are a few of the latest:
My favourite large macaws
In my opinion the most important factor in
a large macaw’s personality development
is the bird's upbringing - that is, how
much life experience and training it was
given during the formative period of
say, the first 24-30 weeks. Macaws of
nervous temperament can be created
before and during the fledgling phase
by pushing them too quickly, to perch
and develop, be social, wean, or accept
strangers, when in fact they have not yet
grown secure in their adolescence due to
so many continuous changes going on
around them.
That said, if I had to give a pet
comparison of the most available Ara
macaws in the bird world, I would have to
go with the ones which seem better able
to cope with imperfect human upbringing.
This means, those full-sized macaws that
can cope with being incubator hatched
orphans or being raised in a busy, noisy,
lighted nursery with all sorts of other
birds calling, starting to fly and making a
commotion.
Some Ara macaws seem to be able to
breeze through a somewhat poor hand-
feeding phase where they spend a lot
of time hungry when their formula feeds
are given at ever increasing intervals.
Others appear well able to maintain
a calm demeanour and conform to
constantly being moved around from nest
to nursery, pet shop to owner, all within
a period of four or five months. Such
macaws could be labeled, in a subjective
manner, of course, more easy-going,
adaptable, mellow, or the like. Another
way to look at it would be that many large
macaws do put up with mistakes being
made in their lives, brought on by human
caregivers, and they still do not get nippy,
standoffish, neurotic, or worse.
12 Parrots eMag
Having raised, trained, cared for and
rehabbed all the larger macaws, except
red-fronts, I would rank the Blue & Gold
Macaw far and away the tops in this sort of
criteria. Perhaps that is due to the fact that
we are further down the generational road
Some of the large macaw species in our “best pet macaw” rankings
towards "domestication” of a sort with this
species. ‘Tis not unusual to find F3, F4,
or even F5 chicks being raised as pets in
aviculture - that is three-plus generations
of mothers living with and knowing the
idiosyncrasies of humans. Since the
A u g u s t 2 0 14
first nervousness a chick can experience
inside the nest-box, comes from a nervous
hen, this is a significant statistic.
Second, I would rank the Green-
winged Macaw. Again there are lots of
long family trees of these psittacines out
there, but like blue & golds, there seem to
be few really dysfunctional rebels - those
birds that scream or bite or pull out their
feathers in response to captive trauma
of some type. This is even though,
greenwings get passed around a lot and
rehomed because they can be a loud
macaw, with a tendency to favour one
person or one gender of human over
another. Also their beak strength makes
them potentially highly destructive inside
a household should they choose to
explore and gnaw.
Third favourite is the Hyacinthine
Macaw. Certainly were we to rank this
macaw against all the others at the baby
or fledgling stage - even up to six, eight
years of age - then hyacinths might
make a run for the top spot, but the vast
majority of pet hyacinths in this country
still behave like teenagers and can be
very slow to develop puberty activities
that affect their in-home pet behaviour.
Once they do, they are every bit the
feisty macaw, and believe me, once a
hyacinthine finds it can use assertiveness
That "hard to kill" apple
seed myth
Apple seeds are NOT toxic to parrots.
Parrot flocks in Australia and in
Central America are known to go into
apple orchards looking for the seeds
inside the apples, discarding most of
the pulp just like my psittacines will
occasionally do. We have questioned
veterinarians and searched bird store
inquiries for over thirty years for one
instance of a parrot getting sick from
ingesting apple seeds, and never
found one. A single society finch
was claimed to have died from apple
seeds, but that was in fact speculation
because a postmortem examination
was never done.
I have been allowing my parrot
flock apple seeds for over 25 years
with no ill effects. This myth is
basically outdated aviculture that I
still read in local publications - an old
legend born years ago that refuses
to die because of unfounded worries
about toxicity effects to humans and
A u g u s t 2 0 14
and that huge body and beak to get its
own way, then they can be extremely
pushy and testy to handle.
I do note though, that the rarity and
expense of hyacinths often makes them
more apt to end up in a home with an
experienced bird keeper and top quality
environment. Certainly hyacinthine hens
seem to be, like most macaws, slightly
easier to handle by owners. Also, it
bears mention that whereas some of the
larger macaws do very well in a home
where they are the sole bird and cannot
form attachments or dislikes, others
only develop irascible behaviours when
confronted with an avian "flock" within
their environment. Remember, macaws
are like conures in many of their bonding
affiliations, and while they may be less
prone to jump to attack, they are still
keenly observant and know precisely
when the affections of their favourite
caregivers are being shared or usurped
by newly arrived parrots.
Ranking fourth, I would call a tie
between Blue-throated, Scarlet and
Military Macaws. (This assumes that
Great Greens or Buffon’s are basically
not in the pet trade.) The former three
may all have trouble coping with a
lackadaisical upbringing, forced 16-week
weaning and human benign neglect.
the same inferences are passed on
for birds. I have eaten my apple cores
and seeds for at least two decades
now, for the added nutrition they give
me. (I learned it from my conures.)
I can see why parrots seek these out
first, they are very sweet and tasty!
The same worries are true of many
persons holding on to the myth that
chewing on apricot, plum or avocado
branches are toxic to parrots. Not true.
Seeds like these are full of
micronutrients and will not
harm our pet parrots.
FULL SCREEN ON / OFF
They can be easily excitable and prone
to introspection and apprehension if
things get boring or their exercise needs
are stifled. For some individuals, small
flighted psittacines in their surroundings
tend to keep them anxious and on edge.
All three in our pet shop situation were
apt to be harder to sell to the average
macaw client once they reached the
six or eight month stage. That is not to
say they were past their prime "baby"
stage, but they had begun to lose some
of that gregariousness which lingers in
greenwings, blue & golds and hyacinths
for many months after fledging. In fact,
the well-respected exotic bird store
that I formerly managed no longer
offers military’s, blue-throats or scarlets
because of the number of customers who
chose to re-home these birds when they
got to be three or four years of age or
more, when they became suspiciously set
in their ways.
The reason I rank all three in a
tie is because there are so many
exceptions to these observations I have
made. When a bird has a slow-paced
upbringing in a loving home with human
keepers who will bring it along gently,
then all bets are off and the macaw can
turn out just as exceptional as any of the
FRONT PAGE
best of the Ara species.
Since many owners choose to
be concerned about the chemical
compounds in foods that parrots eat,
then it is okay to offer all these, if you
wish, or don't do it if you wish. But
CONTENTS PAGE
we should all stop proclaiming such
seeds will harm our parrots. One
would have to gather and feed only the
seeds of dozens of apples a week for
many months to envision any affect to
your birds.
PREVIOUS PAGE
NEXT PAGE
Parrots eMag 13
 Tested
&

FULL SCREEN ON / OFF

Formulated
Teaching worldliness has already gotten a bird by Hari
Much of preparing a parrot for a long that was raised with little
life amongst humans falls upon the birdlike training, then
early training by the breeders who turning it into a savvy
raise these birds and the hand-feeders pet takes a lot of time
who bring them up to be pets. When and effort. Some of the
a psittacine is taken from its nest things we do to make our
birds more worldly and
either as an egg or as an eyes-closed
self-confident are: ExTRudEd Food FoR a
neonate, it will have no contact with
its parents and hence have no role • Re-fledge the parrot to complETE balancEd diET
Total nutrition for Total Health
models upon which to base its early make sure it has a full
fledgling behaviour. Some of this can range of flying skills.
be solved by putting it in with other • Scientific blend of vitamins, minerals and nutrients
fledglings of its own kind, yet this is • Get it outside in a • No artificial colours or flavours
play cage or with a
inadequate because it still means Rich • No artificial preservatives
untrained young birds are ‘teaching’ harness or whatever
• Contains antioxidants such as Rosemary and Vitamin
to experience fresh air, in vitamins
untrained young birds how to act, E for health
and siblings have no real authority rain, wild birds, cool & minerals
to discipline each other as do adult weather, wind and yes,
parrots to fledglings in a group. even snow, a few short
Solving such dilemmas is minutes at a time.
something breeders and hand-feeders • Teach it about green
can do if they really think about it and branches and tree 100% EdiblE mix oF FRuiTs,
get imaginative with the true parrot
parents. But the emphasis has to be
limbs, either brought
nuTs and vEgETablEs wiTH
into the house, within
on producing individualistic, confident an outside aviary or addEd TRopican
birds, not just getting birds quickly Putting our pet birds into
luxurious Healthy Food
out in a safe small tree
through the hand-feeding phase so in a protected yard. outdoor cages builds
they can be wing-clipped and rushed Bathe it in greenery. confidence and worldliness. • Less Waste Means More Food

FRONT PAGE
to a pet store or home. • High Quality Ingredients
• E xpose it to other birds mannerisms. Stick and towel train
The end result of correct raising • Meets the individual needs of your bird
of different genera and perhaps it, teach it about the car and pet
would be independent parrot pets
one day to a companion friend of carriers and the lawnmower and
that know they are parrots first, and
the same species, opposite gender. airplanes and whatever you can
come to like and accept humans as
You do not have to breed them, in think of that will widen its horizons.
caregivers and companions second.
fact some parrots are raised with Parrots are smart. They may not
Now, an initial thing prospective parrot
so many dysfunctions that they will repeat the word "truck" or "airplane"
buyers can do is to seek out a pet
never do so, but the most natural

CONTENTS PAGE
raised in an advanced way - not as a but if you tell them what makes that
way to keep parrots is in twos. big noise they will recognise the
lacklustre cuddly, uneducated orphan
- and purchase only the pets raised to • Make your parrot as widely word each time it is used and come
cope with the ever changing world of experienced as possible by to realise that, "Oh, that is a truck,
people. If, as in so many cases, this is taking it on trips, getting it used to trucks don't hurt me…”
no longer possible because someone strangers with different clothing and With aloha, EB ■

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14 Parrots eMag A u g u s t 2 0 14

The dangers of feeding sugar to birds
I n May, the chatter of a female
hummingbird and the sound
of her propeller-like wings
overhead alerted me to the
fact that she had built her nest
in our massive silver maple
tree out the front. The miracle
of being able to observe her
nesting and rearing her young
was such a gift!
Being an avid researcher
I quickly found www.
worldofhummingbirds.
com, an information-rich
hummingbird website. Amidst
the pages, one topic jumped
out at me, “Hummingbird
first-aid: babies.” The very
first paragraph explains that
hummingbird babies should
not drink the sugar water
nectar, fed to adults, because
they need a higher protein
content in their food.
The website continues by
explaining, “In an emergency,
it is okay to feed them some
sugar water nectar, but baby
hummingbirds need protein and
after four hours without it they
become severely crippled or die.
When feeding nectar-eating
birds experienced aviculturists
understand it’s essential to feed
a liquid food especially prepared
for these birds, one that contains
a balance of essential nutrients,
carbohydrates, complete
protein, essential fats, vitamins
and minerals.
In this column we’ve talked
a lot about the importance of
parrots receiving complete
protein foods, now let’s take a
look at sugar.
WHO speaks up
Early this year, the World
Health Organization (WHO),
began drafting new dietary
16 Parrots eMag
By Leslie Moran
Maria, a Blue & Gold Macaw enjoys a fresh strawberry.
Eating whole fruit in chunks or slices
neutralises the detrimental effects of fructose.
Elvis, my
Green-cheeked
Conure loves
blueberries
guidelines that recommend a is equivalent to around 25
person’s sugar intake should grams of sugar per day (6
make up less than five per tablespoons) for an adult of
cent of their total dietary normal Body Mass Index (BMI).
energy intake per day. This If you’re going to use food
for creating good health it’s
important to read the labels of
the packaged food you buy.
As you do, you’ll notice the
massive number of foods that
have added sugar, and you’ll
see how quickly the number of
grams of sugar, per serving,
adds up to 25.
The truth about sugar
Robert Lustig, MD, a pediatric
neuroendocrinologist, is really
shaking things up with his
90-minute YouTube video,
“Sugar: the bitter truth.” It has
been viewed nearly 5m times
since it was uploaded in 2009.
Now in his much anticipated
book, “Fat chance: beating the
odds against sugar, processed
food, obesity and disease,” he
documents the science and
the politics that has led to the
pandemic of chronic disease
over the past 30 years.
In his book, Lustig explains
why he believes that the
massive amounts of sugar
and processed foods people
consume each day are making
us fatter and sicker. He states
that today’s generation of
American children may end up
being the first with a shorter
lifespan expectancy than their
parents. Lustig explains that
the problem isn’t confined to
young people and children
because obesity related
conditions like type-2 diabetes
and heart disease are now
among the leading causes of
preventable deaths in adults.
Other diet related health
conditions linked to excessive
sugar consumption include
kidney disease, insulin
resistance, fatty liver disease,
elevated triglycerides and
A u g u s t 2 0 14
elevated LDL (low density into fat, causing weight gain
lipoprotein, ie, bad right after a meal. However,
cholesterol). Dr it’s the fructose that does the
Mercola believes that most damage. “Fructose is like
it’s only a matter of alcohol without the buzz,” Lustig
time before sugar explains. “It poisons your liver,
will be commonly and makes it insulin resistant, it
accepted as a forces your pancreas to make
causative factor of even more insulin so the liver
most cancers. functions properly, resulting in
Sugar and our
even more weight gain.”
This biochemical process
birds
may then lead to insulin
Right now you may be
resistance and metabolic
thinking, “What does the
syndrome, the name for a
amount of sugar in the
Say, “No,” to refined sugar in any form. group of risk factors that occur
foods I eat have to do
together and increase the risk
with my birds?” The answer is Different sugars for coronary artery disease,
simple - we tend to feed our birds The problem according to
stroke and type-2 diabetes.
the same foods we eat ourselves. Lustig is “refined sugar,” such
The abundance of refined sugar
Let me ask you to read back as high fructose corn syrup
in our diets is at the core of the
over the list of chronic health and cane sugar, which have
problem between processed
conditions in the preceding been stripped of all their
foods that are eaten and the
paragraph. How many of these nutritional value. Regular table
disease conditions it causes.
diseases have also been found sugar, cane sugar and cane
in parrots? Is it possible that an syrup is sucrose which is half What about fresh fruit?
excess of sugar in their diets may glucose and half fructose (fruit Fructose is abundant in fruit.
be a factor causing these life sugar). The glucose generates Lustig explains, “Fruit is fine, but
threatening health conditions to an insulin response, which we should think twice before
develop in our birds? changes the energy in the food drinking juice or offering it to
our kids. The fibre in whole
fruit contributes to a sense of
fullness. Eating fibre (naturally
present in fresh fruit) also results
in less carbohydrate being
absorbed in the gut. In addition,
fibre consumption allows the
brain to receive a satiety signal
sooner than it would otherwise,
so we stop eating sooner.”
So when we enjoy fruit as
nature intended, eating it whole
A Green-cheeked Conure sized meal of fresh wholesome real foods.
or in chunks, this provides
Main dish - bottom, sprouts topped with steamed veggies, corn, green added nutrients while also
beans and carrots. Homemade eggfood and walnut pieces at the top, a neutralising any detrimental
raw spinach leaf (centre) and orange slice for hanging on the enclosure
effects of the fructose.
wall. Small fruit cup dish, a mix of apple chunks, kiwi, peaches, large
blueberries - topped with a dash of greek yogurt. The best sweeteners
When baking healthy foods
for ourselves and our birds or
looking for nutritious muffins,
cookies or breads, which
natural sweeteners should we
be eating? According to Lustig,
maple syrup and honey are
Leslie Moran uses food as medicine for
creating wellness in parrots. Her natural
approach is ideal for preventive healthcare,
restoring health or improving behaviours.
Specialising in long distance consultations,
from Nevada (USA).
Website: www.BestBirdFoodEver.com/
See Leslie’s advert on page 23.
This dish of food has been prepared for a macaw.
A u g u s t 2 0 14
FULL SCREEN ON / OFF
the best choices. He explains,
“Maple syrup and honey are
just glucose. While calorific and
insulin generating (therefore
obesogenic - something that
promotes excessive weight
gain), they don't have fructose
to damage the liver and do not
promote insulin resistance. So,
although they’re not perfect, they
would be better than sucrose.”
Our solution
According to Lustig the solution
is very simple, “We should be
eating real foods. If a food
comes out of the ground, grows
on a tree or is from an animal
that ate what came out of the
ground it’s good for us.” But, he
cautions, “If a human processed
it inbetween, either something
was added - usually sugar - or
something was removed - most
likely fibre and micronutrients
like vitamins and minerals. The
key for most people is reducing
insulin and to do that you’ve got
to put the fibre back into your
diet and cut back on refined
carbohydrates and sugar.”
FRONT PAGE
The challenge
As people around the world
are viewing Lustig’s YouTube
video many are accepting the
challenge to become sugar-
free, to stop eating processed
foods that have added refined
sugars and to begin choosing
CONTENTS PAGE
healthier foods - real foods -
from nature. Will you join me
in improving the quality of the
foods you eat? If you do, you
will naturally begin offering
your birds more “real” foods -
nature’s “medicine chest.” ■
* Next month: Is there a link
between refined sugar and
hormone imbalance?
PREVIOUS PAGE
Sources: Sugar: The bitter
truth, www.youtube.com/
watch?v=dBnniua6-oM Dr Mercola,
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/
articles/archive/2011/05/02/is-
sugar-toxic.aspx
NEXT PAGE
Parrots eMag 17
Personality Profile by Sally Blanchard
Moluccan
Cockatoo
(Cacatua moluccensis)
I
have probably worked
with more Moluccans
than any other species of
cockatoo. I tamed dozens of
wild-caught Moluccans when
they were being imported
by the thousands. Some of
these birds seemed to have
post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) from the trauma of
being captured, quarantined,
and placed in pet shops
or homes.
Many people who bought
these birds did so because
Moluccans are large and
beautiful. Unfortunately,
many of the people who
purchased them had no idea
what to do with them once
they got them home. They
didn’t know how to tame a
bird this size and were often
afraid of their beaks.
Some of the birds I
worked with were hard to
reach, while others were
lucky and seemed to adapt
well to life in captivity. The
Moluccans that didn’t adapt
well often ended up in new
situations where the new
caregivers also didn’t know
how to work with them.
Some ended up in breeding
situations. It depended a
great deal on the patience
18 Parrots eMag
and willingness of the new
caregivers to learn the right
ways to win the trust of their
birds. Those that didn’t
adapt well often ended up
with an array of behavioural
problems, including
aggression, excessive
screaming, feather picking
and mutilation.
Instructional
interaction
essential
When breeders started
raising domestically-raised
Moluccans, a common belief
was that if the babies were
given too much attention
they would become spoiled
and develop serious
behavioural problems. This
misconception caused
even more problems with
this intelligent species.
The exact opposite is
true! Proper socialisation
is critical and raising
Moluccans with production
techniques actually creates
over-dependent cockatoos
with serious behavioural
problems.
Providing instructional
interaction by teaching babies
their social and survival
skills is actually what creates
independent cockatoos. It
is not too much attention
that has created problems
with Moluccan Cockatoos as
companions, it is the wrong
kind of attention. Some
cuddling is okay, but it should
be accompanied by extensive
instructional interaction. Being
intelligent birds, Moluccan
Cockatoos can easily be
taught behaviours and tricks
that can be praised and used
as a distraction from negative
behaviours.
As far as companion
cockatoos are concerned,
A u g u s t 2 0 14
Personality Profile by Sally Blanchard
Moluccans are both the
most desired, but the most
problematic too. Moluccan
Cockatoos are highly
intelligent and it is clear to
me that the more intelligent
a parrot-family bird is, the
more problems they have
with settling in captivity.
A u g u s t 2 0 14
Attempting to
deceive
We humans are always
coming up with ways to
gauge the intelligence of
other animals. In the last
decade or so, one of the
criteria became “the attempt
to deceive.” If an animal
attempts to deceive another
animal, it is evidence that they
are aware that their behaviour
can change another animal’s
behaviour. Over the years,
it has become evident to
me that Moluccans can be
masters of manipulation
when it comes to the people
in their lives.
Moluccans are beautiful,
demonstrative, enthusiastic,
playful, and comical.
They can also be loving,
affectionate and devoted to
their caregivers. They are
certainly much more than just
a love sponge. When done
“right,” by a knowledgeable
and patient caregiver, they
can be one of the very best
companion parrots. I worked
with a Moluccan who lived
with a couple in a duplex.
The people left for work very
early in the morning and he
would scream as they went
out the door. They talked to
their neighbours about it and
promised to find help that
would control the screaming.
I advised them to start
whispering to each other
as they were leaving and to
give their cockatoo a head
skritch while talking to him in
a whisper. It took a couple
of weeks of consistent
whispering before the bird
started whispering when
they left for work. The trick
is to, “do unto them, before
they can do unto you” - in a
positive way. This essentially
means they are taught positive
behaviours as a distraction
and that their caregivers pay
close attention to their body
language as a prediction of
negative behaviours.
In regard to screaming,
cockatoos usually show a
great deal of body language
as they get ready to scream.
It is possible to “change
the channel” by using a cue
for a learned trick to stop a
screaming episode before it
starts. Moluccans are very
verbally communicative, often
good talkers and just about
always wonderful mutterers.
FULL SCREEN ON / OFF
This is both, a negative
because they can be really
loud, and a positive because
Moluccans can be very
conversational.
A lot of people think their
Moluccans are just making
a noise and not talking.
If they listen carefully to
the cadence of the bird’s
conversation, it is usually
not that difficult to pick
out words. It sounds as if
Moluccans talk on the in-
breath making them even
harder to understand. These
majestic birds are naturally
noisy, but allowing them to
let it all out playfully at least
once a day for a short time
will help keep them from
being excessively noisy.
Playful, “I’m happy to be
alive,” vocalisations rarely turns
into the kind of manipulative
screaming that can be so
irritating. The big problem
with their vocalisations is not
FRONT PAGE
simply that they are loud, but
that they can easily evolve
into excessive, manipulative
screaming if the people in their
lives are not very careful about
setting rules and providing
guidance.
Moluccans need a lot
CONTENTS PAGE
of interactive stimulation
with toys and activities, but
they don’t do well with an
excessive amount of physical
affection, mostly because
they often form too strong
a sexual bond with their
caregivers. This is especially
true with some males who
can become very protective
of a perceived mate and
PREVIOUS PAGE
their territory together. This
can become a serious
problem with such a large
bird. Moluccans are strongly
interactive with their human
flock. Like all cockatoos,
Moluccans don’t do well shut
away in a bird room. They
need to live where the activity
is and to be a part of it. They
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thrive on ambient attention.
Parrots eMag 19
Personality Profile by Sally Blanchard Personality Profile by Sally Blanchard

FULL SCREEN ON / OFF

can be destroyed fairly
quickly, but may be one
of the best toys for such a
destructive beak. Being
mechanically-minded,
these large cockatoos love
heavy duty metal or impact-
resistant acrylic and plastic
puzzle toys that move around
and make a noise.
She remembered,
I didn’t
I get to see Tiwi, one of my
favourite Moluccans, every
few years when I visit Tucson,
Arizona. A few visits ago,
I sat on the floor and we
played catch with a wiffle
ball a few times, for up to
an hour. I would roll the ball
across the floor and Tiwi
would run and get it and
this can be so complex that
most diagnostics are educated
guesses and can include
disease, hormonal overload,
poor nutrition, insecurity from
lack of early socialisation, heavy
metal toxicity, food allergies
and a negative reaction to
all the chemical and artificial
ingredients in pelleted diets,
excessive amounts of salt in
the diet, emotional deprivation,
abandonment and dramatic
attention rewards for the
picking behaviours.
A feather-picked bird
may not be attractive but this
alone is not life-threatening.
The greatest problem is that
feather destructive behaviour
can exacerbate into skin
mutilation and this can become
a life-threatening problem
with Moluccans if a solution
chamber where the droppings
collect, protrudes through the
vent. Some avian veterinarians
have had some success in
treating this problem, but it
remains one of the most serious
problems for some Moluccan
Cockatoos and their caregivers.
Conclusion
A Moluccan is not the
right avian companion for
everybody, especially if
people want to just smother
them with love. They need
to be loved like a “good
buddy” and not like a mate.
Because of their intelligence,
Moluccan Cockatoos are
one of the most complex
parrot companions. They
need knowledgeable
caregivers who can match
that intelligence, and have

Rules and guidance didn’t like the cockatoo and

thought it was too messy. They
Due to their intelligence,
married and at that point she
Moluccans have an absolute
demanded that the Moluccan
can create serious problems
for caregivers. Undisciplined
sexually mature males who
have been allowed to bond
throw it back to me. If she
had a bad throw she would
have to get it until she got it
close to me. Sometimes she
is not found. Another serious
problem with these cockatoos
is cloacal prolapse. This occurs
when the cloaca, which is the
patience and perseverance
in regards to the
idiosyncrasies of this
LibertaQtrAD_8040Canterbury_LibertaQtrAD_8324Voyager 30/07/2013 10:25 Page 1
spectacular cockatoo. ■

need for rules and guidance.
Their intelligence and size
can create a challenge for
the people in their lives.
Moluccans are not for a
person who is afraid of their
size or people who can’t find
time to work with them and
FRONT PAGE
live in the finished garage. sexually to their caregivers may would just bring it to me, for
Within a very short time, the become aggressive stalkers of me to throw again.
cockatoo started plucking. For the best in help & advice
Then she started to mutilate
her chest. I placed her with
a new family but they had
multiple birds. Then she went
to another home where she

provide guidance. It is critical
to establish independence
in young birds so they do
not become over dependent
on human affection. This is
done with lots of instructional
interaction when they are
young. It is equally important
to continue these interactions
throughout their entire lives.
These intelligent cockatoos
made some positive progress.
I eventually lost track of her but
my hope was she lived with
another knowledgeable person
who adored her.
While human interaction
is important, these are high
activity birds which need to
learn to entertain themselves.
They can be headstrong and
CONTENTS PAGE
CANTERBURY
Scan the code for
information on this cage
from Mike Simmons
anyone else in their perceived A year or so later, I returned
territory. Moluccans who and headed straight for the
receive focused attention and rest-room. I started hearing a Improve your Parrot enthusiasts watch .... SCAN THE CODE

stubborn, and Moluccans
have a serious problem with a
sudden decrease in attention
are potentially one of the
loudest birds alive. Their noise
instructional interaction from
several people in their lives
form “buddy bonds” and are
PREVIOUS PAGE
knocking on the door and then
it was pushed open. There
was Tiwi with the wiffle ball
hatchability Mike Simmons

levels. Moluccans can easily
suffer “broken hearts” from
neglect and this can lead to
serious behavioural problems.
One of the domestically-raised
Moluccans I worked with
was adored by the man she
lived with. Then he became
levels can be redirected into
acceptable talking, whistling or
whispering. Screaming is not
the real problem - excessive
manipulative screaming is the
problem. Males are generally
more dominant than females.
Out-of-control (in control of
less likely to show aggressive
territorial behaviour based on
sexual bonding regardless of
gender and/or age.
Besides quality human
interactions, sturdy toys
are a necessity for big-
beaked Moluccans. Large
with Buddy
Bird trainer
reminding me it was time to
play. She remembered, I didn’t. For more information on
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involved with a woman who their own lives) Moluccans chunks of untreated wood behaviour. The reasons for
Email: abi-uk@btconnect.com www.avitronics.co.uk

20 Parrots eMag A u g u s t 2 0 14 A u g u s t 2 0 14 Parrots eMag 21

Native suburban trees vital for parrots

FULL SCREEN ON / OFF

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A world-first study in Canberra, Australia has revealed that
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streets had 11 per cent more bird species than those streets
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“Householders can also
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where exotic tree species had been planted. planting native shrubs and
As native birds continue to lose their habitat due to the trees in their gardens.
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householders to help save them by planting more Australian trees.
“Urbanisation is
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Dr Karen Ikin and Professor David Lindenmayer from The
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number of trees were made up of Eucalyptus trees,” said Dr Ikin. native birds that currently avoid urban areas. ■ sprouted for optimum
“Exotic trees like oak trees, elms and plum trees are nutrition or cooked
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● The team’s paper, “The influence of native versus exotic
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CONTENTS PAGE
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from Mike Simmons • Beautiful plumage
Pennants Rosella Photo: Deb Adams
This book is written by Leslie Morán,
Eucalypts, on the other hand, have a crucial role in nutritional consultant specialising
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– ones with a trunk diameter of over a metre – had up to three sprouting. I highly recommend following its advice.” Joerg Asmus,
times the number of bird species, than parks with smaller trees. Leader of the Species Conservation Projects / Member of the
Mike Simmons scientific advisory board of the Association for breeding and
Dr Ikin explained, “Along with this research, we now have good Bird trainer conservation of native and exotic birds (VZE), Germany
science to support the planting and retention of native trees,
especially large ones, in urban areas.” Visit our website
For more information on
“While there are safety risks in keeping big trees, a lot of
wildlife, including endangered birds such as the Superb Parrot
the Liberta range of cages
with Mike Simmons
www.BestBirdFoodEver.com
or contact
depend on them,” Prof. Lindenmayer said.. “So instead of
removing these old trees, we can prune them, create zones or
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Critter Connection, PO Box 38,
put up safety warnings.” Silver Springs, NV 89429 USA
“We can also proactively plan for future large trees, so Tel. (001) 775-577-9676

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addition, these trees can be given greater legislative protection,”

22 Parrots eMag A u g u s t 2 0 14 A u g u s t 2 0 14 Parrots eMag 23

 Lovebirds
– leaving a breeding
colony to go on holiday
I t is that time of year again
when lovebird breeders,
and many others, are looking
forward to a well-earned
holiday. If you are going away,
it is essential that you make
adequate provisions for your
breeding birds, so they are well
cared for, in your absence.
Lovebirds are generally
very reliable breeders, even
when they are nesting for the
first time, and it can usually be
fairly accurately estimated at
what stage the lovebirds will be
at, while you are away. Ideally,
the best time to be away is
when the hens are incubating.
This is usually the least eventful
Publications from J. & P. HAYWARD period of the breeding season
(Prices include p&p. Cheques/drafts in BRITISH POUNDS STERLING ONLY
and is the easiest time for
payable to: J. & P. Hayward) Carterton Breeding Aviaries, Brize Norton Road,
Carterton, Oxon OX18 3HW, UK • Tel: 01993 841736 someone to come in and care
The MANUAL of COLOUR BREEDING
£35 UK, £50 world • ISBN 0-9519098-0-0
for the birds.
Manual of Colour Breeding supplements:
INDIAN RINGNECK PARAKEET
Once the hens are
incubating, fresh willow
£55 UK, £65 world • ISBN 0-9519098-3-5
branches for example, need
LINEOLATED PARAKEET
£35 UK, £45 world • ISBN 0-9519098-4-3 only be supplied once a week,
COCKATIEL mainly for the benefit of the
£55 UK, £65 world • ISBN 0-9519098-5-1
males – as a therapeutic activity.
A supply of cut branches can
The ROSELLAS be left in a bucket of water,
£27 UK, £37 world • ISBN 0-9519098-1-9
HOW TO BREED them in the aviary • INFORMATION out of the sun, to keep them
on the birds in the wild • ALL SPECIES of Rosellas, the
Barnard group and the Pileated Parakeet included, as fresh, ready for the bird-sitter to
well as – THEIR SUB-SPECIES, COLOUR VARIETIES.
OVER 100 EXAMPLES SHOWN
transfer to the flight, but explain
that under no circumstances
AFRICAN POICEPHALUS PARROTS should the bucket of water be
£21 UK, £31 world • ISBN 0-9519098-2-7 put in the flight!
FOUR COLOUR PLATES on ONE POSTER
showing ALL SPECIES, sub-species, colour variations,
Calculating the
differences in sexes, adults and immatures
(40 examples), PLUS BOOKLET on Identification,
Distribution, Aviculture, Housing, Diets & Breeding
A Parrot Breeder ‘BOOK ON CD-ROM’:
BREEDING the AMBOINA
season ahead
Most pairs usually begin to
ISLAND KING PARROT
£35 UK, £45 world lay their first clutch 1-2 weeks
viewable in Microsoft XP Windows: ‘PowerPoint
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Fish & Plants. Parts One & Two plus Instruction Disk • £100 UK, £130 world calculated.
24 Parrots eMag
A second clutch is usually
begun a week after the last
chick from the first clutch
has fledged, which is usually
at around 6-7 weeks old. It
takes around one week for a
clutch of five to all vacate the
box. Lovebirds are creatures
of habit, and they usually
follow the same pattern each
breeding season.
Provisions for
newly-hatched
chicks
If, however, chicks are due to
hatch while you are away, leave
plenty of dried eggfood for
the bird-sitter to mix up, and
leave clear instructions on how
to prepare soaked seed. For
the first five days after a chick
hatches it will be fed almost
entirely on eggfood, and this
needs to be supplied at least
twice a day. It is important
they have enough, it is fresh
(it won’t last so long in hot
weather) and it is not supplied
too wet.
Once each chick reaches
five days old, they are fed less
eggfood, and the adults begin
to take greater quantities of
soaked seed and fresh foods.
It is imperative to explain, that
soaked seed needs to be
thoroughly rinsed in cold water
A u g u s t 2 0 14
before feeding it to the birds, and should
be replaced with new, twice a day.
Tinned sweetcorn (with no added
salt or sugar), celery, broccoli and fresh
apples are easy fruits and vegetables
for a bird-sitter to supply and will suffice
for a short period. The less you leave
them to do the more likely each task will
be done properly. For instance, it is vital
all food and water dishes are scrubbed
clean each day.
The most
hazardous time
The potentially most hazardous time in
a breeding colony is when the young
begin to fledge and if at all possible
you should try to avoid being away at
this time. Plucked young are the most
vulnerable as their ability to fly for the
first week or two can be significantly
Lovebird care: tips for summer
• Always make sure there is adequate
shade in an outside aviary. If at any time
of the day the birds are in full sunshine,
cover part of the roof with greenhouse
shading, or as an emergency measure
place a wet, dark-coloured towel over
one side of the roof. Fully-leaved willow
branches can also help provide shade.
• Scrub water bowls daily and change water
2-3 times a day in hot weather. Lovebirds
tend to dunk their food in their water bowl
and at this time of the year it can quickly
"sour" the water and encourage harmful
bacteria and fungal spores to take a hold.
A u g u s t 2 0 14
FULL SCREEN ON / OFF
impaired if some of their wing or flight
feathers have been removed.
Other fledglings that are vulnerable
are the odd one or two who leave the
box in a hurry, before they are proficient
at flying. This is usually done under
pressure from the hen who is struggling
to cope in an over-crowded box.
First thing in the morning, and just
before dusk, it is important to check the
floor for youngsters in distress. Often
all that is needed is to place the chick
FRONT PAGE
straight back into its nest-box, but if this
happens when a bird-sitter is in charge
they should not attempt to do this unless
they are very sure which nest-box the
youngster is from. A fully-feathered chick
placed in the wrong box would almost
certainly be killed and it would be better
to leave it on the ground.
CONTENTS PAGE
It is very upsetting for anyone looking
after someone else’s birds, if things begin
to go wrong. So, when away, always
leave the telephone number of a nearby
bird friend, so that in an emergency
they can either telephone for advice or
summon help. ■
• A big piece of willow bark hung
PREVIOUS PAGE
horizontally from all four corners,
from the inside roof, makes a lovely
swing for multiple birds and makes
a great enrichment treat, as they
will love chewing it to pieces.
• Always take the chicks and
nest-boxes out of the flight all at
the same time at the end of the
season, even if it means hand-
rearing a few chicks. Otherwise
those parents that have finished
NEXT PAGE
breeding will start to interfere with
the remaining boxes.
Parrots eMag 25

Male
Royal Kings and
natural mutations
occurring in the wild
by Allen Friis
T
he Australian King Parrot, (Alisterus
scapularis), is to my mind well-suited
to its name. When seen up close
in the wild these parrots take your breath
away. The plumage of the adult male is
spectacular with the scarlet of the head
and breast, combining with the vivid green
wings and back. Whenever I come across
these broad tail parrots in the wild, it is a
thrill. Their beauty is stunning and the king
parrot will always be a favourite of mine.
There are two recognised sub-
species of king parrots here in Australia.
The nominate species is seen right down
the east coast, while the smaller, darker
species inhabits the rainforest in northern
Queensland. I have kept both species,
and seen together the difference is
noticeable, however when seen on their
own it is difficult at first to correctly pick
the smaller parrot.
King parrots prefer high, timbered
country and in my area they are a fairly
common bird. They can be attracted to
feeders and do not take long to become
tame in this type of setting. At Lamington
National Park in Queensland, kings will
land on any part of your body to get a
26 Parrots eMag
FULL SCREEN ON / OFF
free handout. King parrots are local to
me, but I have never seen them in large
flocks. They are mainly seen in small
parties when feeding, although several
years ago while visiting a niece on an
inland grain property, I observed a flock
of over 50 immature birds.
When feeding in the Bush, at times
I have been able to get quite close to
them to take photographs. Sometimes
when feeding, their shrill whistle betrays
their presence and if disturbed they
fly off with slow, laboured, wing beats.
They feed on fruit, nuts, berries, blossom
and various seeding grasses. In grain
growing areas, they are seen on grain
crops although their damage is minimal,
unlike the destruction caused by large
cockatoo flocks. My niece has an
apricot tree by her back door and as
soon as these fruits ripen she is visited
Female An immature
by both king parrots and Crimson-
Blue mutation
winged Parrots and in a short time the prefer tall trees with hollows that may be
tree is stripped of all its fruit. ten metres deep. Aviculturists who used
People in my area sometimes put up to have a problem getting these parrots to
feeders to get the king parrots into their breed, have found, that when giving them
yards but it does not take long for the a grandfather clock-type nest-box, their
cockatoos to find the free handouts and breeding success improves.
they become aggressive to the smaller
Naturally occurring
parrots, driving them away and making a
horrible mess of their yard.
FRONT PAGE
When spring comes around and the
breeding season begins, the king parrots
mutations
Some dedicated aviculturists are working
Female on producing several mutations, and if
successful, like all early mutations, their
value will be very high.
I spend a lot of time in the Bush and
have seen and photographed two wild through my camera
CONTENTS PAGE
mutation king parrots. While walking lens I noticed one bird
through a reserve close to my home I looked different and took
saw some king parrots fly by me and land several photos although
in a tall eucalyptus tree. When I looked they were some distance
away. When I looked
Female at the photos on my
computer, the odd bird
was in fact a blue king
parrot. I have been to
the location many times
PREVIOUS PAGE
since and have not seen
this blue king parrot
again.
Friends of mine who
live on a small farm out
of town, contacted me
Blue mutation some years ago and
told me that they had a
yellow king parrot coming in with
normal ones to feed on a feeder
they maintained in their back yard.
NEXT PAGE
After several visits, one morning
while photographing the normal
A u g u s t 2 0 14 A u g u s t 2 0 14 Parrots eMag 27

Yellow female
on nesting tree
its mother. This parrot returned this year
and is gradually obtaining a full red chest
and head. Also noticeable were the light
lime colours on its shoulders. I am going
to try and get some more shots of this
bird when it fully colours up.
There have been attempts to trap
these parrots for the aviculture market
and I can only hope that the people
involved are unsuccessful in achieving
their goal. All the residents in this small
country area just love having the yellow
kings flying about their yards and will
make it very hard for anyone they catch
trying to trap them. It is said that natural
occurring mutations in the wild have a
slim chance of surviving because they
stand out from the normal birds. Seeing
a flock on king parrots flying past with a
yellow one among them, nothing could
stand out more, but thankfully they are
kings, a brilliant yellow king parrot joined
still being sighted in the area.
them on the feeder. This parrot stood out
with its bright yellow plumage and red Yellow mutation
immature male
breast and I thought it was a hen.
Over the next couple of years two
more yellow kings were seen in the
vicinity and one seemed to be paired up
with a normal hen. Last year there was a
young yellow bird turning up at the feeder
with a normal hen and spent a lot of time
FULL SCREEN ON / OFF
King parrots
true Royals It ’s so good
you can’t keep
We are fortunate in Australia in having
so many wonderful, colourful, parrot
species, and a lot of these birds are quite
it to yourself!
easy to find and observe. I have a friend
who is a keen photographer and wants
to learn how to observe and photograph
birds. I took him to a spot where I always
manage king parrot shots and this was
the first time he had seen them and
identified them in the wild.
A fully-coloured male bird landed close
to us at the top of a small bush and started
feeding, with the early morning sun shining
on its spectacular plumage. My friend
could not believe what he was seeing
and almost forgot about his camera as he
watched this royal king feeding so close to
our position. Anyone seeing these parrots
for the first time will be stunned by their
beauty and although these kings are fairly
common over their range, they will always
have my attention, whether I have my
camera ready or not. ■

FRONT PAGE
begging to be fed by what I assumed was

Cruel dealer practices

In early times in England, dealers told of several
importers of king parrots, who “stoved” up their
birds to make them moult their nest feathers
prematurely, and assume the adult “garb”
before the natural period comes around. This
involved keeping the bird in a small enclosure

CONTENTS PAGE
and submitting it to hot conditions until it
moulted. A fully-coloured male king parrot was
worth a lot more to the dealer than a young Yellow mutation
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llets made
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The flock, including the yellow bird,
arrive to feed on a backyard feeder Web: www.northernparrots.com/tops
Phone: 0800 488 0345
Email: info@northernparrots.com
Northern Parrots, Unit 21 Cuba Estate, Ramsbottom, Bury, BL0 0NE, UK
28 Parrots eMag A u g u s t 2 0 14

Update:
Parrots feather-
plucking
by Alan K Jones, BvetMed mrcvs
I am now retired from general avian
veterinary practice, but still write articles
and answer questions on the enthralling
birds that are parrots. One of the most
common problems I was faced with in the
course of my work was the feather-plucking
parrot. It is also a very frequent question
asked of Parrots magazine: “What do I do
to stop my parrot pulling its feathers out?”
Several articles have been published over
the years by many experts on the subject,
but it is time to provide an update.
T
he feature that sets birds apart in
the animal kingdom is their feathers.
These unique and complex structures
give avian species their particular appeal
in terms of appearance and colour. (Fig 1)
It is perhaps the main reason why people
find birds so attractive, and therefore if any
problem occurs with the feathers, it is of
immediate concern to the owner.
Just as with any general disease
problem in birds, a few displayed
symptoms can represent a whole range
of causes of the illness, so then there
are many reasons why a bird’s feathers
may have become damaged or lost.
These would include inherited defects,
dietary deficiencies, infections and
physical damage from the environment
or other birds. To the inexperienced eye,
one damaged feather looks much like
another, whereas experience and more
30 Parrots eMag
detailed analysis will hopefully identify the
alternative causes. Thus skilful diagnosis
is required to establish the cause and
thereby suggest a possible cure, but
there is no more frustrating condition
for the disappointed owner and the
veterinarian attempting to treat the bird
than the “feather-plucker.”
The first point to note is that feather-
plucking is a disease of captivity – it does
not occur (except as natural physiological
behaviour in breeding birds) in wild-living
individuals. Many owners appear to give
their birds the best of care and attention,
and yet are rewarded by a bird that rips
out all its feathers. Other individuals can
live in apparently appalling environments
and yet have immaculate plumage.
The second comment is, no case
of feather-plucking will respond to a
miraculous overnight cure, nor can
the answer be given in a two-minute
telephone call. The various remedies that
have been suggested in the press are not
universal panaceas. What will solve the
problem in one bird may have no effect
in another individual, because of the
different root cause.
In attempting to investigate a feather-
plucking problem, one has to be able to
recognise the normal from the abnormal,
and to eliminate all other possible causes
of feather disease. This will require
detailed questioning of the owner (clinical
Fig 1 - Blue-fronted and Red-lored Amazon
parrots in immaculate feather
history) as to the background of the bird –
where it came from, where it is kept, how
it is fed, when the problem started, how
the problem manifested itself, are other
birds involved, etc. Examination of the
environment is important – the presence
of parasites or irritants may be detected,
plus one can get a general impression of
the bird’s lifestyle. (Fig 2)
The bird will then need a thorough
examination, probably linked to laboratory
Fig 2 - Moluccan Cockatoo kept in a dark
environment with poor diet. Feather quality is poor
A u g u s t 2 0 14
tests such as blood samples to assess
liver and kidney function and hormone
levels or to check for infectious agents
such as Psittacine Beak and Feather
Disease (PBFD). (Fig 3) It may be
necessary to examine feather samples or
skin biopsies for the presence of bacteria,
viruses, fungi or parasites.
Fig 3 - Citron-crested Cockatoo with
advanced PBFD
It is perfectly normal for a bird to pluck
the head and neck feathers of its mate
in the breeding season, or for parents
to over-preen their chicks in the same
way. (Fig 4) It is also normal for birds to
lose feathers over the breast area while
breeding (the “brood patch”), but both
these may be triggers to start a bird on
the road to longer term plucking. New
feathers that grow in the normal moult will
irritate as they come through, and birds
preen heavily at this time, but again the
scales can tip easily from preening to
plucking if the irritation is excessive.
Fig 4 - Cockatiel baby with crest feathers
plucked by parents
This would be the case when many
feathers are replaced at once, for
example following an accident or illness.
But then a vicious circle is established,
because the large number of growing
feathers irritates. This leads to plucking,
A u g u s t 2 0 14
Fig 5 - Umbrella Cockatoo showing severe self-
mutilation of chest
which means more feathers are grown to
replace those pulled out, which means
more irritation, and therefore more
picking. In some cases, birds progress
from plucking to self-mutilation, eating
through skin and muscle. (Fig 5)
Certain internal or systemic disease
conditions will produce skin irritation
that results in plucking. Liver disease is
one, Giardiasis in cockatiels is another.
This protozoal intestinal infection is well
documented as being a cause of feather-
picking in the USA, although we tend not
to see so much in the UK. The remedy
in these cases is obviously to treat the
underlying disease, rather than simply to
try to control the picking.
Dietary problems are also highly
significant in feather disease. Still far
too many caged birds are kept on an
inadequate or imbalanced diet and
deficiencies of vitamins (especially A),
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minerals (especially calcium), trace
elements (such as zinc), and amino
acids, will result in poor feather and skin
quality, (Fig 5) which in turn predispose to
plucking. In some cases too much of a
dietary component can cause a problem
– a fat-rich diet, or simple obesity, will
produce poor feather quality. (Fig 6)
Fig 6 - Poor feather condition in an Amazon
parrot, with uneven coverage and persistent
sheaths on the quills. This may also be
linked with an inability to preen owing to beak
damage or arthritis
The bird’s environment is extremely
important: smoke in the atmosphere, or
fat droplets where a bird is kept, near a
pub kitchen for example, will be deposited
on the feathers and will cause irritation.
Handling a bird with nicotine-stained
fingers, after smoking, will irritate a bird's
skin, and will start the bird pecking to
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relieve the itch. A dry, dusty atmosphere is
very bad for plumage quality - the feathers
will become brittle and will then irritate.
Regular bathing or spraying is essential.
(Fig 7) Lighting is important – too long a
photoperiod (length of daylight) may tire
the bird, or stimulate breeding activity, or
encourage frequent moulting. Light levels
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that are too low will result in poor quality
feather growth.
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Fig 7 - Umbrella Cockatoo taking a bath in the
kitchen sink!
Another environmental consideration
is boredom. This is frequently cited
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as a cause of feather-plucking, but in
my experience it is by no means the
Parrots eMag 31

commonest cause. Parrots are extremely
intelligent creatures and do need a lot of
physical and mental stimulation to satisfy
their needs. Therefore toys, objects to
chew, radios playing, “playtime” with the
owner, are all important for their well-
being, and in many cases the provision of
such items where they are not present will
prevent plucking in a bird.
However, the opposite situation can
also apply – that is to say that a bird’s
environment can be too busy. In an
active household, with children playing
and running around, dogs barking, music
blaring, and general busy-ness from
dawn 'til way past dusk, the poor bird may
get over-stimulated and have no chance
of proper rest. This can result in feather-
pulling, and the answer in this case is
obviously to move the bird to a more
relaxed atmosphere!
In some cases there may be an
inability to preen. The feathers will then
look untidy, with persistent sheaths and
possibly secondarily infected, but they
will not be plucked out. This could be
the case in a hand-reared bird that has
not been socialised with others, and has
never really learned how to preen or it
may result from some damage to the
beak that prevents grooming activity. A
further option is arthritis in an older bird,
reducing its flexibility to reach certain
areas of its plumage.
Fig 8 - Budgerigar showing severe “scaly face”
infection (Cnemidocoptes - burrowing mite)
Specific infections of the skin or
feathers may lead to plucking because
of the resultant irritation. These would
include bacterial infections of the skin
(dermatitis) or feather follicles (folliculitis),
fungal diseases (similar to conditions
such as athlete’s foot or ringworm)
or virus infections such as PBFD or
Polyomavirus. Parasitic infestations by
such creatures such as mites, lice or
ticks are commonly suspected as causes
of feather-picking, and many cans of
mite spray are sold in consequence. In
fact, single pet birds are unlikely to be
afflicted in this way, unless they have
come recently from a collection. Small
32 Parrots eMag
aviary and colony birds, such as finches,
canaries, budgies and pigeons on the
other hand, may be affected by such
organisms. One other parasitic condition
that is quite common as a cause of skin
disease (although rarely feather-plucking)
is the mange mite Cnemidocoptes (Scaly
face, scaly leg, tassle foot). (Fig 8)
Thus to diagnose and treat a case
of feather-plucking, one has to consider
and eliminate or test for all of the above.
Plucking often starts at adolescence,
or following some episode of stress.
The time of day, plucking occurs is
also significant. “Situation” plucking in
response to something that annoys the
bird is common. For example, being put
away at night when he doesn’t want to go!
Birds are very sensitive to environment
and routine – the classic case was the
cockatoo that plucked when its owner
moved a picture from one wall in the room
to another, and then stopped plucking
when the picture was replaced! Jealousy
and stress are commonly implicated, as
are having builders in or relatives to stay,
and holiday times or other changes in
routine may all be responsible for starting
a bird pulling at its feathers.
The area of feathers that the bird
attacks is also significant. Hormone
changes and broody behaviour most
commonly influence chest and shoulder
pluckers, while a small local area may
indicate some underlying internal pain.
(Fig 5)
In my experience, most cases of
plucking that are not the result of one of
the disease processes listed above occur
in adolescent birds. Hand-reared African
Grey Parrots are perhaps the worst
offenders, but eclectus and cockatoos
come close. (Fig 9)
Fig 9 - Umbrella Cockatoo showing plucked
areas on chest, legs and flanks. Head feathers
are immaculate because the bird cannot pluck
them out – cf Fig 3
Although birds have been kept in
captivity for some generations, they
are still far from being a domesticated
species like the dog and cat. The
artificial incubation and hand-rearing
of parrots is a much more recent
Fig 10 - Black-headed Caiques with plastic
chain perch/toy
phenomenon, and these birds grow
up not really sure whether they are bird
or human! When they reach those
“awkward teenage years,” and their
hormones tell them they need to breed,
they are not quite sure which way to turn,
and hence start plucking in frustration
and confusion. It is also possible that
the hormone changes cause direct
irritability of the skin, just as in human
teenagers with acne.
A commonly suggested solution in
such cases is to “get the bird a mate,”
but this is not always the answer. A
companion bird of a different species
may help, but a true opposite sex of the
same species may throw the bird into
even more confusion. They may even
copy each other, and you end up with
two plucked birds!
So having identified our bird as a
plucker, and confirmed by the above
examinations and analysis that it is
not suffering from a specific disease,
what can we do about it? I hope I have
demonstrated that the causes can be so
varied that no one single treatment could
possibly work for every bird, but there
are some general suggestions that I offer
as background therapy in every case.
These are:
 Regular spraying or bathing with
warm water (Fig 7) This is essential
for proper feather condition, especially
in an indoor heated atmosphere, and
should be done several times a week.
Many owners will not bathe their birds
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in the winter, for fear they may catch
cold, but this is in fact a critical time,
since one has heating on in the
house, and this will make the bird’s
plumage very dry. Most birds enjoy
a shower, but some will actively
dislike it. Nevertheless, one should
persevere for the sake of the long-
term plumage quality.
 The provision of a stimulating and
interesting environment, including
materials that can be chewed.
There are many parrot toys available
that are useful, but these can be
expensive. It is just as effective
to provide cheap replaceable
objects such as clean twigs from
non-toxic trees (fruit trees, willow,
hazel, chestnut, eucalyptus, etc);
cardboard rolls or egg boxes; hide
chews intended for dogs; or similar
items. (Fig 10) Birds need to gnaw,
and these items may be destroyed
and replaced cheaply on a regular
basis, and may distract the bird from
chewing its own feathers. Leaving a
radio or television playing when the
house is empty can be useful, but
balance this with what I mentioned
earlier about an over-busy
environment. It may help to move the
bird around to be with the family at
different times of day, but conversely
other birds fare much better if their
housing is stable, and they can feel
safe and secure. Each case has to
be treated individually.
A u g u s t 2 0 14
Fig 12 - African Grey Parrot fitted with a Perspex
collar
Fig 13 – Roseate or Galah Cockatoo with a
knitted vest made from an old sock
 The provision of a well-balanced
diet. This is very important, and
many cases of poor feather quality
will be improved with better nutrition.
Fussy eaters can be given one
of the many vitamin and mineral
supplements that are available, but
of particular importance to feather
growth are the amino acids to be
found in animal protein. Many
people seem surprised to be told
that their pet birds should be given
such items as hard cheese, cooked
egg or chicken, fish fingers and the
like, but in fact the protein content
of these foods is essential for new
feather growth. Most wild parrots
are facultative omnivores, which
mean they will eat anything that
is available in their environment,
including the occasional grub,
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caterpillar, insect or even small fish,
so animal protein is not at all alien
to their diet.
Other remedies that may be adopted
in specific cases could be the
judicious use of hormone therapy or
the provision of a proper environment
in which to pair off and breed.
Many other suggested methods
really just attack the results of the
plucking, and do not address the
root cause. These would include the
use of sedatives or psycho-altering
drugs such as the much publicised
“Prozac.” These may have a place
and a short-term effect in some cases,
but usually once therapy is withdrawn,
the plucking will recur if the bird’s
circumstances are unchanged. The
beak may be notched or have a ball
applied to its tip to prevent damage
to the feathers, alternatively collars
or vests may be attached to restrict
plucking. (Figs 12 and 13) Again, both
these methods are preventive rather
than curative, but may have a place
in allowing feather recovery while the
underlying reasons are addressed.
The fitting of collars is a personal
preference. In my experience many
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birds are adept at removing them, or
if they can’t, then they become even
more neurotic.
In summary
One can repeat that there is no
overnight solution, and there is no
single remedy suitable for all cases!
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Detailed “psychoanalysis” is required
for each bird (and very often its
owner!), and even then there will be
many disappointments. It will take
weeks to correct a problem and
establish new feather growth, but
only a few minutes for a recalcitrant
bird to pull them all out again! Many
cases do relapse, and with repeated
plucking there may well be permanent
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follicular damage that means the
bird will never grow feathers in
these areas. Parrots are intelligent
creatures and require both mental
and physical stimulation to keep them
fit. This they have in their natural wild
environment, so I repeat that feather-
plucking is a disease of captivity.
Each case presents a challenge to
owner and veterinarian, and every
attempt must be made to solve the
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underlying problem rather than merely
to suppress the urge to pluck. ■
Parrots eMag 33
 FULL SCREEN ON / OFF
Although it is now an incontestable fact that intelligence is not
unique to humans (existence of intelligence in mammals such
as dolphins, whales, elephants and apes is no longer disputed),
birds, and parrots in particular, have only recently started to enter

My
this category. New Zealand’s Kea Parrot is one such example.
But, what sets keas apart from other parrots and what brings
these birds into proximity with the most intelligent of mammals?
Keas, like other birds, are able to live in captivity, and can

encounter
learn to become a good pet. However, just like highly intelligent
mammals, such as dolphins, in captivity keas are reluctant
to breed and, most importantly, suffer from a shortened life
expectation. Such trends are the opposite of what we expect to

with wild Keas

see in regular pets, such as cats and dogs, whose life duration is
on average higher in captivity than would be otherwise. What is
the secret of the opposite trend?
It would be insufficient to look at the physiology of animals and
birds in order to answer this question. The answer, most likely, lies
in our very understanding of the concept of intelligence, and most

by Svetlana Velichko
importantly, of the role it plays in the life of the animal or bird. The
key is not in the abilities that one develops with higher intelligence,
but in the newly-acquired needs that must be satisfied in order to
ensure the necessary intellectual ‘firewood’ for such a picky and
My first encounter with keas was at an Australian zoo. I was vulnerable thing as intelligence.
sheltering from the rain in a kea aviary, watching the parrots Keas possess an endless curiosity and drive, to learn
studying my opened umbrella. The keas’ curiosity, fast and conquer all that is new. They form attachments fast,
learning, and interaction with their caregiver intrigued me, especially towards humans, thus keas living in freedom are very
leading me to head to South Island, New Zealand to visit interested in human activity and are often the first to establish
the keas’ natural environment in the Cook Mountains. contact. Used to humans and extremely curious, these parrots
sometimes damage our cars, tents and cabins in search of not in the upbringing of the younger generation, and it looks very

S omewhere high up, almost up as far as the snowy peaks, live only food, but anything that is interesting. rough and tough. Adults didn’t think twice about kicking the
Keas are attracted to waste sites. Their hard beaks and

FRONT PAGE
small flocks of parrots. Their behaviour is unique. Watch them chick when he tried to join in and eat the same food as them or
in the sky for a while and you’ll see that the birds, never alone, are sharp claws enable the parrots to tear rubber padding around was just simply in their way. They would raise their voices at him,
always in a flock. They always seem to be up to something exciting, car doors and windows to pieces and they just love to grind (sometimes it seemed as though they were chuckling), and they
calling to each other on their way - flying from one part of the and to break windscreen wipers and to pierce holes in rubber never shared their captured food with him. If anything was left
mountain to the next. They are not only in search of food, but are tyres. The keas’ favourite items are definitely rubber windscreen for the youngster, it was scrapes that the rest of the flock was no
also on the look-out for anything new and invigorating. Anything, or wipers and car door locks, which they sort and hide in the rocks longer interested in.
anyone, may become the object of amusement for the keas. crevices so particularly that one might think the birds want to All this evokes sorrow for the chick, but on the other hand,
Having climbed up the highest tourist trail, I stared up at the open up their own shop! perhaps it stimulates the individual to reflect and to understand
Evening was drawing in and there was no-one else up There are conventional signs on all kiwi roads: “Do not feed the
sky in disappointment. I saw nothing and hadn’t seen any keas what is done to him, and why it is done, teaching the naïve to

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here on the mountain, at the end of the tourist trail, but me. It birds.” It is not so much to prevent tourists feeding birds something
on the way up either. That trail was my best bet, but the skies be smart, and in the long-run to outsmart the other clever birds.
was a good time and place, for a “moving meditation.” I did not nutritious, but the fact that once keas have been fed once, they
were empty. But fortunately, my luck changed and it was not Curiosity, a passion to study and trying out new things are the
not suspect, as I decided to stand there waving my arms and will decide they have found a bearer of all meals for a lifetime, in you.
long before graceful and majestic figures started to sail across main characteristics of the kea parrot.
upper part of the body around, that I would get a very unusual Being used to receiving food from tourists, parrots regard all food as
the deep blue sky. I was watching, in its natural environment, They don’t play on their own, but in a group. They share the
audience. As soon as I started behaving unlike regular hikers, their property and can easily attack an absent-minded tourist, who
a flock of the smartest parrots on earth. These birds have an rules of the game and co-operate with each other to obtain food,
keas began descending and circling around me, and finally dares to eat a sandwich in their presence.
IQ scientists compare to a four-year-old human child. Keas are which is not only common for a kingdom of animals and birds,
came in to land on the surrounding stones, staring at what they
the only parrots living in the mountains, and these were the only but also for humans. Our children play by themselves only until
mountains where the birds lived. This was the culmination of all
thought was a very peculiar and bizarre human! Chicks learn the hard way they reach three, after that they play with someone. Likewise,
my dreams, or so I thought. By the road, where tourists stop to take photographs of a gorge keas, by taking an interest in our world, discover their own.
Watching me, watching them! and a waterfall, at one end of the mountain chain, I met another Being inquisitorial in the taste of food and activities of humans,

The bravest kea made careful steps towards me, and the rest
followed, after I started talking to them and they were completely
convinced of my mild insanity. Some took pieces of tangerines
from my hands, others preferred theirs to be delivered to their
feet. Exhilarated as I was, I remembered to pack my belongings
away, as an important prevention measure from ‘theft.’
It is impossible to put in words the feeling you get when
you encounter an intellectual being in nature. It feels as if it’s
not you watching, but you are being watched. You become an
experimental subject, and they - the testers. Remember that
stereotype, that homo sapiens are the culmination of evolution,
family of keas. These guys, already familiar with humans and
not novices in inter-species communication, were rather brave in
their behaviour. They jumped on top of the parked car, peeked
into the opened windows and contemplated what could be
extracted.
Inquisitive keas stare into your eyes, not only to study you,
but to plan their next move. They try new foods with pleasure
(especially tangerines, oranges and apples) and find a fast way
to eat them, leaving orange peel scattered all over the roof and
bonnet of the car.
There was a young kea chick in this family which gave me
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they attempt to imitate us.
I got attached to the feathered tribe fast. Their interest was
flattering. The fact that they approached me so bravely, in turn,
predisposed me towards them. There they were, sitting on the side
mirrors of my car, peeking inside with their sharp stare, searching for
a feast. I watched and studied them, and they studied me.
In two years time, I want to go back to those mountains, to
those birds. My interest in them did not disappear when I left
New Zealand, but grew and grew. Learning more about keas
has drawn me closer to nature and to its everlasting puzzle that
refuses to unfold. No matter how far we go down the intelligence

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the smartest on planet Earth, the conquerors of nature and all on the opportunity to observe how the adults communicated with ladder, into its enigmatic depths, I am sure we are never meant to
the planet? That stereotype crashed. youngsters. All the members of the family seemed to take part see the bottom. ■

34 Parrots eMag A u g u s t 2 0 14 A u g u s t 2 0 14 Parrots eMag 35

Orinoco’s
Home Entertainment System
by Karen Chudley
M
y name is Orinoco
and since I lost my
best friend, Urk, to a
cruel disease, I have moved
into a large bachelor pad and
found two new friends to hang
out with, Bollywood Basil and
Kermit; they too lost pals when
36 Parrots eMag
Orinoco on his
favourite clam shell
ABV reduced our flock.
Bollywood Basil is a
Moustached Parrot; when he
first came to live here he had a
damaged wing and tail but he
is mended now, his feathers
have grown back and he can
fly again. Would you believe
Best friends, Basil and
Kermit perching together
in comfort on their
specially made perch
that a handsome Asiatic prince
like Bollywood Basil was given
to my humans in exchange for
a bag of spanners? I mean,
honestly, what value do some
people put on a bird’s life?
Basil was named after the
character Basil Fawlty from
the 1970’s TV comedy “Fawlty
Towers” on account of his
moustache and his comical
upright walk - the Bollywood
got added later on when he
started to dance. No two
“lads about the house” would
be complete without a “little
brother” figure trailing along
after them, generally being
annoying and we are no
exception. Basil and I have
Kermit, a tiny Celestial Parrotlet
who thinks BIG.
Kermit loves to be included
and everywhere Basil goes,
Kermit follows. Kermit is a
tenacious kind of guy and his
favourite pastime is to swing
on the end of Basil’s long tail.
This annoys Basil because he
put all that effort into growing a
new tail only to have Kermit put
a kink in it. Kermit on the other
hand does not understand it
when Basil tries to “woo” him
with his flamboyant Bollywood-
style dance routine. Basil
gets confused sometimes
and behaves like Kermit is
a lady Moustached Parrot.
Even though we three are very
diverse, and our humans refer
to us as the “Odd Squad,” we
are buddies and when it’s time
to go to bed, we all huddle
close together – there’s safety
in numbers.
Since losing my lady friend,
I seem to have a lot more spare
time for doing stuff other than
what Urk told me to do and as
Wingnut singing on his
favourite boing
it is generally accepted that
a stimulating environment is
important to the well-being of
us pet parrots, I thought I would
give you a guided tour of our
home entertainment system.
It’s a jungle
in here
From simple, joyous, hanging
upside down to complicated
athletic clambering
manoeuvres, we parrots love
to climb. Our humans didn’t
want us to turn their soft
furnishings into a gymnasium
so they have created a space
for us worthy of any military
academy by providing plenty
of climbing apparatus. I’m
talking swings, boings, play
trees and interesting perches.
The parrots that live here are
all very individual characters
A u g u s t 2 0 14
Basil, our Moustached Parrot is a real shredding guru
and our humans have
provided a great assortment of
contraptions to make life more
fun. No parrot here suffers the
grinding boredom of a straight
dowel perch and as a bonus
our humans seem to derive
great pleasure from observing
our antics, they even find it
amusing when we “investigate”
objects that are not strictly
speaking parrot toys, but we
don’t do this often as we have
so much else to keep us busy.
A big hit with all of the birds
that live here is a simple device
called a Sisal Boing and not only
does it bounce about like a real
tree, it also has an interesting
texture to get our beaks into.
When it is hung close to a
window we can experience
the Great Outdoors from a
safe distance. Ceiling or cage
mounted swings in any shape or
form are always a hit. Basil and
Kermit’s favourite one was made
A u g u s t 2 0 14
Team Conure have
several different perches
especially for our flock and even
has holes drilled in it to attach
shredding toys to. Basil is a bit
of a shredding Guru. I shouldn’t
say this, but he has got a rather
oversized beak, and it’s pink, so
he needs to keep it trim!
Perches need not be boring
either and we’ve got all sorts
Strutting their funky stuff!
here. Many of our wooden
perches have been made to
fit our feet properly so they are
good and sturdy, which makes
us feel very safe when we settle
down for the night. Some of
our perches even have toys
mounted on them. Basil is very
keen on these, that’s what I like
about Basil, he appreciates
a good toy as much as I do.
Team Conure have got special
stepping stones, runways and
walk-about perches, which is
ideal when you think about how
busy and active conures are.
Wingnut has his share of toys
We also have perches
made out of other materials
such as calcium, clay and even
bee pollen. These help keep
our beaks and nails trimmed
down and have a good grip.
They also feel nice and warm
against our feet. My favourite
is shaped like a giant sea shell,
it was a bit scary when I first
spotted it but I love it now. It’s
got a kind of crumbly, melt-in-
the-beak texture when I chew
on it, a real winner as far as I’m
concerned, even if it is pink!
Basil loves the fruit
flavoured perches and little
Kermit is very attached to the
perch that looks like three eggs
in a sock, because he’s little
he can sit on the narrower bits
with Basil alongside him on a
wider section, which makes
Kermit feel like he’s one of
the gang. Our perches are
arranged at different levels
FULL SCREEN ON / OFF
Wooing dance
within our cages and Wingnut
has a special “cuddle” perch at
armchair height that he uses to
full advantage, we even have
perches on top of some of our
cages, which are just fantastic
for dancing.
Dance
yourself busy
We parrots love to get down
to some funky tunes and
regular music sessions are a
fun way to spend time with our
humans. Wingnut only has to
see a CD and he starts with
the bobbing up and down and
the “woo, groovy!” Again our
individual tastes are catered
for. Wingnut has his jazz, I
FRONT PAGE
like the Blues Brothers best,
especially when we do “Come
on Ori shake a tail feather”,
Basil likes that one too, now
that he has tail feathers to
shake. Kermit twitters along to
“Manamana,” Wingnut can do
the words to that, it’s another of
his “classics.”
CONTENTS PAGE
For Team Conure “Grease”
is the word and when Rizzo’s
smoochy solo comes on, they
all pair up and preen each
other like it’s a slow dance at
a school disco. Purdey goes
bananas for Janice Joplin’s
iconic Mercedes Benz song
and Pepita favours Drunken
Sailors and their sea-shanties.
PREVIOUS PAGE
Maybe that is her macaw
sea-faring ancestry coming
to the fore? Music gives us
the opportunity to showcase
one of our foremost talents,
screaming! Yes, that’s right,
our humans accept that
screaming is very important to
us parrots so from time to time
they join in for a good raucous
yell and do you know what,
NEXT PAGE
we scream less the rest of the
time, amazing!
Parrots eMag 37

Basil loves bathtime
I stand on my podium
perch, high up on the top of
our bachelor pad and do my
crazy “dad-dancing” routine,
shrieking at the top of my voice
while Basil struts his funky stuff
along the top of the open cage
door, down below, with Kermit
dodging Basil’s more energetic
moves. Wingnut taps out an
accompanying percussion
beat with his beak on his toys
and perches.
The words of songs are
adapted by our humans to
include our names, everybody
is included and we really let go
and kick up a racket. To wind
things down a bit our humans
play “Music of the Rainforest,”
which is very soothing, but
a little strange. When this
comes on, even us birds that
are enjoying our out of cage
time make our way home to a
comfy perch, where we sit with
a mellow, far-away look in our
eyes, gently swaying along to
the evocative pan-pipes.
Food
glorious food
Food is a subject very dear to
my heart. Not only does it taste
good but it is another source
of entertainment, especially if
we have to work for it. I have
whiled away many happy hours
rummaging through screwed
up bits of “chip” paper to try to
find which one has the nut in
it. “Chip” paper makes a great
shredding toy in its own right, in
38 Parrots eMag
hint, us parrots like to SHARE!
Food always tastes better
house rabbits and the postman
about. He really enjoys using
when it is pilfered from another his talent for speech and is
bird, a human or even a rabbit. so proud of himself when he
masters a new word or does
Express yourself ones of his improvisations,
where he puts two different
It’s what we parrots are famous
bits of words together to make
for, imitating human speech
a new word. He’s so good
and other sounds. Wingnut he can even do a bit of Cleo
takes it to a whole new level, Laine’s “scoobydoobydoo”
with his amazing vocabulary scat singing.
and in-context exclamations. I am gradually expanding
Wingnut talks while he my repertoire but I talk quietly,
plays with his toys, joins in Basil is also starting to speak
with music and bosses our in his mad squeaky voice and
humans, us other parrots, the Purdey and Pepita say “hello”
all the time! They say other
things too but “hello” is their
favourite, oh yes and Pepita
says “aaak” a lot too. Team
Conure have a whole bunch of
contact calls, some of which
are very loud and little Max is
starting to imitate one of the
human’s clicking noises, which
is kind of cute. They also do
this funny whispering thing
among themselves.
Bring me
sunshine
Some parrots like to be taken
Orinoco’s bathtime
out on excursions into the Big
fact the only bad thing about it Wide World but to be honest,
is that it never seems to contain
we find it a bit scary as we
any chips!
associate it with trips to the
I really look forward to our
vet, so we get our 'sunshine'
food bowls being refreshed from a special solarium lamp.
and to while away the wait I Pepita, a rescue Severe
entertain everyone with my
Macaw with a history of feather
loud cockatiel impression,
plucking loves a spot of nude
if there is a delay and I get
sunbathing. Come to think
impatient I simply up the of it, Pepita has become less
volume and repetition, which is nude since she came to live
strange, because my speaking here. We all get to enjoy a
voice is soft and quiet. We turn under the sun lamp but
really appreciate having lots because it shows off our
of variety in our food bowl but Orinoco just loves toys! plumage to full advantage it
that doesn’t stop us dumping it
all on the ground while seeking
out our favourite bits.
Fruit can be very interesting
and the bits we don’t want
are perfect for a spot of re-
decorating, modern art without
the expense. By the way, yes,
we are telepathic and we can
tell when you have walked in
the front door with a take-away
fish and chip supper. Here’s a
A u g u s t 2 0 14
can make Purdey a bit fruity.
When he gets like this he does
his special display dance to
Pepita, who is not impressed
and tells Purdey in no uncertain
terms to back off.
Fruity Amazon
notwithstanding, the sun lamp
is a good thing and we all
feel better after a spell under
those UVA & UVB rays. We
also get to sit on the back of
armchairs and catch up with
what is going on in the sky
outside, which is quite a lot
as we live in a house close
to farmland. Once, a huge
scary sparrowhawk with mad
yellow lamps for eyes landed
in the garden. This caused a
major UBE (unexplained bird
emergency) among Team
Conure and is one of the
reasons we prefer to stay safe
indoors. The room that we
live in gets very sunny in the
afternoon and evening and
makes our plumage shimmer.
Our beauty gives our humans a
great deal of pleasure. After a
spot of sunbathing, a shower or
bath is a great way to keep our
feathers in tip top condition.
Some of us like baths more
than others, Team Conure are
into their clean water bowl as
soon as it’s put in their cage,
Purdey adores a warm shower
and the pleasure he exhibits
at bath time is quite charming.
Pepita is a little shy of bathing
but is coming around to it as she
realises that it makes her feel less
itchy. Wingnut and I both avoid
the showers offered, and prefer
to bath in our water bowls as
A u g u s t 2 0 14
Orinoco and Basil share a fun toy
soon as they are replenished and
love to throw water everywhere!
Of course, Wingnut gets to sing
in the shower every morning
too. Basil and Kermit are into
splashing about in water bowls
and under a warm shower, Basil
shimmy-shakes after bathing. He
does everything with panache.
For the majority of us, bathing is
another one of life’s pleasures
and something to look forward to.
Bring me
laughter
Toys! I could wax lyrical about
toys for hours, they are just my
favourite thing in the world and
playing with a toy is as good
for me as laughter is for you
humans. It exercises my body
and my mind. Toys, with their
wonderful array of shapes,
sizes, textures and sounds keep
me busy for hours on end. I get
so excited when a new parcel
arrives full of toys. I love to
watch them being unpacked
and can hardly contain my
excitement when a new toy is
headed my way. I also sample
toys that are given to my parrot
friends, I can’t help myself - toys
are just irresistible!
FULL SCREEN ON / OFF
Bring me love
As one of my favourite songs
goes, “Everybody needs
somebody.” We parrots are
capable of being complete
affection sponges if you let
us. Unrequited love can be
extremely hurtful to us and
we need to have humans
or others of our own kind to
cuddle up to. From Wingnut’s
I have been known to
frequent request, “Do you
mistake things for toys that
want a cuddie?” to Purdey’s
are not strictly speaking parrot
more subtle big-eye, head
toys, like the time I discovered
down unspoken message,
a very interesting fake bell on a
Pepita’s overt march over to
toy rabbit. I see opportunities
for play everywhere, from her human and “cuddle me
simple bits of paper, oops, now” demands, to Kermit and
sorry, apparently they are Basil’s blossoming “romance.”
things called “books,” to off-the Team Conure’s constant
peg toys and custom-made mutual preening and my own
creations designed to help snuggle sessions with my
initiate individual play-shy birds human, every birdie, needs
to the joy of toys.
Purdey and Pepita used
somebody, to love and to be
loved by! ■
to have issues with toys but
*Since writing this article we
not anymore, Purdey has his
have suffered yet another loss to
shredder and birdie bangles, Avian Borna Virus. Our stunningly
which he fastidiously cleans
handsome Yellow-crowned
FRONT PAGE
his beak on every night before Amazon, Purdey developed “rapid
going to roost, and Pepita is onset” neurological symptoms.
deeply into leather, which is He was unable to eat or balance
properly and his vision became
great because all the time she impaired. A positive ABV test
is chewing on her leather plaits confirmed our worst fears. We
she’s not pulling her feathers were offered anti-inflammatory
drugs as palliative care, but this
out. A life without toys? I don’t
option was for our benefit as
think so! The other thing that
much as for his. Purdey was
gives us birds a real thrill, on
CONTENTS PAGE
existing, not living, so with great
a par with laughter for you sadness we made the decision to
humans, is flying. It’s what we have him put to sleep on 14 May
2014. His huge personality, as
were born to do and all of the
he greeted me each day with a
birds that live here retain a full
cheery "Hello" and raised wings, is
set of wings. Flying combined missed greatly. He will live on in
with shrieking is even better, who our hearts forever. This article is
says males can’t multi-task? dedicated to his memory.
PREVIOUS PAGE
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NEXT PAGE
Website: www.animalgenetics.eu
Parrots eMag 39
 FULL SCREEN ON / OFF
Book review Set in the rainforest, this amusing,
cumulative rhyme tells of a mischievous

The Parrot
parrot which always wants what others
have and can’t resist stealing delicious
looking fruit from each of his friends.
He grabs a round, yellow mango from a

Tico Tango
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FRONT PAGE
CONTENTS PAGE
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40 Parrots eMag A u g u s t 2 0 14

Your PARROT
QUERIES answered…
Our panel of experts is available to answer all your queries on companion or breeding parrots.
MURIEL
BARNES,
www.mkb-birds.
co.uk, has more
than 30 years
experience in
keeping and
breeding most
of the African parrot species, years experience, keeping and
Aratinga and Pyrrhura conures, breeding Cockatoos, Amazons
and many other species too. and Macaws.
Abbreviations used: E/B = English bred, C/R = Closed-rung
Ringneck with a temper
Q I have a five year-old Ring-
necked Parakeet who has a
severe temper problem and I am unable
to address it. We leave her out in the
open, she walks around freely and she
likes to sit in the kitchen or on her perch.
But while she is there all these places
become hostile zones, with her often
chasing the intruder and biting them.
If we stand and talk to her for a while
she often fluffs up her head feathers
and scratches her ear to show her
disapproval. Sometimes, she presents
her head in such a way, that we can pet
her, whereas previously we were always
able to pet her despite her temper.
There was an incident where my
house was broken into and after
this she refused any sort of contact.
However, if we are swift enough and
she does not see our approaching hand
we can pet her and she is comfortable
with that. Any object brought close to
her (including a hand) she launches
herself at it and tries to bite it. She used
to accept treats given by hand, but now
she just bites our hand and does not
acknowledge the treat.
Any sort of help would be
appreciated!
Sai, email
A I am not sure I have enough
information to give you an answer that
would totally fit your situation, but I will
do my best. Parrots or parakeets in the
psittacula family can be very tame, but
generally speaking, they need to be
handled gently and frequently to stay
tame and to trust the people in their lives.
42 Parrots eMag
BOB MANN ALAN K JONES
was one of the BVetMed MRCVS,
most successful is the UK’s top
breeders in the avian vet. He has
country, and bred specialised in
the UK’s first avian care for over
Palm Cockatoo. 30 years and has
He has over 35 been an active
member of the Association of
Avian Veterinarians for 25 years.
www.birdvet.co.uk
If your ringneck came to you as a
young bird you would have been able to
keep her tame with consistent handling.
If she came to you as an older bird who
had not been handled since she had
been handfed it would have been more
difficult to get her to settle down and this
may be at least part of the reason for her
“temper tantrums.”
Your description of her temper sounds
as if she sees the areas where she
perches as her territory and is protecting
them from you because she doesn’t have
a trusting bond with you. At this point she
probably sees you trying to handle or pet
her as an invasion of her territory.
The best advice that I can give you
is to change her routine. Put her perch
in a new place in your house where she
hasn’t established such a strong territorial
defence - a place where she can’t see her
cage or normal territory. Give her several
minutes, without trying to give her treats
or win her over.
The other important thing that you
mention is that your house was broken
into. Whoever did that might have
created a traumatic situation for your bird
and her increased defensive biting could
certainly be a result of this trauma. I
believe that more parrots bite out of fear
rather than aggression. She may have
lost her trust in people if she was teased
or abused in any way.
I would recommend giving her a lot of
indirect attention away from her perceived
territories. Sit near her and calmly talk,
hum or sing to her without making direct
eye contact with her, but if you do, slowly
lower your head and look away from
her. Spend at least 10-30 minutes doing
this on a daily basis. Be patient, since it
SALLY
BLANCHARD
Sally began
working with, and
studying parrots
extensively, nearly
40 years ago.
She now shares
her knowledge and theories
through consultations, writing,
speaking, artwork and her website:
companionparrotonline.com
may take several days to a few weeks, or
more, to win her trust again.
Once she begins to relax with you,
start to offer her treats. Again be very
calm and don’t make direct eye contact
with her for more than a few seconds.
Don’t be in a hurry and in time she
should become more trusting and less
aggressive. SB
Sun Conures first nest
Q I have a pair of Sun Conures
which are sitting on eggs for the
first time. I know that "first-timers" can
be unreliable and I want to be ready
to save the eggs or chicks if need be.
What should I look out for and how will I
know if the eggs/chicks are in jeopardy?
Ben Tilliou, email
A Conures generally make good parents
and even first-timers usually do a great
job, with only a relative few falling short
of their parental duties. However, it is
a good idea to be prepared to try and
help, if necessary, but without interfering
too much, otherwise they are likely to
forsake their nest. Once the pair has had
a couple of attempts at breeding they will
be less likely to desert the nest as they
will know exactly what they should do.
It is very difficult to predict if or when
the eggs are at risk unless the hen is out
of the box and the eggs are cold. If the
eggs are warm then there is probably
nothing to worry about as it normally
means the hen is off them just to exercise
or feed herself and she will return in a few
minutes to continue with incubation.
You can keep an eye on chicks more
easily, as they should have full crops
A u g u s t 2 0 14
FULL SCREEN ON / OFF
MIDLAND
before dark in readiness for the night. Often chicks are not fed
first thing in the morning, but left for a couple of hours until the
parent birds have eaten enough for themselves and consumed
enough eggfood mix to regurgitate it to their offspring. Also very
young chicks normally have a parent with them most of the time,
whereas older chicks that are feathering up will be warm enough
for the parents to leave the nest-box. As the chicks get older still, PARROTS
the parents will leave the chicks for longer periods, so do not
confuse this behaviour with deserting the nest. Your One Stop Parrot Shop
I keep my brooder at the ready when I know I have young
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and thin then help is needed quickly before it expires. MB
Regurgitating cockatiel
Q I have a male 13 year-old cockatiel who over the
years becomes very amorous at breeding time, and
then at the end of the season reverts to normal behaviour.
This year he has been putting his foot in his mouth to
regurgitate. We initially thought he was being sick, and Save
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himself regurgitate the food. I have tried to find out if this is
normal behaviour, as he has never put his foot in his mouth
before. Hoping you can help!
Save
Gillian Brown, email
£80
A The behaviour you describe in your bird is definitely related to
breeding behaviour. Frustrated single males, in the absence of a
suitable female bird, will regurgitate food in courtship to a favourite
toy, a mirror, their owner, or - as in your case - their own feet!
CONTENTS PAGE
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seem to reach their peak later in life. Your bird appears to be one
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You say, he has always been very amorous at breeding
time but has never had the foot fetish before. It is possible that
something has changed in his life, in terms of environment.
Has his cage been moved, or has he lost favourite toys? Are
there other birds around that may be stimulating him? Is there H A R R I SON'S BIR D FOOD
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Certainly you have nothing to worry about - this is perfectly
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of the breeding season. Simply try to distract him by providing
alternative toys, but do not pay him too much attention while
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to accept that he is a perfectly normal male and let him get on
with it! AKJ ■ E: sales@midlandparrots.com
A u g u s t 2 0 14 Parrots eMag 43

Letters…
Please send your letters and photos to:
‘Letters’, Parrots Magazine, The Old Cart House,
Applesham Farm, Coombes, West Sussex BN15 0RP, UK
or email: parrots@imaxweb.co.uk
Whilst Parrots magazine will always allow contributors the opportunity to voice their opinions
on any subject – no matter how contentious they may be – we wish to point out that these
views do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor.
Dear Parrots magazine
Blue-throated Conures
fed pellets
The March 2014 (194) issue of Parrots
magazine included an article on
the Blue-throated Conure (Pyrrhura
cruentata), written by myself. This
article focussed on my own approach
to the care of this species. Having
been busy passing my final exams,
I have only just been directed to the
article in the June 2014 issue where
some comments were made by
Rosemary Low about my use of a
formulated diet (specifically Harrison’s
High Potency Fine) for my birds.
Rosemary publicly accused me of
“totally misunderstanding the dietary
requirements” of the species and I
was surprised to see some particularly
emotive rhetoric used, with Rosemary
proclaiming to be “dismayed” and
“saddened” at my husbandry methods.
Whilst Rosemary is no doubt far more
experienced than me when it comes
to the care of parrots and is someone
I hugely respect, I must stand my
ground and suggest that these loaded
comments are completely uncalled for.
A discussion and a review of the current
scientific evidence with regards to
psittacine nutrition perhaps is.
There are two broad areas to
consider when reviewing the dietary
provisions of captive parrots: nutritional
content and the ability of birds to
express normal foraging behaviour.
Thus the ideal diet is one that satisfies
all of the bird’s nutritional needs and
also provides a satisfactory level of
behavioural enrichment. Indeed,
malnutrition is the most common
underlying disease in all pet parrots
presented to avian vets.
It is a fact that most owners of
parrots are unable to provide an
accurate nutritionally balanced
diet without feeding a pelleted diet.
44 Parrots eMag
Rosemary correctly points out that
a vitamin A deficiency is seen in all
parrots fed on a predominantly seed
based diet, but what about all of the
other deficiencies that can occur with a
diet? There are a plethora of vitamins,
minerals, trace elements, pigments,
amino acids, vitamin precursors, fatty
acids etc that are all required in a birds
diet to some degree. To accurately
calculate that a bird’s requirement for
each of these nutrients is being met
with a variable diet is impossible and
to achieve a satisfactory level of each
nutrient consistently throughout the
bird’s life is incredibly difficult. This is
true whether seed is fed or not.
Formulated diets on the other hand
have been thoroughly analysed to
ensure that they provide a balanced
level of essential nutrients. In a nut shell
(pardon the pun!) formulated diets are
specifically designed to be nutritionally
balanced and birds fed on them ought
to be well nourished.
Now the enrichment issue. It is
certainly true that Pyrrhura prefer softer
foods. My birds spend hours picking up
pellets, carrying them to the water dish,
dunking them in to soften them and
then chewing them up. I actually think
that this activity is quite enriching for the
birds. The manufacturers of Harrison’s
recommend that supplemental food
stuffs only make up 10 per cent of
Dear Parrots magazine
Kind words
kept me going
I would like to thank those readers
who have written in about by articles,
especially Rosemary Low. I felt so low
after ABV rampaged through our flock
that I came close to quitting writing
altogether. Rosemary's kind words and
positive encouragement motivated me
to keep going. I write for the simple
pleasure of it and am I happy to hear that
readers enjoy my articles as much as I
enjoy writing them.
Jane Clark from Nottingham was
a particular source of delight for me,
in the July 2014 issue (198). The love
and warmth that little Magic basks in
emanates from every word. What a lucky
little conure to have found a dedicated,
loving and creative “parront!”
One of the best things about Parrots
magazine and the annual Think Parrots
show is that it encourages like minded
people to celebrate their birds and spread
the love.
In those immortal words, may Parrots
magazine "live long and prosper."
Karen Chudley, email
the diet. The risk is that overdoses of
certain nutrients will occur otherwise.
Hypervitaminosis A (too much of it) for
example can be a very severe condition.
I provide my birds with daily fruits
and vegetables (carrot, broccoli, papaya
and a range of others), on a skewer
suspended from the roof of the aviary.
The birds must hang upside down to
obtain the food before returning to a
perch to chew it up. This is how my
birds “forage” and it occupies them for
much of the day. The small amount of
eggfood and parakeet mix provided
daily adds to the variety of the diet. This
system works well for me and seems
to work well for the birds too. I fully
support the inclusion of fresh foods into
the diet and have taken several ideas
from Rosemary to further complement
the formulated diet I provide.
As a final note, Rosemary was
quite keen to point out that the birds
in question had not yet bred. I am
delighted to announce that 2014 was the
first year for me and I am hoping to write
an article in the near future documenting
my experience with the breeding
process for this species.
Tariq Abou-Zahr BVSc MRCVS, email
A u g u s t 2 0 14
FULL SCREEN ON / OFF
Dear Parrots magazine Morley Aviaries the home of
AG prescribed anti-depressant
Elaine Henley's story in the news
Junglegold ®
pages of the June 2014 issue Quality Seed, Mixtures, Bird Foods and
(198) explaining the wicked Avian Products for Serious Bird Owners
treatment afforded an African Aviaries & Aviary Panels
Grey enraged me, as have other
From a single panel to a complete aviary
tales of ill-treatment, recorded in complex. Made from timber or welded
your interesting periodical. aluminium. Nestboxes and breeding
There seem to be many people dedicated to preserving cages made to requirements.
these noble birds scattered around the planet, but I have yet
to read of any homing in to governments and demanding Seed and Seed Mixtures
With over 200 types of seed and
laws to criminalise evil or merely stupid, indifferent behaviour
towards caged birds. nutritionally balanced mixes in stock we
can supply all the food your birds need.
Perhaps Parrots magazine could begin a Movement?
Many mixes are made freshly to order.
Dr Trevor Artingstoll, London Our range of straight seeds is hard to
beat. With a choice of seeds, nuts, fruits,
berries, herbs and softfood to give your
birds the best possible diet.
Dear Parrots magazine
Great Think Parrots Show! Supplements
Thank you for the Think Parrots Show on Sunday, 22 June, We stock the full range of Aviform and Aves supplements,
shell-sand, limestone, grits, mineral blocks and charcoal.
my husband and I enjoyed it very much! We travelled
down from Scotland on the Saturday night, stayed A Family Business,
overnight in London and then caught the train
Run by Bird People for Bird People
direct to Kempton Park.
Orders/enquiries can be made by phone or from our website
We loved all the masterclasses and
it was great to meet and talk to Sally
Tel: 01953 452321 www.junglegold.com
Blanchard who did a wonderful talk on parrot Email: shop@junglegold.com30/07/2013 11:00 Page 1
LibertaQtrAD_8324Voyager_LibertaQtrAD_8324Voyager
FRONT PAGE
behaviour in the afternoon. We have six parrots
and Sally gave us some great advice on some of the
negative behaviours we have been experiencing recently. The best for parrot cages
The atmosphere was very friendly and it was lovely to
have a picnic of takeaway food outside in the sunshine. It
really was a lovely day out and we went home loaded with
goodies we had bought for our birds! Great show, we will
come again next year!
CONTENTS PAGE
Stephanie McDougall, email
VOYAGER
Scan the code for
In the next issue information on this cage
from Mike Simmons
Thursday, 21 August 2014
Celebrate with us our special
200th issue!
Parrots don’t just turn mean! Parrot enthusiasts watch .... SCAN THE CODE
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by Sally Blanchard
Mike Simmons
Eclectus: understanding body language Bird trainer
by Kirsten Badham
Severe Macaw: For more information on
happy at last and no more feather-plucking! the Liberta range of cages
with Mike Simmons
by Karen Chudley
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL STOCKIST OR ONLINE
Changes in the parrot world MERCHANT OR CALL US FOR YOUR NEAREST SUPPLIER
in the last two decades
by Rosemary Low
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48 Parrots eMag A u g u s t 2 0 14 A u g u s t 2 0 14 Parrots eMag 49

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Parrots Calendar

■A
 ugust 2-6, 2014 (New
Orleans, LA, USA)
Association of Avian
Veterinarians Conference
If you would like your show to be listed in our calendar section and on our website,
please submit to editorial@imaxweb.co.uk or call +44(0)1273 464777

For more information visit:
www.AAV.org
■ August 22-24, 2014
(Asheville, NC)
Skills to empower people to
understand parrots (Stepup)
An intensive workshop, covering
behaviour and health to nutrition
and enrichment. In addition to
lectures, there will be hands-
on training sessions, cooking
classes and time to discuss
issues of specific importance to
you. For more information go to:
phoenixlanding.org/stepup
■ September 22 - 25, 2014
(Tenerife)
8th International Parrot
Convention
Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife,
Spain. This event of international
importance offers bird owners,
breeders, scientists and
veterinarians specialising in
parrots, the perfect opportunity
to discover all the latest
developments and exchange
ideas with friends and colleagues.
09:00-17:00hrs (includes
lunch): how to train your parrot,
solve behaviour problems
and will be giving live training
demonstrations and more.
On Sunday 10:00-13:00 and
14:00-17:00, learn how to train
your own bird. Registration
fee will help Mary Rose of
Chirping Central’s conservation
programmes. See the website:
www.maryrows.com
Saturday seminar $US75.00,
both days $US175. For more
information see: www.flight-club-
foundation.org
■ October 9-12, 2014
(Sacramento, CA)
Advanced Parrot Training
Workshop
Barbara Heidenreich
Three-day training event, must
understand basic training
concepts, ABA principals and
have done previous training with
your bird. Hands-on training
sessions with participants bird.
Fee is $US850.00. Only a limited
number of slots, to ensure
one-to-one attention. For more
information see: www.capitolbird.
com or email: njabirds@aol.com
■ November 2 - 9, 2014
■ November 2014 (Ecuador)
Wild Parrots Up Close
organised trip to Ecuador
This is a special Parrot Watching
trip going to see some of the most
Endangered and Unusual Parrots
on the western and eastern slopes
of the Andes.
In the West we have the very rare
sub-species of the Great-green
(Buffon’s) Macaw, the unusual
Rose faced Parrot and the Lilacine
Amazon formerly a sub-species of
the Red-lored Amazon but recently
given separate species status and
with a population less than 600 is
certainly one to watch in the wild.
In the East we will be looking for
the amazing Military Macaws, the
special Spot-winged Parrotlet and
the rare sub-species of the Scaly-
naped Amazon sometimes called
the Colombian Amazon.
This trip explores many of the
habitats at different altitudes of both
slopes of the Andes and although
some Parrots can be seen at several
places within this itinerary they may
be more common at one than the
other but it is always better to have
more chances of seeing all the
species that are on the list. There
will be many other species of birds
including lots of hummingbirds.
www.wildparrotsupclose.com
■ March 2015 (Costa Rica)
Wild Parrots Up Close
organised trip to
Costa Rica – The Ara
Project and more
This first trip to Costa Rica for
2015 will go to the West, North
and Caribbean Coast looking
for Parrots in some of the areas
where we have been exceptionally
successful on past trips – we will
also visit the Ara Project’s breed
and release sites for Scarlet and
Great-green (Buffon’s) Macaws.
www.wildparrotsupclose.com
E: steve@wildparrotsupclose.com
■ March 2015 (Costa Rica)
Wild Parrots Up Close
organised trip to
Costa Rica - The rarer
parrots
The second trip to Costa Rica
for 2015 which I will be running
back-to-back with the previous
trip to give some extra adventure
so you can join me on just one
part of the trip or the whole 4
weeks – this trip will be looking
for the rarer Parrot species
including Red-fronted Parrotlet
and Sulphur-winged Conures
but we will still see lots of Scarlet
Macaws and most of the other
Classifieds
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which includes advice and tips
when purchasing birds, is available
on request or can be viewed on
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BIRDS FOR SALE
Aviary birds. Zebra Finches £5.
Bengalese £7. Budgies adults
and babies, green, blue £10
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Abbreviations
H/R Hand-reared
All private ads are FREE and will also be included on the Parrots website C/B Captive-Bred
P/P Proven-Pair
Send your ad by email, post or fax: Parrots magazine, The Old Cart House,
T/T Tame-talking
Applesham Farm, Coombes, West Sussex, BN15 0RP C/R Closed-rung
Tel: 01273 464777 • Fax: 01273 463999 • Email: advertising@imaxweb.co.uk S/S Surgically sexed
or post on www.parrotmag.com/freeads C/T Cuddly-tame
H/T Hand-tame
U/R Unrelated
Copy deadline for issue 200: 1st August 2014
CLUBS & SOCIETIES
Safehaven Leicestershire
Parrot Refuge
Parrot Club
(Formerly Charnwood Parrot Club)
– Established 1986 –
– Charity Number 1075873 –
Do you own a parrot?
We offer a free specialised Would you like to meet other
Parrotlets Group UK Rehoming and Bequest owners?
Our main purpose as a Group/ Service. Those who donate We are a friendly group of local
Society in the UK is to bring together people who meet monthly for
all different kinds of Parrotlet their parrot to us are
parrot related social events,
enthusiasts. Whether you are already encouraged to keep in touch outings, advice from visiting
in the hobby to breed, to study them, with the Foster Carer.
experts, or just for a chat.
have one as a pet or even just for the
joy of keeping a parrotlet(s). We would We also give help and
Why not bring along your bird
also like to try and educate people on advice on caring for your and join us for an evening?
the basic care, health and hygiene, parrot. You can become

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The programme with the full list (Western Caribbean) Parrot species in the Central- £15 each, rainbows, clearwings, Make new friends with like-
of speakers is now available E: steve@wildparrotsupclose.com general management, purity and
and can be viewed at:
6th Annual Parrot Lover’s valleys and South-west regions creminos £20 each. Tel. (01782)
breeding of these wonderful birds. a member of SPR for as minded people and compare notes
Cruise of Costa Rica. 612295 or (07752) 609674 little as £15 per year. on all aspects of parrot keeping.
www.loroparque-fundacion.org/ ■ November 2014 (Bolivia) (Stoke/Staffs) Stefano Salles
congreso/. All the lectures will Includes onboard parrot seminars. www.wildparrotsupclose.com We meet at 7.30 pm on the last
be simultaneously translated See website for Itinerary & speakers. Wild Parrots Up Close
E: steve@wildparrotsupclose.com Hand-reared cuddly tame For more details: Telephone 01684 850466 Thursday of every month at the
organised trip to Bolivia www.parrotletslondon.co.uk safehavenparrotrefuge.co.uk
into Spanish, English, German Contact: Carol Cipriano Parrots, hand-reared 2014 Co-Op Sports & Social Club,
Would you like to join me, on a tour and www.parrotletsuk.com
and French.
E: carolstraveltime@gmail.com ■ May 2015 (Brazil) tame babies, cockatiels, DNA Birstall Road, Birstall, Leicester,
of Bolivia to try to see as many sexed £75. Green-cheeked LE4 4DE
Contacts: Tony Pittman:
Tel: 001.570.470.0034 of the 50 species of Parrots as Wild Parrots Up Close
Tel: (0044) (0)1323 843748
possible. The trip is essentially organised trip to Brazil - conures and Quaker parakeets, HOLIDAY CARE Members £1, non-members £3
Mob: (0044) (0)7802 304989 www.parrotloverscruise.com range colours, from just £195. Parrot food, toys, vitamins, etc
built around finding about 10 of the South Atlantic Rainforest Rare opportunity to purchase
email: tonypittman@btinternet.com are on sale courtesy of

■ Nov 7-9, 2014 (Asheville, NC)
John Wragg:
Tel: (0044) (0)1670 822789 Skills to empower people
Mob: (0044) (0)7949447282 to understand parrots
email: parrotjohn1@btinternet.com
(Stepup)- Advanced class
An intensive workshop designed
■ October 4-5, 2014
to give people an abundance of
(Seattle, WA)
information about parrot care, from
Two-Day Parrot Training behaviour and health to nutrition
Seminar at The Seattle and enrichment. In addition to
lectures, there will be hands-
Parrot Expo
on training sessions, cooking
Barbara Heidenreich classes and time to discuss
Hosted by The Flight Club issues of specific importance to
Foundation, Barbara will be you. For more information go to:
Macaws of Bolivia including the
endemic Blue-throated and Red-
fronted Macaws and whilst touring
the country in search of these
Macaws we should see many of
the other species of Parrots that
are found there.
Macaws we are looking for
are:- Blue-throated, Red-fronted,
Hyacinth, Green-winged, Blue and
Yellow, Military, Chestnut-fronted,
Yellow-collared, Red-shouldered
and Red-bellied Macaws.
www.wildparrotsupclose.com
On this trip we will be travelling
to encounter the roosting sites of
the Red-spectacled, Red-tailed
and Vinaceous Amazons mostly
found nowhere else as well as
the other usual Parrots and Birds
associated with the Atlantic
Rainforest.
It is not often that chances are
available to see 3 magnificent Rare
Amazon Parrots in large numbers
without going on a trip like this at
this particular time of year.
www.wildparrotsupclose.com
the following: Plum-headed
parakeets £250, Black-headed
Caiques £495. Experienced
private breeder. All come with
hatch and information sheet. Free
help and advice for life. Cages
available. Tel. (01782) 612295 or
(07752) 609674 (Stoke/Staffs)
Silly Tame Baby Parrots.
Hand Reared, Closed Rung,
Cuddly Baby Parrots and
Parakeets. For more information
please contact Sid on 07956 103
CONTENTS PAGE
Midland Parrots.
Parrot Holiday Home offered To see our current programme of
for pet parrots while owners events or for more information
away. Experienced parrot keeper please visit our website on
at home most of the day. Large www.leicestershireparrotclub.
cages available on site. Tel. co.uk, see us on Facebook or
01306 884569 (Surrey). call Rita on 01283 713623
For total peace of mind, our
Exotics Clinic offers boarding
South East Parrot Club
facilities for birds. Supervised
by our vets and cared for by
our experienced staff. C.J. Hall A new parrot club
offering a unique
Veterinary Surgeons, London,

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325 (UK South East)
presenting on the Saturday phoenixlanding.org/stepup E: steve@wildparrotsupclose.com E: steve@wildparrotsupclose.com SW14. Tel. 0208 876 9696. opportunity for parrot
If you are having any trouble getting lovers to get together,
Parrot Helpline
Bespoke Parrot Care. share information, listen and learn
hold of the magazine, please contact
Advertiser’s Index Bridgit at our distribution company
Experienced parrot lover, at from other parrot owners, and
If you have a parrot problem – whether it be health, diet, or whatever – you can contact any For display advertising contact us on 01273 464777 • advertising@imaxweb.co.uk Warners on telephone 01778 392417 home majority of the day. Holiday make new friends of like-minded
of the advisors listed here. They will do their very best to point you in the right direction. with peace of mind, knowing your people. United, we can work and
A Australian Birdkeeper............. 14 J Jungle Gold............................. 45
Bristol: Christine Goodall – 0117 950 8059 parrot will be receiving home learn together and by increasing our
Bucks: Vicki Hammond – 01494 875641
Avian Biotech.............. 11, 21, 39 L Liberta Cages......... 7, 21, 22, 45 WANTED from home care. Cages available knowledge, will be able to create a
Devon: Kathy Moore – 01398 331157 B Best Bird Food Ever................ 23 Loro Parque............................ 40 We are Bobby an African Grey if required. Tel. 01932 569504, better and enduring relationship
07909 574245. Chertsey, Surrey. Clearance sale of parrot with our companion birds. This
East Kent: Rowan Vanmiller – 01843 447020 or 01843 223737 E EMP Soft Eggfood.................. 23 and Mikki a Yorkie who are friendly trees. Rowan,
M Midland Parrots...................... 43 club, will cover the UK’s south
Oxon: Nicole Place – 01608 811281 Exotic Direct Insurance........... 11 looking for personal help for our Toos Nest Bird Boarding. Over Elderberry, Birch, Lime, Hazel,
N Northern Parrots.......... 9, 29, BC Mum who suffers from disabling 32 years bird keeping experience eastern counties, and possibly
Surrey: Juliet Eberle – 01306 884569 G Garden Feathers..................... 41 Walnut. All approx. 5'-6'. Fifty further afield.
and painful conditions. If you are and ex avian vets assistant. At for £250. Great deal for a
Spain: Sylvia Rush – 00 34 951 041 528 H Rolf C Hagen........................... 15 P Eric Peake Avian Art............... 24
parrot and animal savvy, and home majority of day. Cages bird centre. Retail £20 each Why not call Deron on 01843 297136

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Helpline volunteers can only offer advice and unfortunately are unable to help with acquisition of V Vetark Professional................. 25 think you could help, we will be available. www.toos-nest-bird-
parrots. All the Helpliners are unpaid volunteers. Do make sure your call is really necessary, and Harrison’s Bird Foods............. 10 minimum! Buyer collects. for Kent or Jayne Colgate on
unless it’s an emergency, please only call at reasonable times of the day. Thank you. Jim Hayward........................... 24 W World Parrot Trust.................. 39 very grateful. Please call Gillian boarding.co.uk Tel. 07766 Details (01993) 841736 (Oxon) 07962 028826 for Essex.
on 01903 752557 (West Sussex) 476054/01342 834591 (Surrey)

50 Parrots eMag A u g u s t 2 0 14 A u g u s t 2 0 14 Parrots eMag 51

 Lucky Bird Toys

FULL SCREEN ON / OFF

Back by Popular Demand!

Shred Master £6.99

This super strong cylinder “Bullet Proof” Time Machine £5.99
holder comes complete with
a fun to shred paper roll. Toys! As your bird plays the toy spins
and wobbles making the beads
The narrow opening allows move from side to side creating
just enough for the end of a fascinating noise. The rougher
the paper roll inside to poke they play, the more they rattle.
through, how irresistible!
37708
A great way to keep your
bird’s beak busy and their
mind entertained.

37738

d
Toys that stan
e.
the test of tim
Jellyfish £6.99
This beak pleasing toy helps
provide soft material for your
bird to preen; which is great if It’s a hardy toy and well
your bird has a habit of over worth the money.

FRONT PAGE
Customer Review
preening themselves.
The toy can be refilled with
Gear Head £6.99 more cotton rope or any
As the handle rotates the gears move other material you
in unison creating clicking sounds that know your Parrot
captivate your Parrot’s inquisitive mind. enjoys.
37744 37742

CONTENTS PAGE
Original Lucky Bird Toys are some of the longest
lasting bird toys around. They are made of virtually
indestructible, high quality, “bullet proof ” acrylic,

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for those Parrots who love to play rough.
All toys hang from an avian safe nickel-plated chain,
are easy to disassemble, and are dishwasher safe to
aid in easy cleaning. All screws are recessed away
from curious beaks and probing tongues.
The colourful intricate designs appeal to Parrots
inquisitive nature, providing your Parrot with the
opportunity to problem solve, similar to the natural,
physical and mental behaviours they would display
My African Grey loves it!
in the wild.
Caylee
Fast UK
y
Deliver
9
only £3.9 More Lucky Bird Toys available online at
Phone: 0800 488 0345
R E E Email: info@northernparrots.com
www.northernparrots.com/lucky
or F
* Northern Parrots, Unit 21 Cuba Estate,
over £49 Ramsbottom, Bury, BL0 0NE, UK
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