Helping Parrots

Are your parrots as thrilled as mine are? Pomegranates are back! My walls, floor, and ceiling are sure to suffer, but it’s well worth it to see those beaks gleefully buried in the fleshy red seeds.

We all know our feathered friends need a varied, nutritious diet, and there’s no easier way to accomplish this than by offering whole foods in season.   Pomegranates are a perfect example.  They’re extremely rich in antioxidants, and parrots seem to relish them whole or simply halved.  I think the unusual texture and slightly pungent taste pique parrots’ curiosity.

We’re also lucky to have an abundance of pumpkins and squashes available this time of year.  The seeds of both are rich in essential omega 3 fatty acids, and the flesh is an excellent source of beta carotene.  Mini pumpkins make wonderful enrichment food items.  Just place a whole one on the cage floor, and watch your parrots go wild!  Or, take out a small slice to encourage parrots to chew and explore with their beaks.  Skewer the whole thing, and garnish with some leafy greens.  Grate raw pumpkin and combine it with fruit to make a special crispy autumn ambrosia.  Roast the seeds separately for a delicious, nutritious treat.     

Both pumpkin and squashes can be steamed or baked, but they’re often readily accepted in their most natural state:  raw and whole.  Like pomegranates, they’re only around for a limited time, so stock up now.  Your parrots will surely thank you!

Phoenix Landing’s 2009 Fall Newsletter (PDF) is now available. Like always The Phoenix Beakin’ is packed with information about parrot care, conservation and the birds we help.

In this issue, you’ll find:

• Information about our first facility (The Landing!)
• A special trip to the Tambopata Research Center in Peru with conservationist Don Brightsmith. Check the newsletter (Page 11) for details about this great opportunity.
• Another great article by Kris Porter on Parrot Enrichment and Foraging Ideas. This issue’s article is on using ice cream cones and rice cakes as parrot toys! (Page 8 )
• The latest adoption stats and specific donation items requested to help support Phoenix Landing’s work. (Page 2)
• “Waiting in the Wings” – Stories of adoptable birds looking for new homes. (Pages 6-7)
• “Happy Landings” – Success stories of recently placed birds. (Pages 16-17)
• Info on our November 7th Auction. If you have items to donate, please let us know what you’ll be bringing by sending an e-mail to phoenixlanding@earthlink.net.
• And much, much more!

In addition, if you live in one of our states of operation, we hope you will join us often for our upcoming events. Of special interest this fall:

• SAM WILLIAMS of PARROT WATCH: Life on the Wild Side!
  Saturday, November 7th
  Learn more about parrots in the wild from conservationist Sam Williams of Parrot Watch (Parrotwatch.org). Since every parrot still has a wild nature, we will enjoy some special videos and updates about ongoing research and conservation efforts. It is essential that those of us who love parrots do our part to protect parrots in the wild. This event will also include a special AUCTION to support the conservation efforts of Parrot Watch. If you have items to donate to the auction, please e-mail us at phoenixlanding@earthlink.net. We will also have a POTLUCK lunch between talks, a fun way to enjoy our day and each other’s company. Also, VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION day, with another free raffle to show our gratitude for your wonderful support this year!

• DR. SUSAN OROSZ PhD, DVM, Dipl ABVP& Dipl ECAMS:
  Holistic Approach to Avian Medicine, Part 1
  The Miracle of Flight and the Relationship to the Brain, Part 2
  Saturday, October 3rd
  Some very interesting topics with our extraordinary guest, Dr. Susan Orosz! “Dr. O” practices at the Bird and Exotic Pet Wellness Center in Toledo Ohio. She is board-certified in Avian Medicine through the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. Board certification demonstrates that the doctor practices the highest standard of care in the profession, and can be seen by the diplomate initials “Dipl ABVP (Avian).” She is one of only 7 avian veterinarians in the world who are board-certified both in the United States and in Europe.

  LUNCH: Since Dr. Orosz has kindly agreed to talk with us about several topics, we will have an extended program and take a break for lunch. Check the newsletter for details.

Download the full newsletter here.

Lauretta is a 40-year old male double yellow-headed Amazon.  Young!  He is a gentle bird, but very shy and hesitant in new situations.  However, Amazons are very clear about who they like and dislike, so we hope he’ll find HIS person soon.  He deserves to spend his next decades with the same affection that he is willing to give in return.

Lauretta is very overweight, with arthritis in his right knee.  Good news! He now greatly enjoys fresh sprouts, and is learning to eat other healthy foods like fruits, veggies, cooked “mash” dinner, and Nutriberries.  He needs a home with someone who is gentle and patient, and willing to learn about good avian nutrition so that he can continue to build better health.

He has lost some weight, but his right knee is still giving him some trouble. He is making good progress with clicker training and is learning to target.  We are also training him to step onto a handheld perch. But for some reason, he has decided that he no longer wants to interact in a positive way with his current foster family in Maryland, (and we know how strong an Amazon’s opinions are!). Lauretta is looking for a new foster, and eventually a new long-term home as well.  Could you be the one to bring joy to this beautiful boy’s life?

I’ve recently tried a product I think others might like as much as I do.  I’ve had a number of sweepers through the years, but there always seems to be something about each one that makes me return to my good old broom and dustpan.  Usually they take up a ton of room, they won’t pick up those tiny down feathers, or they’re a pain to empty.

However, the Swivel Sweeper G2 is vastly different and better than any I’ve seen or tried before.  Here are some of the things that make it really easy to use:

1. It’s very lightweight; no heavier than a broom.
2. The head swivels in every direction.  It easily rotates to reach between cages, alongside playgyms, etc.
3. With a push of a button, the handle bends to easily reach all the way under even large cages.  This is an especially useful function, and it’s what really inspired me to buy the product in the first place.
4. It picks up all the food particles, feathers, and shredded toy parts our greys can drop…and that’s A LOT!  It works equally well on the wood floors under their cages and the carpet under their foraging tree.  (The carpet is covered with mats and newspaper, but bits of their chewed toys always seem to find their way to my carpet.)  Special rollers on the ends allow it to work right up against a wall or in corners.
5. It’s truly one-touch emptying; there’s no getting your hands dirty at all.
6. It’s cordless and rechargeable, but the good thing is that the battery pack pops right off.  The charger needs an outlet, of course, but since the battery is detachable you can store the sweeper itself anywhere you’d store a broom.  It doesn’t need a plug in.  Also, the head of the sweeper has a magnet that attaches it vertically to the handle when not in use.  It literally takes up no more room than a broom.

I’ve had the product for a few days, and it has made keeping my floors clean a snap.  I really like anything that makes my life easier!   This won’t be a substitute for a vacuum, but it’s much easier to use than a vacuum for those several-times-a-day sweepings that seem so necessary when you have parrots.

Tony, Teri, Careigh and Ann spent part of the day at WLOS (the ABC affiliate in western North Carolina) taping segments for upcoming episodes of “Pet Pals.” We had several Phoenix Landing parrots on-hand to help get out our message about adoption and education.

Tony had just been given a supersized macaw painting by his friend Dennis. Tony brought it in to be our eye-catching backdrop. Denny also agreed to help us paint some beautiful rainforest scenery on the walls at the Landing!

Umbrella cockatoo Kiki had quite a conversation with Julie Wander, the anchor of Pet Pals. Kiki is recovering from surgery a few weeks ago for a prolapsed cloaca, and he’s doing great.

Mango (sun conure) and Kiwi (red lored Amazon) took a few flight laps around the area — the news station employees were enthralled. Nutmeg, a harlequin macaw, was a dignified star. Also joining us – umbrella cockatoo Missy and Roxie, a double yellow headed Amazon. A fun time was had by all!

You can find to the first PetPals episode at: http://www.wlos.com/newsroom/pet_pals/vid_236.shtml

The second segment of PetPals is available at: http://www.wlos.com/newsroom/pet_pals/vid_237.shtml

Elvis is a wild caught macaw – a gentle girl of unknown age. She is fighting cancer, but showing her resilience and determination to live a life of joy! We are also dedicated to making sure that she spends the rest of her life in the best of circumstances. Since macaws have long life spans, we hope she will be with us for years to come.

The best way for Elvis to take a bath is to put some water in the bath tub and let her take a dip. SHE LOVES IT, and it also helps to keep feathers on the vent area clean. This is very important given the location of her cancer. Here is a great photo of her playing in the bathtub with a bit of water.

Elvis is learning to play with toys and is a very good eater. Her favorites are corn and blueberries. She is very appreciative if you allow her to have dinner with you and treat her as part of the family.

About five years ago, a dear friend of ours abruptly decided to leave her comfortable life and career in ocean sciences to join the Peace Corps.  I was the first among her friends with whom she decided to share this earthshaking news.  She told me later that she felt I was the only person in her life open- minded enough to understand, and she didn’t want to hear from anybody who would try to talk her out of it.  Could I understand Marga’s yearning to explore the far corners of our beautiful planet, to get more from her own life by helping others less fortunate before her time runs out?  Absolutely.  But I could never lead such a life myself.  Marga’s thirst and courage evade me.

I don’t often hear from Marga these days.  Time and great distance tend to separate, even in this electronic age.  However, this morning I was overjoyed to discover my inbox full of Marga’s latest journal entries from her current assignment in the Indian Himalayas.  I eagerly read through her vivid descriptions of beautiful people, monkeys on rooftops, elephants blocking traffic, the splendor of the mountains, the peaceful joys of studying philosophy from a Buddhist monk, and markets packed with exquisite treasures.  When writing my reply to her, I had a sad fleeting thought that my life must seem so boring and mundane to my friend.

Then I was reminded of something that happened a few weeks ago.  It has stood out in my mind for some reason ever since.  The parrots and I were out for our morning walk when we encountered an ancient-seeming woman.  Her back was drawn over with age; deep wrinkles crossed her face; she walked with a twisted branch for a cane; and her eyes were covered with cataracts.  I think she was the oldest person I’ve ever seen.  Her garments suggested she has likely seen the wonders Marga describes, or at least others similar.  Pepper gave the gentle clucks she often uses as a greeting for someone particularly old or particularly young.  The old woman outstretched her gnarled finger to point to the greys.  A broad smile lit up her face, and she said “Beautiful.  They are beautiful.”  I never know how to reply when people say this about the birds.  Obviously the polite response seems to be to say “Thank you.”  But somehow this seems to imply that they are my possessions, acquired through some special prowess of my own; or that they are children who have turned out beautiful due to some genetic contribution of mine or my husband.  It doesn’t always seem to fit.  This time, I chose to return her smile, bow my head slightly, and reply “Yes, I think so too.”  Beauty and grace transcend age, race, and culture.  They are attributes appreciated by all who take the time to observe.

I listen to Pepper and Franco sweetly chattering to one another in a combination of English phrases and African Grey.  I peer into those wise yellow eyes that constantly study me, and it occurs to me that my life isn’t boring at all, far from it.  Nor is it without purpose.  I dare say that none of us privileged enough to share our lives with parrots have this problem.  After all, we do not even need to leave home to see someone who is exotic and special!  It is our chosen responsibility to care for and protect these extraordinary creatures, both in their natural wild realms and as our companions.  May we always treat them with the respect they deserve, remembering we are fortunate to have been given such a task.  I realize to many it would seem strange; but, to me, Phoenix Landing is my Peace Corps.

by Kris Porter
This post is reprinted from the Phoenix Landing Summer Newsletter.
I was having coffee at a friend’s house when I discovered an exciting new parrot toy. I went to the kitchen to put my coffee cup in the sink before leaving and saw a “Munchkin Deluxe Dishwasher Basket” on the counter beside the dishwasher. My friend had purchased the basket to use to wash baby bottles and pacifiers for her visiting grandson.

It was love at first sight for me when I laid eyes on this plastic dishwasher basket. I immediately recognized the foraging potential of this particular item. I stopped by the infant’s department at WalMart on the way home and purchased four of them. Then I went to work turning the dishwasher basket into a proper parrot foraging toy.

I threaded a couple zip ties through holes at the back of the basket. Initially the ties kept popping out, so I held them in place with small rubber bands. I put small foot toys, nuts, vegetables and fruit in the top and bottom baskets, making sure that some vegetables stuck out the holes at the front of the basket. I wove dried corn husks in a few of the holes for shredding. The basket has straw cleaning racks on each side to hold straws upright for sanitary cleaning. I used the racks to hold veggie sticks and toy straws.

When I was satisfied I had the basket sufficiently stuffed, I attached it to the cage bars. The zip ties were held in place by small rubber bands which I slid off right before I threaded each zip tie through the cage bars. It is important to remove the rubber bands before attaching the basket to the cage because you wouldn’t want your parrot swallow or get tangled up in the rubber band.

The “Munchkin Deluxe Dishwasher Basket” is a huge hit as a foraging toy in my house. You can also use it as it was originally designed and place parrot toy parts in the basket to be washed in the dishwasher.

To find Munchkin baskets, go to: http://www.munchkin.com/where_to_buy/result.php.

Here are 2 photos, courtesy of Leigh Ann Hartsfield. Her greys, Pepper and Franco, think these are really cool!

For more great foraging ideas read Kris Porter’s Parrot Enrichment and Activity Book at http://www.phoenixlanding.org/PEAB_V2.pdf or visit her Website at http://www.ParrotEnrichment.com/

Thanks to some amazing donors (including my dearest mom, Martha Brooks) and the approval and support of our wonderful Board of Directors, Phoenix Landing is now the owner of a incredible property in Alexander, NC, about 15 minutes north of Asheville. Included on 10 beautiful acres, and surrounded by 2,600′ acres of undeveloped State land, is a building currently under reconfiguration for adaptation as our first adoption and education center. We hope it will be operational by mid-October.

Phoenix Landing we will now have a place:

• to house some of the many birds that often need our help sooner than we can find them homes;
• for people to meet adoptable birds;
• to host nationwide, intensive educational programs;
• to host fundraising events;
• to expand our e-store; and
• to eventually add some habitats for permanent resident birds, a large garden so we can help foster families and resident birds with healthy produce, and perhaps some rentable cabins.

Each step towards building this campus complex for the parrots and the people who love them will be taken as our fundraising allows, insuring that Phoenix Landing remains financially sustainable for decades to come. After all, many of our parrots will live for decades, and they need us and our successors to look out for them long into the future! Therefore, our goal is to make sure that the programs we host at the Landing will cover the costs of ownership, and also generate revenue for all our other adoption and education programs, now in seven east coast states — an unprecedented accomplishment.

Thanks to the many volunteers who lead our everyday activities in many, many places and in such incredibly amazing ways. The Landing belongs to all of us and the parrots that we protect and serve. As soon as it is open, we hope that people will join us for some exciting new programs, or perhaps you would like to help with future projects, or maybe just clean a few cages and feed some great parrots!

We have several things to complete if you’d like to help sponsor some or all of a project. These include: tile of any kind, appliances such as a freezer and refrigerator for parrot food; a utility sink; plumbing to finish the “shower room”; (3) sets of french doors to replace the garage-type door and upper level doors; an outdoor aviary and deck; and the heating system.

by Kathleen Snipes
This post is reprinted from the Phoenix Landing Summer Newsletter.

Introduction

Birds in the wild are savvy consumers with foraging goals and methods that incorporate spending the least effort to obtain a days’ needed calories and nutrients. All is to be of course accomplished in ways that are the least hazardous to the bird flock. No two species forage in exactly the same way. Water and mean average temperature play key roles in wild-side foraging, as well as the prevalence of nutrient dense foods, dawn and dusk UV lighting, the foraging bird’s wariness of predators, and both his or her flocking behavior.

Methods of foraging encompass all the excitement and pleasure of a whole splay of action verbs. What fun is brought to mind by “swoop, fall, catch, pry, pull, twist, investigate, crack, poke, extract, spear,” etc. It all begins with the excitement of searching for and discovering a local food source. The next step is obtaining and handling the food. Which is followed by ingesting the food until crops are full. All occurs over a period of a few hours or more. This routine happens twice a day. The confident problem-solving and curious nature of pet birds is certainly related to their wild-side instincts and learned behavior. Our reward as pet owners is bringing it into the home for our birds—creating an atmosphere that in many ways replicates that of nature.

Let’s see how light and times of day affect wild bird feedings. Also how the scent of predators and a bird’s desire to avoid poisonous, sometimes unripe, foods affect his feeding habits.

1. How wild birds avoid poisons in the diet and teaching pet birds to eat new foods.

The wilderness areas of the world are not entirely Gardens of Eden. The wild is all at once toxic, poison, medicinal, life supportive and destructive. Plus life is seasonal – dandelions are sweet some months and bitter and sickening later in the year. Bees will not approach blossoms or even whole plant beds that bloom “too early” in the year. In the wild birds must consider if it is the right time of year for them to eat certain stems, leaves, nuts, seeds, or fruit. Neophobia, or “fear of what’s new,” is sometimes seen in feathered pets, just as in human children. This tendency to fear new foods can be life preserving in the jungle. We all want our pet birds to relish their seeds and pellets, but also be brave enough to sample a varied diet of healthy proteins, starches and some of the sweet and spicy foods we enjoy ourselves: especially carrots, broccoli, yams, other veggies, fruits and juices. Studies show that parrots don’t like sour flavors, perhaps a sour smell or taste is a dangerous red flag. Pods and coverings of seeds/peas can be toxic in the wild. The foraging goal in this case is to get to the “inside treat,” but without eating the pod. My parrot will remove the covering of a green pea and then go to work on the
pea itself, actually consuming only its tiny inner core. At home I wonder if a banana is still green enough to appear attractive to my parrot. Is the orange sweet enough to juice, but not overripe? I notice many times if my bird won’t eat the melon offered – it might be going “off.” So I never force any food or limit home feedings to only a single item which should
in some cases be rejected.

All the fresh market foods whether offered raw or cooked, need to be washed before feedings. I use a GSE and water mix to cleanse the fruits and veggies that my Red-Lored Amazon, Spunky, likes. To introduce a new, nourishing fresh food, I first enthusiastically eat the food myself, which Spunky carefully observes. I’m his canary in the cage – if it doesn’t kill me, he might try it too. If I make a great fuss, he thinks that is all for the better—any food worth shouting over must be ready to eat. With introducing a new pellet brand, I sprinkle it with a few familiar and favorite foods. The parrot will become more energetic about eating once he starts, and when the familiar pellet or treat is gone, he will start consuming the new untried brand. Repetitive verbal encouragement also helps here — holding up a pellet, viewing it and exclaiming over it. New foods should be offered with companionship, not just left in a dish.

2. How birds keep free of predation during foraging and increasing relaxation during pet bird feedings.

Parrots can be pursued by hawks during the day and by owls after dark. During the day fruit, twigs or seeds and pods may often be picked and then flown to a safer or more comfortable location for consuming. When predators are in the area, bird flocks eat “faster” and more “on the wing.” Flocks do return to the feeding area, but any foraging is more guarded and done as quickly as possible with “guard” birds on look-out and designated.

Being the guard bird is an ever-changing role taken in turns by the flock members. Recent studies supervised by scientists showed that air blown over stool of meat eating animals into bird cages caused birds to eat faster than birds whose air source went over just grass and other non-predator feces, such as rabbit scat. Our avian friends probably can detect the presence of predators in the wild by the smell and possibly also the sight of stool. Birds seem to like to forage within about 20 feet of sheltering bushes and trees.

I do think our pets like excitement around eating, but need to be out of a stream of traffic and with a wall behind or to one side, away from a window, especially if it has no blinds. Spunky definitely goes on guard, hissing, if he spots a vulture or hawk above from a window. Even if a flock of crows lands too near the kitchen window, he’s wary and changes position frequently. I need him to relax as he eats — so that we can both finish dinner at the same time and he won’t be tapping his toes wanting seconds on my rice or veggies. Also I like him to take time to carefully wipe his beak after eating, either on his perch branch or with some clean rolled up white paper stuffed around his stand. Feeling safe is a component of relaxed
avian eating habits.

3. How times of day affect foraging: diurnal feeding, UVA light and daily routine.

Parrots wake with “get up” gusto!! Perched amongst the leaves and branches of tall trees as the sun spots them, they begin to twist and turn, stretching legs and spreading wings. Flock members want to be sure their buddies have survived a night. They shake out, fluff and swirl, calling to each other. Some grooming can occur before the birds fly off from roost in search of food. In nature, the most prevalent time for avian flight is around dawn, when the food search begins. Birds have been noted to fly several miles to their favorite patches, both in large flocks of up to 200 birds or small subgroups. Two daily
feedings occur: from dawn up until midmorning and then again in the afternoons before dusk. At my house, early in the morning I’ll sometimes hear Spunky crunching and munching a pellet, but more likely he just sits on his branch and says “Wake up, wake up,” until I call back and putter around the corner. He likes to preen on my arm looking out the blinds for about 20 minutes before going to forage.

Several well performed natural setting studies have indicated that birds may not only see UV reflective lighting on each other’s feathers, but on their food supply. UV light may indicate “ripeness” in blueberries. The surface of some berries is UVA/B reflective when ripeness is high. Birds apparently send out “scouts” to search for ripening fruit as they forage in flocks over known feeding grounds. Feeding areas are many times close to roosting and watering areas and frequented with the least possible effort on the part of the birds. However, at the same time, the flock scouts will be out and about, searching for
just right beans, pods, fruits and grains. Probably one of the eight to ten calls wild birds commonly use is from the
foraging scout-team indicating “The food’s ready over here.” “Come and get it.”

4. Taking our relationships with our avian friends to a healthier level.

Offering foraging adventures constantly gives our birds an incentive to use their brains and coordination to “go figure” getting the meals they enjoy. Recent studies in humans indicate that new brain cells are born even as we age, but these cells must be used and employed to keep them from dying back. I’m sure that’s true with birds as well. Many species can learn and form new behaviors and meet new challenges as they age.

To instill enthusiasm in Spunky, I combine foraging with trick training, and give reward treats wrapped in a small paper cup. (We use cups that aren’t toxic, the small bathroom ones). He knows he can look forward to his a.m. and p.m. foraging each day and a trip around the condo. We both enjoy being the “scout” and sounding off “come and get it” calls. I think
having routine expectations supports his happiness.

I keep pellets in my parrots’ cage at all times, but foraging on stands in other rooms seems so natural for my bird. In addition, we have a flock of about 20 small birds outdoors, with wild bird feeders in front and back. Prior to foraging Spunky gets to peer out a window to observe them. A few flight exercises or wing flapping routines can be employed before the feedings, even a daily bath, if the bird isn’t exhibiting strong hunger. We have a tape recording of parrots calling and singing to one another in the wild which I play during my Amazon’s morning meal. It does cause him to warble and chatter as if part of a hungry flock. And of course the UVA/B lighting can be used in the home for our birds. It may give more brilliance to their food and could be used morning and evening around dawn and dusk – replicating the naturally most brilliant UV times of day.

Conclusion:

A recent study done in Hawaii showed that a threatened species of bird bred in captivity and released into its former natural habitat had poor foraging habits. Compared to the generations prior of wild bred birds, the captive releases did choose similar pods and foods, but foraged less effectively, leaving parts of the foods uneaten. They are planning at the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center to begin more adequate pre-release preparation before reintroducing the birds to their habitat. Survival wisdoms have been found to be a product of experience in wild birds, as older parrots display habits in some cases
young adults have not yet learned. Hopefully the avian future is bright and full of crop-filling eating adventures both for wild and caged birds! We are all still wild at heart.