ParrotChronicles.com

ParrotChronicles.com

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Clicking with your bird. Clicker training, the concept of using a small plastic device - or your voice - to teach an animal to perform tricks, can help you develop a great relationship with your parrot.

Call of Guyana. Nancy Cullity fell in love with Guyana and its wild parrots. Now her husband and Boston bird sanctuary Foster Parrots hope to honor her memory by protecting the country's endangered birds.

Stop picking at that! If he just can't keep his beak off those stitches, your bird may need one: the dreaded lampshade. Here's what to look for in a good Elizabethan collar.

Product review: My Weigh i2500 and Sterling Professional Avian Scale Kit. Weighing your bird is a vital part of keeping him healthy. You can make this chore easier by investing in a high-quality scale.

A Bird in the Hand. Parrots do more than give you a taste of nature right in your own home. They open the door to all sorts of other kinds of wildlife.

DEPARTMENTS:

Ask Dr. Harris. Ouch? Birds don't get leg cramps the way we do.
Behavior. Quaker trembling means, "Feed me!"
Mailbag. 'Curious' reactions to AFA speaker's tirade.
Your birds. Your latest winning parrot photos!

Profile a species.
ParrotChronicles.com is looking for feature articles on mini-macaws, cockatoos, Meyer's parrots, Quakers, and other parrot species. If you would like to contribute, e-mail us with your idea.

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Bird-loving policeman swoops on shoplifter
From The Courier-Mail

Belgium kills 200 parrots as bird flu fears linger
From Yahoo News

Now see here: Parrots' eyes are different
From The Arizona Republic

Hungry parrots munch Spanish farms
From news.com.au

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ANIMAL BEHAVIOR experts often refer to it as operant conditioning. Others call it positive reinforcement. Many of you know it as clicker training, after the small plastic device some trainers use. Whatever you prefer to call it, teaching your bird to perform tricks - "behaviors" in training lingo - can lead to a mutually rewarding relationship. You can pick up some valuable tips in this issue's lead story, Clicking with your bird.

In keeping with the theme of training, this issue's poll is all about tricks. What would you like to teach your bird to do? Let us know by taking the poll on this page!

Should birds be sold unweaned?
Last issue's reader poll asked what you thought about the controversial practice of breeders and pet stores selling parrots not yet weaned. Sellers argue that hand-fed birds bond better with their new owners. Critics point out that baby birds often are accidentally killed by inexperienced handfeeders.

As of Nov. 1, we had received over 1450 votes in that poll, with the response overwhelmingly in favor of selling unweaned birds. Seventy-two percent of you said it was okay; almost half of that number did not think it even necessary for the purchaser of the baby bird to be particularly skilled at handfeeding. Only 18 percent thought that selling unweaned parrots was wrong or should be made illegal. Seven percent weren't sure.

Welcome, new advertisers!
You love parrots, and you could really use a vacation. So what are you waiting for? Start packing your bags for a birding adventure in Panama Feb. 9-19, hosted by the Amazona Society bird club. Tour Panama City and see wild parrots including Amazons and macaws on hikes through two beautiful national rainforests. Take advantage of the great group rate now, at The Amazona Society.

Busy birds are happy birds, and one way to keep your bird busy is to make sure he has plenty of toys. Busybird.com offers unique toys and swings to keep your bird occupied. Do-it-yourselfers will like Busybird's hard-to-find ratan wreaths and grapevine balls.

Does your bird love looking out the window? A Wingdow Seat could be just what he needs to watch the world go by while you protect your woodwork. Wingdows are nifty acrylic shields with wooden perches that you can mount on the inside of any window. Check out this ParrotChronicles.com-approved product at www.Wingdow.com.

Beaks-N-Feathers offers safe, high-quality hand-made bird toys for small to large parrots. They use hardwoods, natural rope, vegetable-oil tanned leather and FDA-regulated food coloring for brighter hues. Browse their selection at www.beaks-n-feathers.com!

-- Carla Thornton, Editor

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