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This issue's Charlie Harding
Your new issue on parrot behaviorists is very thorough and informative, and I enjoyed reading it. Thank you for including Sally Blanchard, and the work we do at the Companion Parrot Quarterly.
I am writing to you regarding one of the people you consulted with for the story Tale of two consultations: Charlie Harding of Seattle. The Companion Parrot Quarterly has a very strict advertising policy, and I would like you to know that Mr. Harding's business would not meet our criteria. The other thing I hope you will share with your readers is that Mr. Harding's "Behavior Modification Kit" contains, in addition to toys and other items, a booklet of unauthorized photocopies of copyrighted art and articles written by Sally Blanchard and other avian experts.
I think a key point of your article was that people be very thorough and careful about finding a behaviorist to help them with issues of parrot behavior, and that is why I feel compelled to give you this feedback. Thank you for your time.
--Maggie Rufo, Companion Parrot Quarterly
Interesting story, especially since we purchased our male red belly from
Charlie 2 1/2 years ago. You described him to a T! I think he means well
but he is a business man and not blessed with great human relation skills.
I've seen him drive customers out of his shop in just a few minutes with his
drill sergeant questions...
But, our red belly is a winner- and we were first time bird owners who really
benefited from his third degree and insistence on the toys and books and
articles he sent home from us. Anyway, thanks for the story.
--Felicia Dale, Poicephaluspals@aol.com
Escape artists
I couldn't agree more with Marc Johnson’s advice in Polly, come home! (Spring 2002). When she was 9 years old, our clipped green-wing macaw was spooked by a noise while outside with me. We were staying at a cottage by the lake and she flew out over the lake. I was sure she would drown. We immediately alerted all neighbors and called several vets and the local radio station, which actually broadcast our message.
The next day, we got a call from the country club across the lake that there was a "birdie" on the greens. Sure enough, there was our Nicky at the top of the tallest tree, screeching for our attention. That was the beginning of a madcap day of highs and lows. She couldn't fly down directly so we called the fire department, who arrived on the newly planted sod. A treeclimber was within feet of her when she flew into the next group of trees about two blocks away. We all jumped on the fire truck and chased her, calling her name. Every time she was close to being rescued, she’d fly off again.
The next few days were spent driving around, calling her name and stopping anyone in sight to ask and tell about our bird. My husband is a pilot so he jumped into his small plane and flew "illegally low" searching the tree tops for our colorful bird. No luck.
About a week later, a vet called to say our bird was in somebody’s yard - about 8 miles away. My husband grabbed her cage, food and water and put it in the middle of their yard. Soon, Nicky came flying toward him. Then, as she circled the cage from above, she turned around and started flying away. My husband called her loudly (and desperately), she looked back, turned around and landed on top of her cage. He put her in it and she spent the next three hours with her face in her food dish. She was thinner but fine.
The best thing we did was to tell any and everyone we could about our missing bird. When that family called to tell the vet that a big parrot was in their yard, he remembered hearing something about a missing parrot and called us. Our Nicky is now 21.
--Gloria M. Martony, nicky@bminet.com
I once assisted in the recapture of a cockatiel that had been one of my hand-raised babies. He was in a large tree near the schoolyard in the owner’s community. With permission they climbed the roof of the school, cage in hand, and called to him. He responded to the call but would not fly back to his cage.
I asked the owners if they had ever taped him talking and singing. They had. Once they played the tape from the roof of the school, he responded immediately. So perhaps everyone should keep an audio tape of their bird, just in case.
--L. Lorraine Lyons, gildedcage@prcn.org
My parrot also escaped from her cage one day. Since we live in Georgia, I was not too concerned with the weather, but no matter what I tried, I couldn't get her to come back to me.
She has a large 4-foot cage on wheels and I didn't care how silly I looked wheeling the cage up and down the street while trying to get her to return. I could see her and hear her in the nearby trees and it was almost as if she was teasing me. She would call to me and fly short distances from one tree to another. It seemed like she didn't know how to descend.
After spending two sleepless nights worrying that she might take off for parts unknown, she finally showed up in her cage on the third morning. I don't know if it was hunger or the desire for company that brought her back, but I was delighted.
I hadn't realized that her wings had grown out enough enable her to take off. I won't ever make that mistake again! Thanks for your wonderful e-zine.
--Sheryl Petrovich Petrovich, Sheryl.Petrovich@sciatl.co
We had a scare with our Senegal, Jasmine. She flew out the back door when my daughter, Tiffany, and I were on our way to school. I chased after her down the alley and watched her disappear into the morning sky. She banked back and landed in a neighbor’s tree. A magpie swooped down into the tree after her. I sent Tiffany around the front and I cut through the neighbor’s yard, but Jasmine was gone.
I searched for her for 11 hours and 37 minutes before it grew dark. I was beside myself and losing hope. I took two sleeping pills and went to bed, dreaming that sparrows were in the street and beneath them I could see green feathers. Jasmine lay dead under them and they were feeding off her. I woke up bawling my eyes out!
My husband, Steve, and I went out at 6 a.m. looking for her again, with no luck. Then around 10 or so, Steve said he wanted to check the houses behind Tiffany's old school. I didn't want to go, but he insisted. He was going to drive down the alley when he stopped the truck and said, "No, I think we should stick to the street." We came around a bend in the road when Steve heard something. He stopped the truck and put it in reverse and listened. I told him to call her name. He did and Jasmine let out a huge squeal from the top of a white tree.
She was so excited when she saw us! She danced on the branch and did flips. She was too scared to fly down to us, so Steve climbed the tree to reach her. As he climbed up, Jasmine climbed down to him. He reached up to her and she jumped on his finger. He put her on his shoulder and climbed back down the tree. She clung to him for dear life.
When she got home she ate, drank, and took a long nap. We don't know where she spent the night, but at minus-10 degrees, it is amazing she is alive. Needless to say, she had her wings clipped. I only wish she could talk so she could tell us all about her adventure!
--Susan D. Sparkes-Hoskins, shoskins@telusplanet.net
Cockatiel commiseration
I am so sorry for your loss (Love story, Spring 2002). You wrote a real heartfelt story there, and I'm sure it affected many, many readers. That in and of itself is a good form of therapy.
I, too, have a pet cockatiel. I have enjoyed time with Nike (pronounced Nicky) for almost two years now. To live with her for over 20 is something I can't even fathom, but I will feel blessed if that happens.
So many of your recollections of you and Allie rang true in my experiences, too. My Nike has one really favorite time with me that I believe has got to be unique in most owners’ analogs: she goes on bike rides with me to the park in the summertime. She sits on my shoulder and just basks in the warm breezes and sunshine. She only took flight once when this foolish human let her wings get a wee bit too long. Luckily, I got her back immediately. Personally, I think she loves all the attention of passersby (walkers, drivers, children).
--Mike, mt2203@aol.com
Microchipping - no regrets?
We enjoyed reading Microchipping: Is It For The Birds? (Spring 2002) and found it informative and balanced.
As you point out, a microchip's permanence can be viewed as an advantage, particularly to owners of pure breed and exotic animals. So why would owners change their minds and decide to have a chip removed later? Most pet owners wouldn't, because they normally consult first with their veterinarians before microchipping their pets and the procedure is not something that owners typically decide to do "on the fly."
Most pet owners forget about the chip because it is not visible, obtrusive or harmful/painful to the pet. It is an inert object that can only be activated and read by a handheld scanner. Keep in mind that the chip number never changes but the contact information associated with it often does. So while a collar tag must be replaced to reflect a new address or telephone number, a microchip does not.
This is why AKC-CAR makes updating a pet's record free and easy to do. As an added measure, we encourage pet owners to designate an alternate contact to quicken the recovery process in instances where the primary contact cannot be reached or the primary's contact information is outdated.
Thank you again for including AKC-CAR in your article.
--Marta Lewis, AKC Companion Animal Recovery, www.akccar.org
Nonstick danger reminder
Please advise your readers that the vapors from nonstick pans and Teflon surfaces can be deadly to birds. Never overheat nonstick pans, on top of the stove or in the oven. In some cases, they don't need to overheat. They recommended even throwing away all nonstick pans in the house and purchasing stainless steel, depending on your income. One man even said that all of the birds in his house were killed within five minutes of overheating a nonstick pan in the oven. Please share this important information.
--Jan McCarty, heidelberggirl@msn.com
We include nonstick cookware on our Hazards page, but this serious danger to birds bears repeating. Thanks. --Editor
Thanks for recipes
We are the "parents" of a 4-year-old African grey, Gordie. Apart from not being very fond of my wife, Gordie is near perfect. He’s a prolific talker, and over time we’ve managed to find meal preparations to be much easier, but with trial and error. What a great Web site you have, great suggestions and great recipes. We’ll be regular visitors. Keep up the great work.
--Terry and Carolyn Pollock, Los Alamitos, Calif., pollockt@aol.com
Advice on RVing with parrots?
My husband and I are planning to retire and live in our 40-foot fifth-wheel travel trailer. Of course, we will be taking along our "kids", a green-wing macaw and a severe macaw. I'd be interested to know if anyone else has lived in an RV with parrots and any suggestions/tips they may have.
Also, just wanted to share a cleaning tip of my own (Good housekeeping for parrots, Spring 2002). I've recently purchased an Enviro Steamer that is terrific for cleaning perches and bird cages (of course, when the birds aren't on or in them). It does not require any cleanser and melts the dried food and poop away. It's worth the investment.
--Dudley Vaughan, dudleyvaughan@alltel.net
Parrot teaches human
This is a little embarrassing for a 50-year-old-plus person to be telling, but it's very true and shows the level of intelligence of the African grey. My wife and I bought Mr. Poop at the local pet store. His previous owner had passed away and the relatives couldn't handle him for some reason. After the first few weeks of biting, he finally would sit on my finger and we would bond. I noticed that some times when I would want to change hands he would gently take my approaching finger in his beak, quickly let go and then flick his head to the side. This went on for some time and was a great puzzlement to me. One day I noticed that when he was eating and came to something he did not like he would flick it to the side - obviously "I don't want that." Enlightenment! The head flicking at the approaching finger was simply, "No, I don't want to move. I want to stay here." I was extremely humbled when I realized how long it took me to understand just what he was telling me. His patience in teaching me was remarkable! --Paul E. Martin, MartinP185@aol.com
Perusing back issues
Fantastic! (A backyard aviary, Winter 2001-2002). We have 16 birds and are thinking about doing the same thing! I could really relate to the visuals she painted about her birds' trepidations in their aviary, as well as viewing it as a "timeshare" instead of a commune for the birdies! Fun reading!
--Denise Hosner, dhosner@msn.com
Hello and thank you for all the information on this page: The electric eclectus (Winter 2001-2002). I love the look of these birds and this is the most informative article I have ever found about them. The pictures are the best, too. Your Web site is full of good information and I will be back soon.
--lindajay2@juno.com
Thank you for writing and publishing The Plight of the Unwanted Bird, (Spring 2001). This superb article should run in a major news vehicle in every major city if not in a national magazine such as Time or Newsweek. Unfortunately, I suspect that mostly "bird people" will come to ParrotChronicles.com. Still, those of us in parrot rescue appreciate your effort to spread the word.
--Frank Levine, Parrots First, Los Angeles, Calif.
I'm not so sure that stopping bird breeding is the answer. (It’s time to stop breeding birds, Fall 2001). I believe the answer is education for prospective parrot owners. Breeders who sell parrots must be brutally honest about the pros and cons. No one should sell a macaw, cockatoo, Amazon or even some conures to an apartment dweller. It's a sure bet that bird will be returned, or worse yet, abused, because the neighbors complained about the noise. Lories are beautiful, but they are high-energy, need big cages and can be quite messy. Some birds like to be cuddled; others don't. Some birds are great talkers; others aren't. Prospective parrot owners need to do their homework about what to expect in terms of noise, expense, space and time required before they buy that pretty baby.
I applaud Marc Johnson's efforts in rescuing these birds, but stopping breeding is not the answer. Honest answers to informed prospective owners is a better response.
--Judi Daunell, birdmom@igalaxy.net
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