Category — Classes and Events

Phoenix Landing hosted a very special guest, Ms. Patricia Sund!  She presented another seminar in our Nourish to Flourish series, called Chop Chop! Patricia has been creating Chop for many years and taught us how to master it.  Chop is a feeding concept.  How many parrot owners chop fresh veggies each morning and evening?  I know I do and it take so much time each day.  However, as a parrot owner I want to provide the best possible diet to my feathered friends as possible.  Chop is the way to go!  There is no recipe!!  You purchase fresh, seasonal, vegetables and greens that are available the time of year you make Chop.  Purchase organic when you can and check the dirty dozen list each year and make sure you purchase those items on the list in organic when possible.

Patricia Sund

Once all your ingredients are washed, dried, cooked, chopped, you mix them well and place in Ziploc baggies and freeze.  Make one baggie for each day.  Depending on the number and size of your parrots will depend on the size of bag you should use.

Greens used in Chop

Some ingredients that you could use include the following:

Wheat grass powder

Dry oatmeal (old fashion raw cut)

Crush red peppers

Seeds like flax, rape, hemp, celery

Grains like kamut, rye berries, quinoa (cooked)

Wild Rice, brown rice (cooked)

Pastas like whole wheat, quinoa pasta (cooked)

Red, green, yellow, orange peppers

Hot Peppers

Carrots with tops

Zucchini

Turnips

Brussel sprouts

Ginger

Sweet Potatoes

Cauliflower

Butternut squash

Acorn squash

Swiss Chard (green or red)

Dandelion greens

Kale

Cilantro

Broccoli rabe

Red cabbage

Beet green (do not use the beet in Chop because it will turn it red.)

Garlic

This list could go on and go!!

For more information about Chop and to see instructional videos, please visit http://www.parrotnation.com.

The Phoenix Landing cookbook has more information about Chop and other recipes for our feathered friends.  The cookbook can be purchased at PL events or  on our website at http://www.phoenixlanding.org/books.html.

Good luck with your first batch of CHOP!

Phoenix Landing hosts a number of parrot behavior workshops throughout the year. Last month, we re-presented “Clicker Training for Parrots” in Northern Virginia.

Clicker training is a fun way to interact with your bird, but it’s also a useful tool for addressing behavioral issues. Our September class provided  an introduction to the principles of operant conditioning and, specifically, how it applies to our interactions with our birds.

In addition to explaining how clicker training works, ideas for getting started, and strategies for overcoming training challenges, the class also focused on interactive learning with hands-on exercises designed to let participants work on clicker timing and shaping behaviors.

Below are the slides from the workshop.

Once you apply the principles of clicker training to your daily interactions — regardless of  your bird’s age or previous training — you will be amazed at how effectively you will be able to communicate with each other, how much faster you will build trust, and how quickly your parrot will learn tricks that delight and amaze.

To learn more about how you can build a more positive and fun relationship with your birds, please check the Phoenix Landing events calendar for upcoming classes.

Fern Van Sant, DVM
Presented by the Phoenix Landing Foundation
April 1, 2011

THE BIOLOGY OF BIRDS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL NICHE
Birds were not invented at the pet store. So to successfully care for a parrot, one must understand the bird’s biological needs, and strive to meet these needs above others when looking for guidance on bird care. Understanding a parrot’s biology is essential since they have evolved from a unique array of habitats such as a variety of altitudes, temperatures etc. Birds are very adaptive.

For example, many parrots are subtropical – living 30 degrees north or south of the equator. For those species, they do not have 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. Parakeets and cockatiels are good examples; they live further from the equator and are photoperiod responsive because of this. Their biological processes are triggered by the length of time these birds are exposed to sunlight. An increase in day length (light) signals abundance to these birds, and the time for mating. Water can also bring on mating behaviors, especially for birds from drought areas like cockatiels.

A study by E.D. Jarvis proves that animals respond to certain environmental triggers by producing proteins in their brains. These proteins then trigger certain types of behavior associated with breeding (a male canary singing, for example). This is also called Behaviorally Driven Gene Expression. So a change in light, food availability, height of a potential nest, or width of a hole can all trigger breeding for wild parrots.

Cockatoos are easy birds to breed, while Amazons are not. Breeders discovered that Amazons require a very particular hole of a certain height and depth to breed. Some behaviors are inherited, like lovebirds stashing things under their wings.

Most parrots are NOT designed to consistently reproduce. They are low-end reproducers. But, without environmental constraints, parrots can be in a continuous breeding mode. As hens produce more chicks, the hen’s health suffers, as does the health of the later chicks in the clutch. Later-born chicks are much less viable. For example, 12 eggs in a year in captivity might be the bird’s lifetime norm in the wild.

PSITTACINE EVOLUTION
Parrots have evolved over 30+ million years. There are 332 species of parrots, with three subfamilies (Psittacine, Cacatuinae, and Loriinae).

Two-thirds of parrots are neotropical Psittacines (189 species) – those who live in central South America and the Caribbean islands.

The other third of parrots are found in Africa, India and South Asia (34 species) and Australia, Indonesia, and South Asia (109 species).

Parrots are flexible in our homes because they are flexible in their natural environments of forest, swamp, and dry land. For example, mitred conures are found all over the US, and the Maui conure, which started as 2 birds, has now grown to a flock of 100.

MYTH OF THE GENERIC PARROT
This myth assumes that one size fits all response to questions of proper diet, housing, behavior and other issues. However, each species and each individual will require care specific to their needs. There are three kinds of behaviors: innate, learned, and reproductive.

Parrot’s innate behaviors are for flight, nest selection, and vocalization. Parrots learn other behaviors, from interacting with the flock. For example, taking off is instinctive, landing and navigating is learned. Some colony nesters, like conures, may want to be more connected to you.

Reproductive behaviors include: pair bonding; vocalizations/duets; mutual preening; cavity seeking; nest building; sexual regurgitation; territorial defense; and copulation.

Do you know what a bird looks like when they are soliciting sex? Here is an example of one approach:

ENDOCRINE REGULATION
The hypothalamus starts the process by sending message to the “master gland” the pituitary gland. The pituitary, in turn, produces hormones to send to target organs, the gonads. The gonads are inactive at times, small and seasonally involuted. Females have one ovary on the left side, to lighten the load for flight.

The pineal gland is a day/night clock, sensing light which drives base physiology. Light is taken in through the eyes, the pineal gland and a third apparatus in the brain that is still unknown. This mystery apparatus has been proven to exist because birds who are blind and have no pineal gland still respond to light.

The Limbic system is the part of the brain that runs bonding, emotional responses, and attachment forming.

The species-specific hormonal cascade, from hypothalamus to pineal gland to gonad, happens in all birds.

Testosterone is highest in a male during nest building according to a UC Davis study.

ENVIRONMENTAL TRIGGERS
Environmental triggers for endocrine events include light, molting, migration, and perhaps lunar cycles. Breeding and molting are biologically expensive and diametrically opposed. They do not happen at the same time.

Due to these factors, umbrella cockatoos do best with a very ordered, predictable day/night cycle.

Seasonal migration – great green macaws (also called Buffon’s macaws) migrate, as do Patagonian conures and smaller conures. These birds all migrate up and down in elevation. Tiny grass parakeets migrate 120 miles across the water to Tasmania to breed.

A hormonal trigger (as opposed to a metabolic one) produced by the thyroid takes parrots from breeding to molting. Primary feathers molt at a different time than those feathers on the bird’s trunk.

Amazons and macaw share the same nest hole at different times throughout the year.

Birds love warm food because of a thermal sensory apparatus on the roof of their mouth. When we give parrots warm food, we are simulating the actions of their mate.

Vocalizations and other hormonal triggers such as pair bonding, abundant light and food, or nesting can lead to CHRONIC HORMONAL STRESS.

Cavity seeking is also a result of the hormonal cascade. The bird may get on the floor underneath furniture, or go into a closet.

When a parrot is well fed, has nest material, and has a lengthened photo period, the hormonal cascade can begin.

Copulation is initiated by lower back scratching.

Determinate layers have a specific number of eggs in a clutch. Budgies and cockatiels are non-determinate layers, laying eggs as long as the environment supports it. This causes a serious health risk to them.

Birds who have been bred are naturally passing on the genes of productive breeding. In other words, the birds that survive the breeding process are going to be more inclined to reproduce.

LIMITING FACTORS
Parrots in the wild are low-end producers, and certain environmental constraints will limit their urge to breed.

Food availability is not a limiting factor for neotropical birds (food is pretty consistently available around the equator). Neotropical birds are limited by the availability of nest sites. Charles Munn did a study on scarlet macaws and found that adding more nest boxes to the birds’s environment resulted in more chicks.

However, the availability of food for those birds native to Australia, Africa and Indonesia can trigger or constrain their desire to breed. Seasonal abundance and drought is a limiting factor to non-neotropical birds. For example, goffins cockatoos in Australia struggle to find food and water during the drought. When food comes during the rainy season, they are ready to breed. They are designed for this kind of seasonal stress.

LIVING THE GOOD LIFE
Birds that are in a chronic state of hormonal stress can exhibit several different results.

Clinical presentation of birds with hormonal issues (what the vet sees) include:
Feather picking
Prolapse
Screaming
Shredding
Territorial defense and aggression
Elevated mucus production in proventriculus, which can cause continuous vomiting and regurgitation
Degenerative conditions such as: osteoporosis; fractures; calcium and vitamin D3 deficiencies.

Estrogen stimulates the blood vessels. In the wild, a bird regulates its temperature thru flight. However, thermal regulation problems in the wing webs and legs can be a problem for any bird in our homes. These areas (wing webs and legs) help the bird to heat and cool because they are highly vascular (contain a lot of blood vessels). The inside of the legs has large vessels. An increase in estrogen causes these areas to flush with blood. Without the proper ability to thermal regulate, a bird may become hot and flushed in these areas, which can also lead to feather picking.

African Psittacines often develop feather destructive behavior at 9-14 months because they are over-stroked. They do not learn to fledge and fly as they would in the wild where their parents would make them leave the nest.

SOLVING THE PROBLEM: RETURNING AN OVERLY HORMONAL BIRD TO NORMAL
Just because we think a bird loves something, doesn’t mean we should provide it. We should only provide things that are in the bird’s best interest, not ours. Examples are over-stimulation through petting and stroking, foods that contain phyto-estrogens (sweet potatoes, soybeans).

Try “resetting” the bird by putting her in a novel environment.

Part of the problem is that vigorous, healthy parrots who are not driven by the need to breed are more difficult to live with; they are more demanding to keep them occupied. They are full of healthy energy!

When the vet does a physical exam, it starts with a detailed history.

Hormonal problems can lead to plucking, which can lead to dermatitis. The feathers are designed to, among other things, protect the skin. Skin is not designed to be exposed. If your bird has this condition, be sure that the bird thoroughly dries after any bathing. It is especially important that the wing webs are dry.

THERAPIES
Therapies depend on each species, since they have evolved from different parts of the world (wet/dry; amount of light, etc).

The most important therapies include adding environmental constraints, just as it occurs in the wild. These include:
- Limiting shredding;
- Curtailing cavity seeking;
- Limiting physical contact (less petting!!);
- Adjusting feed schedules, such as limited food or fasting in the afternoons;
- Exercise!! More exercise, even for the elderly; and
- Spending time outdoors, especially in flight aviaries when possible.

Some short-term remedies, but not cures, can include:
Lupron can be given as a temporary solution. It down-regulates the gonads, but Lupron is expensive and it doesn’t work that long. Lupron sits on the binding site on the gonads, and prevents the hormones from landing and proteins from binding. It is a remedy, not a cure.

HCG injections are anti-inflammatory. Helps itchy macaws. It is also not a long-term cure because the immune system recognizes it and it stops working.

A more promising cure, Deslorelin, comes from Australia. It is an implant that lasts 8 months and is successful in hormonal birds.

RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTS and DIETS
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs): Can be given in the form of palm oil (Sunshine Factor recommended), for birds that eat palm oil (like African Greys); and flax oil for birds who do not eat palm oil. Another good supplement for all birds is Avian Vegi-Dophilus, a probiotic specifically for birds.

Pellets are not recommended for birds from arid environments such as parakeets, lovebirds, and cockatiels. Pellets are hard on their kidneys and can cause gout. Avi-cakes are a good option for these birds.

By Nelson Quinones

I was in bed checking the Phoenix Landing web site and went to see the calendar for the upcoming events. I was reading about the conservation event on December 11, 2010 in Fairfax, VA with Stewart Metz and Bonnie Zimmerman from the Indonesian Parrot Project. The event information includes the web site for the Indonesian Parrot Project (www.indonesian-parrot-project.org). I copied and  pasted the web site and went to check it out.

While I was looking at it, I heard a faint parrot call. I muted the TV volume and kept hearing the sound. It sounded like a lost parrot outside. I was worried for the lost parrot because it is cold. I was already thinking that I would have to contact Debbie, Jenny and Ann from Phoenix Landing to see what to do with the parrot if I was able to catch him or her. I quickly got up, got dressed, got a flashlight, put my shoes and jacket on and opened the door. I stood halfway outside the door and kept hearing the parrot  call. I closed the door and stepped outside. The outside light came on. I couldn’t hear the call any more. I stood there like a statue thinking that maybe the parrot saw me and went silent. I waited for a few minutes but no sound.  I thought maybe it was one of my birds making a sound I had never heard before. I opened the door and heard the sound again. I went back out thinking maybe the parrot saw me leaving and started calling again but I closed the door and again I didn’t hear anything. I came back in to go check if it was one of my birds.

As soon as I opened the door I heard the call again. Then I remembered that I was just looking at parrot web site and maybe the parrot call was coming from  there. I went back to the computer and YES, the parrot call was coming from the  Indonesian Parrot Project’s web site. I started laughing out loud. My computer is connected to a speaker box that is near the door, and the volume was set at low, that is why it sounded like it was coming from outside. Well, at least I’m  glad there is not a poor lost parrot outside in the cold. :~)


For more information about this event in Fairfax, VA on December 11th, from 10-12:30 go to www.phoenixlanding.org/events. We will have a fun auction to support the conservation efforts of the Indonesian Parrot Project. A great way to start your holiday shopping and support wild parrot conservation too!!!

In mid-June, Phoenix Landing got a request from a public relations firm in MD to participate in a Caribbean themed event at TGI Friday’s.  TGI Friday’s was promoting their new summer menu called “Escape to Paradise – No Passport Necessary.”

When most people think of the Caribbean, they think of macaws.  After agreeing to participate, I had to think of parrots to take.  Most volunteers within Phoenix Landing have flighted parrots including me.  I asked several volunteers, but everyone’s macaws were flighted. I remembered that Lady Coconut Scarlet had an old wing injury and couldn’t fly, so I contacted Ruth, her adopter.  Ruth agreed to bring Lady S. to the event.

The PR firm published that there would be parrots there and Phoenix Landing even got mentioned on WPGC 95.5, a local radio station.  The Phoenix Landing logo was placed in the fliers for the event too.

The day of the event was beautiful!  You couldn’t have asked for better weather being that it was July 1^st in the Washington, DC area.  There was no humidity.  We sat up a table with information on it about Phoenix Landing and had Joey and Lady S. on PVC gyms around the back side of the table.

Bob, Joey, Lady S. and Ruth.

Most people didn’t realize that the parrots were real until they moved.  Music was playing from the radio station and both birds were dancing and having a good old time.  Joey was almost jumping of his perch while Lady S. was just bobbing her head to the beat.  One lady that stopped by fell in love with Joey because she would just start singing and dancing and he would join in too.  Every time she came back, he would dance with her.

Joey with his dancing partner and I.

Also at the event was Captain Morgan.  The good Captain was very interested in the birds and had his photo taken with Joey.

Captain Morgan and Joey

Many people stopped to ask questions about the birds and why we were there. Most of the people were amazed at them because they had never seen macaws or been that close to them.  It amazing how many times we got asked if they talked.  Lady S. would say on cue either “hello, bye-bye or cracker.”  Joey never made a peep except for a few grunts!

Ruth and Lady S.

Ruth talking to someone interested in parrots.

We handed out lots of information about Phoenix Landing, so hopefully at least one new home will be found for our many birds in need.  If you are interested in helping with outreach events in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia or North Carolina, please contact us at phoenixlanding@earthlink.net.

Each year, the Richmond Animal League closes down a city block, invites a ton of dog rescue groups and dog-related vendors, and hosts a successful fundraiser they call-ever so cutely-Woofstock. Melissa Messick, Phoenix Landing Richmond coordinator, decided that an event attended by hundreds of pet owners and animal lovers might be a good place to set up a booth and try to get the word out about what we do. So, that’s just what we did!

We talked the talk all day with the help of some special Phoenix Landing parrots. Red Bird, a scarlet macaw, worked her magic to draw in the crowds with her bright feathers and cheerful macaw antics. Grayson, a Congo African grey, took in every detail with his wise, observant grey parrot demeanor. It was his first big outing since leaving an especially difficult previous situation, and he was a real champ. A little over a year ago, he was a plucked and defeated little soul; last Saturday he was a fully-feathered charmer in full glory. Tuke, a double yellow headed amazon, is an especially well-chosen ambassador for Phoenix Landing since he is nearly 40 years old. His more advanced age gave us opportunities to talk about the long life spans of these birds and the fact that all will need multiple homes throughout their lives.

A number of people mentioned they’d heard of Phoenix Landing and said it was good to put faces to the name. Hopefully, thanks to Melissa’s good idea and efforts, we were able to connect with some folks who may be able to help us help parrots.