Oops! I Scared my Parrot!

I made a boo boo today. Delbert my yellow naped Amazon parrot is flighted. He loves to get up to top speed first thing in the AM and cruise around the house. He has a few favorite landing spots, one of which is on top of the microwave. Well for some god awful reason I felt compelled to do a little house cleaning the other day. (Trust me, it was purely a strategic move to avoid a big ol’ pile of work waiting for me on my desk. When the stack gets to overwhelming, I turn into little miss clean freak.)

In my cleaning frenzy I thought “Boy it must be slippery when Delbert lands here.” Of course I had no evidence to support that thought. However I still decided I should place a nice non slick substrate on the microwave. My material of choice was a piece of a purple yoga mat.

Having forgotten about it the next day, I let Delbert out as usual for some zoom, zoom, zooming around the house. Full steam ahead he rocketed for the top of the microwave. If he had the words to express his thoughts, I do believe he would have said “Holy you know what!”

His confident expression turned to eyes wide open followed by some strategic aerial maneuvers to get the heck outta Dodge as they say. Guess who spent the rest of the morning retraining Delbert to step onto the microwave?

Sometimes we take for granted that a bird should do something we request, like stepping onto an unfamiliar or changed perch. There are many times I have watched someone quickly bring a parrot up to a perch, only to watch that bird lean far away to avoid it. In many cases people start wriggling their wrist and force the bird onto the perch. This often leads to a bird who leaps off of the perch once on it or shows body language that indicates he can’t wait to leave.

I much prefer a parrot who eagerly steps onto a perch. To get this kind of response, I pay attention to my bird’s body language. I try to make sure the bird is as comfortable as possible. I will offer treats as we approach the perch. If the bird ever shows the slightest fear response, I stop moving towards the perch. In essence I break even this behavior into small approximations. Over time the birds learns stepping onto a new perch means lots of treats.

At a recent parrot behavior and training workshop I taught, I went through this process with two parrots. I wanted a hyacinth macaw to step onto a table. It took me about 10 minutes of tiny of approximations to finally get her to step onto the table. During the process I had to stand in some weird positions so that she was comfortable. But she did it! A little poicephalus parrot also went through these steps. In just a matter of seconds she learned to step onto the table as well. I then went on to work with her on getting comfortable with a towel. You can see pictures from this event on my twitter page .

Slowing down and taking a few extra moments can make a world of difference to a parrot, especially when your parrot is afraid of something new. So even though I created a little set back for Delbert. We were able to get past it with a just few minutes of training.

Barbara Heidenreich
www.GoodBirdInc.com
Copyright 2009 Good Bird Inc

Watch HR669 Hearing LIVE

Watch the H.R.669 Hearing LIVE
April 23 at 10:00am Eastern Standard Time

http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=273&Itemid

A list of your local representatives, there is still time to fax and phone!

Members of the
Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife
187 Ford House Office Building (Oceans and Wildlife)
(202) 226-0200 Fax: (202) 225-1542

Mrs. Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam, Chairwoman
Mr. Henry E. Brown, Jr., South Carolina, Ranking Republican Member
Dale E. Kildee, Michigan
Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American Samoa
Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii
Frank Pallone, Jr., New Jersey
Gregorio “Kilili” Sablan, Mariana Islands
Donna M. Christensen, Virgin Islands
Diana DeGette, Colorado
Ron Kind, Wisconsin
Lois Capps, California
Carol Shea-Porter, New Hampshire
Frank Kratovil, Jr., Maryland
Pedro R. Pierluisi, Puerto Rico
Nick J. Rahall, II, West Virginia (ex officio) Don Young, Alaska
Jeff Flake, Arizona
Doug Lamborn, Colorado
Robert J. Wittman, Virginia
John Fleming, Louisiana
Jason Chaffetz, Utah
Bill Cassidy, Louisiana
Doc Hastings, Washington, ex officio

HR 669: Huge Implications for Parrot Owners

Parrot Skateboard Training: Part II

The Parrot Training Diet?

That is such a weird concept to me. It seems to suggest you need a fancy diet to get your parrot into training. This is not my experience. The more parrots I meet, the more I find the strategy of micro managing of diets to be outdated.

I decided to write a blog on this topic because people who have signed up for my mailing list automatically get sent a series of three video clips in which I demonstrate how I trained my Amazon parrot to let me trim his nails. Some of the questions I keep getting are “What are you feeding him that he like so much?” or “What kind of diet is he on to be so motivated?”

It is funny to me because….I really have not done anything too special : ) Here is the lowdown. Every day I feed my parrot about 1/3 cup of pellets, 1/3 cup of mostly veggies and some fruit, a few sprouts and sometimes a small piece of birdie bread.





He usually leaves some behind, drops a few items he may not prefer, and sinks a few things in his water bowl. But essentially he gets a tiny bit more food than he likely needs to be satiated and maintain a healthy weight. Here is a photo of the leftovers in the morning.

For his training session I use sunflower seeds and pine nuts as treats. He only gets these for training, good behavior throughout the day and sometimes in foraging toys. But he pretty much never just gets them dumped in his food bowl.

First thing in the morning I open his cage door and pull out his leftover food. We usually have a training session within the next 30 minutes. After that he hangs out and plays. Usually late morning I offer him the rest of his diet and it stays with him until the next morning when we start all over again.

That is it! No fancy schmancy intricate scheduling or manipulating of diets or weighing of my bird daily to calculate the perfect amounts of food.

I think a few important elements that have made this work in my house is

1. The diet amount is more than he needs, but not excessive
2. I save treats for training and to reinforce good behavior
3. I train when he is likely to be most receptive…right before breakfast

So rather than getting too wrapped up in strict diets and regimens, try these simple strategies and see if they can help your parrot gain some enthusiasm for what you have to offer. Check out the videos and you will get an idea of what can happen.

Barbara Heidenreich
www.GoodBirdInc.com
Copyright Good Bird Inc 2009

NY Times Op-Ed on HR 669: Info Requested

GrrlScientist is preparing an Op-Ed piece for the New York Times about HR 669. If you do research or conservation work on exotic species that would be negatively impacted by this bill, she would like to include that in her editorial. She needs, within the next day:

A statement that includes (1) their research species (2) a basic
description of their work and (3) how HR 669 will negatively impact
their work. They can include anything else they wish to say, but their
response MUST have those three details so i can use them in my
writing.

The identities of all who respond will be kept strictly confidential
UNLESS the respondent says otherwise.

Please email me or comment here and I’ll pass her contact info along.

Also, if you are a member of any of these organizations, please consider contacting them. They are part of the National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species (NECIS) which strongly supports this bill (taken from their web site):

* Center for International Environmental Law
* Defenders of Wildlife
* Ecological Society of America
* Environmental Law Institute
* Great Lakes United
* Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition
* Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
* National Association of Exotic Pest Plant Councils
* National Audubon Society
* National Wildlife Federation
* National Wildlife Refuge Association
* Natural Areas Association
* Natural Resources Defense Council
* The Nature Conservancy
* Union of Concerned Scientists

GrrlScientist Explains HR 669 (UPDATE)

On her blog Living the Scientific Life, GrrlScientist does a fantastic job of explaining and critiquing HR 669, the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act. She is a PhD zoologist/ornithologist who has done research on lories.

Some of my work involves studying the transport of invasive marine species, so I’m no stranger to the subject. If there were any kind of rational, sound, scientific merit to the bill I would be the first to point that out. But this bill fails to deal with the most basic problems of invasive exotics, as well as some of the most harmful species, while applying draconian prohibitions on hundreds of animals frequently kept as pets. It would literally be a death sentence for many animals whose species had not gone through the usually lengthy — and in HR 669 undefined — process of exemption.

GrrlScientist lays out some of the most glaring shortcomings and logical inconsistencies, so I’ll let her do the work!

I have found many positions taken by the “anti-animal rights” lobby to be overreactions to sound policies. This one isn’t. I’m actually stunned that many respectable environmental organizations are supporting it.

UPDATE: Look for an Op-Ed piece by GrrlScientist in the New York Times in the coming week.

Parrot Training Information in Different Languages

I have long said if I get hit by a bus tomorrow, it will be OK. I have had a pretty good ride. One of the cool things I get to do is travel around the world to teach people about parrot training and behavior. Not a bad gig if I do say so myself.

Traveling a bunch means trying to find a way to communicate with many different parrot people of many different nationalities. I wish I was proficient at several languages, but I am afraid English and enough Spanish to be dropped in the middle of Mexico are about it.

Fortunately there are some very kind people out there who have generously translated my writings. Here are two that have been translated to Russian. How cool it that?

Wow. That Bird Sure Can Scream! In Russian
My Bird is Afraid of Everything in Russian

I also have some translated articles on parrot training in magazines in the following countries:

Poland
Japan
The Netherlands
Finland


My first book Good Bird! A Guide to Solving Behavior Problems in Companion Parrots was recently published in Spanish

And The Parrot Problem Solver is soon going to be released in Japanese. Woohoo!

I am really floored, honored and so very happy people are finding these resources helpful in other countries. It really is a nice big warm fuzzy to think something you do may help people and their parrots around the world.

It is not as fabulous as having a real live person translate something, but I did add a google translator to my blog. It is on the right hand side under by bio. It is not perfect but it can help give the idea of what is going on in my writings. I hope it helps foster this global growth of the positive reinforcement approach to working with parrots.

Barbara Heidenreich
www.GoodBirdInc.com
Copyright 2009 Good Bird Inc

A Caique Owners Shopping List

Bringing home baby, and wondering what accessories are essential for your new fids well being? Well, we have got the perfect list to compliment your shopping spree. Straight from the recommendations of caique owners are some tried-and-trues, accessories and must-haves. We’ve got your back (and your fids, too).

Must Haves

The cage- this is the most important aspect of your birds environment and one that needs to the most consideration. Powdercoating or stainless steel finish depends on your budget, but no matter the finish, when looking at a cage conside the various aspects. Cage size is recommended at 24 by 36, with less then one inch bar spacing. Cages that open at the top are not recommended, and look for cages that have parallel bars so your bird can easily navigate. The author of this article prefers flat top cages, but it all boils down to personal preference. Food and water dishes that are extended outside of the cage (giving more room within the inside of the cage) are recommended.

Perches- a minimum of 5 is recommended. Choose different textures, shapes, and sizes, to give your bird a variety of to perch upon. Caiques like to chew and shred, so natural branches that have bark attached are recommended so the bird can take joy in stripping the perch of its bark. Cholla perches, that are made of a natural cactus material, area also enjoyed. Slick perches like manzanita and dragonwood are not encouraged. Rope perches are a favorite amoung caiques, as they can bounce and play, chew and rub on the soft cotton material.

Food Dishes- stainless steel or ceramic are encouraged. Purchase an extra set so that you can throw the dirty ones in the dishwasher and still have a clean set on hand. Stainless steel dishes are often sold as ‘coop cups’ and can be purchased to fit your already existing food dish holder, or come with their own attachment so the cups can be placed stratigically within the cage. Caiques have a tendency to enjoy tipping over their food dish, so consider a dish such as the Quick Loc Crock, which literally locks in place.

Toys- Caiques love playing with toys- thats a fact. The brighter, the bolder, the noiser- the better. Quick hint- check out the baby section of your local discount store. Hard plastic keys, teething rings, and rattles are bird safe and caique fun. Tried and true bird toys include the shreddable Parrot Pinatas, the mind bending Crazy Leather Box, or the chewable Brainiac block. All of these toys challange your birds skills and increase activity while eleviating boredum. The recommended number of toys is no less then 5 at one time in the birds cage. With a caique, the more, the better, so don’t be stingy when it comes to play items.

Emergency Medical Kit - If your bird breaks a blood feather, bangs a toenail, or injuries himself in any way, you want to be prepared. Accidents to happen, and caiques seem to be especially accident prone. A good basic medical kit will include self adhering gauze (vetwrap is a popular choice), clean gauze, tweezers, hemostats, a pair of sharp scissors, antibiotical cream, and a heat pack. Many different types of medical kits are included, and the more comprehensive ones contain everything from emergency handfeeding formula to forms that include your vets contact information.

Accessories

The Water Bottle- Caiques are bird chef wanna-be’s. Their specialty? Parrot stew. Whatever can go in the pot- er, in this cage, water dish- will. It can make providing a clean source of water frustrating at times. Especially when you go to change the water and you wonder why how on earth it turned a bright blue color, and what the heck are those floatie things? Trust me, you don’t want to ask questions. Some caiques, intelligent as they may be, don’t seem to realize that dunking that big chunk of brightly colored wood in the water doesn’t make the wood any easier to chew. There is a solution- water bottles. A water bottle can be hung, providing your pet with a constant source of fresh water, even if he has turned the once clean bowl of water into something less then delightful. When purchasing a water bottle, the recommended ones are made of glass (shy away from think plastic ones) and have stainless steel spouts and outfittings. Lixit brand are highly recommended.

The Snuggle Buddy- while this is the name of an actual product, in this article we referr to snuggle buddy as anything that your bird likes to sleep next/in at night. Most caiques enjoy having a ‘happy hut’ type of tent to sleep in at night. There are a variety of tents and huts available for purchase. Looks for one made of long last material such as fleece, with the hanging attachments made of something similiar to plastic chain link. Otherwise the attachments that hold the hut to the cage can be easily chewed through by a bored bird. Other snuggle materials can include fleece swings, large cotton rope toy for the bird to snuggle, and other like materials.

Foraging system- Foraging is an important part of your birds wild, natural behavior. While we highly encourage a foraging model feeding system, because this theory and research is still relatively new and maintstream, we are categorizing a foraging system as an ‘accessory’ rather then an immediatly required part of your birds environment. Creative Foraging Systems is a new company that has a fantastic line of feeders and toys that are perfect for caiques. Allowing your bird to work for their food lets them re-create natural behavior that can potentially curb future behavioral issues. You have many options and choices when it comes to foraging, but we most highly recommend a foraging system as a main feeder, and an accessory like the ever popular Crazy Maze as a supplimental item.

In Conclusion

This is just a sampling of items that can be purchased for your bird, and come highly recommended by owners. Look for other articles that include indepth product reviews, food recommendations, playgym accomodations, and much more.

Rescue VS Purchase VS Adoption

For some time now, there has been a debate going on about the true meaning behind these three common terms that we hear so often. “I rescued Fido from a pet store” is the general statement that leaves people shrugging their shoulders and asking, “come again?”. You hear the terms rescue, adoption, and purchase, used almost interchangeably these days. What do they really mean?

Rescue is defined as “to free or deliver from confinement, violence, danger, or evil.”  The term ‘rescue’ means to save a bird or other animal, from dire conditions that were hazardous to the animal and/or life threatening. Case in point:, Molly, from Parrot Hope Sanctuary. “Molly is a seven year-old green winged macaw. She was left behind in deplorable conditions, a mobile home that had been repossessed that the owners decided to trash on the way out, as they left their parrot behind. Molly went countless days with absolutely no food and water. Neighbors, who could hear Molly screaming, were unsure what to do to help. Finally, they made contact with Parrot Hope Sanctuary, who worked with local authorities to help rescue Molly. Molly was suffering from starvation and kidney failure due to malnutrition.”

Adoption is defined as “To take into one’s family through legal means and raise as one’s own child.” (substitute child for ‘bird’). When speaking of’ adopting a parrot, this normally refers to going through a rescue organization, choosing a bird, going through the necessary procedures, and filling out legal documents transferring the ownership of the bird from the organization to you. Adoption can also refer to the rehoming of a parrot via a private party. Adoptions normally include an ‘adoption fee’, which is a small fee that covers any medical treatment the bird has received while in temporary care, or reimbursement for food items and/or enrichment. The adoption fee should never exceed the original cost of the bird as a weaned baby. If one pays the ‘full price’ for an older parrot, this is to be considered as the ‘reselling’ of the animal, which is generally frowned upon.

Purchase is referred to when someone pays retail price for an animal from a pet store, or private individual (such as a breeder). When someone comments that they have “rescued” an animal from a pet store- it normally translates into what the animal lover community calls a pity buy. A pity buy is when a human sees an animal in conditions they deem as ‘unfit’ in a retail setting, and to take the animal away from those conditions, they purchase the animal. There can be legitimate cases of rescue from a store, but normally such actions are classified as adoption or purchase.
So the next time you hear someone say they ‘adopted Fluffy”, ask what that really means. If you are dealing with a behavioral problem, this can be crucial. Adoptions, purchases, and rescues all come from vastly different backgrounds, and pinning down the source of the birds previous living arrangements can help unlock any behavioral (or otherwise) difficulty the owner is encountering. And, as always, educate. Encourage people to use the proper terminology when referring to their animals past history.

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