August Meeting: August 24th

Volume 27 Issue 8
August Meeting: August 24th
August 2010
Islands of the Vampire Birds
Cheep News
CONTRA COSTA AVIAN SOCIETY
AMAZING FINCH BEHAVIOURS
In May 1995 their dream came true
and Australian film-makers David
Parer, Elizabeth Parer-Cook and their
three year old daughter Zoe, returned to the Galapagos to make
several films including "Islands of the
Vampire Birds".
Over a two year period they spent 500 days in the field, 200 days of which
were spent on boats. Assisted by a guide David Day and an Ecuadorian assistant Segundo Guaman they travelled to many islands of the archipelago
including Darwin and Wolf to film the vampire finches.
Wolf Island is dominated by pounding waves, steep cliffs and tens of thousands of seabirds - a tiny speck of land 200km north of the main Galapagos Archipelago.
In 1964 an American Expedition landed there and scientists observed for
the first time the incredible blood sucking behaviour of the vampire finches,
something the Parers desperately wanted to film. Over their two year stay
in the Galapagos they visited Wolf many times. And what slowly unfolded
before their camera was a litany of feeding techniques and survival strategies that were extraordinary in the extreme.
For most of the year the climate on Wolf Island is tinder dry and the seeds
that are produced in the brief periods of rain are quickly eaten
Con’t on p. 10
Next Board Meeting: August 18, 7:00 p.m.
Mimi’s, 1631 Willow Pass Road, Concord
INSIDE
THIS ISSUE:
Join us at out next club meeting
Amazing Finch Behaviours
1
August 24
August Meeting
2
3:00-6:30 pm
Vets
3
Buchanan Field
Club Contact Information
3
Enrichment Tip
5
Return to Cage
12
161 John Glenn Drive
Concord, CA
See page 2
Page 2
C HE EP N E W S
Avian News, Clubs and Upcoming Events
CLUBS
American Federation of Aviculture
PO Box 91717, Austin, TX 78709-1717
Ph 512-585-9800, Fx 512-858-7029
Your source for pending legislation affecting our birds.
www.afabirds.org/legislation
Shop AFA's Online Store for CITES pins,
T-shirts, key chains and more. Great
gift ideas for bird lovers!
www.afabirds.org/AFA_Store/index
Reminder: Check the AFA Classifieds
www.afabirds.org/classifieds
EVENTS
The Magic of Birds
36th Annual AFA Convention,
August 4-7, 2010 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Contact Jamie Whittaker, bjwbird1@earthlink.net or at www.afabirds.org.
UPCOMING BIRD MARTS
August 15, Nor Cal Exotic Bird Expo
Pleasanton, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
August 22, Foothill Bird Fanciers Annual
Exotic Bird Mart, Placer County
Fairgrounds, 9:00 am-3:00 pm
We gratefully acknowledge the
following individuals and/or
businesses for their various
sponsorships and support:
Bird Talk Magazine
Gary Bogue
Bird Paradise
Websites for more information:
www.ncabird.com &
www.sanjosebirdmart.com
Vets Treating Birds
Laura Becker, DVM
Evelyn Ivey, DVM
Four Corners Veterinarian Hospital
1126 Meadow Lane
Concord, CA 94520
925-685-0512
Julia Cummings, DVM
Mona Miller, DVM
Four Seasons Animal Hospital
3210 Old Tunnel Road
Lafayette, CA 94549
925-938-7700
Certified Avian Vets
Ruth Adams, DVM
Leslie Garrow, DVM
VCA Cottage Animal Hospital
1590 Boulevard Way
Walnut Creek, CA 94595
925-935-9080
Cynthia Lynn, DVM
Montclair Veterinarian Hospital
1961 Mountain Blvd.
Oakland, CA 94611
510-339-8600
Deborah N. Aparicio, DVM
Clayton Valley Pet Hospital
4801 Clayton Road
Concord, CA
925-689-4600
Club Officers
Board Members
President:
Vice President:
Treasurer:
Secretary:
Membership:
Editor:
Raffle:
Website:
Classifieds:
Hostess:
Refreshments:
AFA Delegates:
Publicity:
V O L U M E 27 IS S U E 8
Gail Byrnes
George Boscoe
Bill Ratto
Marydell Sarginson
Peggy Chaloner
Barbara Dwyer
Denise Trevor
E-mail
Dals4me@hotmail.com
Fleetwood7@comcast.net
Bill@rattolandscaping.com
jaideis@yahoo.com
fidmom@foreverparrot.com
SeeSpotStay@pacbell.net
10_pin_trevors@prodigy.net
Cindy Hadden
CindyHadden@comcast.net
Sherry Helms
SHelms@comcast.net
Marydell Sarginson
Bill & Linda Ratto
Carol Stanley & Debby Kirshen
Brian Speer, DVM,
DIP ABVP, ECAMS
Geoffrey Olsen, DVM
Brenna Fitzgerald, DVM
Medical Center for Birds
3805 Main, Oakley, CA 94561
925-625-1878
Lynn Dustin, VMD, ABVP
Leila Marcucci, DVM
Bay Area Bird Hospital
2145 Taraval Street
San Francisco, CA 94116
415-566-4359
Shann Ikezawa, DVM
Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center
2000 Bishop Ranch, San Ramon
webwebvets.com
Phone
510.682.4630
925.258.4488
925.676.6823
925.788.8852
925.676-5506
925.672-3980
925.634.7459
925.673.3980
925.373.0137
Page 3
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Socialized hand-fed parrots,
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Large selection of cages including flight
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Email: fenixcrocks@aol.com
PO Box 639
Oakley, CA 94561
925-625-9704
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Page 4
2020 National Ave., Hayward, CA 94545-1712
510-784-1111
C HE EP N E W S
Enrichment Tip
of the Month
By, Kris Porter
www.ParrotEnrichment.com
Jerry was sharing part of his dinner with Buddy one evening. He gave him what I thought was a
rather large piece of pork chop and I cautioned him that was too much for a parrot to have at one
time. Jerry said he wouldn’t eat all of it anyway. As we debated the issue of how large a serving of a
single item one should give a parrot; Jerry remarked, “What do you think a bird in an apple tree
does? Eat all the apples on the tree?”
That got me to thinking. What does a bird in an apple tree, a berry bush, a strawberry patch, or a
corn field do? They forage of course. But they don’t have to unhook a plastic device or figure out
how to slide a lever aside to open a chute that spits out a peanut. They fly to an area that has food
and they forage in trees or on the ground eating food that they find that is often in plain sight.
With those thoughts in mind, I’ve started arranging opportune foraging areas in parts of the house. I
may place a bowl of nuts I’m sorting on the ledge in the kitchen one day. Or put a container of colorful pasta in an open jar on the counter. I will leave a bowl of foot toys and nuts out on an end table.
I rotate these items so they are left out at random and not always in the same location. In this way,
when the parrots have out of cage time, they are exposed to a variety of foraging opportunities.
About CCAS, founded by Laurellal Desborough and Sybil Gunderson in 1983
The Contra Costa Avian Society, an
all-volunteer club, publishes
CHEEP NEWS 11 times per year. Reprints only with permission by the author of the article. Articles & ads do not
necessarily represent the opinions or
recommendations of the members of
the club, and CCAS assumes no legal
responsibility of content.
CCAS is affiliated with the American
Federation of Aviculture, P.O. Box
91717, Austin, TX 78709-1717.
PH 512-585-9800
FAX 512-858-7029
V OL U M E 2 7 I S S U E 8
Yearly Membership dues are $24 for
individual and $30 for a family. Mail
dues to CCAS, P.O. Box 23115, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523-0115.
Club Meetings: 7:30 pm on the LAST
Friday of every month with a few exceptions. November and December
meetings are combined and held in
early December. Meeting Location:
Contra Costa Water District Building,
1331 Concord Ave., Concord, CA 94524
unless otherwise posted.
Directions: Exit 680 at Concord Ave.
and head east. The water district building is the north side of the street. It is
a gray building that sets slightly back
off the street.
Board Meetings: Third Wednesday of
the month, 7:00 pm unless otherwise
posted. Any member can attend. Look
for the location on page 1 of the newsletter or contact a board member for
the meeting location.
Classified ads are free to members.
Non-members classified ads are $5 for
30 words or less. For information contact, Sherry Helms, (925)373-0137 or
shelms@comcast.net.
Page 5
THE MAGICIAN & THE PARROT
There was once a magician on a cruise ship who
performed mainly sleight of hand tricks. He had
a regular spot on the ship's cabaret evening entertainment. He was actually quite a good magician, but his routines were regularly ruined by
the onboard parrot who would fly around
squawking out and giving away his secrets like:
"IT'S UP HIS SLEEVE, IT'S UP HIS SLEEVE!"
or
"IT'S IN HIS POCKET, IT'S IN HIS POCKET!"
or
"IT'S IN HIS MOUTH, IT'S IN HIS MOUTH!"
The magician was getting pretty sick of this and
threatened to kill the parrot if it ruined his act
one more time. That evening right at the climax
of his act, just as he was about to disappear in a
puff of smoke, the ship hit an iceberg and sank
in seconds.
Amazingly, the magician and the parrot were
the only two survivors. The magician was lying
on a piece of driftwood in a daze. As he opened
his eyes he could see the parrot staring at him
out of its beady little eye.
The parrot sat there for hours just staring at him
and eventually said, "OK, I give up, what did
you do with the ship?"
Return to cage, from p. 12
that a step-up doesn’t necessarily interrupt whatever they were doing before. If they get to step right back off, it costs them nothing
and they even get a treat. Only rarely does “step up” equal going
inside the cage.
2) Have them go inside and then let them come back out a few seconds later. This teaches them that going inside doesn’t mean that
the fun ends right away. Neither does going in the cage mean that
I’m leaving. I think a lot of birds don’t like going inside because they
know it means their person is leaving them for the next few hours,
so I make sure they get a bit of inside the cage time when I’m sitting right there next to them, still paying attention to them. That
way inside-time doesn’t equal me being gone or them not getting
any attention.
3) Put a very special treat inside their cage that they ONLY get
when it’s time to go inside. Sometimes they can come back out
when they’re done, but they only get to eat it inside their cage. Nutriberries work like magic in our house. In fact, 99% of the time, I
put the treat in their cage and they run inside by themselves. I don’t
even have to put them inside; I only have to close the door behind
them. Being inside the cage might not be the best thing ever, but
neither is it a terrible thing since they get to associate it with a very
special treat.
Magic ———->
The important thing, as far as my approach, is that they get to
choose to go inside. Having the choice makes it much more palatable for them. Also, I make sure that for them doing what I
want isn’t always followed by something not nice. Otherwise I know
they’d stop cooperating. (Think about it this way: if every time your
boss said “can you come in here?” you got yelled at, wouldn’t you
be much more reluctant to go over there? But if going into his office
usually meant something nice, you’d be much more eager, right?)
FWIW, they didn’t start off being this cooperative. It took some
training, so don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t work right away. You
might also want to try target training to help the process along.
A bird in the hand is a certainty.
But a bird in the bush may sing.
Bret Harte
Page 6
C HE EP N E W S
CCAS Members ask for 10% discount
Password: giraffe
(310) 740-7855 www.estarbird.com
CLASSIFIEDS
Congo African Grey, Goffins, Moluccan and Umbrella Cockatoos, Lilac Crown Amazon and a Greenwing Macaw. All free
flight birds. Free to companion home with experienced bird
handlers only. Contact Joe Brown 510-913-2875.
Get A Grip Cargo net from Star Bird, 4’x6’, in original package, $100. Small Cages to Go wire cage, top opening,
13”x11”x14,” $30.
Call Linda at 925-687-6199
Double Macaw cage, powder-coated, removable divider, ready
to use with breeder next boxes, $325. See
www.aveyincubator.com/merchant2/graphics/00000001/
DSCNNN0625001.jpg. “L” shaped African grey next boxes,
ASB plastic (2), $45/each. See www.eaglecreekexotics.com/
photosanddesigns. Lg stacking 3-tiered breeder cages, white
wire, suitable for cockatiels or smaller birds, with rolling cart,
$70. Wooden cockatiel nest box, used once, $7. Contact:
Cindy Hadden, 925-787-3086 or cindyhadden@comcast.net.
Pacific parrotlets, green female, blue male. Nice pair. Will
only sell as pair to loving home, $100 (reduced). Christine or
Paul at 925-634-5842
VO L U M E 27 IS SU E 8
Mickaboo Rescue. For birds currently available go to
www.RescueReport.org. Homes urgently needed for this little
guy and others like him.
Plumheads for Sale. Six female (surgically sexed by Scott
McDonald) Plumheads from 2009 and 2008 that I had held
back as breeding stock. They are parent raised and all in excellent health and feather. Price is $250 each. Available to club
members who are experienced aviculturists first. These birds
are not tame. If any one who is coming next weekend would
like to purchase Plumheads, please let me know in advance so
I will be sure not to sell them. Contact Michele at aviculture@me.com or George Boscoe.
Feathered Nest Aviary babies are socialized and fully fledged,
raised in walk-in outdoor aviaries with other birds, fed variety
of good veggies and fruits, quality seeds & pellets. The following are weaned or weaning soon: Congo African Greys;
red-sided Solomon Island & Aru Island Eclectus; white-bellied
Caique, Timneh African grey, Swainson’s rainbow lories; yellow streak Lory, greenwing Macaws, blue & gold Macaws. The
following hatched or hatching soon: Hyacinth Macaws, golden
Conures (CA only) & greater Vasa parrots. We provide 1-year
guarantee against congenital defects, care booklet, and discount 1st visit to Dr. Speer. Contact Carol : 925-698-0191 or
e-mail to headbirdbrain@feathered-nest.com.
Page 7
Medical
Center for Birds
3805 Main Street
Oakley, CA 94581
(925)625-1878
http://www.medicalcenterforbirds.com
10 % Discount for CCAS Members with Card
www.concordfeed.com
925-825-9530
CCAS Members ask for 10% Discount
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Page 8
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V OL U M E 2 7 I S S U E 8
Page 9
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Finches, from p. 1
by the finches. So to survive the long dry spells the finches turn to the seabirds for sustenance.
In the breeding season when the masked boobies lay their eggs, the finches sneak up behind them and sip the lubricating fluids from around the egg as it emerges from their cloaca - a food rich in protein.
Inexperienced boobies often lay their eggs out of the nest area and the finches quickly move it beyond the mother's
reach. Young finches try and break the shell, but their small beaks are not strong enough to do so.
But certain adult males are experts at rolling eggs. They
use their beak as a pivot against the ground and push
the egg with their legs to roll it over the uneven floor of
the colony. After negotiating many dead ends, they maneuver the egg to the edge of a rock ledge. A final
shove pushes it over the edge and it falls and breaks
open releasing the contents.
Later when eggs hatch and the booby chicks appear,
the finches pull out their downy quills and eat them - a
rich source of fat.
But perhaps their most important source of food during
the extended droughts is blood. The finches begin by
landing on the tail of a seabird. They peck at the base
of it's wing feathers breaking the skin and causing it to
bleed. As the blood oozes out the finches sip it every
few seconds. Other finches line up behind the booby like
a queue at a blood bank and as soon as one leaves it's
blood-sucking perch another takes its place. It looks
gruesome but doesn't appear to do any long term harm
to the boobies.
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How to Get a Parrot
to Go Back Inside His Cage
By, Liz Wilson
www.bestinflock.wordpress.com
I frequently see people struggling with getting their bird
back in its cage. I adapted one of my recent BirdBoard
responses into a blog post.
How do you get your bird to go in its cage? My
parrot always puts up a fuss and runs/flies away
when it’s time for him to go back in.
Look at the situation from your bird’s point of view. You
really have to make it worth it to them if you want them
to go inside without a fuss. Imagine it was you being
locked up… wouldn’t you fight to stay out if being inside
your cage meant no more attention, no more playtime,
no more fun?
A quick digression: The most important thing you need to
do (regardless of whether you have trouble getting your
bird to go back inside) is to make sure the cage is a fun
and safe place.
The cage is your parrot’s home and probably where he
spends a good part of his day — it should go without
saying that your pet parrot should have as much out-ofcage time as possible (at least a few hours a day), but
inside the cage is the safest place for him when he can’t
be supervised (when you’re at work) or it’s not safe for
him to be out (for example, when you’re cooking). In
addition to food and fresh water, the cage should have
plenty of space to move around in, plus a variety of toys,
perches and enrichment activities.
Your bird’s cage should be situated near where the family
activity is, but in a location where he can feel safe (e.g.,
against a wall, not directly in front of a window). Being
inside the cage should never feel like punishment.
But even if your parrot’s cage is the birdie equivalent of
Disneyland, being outside — with YOU — is still going to
be much more appealing to most pet birds.
So, there are a couple things I do to insure I don’t have
to fight with my birds to get them to go inside:
1) Reinforce random step-ups. I give them a treat for
stepping up and then put them back down. I do this
repeatedly throughout the day. The purpose is to
pair step-ups with treats (reward) and show them
(con’t on p.6)
Page 12
C H E E P NE W S
Contra Costa Avian Society
CCAS
P.O. Box 23115
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523-0115
President, Gail Byrnes
Phone: 510-682-4630
E-mail: dals4me@hotmail.com
Propagation through
Education & Conservation
Since 1983
Soar with us on the internet!
www.contracostaaviansociety.org
MYTH: QUICK-FIX PUNISHMENTS ARE EFFECTIVE WAYS TO STOP PROBLEM BEHAVIORS. While quick-fixes may
momentarily distract a bird from negative behavior it will not teach the parrot anything that will change the
behavior on a long-term basis. Working patiently and consistently with the underlying causes is the only way
to change negative behaviors.