Winged Things Dec. PAGES 4.3 2

Volume 2, Number 2 ,
December 2013
WINGED THINGS
About Our
Companion Birds
For New Mexico - and Everywhere Else!
with
Gleanings from all
sources about birds
indoors and out and
other winged things
It is important that you
understand the RULESThere are only TWO:
1. If you like this, PLEASE pass it on.
Winged Things has almost 600+ Subscribers! I Want More! So PLEASE
Tell Your Friends!!
2.
If you want to get this again,
email me with “subscribe” in the
subject line (IF YOU’VE ALREADY
DONE THIS, NO NEED TO DO IT
AGAIN).
With
kwingrove@centurylink.net
EBCravens
Kashmir Csaky
JAVMA News
California Flocks
Crows the Key to Understanding
Book Review
Articles about Parrots in the Wild
and in our Homes - To help Us Make
Them Happier [1]
and about other birds, too...
.
In This Issue
1 From MY Messy Desk........................................................................................................3
2, New Baby Contest...............................................................................................................4
3 EB Cravens:Trust Your Parrot’s Good Sense..........................................................5
4 Kashmir Csaky: Make a Clingy Cockatoo More Independent.......................9
6 Salvatore Angius: The Foods of California’s Wild Parrots..............................13
7 .R Scott Nolan: JAVMA News........................................................................................17
8. Worldcrunch: The Parakeets of. Dusseldorf.........................................................21
9. Annalee Newitz- Io9: Crows Could Be The Key.................................................23
10 Snowy Owl Invasion.........................................................................................................28
12 Book Review: The Unfeathered Bird........................................................................29
13.Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count...................................................................30
14 Begging Baby Bird.............................................................................................................32
15.World Parrot Trust............................................................................................................33
16 The Feeder Station: Top Off Your Crop! Interesting Things to See.......35
Winged Things is Now Archived!
To find any issue of Winged Things, go to
avalonaviary.com/wingedthings/yrmonwingedthings.pdf
So, the first issue (November 2012) is found at
avalonaviary.com/wingedthings/12novwingedthings.pdf
You might also visit avalonaviary.com and see Susanne’s site
THANK YOU, SUSANNE COCHRAN !
(Give her a couple of days to get the current issue up...)
[2]
From My Messy Desk - Karen, a bird owner, that’s all
Do you remember Mingus? The dear little
cherry-headed conure from “The Wild
Birds of Telegraph Hill” that went to live at
the Oasis in Arizona? Mingus died last
week and Jean Gauthier and another caretaker at the Oasis were with him when he
passed. They’ve notified Mark Bittner and
Judy Irving and I’m sure that they’re sad
- but they should know that Mingus’ life
was full and happy at the Oasis.
Merry Christmas, all. I’m fighting a miserable backache BUT I’m going to Arizona
on January 13 to get fixed! Please keep
your fingers crossed for me, because
there’s a lot going on in this old backbone.
It’s hard for me to think and plan and do
when I hurt, can’t walk, can’t MOTIVATE!
affect you. Please read. Please pay
attention. The Animal Rights people are so
organized and they’ve gathered such a war
chest and we are so far behind - I’m
frightened for the future of our birds.
In the meantime, it’s time to bake birdie
cookies, make birdie toys, hang birdie
stockings and rearrange birdie play areas
for more fun for our kids. And it’s time for
bells! Every bird needs a Christmas bell!
Just make certain that it’s not a jingle
bell..no caught toesies this year!
The past year has been a bad - and good
one for me. The people I’ve met doing
“Winged Things” have become part of
friendships that I’ll treasure forever. I
plan on doing this as long as I can and I
hope to find someone to take over when I
say “enough!” Who knows when that will
be. I still miss my Odo. I will forever.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.
I’m so grateful that my son and his wife
live in Albuquerque, too - It didn’t have to
work out like this, but it did and I can’t
tell you how pleased I am. They are such
NICE people and I love them.
There’s going to be a lot going on in the
parrot world in the next few years, and I
hope you’ll all be willing to participate in
protecting our right to keep and have
birds, especially macaws - and in fighting
the legislation and changes backed by the
AR folks who want to take those rights
away from us. If you can’t get directly
involved, PLEASE keep up to date on what’s
happening and PLEASE contact your
representatives at the state and federal
levels about your wishes. IF WE DON’T DO
SOMETHING, your parrots will eventually
be taken from you. That’s what the AR
people want, and don’t kid yourself about
it.
I’m going to be publishing specific
information about proposed legislation on
the state and federal levels that will
My furnace has stopped working. It’s two
years old, the company was out to check it
a month ago and gave it a clean bill of
health and in the middle of the coldest
early December on record it decides to
quit. Damn. It’s my fingers, mostly. The kids
have a space heater in their room, so
they’re toasty...but my fingers are cold. It’s
50 degrees in here, but still...
Have a wonderful Christmas and Chanukah
and Solstice and keep safe for the New
Year.
After Christmas: This is a short issue. I
find that I have trouble sitting down for
extended periods...I can’t walk when I
stand up. Darned Parkinson’s. I need to
exercise and exercise after I get my back
fixed. More about parrots next month, I
promise.
[3]
MISS PARROT CONFIDENTIAL?
Watch it Here:
http://video.pbs.org/video/2365119731/
If you haven’t seen this program, WATCH IT NOW. You can be sure the AR people have.
Important Video from CB Buckley:
Indoor Training for a Baby Conure including Flight Recall:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmaqOeheQBA&feature=youtu.be
Please watch. CB sent along this disclaimer, too:
Note: The baby still had blood feathers, so we didn’t practice putting on the flight suit as much
as I had planned before going cycling. Given his lack of experience when we took the video, we
didn’t have time to ease him properly into the suit, but we wanted to document it. While not too
calm putting it on, obviously, there was no stress when wearing it.
This has been called North America’s prettiest bird.
It’s time to brush up on simply beautiful softbills.: Name this bird!
Common name, and Genus, species, range. A prize for the first correct answer.
IUCN Status in
the wild: Near
Threatened
because of illegal
capture for aviary
birds.
To hear the song of this
bird, go here http://macaulaylibrary.org/
audio/105417
Although not
stated, I’ll bet
that habitat
destruction is
involved, too.
Our own birds are
becoming endangered,
too...
[4]
EB Cravens
Bird Keeping Naturally
Trust Your Parrot’s Good Sense
There tend to be a lot of discussions these
days about the ‘rights or wrongs’ of
raising, then domesticating wild exotic
animals—psittacines being a prime example
of such “critters” that were formerly living
in jungles and savannahs around the world,
but now are housed and reproduced
everywhere in captivity.
themselves. And for every calm, welltamed pet psittacine, one can usually go to
the other end of the spectrum and find an
example of a Chattering Lory, Mitred
Conure, Port Lincoln or Hawkheaded Parrot
that daily displays all the characteristics
of incorrigibility, self-importance, and acute
resistance to most fashions of human
domestication. ‘Nuff said!
All moral questions aside about whether or
not any kinds of birds should continually
be kept in cages, the deeper issues surrounding this ‘domestication’ experiment
touch on whether 80 years more or less of
captive breeding efforts have, in fact,
significantly succeeded in taming our wild
hookbill friends.
Personally I think not…and I even have a
number of lingering mandible–induced
scars to illustrate my point. I guess
breeder-psittacine nest-tending and casual
human petting do not mix very well!
Oh, there are loads of tame and trained
cockatiels and budgerigars—not so many
lovebirds I deem—who exhibit all the
indications of being truly domesticated. But
much of this relates directly to the way
they are housed, fed and handled
(extruded pellets, ‘step up,’ and wing
clipping anyone?) and not always to the
innate instinctive natures of the parrots
That understood, I must admit I have
spent decades trying to bring out the
natural activities and true, savvy inborn
behaviors of all of my psittacines. Free
flight, natural foraging, species’
vocalisations, defensive awareness, flock
social norms, mating knowledge are all
more important to me than the meek,
[5]
endearing pet bird attributes so loved by
certain other birdkeepers. Different
strokes for different folks, you know…
It just seems to me that the optimal
captive bird is the one fully trained to
survive out in nature should it accidentally
escape or be forcefully released in the
face of an imminent deadly disaster like a
wildfire, flood, toxic spill, or tropical
storm. I have raised dozens of parrots that
had that unique capacity. I remember a
dangerous wildfire situation in Southern
California many years ago, when one
account mentioned a breeding facility that
tried desperately to release its beloved
flock before smoke inhalation killed them.
But opening aviary doors and even cutting
exits in the sides of cages would not
induce all the birds to leave their flights
and save themselves on the wing. That
does not qualify as domestication, of
course, but it does leave one thinking
about what really happens to the brains
of psittacines kept in the same enclosures
year after year after year.
And so we come to the crux of this little
narrative: “Do not be afraid to trust your
parrot’s good sense.”
After more than 30 years of raising and
training hookbills, I have come to the
conclusion that most birds are quite easily
more intelligent than humans give them credit
for. With some heavily-imprinted exceptions,
even the tiniest of species often have the
innate wisdom to know male gender from
female, seek out water in a new container,
choose the nutritive foods that their bodies
most need (including clay and grit sources),
and take flight to avoid a hazardous situation
they have never even seen before. The more
worldly, aged, and experienced a psittacine is,
the more savvy he or she will bring to daily
decision-making, of course, and that is where
we owners and trainers have to assume much
responsibility.
Take, for example, the whole toxic plants
conundrum. I know keepers who are so
terrified of having their pets chew on
something toxic that they will literally refuse
to give fresh green branches and stems and
flowers to their birds. “There might be a wild
bird dropping or ants and aphids on the
leaves.”
When parrots are brought up around natural
and organic chewing material, they readily
develop a sense about what is good and what
is not so good. The only toxic ingestion stories
I have known occurred with either young
baby birds or cloistered, untrained birds that
were exposed to one of the wrong kinds of
plants, and being starved for any vitamin/
mineral/enzyme rich greenery, proceeded to
ingest same. I do not believe a mature,
knowledgeable psittacine that is given a great
variety of fresh green things to masticate
[6]
every day would choose to eat something
toxic. That does not mean I do not study up
and avoid plants that can contain harmful
substances, but it does mean I do not obsess
about the exact nature of weeds, wildflowers,
common
woods limbs
and such
that can be
given to
captive
birds. A
little bit of
leaf rust or
mildew on a
branch?
Rinse it and
pluck the worst leaves, yes; but there is no
need for bleach or removal of all the green
parts as I have known some persons to insist.
I have come to trust the long time amazon
parrots in my flock so thoroughly that I allow
them to teach me when it comes to certain
feedings. When a 40-year-old pair continually
refused to eat any of the large red kidney
beans in my soak and cook bean mix, I opted
to remove those beans from the breakfast
fare so that none of my parrots would be
able to eat them. After two or three times of
offering passionfruit vines and the exotic
flowers upon them to my birds, and never
having any of this material chewed to bits. I
assumed that passionfruit greenery was not
suitable for birds and stopped cutting and
giving it. The opposite was true with
Christmasberry, an introduced bushy tree
from Australia spoken of as toxic to humans.
My psittacines, even the wild-trapped ones of
former years, seemed to love it, so I gave it to
them, and have done so sporadically for more
than 25 years with no ill effects.
Some hobbyists I have spoken with are
actually appalled that I engage in free flight
by allowing my young fledgling psittacines
outside on the farm when I am working in the
yard. But does it not make sense that a young
parrot that continually flies to my shoulder
indoors when I walk by and responds by
coming when I hold out a hand and speak
“Up,” will do the exact same thing out of doors
in a safe un-peopled location? It may frighten
April a bit, but nevertheless, I see it as giving
my psittacines the benefit of the doubt and
relying upon their predictable good sense.
Frequently, they are the better for it.
There are so many areas in which our birds
instinctive perception can be trusted. When
breeder facilities place two parrots together
for reproduction, but they bicker and stay far
apart and compete at the food dish, it should
be obvious that the pair is not likely to form
[7]
an ideal pair bond; when a pet up for adopsample it!) we likely will be able to answer
tion gravitates to the shoulder of the women that question with an emphatic “No.”
who venture by, but hesitates to step up on
the men’s fingers, astute observers would note Mahalo, EB
that the bird should never be placed in a
home with a male primary caregiver. I even
allow most of my outdoor birds to choose
their own preferred sleeping site in a large
walk-in aviary. It may mean re-doing the roof
panels or adding perches along a corner wall,
but I trust the parrot knows what it is doing
when it chooses the safest, most likeable spot
to spend the night.
All such methods combine to make birdkeeping
so much easier and more enjoyable. All of us
realize and admit that parrots are smart—we
even like to boast about that to non-bird
owners. Yet, admitting our pets and breeder
birds are intelligent and trusting that innate
intelligence are two profoundly different
things. I feel it is important to ask ourselves:
“Are we over-protecting our parrots and
limiting what they can be?”
With a modicum of diligent study, a goodly
amount of surveillance, and a healthy dose of
everyday, commonsense carefulness (Don’t
leave that chocolate kiss or pelleted mouse
bait on the countertop where Polly could
[8]
Teaching a Clingy Cockatoo to be More
Independent
Kashmir Csaky
originally published in Parrots Magazine.............................................................................October 2013
and used with permission. Subscribe - there are more and more American writers.
www.parrotsmag.com
I have taken on my daughter's 3-year-old hand-reared cockatoo while she goes off the
university. The cockatoo is strongly bonded to her, but in her absence she will play with
me. The problem is she expects me to play with her all the time and will not play on her
own. She is also not interested in the fresh branches that I've offered her. How can I get
her to start acting like a parrot? I fear all the attention she has received from my daughter
has spoilt her.
The developmental period that begins during fledging and weaning and lasts about one
year, is a time of accelerated learning for birds. During this stage of life wild birds must
learn quickly in order to survive. It is throughout this crucial
period in a parrot’s life that most pet parrots go to their first
home.
When parrots are still juveniles they require a lot of hands-on
attention and instruction. They never ask for more attention
than they need. However, they can get too much direct
attention which will turn a bird into a very demanding pet that
refuses to play alone.
A young parrot will try to express her natural and normal
curiosity by exploring and playing with new things. The bird
wanders away to play with a toy, her own reflection or in
some other way explore her world. The owner feels left out
and after a moment or two of watching the parrot play by herself, picks up and cuddles
the bird.
Cockatoos appear angelic, pure, and sweet and their soft feathers make them very
huggable. People feel naturally compelled to cuddle with them for long periods of time.
Unfortunately, this discourages the cockatoo from exploring and teaches the bird to be
dependent and demanding. The young impressionable bird learns that the only safe place
to be is with the owner and loses confidence in her own ability to make choices.
[9]
The challenge facing you will be to empower your cockatoo with choices and to teach her
independence. Right now your bird has no idea how to make choices much less good
choices. Fortunately a three year old cockatoo is still very young and very trainable.
When teaching your bird to make choices begin by setting the parameters for the choices.
Offer her two different treats by hand and ask which treat she would like. For example,
“Would you like a banana or an apple?” Both choices are good choices. When she picks
one of the treats, name the item she picked and praise her for being a good bird. “That’s a
banana. You’re a good girl!” You can also do this with foot toys or you can allow her to
decide where she would like to perch on her playstand. She cannot make a mistake and
pick something objectionable, because you have only offered her acceptable options.
Initially make the choices easy for her. Let’s say she likes almonds and filberts but leaves
all her kale almost untouched in her food bowl. Initially offer her the choice of kale or an
almond then make the choices more difficult by gradually offering items that have equal
value for her such as an almond and a filbert. She will learn that she must give up one
thing in order to have the other. Of course there are times when you can let her have both.
At the end of a training session offer her a jackpot of her favorite treats. Making choices is
the first step in building confidence and independence.
Birds that are clingy need to be weaned
away from people a little bit at a time.
One way to do this is to provide your
bird with toys while she is on your lap,
by making what I jokingly call a” lap
dance “. The lap dance is a towel that
has loops and pockets sewn into it and
a long belt- like piece of fabric sewn in
the middle of the towel. Fill the pockets
with dried treats, paper, beads, and
pieces of wood and foot toys. Insert
Picture of “Wookie” the Hahn’s Macaw by Linda Bestwick
foot toys and suspend small hanging
toys from the loops. The lap dance allows a clingy bird to stay physically close to you, yet
encourages independent play and some foraging.
Foraging is a natural behavior for all animals that we tend to suppress in our pet parrots.
Most people provide their birds with a bowl of food, thus removing the need to forage or
work for food which is a time-consuming and an enriching activity. If your bird’s foraging
behavior has been suppressed, she will have to be encouraged to forage since this will
increase independent behavior.
[10]
Offer your cockatoo several different foraging toys and move them to different locations
daily. You can even make her work to get to food out of her bowl by placing a sheet of
paper over it that she will have to tear up to get to the food. Secure the paper with a zip
tie. At first you may have to put a big hole in the paper. As she becomes familiar with the
paper over her bowl, slowly reduce the size of the hole in the paper until you no longer
have to put a hole in the paper at all.
Many foraging toys require that she go through a series of steps before she has access
to treats and if she is not accustomed to foraging the steps may be too complicated for
her. She will not try or she will give up if it is too hard. Make it easy for her by placing
food in the toys so that all she has to do is pick up the food. Once she has learned that
the foraging toy is a place where she can find food, teach her the sequence of behaviors
to get to the food, backwards. If the last thing she has to do is pull on a knob to get to
the treat, work the treat through the toy so that pulling the knob and taking the treat out
is the first steps she learns. When she is skilled at that behavior, move on to the next to
the last step she must learn. Keep teaching the steps backwards until she has learned
the entire behavioral chain.
You can encourage foraging by providing
her with inexpensive homemade toys.
Cardboard tubes, plastic jars and bottles
can be filled with treats, paper, wooden
beads or anything that your bird enjoys.
Plastic bottles that contain items that
rattle around can entertain parrots for
hours as long as they eventually succeed
in getting the items out.
Prepare small foraging bundles while
your cockatoo observes you. Wrap nuts,
pellets, seeds, plastic beads and pieces of
wood in paper. Use papers of different types, textures and colors and even edible leaves.
Then offer them to her by hand. Once she has learned that they contain something edible
or fun you are ready for the next step. Make many foraging bundles —this is something
that you can do while watching television. Take an old sheet folded into a small rectangle,
place it on the floor and toss a few bundles on it, then let her forage through them. As
she becomes accustomed to the sheet, spread the sheet out a little at a time or else she
may be afraid of something big and unfamiliar covering the floor. Then toss numerous
bundles that you have prepared on the sheet. Make sure to include some bundles that
[11]
contain nothing in them, so that she will have to search for the ones that have her favorite
items. When she is done, the mess is contained on the sheet.
When you will be away for several hours place the foraging bundles inside the sheet and
set it beside the door. When you return home greet her, then spread the sheet out on the
floor and allow her to forage through the bundles. She will be busy and happy and she
will not demand your undivided attention.
Indirect attention can be as satisfying for your cockatoo as direction and you can interact
with her from a distance by providing her with indirect attention. If she can talk, teach her
to talk on cue. Parrots communicate with each other in the wild, so teaching a parrot to
talk on cue is not particularly difficult. Wait for her to say something then repeat it to her. If
she repeats it or even says another word, praise her and repeat the word. The point is to
get her to respond to vocal cues by talking, not by screaming. You can be the one initiate
the exchange by saying her name and then one of the words she knows. It is important to
say her name first. This not only gets her attention, it lets her know that you are talking to
her. You don’t want her to think that every time you speak, she is to respond vocally. That
could create a real problem.
If she has not learned to talk, then just wait for her to make a
pleasing sound. Repeat the sound and praise her for making
any pleasant sound back to you. In time, the sounds she
makes will remotely resemble a word or have the same
cadence as a phrase that you use often. Assume that she is
trying to say that word or phrase, tell her she is good and
repeat what you think she might be trying to say. Soon she will
be talking. Her speech will become clearer with practice if you
reinforce clear speech with an abundance of praise. Avoid
offering her treats for talking, since this behavior is one that
should be reinforced from a distance. If she begins screaming do not ignore the
screaming, ask her to say one of the words she knows or a pleasing sound she makes
and replace the screaming with a desirable vocalization.
If she is not taught independence you will spend a lot of time catering to the demands of
an unhappy cockatoo. Training may take time and work however, she will become
independent and rely less on your attention and you will both be happier. When your
daughter returns it is important that she plays with her cockatoo and shows her affection.
Though, she must also encourage the independent behavior that you have taught the
bird.
[12]
Diverse Foods of California’s naturalized Parrots
A look at the varied diets which have enabled California’s parrots
to successfully thrive for many decades.
By Salvatore Angius
August 16, 2013
Visit http://www.californiaflocks.org/our-project/
While documenting and monitoring the diverse naturalized parrot flocks throughout
California, parrot flocks were encountered in many cities ranging from southern San Diego
Co. to as far north as Sacramento and as east as Bakersfield, CA . As thirteen species of
established parrots were successfully located, I have documented these parrots behavior
including their interactions within their flock and with other wildlife, communicative calls:
(original and mimicked) , preferred nesting sites, human involvement , geographical
ranges, population numbers, noted hybrids, and extensive diets. While several of these
mentioned aspects helped enable the survival of these parrots, It is unarguably the
[13]
extensively varied diets which play the
key role in their successful survival.
It comes as no surprise that many
residential households have regularly
witnessed parrots thriving well in their
neighborhoods for decades. This is
undoubtedly due to the abundance of
imported landscaping trees which have
provided these parrots with the consistent
year-round diverse diets they need.
Having their fair share of options and
portions, these survivors have learned
what to eat and what to avoid. These
parrots can also recognize when a ripe
fruit is edible, or when a mature or
ripened seed pod becomes unedible, i.e.
Red-crowned Amazon drinking
Carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua). While
some have learned where to locate nontoxic morning dew from a utility line.
flowers rich in nectar and pollen, others have
also learned which plants to extract juices for hydration purposes. Furthermore a
few species have also been seen routinely consuming bark particles from selected trees.
It is important to note that many mentioned foods are not currently discussed in
aviculture. Therefore, the harvesting of these foods for a pet is strictly left at the owner’s
discretion. A few featured plants shown being consumed such as Avocado, and Giant
Bird of Paradise are currently listed as toxic foods for parrots under aviculture guidelines.
I discourage any feeding of these plants until further research is done to determine their
safety. For those who still choose to feed their pet parrots any of the other items, I
recommend washing any item thoroughly before offering it and to avoid harvesting from
the ground for possible pesticide poisoning. With the exception of the Silk Floss fruit
(Ceiba speciosa) fed on exclusively by Yellow Chevroned Parakeets, the vast majority of
the items are consumed by different parrot species and do not appear to be species
specific. These shared foods are consumed by many species both closely and distantly
related. As food is considered to be the universal language of mankind, this rule also
appears to apply to California’s parrots as well.
There is no doubt on anyone’s mind that the survival of these birds is sustained by the
varied food sources available. The fruit, nectar, flower buds, and sometimes bark, of
imported landscaping plants make up the bulk of their diets. The availability of most of
these seasonally consumed foods are not year around. The variety and concentration of
these imported plants make finding easier for these parrots. For this reason, our parrots
typically prefer urban settlements to our natural ecological areas. In these urban areas,
some species such as Indian Ringnecks, Nanday Conures and possibly Blue Crowned
[14]
Conures routinely frequent household bird feeders. While less common, there are also
accounts of Mitred Conures, Red Crowned, and Lilac Crowned Amazons who also
frequent birdfeeders in Southern California as well. With many food and vitamin sources
available, the diets of these parrots are anything but basic. We have documented and
photographed over sixty food items to date. A photo gallery link will soon be provided with
these foods and their referenced plant names on this site as well.
While we know that exotic and imported flora are the preferred diet choice among
California parrots, we also know that the origins of many consumed exotic plants such as
African Wild Plum (Harpephyllum Caffrum), or Cape Chestnut (Calodendrum capense)
are not found in their native ranges. So how did they learn what to eat? In their settler
days, this possibly may have originated with either a trial and error phase. This may have
also possibly have been
accomplished by following other
bird species such as Crows and
Band Tailed Pigeons which
currently share many food items
with these parrots. Today’s flock
members appear to have it much
e a s i e r. F r o m y o u n g a g e s ,
fledglings stay close to their flock
where various adults feed them.
This helps them associate a
tree’s appearance with food.
Later, a fledglings parents will
leave their own young for a few
hours in a specified, non-toxic
tree to better acquaint these
juveniles with foraging behavior
and its edible contents. While these curious fledglings chew on everything in sight, they
learn to familiarize themselves with what’s food and what’s not. While adult parrots may
rely on a flock’s loud communicating calls to help guide them to food, this may also
include recognizing the distinct calls of other parrot species which also share a majority of
the same seasonal diet.
Hydration methods are also unique among various parrot species in California. While
Indian Ringnecks and Nanday Conures may at times be observed at ground level taking
drinks from water basins, this behavior has never been witnessed among our state’s
larger Amazons nor Mitred Conures despite our triple digit hot summer temperatures.
Instead, these parrots have possibly adopted alternate methods for hydration. One
observed method of hydration involved by a Red Crowned amazon using lower beak to
accumulate and scoop morning dew from the top of a utility power line. Other flocks of
Amazons have been observed often repeatedly chewing various juice filled fruits and
palm fronds which they later discard after juices were extracted. Another occurrence
[15]
involved an Almond tree which was commonly frequented by three White Fronted
Amazons (Amazona Albifrons). After finding numerous discarded yet still intact
almonds at its base, I’ve witnessed that each almond had a similar punctured hole
created by the parrot’s beak. As these parrots routinely returned to this tree for nearly a
week to repeat this behavior, It is later believed that the consumed juice found in the
almond was the actual reason for these repeated arrivals
Hydration methods are also unique among various parrot species in California. While
Indian Ringnecks and Nanday Conures may at times be observed at ground level
taking drinks from water basins, this behavior has never been witnessed among our
state’s larger Amazons nor Mitred Conures despite our triple digit hot summer
temperatures. Instead, these parrots have possibly adopted alternate methods for
hydration. One observed method of hydration involved by a Red Crowned amazon
using lower beak to accumulate and scoop morning dew from the top of a utility power
line. Other flocks of Amazons have been observed often repeatedly chewing various
juice filled fruits and palm fronds which they later discard after juices were extracted.
Another occurrence involved an Almond tree which was commonly frequented by three
White Fronted Amazons (Amazona Albifrons). After finding numerous discarded yet still
intact almonds at its base, I’ve witnessed that each almond had a similar punctured
hole created by the parrot’s beak. As these parrots routinely returned to this tree for
nearly a week to repeat this behavior, It is later believed that the consumed juice found
in the almond was the actual reason for these repeated arrivals
[16]
September 15, 2013
Birds of a feather
Few in number, avian veterinarians are a dedicated lot
Story and photos by R. Scott Nolen
posted September 4, 2013
Stuart Blackman can’t imagine life without Rufus, his pet scarlet
macaw. “I grew up with Rufus. I don’t know what life would be like
without him, God forbid,” said Blackman of the spectacular red bird
he’s owned for nearly 31 years.
Rufus was Blackman’s first pet bird and is just one of his four exotic
avian companions, housed in separate expansive cages lining the
windows of Blackman’s Chicago loft. There’s Zoey, 24, a rosebreasted cockatoo; Gainsborough, 8, a hyacinth macaw; and
Quebe, 4, a Queen of Bavaria conure.
Over the years, Blackman has spent tens of thousands of dollars on
specially made cages, imported vitamins, feed, and veterinary care
for his birds, which he sees as his children. And like any good father,
Blackman is highly protective of his brood. “Birds are not for
everyone,” he stressed. “They require a lot of training on the owner’s
part. They are very smart and have sensitive feelings.”
Gainsborough, a hyacinth macaw, is
one of Stuart Blackman’s four pet
exotic birds. He considers the birds to
be his children, and spares no
expense to ensure their health and
well-being.“
The pet-owning public seems to share Blackman’s sentiment about
bird ownership. The AVMA’s 2012 U.S. Pet Ownership and
Demographic Sourcebook estimated the size of the nation’s pet bird
population to be 8.3 million animals at year end 2011—a 20.5
percent decline since 2006 when the previous study was published.
Approximately 3.7 million U.S. households owned a bird in 2011,
down from 4.5 million in 2006. Bird ownership has dropped nearly
46 percent over the past two decades, the survey found.
By comparison, the AVMA survey estimated the number of pet cats and dogs at year end 2011 to be 74
million and 69.9 million, respectively. Additionally, 36.5 percent of U.S households owned dogs and 30.4
percent owned cats.
[17]
Not surprisingly, the number of U.S. veterinary practices catering to bird owners is dwarfed by the
abundance of small animal clinics. Of the more than 14,000 practices listed in MyVeterinarian.com, 3,527
offer avian medical services, AVMA records show.
The Association of Avian Veterin-arians, established in 1980 for the purpose of educating small animal
practitioners in avian medicine, today has approximately 1,714 members, according to AAV Executive
Director Robert Groskin. Around 1,400 of them are practitioners, and of these, only about 10 percent are in
an exclusively or almost exclusively avian practice, while the remainder have an avian caseload of 30
percent or less.
“The majority of our members do not see birds exclusively. They have a mix of birds, exotic small
mammals and reptiles, and dogs and cats,” Dr. Groskin said.
The field of avian medicine has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. Safer anesthetics, a better
understanding of avian pharmacology, increasing availability of sophisticated diagnostic tests, and greater
insights into bird physiology have yielded important health care
advances.
“The AAV just had its annual conference, where one of the
sessions was surgery on the avian skull. That was unthinkable
two decades ago,” Dr. Groskin said.
“Everything we’ve learned on pet birds has benefited the avian population overall,” he added. “We have a
greater capacity to protect the health of the remaining birds of an endangered species.”
Bird doctors
Small in number, veterinarians who practice avian medicine are a different breed, motivated by a love of
the species and a passion for the bird’s unique medical needs.
Dr. Peter Sakas has practiced at Niles Animal Hospital and Bird Medical Center in suburban Chicago for
more than three decades. In 1985, two years after receiving his DVM degree from the University of Illinois,
Dr. Sakas bought the hospital from his mentor, Dr. T.J. Lafeber, a
leading authority on pet bird care and medicine at the time.
Having previously earned a master’s degree in parasitology, Dr.
Sakas enrolled in veterinary college with plans for a career in
research and academia. He spent his summer breaks working for
Dr. Lafeber, who ultimately steered him into avian medicine. Now,
Dr. Sakas is himself an authority on avian medicine. A frequent
lecturer for veterinary colleges and associations, he is author of
“Essentials of avian medicine: A guide for practitioners,” published
by the American Animal Hospital Association.
Dr. Sakas estimates pet birds account for more than 30 percent of
his hospital’s caseload, noting that many clients also own dogs,
cats, and varieties of exotic pets. He sees birds ranging from
Dr. Peter Sakas examines a patient
finches to macaws as well as wild birds, including raptors.
during a checkup. Unfortunately, far too
Cockatiels and parakeets are the most frequently seen patients,
few pet owners see the value of such
however.
routine preventive health care, according
to the Association of Avian Veterinarians.
[18]
He says a person chooses a bird as a pet for personal reasons ranging from the aesthetic (the colorful
plumage) to the practical (cats and dogs make them sneeze) to the desire for a loving pet. People
sometimes inherit birds that have outlived their owners. Dr. Sakas believes many pet owners are alike in
their willingness to do anything to care for an animal companion.
“We do some pretty involved surgeries,” Dr. Sakas said. “We remove the reproductive tract of birds that
have tumors or an egg that will not pass. Some people balk at the expense of such a surgery, but most
people say, ‘Do whatever you can to save my bird.’”
Dr. Anthony Pilny is one of two veterinarians board
certified in avian medicine on staff at The Center for
Avian and Exotic Medicine in New York City. Birds make
up more than half the practice’s caseload, Dr. Pilny said,
and range from finches and macaws to pigeons and other
wild birds.
The most common avian health problems Dr. Pilny sees
are related to reproduction. Obesity can also be an issue,
particularly for Amazon parrots, which are predisposed to
weight gain, he said. Pet birds typically live sedentary lives; they may be unable to fly as a result of
trimmed wings—a procedure The Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine offers but doesn’t recommend—
and owners don’t always understand their pet’s dietary needs. As a result, they become overweight.
“Obese birds can develop similar diseases to humans such as atherosclerosis, elevated triglyceride
levels, and heart disease,” he said.
Education
The most valuable service the avian practice offers, in addition to health care, is client education. “It’s
vitally important. It’s what we spend so much time doing,” Dr. Pilny explained. “We always educate
clients as to our recommendations on feeding, exercise, lighting, behavior, training, travel, boarding, and
so on.”
No welfare issue currently facing the pet bird community is more serious than pet relinquishment. “It’s a
huge problem. Birds have become one of the most surrendered pets,” Dr. Pilny acknowledged. “Because
most shelters don’t take them, they wind up in sanctuaries, of which more and more are popping up all
over. It’s very sad.”
Dr. Sakas agrees. “People buy these birds, and they don’t know their needs, and they don’t know how to
handle them,” he explained. “Maybe the bird’s a screamer, a feather picker, or aggressive. Owners get
frustrated, the relationship is not what they expected, and they just want to get rid of the bird. We see a
lot of unwanted birds, because people make poor choices. They don’t do the research beforehand to
learn what’s involved in caring for a particular variety of bird.
Birds are highly intelligent animals, and they get bored quickly. People who want them as an ornament
keep them in a cage because they’re beautiful. However, when they don’t interact with them, not meeting
the bird’s emotional needs, the bird will become frustrated and engage in unwanted behavior. Birds are
flock animals, and they need activity outside the cage.”
[19]
The endangered patient?
The avian patient is indeed a rare bird. According to the AVMA pet ownership and demographics survey,
12.4 percent of bird-owning households had at least one visit to the veterinarian in 2011, a decrease of
10.8 percent since 2006. Further, 6 percent of them had one visit, 2.4 percent had two visits, 1.2 percent
had three visits, 2.8 percent had four or more visits, and 87.6 percent had no visits to the veterinarian in
2011.
“Do birds see veterinarians enough?” Dr. Groskin of the AAV asked. “They don’t. Birds will benefit most
by routine annual health exams. As avian veterinarians, we are constantly improving our abilities to
provide better care for our patients. Having a regular conversation with our clients about their birds
benefits both the health of their pet as well as the relationship they have with their bird.” The AAV is
exploring options for raising awareness among bird owners about the importance of regular veterinary
visits similar to what the Partnership for Healthy Pets initiative is doing for cats and dogs.
Both Drs. Pilny and Sakas say their practices were largely unaffected by the recent recession. “We were
fine,” Dr. Pilny said, “mostly because we see sick or injured patients regardless of the economic climate.
Bird owners don’t tend to do a lot of wellness visits, and owners choosing to skip elective visits or
optional diagnostic testing doesn’t affect us, because our avian patients don’t need vaccines, heartworm
tests, or flea products.”
“We did see people tighten their belts,” Dr. Sakas said, “but our practice is diverse enough it didn’t hurt
us.”
Learn more about pet bird medicine by visiting the Association of Avian Veterinarians website.
[20]
The Parakeets Of Dusseldorf Ruffle
City Feathers
Reprinted with permission from Worldcrunch
www.worldcrunch.com
DUSSELDORF — The
air is ice cold without a hint of wind. As night falls over Düsseldorf, they come
flocking from all directions: thousands of ring-necked parakeets. They land on the plane trees
that line the luxury Königsallee shopping street. Men in expensive suits and women in fur coats
look up in amazement. A little girl tugs at her mother’s sleeve and says, “Mommy, they’re back.”
But not all Düsseldorf residents share the same sense of wonder at the exotic birds. Business
owners on the upscale shopping street have come together to demand that the city authorities
do something about the parakeets, which come every night from an area 25 kilometers wide to
roost in the trees on the Königsallee.
Karl-Heinz Eiffler, the group’s leader, claims that they have nothing against the birds themselves,
just their sheer numbers and the mess they leave behind. “In the morning, the street is covered
with their droppings,” he complains. “The Königsallee is a luxury shopping street. The birds
tarnish its image. If someone wearing a suit sits on a bench under the trees and gets a present
from above, he’s not going to be happy.”
Eiffler and his colleagues have told the city authorities about the problem and they have reacted
accordingly. Ten benches have been removed from the street. Now the bird droppings fall
directly onto the
pavement and
passersby are only in
danger as they walk
under the trees. Eiffler is
not impressed by this
solution. “In winter
nobody wants to sit
outside anyway. But
when it gets warmer
people will want to, and
then we’ll have the same
problem.”
Tobias Krause, head of
the city park authority,
shrugs his shoulders. He
says the benches are
being cleaned, and then
they’ll have to see about
what to do next. He has
[21]
no plans to do anything about the parakeets. They are simply there, and they have been there for
some time.
Twenty years ago a breeding pair was brought over from India to the Rhineland, although
nobody knows who brought them. “The birds are not on any kind of blacklist,” Krause says.
“Soon everyone will get used to them. Some people find it hard to accept anything new, but
nowadays no one knows that swans are not native to Germany, for example. They came from
Eastern Europe.”
A bad rap
Ring-necked parakeets have just as many natural predators as other birds, and they do not take
over breeding grounds, Krause emphasizes. They do not eat other birds and there have been no
instances of shoppers being attacked by parakeets. The reality is that the parakeets simply
perch in the trees, and the branches do not reach all the way across the street to the pavement
by the shops, so customers are not in danger from droppings.
Krause himself is bold in the face of danger. He stands under the plane trees and points to the
droppings on the pavement. “That’s from a jackdaw. And that’s from a crow.” It’s not as if the
parakeets alone are responsible for the mess on the street.
Above all, Krause feels sorry for the birds. “They can only just survive here. It’s really too cold.”
Every winter the population drops by many hundreds. Krause often finds birds with frozen feet.
“Even just a little further north it’s too cold. They’d have no chance of surviving in Berlin. They
can just about manage here in the Rhineland as it’s slightly warmer.”
In Bonn and Cologne there are a few thousand parakeets, but they roost in many different sites
across the cities. No one knows why all the parakeets in the Düsseldorf region have decided to
make their home on the Königsallee. “They like places where there is very little wind,” says
Krause. “But you can find sites like that all over the city. And the Königsallee is no warmer than
other places.”
Krause thinks the answer might be light. Unlike the city’s parks, the Königsallee is lit by
streetlamps at night. “There are lots of falcons here that hunt parakeets. If it’s not completely
dark, the parakeets can recognize the danger more quickly.”
The business owners on the Königsallee have caught wind of this possible explanation and
developed a plan to drive away the parakeets. Karl-Heinz Eiffler tells us that they’re planning to
switch off the streetlamps at night. It remains to be seen whether a blackout on the street will
spell the end for the parakeets of the Königsallee. Read the full article: The Parakeets Of Dusseldorf Ruffle City Feathers - All News Is Global
Worldcrunch - top stories from the world's best news sources
Follow us: @worldcrunch on Twitter | Worldcrunch on Facebook
[22]
Crows could be the key to
understanding alien intelligence
Crows are among the planet's most intelligent animals, teaching their young to use
tools for foraging and banding together to fight off intruders. Now, the first study of
how abstract reasoning works in these birds' brains could shed light on how
intelligence works in a truly alien, non-mammal brain.
We've studied brain structure pretty extensively in mammals from humans and apes
to whales and mice. But German neuroscientists Lena Veit and Andreas Nieder are
the first to watch what happens in crow brains as these birds worked their way
through a series of brain-teasers. They actually wired the crows' brains up with
electrodes, watching as individual neurons fired when the crows did a test that
required abstract reasoning. What Veit and Nieder found reveals a lot about what
intelligence looks like in a brain that's nothing like our own.
The Evolution of Intelligence
The crow, and some of its relatives in the corvid family (such as jays and magpies),
are among the only intelligent species we've encountered outside the world of
mammals. But their brains are utterly different from ours. The mammalian seat of
[23]
reason is in our prefrontal cortex, a thin layer of nerve-riddled tissue on the outside
of the front region of our brains. Birds have no prefrontal cortex (PFC). Instead, they
have the nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL), which is located toward the middle of
their brains. You can see the different regions in the image, below.
The thing that's really interesting about comparing bird and human intelligence is
that we did not evolve from a common, intelligent ancestor. Our last common
ancestor with birds lived during the Permian period, about 300 million years ago,
before the age of dinosaurs. It probably looked like a cross between a reptile and a
rodent, and was roughly the size of a big raccoon.
This ancestor's simple brain was ruled by instinct rather than higher-level cognition.
Still, lurking inside its rather small skull was a brain part called the pallium, which
over millions of years evolved into the PFC in mammals and the NCL in birds. That
makes mammal and bird intelligence an excellent example of parallel evolution —
both groups of animals developed intelligence independently of one another.
Despite all their differences, the PFC and NCL have a few features in common. Veit
and Nieder write in Nature Communications that both regions are involved in
"working memory, reversal learning and reward prediction." The areas also "share
important properties such as dense innervation by dopaminergic fibres and
connectivity patterns with multiple sensory input, limbic and motor output regions."
What that means is that the NCL and PFC are both packed with neurons, or nerve
cells, that respond to the crucial neurotransmitter dopamine. Its neurons are also
connected to the parts of the brain that handle memory, emotion, and body
movements. The PFC and NCL are brain command centers, synthesizing
information from a vast array of inputs and outputs.
[24]
Testing Crows' Ability to Reason
http://youtu.be/JY8-gP3Sw_8
Watch this fascinating video of a crow solving a complex task on the first try.
Given that the NCL is the seat of crow intelligence, the researchers decided to see
whether they could actually watch in real time as a crow figured out a puzzle. They
used crows that had been raised in captivity, and trained to do a test kind of like the
Sesame Street "which one doesn't belong?" quiz. The crows had to identify whether
two images were different or the same.
First, the researchers put electrodes over the crows' NCL, to watch each neuron
firing. Then they would present the crow with an image. Next, the crow would be
prompted to choose an image that matched or didn't match that image (they had
already been trained to do this with a sound or sign that either meant "match" or
"don't match"). Finally, the crow would be presented with two images and have to
choose the matching or not matching one.
This is a test that requires abstract reasoning, because the images change all the time
and the crows have to apply the abstract idea of "match" or "not match" to a variety
of inputs. In addition, this test reveals that the researchers defined intelligence as an
[25]
ability to do abstract reasoning. Obviously there are many ways to define
intelligence, and this is simply one way to do it.
What the researchers found was pretty amazing. They identified what they call
"abstract rule neurons" which governed which answer the crows would give.
Basically, the birds' brains assigned one rule (match) to one neuron, then the other
rule (don't match) to another neuron. When the crows correctly matched an image,
the match rule neuron would fire. When the crow gave an incorrect answer, or
became confused, the abstract rule neuron fired only very weakly.
Veit and Nieder concluded that this was strong evidence that crows' brains have
developed to handle abstract rules, which is why the birds are good at learning and
responding to a variety of situations in a flexible way. They note that "the ability to
guide behavior by general rules rather than by relying on fixed stimulus-response
associations constitutes a survival advantage." This is the same survival advantage
conferred on humans due to our intelligence. But our intelligence occupies a very
different structure in our brains.
Alien Intelligence on Earth
What this experiment suggests is that two dramatically different species might have
similar abstract reasoning abilities — even if their brains are completely unlike each
other. If we imagine that intelligence can only dwell in a mammal-like brain, we
may miss out on discovering smart life forms elsewhere. The crow brain may be the
first truly alien intelligence we've been able to study.
The crow brain may also help us better understand what's required to build an
artificial intelligence, too. We can look at what the crow and human brain share in
common, and speculate about what it might take to create an intelligence that
resides in a non-brain structure. As I mentioned earlier, both the PFC and NCL
contain many neurons connected to other parts of the brain, and they work a lot
with the neurotransmitter dopamine. These regions also appear to deal in abstract
rules.
Most of all, we can find hope in the idea that intelligence isn't just a quirk of one
type of brain. Many kinds of brains can become intelligent. We are not alone.
Comment: Wow!
[26]
SNOWY OWL INVASION
Snowy Owl in Queens, New York, 1 December 2013
The midwestern and northeastern United States, especially coastal regions and areas along the
Great Lakes, is currently experiencing an invasion of Bubo scandiacus. Snowy Owls have been
sighted as far south as North Carolina and some locations have as many as seven! Here in New
York State Snowy Owls have been reported in more than ten counties, with most of those
counties having birds being seen in multiple locations. Birders in Maine, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Michigan, Illinois, West Virginia, Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Maryland, and Virginia are all
enjoying Snowy Owls, but none as much as the North Carolina birders, who are enjoying their
first and second Snowy Owls in thirteen years. (Though the birders in Bermuda who spotted
one over the weekend are probably pretty happy too – it is their third record in thirty years!)
Even more impressive are the reports
out of Newfoundland, where hundreds of
Snowy Owls are being reported. Can
you even imagine hundreds of Snowy
Owls? I certainly can’t. If you want to
keep up with what is going on up there
you can do worse than The Bruce
Mactavish Newfoundland Birding
Blog.
Snowy Owl in North Carolina by Nathan Swick
[27]
Personally, I saw six Snowy Owls this
past weekend in three different counties,
which is pretty freaking cool, and more than enough to blow my mind. If I were in Newfoundland
I would probably be going crazy.
Why the irruption of owls from the
north? There must have been a lot
of lemmings this past summer.
I’m interested in the fact that this is
the second big irruption in three
years, which makes me wonder if
something weird is happening with
the lemming populations as they
relate to climate change. (Idle
speculation is fun!) Whatever the
reason, going out to the coast and
having a shot at multiple Snowy
Owls in a single day is awesome.
Here’s hoping that they find the
food they need and survive the
winter to return north to breed. And
Snowy Owl in Queens, New York, 1 December 2013
here’s also hoping that they don’t
cause any controversy, though
stories are already being told of misbehaving photographers…
How far south will
Snowy Owls be
found this winter? Will
the irruption become
larger and include
more than the eastern
seaboard and the
Great Lakes? Stay
tuned and get out
there looking!
A map, adapted from eBird, showing where Snowy Owls have
been reported in the eastern United States in November of 2013.
[28]
Book Review: The Unfeathered Bird
Katrina van Grouw
Princeton University Press, 2013
This book is for anyone who loves art - and birds. Katerina van Grouw is the former curator of the
ornithological collections at London’s Natural History Museum, a taxidermist, and experienced bird
bander, a successful fine artist and a graduate of the Royal College of Fine Art. The creation of The
Unfeathered Bird has been her life’s ambition.
It is a unique book that combines art, science and history. there are 365 beautiful drawings, arranged and
accompanied by jargon-free text and it’s the only book on bird anatomy that’s aimed at the general
reader.
The drawings are not static - they show birds in actions particular to their species, and they are all based
on actual specimens. Many of the species in this book have never been illustrated before. She illustrates
an underwater view of a diving loon, the musculature of a porpoising penguin and an unfeathered
sparrowhawk plucking its prey.
The text is fun to read, and relates the bird’s anatomy to its lifestyle and evolution, and examines
questions such as why penguins are bigger than auks, whether harrier hawks really have double-jointed
legs, and the difference between wing claws and wing spurs.
In the section on Parrots, Ms van Grouw states “There are many, many characteristics of parrots that
endear them to humans: their colors, their ability to mimic the human voice, their extreme intelligence and
their devotion to a single owner. Sadly, the capture of wild birds for the pet trade has had a disastrous
effect on wild populations already decimated by habitat loss.”
This is a must-have book for anyone who loves learning about birds.
Budgerigar: Melopsittacus undulatus
[29]
70,000 Hawk-Eyed Volunteers Gearing Up for 114th
Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count
by National Audubon Society
Reprinted with permission from National Audubon Society
www.audubon.org
New York, NY - The longest- running citizen science survey in the world, the Audubon
Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will take place from December 14, 2013 to January 5, 2014. Tens
of thousands of volun- teers throughout North Ameri- ca will brave winter weather to add a new
layer to data that has shaped conservation and Congressional decisions for over a century.
Each year, the Audubon Christ- mas Bird Count mobilizes over 70,000 volunteer bird counters
in more than 2,300 locations across the Western Hemi- sphere, from above the Arctic Circle to
Brooklyn and Los Angeles to Tierra del Fuego. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count utilizes the
power of volunteers to track the health of bird populations at a scale that professional scientists
could never accomplish alone. Everylocalcountispartofthis vast volunteer network and
continues a tradition that stretches back more than 100 years.
"Audubon was a social network before the world ever heard the term," said Audubon President
and CEO David Yarnold (@david_yarnold). "Each December the buzz from our social net- work
goes up a few decibels, as people with the knowledge and the passion for birds provide what
no organization alone can. The Audubon Christmas Bird Count harnesses volunteer power to
gather knowledge that shapes conservation policy at enormous scales in this country. I couldn't
be prouder of the volunteers who contribute each year."
The Audubon Christmas Bird Count revealed the dramatic impact climate change is already
having on birds and a disturbing decline in common birds, including the Northern Bobwhite
quail. The many decades of data not only helps identify birds in need
of conservation action, it also reveals success stories. The CBC
helped document the come- back of the Bald Eagle and significant
increases in water- fowl populations, both the result of conservation
efforts.
Last year's count shattered records. A total of 2,369 counts and
71,531 people tallied over 60 million birds of 2,296 different species.
Counts took place in all 50 states, all Canadian provinces, and over
100 count circles in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific
Islands. Three new counts were even welcomed in Cuba, where for the
first time ever the tiniest bird in the world, the Bee Hummingbird, was
included in CBC results.
Several interesting avian incursions were recorded during last year's
CBC, including those of Northern Shrikes, Snowy Owls and winter finches. The most significant
[30]
event was an unprecedented movement of
Razorbills (a puffin relative) in huge numbers
far south of their normal range off the East
Coast of North America. Warming sea
temperatures in the North Atlantic, which
depressed their usual food supply, resulted in
tremendous numbers of hungry Razorbills
almost 1,000 miles farther south than normal.
Prior to 2012, there were few records of
Razorbill in Florida and parts of the upper Gulf
of Mexico. It is unknown how many of these
birds were able to return northward to their
breeding grounds for the summer of 2013;
many washed up dead along the coast. Audubon Christmas Bird Count data are an integral
part to the under- standing of how these and other birds are faring in the non-breeding season.
"This is not just about counting birds," says Gary Langham, Audubon's chief scientist. "Data
from the Audubon Christmas Bird Count are at the heart of hundreds peer- reviewed scientific
studies and inform decisions by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of the
Interior, and the EPA. Because birds are early indicators of environmental threats to habitats
we share, this is a vital survey of North America and, increasingly, the Western Hemisphere."
The Audubon Christmas Bird Count began in 1900 when Dr. Frank Chapman, founder of BirdLore - which evolved into Audubon magazine - suggested an alternative to the holiday "side
hunt," in which teams competed to see who could shoot the most birds. While the ultimate
goal of participating in a count is tallying a representative sample of the birds on a count day,
the natural competitive spirit of birders is what drives them to do the most thorough job
possible. CBC has become a treasured holiday tradition, a reunion with birding friends and a
way for anyone to play a small part in a big conservation picture. The growing combined pool
of contributed sightings helps researchers understand how birds are faring in a way that
Chapman could never have conceived back in 1900.
The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is a citizen science project organized by the Na- tional
Audubon Society. There is no fee to participate and the quarterly report, American Birds, will
be available online. Audubon Christmas Bird Count information is also available online in
Spanish. For more information and to find a count near you visit, Get Involved in the Christmas
Bird Count - Find a Count Near you.
###
Now in its second century, Audubon connects people with birds, nature and the environment
that supports us all. Our national network of community-based nature centers, chapters,
scientific, education, and advocacy programs engages millions of people from all walks of life
in conservation action to protect and restore the natural world. Visit Audubon online at
www.audubon.org.
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Fledgling Yellow-headed Blackbird
Begging For Food
By Ron Dudley, on December 2nd, 2013
Young Yellow-headed Blackbirds leave the nest long before they can fly, at the very early age of 9
– 12 days. From then until they can fly they spend their time hiding in the dead vegetation near
the surface of the water and begging incessantly for food. This youngster had the begging
routine down to a science. [...]
http://www.featheredphotography.com
Sign up for Ron’s Blog to be delivered to your inbox. It’s a lovely way to start the day.
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Support the Conservation Effort of Your Choice
Our Birds, Our World - Are Slowly Disappearing
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2013 is nearly over, but there is still time to help parrots. Right now when you give to
the World Parrot Trust's Save Africa's Parrots campaign, your gift will be matched –
doubled – to save these endangered birds!
And for our supporters in the US and Canada: you have just 2 days left to make a
gift to help parrots and receive a tax benefit.
Support like yours makes it possible for the World Parrot Trust to help save Africa's
most at-risk parrots, like African Grey, Timneh and Cape parrots.
There's still time to help! Donations made by December 31st qualify as a tax
deduction.
And again, every dollar is matched until January 31st, 2014. Just imagine how
good it would feel to make a difference in the lives of these endangered parrots!
Please, join us to help Save Africa's Parrots.
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The Feeder Station
To Top Off Your Crop
Links - some fun, some educational - to broaden your birding experience
Click on the link to see a fun video....
This is a crow that has found a use for a jar lid on a snowy day in Russia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRnI4dhZZxQ
You must see Squawkomo, the Robot Steampunk Parrot!
<http://tinyurl.com/mecnckd>
IMPORTANT: Watch this video on using shock-collar training techniques - on HUMANS!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQAayRtXkwE&feature=youtube_gdata_player
And here is an idea Barbara Heidenreich had a while back that finally came to fruition. Training wild
pigeons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5gGBI6OhkY
Aggression: Behaviour Modification - It's not just for the dogs! It even works for wild birds protecting young.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JH-Ncbj3KM&feature=youtu.be>
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