Winter, 2011 - Edmonton Pet Parrot Association

Winter 2011-2012
Articles Inside:
The Parrot Post
Newsletter of the Edmonton Pet Parrot Association
• Letter from the
editor ………….2
About The Club
• Parrots and
peppers……….2
The EPPA focuses on
aspects of keeping
healthy, happy parrots.
If you have a parrot or
are thinking of getting
one, join the club.
At our meetings, you can
get helpful information on
topics such as nutrition,
health, and behaviour. We
have guest speakers,
research reports
presented by members,
toy-making sessions, and
round table discussions
on topics of mutual
interest. Members are
able to bring healthy pet
parrots to meetings.
Members are entitled to
attend meetings,
participate in parrot
shows, and attend the
June BBQ and the annual
Christmas party.
• Species profile:
the comical,
clownish
caiques…….....3
• Clicker Training
101……………5
• Cape Parrot
Conservation..10
Meeting Time and
Locations:
Meetings are held the last
Wednesday every month
at the Allendale
Community Hall (6330
105 A St) from 7:00 pm to
9:00 pm, except for
December, June and July.
Members also receive a
newsletter, and a
membership card that
gets them discounts at
some local pet stores.
Membership fees are $22
(single) or $27 (family) per
year (Sept to Aug 31).
Fees are ½ this for those
who join half way through
the year.
entire day. Please Email
Louise at
louise.walden@shaw.ca
for more information or if
you’d like to volunteer.
Next Meetings
Upcoming Events
Edmonton Pet Expo
We will be having a set of
information tables at the
Edmonton Pet Expo this
year. It runs from January
21-22, 2012 at the
Northlands Edmonton
Expo Center, Hall A.
We will need volunteers to
come with their parrots
and answer questions
from Expo visitors about
their bird(s).
The hours are 10 am to 6
pm on Saturday and 10
am to 5 pm Sunday.
However, volunteers do
not have to stay for an
I plan on bringing old “Bird
Talk” magazines I am
finished with so that Pet
Expo visitors can take
them in exchange for a
small donation to the club.
If anyone else has any
bird magazines they are
finished with they would
like to bring, that would be
great!
The next regular meetings
th
will be on January 26 ,
rd
th
February 23 , March 30 ,
th
th
April 27 , and May 25
2012.
Ideas and suggestions for
meeting activities or
presentations can be
Emailed to Jessie at
jzgurski@ualberta.ca
Visit our Website:
www.eppa.ca
The Parrot Post – Newsletter of the EPPA
Parrot Factoid
Letter from the Editor
I’d first like to apologize for not coming up
with a newsletter for so long! With
working and being a student full time, I
had trouble finding the time. However, I
should now be able to write a quarterly
newsletter now that I’m finished with
school.
The above photo shows
my Lesser Sulphur-crested
Cockatoo, Mitri, eating a
habanero pepper.
Habanero peppers are far
hotter than jalapeno or
tabasco peppers, yet
parrots and other birds eat
them with no problems. A
mammal, however, would
experience a harsh
burning sensation upon
biting such a pepper.
Our club has held several information
tables at Expos during the past year
including at the 2011 Pet Expo, the
Edmonton Women’s show and the Family
Expo in Sherwood Park. I want to thank
everyone who has helped out at these
events. I know that a lot of people enjoy
meeting the parrots!
We have had a variety of interesting
presentations at club meetings as well as
two toy-making sessions. Ian and Janine
gave two different presentations: one
about their New store, Meika’s Bird
House, and one about clicker training.
I have included an article about
clicker training in this newsletter
for anyone who missed this
informative presentation. I want to
thank Ian and Janine for their
presentations and for the clickers
they brought for us! Be sure to
check out their wild bird and parrot
supply store at 971 A Ordze Road
in Sherwood Park (just off of Wye
Road).
I would also like to thank everyone
who brought supplies for the toymaking sessions (including David
& Louise W, and Kim K), and
Ingrid for bringing snacks to all the
meetings. Thanks also to Nancy
for hosting the June BBQ at her
place and for bringing prizes to
raffle at the Christmas party.
Hagen (www.hagen.com/hari/)
also donated several items.
~Jessie Zgurski
jzgurski@ualberta.ca
It turns out that bird pain
sensor neurons
(nociceptors) do not react
the same way to
capsaicins (the molecules
that makes peppers hot)
as mammal pain sensor
neurons do. Birds can
therefore eat very hot
peppers without
experiencing a burning
sensation.
There may be an
evolutionary reason for
this. Some birds (like
toucans) disperse seeds
when they eat fruit and
pass out undigested seeds
in their droppings.
Mammals, however, chew
fruit and destroy the seeds.
Many plants are better off
if their seeds are eaten by
birds.
Above: Left: Chichi, a Senegal Parrot who belongs to Sandy and Gene V.
Right: Peggy, a Jenday Conure who belongs to Jessie and Quentin.
The Parrot Post – Newsletter of the EPPA
Species Profile: The playful, clownish Caique
“To catch the reader’s
attention, place an
interesting sentence or
quote from the story
here.”
Above and Left: White-bellied Caiques “Tickles” and “Pickles”. Photo
courtesy of Linda Getzlaf. Bottom left: Green-thighed Caiques, from
wikipedia.net
Species Profile: Caiques
“Caiques” are parrots from the genus
Pionites. There are two species: the
White-bellied Caique (Pionites
leucogaster) and the Black-capped
Caique (Pionites melanocephalus).
Some field guides refer to them as
the White-bellied Parrot and the
Black-capped Parrot.
The two species are the same size
(about 23 cm tall) but can easily be
differentiated by their colours. While
both actually have white bellies, the
Black-capped Caique has a black
“cap” of feathers on its head and a
dark beak, while the white belly has
an orange cap and a pink beak.
Many young White-bellied Caiques
have some black feathers on their
crowns. That is normal and their
crowns will become solid orange as
they mature.
There is some colour variation within
each species. In Black-capped
Caiques, one subspecies has orange
thighs, flanks and tail coverts and the
other (sometimes called the “Pallid
Caique”) has yellow thighs, flanks and
undertail coverts.
There are three subspecies of the
White-bellied Caique. The one that is
most common in captivity has yellow
thighs and flanks, along with a green
upper tail. There is also a variety
(sometimes called the Green-thighed
Caique) that has green thighs and a
green tail. The last subspecies has
yellow thighs and a yellow tail. These
subspecies can all interbreed. Whitebellies and black caps can also
interbreed.
Wild Caiques occur in the forests of
northern South America. Black-capped
Caiques occur north of the Amazon
River while White-bellied Caiques
occur south of it.
Wild caiques can be very noisy, but
they can be difficult to actually spot.
This is because they prefer to stay in
the canopy. Wild caiques tend to be
seen in pairs, family groups or small
flocks. Like most parrots, they nest in
tree cavities.
The Parrot Post – Newsletter of the EPPA
Species Profile: Caique (continued)
Wild caiques eat a variety of seeds,
nuts and fruits. Pet caiques generally
do well on a diet of pellets,
supplemented with healthful fruits,
vegetables, seeds, and nuts.
Caiques are sometimes referred to as
the “clowns” of the bird world. They are
generally active birds that love to play.
Many individuals love to lie on their
backs, hop, or chase and fetch items.
In fact, some flighted caiques (i.e not
winged trimmed) prefer to climb, walk
and hop over flying.
Because they are so active, a caique
should be given a large cage relative to
its size, stocked with lots of chew toys
and perches. Plenty of out-of-cage time
is also a must. Water bowls for caiques
typically need to be refilled or changed
frequently, as many caiques will place
food into their water dishes. Some may
also bath their water away, as caiques
often love to bath or shower. Birds who
do this can benefit from having a water
bottle, in addition to a water bowl, if left
alone for a long period of time.
Many caique owners keep their birds in
pairs, either as two birds of the same
species, or as a White-belly & Blackcapped pair. Caiques can often be kept
tame even if they have a bird buddy.
Caution should always be used when
first introducing two birds, and people
keeping more than one bird should be
prepared in case the two do not get
along.
Caiques are not known for being good
talkers, although some individuals do
learn to say several words. When a
caique does learn to speak, it is often in
a robotic-sounding voice. They are not
usually described as being noisy, but
they do have shrill contact calls which
sound like fire alarms. However, not all
caiques develop this “fire alarm” call.
Male and female caiques look very
similar and a DNA test is the best way
to determine a caique’s sex.
Caiques are very smart birds that learn
very quickly. Many love to learn to do
and perform tricks and they tend to
respond very well to clicker training.
Black-capped Caique
Mattie Sue Athan, in the book Guide to
Companion Parrot Behavior, has the
following to say about caiques:
“The caique’s personality can be
extremely complex, with the same bird
sometimes exhibiting both aggression
and fearfulness. A caique might suddenly
exhibit fear of an inanimate object,
especially a new one. Like a Scarlet
Macaw, a caique might be sweet as pie
when picked up, only to bite fiercely
when put down. A caique can react
intensely to a new hat, hair colour, or
garment.
Like the Scarlet Macaw, caiques are
known for extreme intelligence. It’s
always a challenge to stay one step
ahead of these smart little birds. Each
day will differ, as these birds will always
be looking for new ways to have fun by
frequently improvising new behaviours.
They can be stubborn and difficult to
distract from whatever quest they’re
currently pursuing. Caiques can bond
strongly to one person and have been
seen to stalk family members [who are
not] their favorite person. Frequent
outings and handling by multiple
individuals is especially beneficial to the
gregarious caique personality.”
According to “Good Parrotkeeping” by
Robin Deutsch, while most parrots are
left footed, caiques tend to be right
footed.
Hand-fed, juvenile caiques typically cost
about $900 from a breeder and about
$2000 from a pet store.
Colour mutations in caiques are rare, but
a small number of blue mutation caiques
have been bred. One reportedly sold for
$20 000!
For more information on caiques, check
out http://caiquecrazy.com/.
The purpose of a newsletter is to provide
Caption describing picture or
graphic.
“Caiques are often
referred to as the
“clowns” of the bird
world.”
Caique Facts
Size: 23-25 cm, 145170 grams.
Status in the Wild:
Both species are listed
as “Least Concern” by
the International Union
for the Conservation of
Nature. Thus, unlike
many other parrot
species, they are not
considered
endangered.
Range: Black-capped
Caiques occur in Brazil,
Colombia, Ecuador,
French Guiana,
Guyana, Peru,
Suriname, and
Venezuela. Whitebellied Caiques occur in
Brazil, Peru and Bolivia.
The Parrot Post – Newsletter of the EPPA
Clicker Training 101
What is Clicker Training?
Above: Clickers.
Professional animal trainers have been
using clicker training for decades to
train their animals to perform a variety
of useful or showy behaviours on cue.
Clicker training is now becoming
popular among exotic bird owners and
there are books and videos out there
specifically on clicker training pet
parrots. Clicker training is an effective
and humane way to train a parrot to do
things like step up onto a hand, go back
in her cage, pick up items with her
beak, and fly to her owner when called.
It is based on numerous studies on how
animals learn and is centered on
rewarding desired behaviours.
The clickers often used by trainers are
little plastic boxes that have a tab on
them that produces a brief clicking
noise when pressed. They are available
at most pet stores. A clicker trainer will
press the clicker as the animal performs
a behaviour the trainer is looking for.
The clicker serves as a marker that tells
the animal what it just did was good and
will earn it a reward in the future.
However, before clicker training can
start, the animal must first associate the
clicker with a reward.
Charging the Clicker
Above: A Hyacinth Macaw
from a bird show at the
Minnesota Zoo eats a
macadamia nut.
Nuts, seeds and millet often
make great training rewards.
The process by which the animal learns
to associate the clicker with a reward is
often called charging the clicker. This is
easy to do: first, click the clicker and
then immediately offer the animal a
reward. Repeat several times. Through
this process, the bird will learn to
associate the sound of the clicker with a
reward. This will mean that the sound of
the clicker will become reinforcing to the
bird, and that the bird will become likely
to repeat behaviours that earn her
clicks.
Food makes an excellent reward when
charging the clicker, because food serves
as a primary reinforcer for most animals. A
primary reinforcer is something that will
naturally act as a reinforcer, and will not
need to be paired with anything else to act
as such. A reinforcer is a consequence of
a behaviour that increases the frequency
of the behaviour. Animals obviously need
food to survive, so animals will tend to
repeat any actions that lead to them
getting food. For example, dogs that are
rewarded with tidbits of food for begging
will generally continue to beg.
A secondary reinforcer initially needs to be
paired with a primary reinforcer if it is to
act as a reinforcer. The clicker is an
example. For it to have a reinforcing
function, it first has to be paired with a
primary reinforcer such as food. This is
because the clicker sound alone holds no
value for the animal. However, once a
clicker has been “charged”, and paired
with a primary reinforcer, it will then also
become a reinforcer.
There is really nothing magical about the
sound of clickers. A word or another
sound can be used in place of the clicker,
so people who don’t like to use clickers
can still apply the principles behind clicker
training. However, there are a few reasons
clickers are often used by animal trainers.
First, the clicker doesn’t really sound like
any sounds used in the English language.
Therefore, the animal will not confuse any
words for a click, and a click won’t be
mistaken for any other sound. The clicker
can also be used by the trainer to mark
the exact behaviour she wants to
reinforce. Sometimes, the behaviour a
trainer wants to reinforce is only displayed
for a second, and a short click works well
as an immediate reinforcer. Using food or
petting as a reinforcer may introduce a
delay between the behaviour and the
reinforcer, which will make training take a
bit longer. One rule to follow when training
is to always reinforce a desired behaviour
The Parrot Post – Newsletter of the EPPA
as soon as possible, because even a
one second delay between the
behaviour and the reinforcer will
slow down the training process.
Ideally, the behaviour should be
reinforced as it occurs, and this is
easy to do with a clicker or word.
Other Considerations
Before a training program starts, a
trainer must decide what kind of
primary reinforcer he wants to use.
Food tends to work well. For parrots,
sunflower seeds, bits of nut, bits of
dried papaya and millet can all serve
as excellent reinforcers. I tend to use
sunflower seeds as reinforcers when
training my birds. A good way to find
out what type of treat is a bird’s
favourite is to place several goodies
in a dish and see which one the bird
takes. When training, always follow a
click with a treat of some sort.
There are also several ways one can
increase the value of food as a
primary reinforcer. Quite often,
whether or not an item acts as a
reinforcer will depend on the general
state the bird is in. For example, if a
bird is hungry, food will act as a very
strong reinforcer, but if he just ate, it
will not. Likewise, if a bird has a dish
of sunflower seeds in his cage at all
times, sunflower seeds may not act
as a reinforcer for him. Thus, to
increase the value of food, hold
training sessions at a time when the
bird may be a bit hungry and take
the food that will act as a training
reward out of his regular diet. Do
not, however, be too strict in
controlling his food intake. Small
birds in particular have high
metabolisms and shouldn’t go too
long without eating. Additionally,
training a ravenous animal really
isn’t much fun, for the trainer or
animal.
Target Training
Once a reward has been chosen and
the clicker has been charged, the
training can begin. A very useful first
behaviour to train a bird to do is to
target. A bird that has been target
trained will touch his beak to the end
of a target stick that is presented to
him. The target stick can then be used
as a tool to train the bird to go into a
carrier, step on a scale, go into his
cage, or step up on a hand.
Almost any item can be used as a
target. Chopsticks, dowels, Popsicle
sticks or spoons all work well. I like to
use wooden spoons, because I can
place the clicker in the spoon part
(which goes in my hand), and I can
click the clicker as soon as the bird
touches the stick.
To start target training the bird, place
the end of the target stick in front of
him. As soon as the parrot touches
the stick with his beak, click the clicker
and offer him a treat. Repeat several
times. Then, gradually increase the
distance that the bird has to move to
get his beak to the clicker. Start so
that he only has to move his head a
bit to touch the stick. Then, move the
stick so he has to lean forward to
touch it, and then move it so he has to
take a step to touch it and so on.
Many birds, when being target trained,
will initially nip the stick to investigate
it. However, some birds may be a bit
wary or even scared of the stick. If
that happens, try changing the type of
stick used. For example, use a shorter
or duller-coloured stick. If that doesn’t
work, place the stick some distance
away from the bird – as far as it takes
so that the bird shows no fear. Then,
start rewarding the bird for merely
looking at the stick, even if briefly.
Click as the bird looks towards the
stick and then offer him a treat.
Repeat several times and slowly
increase the criteria required for a
click. Move from getting him to look at
Common Clicker
Training Terms
Reinforcement: a term
used by behaviour
analysts and clicker
trainers for a process that
increases the frequency of
a behaviour.
Positive Reinforcement:
adding a pleasant
stimulus to increase the
frequency of a behaviour.
For example, giving a
parrot a sunflower seed
when she steps up on a
hand would likely increase
the chance of the bird
stepping up in the future.
Therefore, giving the
parrot a sunflower seed in
return for stepping up
would be an example of
positive reinforcement.
Negative Reinforcement:
This involves taking away
an aversive stimulus in
order to increase the
frequency of a behaviour.
For example, pushing a
parrot on the chest to get
him to step up more
reliably would be an
example of training using
negative reinforcement.
This is because the
negative stimulus (being
pushed on the chest)
stops once the parrot
steps up.
Note in the above
definitions that “positive”
refers to adding
something and “negative”
refers to taking something
away.
The Parrot Post – Newsletter of the EPPA
Common Clicker
Training Terms
Continued…
Punishment: To
behavior analysts,
“punishment” refers to
any consequence that
decreases the
frequency of a
behaviour.
Positive Punishment:
Adding an aversive
stimulus after a certain
behaviour to decrease
the frequency of that
behaviour.
For example, if a pet
dog avoids taking food
off the counter
because he was
shocked the last time
he did, then he learned
to not take food off of
the table via “positive
punishment.”
Negative
Punishment:
Removing a valued
stimulus (such as food)
to decrease a specific
behaviour. An example
of negative
punishment would be
withdrawing petting
and attention to a dog
when it jumps up on
people. The dog may
learn not to jump up
because he then won’t
receive the attention
he wants.
Again, note that in the
above definitions,
“positive” refers to
adding something and
“negative” refers
removing something.
stick (at progressively shorter
distances), to where he has to
lean a bit towards the stick, to
where he actually has to touch
the stick. If the bird starts to show
any fear, move the stick a bit
farther away. I had to use this
type of gradual desensitization to
teach my Red-lored Amazon,
Ripley, to touch a Popsicle stick.
Some birds will grab the target
stick and hang on. If that
happens, just gently twist the
stick out of the bird’s mouth and
give him a treat as soon he lets
go. If the bird is tenaciously
holding the stick and will not let
go even if the stick is twisted, just
wait and click and treat the
second he lets go of the stick.
This behaviour often stops once
the bird figures out that he just
needs to nip the stick lightly to get
a click and a treat.
Once a bird has learned to touch
a target stick reliably, even if he
has to move around to get to it,
he can be taught to perform many
other behaviours on cue. For
instance, the target stick can be
used to get him to go into a
carrier. Initially, use the target
stick to get the bird to go close to
the carrier, then towards the door
of the carrier, and then into the
carrier. Say something like, “Go
In,” each time he goes into the
carrier. A similar technique can
be used to train a parrot to go
back into a cage on cue. To
ensure that the parrot will go into
the cage or carrier reliably, do not
shut him in there the first few
times he goes in on his own.
Gradually phase out the use of
the target stick by giving a reliable
cue word (like “Go In”) each time
he enters the cage or carrier on
his own. Soon, he may go in the
cage or carrier upon hearing the
cue, “Go In.”
Step Up
Once a bird has been target-trained, it
is simple to teach him to step up either
on a hand or a hand-held perch. Just
put your hand (or arm, for a large bird)
in front of the bird and place the target
stick where the bird has to lean
forward over your arm to reach it. If the
bird seems reluctant to do this, then
gradually get him to go closer to your
arm, until he finally has to step up on it
to reach the stick.
Step up can also be trained without a
target stick. Some birds may simply
step up on your hand or arm if it’s
placed in front of them. Reward the
bird (click and treat) once he does this
and repeat a few times. Even when the
bird is stepping up reliably, be sure to
still reward him frequently, with praise
and/or treats.
If the bird does not step up on a hand
when it is presented, reward any
gradual steps he takes towards
stepping up. For example, click and
treat if he merely moves towards your
hand, and then gradually increase the
criteria he has to meet to be rewarded.
Move from having the bird move
towards your hand, to placing a foot on
your hand, to stepping right up on your
hand. Do not push the bird in the chest
to get him to step up, especially if he’s
nervous or has had bad experiences
with people. That may make him fear
hands. Instead, teach him that
stepping up on hands leads to positive
outcomes.
Other Behaviours to Train
Stepping up on cue and target training
are two very useful behaviours to
teach a bird. It’s also simple to train
most birds to ring a bell and turn
around on cue.
The Parrot Post – Newsletter of the EPPA
A “turn around” can be trained
with or without the use of a
target stick. To train this without
a target stick, start clicking and
treating when the bird looks
either to the left or right
(depending on the direction
chosen). Try getting him to
move his head by wiggling your
fingers or another interesting
object in a way that will get him
to move his head. Once he
does this frequently, start to
click and treat when he moves
his whole body sideways, and
then finally when he turns
around. Once he turns around
reliably, add a cue. For
instance, say, “Turn around,”
when he does this, and soon,
he will know to turn around on
cue.
To teach a turn around with a
target stick, just move the target
stick in such a way that the bird
has to turn around to keep it in
his view. Say the words, “turn
around” as you do this. When
using a target stick to teach a
behaviour like this, do start to
fade the use of the target as
soon as possible. Keep using
the vocal cue, but start to make
the target stick shorter and
shorter until the bird responds
only to a hand and vocal signal.
Where to train and for how
long?
When a bird is first learning a
new behaviour, start his training
sessions in a quiet area that is
free of distractions. This will
make it easier for both person
and bird to focus on the task at
hand. Once the bird has started
to understand what is being
asked of him, start to practice in
different locations. Frequently, if
a bird is taught to respond to a
certain cue in only one location,
Many dogs who are taught to sit, heel,
and come on cue in an obedience
class will only respond well in the
class environment unless the owner
practices with the dog in a variety of
locations. Gradually increase the
complexity of the environment when
teaching an animal to respond to a
cue in a variety of situations. For
example, start in a quiet area, then in
an area with a TV on, and then in an
area with other people around, and so
on.
Most training sessions should be
relatively short, but the exact length of
time will vary depending on the bird.
Initially start with very short (five
minute) sessions, and gradually
increase their length. Stop when the
bird starts to seem uninterested and
then use a slightly shorter session
next time. The key is to stop before
the bird starts to become bored. Try
to end all training sessions on a
positive note, even if this involves
asking the bird to do something very
simple. Additionally, keep training
sessions positive. If the trainer starts
to become frustrated with the animal,
the animal may not want to participate
in the future.
Common Misconceptions
Many people object to clicker training
(or training involving treats) because it
seems similar to bribing. Done
properly, clicker training rarely
involves bribing the animal. This is
because bribing involves showing an
animal a treat before if performs the
behaviour the trainer wants. Clicker
training involves giving the animal a
treat after he performs a desired
behaviour. On occasion, a trainer may
try to lure an animal into a desired
place or position with a treat, but
overall, clicker training need not
involve bribing the animal very often.
Clicker training also does not involve
spoiling an animal (as many think it
does), nor
Extinction
If a behaviour is to
continue to occur, it
must at least sometimes
be reinforced. The
weakening of a
behaviour as a result of
non-reinforcement is
called “extinction.”
Not reinforcing
unwanted behaviours
(such as screaming) can
eventually diminish
them. For example, if
one does not want a
parrot to scream, the
screaming should not be
reinforced with attention
of food.
Note that a previously
reinforced behaviour
may actually initially
increase once it is not
reinforced. This is called
an “extinction burst.”
After the extinction burst,
the behaviour may then
begin to decrease in
frequency, as long as it
is never reinforced.
To diminish an
unwanted behaviour
even faster one can also
reinforce a behaviour
that is incompatible with
the unwanted behaviour.
To decrease a parrot’s
screaming, for example,
one can cease
reinforcing the
screaming while
reinforcing other sounds
the bird makes, such as
whistling or talking. After
all, a bird cannot talk
and scream at the exact
same time.
The Parrot Post – Newsletter of the EPPA
On the use of
Aversives
Clicker training uses
positive reinforcement to
teach animals new
things. Positive
reinforcement is
considered superior to
techniques that use
aversive stimuli (i.e.
positive punishment and
negative reinforcement)
by behaviour analysts.
This is because the use
of aversives can bring
along unwanted side
effects, such as fear and
aggression. This is
especially true for
parrots, as wild animals
seem less tolerant of
aversive training
techniques than
domestics like dogs or
horses.
Animals also rend to
learn best when a
consequence
immediately follows a
behaviour. Many people
who use positive
punishment on pets do
not use it appropriately,
which can confuse and
frighten the pet. An
example would be
removing a bird from a
perch and sticking her in
a box because she was
screaming. By the time
the bird gets to the box,
she will have forgot about
the screaming.
For more on this, go to:
http://www.thegabrielfoun
dation.org/pdffiles/punish
ment.pdf
will it necessarily make a bird (or
dog) beg from the table. The animal
is actually asked to perform a specific
behaviour to get a treat, and most
clicker trainers are careful not to
reward behaviours they do not want
to see. For example, if one does not
want an animal to beg for food, or
squawk for attention, then these
behaviours should never be
rewarded with treats or attention.
It is also not true that a person must
always have a clicker and treats on
hand to get the animal to respond to
certain cues. The clicker is most
important when the animal is first
learning about how to behave. Many
trainers only use the clicker (and the
treats) when the animal is learning. It
is, however, prudent to frequently
reward any behaviour one wants an
animal to keep displaying.
Personally, I only use the clicker
when teaching an animal something
and don’t bother with it once the
animal does what I want reliably. I
still frequently give my birds treats for
stepping up, and my dogs always
get praise, petting or treats when
they come back to me when called
when they are at the dog park. The
result is that the dogs are very
reliable when it comes to coming to
me on cue.
Finally, many people think that one
must only use food as a reward when
clicker training. That isn’t necessarily
true. Food is often used because it’s
something all animals need and it
can often be delivered very quickly,
which means that more repetitions
can be done in a session.
or petting will be useful reinforcers
for that animal. In fact, my cockatoo
will sometimes refuse to take a
piece of food from me during a
training session and will bow his
head to me. That’s his way of
requesting that I stroke his head,
which I will do for him.
Further Resources
There are many books, websites,
and videos out there for people
who want to learn more about
training with positive reinforcement.
I really like “Clicker Training for
Birds,” by Melinda Johnson. This
book gives detailed instructions on
clicker training birds to do a variety
of things and it gives advice on
solving parrot behaviour problems
using the clicker. All technical terms
are also defined very clearly.
If you have a flighted bird and want
to train her various flight commands
(such as to fly to you on cue, or to
fly to a spot being pointed at and so
on) try out “Breaking Bad Habits in
Parrots,” by Greg Glendell. This
book has information on training a
flighted bird.
The books, magazine, blog and
videos by Barbara Heideinreich are
also an excellent resource on
training animals using positive
reinforcement. Go to
www.goodbirdinc.com for more
information.
However, if an animal does increase
the frequency of a certain behaviour
if it is praised or petted for doing so,
then praise
Above: Ripley the Red-lored
Amazon, touches a target stick.
The Parrot Post – Newsletter of the EPPA
Cape Parrot Conservation
“uPholi” want a forest?
Rescuing Africa’s most
endangered parrot from
extinction
by Steve Boyes of Percy
FitzPatrick Institute of African
Ornithology December 16, 2011
The Cape Parrot is one of the most
endangered bird species in South
Africa with less than 1,000 individuals
remaining in the wild. Most of the
remaining wild population are infected
by and dying from a Psittacine Beak
and Feather Disease epidemic that
erupts during early winter each year.
Early cold snaps and mild droughts
escalate this problem with
devastating effects on population
levels. Up until 2008, when rats
native to Christmas Island went
extinct after being exposed to new
pathogens, disease had not been
proven to cause any extinctions.
Alarmingly, Cape parrots are now
succumbing to an endemic virus that
attacks when their body condition
declines, their immune systems begin
to falter, and they naturally start
molting. They are simply too weak to
combat this “doomsday virus” that
has always been with the. How do we
save this intelligent parrot from
extinction? How do we help this
parrot help itself? Read about them
and what people are doing to rescue,
conserve and defend one of the
world’s most enigmatic birds.
“uPholi” is the nickname for the Cape
parrot (Poicephalus robustus) or
isiKhwenene (the local isiXhosa
name). Just the same as “Polly want
a cracker!”, “uPholi” wants a forest
because local South Africans have
busied themselves over the last 350
years selectively removing almost all
the large hardwoods (most especially
Podocarpus yellowwoods) from all
remaining Afromontane forest
patches. Starting in the early 1600s
in the Cape of Good Hope, these
vulnerable forest patches were
decimated and have never been
given adequate opportunity to
recover. For hundreds of years,
logging was intensive with millions
upon millions of railway sleepers and
mining timbers being manufactured.
Harvesting of yellowwood trees and
other depleted hardwoods continues
today in these forests.
Most people know about the popular
African Grey parrots of central and
western Africa, but very few people
know about Africa’s most
endangered parrot, South Africa’s
Cape parrot. Today, there could be
as few as 800 Cape parrots
remaining in the wild and they are
considered Critically Endangered due
to continued habitat loss, poor
nesting success due to lack of nest
cavities, a severe Psittacine Beak
and Feather Disease epidemic,
historical persecution as a crop pest,
and illegal capture for the wild-caught
bird trade. If Africa was to lose this
“green and gold” ambassador of
some of our last-remaining
Afromontane forest patches, it would
be a sign of very bad times to come.
We would have lost one of the last
Afromontane endemics clinging onto
these forests through their own
ingenuity and collective intelligence.
Intensive logging in their forest
habitat, persecution (e.g. being shot
or caught in nets and clubbed to
death), nest poaching and mistnetting adults for the wild-caught bird
trade, and very little or no
conservation intervention, has left the
Cape Parrot in ruins with an ageing
populations in declining physical
condition. We need to intervene now
A beautiful Cape parrot
breeding pair in the morning
light - future of the species.
We need to provide suitable
nesting sites by erecting
100s more nest boxes.
(Rodnick Biljon/Cape Parrot
Project)
“The Cape Parrot is one
of the most endangered
bird species in South
Africa with less than
1,000 individuals
remaining in the wild.”
The Parrot Post – Newsletter of the EPPA
Cape Parrot,
Poicephalus
robustus
Size: 34 cm, 260-330 g.
Appearance: Head and
neck feathers pale olivebrown, edged with darker
brown. Back, wings, rump
and underparts green
with black, legs and bend
of wing orange,
black/brown tail. Females
have an orange band
across the crown; males
lack this.
Range: Endemic to east
South Africa. Two
disjunct populations: one
in the far northeast, one
in the southeast.
Aviculture: Very rare. As
pets they are reportedly
quiet and affectionate.
Some are excellent
talkers.
Taxonomy: The species
currently referred to as
the Brown-necked Parrot
(Poicephalus fuscicollis
fuscicollis) and the Greyheaded or “UnCape
Parrot (Poicephalus
fuscicollis suahelicus)
used to be classified as
Cape Parrots. Most
“Cape Parrots” in Canada
are actually Grey-headed
Parrots. The bird on the
front of the newsletter is a
Grey-headed (Uncape)
Parrot.
condition. We need to intervene now
and stimulate positive change for
Cape parrots in the wild.
into the wild. We had a fight on our
hands and began fundraising to
support the effort.
In 2009, we initiated the Cape Parrot
Project in an effort to save this
endemic species from extinction.
Preliminary surveys established that
the observed body condition of Cape
parrots in the southernmost part of
their distribution has been declining for
at least 5 years. In March that year, we
received over 30 photographs of Cape
parrots with symptoms of advanced
beak and feather disease infection
from concerned South Africans who
had been photographing Cape parrots
feeding in their pecan trees for many
years and never seen anything like
this before. This news was shocking
and it has been our focus ever since to
understand the nature of this
apparently severe threat to their
persistence in the wild. A grant from
the National Geographic Society
Conservation Trust enabled us to
undertake much needed research into
the threat posed by this little-known
circovirus. Our findings were
absolutely shocking with a 50%
infection rate in 2010 and a staggering
100% infection rate in four times as
many blood samples this year. By
March, the general public started
handing in dead and dying Cape
parrots that needed to be rehabilitated
for over 6 months before release back
Today, we are reacting as strongly as
possible to this threat, investing in the
DNA sequencing of all viral strains
that we encounter and contributing
towards the development of a suitable
vaccine for application in the wild. In
addition, we are looking at
establishing a disease-free Cape
parrot population in forest patches
where they went locally extinct around
150 years ago. Our ongoing research
has linked these disease outbreaks to
a lack of suitable food resources
between January and March each
year when there is literally nothing for
the parrots to feed on. The severe
drought this year resulted in infection
rates escalating due to starvation at
population level. Up to 10% of the
local population wwas estimated to
have died. In 2012, we will be testing
the application of supplementary
feeding decks to ensure that the
parrots have sufficient food to combat
the virus and avoid eating exotic,
potentially poisonous food resources
like unripe pecan nuts from the US,
cherries from Mexico, plums from
Japan, and syringa fruits from India.
We need to help this parrot help itself
by providing supplementary food
resources within the next 5-10 years.
Young male Cape
parrot roosting in
a wild plum tree
during the heat of
the day (Rodnick
Biljon/Cape
Parrot Project)
The Parrot Post – Newsletter of the EPPA
African Parrots
The Cape Parrot is in
the genus Poicephalus.
They are not common as
pets but several other
members of the genus
Poicephalus are. They
include:
● Senegal Parrot (P.
senegalus)
● Meyer’s Parrot (P.
meyeri)
● Red-bellied Parrot (P.
rufiventris)
● Jardine’s Parrot (P.
gulielmi)
● Brown-headed Parrot
(P. crytoxanthus)
● Grey-headed Parrot
(P. fuscicollis)
Other members of the
genus Poicephalus
include the Rüppell’s
Parrot (P. rueppelli), the
Yellow-fronted Parrot (P.
flavifrons), and the
Niam-niam Parrot (P.
crassus).
The other parrots found
in Africa include the nine
species of lovebird
(Agapornis), although
the Madagascar
Lovebird occurs only on
Madagascar. Ringneck
Parakeets (Psittacula
krameri) also occur in
Africa, as do African
Grey Parrots (Psittacus
erithacus).
Madagascar and the
Seychelles are home to
Greater and Lesser
Vasa Parrots
(Coracopsis vasa and C.
nigra).
We are not just studying the virus and
its relationship to food resources - we
are also planting over 25,000
indigenous trees in degraded
Afromontane forest patches and
“Cape Parrot orchards” across the
Amathole mountain range, which has
the largest-remaining Cape Parrot
population. The Cape Parrot orchards
are made up of 500-1,000 indigenous
trees that provide fruit for parrots
within 7-10 years. In order to support
all this tree-planting we launched the
“iziKhwenene Project” that contracts
local communities to grow, plant and
take care of the all indigenous trees
planted as part of this project. We pay
whole communities $2 per tree that
survives every 6 months, planting
teams weekly wages to plant these
trees, and individuals R10 per
saplings grown within our Community
Nursery Program. The iziKhwenene
Project aims to position local
communities as “Forest Custodians”
supported by the Wild Bird Trust and
corporate sponsors. In addition to
planting thousands of trees, the Cape
Parrot Project is also erecting 600
Cape Parrot nest boxes to
supplement the shortage of suitable
nest cavities for Cape Parrot breeding
pairs and other cavity-nesting
species. We have a tough 10 years
ahead of us before the food orchards
are producing fruits for the parrots
between January and March. Until
then we must push to get every Cape
Parrot that falls ill to beak and feather
disease rehabilitated and back into
the wild. We must provide safe, warm
nest boxes and supplementary
feeding decks until such time as the
forests have been restored.
Our work rehabilitating four Cape
Parrots from the ravages of beak
and feather disease demonstrated
an instant reaction to the
yellowwood fruits we were feeding
them. All four parrots began to
recover more rapidly from the
infection and started to put on
weight for the first time, thus
supporting research that put forward
that yellowwood fruits have very
strong anti-microbial activity when
ingested.
It seems as if due to the lack of this
fruit in their diet Cape Parrots are
just not strong enough to fight off
the ravages of this disease, which,
similar to influenza in the human
population, has probably been in
the wild Cape Parrot population for
a very long time, but only at very
much lower levels. A Senior
Producer from National Geographic
Missions Media, Neil Gelinas,
visited the Cape Parrot Project for a
few weeks and was fortunate
enough to film the release of the
four rehabilitated Cape Parrots back
into the wild: “Dead birds flying!”
Hopefully there will soon be a short
video clip to share with the world?
For more informaction, check out
http://www.parrots.org/marcom/cap
es/index.html
Story from:
http://newswatch.nationalgeographi
c.com/2011/12/16/upholi-want-aforest-rescuing-africas-mostendangered-parrot-from-extinction/
Cape parrot feeding on
exotic syringa berries.
These berries are
reputed to be poisonous
to birds and monkeys.
Cape parrots seem to
be able to metabolize
these poisons, but at
what cost? (Rodnick
Biljon/Cape Parrot
Project)