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Feathered Sun Worshippers: The Surprising Benefits for Birds

crow, black bird
Photo by Jennifer Uppendahl on Unsplash

Sunshine has sufficiently given an untold number of sunbathers warmth and a kind of meditative period as well. But did you know that other animals are equally keen on spending time in the sun? The sun provides a few benefits for people (as well as some concerns due to the possibility of skin cancer), and sunshine can also provide benefits for birds.

Birds have employed sunshine to deal with things like lice and parasitical eradication, warmth after a long, cool night, drying off after a rainfall, and other probable reasons yet to be determined. There are approximately 50 documented families of birds that actively sunbathe according to a 2018 study published in The Royal Society. They undertake a specific pose that effectively lets the sun kill parasites that latch onto hard-to-reach places in the feather. The UV rays have a deadly effect on lice and other parasites, killing many of them. The study reveals that parasites actively avoid UV irradiation by living where the sun doesn’t shine (underside of leaves, deep in the feathers, etc.)

Basking in the Sun

There have been other studies on sunbathing by birds to determine how often they do it as part of their routines and to further discover the actual reasons why they undertake the practice. Another study attempted to take this activity further by testing how effective UV rays are in destroying parasites. It was found that at least half of the parasites were killed off by short-term exposure to UV rays.

One active sunbathing bird is the crow, which takes on interesting positions to sunbathe. Crows prone themselves in direct sunlight, with spread wings and tilted heads for maximum exposure. They undertake this position and stillness for several minutes before going on to their other activities. There are other specific possible reasons for this activity. One is that the feather affected by parasites can contribute to dull and degraded plumage on male birds, which can be problematic when attempting to woo a mate.

It is also thought that sunlight warms gland-secreted oils that help to keep feathers in good shape. When warmed, the oils are more easily distributed around the bird’s body. Another thought is that Vitamin D is manufactured from sunlight interacting with the oils, and then the infused oil is absorbed to help keep birds healthier and more beautiful.

There have been more than a few studies on sunbathing by birds to figure out this part of the mysteries that birds often present.

Inide Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Being Sensitive to the World as Your Bird Sees It

African grey parrot, African grey, grey
Note position of Athena’s cage and our set-up. Photo courtesy Dr. Irene Pepperberg

Temple Grandin (2006) was one of the first to write extensively for the public on the topic of seeing the world through the eyes of nonhumans. Grandin wrote, for example, about cows that would not walk over shadows or that spooked at a coat hanging from a fence post. She understood that nonhumans process information in different ways—the coat’s position might trigger distant memories of something negative that occurred at the same time that they had seen this same situation, and thus signal danger forevermore. Many people who study animal behavior have used similar knowledge to explain why nonhumans do things that, to humans, fail to make sense.

My colleague and friend Chris Davis was once called to consult about a parrot that had, for no apparent reason, started plucking and acting fearful—the owner could not figure out why her bird had changed its behavior so dramatically and suddenly. After asking a number of questions and taking down the history of the bird, Chris was somewhat perplexed herself…until she heard the loud chiming of a grandfather clock in the room. Her next question was, “And when did you install the clock?” Not surprisingly, the parrot’s new stress-related behaviors coincided with the arrival of the bonging “monster.”

What’s Behind African Grey Griffin’s Poor Performance?

In a similar vein, we were recently faced with some unexpected and unacceptable behavior from Griffin—which had a relatively simple solution, once we figured out the issue! The background was that Griffin had succeeded on a very difficult new task, achieving 91% accuracy (see Figure). However, because his arthritis sometimes made movement on the testing perch painful, we had been repositioning the tray on which the stimuli sat during the trials, so he didn’t have to change his position as he performed the task.

Although the direction of the reposition was not consistent, an argument could be made that he had used the movement of the tray as a cue to direct his behavior and that he wasn’t actually solving the problem we had presented. We thus needed to redo the entire experiment, now without any repositioning—and hope that the various remedies for his arthritic pain were working sufficiently well that he could easily move on his own.

Of course, life is never all that simple, and between the original set and the repeat set of trials, we had to move the lab to a different apartment. We tried to replicate the position of the various pieces of equipment and the cages in the new space so that the birds would adjust to the move quickly and with as little stress as possible—although given the placement of windows and heating vents, that wasn’t exactly possible.

Different Bird’s Eye View, Different Results

Nevertheless, we thought we had done an ok job and started the trial repeats. Griffin, however, would not work. He was now failing miserably, clearly not attending to the stimuli. We thought it was his arthritis, but when we did some much simpler control trials requiring larger physical movements, he had no issues. We tried arranging the stimuli for the difficult task on the tray a bit differently, to no avail. My students were beginning to question my competence, thinking that I had indeed been cuing him on the first set of trials. But when I looked back at the videos taken in the earlier apartment, that did not make any sense; sometimes he needed no repositioning and he worked perfectly.

However, looking back at the videos made me realize something totally different that just might have been important. On the second set of trials, Griffin was situated so that his back was toward his fellow African grey Athena’s cage—he couldn’t comfortably keep track of her and of the stimuli at the same time—whereas in the first set of trials, Griffin faced to the side of her cage—so he could keep one eye on her and one eye on the stimuli. Could that be an issue?

During times when neither bird was working, he always seemed to be very aware of where she was. I seemed to remember, too, that sometimes when we were starting a trial on the second set, if Athena was squawking at the top of her lungs and I had a student take Athena off her cage and sit with her to the side to quiet her down, that Griffin was more likely to work in those cases. I hadn’t written all that down on the experimental log because I didn’t consider it important, but the recollection—fuzzy as it was—suggested that we should look into the possibility that the position of the two birds was critical.

So, the next time I was in lab, we rotated the experimental set-up 90°. Griffin performed flawlessly. Duh. We had spent months trying to figure out why Griffin could not replicate his initial accuracy, testing out all sorts of small experimental design changes, to no avail. However, looking at the larger picture—and seeing the world from Griffin’s point of view and taking into account his comfort zone and vision—made all the difference!

Avian Vet Insider: Passerines – A Lot of Bird in a Little Package

Webinar: Avian Vet Insider: Passerines — A Lot of Bird in a Little Package

Date: Friday, April 12, 2024

Time: 12 p.m. PDT (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

 

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Dr. Stephanie Lamb, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), will talk about the little birds! Finches, Canaries & More, oh my! These often-overlooked gems are the hidden treasures of pet birds. They are full of personality and enjoy many of the same things as parrots – just on a smaller scale. Most species will sing or chirp away and can be a great alternative for a person who can’t have a loud pet bird, or they can be a nice addition to your parrot flock. Dr. Lamb will discuss common diseases & health issues, as well as basic care, enrichment & diet in this insider’s view of the daily happenings at your Avian Vet’s clinic.

Register Now

 

Webinar: Ask the Vet With Dr. Tom Tully

Webinar: Ask the Vet with Tom Tully, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), DECZM (Avian)

Date: Friday, April 19, 2024

Time: 12:00 pm PDT (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity to have your pet bird’s health, nutrition, and care questions answered by Tom Tully, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), DECZM (Avian), a decorated professor and practicing veterinarian at Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine and an internationally known veterinarian who has earned specialties in Avian medicine in the United States and Europe. Dr. Tully brings unparalleled expertise to the table. During this free, live webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk and Birds USA magazines, Dr. Tully will provide detailed answers to questions from our webinar attendees, sharing his vast experience with birds, especially parrots. Get expert advice on your bird’s health, behavior, or diet from one of the world’s leading avian veterinarians, or learn from other’s questions. Ask the vet–Dr. Tully is here to help you become the best advocate for your feathered companion’s well-being!

Register Now

 

Webinar: A Look Back at the Phoenix Landing Wellness Retreat

Webinar: A Look Back at the Phoenix Landing Wellness Retreat

Date: Friday, April 26, 2024

Time: 12:00 p.m. PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Lisa Bono, CPBC, will report on the most recent Phoenix Landing Wellness Retreat held on April 6-7, 2024 in Asheville, NC. This unique meeting for pet bird owners offers lectures on many aspects of pet bird care. Lisa will discuss the speakers and topics and what goes on at a meeting like this, as well as why it is important for bird owners and professionals to continue learning through different avenues.

 

Register Now

 

Surprising Adaptations: Study Sheds Light On How City Birds Reacted to Covid-19

rose-winged parakeets, rose wings
Rose-winged parakeets were some of the birds observed in the study on birds’ habits when cities became empty during COVID lockdowns .
Photo by Sumeet Mishra on Unsplash

In a groundbreaking study during Covid-19 lockdowns, researchers from Tel Aviv University and Hebel Normal University used acoustic recorders to monitor the behavior of urban birds in the absence of human activity. The study focused on the hooded crow, rose-winged parakeet, and Prinea in Tel Aviv, revealing that human-dependent birds like crows and parakeets decreased their activity in empty parks; the shy prinia, on the other hand, increased its presence. The findings highlight the impact of human presence on urban wildlife and the importance of urban parks in providing habitats for various species. The study, which analyzed nearly 400,000 recordings over 3,200 hours, provides valuable insights into how birds adapt to changes in human activity, with human-dependent species following people to residential areas and the Prinia thriving in the absence of humans in parks.

Lockdowns Create Unique Study Environments

During the Covid-19 lockdown, many projects were begun that were often put on the back burner. There was time to use, and the lockdown prevented much of its use in the normal ways, usually outdoor activities. While many things were achieved during the Covid lockdown, they were largely done inside. Scientific communities became interested in how animals used to being in the company of humans, were impacted as humans moved indoors. This was especially true in urban settings. This time (start to finish of Covid lockdown) afforded researchers a rare opportunity to see how some animals reacted when the human element “disappeared.”

A combined study with Tel Aviv University (Israel), Hebel Normal University (China), and five researchers set out to monitor several species, including the hooded crow, the rose-winged parakeet, and the prinea. All these birds are quite adapted to human activity. In fact, the parakeet has grown to become dependent on humans for food. The prinia, an urban bird that eats insects, is typically shy of human activity.

Researchers used recorders placed around Tel Aviv to create acoustic recordings allowing for non-human interaction. 17 recorders were randomly placed in parks, residential areas, and along roads where humans were more active. What was discovered were realities that found dependent birds with decreased activity in empty parks, and the shy Prinia with increased activity in those same empty parks. The resulting discoveries were important for researchers to recognize the value of urban parks and how wildlife acts when humans are not around.

A Surprising Change In Birds’ Habits

Previously, such studies were undertaken with watchful eyes. The concern had become that with humans nearby, even their close presence would trigger activity by those creatures that like humans. The hidden recorders with zero human interference (the first of its kind) provided a realistic reality – absence. One interesting feature was that the birds became involved in the opposite of their usual habits, and other creatures who usually came out at night were more apt to explore the parks during the day. Interestingly, it was determined that the human-exploiting birds moved to where human activity was more likely, and the Prinia thrived without humans moving about.

Almost 400,000 recordings were evaluated (approximately 3200 hours’ worth) over the period of the mandated lockdowns. In the residential areas where human activity increased, human-dependent birds were now found more often, that is, where the food was more likely to be. In the empty parks, the prinia were found to be 12% more active than they had been in the past – still shy but less so. The crow became 50% less seen, and the parakeet was 90% less available.

Such studies are interesting as they show how creatures like the birds in this study will react to the absence of humans. While all the birds had adapted to human activity, it was the crow and the non-native parakeet that had become “friends” to humans, following them to where the humans were most likely to be.

You can read the study itself (here) for a more in-depth look at how it took shape and its fascinating takeaways.

Avian Thermometers – How Birds Regulate Body Heat Through Legs & Beaks

duck, mallard
Photo by Jacob Spaccavento on Unsplash

As our climate changes, concerns go not only to how humans will adapt but how Earth’s many creatures will equally adapt to the world around them. Their processes differ from ours in that they have no resources to help them acclimate. Instead, they move from location to location to keep as close to the temperature spreads that they’re comfortable with. If that all changes to models of climate that are not acceptable to birds, then what do they do; where do they go; and how do they adjust or adapt? All these questions are in active research as scientists and bird experts dig deep to discover how birds are handling the changes.

The Royal Society, in its Biology Letters section, has published a study by four researchers that looks at how birds effectively regulate heat loss. Birds’ feathers help them keep them warm. But to shed heat, it was known that they use their beaks. The beaks have no feathers but have veins within. This gives the birds optimal ability to reduce the heat that their feathered bodies cannot by regulating blood flows. Now, we also understand that the birds use their legs to do the same, but to a much greater extent than previously thought. In essence, birds can increase and restrict blood flow to their legs. They increase blood flow to dissipate heat in hot conditions; and restrict blood flow to conserve heat in cold conditions.

Thermal Imaging Unlocks Birds’ Heat Regulation Tricks

The study was undertaken from 2020 through 2023. Fourteen Australian bird species were closely studied with the use of high-resolution thermal camera imaging. Great care was taken to eliminate all manner of interference – accumulated data that were outside the range of the bird interactivity – to produce as precise an informative dataset for evaluation. Such things include if the bird was wet, wind speeds, and surrounding air temperatures impacted by solar heating. The goal was to isolate heat transfer and watch how the bird regulated heat for its own good and on its own initiative.

The collection of many thermal images provided a strong, clear look at how the bird was regulating temperatures. It was discovered that the birds have an active temperature control within the climate they are currently in. It was noted that the larger the bill and/or the legs, the greater the heat exchange. When the days got hotter, birds used their bill and their legs for adjustments. When the days were colder, the beaks shed the heat accumulated while the legs restricted heat loss to help maintain desirably warmer body temperatures.

The bird’s legs act as an effective “thermometer” that allows the bird to continually adjust its body’s temperature in as suitable a way as possible. It is theorized that if the temperatures in the changing climates continually get hotter, birds might evolve longer legs to help even further with their temperature control.

As always, the data is far more detailed than I have written for an article like this. You can get a greater understanding by visiting the actual study writings here.

NYC Mourns Its Celebrity Owl Flaco After Sudden Tragedy

Flaco the Eurasian Eagle-Owl, owl
Nan Knighton, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This bit of sad news concerning NYC’s Central Park resident, Flaco, cannot be avoided for several reasons. Chief among those is the high popularity status that Flaco enjoyed for the better part of a year. For those unaware of Flaco and his unique story, Lafeber published two articles. The first was when Flaco discovered freedom outside the enclosure at his home in Central Park Zoo. The second was a recent article celebrating his first year as a free owl in the beautiful Central Park region.

Unfortunately, not long after his one-year anniversary of freedom, news arrived that Flaco had hit a window and was severely incapacitated. He was rushed to veterinarian services, where the injury proved to be too severe. He died not long after being transported.

Flaco’s Unexpected Celebrity

The Eurasian eagle-owl was a daily view for many birding enthusiasts who walk Central Park just to appreciate the wildlife inside the rectangular steel and cement behemoth that is New York City. After Flaco’s escape and his wily avoidance of traps to recover him, Flaco became the toast of New York City as a celebrity owl. He had merchandise of all kinds with his likeness, a dedicated website, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) accounts.

He was also photographed frequently, usually every day. Those photos would often post to the popular Manhattan Bird Alert X account (here). In short, with every movement and destination Flaco attended to, he was noticeable and high profile. He was infinitely loved as the uncontested mascot of Central Park.

A City Mourns

Eurasian eagle-owl
A Eurasian eagle-owl, nicknamed Flaco, escaped his long-time enclosure at Central Park Zoo in New York City and took up residence in Central Park.Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

After his death, the world went into a kind of shock. News agencies reported on his death as if the world lost an essential cog within a kind of mechanical operation. Many memorials popped up inside Central Park, and bird sites flooded with memories of his visitations and appearance. The memorials are filled with notes and poems, artwork, flowers, stuffed owls and teddy bears, and other personal objects meant to loudly echo the growing loss felt by many.

A petition is being circulated to ask for a statue to be placed in Flaco’s honor. Additionally, a previously initiated bill crafted to require renovations to existing buildings to help birds from flying blindly into windows is being renamed Flaco’s Act. If ever the time existed to bring attention to this long-concerning issue, Flaco, alone, has multiplied the urgency for it.

An 8th Street mural featuring Flaco had been in the works by Calicho Arevalo and was completed on Saturday after the news of Flaco’s death was announced. To date, he has painted eight murals of Flaco throughout the city. He finds a deep connection to Flaco, who defied those who felt the owl could not survive Central Park all alone.

Flaco was determined to be as healthy as he could have ever been. His current weight equaled his last known weight while at the zoo. That’s our Flaco, who belonged to everyone, and to no one. NYC’s Mayor, Eric Adams, took to X to state, “We were saddened to hear about the passing of our neighbor Flaco, who captivated New Yorkers and reminded us of the beautiful wilderness that exists in our bustling urban landscape. Although he’s gone, his spirit will fly over NYC forever.”

Flaco represents what all of us yearn for and proved that, yes, you can excel. We mourn his demise and feel bad about the way his departure happened. We hope for better infrastructure to help protect our feathered friends.

Fly Free, Flaco.

New Study Dives Into The Reasons Why Parrots Dunk Their Food

A new study with Goffin’s cockatoos set out to discover why parrot’s dunk their food. Lee from Washington State, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It’s never been a secret that the human connection among animals exists. If you’re a bird lover – and you most certainly are – then this is not a secret to you, but rather, a full-blown reality. Nevertheless, science always tries to validate what many of us already know by close observation with specific testing procedures. The more tests undertaken, the more validation that birds are not as far from our own behavioral patterns. For this article, it’s the simple process of dunking bread into a liquid to improve its texture for consumption.

Why Do Birds Dunk Their Food?

In a mid-December publishing of a research paper in the Royal Society science journal, J. S. Zewald, and Alice Auersperg, both from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna in Austria began to test a theory of foraging innovations with in-house Goffin’s Cockatoos (which are often a bird that is observed due to their extreme intelligence). It has been noted that many animal species, including a wide range of birds, dunk their food in water before eating it. In the Goffin lab at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, the pair of scientists noticed that some of the cockatoos were taking their rusk (a twice-baked bread designed to achieve an extra-dried texture) and dunking them into water before eating the dried bread. The researchers set out to enhance some already known indicators of food innovations and brain-size correlations.

The report (here) states that many animals are not known to alter the textures of their food. It is a rare procedure, and so noting that the captive cockatoos were using such behavior became an exciting development to study. Not only is it interesting to see some species in active use of food innovation techniques, but it is also a pathway to understand better the development of the evolution of food preparation that begins in the brain. How does the brain work when a species decides that food could be altered for better enjoyment? This and other questions are under the scope of such studies, particularly this one.

More interesting are other questions that arise. Do the birds dunk to alter the texture for better consumption, or is it also a habit to clean the food before eating it? Have they discovered that dunking a bit of food into salt water (ocean) can add flavor to the morsel? The study also would like to look at the possibility that the birds soak up the food, and use it to transport water to another location, much like a sponge.

Cockatoo Dunkers

Prior to this study, three Goffin’s Cockatoos, Kiwi, Pipin, and Muki, were actively observed in the act of dunking their dry rusk before eating it. For this study, 18 Goffin’s Cockatoos were used for observation with different foods. For societal necessities, some of the birds were allowed the full roam of the aviary, while some were caged during the observations (due to pure societal orneriness). Breakfasts of egg, noodles, potatoes, or cauliflower with fruit and soy yogurt, and lunches of rusk, dried banana chips, dried coconut chips, corn flakes, dried apple pieces, and seeds were used primarily (dinners were not studied).

Of the 18 cockatoos, seven were active in dunking their food. Some interesting thoughts were ruled out (like flavoring, washing, and cleaning intents due to controlled availability). This study was concluded with the belief that the birds merely wanted to soften their food before eating. What was more interesting was that this behavior requires impulse control, a deliberate effort to move and treat food before consumption. It was also determined that it was possibly indicative of a preference for dry versus wet food among all 18 birds. Even so, the birds that dunked their food only did so with the dry rusk, and the banana and coconut chips. The rest of the food was eaten as is.

We enjoy bringing to you looks at current studies undertaken to understand birds (and other creatures) more fully. There are a lot of dots to connect, and science is slowly connecting some of those. The above study is the first of other studies planned to understand parrot foraging innovations behaviors better.

Webinar: The Grey Way: Greys & Hormones Live Q&A

Webinar: The Grey Way: Greys & Hormones Live Q&A

Date: Friday, March 8, 2024

Time: 12:00 p.m. PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Lisa Bono, CPBC, owner and operator of The Platinum Parrot and a certified parrot behavior consultant specializing in African grey parrots, presents Episode 25 of The Grey Way, a Lafeber Pet Birds Webinar Series focusing on Congo & Timneh African grey parrots as pets. In this episode, Lisa will revisit our annual March topic – Hormones – with the focus on African Greys. For a different approach, Lisa will field questions about hormonal Greys from the viewers! Lisa will focus on Grey-centric hormone concerns in this very important episode of The Grey Way.

 

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

Webinar: Translating Parrot: Hormonal Parrots – Just the Facts!

Webinar: Translating Parrot: Hormonal Parrots – Just the Facts!

Date: Friday, March 1, 2024

Time: 12:00 p.m. PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

 

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Pamela Clark, is a well-known author, speaker, IAABC CPBC & retired CVT. Pamela will present Episode 8 of Translating Parrot, a Lafeber Pet Birds Webinar Series focusing on Parrot Behavior & Wellness, based on Pamela’s years of experience with a wide range of parrot species. In this episode, Pamela will start our annual March discussion of parrots and how they are influenced by reproductive hormones. There is no doubt that these hormones set the stage for the development of behavior problems. This webinar will present new information about the triggers for these hormones in companion parrots and how to minimize them in your flock. Pamela’s advice will help you translate what your parrot wants & needs in the newest installment of this informative series!

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

Avian Vet Insider: The Pressures of Being a Parrot – Hormones Made Me Do It!

Webinar: Avian Vet Insider: The Pressures of Being a Parrot – Hormones Made Me Do It!

Date: Friday, March 15, 2024

Time: 12:00 pm PDT (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

 

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Dr. Stephanie Lamb, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice) and President of the Association of Avian Veterinarians, will revisit our annual March topic – hormones! Most behavior issues & many health issues for pet birds begin due to hormones. Dr. Lamb will discuss hormone-related issues and why parrots do what they do during hormone/breeding season. The twist? She will present the information from the parrot’s perspective in this insider’s view of the daily happenings at your Avian Vet’s clinic.

 

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

Webinar: Ask the Vet with Dr. Tom Tully

Webinar: Ask the Vet with Tom Tully, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), DECZM (Avian)

Date: Friday, March 22, 2024

Time: 12:00 pm PDT (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

 

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest Tom Tully, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), DECZM (Avian), will answer your questions about pet bird health, nutrition, and care. Dr. Tully, a decorated professor and practicing veterinarian at Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, is an internationally known veterinarian who has earned specialties in Avian medicine in the United States and Europe. Having this type of access to a veterinarian of his status is rare, but Dr. Tully believes in the educated bird owner as being the best bird steward. Dr. Tully answers each question in detail and shares his vast knowledge of birds, particularly parrots. Is your bird’s problem health-related or behavioral? Are you offering the right foods to your pet bird? Ask the Vet!

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

The Story of Dr. Pepperberg & Alex the African Grey Turned Into A Play!

 

African grey parrot, African grey, grey
Alex circa 2005

A play, called Beyond Words, will have its premiere in Cambridge, MA, in the middle of March. It is roughly based on the book, “Alex & Me”—thus it is a light fictionalization of my time with Alex. Many people have asked how I feel about the prospect of seeing myself and a person playing Alex on stage. It is a wee bit weird—but I’ve OK’ed the version that will be produced; I was also present for a ‘read through’ (no props, no costumes, no stage sets) in New York City two years ago—and the simple answer is that it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t completely trusted the playwright, Laura Censabella.

Alex & Me—New York Times best-seller

A bit of background…after the trauma of Alex’s death and the unrelenting media blitz, I immediately—and without fully thinking about what I was doing—agreed to begin working on a manuscript about a relationship I was only beginning to understand. By the time “Alex & Me” was completed, I was pretty much wrung out. Of course, it was absolutely thrilling to have a New York Times best-seller, but the emotional toll of the book tour and the need to figure out how to keep the lab going was almost more than I could handle.

In the ensuing years, I was approached several times by various people wanting permission to write a screenplay, and I couldn’t imagine acquiescing: I learned enough about the process to understand that no matter what agreements were signed, I would have little control over the final product, and that the goal was to make money for those who were funding the project—not to preserve Alex’s and my legacy or to remain true to our story. [Absolutely no offense intended to anyone involved…that’s just the way the world works.]

A Pitch For A Play

A number of years later, however, I was approached by Laura Censabella, who wanted to write a play—for the first time, I was intrigued. As a high school student in Queens, I grew up spending many weekends traveling to Manhattan to watch shows on Broadway—for example, amazing productions like Richard Burton’s Hamlet. I completely fell in love with theater; I knew how a live performance allows for stretches of imagination that can accomplish things impossible on screen.

Still, I was a bit hesitant—could this really work? Laura understood my concerns and invited me to watch her play Paradise—there she deftly wove together threads of science and diverse cultures. Her characters navigated very different sets of circumstances than mine, but they did so in ways in which their humanity was paramount, even when they made what the viewer might think were poor choices.

The play made me realize that she was the one person whom I could trust to portray my own chaotic life and the complicated, nuanced relationship I had with Alex. I was also thrilled with her plan that a person would play Alex. Although I had always been exceeding careful never to think of him nor ever to treat him as a “feathered human,” I realized that by having a human assume his persona, one might thereby have a glimmer of how Alex might have responded had he had the ability to fully express himself in the ways that humans do.

The Collaboration

Laura and I spent a lot of time discussing how to proceed. I had to accept that, on occasion, certain aspects of my life had to be exaggerated to provide a dramatic arc (for example, although I have had far more than my share of “me, too” experiences, I was never physically accosted as occurs in a scene in the play). I also knew that a 2-hour play could only touch on the highlights of Alex’s and my years together, and Laura and I agreed that we would make it absolutely clear that the play was only ‘based on’ “Alex & Me”: Viewers had to understand that that the play would not—and could not—be a literal depiction of my life with Alex, but that it would be as honest a representation as possible AND that the science parts would be absolutely correct.

Laura and I also completely agreed that Alex had to be a central character and that not only his intelligence but also his personality showed through….what, at least in humans, would be considered a kind of wit and even his occasional ‘snarkiness’ had to be clearly depicted. When I saw the first version of the play that Laura was willing to share, I was thrilled…Alex came completely alive! I also must note that I wish that I had actually said some of the lines used by my character—Laura expressed my emotions and meaning better than I actually did in real life!

So, yes, it is a kind of ‘meta’ experience to see actors depict close approximations of oneself and of the important people in one’s life…and, for example, to see a particular character represent a distillation of many folks rather than a specific individual…but I think the end product is worth any discomfort I might experience.

As I write in the program notes:  “In sum, my hope is that the play enables viewers to value and understand Alex’s legacy fully and to recognize the importance of the work we did together: to appreciate the intelligence of the other beings with whom we share the planet, to conserve endangered species like Grey parrots, to recognize that the techniques that enabled me to teach him can be adapted for use with humans with communicative disabilities, to understand that misogyny still needs to be addressed, and most of all, to be open to the possibility that paradigm shifts and what might initially seem like outrageous ideas can further our knowledge in amazing ways.”

One Year Out, Flaco is Still Central Park’s Resilient Owl About Town

Last year, a dramatic escape occurred at New York City’s famed Central Park from what is a stop of renown, the Central Park Zoo. On February 2 of 2023, vandals had cut into the enclosure that housed a Eurasian Eagle Owl, who saw an opportunity to find freedom by escaping the enclosure. He roamed the “wilds” of Central Park as the zoo tried every trick in the book to recapture the large apex predator. They feared that the owl would be unable to adapt having lived within an enclosure since 2010.

But as fate would have it, the owl avoided every set means of capture and found Central Park and its metal surroundings to be quite the allure of staying free. Eventually, the zoo realized that the owl was surviving quite nicely and called off every effort to reacquire him. Their intent became to simply watch out for him in a different setting. If he showed any signs of distress, then they would begin anew in their efforts to recapture him. It never became necessary.

Park Life Suits Him

The owl, warmly known as Flaco, became a subject of interest to anyone who knew of his existence within the park. (We published an article detailing the breakout and Flaco’s subsequent orientation within the beautiful Central Park – read here.) Flaco is a daring owl that has thrived on his own, overcoming all concerns by experts. Flaco is clearly Central Park’s singular celebrity as his is regularly photographed by many who look for him…and many who are surprised by his arrival. Over the course of the last year, Flaco has flourished by spending his time of adventure in areas that seem unlikely for him. NYC is a place of strength and requires the same to live within its borders. Flaco has shown its residents that he has plenty of that mettle to call the city his home.

The well-known X (once known as Twitter) account – Manhattan Bird Alert (here) has paid more than close attention to the actions of Flaco over 2023 with photos and announcements of his comings and goings. News agencies still occasionally recount various locations that Flaco likes to frequent. He has visited a surprising number of courtyards and balconies in the Upper West Side of Manhattan and has stayed for a time in some of those places. He even likes flying along Fifth Avenue as the NYPD have reported. But he always makes it back to Central Park, safe and sound.

An industry has grown because of Flaco that includes paintings, murals, tee shirts, mugs, and other works of appreciable art. There is a static web address dedicated to him that has yet to produced content, and a dedicated X account that monitors his daily movements (here).

Flaco has put to rest all fears and concerns that he might ever be subject to the harshness of the wild. He has easily dispelled all those concerns by staying quite visible and loudly vocal (with his hoots) throughout 2023. Photos and videos are still taken of him daily and posted on X, FB, and other social media sites.

Flaco has learned to survive on his own after more than a decade of being cared for by zoo officials. His survival story over the year has underscored his intelligence and determination. The world has its collective eyes on you, Flaco!

Building Design Can Guide Birds to Safer Skies

Swainson's Thrush, song bird
Migrating songbirds like the Swainson’s Thrush are at the highest risk of building collisions.
TonyCastro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The tragedy of bird migration deaths has become a top-desk issue over the last few years. During migration birds of many species fall victim to lights and therefore crash into tall buildings. Fortunately, some cities along the greatest migratory pathways have opted to extinguish lights so that the birds do not become drawn to them unnecessarily.

But even so, birds crash into tall buildings in window collisions that happen outside migration season. The frightful fact compiled by the Chicago Bird Collisions Monitors puts the deaths as high as an eventful billion birds—annually. That is a horrible number of deaths that – on the surface – seems unfortunate due to the need for buildings. This Chicago group goes out daily during the early morning hours to locate injured birds and get them the recuperative help they need. But they are also involved in studies to help change this unnerving number of deaths.

Built With Birds In Mind

As a result of such devastation to our birds, the responsible ethics of the architectural design industry have begun to recognize the need to create more bird-friendly buildings with innovative designs. Chicago has become a standard bearer with such interest. In 2009, The 82-story Aqua Building, architecturally designed by Jeanne Gang, was erected with the purpose of preventing birds from flying into its windows.

It introduced ink-printed glass that contains ground-up glass in a design known as fritted glass. This glass provides an opaque appearance that discourages birds from flying toward it. Additionally, the building was constructed without straight elements. For example, the balconies are outfitted with wavy features that give a natural appearance to them. The forethought put into the Aqua Building’s design gives birds the natural ability to avoid collision.

The built-in fritted glass discourages reflections that confuse birds. What we have with the Aqua Building is a unique construction with its unusual wavy appearance that is also hard at work within its design to avoid bird deaths.

Building Esthetics That Save Birds

The Aqua Building is not the only attempt being made to create bird-friendly buildings. Others are being designed with birds in mind, specifically to help birds avoid the necessary structures. In many cases, there is lower-level collision avoidance being thought out by planting foliage in front of glass. This foliage encourages birds to land on the limbs rather than be distracted and fly directly into the window. Another trick is to mark windows so that the glass is visible to birds as something to avoid. Art designs discourage birds and are useful for alerting the creatures before they make a fatal mistake.

Other windows have dot appliques applied as a deterrent. Many buildings that use this technique have found that bird deaths have significantly decreased. Other cities have employed the use of artwork and etching on glass to help birds recognize the potential danger in front of them. We have an alert group of forward thinkers concerned about bird impacts that only seems to be growing more thoughtful and fruitful with their designs.

Moving forward, it is hoped that as more buildings are constructed, the designs will be modified to help steer birds away from their windows rather than become death traps. There are now many cities that are thinking about birds. For this, we are immeasurably grateful.

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Always Have a Back-Up Plan for Cold Weather!

African grey parrot; African grey, grey parrot
African grey Griffin, Courtesy Dr. Irene Pepperberg

The recent storms here in New England have not been the most serious we’ve ever experienced, but they certainly remind us of the need to have emergency backup plans…something that EVERYONE should have—not only for themselves, but for their companion animals!

At my home, I have a backup generator for electricity, which worked perfectly when my power went out last Saturday (thankfully for only an hour). I also have multiple space heaters that worked perfectly while I waited for my contractor to appear to take care of the failure of my heating system this morning. I’m extremely lucky to have terrific neighbors who can help out if necessary. However, the welfare of my parrots is my greatest concern.

When we were at various universities, our options were somewhat simple. Our parrots were usually in facilities that had backup generators. The lab managers always had electronic alerts, so that they could respond appropriately—mostly by calling the building managers to find out when things would get back to normal, or possibly to “sound the alarm” themselves, or, in a worst-case scenario, get to the lab to deal with the issues.

I or some students lived close enough nearby that if a short-term evacuation was necessary, we could deal with whatever happened fairly easily. Even when the universities were technically shut down for various weather events, there were always on-campus students who could hike to the lab quickly to make sure the birds had care. [The COVID evacuation was clearly different, and I won’t go into the horrible mess that was…let’s just say that thanks to a bunch of folks who really, really cared, we survived very nicely!]

Now that the parrots are in an apartment, life is a bit more complicated. The alerts for the lab managers are even more critical, as we learned last week. Our senior lab manager was awoken at about 5 a.m., with an alarm alerting them to dropping temperatures. They headed directly into the lab, to find that what seemed to be the WHOLE building (about 30 apartments) was without power and, thus, without heat. Further investigation showed that, out of the ENTIRE space, the ONE room that still had electricity was that in which Griffin and Athena resided! Even the rest of our apartment was not spared.

We couldn’t believe our amazing luck, and promptly set up bird-safe space heaters. We also made sure that someone was always overseeing the equipment through the 12 hours it took to restore power and heat. We were able to keep the temperature to within about 2 degrees of optimal. But that made us really aware of the need for multiple backup plans. As you will see, multiple was and is the critical word! What if we hadn’t been so lucky?

Plan 1

As a backup, Dr. Pepperberg could use her two-bird backpack (which also has a fleece cover, not pictured) to keep her African greys warm if the electricity goes out during a cold snap.

Our first plan, of course, was the one we were able to use: Stay in place and deal with the problem. Note that we have an insulated backpack (see image) that could also have kept the birds warm for a while. Also, the birds are trained to get into that backpack quickly and without a fuss, just in case time is of the essence.

But we also had other plans, assuming that we needed to evacuate. Our evacuation Plan 1 is to bring the birds to the home of the RA who lives nearby and who housed them during COVID. But she and her husband are on sabbatical this year in NYC.

Plan 2

On to Plan 2: To bring the birds to the apartment of another local research associate. But she is in the U.K. for several months (although we were able to contact her easily, and she would have quickly arranged access to her apartment had it proved necessary). Other folks either live too far away or have housing conditions (too many roommates, pets, etc.) that would have made it impossible to move the birds there.

Plan 3

We realize that we now needed a Plan 3: So, we are trying to find nearby and not-so-nearby hotels that would allow birds (not as easy as you might imagine—“pet-friendly” hotels understand dogs and cats, but often balk when you talk about a bird—and a local spot might also be lacking power).

When you read the news—hurricanes and floods, tornados, wildfires, record-breaking hot and cold temperatures, for example—being a wee bit scared and very proactive is clearly the way to live. A twist on the financial saying “past performance is no guarantee of future results” would seem to be something to take to heart with respect to conditions that require planning for the safety of ourselves and our companion animals.

Lafeber’s Global Parrot Conservation Spotlight January 2024: The Sun Conures of Guyana

sun conure, sun parakeet
A sun conure hangs from a tree branch. Photo courtesy of One Earth Conservation

Sun conures are a very popular pet due to their size and wide availability. But we are only recently learning more about their wild nature and behaviors. The only place to see wild sun parakeets (Aratinga solstitialis) is primarily near the village of Karasabai in the country of Guyana. There are more sun parakeets in Brazil but they are difficult to see because they are in Indigenous Territories where entrance by visitors is heavily restricted. By the way, small to medium-sized birds with long tails are referred to as parakeets in South America.

Guyana is a small country just north and east of Brazil and east of Venezuela. It is considered part of the Commonwealth Caribbean (which includes the English-speaking islands, Belize, and Guyana). Guyana is an indigenous term that means “Land of Many Waters.” It also has one of the largest unspoiled rainforests, mostly because it does not have modern transportation and cannot be easily traveled, except by the people who live in the forest.

An IUCN map of the sun conure’s range

In 2021, the sun parakeet was listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species with an estimated remaining population between 1000-2499. The sun parakeet is possibly even extinct in a substantial part of its former range. The threats are the usual ones – livestock ranching, farming, logging, and trapping. The sun parakeet was heavily trapped and exported in the 1970s and 1980s. While trapping of the sun parakeet is illegal in Guyana and Brazil now, it still goes on, especially for markets in Malaysia and Asia. Its range has been severely reduced in Guyana. There used to be tens of thousands in the savannah and now they are only left in Karasabai.

The sun parakeet is mostly observed in the hilly and mountainous areas, but it often feeds in forested valleys. The parakeet rangers have documented 15 different species of plants that they eat, the most common is monkey brush which has brilliant yellow and red flowers (the perfect camouflage!). According to several studies in the 1980s, including references from the famed Joseph Forshaw, they also eat a variety of wild seeds and fruits, especially Melastomataceous flowering plants in the flooded forests. This parakeet is usually found in small community flocks, but very little has been known about its breeding, nesting, and migratory behaviors until recently.

In September 2022, Dr. LoraKim Joyner from One Earth Conservation journeyed to Karasabai, Guyana along with representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). These agencies were able to help with advice and some grant support through the USAID Caribbean Grant program. Especially helpful, the USFS led a tree-climbing workshop so that local rangers could learn to search out this conure’s tree and nest cavities for the first time.

First conservation climb to sun keet cavity; only trappers had traversed this tree before

In March 2023, the newly trained parakeet rangers of Karasabai climbed their first active sun parakeet nests. Since so little has been known about the species in the wild, this was the start of intensive observation and data collection. It turns out the ecology of sun parakeets varies greatly from other South American parrots like macaws and Amazons. For example, unlike most parrots, it roosts and nests in the same tree cavity. So, if you see a sun parakeet in a tree cavity, it does not mean it is an active nest with chicks, it may just be used for sleeping. Many suns can come and go from the same cavity, making it hard to know if the same birds are involved, or if an individual has a variety of roosting sites and companions. As of October 2022, 37 cavities had been identified, 15 were confirmed to be for roosting only. The other 22 were potential nesting cavities. There are now 59 confirmed cavities based on recent observations.

sun conure, sun parakeets
Multiple adults and younger sun conures in one cavity (photo by Andrew Albert)

The sun parakeet normally has a 9-week breeding cycle. It has recently been determined that they have eggs or chicks in the cavities between January and October. Active nests also include parakeets of varying ages – fledglings, juveniles, eggs, chicks, and often multiple adults. There seems to be a community, with females mating or being fed by more than one male and even juveniles feeding younger birds. They appear to be cooperative breeders with likely extra-pair couplings. But we just don’t know for sure! There is an ongoing DNA study in Karasabai.  Clearly there is much more to learn about this loud and beautiful parrot in the wild, given its community attributes and unusual breeding patterns.

Karasabai

This month’s Lafeber grant goes to support the Karasabai local rangers through One Earth Conservation. You can learn more about their good works here: https://www.oneearthconservation.org/sun-parakeet

 

Ultimate Avian Artworks? Lego® Macaw Build Kits Offer Fun & Decor

The LEGO® Macaw Parrots building set is part of its Fauna Collection.

Lego has a magnificent history of releasing interesting new build sets featuring many facets of popular culture. Their colorful and innovative connecting bricks have covered things from fantasy elements, historical structures, creatures, flowers, and so many other ideas as to lose track of the coverage of them all. We had previously reported on a beautiful 3 in 1 parrot bird for kids that contained 253 bricks in an easy-to-assemble set (read that here). That set also allowed for the building of a frog, and a fish using the same bricks set, however the mood struck for the day. To entertain kids further, the set even allowed for movement in a rotating body. But now it’s the adults’ turn.

A more complex package was announced back in the fourth quarter of 2023 that seemed to take forever to confirm. But when it was confirmed, it was to announce the immediate release of a new Macaw Parrots box. The set is available within the expansive Fauna Collection and will feature Macaw Parrots in a set that can hang on the wall after building. With homes containing all kinds of artwork on walls, this beautiful set can help express the love of parrots in these two gorgeous Lego builds. One is of a yellow Macaw with green coloring that sits on a flowering branch; the other is a Pink and Green Macaw in flight with wings beautifully spread.

What’s In The Box

The Macaw Parrots set will contain 644 Lego bricks, which means the build won’t be a fast one. These builds do not stand on their own and are purposely designed to be presented on your wall after their creation. The yellow macaw is over 16 inches in height after it is built, and the in-flight pink macaw is over 13.5 inches in height after building.

The included instructions cover two methods of building the set. The first method is the solitary one for those who find comfort and personal satisfaction in self-building. The other is designed for the social experience that involves bringing others into the fun. All in all, the results will be wonderfully your own.

Eye-Catching Wall Art

Lego parrot
This LEGO® building set lets you create your own gorgeous, frameless piece of parrot art.

What’s even better is that the two parrots can be uniquely displayed with other creative and expressive art that complements these Lego creations. You can dress up your wall (or aviary) with a wide variety of ideas with these parrots as centerpieces.

The model number for this Fauna Collection package is 31211. It can be purchased directly from Lego (here), where you can earn points for future purchases (and we know that there will be other bird sets…eventually). They can also be purchased from the king of online sales – US Amazon (here); UK Amazon (here). The price for the US market is $59.99, while the UK price sits at £44.09.

We hope that if building this set is your wish, you will enjoy a fully immersive experience with your set and its subsequent unique display. Feel free to send us your photos afterward. We’d love to see your creation!

Webinar: Phoenix Landing 2024 Wellness Retreat – A “Can’t Miss” for Bird Owners!

Webinar: Phoenix Landing 2024 Wellness Retreat – A “Can’t Miss” for Bird Owners!

Date: Friday, February 2, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

 

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guests, Dr. Susan Orosz & Ann Brooks, will discuss the upcoming Phoenix Landing Wellness Retreat, which will take place April 6 – 7, 2024 in Asheville, NC. This unique meeting for pet bird owners offers lectures on many aspects of pet bird care. Ann will discuss the speakers and topics and what goes on at a meeting like this, as well as why it is important for bird owners and professionals to continue learning through different avenues. Dr. Susan Orosz will tell us how the idea for this special learning opportunity came about and how it became a place for learning from experts in the field as well as fellow bird owners. If you want to register to go to the retreat, please visit https://www.phoenixlanding.org/retreat.html

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

Webinar: Species Spotlight On The Patagonian Conure With Dr. Lamb

Webinar: NEW SERIES! Species Spotlight: The Patagonian Conure – Special Time 11AM PST

Date: Friday, February 9, 2023

Special Time: 11:00 am PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Dr. Stephanie Lamb, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), will launch a brand-new series, Species Spotlight! This recurring series will feature guest speakers talking about their experiences seeing parrots in the wild. Observations of wild parrots can give us clues to the behavior of our pet birds. In this first episode, Dr. Lamb will talk about her recent trip where she had the opportunity to see Patagonian Conures in the wild. She will talk about the wild conures and show pictures. She will also discuss this bird as a pet and touch on their checkered past when they were imported from the wild. This episode will feature a bonus species at the end – one that is very rare in captivity now. Be sure to join us to learn about the Patagonian Conure and the Mystery species in their natural habitat!

 

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

Webinar: Translating Parrot: Finding a Reputable Bird Breeder

Webinar: Translating Parrot: Finding a Reputable Bird Breeder

Date: Friday, February 16, 2024

Time: 12:00 pm PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Pamela Clark, is a well-known author, speaker, IAABC Certified Parrot Behavior Consultant & retired CVT. Pamela will present Episode 7 of Translating Parrot, a Lafeber Pet Birds Webinar Series focusing on Parrot Behavior & Wellness, based on Pamela’s years of experience with a wide range of parrot species. In this episode, Pamela will discuss how to choose a responsible bird breeder. Adopting from a shelter is a great choice for many people, but it’s also important to support ethical parrot breeders. Pamela will explain what makes a good bird breeder and the steps you can take to find one. As a former breeder herself, Pamela will give us an inside look at the world of parrot breeding.

 

 

Webinar: Ask the Vet with Dr. Tom Tully

Webinar: Ask the Vet with Tom Tully, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), DECZM (Avian)

Date: Friday, February 23, 2024

Time: 12:00 pm PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

 

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest Tom Tully, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), DECZM (Avian), will answer your questions about pet bird health, nutrition, and care. Dr. Tully, a decorated professor and practicing veterinarian at Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, is an internationally known veterinarian who has earned specialties in Avian medicine in the United States and Europe. Having this type of access to a veterinarian of his status is rare, but Dr. Tully believes in the educated bird owner as being the best bird steward. Dr. Tully answers each question in detail and shares his vast knowledge of birds, particularly parrots. Is your bird’s problem health-related or behavioral? Are you offering the right foods to your pet bird? Ask the Vet!

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

 

Study Explores The Brain Pathways Of Parrots’ Vocal Abilities

Amazon parrot
Amazon parrot. Photo by Jon Leclainche on Unsplash

As science grows smarter and more sophisticated, the study of many things becomes much more in-depth. We are now not only able to discover new and interesting reality traits, but science has further evolved to a point that allows for it to expand heavily on newfound pathways for our accumulated knowledge base. This will take us further into exciting new territory as we learn how we all link together, and how we can connect the unconnected. For parrots, we know well their immense vocal capabilities. We know that they can mimic many sounds.

In a recent new study, Zhilei Zhao, a Klarman Fellow in neurobiology and behavior in the Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences, knew that the rarity of ability for articulated words, phrases, and the retainment of them are limited to a few species – some whales, dolphins, birds, and humans. His interest was in the brain of the parrot and how it works to allow for such a magnificent feat. For this study, he used parakeets as the model for the brain’s involvement in vocal learning.

The mystery is in how certain regions of the brain work to create vocalizations and effectively use those to produce a communicative result. While the human species is still in ongoing studies, the pathways used by parrots and songbirds to create vocal patterns and use them are of interest. The study looks closely at Anterior Forebrain Pathways (AFP), and Posterior Forebrain Pathways (PFP) – essentially the front and rear of the forebrain itself and their essential roles in the production of usable vocalization (sound) and acoustic structure (how wave motion produces sound).

Differences Between Songbirds & Parrots

What has been discovered is that songbirds and parrots both have distinctly utilized vocal learning capabilities, they have two different pathways in that learning. We recognize that the songbird itself learns a song in its juvenile stage and doesn’t learn much afterward. They use both the PFP and the AFP regions of the forebrain to produce different results. By inactivating the AFP region, acoustic structure was degraded in both the parrot and the songbird. Parrots, along with humans, actively use both the AFP and PFP regions to learn a continuous stream of new vocalizations as they grow. However, isolation of the PFP in parrots degraded their acoustic structure whereas, in songbirds, it did not.  This can help us understand more how parrot and human brains use certain unique pathways to learn and communicate more effectively.

Zhilei Zhao is also working on creating an AI that will help analyze parrot sounds and form pattern recognition and predictive capabilities. Soon enough, we may come to discover just what parrots are talking about among themselves and individually.

The study itself is a complexity to the layman trying to understand how parrots create the amazing vocals they do. But as science advances and more studies are undertaken, we will eventually come to a full realization of how we fully develop and communicate by way of the brain. The fact that humans, parrots, and many other living things can communicate at all is an amazing feature of nature. The more we know about this, the better we will be able to harness communication and enhance it for greater things.

In past work, Zhilei Zhao was heavily involved in discovering what triggered the mosquito to zero in on a human. His work translated into amazing breakthroughs in genetics and chemistry as well as the model of neuroscience. His work resulted in a vast understanding of the mosquito smell system that will produce better momentum in further studies.

Green Jays Venture From the Tropics

green jay
A Green Jay perches on a branch on a cloudy summer day at the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Reserve in the Rio Grande Valley of Southern Texas.
Photo by Mark Olsen on Unsplash

We’re fondly aware of our well-known and much-loved blue jay. They’re commonly found in the Eastern regions of North America. Its array of stained-glass-like blues and whites on its body along with the familiar blue crest makes it a bird of extra note in the wild. Its cousin, the Stellar’s jay found in the western regions of the U.S. is as distinctive and pleasant to look at as its cousin. Both birds are plentiful and not with concern for depletion. Of course, there are several birds included within the jay family, but they aren’t as vibrantly colored and remembered as readily. But there is one that we are typically unaware of simply because they live further south within Mexico and Central America. This is the green jay.

Green Jays on the Move

The green jay has only previously been spotted as far north as the deep south of Texas bordering Mexico. As the green jay is a non-migratory species, it is realized that it is perfectly satisfied with its resident locations where it thrives. These beautiful birds are highly recognizable for their yellow-white feathers, and the patch of dark blue on their heads. Their upper regions are a deep green color, with their belly regions colored lighter green. But something curious is occurring. They seem to be moving north a bit.

eBird, an online database that monitors and catalogs birds and tracks sightings of those birds has recently updated with the news that the green jay has been sighted in San Antonio and other more northern towns. It appears that they’re liking the developing softer winters that are now common inside southern Texas. It likely reminds them of the home they have typically lived in so…why not a new spot, a new home. Right? Humans do it all the time.

Even more fascinating is the recent sighting of a possible hybrid of a blue jay and a green Jjay. Sighted within the confines of San Antonio, the odd bird was at a feeder and captured by a graduate student from Austin for closer genetic study. It has been photographed and posted with interest. And so, it seems that the blue jay is checking out the southern regions of the U.S. more than they previously have. And with that, it is inevitable that the two birds would come into contact eventually.

Climate Driving Relocations?

As climate change occurs, many instances of relocation occur naturally as tantalizing discoveries for the birds. They begin to find suitable habitats in which to start fresh. With our exponentially growing interests in birdwatching, and the development and fast growth of technologies enabled to mark these occurrences, we’re finding rapid change within every facet of the natural world. Like humans, birds are learning to adapt within a broader stage that suits their needs. If it begins to get too hot in one place, and the climate has provided a suitable location elsewhere nearby, the birds will take advantage of it to survive.

Those green jays are beautiful and a new addition to my lexicon.

Family Discovers Young Owl in Christmas Tree

owl caught in Christmas tree
A Kentucky family was startled to learn that an owl was found in their Christmas tree! Surely the owl was startled to find itself indoors.

Christmas holidays bring a rush of traditional joys that many in the world love to undertake. Things like decorating the house, hanging lights, and placing larger, usually lit things in the yard that highlight the timespan, fill spaces until there’s nothing but a happy holiday feeling in the air. And then there’s the tree.

The Christmas tree is a symbol of the holiday that is celebrated in many corners worldwide. These trees are usually pines or firs that give off a highly recognizable and much-loved smell contributing to the time of year. Historically, the tree originated back in the 16th century in Europe. It is said to have been Martin Luther who lit the first tree.

A Kentucky family recently purchased their annual Christmas tree. Before Thanksgiving, the chosen tree was packed and sent to the family by a corner tree lot located close to home. Soon, it was set up in the Lexington family’s house, and decorated per their family tradition.

Check the Tree

Four days after the tree was delivered and decorated, a family friend was in the house to clean the carpets when he noticed movement inside the tree. Curious, he looked closer at the tree and saw a small owl sitting on a lower limb. As he reached for it, the owl moved up and disappeared into the interior of the tree. After a few minutes of search and discovery, the friend was able to eventually extract the baby owl, take photos of it, text those photos to the family, and then release the young owl outside in the backyard which opens up to a nice, wooded location with a creek running through it.

The family was in disbelief that the bird could have gone unnoticed for as long as it had. They have three dogs and not one of them noticed something communing within the tree, simply hanging out. The family was quite active in the room where the tree was placed during the four days the owl went undetected. A short TikTok video made by one of the family chronicles the moment.

According to the family friend who released the baby owl, it flew straight up into the trees in the wooded area. The area strengthens the belief that the owl could well make the new location its home. It was likely inside the tree when the tree was originally cut and transported to the tree lot.

This isn’t the first owl to find itself caught in a Christmas tree. In 2020, an owl was discovered tucked into the base of the massive spruce tree selected to be the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. The Northern Saw-whet Owl, nicknamed “Rocky” was presumably in the tree when it was cut down near Oneonta and transported to Manhattan.

The Holidays Bring A New Animated Film To The Screen With “Migration”

“Migration” hits theaters on December 22.

Birds have had an exciting time of it at the movies. Over the years, birds and others have been featured in TV series (Fred the Cockatoo in Baretta, for one). More interesting is the array of animated films featuring birds. There have been a lot. These include bird-centric films like “Rio” (2011), and its successful follow-up, “Rio 2” (2014); two “Happy Feet” films about penguins (2006, 2011), “Yellowbird” (2014), and “Birds Like Us” (2016).

This only name-checks a couple of classics. These films all come with wonderful messages tucked inside of them about growth and discovery, are aimed at both kids and adults and are beautiful labors of love to watch on the big screen and at home. So, why not do it again?

A Tale of Migrating Through Life

Illumination Studio has released a new animated film for the holidays called “Migration.” The movie follows a family of ducks as they migrate from New England to the warmer clime of Jamaica. The kids encourage the father to let go and create the vacation of a lifetime. Reluctant at first, Dad decides to go ahead and do it. But as these films will have it, dilemmas present themselves to be solved. The family of ducks introduced in “Migration” will find themselves off course, lost, and stopping over inside New York City. As they scurry to find themselves, they meet friends along the way and learn quickly to expand their own thinking for survival in a necessary process of maturing.

As the ducks advance within the movie, they develop enduring friendships in the craziest and unlikeliest places imaginable. They end up with a stronger set of tools, in which to (if you’ll forgive the pun) migrate through life.

“Migration” is voiced by an amazing ensemble of actors that includes Danny DeVito, Elizabeth Banks, Carole Kane, Keegan Michael-Keen, and Awkwafina. Along with the state-of-the-art production of the animated visual display, and the excellent life lessons within, “Migration” adds to a still-growing library of first-run movies that feature birds in the central plot.

Birds are resourceful and enigmatic creatures that can do amazing things. This is not lost on storytellers and animators looking to interest a world of kids to amazing sights within a storyline that instructs and encourages.

“Migration” is planned for the Christmas holiday of 2023 opening in theaters worldwide on December 22. Children are learners and the lessons in this film will percolate within their young minds.

You can view the official trailer here.

 

 

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Technology & Companion Animals

blue-and-gold macaws in outdoor habitat
Do piped-in soundtracks at zoos affect the animals?
Photo by Nikola Johnny Mirkovic on Unsplash

Recently, I edited a special issue of the journal Interaction Studies on the subject of animal -computer interfaces. The papers centered on dogs and birds, only because two of the promised papers on, respectively, dolphins and apes failed to materialize. (Yes, editing a journal issue or a book is a bit like herding cats.)

The published papers range from discussing some of the history of animal-computer interfaces, to the importance of taking the various animals’ sensory and physical perspectives into account, to a study examining the use of a computer system to interact with dogs. I found the first set of issues particularly intriguing, especially as they might apply to parrots as our companions—are we always doing the best thing for them when we introduce some form of technology into their lives?

The Tech Affect

I want to begin with some of the history, starting with Skinner (1938) and his ‘boxes’ and work on what was labeled ‘operant conditioning’…a way to teach nonhumans to perform certain actions and refrain from others based on the concepts of reward and punishment.

A subject, somewhat food-deprived, would be placed in a box, devoid of anything but a few computer keys; if, for example, it saw a red light and then learned to press the red rather than the green key (i.e., learned “match-to-sample”), it got some pellets; if it pressed the green key, it could hear an unpleasant sound instead.

Notably, Skinner’s techniques and boxes weren’t truly ‘interfaces’ directly designed for the nonhuman subject—that is, something that was innovated for the sole sake of the user/subject, that improved the subject’s well-being, that situated the subject as an eager participant—but rather were mere advances in engineering that enabled humans to efficiently manipulate the subject’s actions to perform a given task and, most importantly, were all for the sake of the human (i.e., to get data).

I am not going to disabuse the importance of such techniques, because they have been adapted and are extremely efficient in training certain basic behavior patterns (e.g., something like getting your bird to ‘climb’ on command, or other simple label-object/action associations). But as I have written extensively elsewhere (Pepperberg, 2021), such training has limitations, as it cannot teach underlying cognitive concepts (e.g., that labels are symbols that can be manipulated and created and used in various non-trained ways for communication); observational learning is far more important for this latter type of instruction. Clearly, scientists—and pet owners—have come a long way since Skinner, based on our knowledge of the physical and psychological abilities and needs of our nonhuman subjects, but several articles in the special issue remind us that we still have a long way to go.

Creating “Soundscapes”

parrot chick
Studies show that birds who hear their mothers’ vocalizations pre-hatching can, post-hatching, distinguish their mothers’ vocalizations from those of other birds of the same species. Photo by Mariano Mollo on Unsplash

One specific article, by Kleinberger (2023), brings our attention to the sound environment—or the absence thereof—in which various nonhumans, particularly birds, live. She makes us realize that we are often oblivious to what is important for avian well-being. I provide a few examples, with my own comments, below. (BTW…no stranger to animal-computer interfaces, Kleinberger was also involved in designing the ZOOM-like communication system I discussed in an earlier blog.)

She describes a study in which she and colleagues arranged for maternal sounds to be piped into incubators so that birds still in the egg could hear the same sounds as they would if they were raised under their mother in a nest. Other studies have shown that birds who hear their mothers’ vocalizations pre-hatching can, post-hatching, distinguish their mothers’ vocalizations from those of other birds of the same species. These studies introduce a serious issue: When we raise parrot chicks in what are essentially soundproof incubators, are we preventing some important developmental stage (e.g., sound pattern recognition) from occurring? We have no idea, and Kleinberger presents the technology that may help us discover that information.

She also looks at the soundscape to which nonhumans are exposed in places like zoos, but that could have relevance for our companion parrots. Just think for a moment of a zoo you might have visited, where environmental designers decided that having various continuous (often blaring) ‘theme park’ sounds provide a cheery background for patrons, to enhance their mood and encourage them to remain longer, maybe to stay and eat a meal or purchase souvenirs.

A human visitor, however, spends a relatively short time in the zoo. Can you imagine having to listen to such sounds hour after hour, day after day, for your entire life? What if zookeepers decide to pipe in what they believe are natural sounds from the wild to make the experience seem more realistic…but what happens if sounds that are chosen inadvertently contain those of predators or alarm calls that provoke anxiety and fear?

Kleinberger discusses these situations, and I bring them up because I know that some people turn on a radio or TV when leaving their homes, so that the bird will not be ‘alone’…but might such a soundscape really be soothing? Might something come on that causes anxiety or fear? Might the bird spend much of the time calling for their human companions, thinking that they are present? Maybe a well-curated playlist that is constantly being updated—and over which the bird has some control over its presentation—would be more appropriate? Kleinberger discusses a form of this type of technology as well.

Clearly, humans know from their own interactions with technology that it can be a great assistant or present serious problems. We need to extend that knowledge to our use of technology for nonhumans as well!

 

References

Kleinberger, R. (2023). Sonic enrichment at the zoo. Interaction Studies, 24: 257-288.

Pepperberg, I.M. (2021). A review of the Model/Rival (M/R) technique for training interspecies communication and its use in behavioral research. Animals 11, 2479.

Pepperberg, I.M. (2023). An introduction to “Animal-computer interfaces: Novel approaches for studying animal behavior, cognition and communication” Interaction Studies, 24:193-200.

Skinner, B. F. (1938). The behavior of organisms: An experimental analysis. Appleton-Century.

Ellie the Cockatoo Reads & Writes

We all know that parrots are ultra-smart. We’ve seen a lot of the researched data and have had a lot of personal interaction; enough to plant it firmly that these birds are much smarter than we have ever realized in the past. We have reports of one bird, Alex, while under the tutelage of Dr. Irene Pepperberg, asked a question about his color while looking into a mirror. This underscored the reality that they have questions with a desire to learn. Another parrot, by the name of Einstein, has a vocabulary of more than 200 words and can distinguish between colors and shapes. These are moments of extraordinary worth.

Ellie Reads & Writes

Jennifer Cuhna and cockatoo EllieHere’s the story of another such bird. Ellie is an 11-year-old Goffin’s Cockatoo owned and studied by Jennifer Cunha, a property lawyer who focuses her time on animal cognition. She has also been creating practical training manuals to help others draw out the intelligence of their birds. She also collaborates on multiple animal cognition studies and often lectures on the subject worldwide. Even more fascinating is that her cockatoo, Ellie, can really read words and is considered one of two birds to be able to do so. (She owns both birds. The other is named Isabelle.)

Ellie can read basic words. Yes, you read that right. Ellie can read basic words. And even more exciting is that she can draw out (thus far) 14 letters on a touchpad using her beak as the “stylus.” With the ability to do this, Ellie can effectively communicate with Jennifer, revealing her feelings and wants. For example, if Ellie is interested in eating, she can use the tablet to request food and tell Jen what food she wants. If she loved it, she could indicate her happiness via the interactive tablet.

Cunha’s birds have passed university blind tests for their reading skills. The birds were presented with cards of words and pictures. The picture was placed on the top left and the word on the bottom right. They were prompted to “read” and understand the card with the picture. Then, they would be prompted to point with their beak to the picture after the word was presented. They would be given another card with a different word and picture. After familiarity, they would be asked which picture was which word, i.e., “which is the hamster; which is the otter?” The parrot would respond with 90% accuracy indicating reading proficiency.

These days, Cunha works with Northeastern University as a researcher. Along with other researchers, they hope to create a lab solely dedicated to studying animals, technology, and communication. In addition, they will work to produce a standard of acceptable treatment of animals that are brought in for such new research.

Cunha also runs Parrot Kindergarten, which is an online service that helps to teach new (and old) owners of parrots a series of proper helpful approaches to get the most out of the bonding between the bird and the human. Today, Cunha has over 200 customers who utilize her skill base to learn how to interact intellectually with their birds.

While there are unique birds that have set themselves apart with their learned abilities, the importance of continuance is that, in time, we may come to “converse” with not only parrots but other animals regularly. There is much more to the story, which you can check out here at Parrot Kindergarten.

Lafeber’s Global Parrot Conservation Spotlight December 2023: The Parrot Release Network

Scarlet macaw, scarlet parrot
A recently released Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) perches on a tree branch in the Monts Azules Biosphere Reserve, Chajul, Mexico, by Natura Mexicana. Photo by Rodrigo León

Two organizations, The Macaw Society and The Mesoamerican Society for Biology and Conservation, have come together to focus specifically on how to increase knowledge about releasing confiscated parrots back into the wild. They held their first conference in November 2023.

Don Brightsmith, and Gabriela Vigo-Trauco, PhDs from Texas A&M University, were the lead organizers of this conference. Here is a description of the current problem and the goals of the newly established Parrot Release Network in their own words.

Two organizations, The Macaw Society and The Mesoamerican Society for Biology and Conservation, have come together to focus specifically on how to increase knowledge about releasing confiscated parrots back into the wild. They held their first conference in November 2023.

“As you likely know, parrots are one of the most globally endangered groups of birds due to a mixture of illegal trade and habitat loss. As a result, over 50 species have been identified as potentially benefitting from captive breed and release programs. Additionally, thousands of illegally held parrots are confiscated and sent to rehabilitation centers and many are likely releasable.

Puerto Rican Amazon parrot, Puerto Rican parrot
Two Puerto Rican Parrots (Amazona vittata) get ready for release in El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico
Photo by Marisel López- USFWS

Fortunately, parrot release science is improving, but few scientists study the release process, and few practitioners publish their innovations. As a result, there is much we still need to learn and there is an urgent need to exchange information amongst the stakeholders.

Confiscated parrots can live for decades and quickly fill rescue centers requiring thousands of dollars for food and upkeep annually. This accumulation of birds can cause problems for conservation because many government officials do not confiscate birds and enforce wildlife laws if there is nowhere to put the confiscated birds, and enforcement failures often lead to increased poaching.

Global Mission Underway to Return Captive Parrots Home

Current IUCN guidelines add to the difficulties, as they communicate that all possible solutions of what to do with confiscated wildlife are undesirable, providing governments and other stakeholders little practical guidance on how to manage confiscated animals of non-threatened species. Unfortunately, releases are expensive and difficult, requiring long-term monitoring to gauge their effectiveness.

yellow-naped Amazon, Amazon parrot
A yellow-naped Amazon parrot (Amazona auropalliata) released in the Bosque Escondido Reserve, Nicoya Peninsula by RESCATE Wildlife Rescue Center. Photo by Roshan Tailor

In addition, poorly executed release efforts can threaten animals and ecosystems through disease transmission, genetic pollution, and ecological disruption. As a result, these releases must be conducted appropriately. However, many release projects are either unaware of these new best practices or are unable to replicate them. As a result, there is a great need to improve both the theory and practice of parrot releases into the wild.

There is an urgent and immediate need to improve the methods of parrot release, document successes and failures, and make this information available to practitioners, governments, and academics alike. The objective of the November symposium was to bring together a diversity of actors in the field of psittacine release to present information on what works and what does not work, create a new network of parrot release experts and practitioners, facilitate discussion about how to create and disseminate information, and support new organizations interested in conducting responsible release projects.”

This month’s Lafeber grant goes to support this new conservation and information-sharing network with the hope that more parrots will once again live in the wild and not need to spend their days crowded into rescue centers or be subject to poaching due to the lack of adequate enforcement. You can learn more about the Macaw Society here (https://vetmed.tamu.edu/themacawsociety)

Innovative Ocean High-Rise Nests Help Endangered Birds

Kittiwake seabird, Kittiwake
A Kittiwake in flight over the ocean.
Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

We often hear the tales of noncaring and willful teardown of important habitat locations for birds to construct things meant for the critical needs of expansive human needs. With those, we run strong, sometimes overpowering risks that – sadly – challenge the long-term survivability of species of birds and others. It would be an extraordinary reality if those who invade habitats took into consideration the needs of helpless creatures. While that remains a large and often improbable task, a Danish company is responding to a requirement to help give possibilities to a threatened species of seabird known as the kittiwake.

Ørsted is a renewable energy company located in Denmark. Its main goal is to help our world transition to and become fully dependent on “green” energy. They construct and operate wind and solar farms, energy storage facilities, renewable hydrogen facilities, and bioenergy plants. Birds are susceptible to large structures like wind turbines, resulting in a high mortality rate for some bird species. A Biological Conservation 2013 study has estimated that a total of around 235,000 birds die annually due to the mass of large monopole wind turbines around the world. By now, that number is likely to be even higher as more structures are erected to advance wind energy collection.

Ocean Nests

Kittiwake seabird manmade ocean nest site
Ørsted, a renewable energy company based in Denmark, created a “bird nest” in the ocean to help the endangered kittiwake seabird, as well as provide conservationists an observational tower.

The kittiwake bird is a species of the Gull family. These small white-bodied, gray-backed, and gray-winged birds are separated by two species known as black-legged in the U.K. areas they live in. (There is a red-legged species found in North America). They form densely packed colonies in their nesting arenas and are exclusive cliff-nesters. They are found in northern climes connected by the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean. The gulls are dependent on marine life for their diet.

A massive offshore wind farm is being constructed by Ørsted off the east coast of England. To complete the project, the company was compelled to construct three large artificial kittiwake nest structures on the ocean not far from the shores to help ease the decline of the species, something that has been noted since 2000. With all this in mind, the development of the close-to-shore nests will aid further in keeping them safer from predators.

The nests were designed specifically to cater to the needs of the kittiwake bird. They were created with help from ecologists and engineers. A single pile was driven in with an octagonal structure affixed on top. Each structure can house 500 nests in a complex arrangement supported by ledges. To help science monitor the birds within the structures, space has been saved for researchers, who can then maintain completely obscure observations. There are chairs, tables, and a whiteboard within the spaces for the researchers to use along with panels that allow the researchers to look at the population of birds, but the birds cannot see them. In addition, cameras were installed for the constant monitoring of the birds as they acclimate to make these structures their new nesting areas.

 

 

Lafeber’s Global Parrot Conservation Spotlight November 2023: The Blue Lorikeet of the Cook Islands

blue lorikeet, blue lory
Image courtesy Luis Ortiz-Catedral

The Cook Islands is a self-governing island country in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand, which it relies upon for its defense. It is comprised of 15 islands split between two groups, with a total land area of 237 square km or 91 square miles.

Last year, Luis Ortiz-Catedral Ph.D, Director of the Oceania Region for the World Parrot Trust, had the opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful of the atoll-like islands, Aitutaki. It is home to the Kurāmo’o or Blue Lorikeet (Vini peruviana). His goal was to kickstart a partnership with local agencies to better understand the status of this species on Aitutaki. He decided to travel the island largely on foot to look for the Kurāmo’o and to assess their flying patterns, diet, numbers, and general behavior. It took Luis several days to traverse the areas most inhabited by the lorikeets, while thoroughly enjoying this island paradise and its friendly population.

Here is a bit of his experience in his own words.

Vulnerable in the Pacific

blue-lorikeet, blue lory
Image courtesy Luis Ortiz-Catedral

The Kurāmo’o is one of 10 or so lorikeet species in the Vini genus, a group of parrots that extends from the Solomon Islands to French Polynesia. Vini lorikeets are amongst the most vulnerable land birds in the South Pacific. Introduced rats eat their eggs and chicks, while cyclones can profoundly impact the availability of flowers and fruits, thus affecting the survival prospects of these sugar-loving parrots. They are also tricky to keep in captivity, thus limiting the potential for captive breeding to assist in their conservation.

The history of the Kurāmo’o is fascinating. The species was described by Philipp Ludwig Statius-Müller in 1776, the same year of his death. Statius-Müller originally named the bird “Psittacus peruvianus,” indicating that the species origin was Peru. Back in those days, European naturalists would describe species without ever seeing them in the wild and often from a single specimen. Statius-Müller never realized that the stuffed bird he used to describe a new species had been merely shipped to Europe via Peru but was most likely collected in French Polynesia.

Up until the early 1700s, the Kurāmo’o was one of the most widespread lorikeets in the South Pacific, inhabiting at least 20 islands and various islets across French Polynesia. Nowadays, it occurs only on Aitutaki and on less than 10 islands in French Polynesia. Aitutaki is my kind of place: white sandy beaches, coconut palms, and hot temperatures. With just under 2,000 inhabitants the pace of life is relaxed and friendly.

Monitoring a Species at Risk

blue lorikeet; blue lory
Image courtesy Luis Ortiz-Catedral

By day four, having walked nearly 100 km and after opening many coconuts, I had registered 180 Kurāmo’o distributed across most of the island except the southernmost part where coconut palms are less abundant. I saw them feeding predominantly on nectar and pollen of coconut flowers, carefully nibbling at the petals and stamens of hibiscus buds, and banana tree buds. I also observed two juveniles with their almost even blue plumage, nibbling at coconut flowers. I also located several potential nesting hollows on dead trees. Kurāmo’o are fairly common on Aitutaki, however, they are highly susceptible to depredation by introduced rats already present on the island.

This year, the World Parrot Trust in partnership with two local agencies, the Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust and Te Ipukarea Society, will begin a project funded by the Pacific Development and Conservation Trust aimed at enhancing the species’ breeding success by protecting nests. The same project aims to estimate Kurāmo’o numbers on the island.

This month’s Lafeber grant goes to support these three NGOs and their effort to estimate the Kurāmo’o population and begin nest protection efforts.

 

 

Unearthing a Dinosaur Bird’s Tracks

black and white image of a dinosaur skeleton of a "terror bird"
Skull of the terror bird (Paraphysornis brasiliensis)
Nestor Galina from Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The age of dinosaurs was far more than just infamous species like the fearsome Tyrannosaurus Rex, the gentle Brontosaurus, the flying Pterodactyls, and the Jurassic Park staging of the reptile-like Velociraptor, which dominate pop culture. Emerging fossil discoveries continue unveiling prehistoric animals lost to the depths of deep time and unlike anything roaming our modern world. A team of paleontologists recently uncovered the “first of its kind” fossilized footprints of the Terror Bird in Argentina.

Back in 2007, a fossil of a 10-foot ostrich-like bird appropriately named Terror Bird, was discovered in Argentina. The fossil revealed a fairly intact skull that showed an eagle-like beak that indicated it was a carnivore predator. A 28-inch limb fossil was also uncovered at the same time. This flightless bird may have weighed around 1,000 pounds. It roamed the landscapes of South America. Interestingly, we now have studies that show that a 7-foot terror bird was found to have also roamed in North America. Fossils have been uncovered in Texas and Florida. But those are stories all by themselves.

Ancient Tracks Reveal the “Terror Birds” of Prehistory

Recently, a team of paleontologists has uncovered the first-of-its-kind fossilized footprints of the terror bird in Argentina along the Atlantic Ocean coast. The research team, from the Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, was excited to have uncovered a consistent formation of a track by a terror bird. Their latest findings have been published in scientific reports and provide the science world with richer information about the wild dinosaur bird that once terrorized prey as it bore down on them.

This set of well-preserved prints that are fully formed provides a wealth of information for researchers to consider. They have been able to assume that the bird had a foot measuring 300m, which is nearly 12” in length. It had two large digits, with a smaller third digit. A curved claw was built in to allow the bird an easy means to disable their tracked prey.

All said, there was a total of 17 fossilized footprints, a yield that will keep the science world busy for some time. These footprints were figured to have been formed around eight million years ago.

Here is a link to the original journal paper found on Nature: Science Reports for you to do further research. In it, there are pictures, drawings, and much more information than recounted here.

The Terror Bird obviously, is no longer with us in any form, due to extinction.

 

Webinar: Translating Parrot: Behavior 101 – Why Does My Parrot Do That?

Webinar: Translating Parrot: Behavior 101 – Why Does My Parrot Do That?

Date: Friday, December 1, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Pamela Clark, is a well-known author, speaker, IAABC Certified Parrot Behavior Consultant & retired CVT. Pamela will present Episode 5 of Translating Parrot, a Lafeber Pet Birds Webinar Series focusing on Parrot Behavior & Wellness, based on Pamela’s years of experience with a wide range of parrot species. In this episode, Pamela will discuss how behavior works and the many factors that impact it. How does a behavior problem evolve? Is it the environment? The diet? The routine? The owner, family, or visitors? Pamela’s cutting-edge approach will help you translate what your parrot reacts to and how to prevent a behavior problem or work with it from the start in this informative series!

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

Translating Parrot: The Challenges of the Green-cheeked Conure

Webinar: Translating Parrot: The Challenges of the Green-cheeked Conure

Date: Friday, December 8, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

 

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Pamela Clark, is a well-known author, speaker, IAABC Certified Parrot Behavior Consultant & retired CVT. Pamela will present Episode 6 of Translating Parrot, a Lafeber Pet Birds Webinar Series focusing on Parrot Behavior & Wellness, based on Pamela’s years of experience with a wide range of parrot species. In this episode, Pamela will discuss this very popular pint-sized package that comes with a “big parrot” personality. These little jewels present as cute and cuddly but is this first impression misleading? Those who own one have used terms like The Joker Hurricane or warn you not to be lured in by the little savages. There’s some truth in all of it, because these are complicated parrots that need guidance, a thoughtfully arranged diet, the correct social climate, and a challenging enough environment if problems are to be prevented. Pamela’s cutting-edge approach will help you translate what it takes to be truly successful with these little birds in this informative series!

 

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

Webinar: Ask the Vet with Dr. Tom Tully

Webinar: Ask the Vet with Tom Tully, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), DECZM (Avian)

Date: Friday, December 15, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest Tom Tully, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), DECZM (Avian), will answer your questions about pet bird health, nutrition, & care. Dr. Tully, a decorated Professor & practicing Vet at Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, is an internationally known Veterinarian who has earned specialties in Avian medicine in the United States as well as in Europe. Having this type of access to a Veterinarian of his status is rare, but Dr. Tully believes in the educated bird owner as being the best bird steward. Dr. Tully answers each question in detail and shares his vast knowledge of birds, particularly parrots. Is your bird’s problem health-related or behavioral? Are you offering the right foods to your pet bird? Ask the Vet!

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

Webinar: Fun for the Holidays! Annual Pet Bird Holiday Gift Guide & Giveaway – Special Time 11AM PST

Webinar: Fun for the Holidays! Annual Pet Bird Holiday Gift Guide & Giveaway

SPECIAL DATE: Wednesday, December 20, 2023

SPECIAL TIME: 11:00 am PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Lisa Bono, CPBC, owner and operator of The Platinum Parrot and a certified parrot behavior consultant specializing in African grey parrots, has once again secured many wonderful donations for us to give away to some lucky viewers! In this fun holiday episode, Lisa will discuss each prize, an assortment of toys and supplies that are safe for our feathered companions as well as some parrot-themed items for bird lovers, total value of over $3,000! We encourage you to shop with our generous donors when doing your holiday shopping for yourself or your own flock or for your bird friends or their flocks. This very special Holiday Webinar is generously sponsored by Lafeber Company, The Platinum Parrot & Grey Parrot Consulting, as well as the following companies that donated prizes:

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

 

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: How Grey Parrots Produce Human Speech

African grey parrot, grey
African grey parrot. Photo by Umar Kashif on Unsplash

Recently, I was asked to present a Plenary talk at an international bioacoustics conference. Given that I hadn’t studied bioacoustics in over twenty-five years, and that the research on which the published papers were based—on how parrots produce human speech—was primarily performed by undergraduate and graduate students in my laboratory, I was a bit concerned and asked the organizer if I could present at least some of my more recent work on parrot cognition. He agreed but made it clear that the reason he invited me was to remind colleagues of my earlier research so that it might inspire additional studies with more advanced equipment. That made me think that readers of this blog might also be interested….

A Complex Production

What is fascinating about how African grey parrots produce human speech is not only that they can do it at all, but also that they don’t do it the same way as do humans, and that different parrots (individuals and species) often do it in different ways as well. For starters, think about how humans need their lips for what are called “plosives”—consonants like /p/ and /b/.

 

Also think about the huge differences in how we configure the various parts of what is called our “vocal tract” (all the anatomical bits involved; more about that later) when we produce even simple vowels, like /a/ (as in “pasta”) or /i/ (as in “bee”). [Say the words aloud and you’ll see what I mean! Note that I am using the notation of the International Phonetic Alphabet, the standard way to transcribe human speech. It may be a bit confusing at first but is a system that allows all languages to be described.] Some parrots “cheat” a bit and use whistles that to our ears sound like speech, but actually is very different from speech, whereas others like Alex actually manage to produce speech that, when analyzed, looks very much like that of humans (see Pepperberg, 2007 and Fig 1 below).

The Human Vocal Tract

So, a very brief description of human speech, and then more about parrots who sound like humans. When humans speak, the initial sound is produced in the larynx, a hollow tube in the middle of the neck, just above the trachea (the windpipe, connecting the lungs and larynx) and behind the esophagus (the tube that leads from your mouth to your stomach). The larynx—the human sound source—contains what are called vocal cords, membranes that close together and vibrate as air that is expelled from the lungs passes between them.

The vibration of the larynx is mostly responsible for what is called the fundamental frequency or formant F0 in human speech (note that a structure called the glottis also has some effect on the production of the sound, but not as much as the vocal cords). The sound then is further shaped by parts of the mouth—predominantly the tongue (whether it moves toward the front or back of the mouth, or up towards or down from the palate), the opening or closing of the mouth, and the placement of the lips. (Other bits—such as the nasal cavities—are involved, but not as strongly). The mouth and tongue thus predominately affect the next two formant frequencies, F1 and F2. All vowels can be described by the set formed by the frequencies of these formants—i.e., each vowel has a unique combination. Consonants are also characterized by something called “voice onset time” (VOT), which is the time between air being release from the trachea and vocal cord vibration; so, for example, the consonants in /pa/ (“pah”) versus /ba/ (“bah”) are distinguished in part by their different VOTs.

Consonants are also affected by the sounds that follow, so the /k/ in “key” is a bit different from the /k/ in “corn” [Again, try saying the words and you’ll see what I mean.] The fancy term for that distinction is anticipatory co-articulation. It basically reflects our understanding that the vocal tract is able to change in myriad ways to produce all the sounds of human speech.

The Parrot Vocal Tract

 

Figure 1 (from Pepperberg, 2007): In order, Arthur’s whistled version of “spool”, Alex’s spoken version of “spool”, Irene’s spoken version of “spool”. The picture is what is known as a sonagram—a plot of sound frequency versus time that is used to describe vocalizations of all creatures.

Parrots have a very different system (see Patterson & Pepperberg, 1994, 1998). Their sound source is not their larynx, but rather their syrinx—a set of muscles at the base of their trachea, essentially connecting their lungs and trachea. When they produce true (rather than whistled) human speech, the vibration of these muscles produce the F0. The sound then travels up the trachea, which is only somewhat flexible, and the change in the trachea as each vowel is produced results in its characteristic F1. The sound then goes up through the avian glottis, which has a slit called the avian larynx; these organs affect the sound somewhat for each vowel, but (as in humans) not nearly as much as do the tongue and beak.

The African grey parrot tongue moves back and forth quite a bit depending on the vowel produced, but not as much up and down as does the human tongue. Beak opening in African grey parrots is just as important as is mouth opening in humans. The positions of the tongue and beak in combination produce the F2 values. So, just as for humans, the combination of formants are unique for each vowel produced by an African grey parrot (see Fig 2).

Notably, without lips, African greys have trouble with consonants such as /p/ and /b/—but all their consonants still have unique VOTs. They seem to use their esophagus to “burp” some of these consonants (see Pepperberg et al., 1997; Warren et al., 1996), just as humans who have had a laryngectomy. And birds like Alex also demonstrate anticipatory co-articulation, even though their vocal tracts are quite different from those of humans.

The actual production of speech—both in African grey parrots and humans—is quite a bit more complex than the brief description I’ve provided here; the referenced papers provide far more information. My goal was simply to provide an overview that gives at least some idea of what is involved, and to note some of what is both the same and different in human and Grey parrot productions.

So, the next time you listen to a parrot use human speech, think about all the effort that is involved—the bird has to learn to control all these different parts of its vocal tract in ways that are quite different from how it produces its normal squawks and whistles!

References:

Patterson, D.K. & Pepperberg, I.M. (1994). A comparative study of human and parrot phonation: Acoustic and articulatory correlates of vowels. JASA. 96, 634‑648.

Patterson, D.K. & Pepperberg, I.M. (1998). A comparative study of human and Grey parrot phonation: Acoustic and articulatory correlates of stop consonants. JASA, 103, 2197-2213.

Patterson, D.K., Pepperberg, I.M., Story, B.H. & Hoffman, E. (1997). How parrots talk: Insights based on CT scans, image processing, and mathematical models. In SPIE Proceedings, Vol. 3033; ed. E. Hoffman. International Society for Optical Engineering.

Pepperberg, I.M. (2007). Grey parrots do not always ‘parrot’: Phonological awareness and the creation of new labels from existing vocalizations. Language Sciences, 29, 1-13.

Warren, D.K., Patterson, D.K., & Pepperberg, I.M. (1996). Mechanisms of American English vowel production in a Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus). Auk, 113, 41-58.

 

Bird Names Changed to Welcome All Nature Lovers

The McCown’s Longspur is now known as the Thick-billed Longspur. It is one of many bird species native to the U.S. and Canada to receive a new, especially for species named after controversial historical figures.
Andeansolitaire, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The naming convention for a few of the world’s many species of birds has sometimes been in reverence to the individuals who “discovered” them by research, other forms of supplied data, or simply by the assignation of honor. Many naturalists have acknowledged the existence of birds and have presented studied information on a bird.

In the U.S., several birds have appended names with a person of note own’s name. For example, there is the Anna’s Hummingbird, a common non-migrating Western Coast hummingbird that can be found from Canada down to Mexico. It acquired its common name from the French courtier, Anne DeBelle, who was gifted the name from the French naturalist, René Lesson. Lesson was responsible for the bird’s original description. Another is the McCown’s Longspur, recently changed to Thick-billed Longspur in 2020.

Motivated by Inclusivity

The American Ornithological Society (AOS) has recently come to a momentous decision to change the names of all birds that have an honored name attached (like those above) to simpler descriptive names. The changes come about because of concern over the history of some of the honored names. James P. McCown, for example, was a Confederate general who was honored by the naming of the longspur mentioned above. However, General McCown was also a slave owner, and the name of the bird is a consistent reminder that history was not always at its best.

The decision to rename birds that have been named after controversial historical figures has been reached to help alleviate reminders of racism and misogyny. Early in November of 2023, the AOS group released a bulletin to the media that all birds inside the U.S. and Canada with an assigned honorific name will have a replacement name beginning in 2024. This will initially impact around 70-80 birds in the first year. In addition to the newly assigned names, a new convention in naming will be instituted by AOS going forward. This new convention will eliminate the ability to assign honorary names to birds to avoid history-related complications in the future.

I provide an extract from the communique here from AOS President, Colleen Handel, PhD., a research wildlife biologist employed by the U.S. Geological Survey in the state of Alaska. Handel states: “There is power in a name, and some English bird names have associations with the past that continue to be exclusionary and harmful today. We need a much more inclusive and engaging scientific process that focuses attention on the unique features and beauty of the birds themselves. Everyone who loves and cares about birds should be able to enjoy and study them freely—and birds need our help now more than ever.” (You can read that AOS-issued release here.)

The simple purpose of the expected name changes is to remove old, implied biases that have a harmful impact on everyone. The naming convention being impacted began in the 1800s to give prominence to individuals regardless of their standing or commercial involvements. Whatever the prominence was back in those days, they no longer exist today. The world redefines itself as a grouping of diverse peoples and is steadily moving in that direction. These name changes help to reach that goal in a vital area.

Birds also have scientific names attached to them in addition to the common names applied. These scientific names will remain in place as they do not reference anything outside of genus affiliations.

Documentary Sounds Alarm to Save Australia’s Disappearing Black Cockatoo

The extinction of our many bird species is at an unprecedented threat level. Species already lost in the wild include Brazil’s magnificent Spix’s macaw, the Guam kingfisher, the Socorro dove, the Hawaiian crow, and many others. More than those are limited to tiny populations. Efforts to prevent the loss of the birds (and other things) in the wild continue, but as things go with the decimation of habitats, poaching, and invasive predation that wipes out levels of threatened birds, time is of the essence. In recent years, the threat of the loss of the Baudin’s black cockatoo found in Western Australia has increased exponentially.

Currently, their fragile status is that of Critically Endangered. These beautiful black cockatoos number around only 10,000. Unfortunately, those numbers are declining ever faster as their once reliable habitats turn into fields for pear and apple growers. What amplifies this reduction is farmers shooting the birds on sight as they attempt to eat the fruits being grown. The current estimation is a complete disappearance of the species in about 20 years if action is not taken.

An Impactful Documentary

trailer image for the documentary, "Black Cockatoo Crisis"
Click image to watch the trailer for “Black Cockatoo Crisis”

Filmmaker Jane Hammond decided to take things into her own hands in a concerted effort to turn around the loss of the bird. She created a documentary entitled “Black Cockatoo Crisis.” With a run time of around 75 minutes, the film details the points that lead to the species’ losses and how residents of the country of Australia could help. Those depicted in the film are given platform recognition that will serve to bring more attention to the invaluable work that they do. In short, the film is meant to move the audience and encourage more grassroots activists to help combat the loss of the beloved parrot.

The funds needed to create the essential documentary were raised in a Kickstarter-like fashion. It generated the necessary monies required to produce the feature film. The impactful film has already won awards, including a Brian Beaton Award for Social Impact. Jane Hammond’s previous documentary helped to raise awareness of disappearing forests by the logging industry. As a result of the film, the logging of precious forestry will experience the cessation of the practice by the end of 2024, reinforced by federal legislation.

“Black Cockatoo Crisis” is being shown within Australia in schools and theaters for free, with donations requested to go toward helping activism to protect the disappearing black cockatoo. Hammond’s Twitter account helps bring even more awareness of destructive projects that threaten to lead the black cockatoo toward oblivion.

Check out the associated (and important)  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube accounts for Jane Hammond and the “Black Cockatoo Crisis” film, as well as other activists. You can view the emotional official trailer for “Black Cockatoo Crisis” by clicking the image above, but be sure to pull out a few tissues first.

Lafeber’s Global Parrot Conservation Spotlight October 2023: Colombia’s Santa Marta Conure

Santa Marta Conure
A Santa Marta Conure perches in a tree in its native Colombia. Image by William Stephens CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM) in northern Colombia has a one-of-a-kind ecosystem, unique because it is the world’s most elevated coastal mountain formation. Independent of the Andes mountain range central to Colombia, SNSM includes mountain peaks with an elevation of over 18,700 feet and is just 26 miles from the Caribbean coast. In 1979, UNESCO declared it a special Biosphere Reserve.

The Santa Marta Parakeet (Pyrrhura viridicata), or the Santa Marta Conure in more common terms, can be found only on an isolated mountain range in SNSM, and it is one of the most threatened parrots in the Neotropics. It is now considered Endangered by the IUCN with an estimated population of 1,800 to 3,200. It is also listed on Appendix II of CITES. The pet trade is not the primary concern for this species — the main threat is loss of habitat due to plantations for non-native trees, such as pine and Eucalyptus, as well as agriculture, logging, and pasture for livestock.

Combining Conservation Forces

Santa Marta conure, Santa Marta parakeet
A Santa Marta Conure sits atop a nesting cavity. Image by Nick Athanas CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr

Three organizations decided to work together to help the parrots of northern Colombia and specifically the Santa Marta Conure. These organizations are: The World Parrot Trust, ProCat Colombia (Proyecto de Conservación de Aguas y Tierras), and SELVA: Research for Conservation in the Neotropics. The goal of this organizational trifecta is to recruit interest among the rural indigenous people to help monitor and protect this endangered species.

This conure species nests in dead wax palms, and usually two times a year because there is growing competition for nests with larger parrot species. They inhabit primarily wetland forests on the northern side of the mountains and, with the continued expansions of farms, they are mostly found at elevations 6,000 to 10,000 feet.

An Assist from Local Communities

Colombia rainforest habitat of the Santa Marta conure
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM) in northern Colombia has a one-of-a-kind ecosystem, unique because it is the world’s most elevated coastal mountain formation. Image courtesy of the World Parrot Trust

Because these birds are living at higher levels, it is increasingly difficult for scientists to conduct regular research. But the Santa Marta Conure can be easily spotted in the field, so it’s possible to engage more help from the local population, the key to any conservation effort. As the community takes more responsibility for monitoring and protecting the Santa Marta Conure, scientists will also benefit from increased information from the less habitable areas. So together, these three NGOs are seeking to locate and train local individuals who can identify and track the population, and assist in collecting data about their nesting, mating, and feeding habits. Another aim of the project is to empower women and show them that protecting the species can also help to protect their land and families.

This month’s Lafeber grant goes to support these three NGOs and their citizen scientist initiative, which is to recruit more participation from those living in the less habitable areas, with a particular emphasis on empowering women in the effort to save the beautiful Santa Marta Conure.

 

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Athena’s Shock Over Her First Egg!

African grey parrot named Athena
Athena is seen as getting as far away from her egg as possible right after laying it (white material around it is shredded paper). Photo courtesy Dr. Irene Pepperberg

So, let me start by saying this is not something we wanted or for which we were hoping. Rather, this was something that we would have liked to avoid. But, it just happened, though not without a bit of warning. More on that later. A veterinarian friend of mine said that we were lucky—that when a bird lays her first egg at 10 years old, complications could occur; the eggs are somewhat larger and the bird often becomes egg-bound (i.e., the egg gets stuck on its way out, and a trip to the vet is needed so that the egg doesn’t break inside the bird and cause all sorts of problems). My thoughts are that our experience might be of use to others….

A bit of background: When Athena first arrived in our lab, at 4 months old, Griffin was rather wary. He treated her like a teenage human boy whose mom had brought home a new baby—he was slightly interested, but his whole attitude was to keep his distance. And Athena acted like the little human sister who idolized her big brother—she constantly wanted to be near him and see what he was doing. Her behavior was actually quite normal, as young parrots learn many lessons from the older parrots in their flock—what to eat, what to fear, and what is appropriate social behavior. Griffin, having been bullied by Alex and occasionally (though totally unsuccessfully) by Arthur, had few clues about parrot social behavior, but clearly could introduce her to the protocols of the laboratory.

For awhile, we let them share food bowls. They seemed to favor different items to some degree, so they would each eat at their own bowl, then switch to graze at what the other had left. That worked for several months until, for some reason, Athena kept pushing Griffin from whatever bowl he was using! But they did learn from each other…Athena learned to eat fruits and fresh vegetables and Griffin learned to love yam. (Note: Despite Athena’s love for chard, Griffin still hates it—although he keeps trying….) At that point, it became clear that Athena was being a ‘pest’—sticking her beak into Griffin’s personal space and at one point even trying to chew Griffin’s toes. Thus, we instituted a rule to keep them “beak-striking distance” apart.

Athena’s Budding Hormones

Around the time Athena was 3 years old, her hormones really kicked in. Sexual maturity at that age would be early for a wild bird, but not entirely unusual for a pet bird that has good nutrition. Not only did she start getting defensive around her cage, but she started gaining weight and plucking her chest feathers. A trip to the vet confirmed that she was becoming ‘broody’. The recommendation was a course of Lupron, which toned everything down for several years. And, note, that until our COVID evacuation from Harvard in 2020, our birds lived in a basement lab, with full-spectrum fixtures on a strict 12hr light-12 hr dark cycle to reproduce what they would experience in equatorial Africa—so light issues were not a problem. After the evacuation, we used black-out curtains in the summer and full-spectrum lights that we manipulated in winter to maintain the 12-12 cycle. We keep the humidity and their diet constant year-round. Thus we tried to eliminate what are considered environmental cues for breeding in parrots.

As time went on, however, Athena seemed to get slightly more hormonal each year, and this year was no exception; it was even a bit worse than usual. For sanitation purposes, we couldn’t remove the cage liner on the shelf on top of her cage, and she would shred that as much as possible. Although the students knew not to pet her body, she would get into the droopy-wing solicitation pose as soon as anyone picked her up to do training or testing sessions (interestingly, with two exceptions…myself and the now post-doc who had been my senior lab manager at the time we acquired Athena—she seemed to treat us as “parents” instead of potential mates).

We were thinking about another trip to the vet when we had to move from one apartment to another—a huge stressor on birds and humans alike, and something that took up everyone’s time and energy. Add to that my travel schedule, the hiring of new research assistants to replace those who had left for full-time jobs, veterinary and graduate schools, and the upheaval to everyone’s schedule caused by the beginning of a new academic year—dealing with Athena’s hormonal behavior was something we had to put on the calendar for ‘later’. It wasn’t a medical emergency…all her basic bodily functions were normal.

Athena Surprises Everyone-Including Herself

African grey parrot egg
Athena’s egg is next to a quarter for size size comparison. Photo courtesy of Dr. Irene Pepperberg

Then came a day when Athena just seemed to be in a total daze. She ate normally, but in between meal times just seemed to be in a trance. I and my lab manager started to wonder if her behavior indicated the arrival of an egg. My post-doc, who had had a lot of experience in her graduate school days dealing with egg-laying pigeons, examined Athena for a tell-tale bulge and couldn’t find anything. The next day, Athena acted perfectly normal…until late in the evening, about an hour before the lab would be shut down for the day…she popped an egg! According to the research assistants who were present, she acted as surprised as they were, and she actually ran away from it. They took it away and she seemed relieved. And thankfully that was the only one she laid.

She is acting a bit less hormonal now, and we are trying to decide what to do…She has nothing that could be used as a nest box and we haven’t changed much at all in her diet (though she might be choosing more of some foods over others); as I said, we don’t pet her body, and Griffin most definitely still keeps his distance (although we can’t stop pheromones). I’m sure lots of people will have lots of different suggestions, but so far we are trusting our veterinarian, who advised us to “wait and see.”

It’s always something.

Webinar: Avian Vet Insider: The Truth About Toxins

Webinar: Avian Vet Insider: The Truth About Toxins

Date: Friday, November 3, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm PDT (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

 

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Dr. Stephanie Lamb, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), will discuss what can be toxic for a pet bird. If you ever ask yourself “It’s safe for me, or my dog or cat, how could it possibly be toxic for my bird?” then you need to watch this webinar! Dr. Lamb will also talk about how normally safe medicines, vitamins, and supplements can turn deadly for your bird if given the wrong amount. Learn about common toxins, and why you should never medicate your bird or offer extra supplements without consulting with your Vet first, in this insider’s view of the daily happenings at your Avian Vet’s clinic.

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

 

Webinar: Ask the Vet with Dr. Tom Tully

Webinar: Ask the Vet with Tom Tully, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), DECZM (Avian)

Date: Friday, November 17, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

 

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest Tom Tully, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), DECZM (Avian), will answer your questions about pet bird health, nutrition, & care. Dr. Tully, a decorated Professor & practicing Vet at Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, is an internationally known Veterinarian who has earned specialties in Avian medicine in the United States as well as in Europe. Having this type of access to a Veterinarian of his status is rare, but Dr. Tully believes in the educated bird owner as being the best bird steward. Dr. Tully answers each question in detail and shares his vast knowledge of birds, particularly parrots. Is your bird’s problem health-related or behavioral? Are you offering the right foods to your pet bird? Ask the Vet!

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

After 3 Years Apart, Chatty Parrot Reunites with Family

African grey parrot, grey
African grey parrot. Photo by Umar Kashif on Unsplash

Everyone loves a good reunion story, especially after a significant amount of time has passed. There’s a sense of renewal, a sense of relief, and an overflow of unavoidable emotions that are part of love, happiness, and a brand-new lease on connection and greater responsibility.

There is an earlier story of a parrot lost in Los Angeles who was reunited with his original owner after a period of four years. The parrot’s name is Nigel and, on his return, spoke only Spanish instead of the British-accented English he had learned before. Fortunately, Nigel was micro-chipped, giving the return a happy ending. The owner discovered that the parrot was sold to a family in Torrance, CA, and opted to do quite an unselfish thing by “gifting” Nigel to the last owners that Nigel (now known as Morgan) had. The story, although bittersweet, was a beautiful one. There are others, no doubt. But this new story centers around a parrot named Jako.

Jako Says His Name

Jako is an African Grey parrot from France who was stolen from its original owner. The bird has been missing for a long period of three years, a point where the owner had likely given up hope for the return of the bird. There were the usual reports to authorities concerning the theft, the expected search period, and obviously the mournful period of grief over the loss of Jako. But then a wonderful thing happened by way of remembrance and habit. The remembrance was from a police official in Marseilles; the habit from the bird who would excitedly say its name. The police officer who owned Jako had previously told his co-police officers about this trait back in 2020, when the bird was stolen.

The Old Port of Marseilles is an end-of- street location, an ancient place of commerce that has a resource of vendors selling many things. In this case, one vendor was attempting to sell an African grey parrot, the sale of which is considered an illegal effort in France. Police closed in on the vendor, and as they took possession of the bird, it shouted its name, “Jako,” repeatedly. The officer remembered that his fellow officer had lost a bird in the past spurred on by the tale that the bird would say his name. And that name was Jako. (Jako is a noun that means simply – African grey.) This knowledge set into motion the return of the parrot who had been missing for those long, long three years.

After a brief time of contact efforts, Jako was reunited with his original owner. It’s reported that as soon as Jako saw his pal, he excitedly shouted his own name…as expected. And thus ends this tale of loss and return, one with an ending worth squawking about. As anyone will know, losing a cared-for pet, especially one that has brought extraordinary happiness and untold fulfillment to a family, is an incomparable sadness. Often, the grief is never lost but long remains as a hole. This story brings hope.

We’re glad to see Jako and his owner brought back together!

Cities as Unlikely Havens: Red-Crowned Amazon Parrots Take to Urbanization

Red crown, Amazon parrot
reybal, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

We have a long list of parrots that are threatened by several reasons, including illegal poaching for the pet trade, climate instability, habitat invasion by deadly predators, and catastrophic occurrences like the fires that decimated populations of wildlife and plants in Australia. While some of these are unavoidable, and others completely avoidable, the fact remains that many species are threatened, and some are near extinction. These are ongoing issues that need intervention in whatever ways that can be discovered. Researchers in colleges and universities team up to look for answers. However, sometimes we get pleasant surprises. In this case, the surprise comes from a species that was threatened with an estimated population of less than 2,000 individual parrots. But the red-crowned Amazon parrot had another idea, one that could be their saving grace.

A Move to the Texas Suburbs?

The red-crowned Amazon parrot is indigenous to Northeastern Mexico. The mostly green-feathered parrot sports a vibrant red coloring above the beak. The main reason for its declining numbers is primarily attributed to the illegal capture and trade of the beautiful bird. But the red-crowned Amazon’s natural habitat is being changed as well, as the forests that make up their home are being systematically reduced.

A recent research study by Texas A&M, headed by Dr. David J. Brightsmith, and assisted by Simon Kiacz, and Hsiao-Hsuan Wang, discovered that around 675 red-fronted Amazon parrots have relocated to Southern Texas, with two main counties of occupation. Those include Hildago County, and Cameron County. Within those counties are several cities that the birds have taken a liking to. This study comes on the heels of the realization that parrots are found to be thriving in urban cities, a location that seems odd but nonetheless conducive for birds and other forest-dwellers that have left their places of origin.

The study went on to recognize that urbanization of parrots could quite well be their saving grace. The birds seem to adapt to cities with a wide range of plants that contribute favorably to their continued well-being and sustenance. It is believed that the birds now in cities were brought in the ’80s, when such birds were legal to purchase. They are thought to be escaped pet parrots that have found each other to flock with.

Right Temperature, Right Habitat

The researchers are also aware of two other favorable urban habitats for red-crowned Amazon parrots. One is in Southern California, where an estimated number of birds that live there is around 3,700. Another adopted location is Florida, where there are an unknown number of these birds. The study took around 4 years to complete using adjustable models of habitat acceptance that were “high-quality habitats”, “medium-quality habitats”, and “low-quality habitats.” What was an important equilibrium element was temperature. The red-crowned Amazon parrot has a low tolerance for temperatures that are too low. As they are non-migratory, it is essential that temperatures remain at consistent levels for them to thrive. As temperatures rise in the southern states, it is believed that exotic birds will find suitable norms for them to establish new habitats.

It is further believed that “medium-quality habitats” with currently smaller spans will soon develop into “high-quality habitats” as the maturation of vegetation takes place in the rapid urbanization of many Texas locations. These models are in a constant state of flux as we predictably change in temperature and plant adaptability and growth.

There is a more in-depth look at this occurrence in a published study at the MDPI Science Journal For now, it’s a strong dose of hope as the birds relocate and find ways to thrive more than they were doing so in their original locations. And it seems that the growing urban centers are pleasant places for parrots. Who would have thought?!

Wild Palm Cockatoos Woo Mates With Improvised Drums

Black palm cockatoo, palm cockatoos
A palm cockatoo pair perches near a tree-cavity nest. Photo courtesy of courtesy of Christina N. Zdenek

Birds and their mating rituals! Some dance, others preen, and still others perform intricate movements to attract the eyes of a favored beauty. For wild palm cockatoos, it is a creative display of personalized drumsticks that gets the attention of their female counterparts. A recent study published by the prestigious U.K. science journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B set out to discover which birds in the wild fashion tools to enhance their lives. Most cases of tool creation as a means of enhancement typically occur in captivity. In this study, it was discovered that male palm cockatoos in the wild – and only wild palm cockatoos – create tools to make their courtship display more attractive to females rather than for foraging and other methods of survival help. This gives us all kinds of interesting and imaginative thoughts as we dive into the drumming styles of these parrots.

The palm cockatoo, also known as the Goliath cockatoo, is a large beautiful parrot with smokey gray and black feathering. It has a large, distinctive crest and an equally large bill. Found in the northern region of Australia, these parrots are plentiful, with a Least Concern rating by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) agency. Add to their beautiful appearance a clever and intriguing play-out of allure for the female, the palm cockatoo is one amazing bird.

Dancing to His Own Beat

The study was undertaken by Dr. Robert Heinsoln from the Australian National University (Canberra, Australia). Heinsoln found that male palm cockatoos will gather and work with sticks and seed pods. But the male doesn’t create them prior to his show for female palm cockatoos. In fact, the male first does his best to produce an attention-grabbing selection of songs and whistles, all the while showcasing his worth by puffing out his chest and doing acrobatic turns on his branch stage—kind of like a parrot Mick Jagger.  As he continues his unique dance, he will then pull a stick or seed pod off of the branch, and create his own drumstick to further attract the female audience. After the show, the male leaves it to the female to select.

Heinsohl hypothesizes that this “ drumming show” serves to reveal to the potential female mate that the male is a strong member of the species, worthy of her selection. The drumming style is unique to the individual male cockatoo, which demonstrates a display of intelligence (like the drumming skills of legendary drummers like Keith Moon, Buddy Rich, or John Bonham). Also interesting is the fact that the individual male parrot typically creates sticks completely unique to the moment. Some of male cockatoos were found to appreciate the sound of a larger and wider stick, while others preferred to work with thinner sticks.

This study is important, as researchers are continually honing newly acquired information that reveals the complex nature of birds in the wild. What makes this study more effective was that it was observed not in a controlled environment but was fully observed silently in natural habitats to achieve an undisturbed state of discovery.

Webinar: Avian Vet Insider: Geriatrics – Is My Parrot a Senior & What Should I Do?

Webinar: Avian Vet Insider: Geriatrics – Is My Parrot a Senior & What Should I Do?

Date: Friday, October 6, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm PDT (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

 

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Dr. Stephanie Lamb, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice) & President of the Association of Avian Veterinarians, will discuss what might define a bird as older or senior or geriatric. What should you as an owner watch for? Should you feed your senior or geriatric parrot a special diet? What are some common ailments that can affect senior parrots? Dr. Lamb will answer these questions & more in this insider’s view of the daily happenings at your Avian Vet’s clinic.

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

Webinar: The Grey Way—The Older Grey 

Webinar: The Grey Way—The Older Grey

NEW Date: Friday, October 13, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm PDT (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

 

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Lisa Bono, CPBC, owner and operator of The Platinum Parrot and a certified parrot behavior consultant specializing in African grey parrots, presents Episode 23 of The Grey Way, a Lafeber Pet Birds Webinar Series focusing on Congo & Timneh African grey parrots as pets. In this episode, Lisa will continue this month’s discussion of older parrots by focusing on older African Greys. Greys can have a very long lifespan, but depending on genetics and care, some can live much longer than others. Is age just a number when it comes to older Greys? When is your Grey considered an older bird? Are there age-related issues that tend to affect Greys? What can you do to make your older bird more comfortable? Lisa’s information will be mainly Grey-centric this month, but some of it can be applied to other parrot species.

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

Webinar: Translating Parrot: Choosing, Adopting & Bringing Home An Older Parrot

Webinar: Translating Parrot: Choosing, Adopting & Bringing Home An Older Parrot

Date: Friday, October 20, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm PDT (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Pamela Clark, is a well-known author, speaker, IAABC Certified Parrot Behavior Consultant & retired CVT. Pamela will present Episode 4 of Translating Parrot, a Lafeber Pet Birds Webinar Series focusing on Parrot Behavior & Wellness, based on Pamela’s years of experience with a wide range of parrot species. In this episode, Pamela will continue this month’s discussions of what might define an “older” parrot, as part of her talk on adopting an adult bird, particularly adding one to your existing flock. Are you ready to adopt but don’t know where to start? Do stories about adopted parrots with behavior issues have you concerned? Maybe you have heard that adopted parrots come with too much baggage? From age to background to species, Pamela will guide you through the process of choosing and adopting an “older” parrot. Pamela’s cutting-edge approach will help you translate what your newly adopted parrot will need in this informative series!

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

Webinar: Ask the Vet with Dr. Tom Tully

Webinar: Ask the Vet with Tom Tully, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), DECZM (Avian)

Date: Friday, October 27, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm PDT (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

 

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest Tom Tully, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), DECZM (Avian), will answer your questions about pet bird health, nutrition, & care. Dr. Tully, a decorated Professor & practicing Vet at Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, is an internationally known Veterinarian who has earned specialties in Avian medicine in the United States as well as in Europe. Having this type of access to a Veterinarian of his status is rare, but Dr. Tully believes in the educated bird owner as being the best bird steward. Dr. Tully answers each question in detail and shares his vast knowledge of birds, particularly parrots. Is your bird’s problem health-related or behavioral? Are you offering the right foods to your pet bird? Ask the Vet!

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

The Birder’s Curse of the “Nemesis Bird!”

chestnut-sided warbler, warbler
Even James Audubon had his nemesis bird, the chestnut-sided warbler!
Mdf, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Birdwatching is a dedicated passion for many people. They track, travel, and otherwise set their own stage when it comes to the pursuit of birds to view. These people are their own breed. They can determine the locality of birds by expert recognition of the array of calls and sounds that each bird makes. But like many collectors, there is an elusive bird out there that has – thus far – eluded the birder. That bird is referenced among birders as the “nemesis” bird. Twitchers (or birders who drop everything to watch for a known bird’s arrival), know this “nemesis bird” well.

Every Birder Has a “Nemesis” Bird

There are many definitions of the “nemesis” bird, but typically it is the one bird that no matter how often or hard you’ve tried; how patient you’ve been lying in wait for one to show itself, it just seems to never materialize for you. For you! Everyone else can have seen that same bird but not you. The elusive Nemesis bird is a curse of sorts for birders. Many resources have been liberally expended to simply manage to see this bird. Avid fans of watching will store up vacation days just to be able to afford the time to get out to where their “nemesis” bird is reported to be. And they do watch for reports.

If you follow any kind of birding in social media, there are birders who consistently reference their “nemesis” bird in mini journals lamenting their unlucky selves. They often recount stories about how close they came but that ornery bird just never materialized. Some have traveled many miles to catch sight of that one bird but…oh, well.

In Search of an Elusive Bird

The New York Times published a recent article that detailed the efforts of Peter Kaestner in spotting 10,000 species of birds in the wild. Currently, there are (as listed by eBird) 10,340 species in the world, which means that he has spotted a considerable number of birds. If he accomplishes this, he will be the top birder in history, certainly the first to have seen that many. Kaestner maintains a personal eBird list on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website (you can sign up for one too [here]). On his list, he is said to have nearly 9,800 sightings of specific birds. But not everyone has the drive of Kaestner. He is, after all, retired and can spend many hours waiting for just that one bird.  There is an incredible story of how he once hiked up the largest volcano (Mt. Kerinci) in Sumatra and lay in wait for nine hours to catch sight of a Schneider’s Pitta. He got the view that he wanted to check the pitta off the list. But he is patiently persistent, not a trait that some of us have. You can read an excellent article on Mr. Kaestner from Outside magazine here.

Historically, even James Audubon had his nemesis bird, the chestnut-sided warbler. He was a master at identifying birds by their song alone. Of course, during Audubon’s time, it is thought that the Warbler was less plentiful than it is today, and therefore harder to find. Binoculars were not in plentiful supply and certainly not at the power of lenses available today.

So…what is your “nemesis” bird that eludes you?

Brave Conservationists Protect Maui’s Rare Birds from Raging Fires

Alala crow
Hawaiin Crow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Nature and catastrophic events often go hand in hand. We have heard tales of hurricanes and efforts to protect aviaries and bird centers that were in the middle of them. We’ve witnessed the tragic event of the Australian bushfires that decimated many species of creatures, including threatening exotic birds that lived within the region and heavily depended upon the habitats that were destroyed. In many cases, these events are unavoidable and depend upon the bravery of people to bring help and support in the face of the events. Recently, the Lahaina region of the Hawaiian island of Maui experienced tragic loss of human life, of properties, and many creatures trapped by the raging fires caused by a downed power line and worsened by the arrival of Hurricane Dora.

Flames Fan Around Conservation Center

The Maui Bird Conservation Center, which is located about 2 and a half miles northeast of Kufa, a village in Maui, faced the threat of the flames as they approached the important Bird Conservation Center. Inside the center are contained some of the world’s rarest birds. To have to face such an additional existential threat is beyond imaginable as the center strives to preserve birds near extinction. But face the threat they did, and they did it with bravery beyond words.

Jennifer Pribble, a conservationist placed at the center by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, was awakened by a neighbor to the news of the approaching fire. To keep the center from being engulfed and destroyed, she and the neighbor managed hoses to prevent the flames from taking over. They also used fire extinguishers to help in the battle. Forty minutes later, fire personnel arrived to assist in the effort to prevent the spread of the fire that was only 150 feet from the doors.

'akikiki songbird, Hawaiian songbird
‘Akikiki songbird
Photographer: Carter Atkinson, USGS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Here’s why the Conservation Center is so important and the heroic actions of Jennifer Pribble, and the Center’s neighbor so laudable. The Center is home to threatened Hawaiian birds that are found nowhere else. In fact, the center houses the extinct in-the-wild alalā (Hawaiian Crow), and the rare ‘akikiki songbird (also called the Kauaʻi creeper songbird), whose population has been devastated by mosquitoes and malaria. There are around 80 of the rare birds kept here, with others housed in another facility on the island of Hawaii to prevent total devastation of the species.

After the fire was contained, the fear shifted to trees that had been engulfed by flames and that were in danger of falling onto the center. The birds were moved from the center to the barns to further ensure their safety. One of the aviaries and a building were damaged by falling trees, which prompted the removal of the birds until everything could be assessed for safety. After a week of firefighting, the blaze has been brought under control. The Conservation Center has been offered as a place of rest and shelter for rescue workers.

ALL the birds within the center are currently safe with much thanks to the critical thinking, prowess, and fast actions of the resident conservationist and the center’s neighbor. There are multiple ways of helping Maui in this time of need. There are links to Red Cross, the Maui Food Bank, the Maui Humane Society, and others that you may find with a quick search across the internet. We at Lafeber applaud the extraordinary bravery of all involved responders, including that of Jennifer Pribble and her neighbor.

Inside Dr. Pepperberg’s Lab: Griffin & Athena’s Wild Weekend Getaway

African grey parrots, African greys, grey parrots
Griffin (left) and Athena (right) arriving at the B&B; eating snacks at the B&B. Images courtesy of Dr. Irene Pepperberg

Not too long ago, the apartment in which the parrots were residing needed some repairs— repairs extensive enough that we really didn’t want the birds fully present for the duration. None of my research associates nor lab managers had living quarters where we could easily move the parrots, even temporarily, and I have too many physical limitations these days to be able to care for the birds properly myself for any length of time. However, one of my lab managers volunteered to take Griffin and Athena to an AirB&B for the long weekend—Thursday night so the repairs could start early Friday and Saturday and Sunday so that the apartment could air out before the birds returned.

What Could Go Wrong?

Sounded simple, right? I mean, I travel all over the world for weeks at a time with just a carry-on and a large personal bag … and these are two small parrots. And I have friends who take their birds with them on trips without much ado. Well, the first problem was finding a place that accepted birds. “Pets” seemed to mean dogs and/or cats exclusively. I’m not sure what damage the owners thought that a supervised bird could do to a relatively small area that would be worse than that which could be inflicted by a large, four-legged critter, but every option close to the lab immediately refused to accommodate us.

We eventually found a lovely bed-sitting room rental in the farmland that surrounds Concord—a good hour’s drive from the lab. Ah well… Next came figuring out what to pack. Their travel backpack, of course. And some T-stand perches and food bowls. And night-time travel cages. And floor mats, cage liners, all their fresh and dried foods, ice packs to keep things from spoiling during the trip, vitamins and minerals, a first aid kit; what about their breakfast perches and the wooden stools on which we sometimes place their food bowls? And of course their toys.

Packing for Parrots

I truly can’t remember what all we brought, but the gear filled most of two cars, plus a third car that brought them! It took quite some time to unload and set things up, all while keeping Griffin and Athena occupied and calm throughout. Not a simple task; Griffin kept telling us, “Wanna go back!” and we were sure he meant it!

It was really difficult for me to leave them there with my lab manager, even though they both have very strong bonds with her, and I knew I couldn’t really help and would be in the way if I stayed. I don’t think she or the birds got much sleep that entire weekend.

At one point, Griffin spooked and fell off his perch, which sent Athena flying around the entire space; she ended up crashing—thankfully, on the bed of all places! But they did eat, and preen, and everyone survived and returned without any major issues. However, it was only a short time later that we had to move out of that apartment for good, to a new place that we hope will be more conducive to research and easier to maintain.

Griffin has had a particularly difficult time adjusting to this last move—I wonder if the stint at the B&B makes him think this move is also temporary, even though this time we’ve set up their living cages as well as all the other familiar furniture, and we are maintaining their normal routine. All I can say is that it is very clear that my birds do not like change!

Clearly, those friends who travel with their parrots have acclimated their birds to accept that change is not an issue, and I supposed they began when their birds were young so that travel was just a normal and interesting part of life. And, although Griffin has moved many, many times, and even Athena has now moved several times, “short-term travel” appears to be a very different category; moreover, this latest move seems the most difficult. Fingers crossed that they will soon settle in!

Translating Parrot: The Best Life – Tips & Essential Practices for Parrots of All Sizes

Webinar: Translating Parrot: The Best Life – Tips & Essential Practices for Parrots of All Sizes

Date: Friday, September 22, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm PDT (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Pamela Clark, is a well-known author, speaker, IAABC CPBC & retired CVT. Pamela will present Episode 3 of Translating Parrot, a Lafeber Pet Birds Webinar Series focusing on Parrot Behavior & Wellness, based on Pamela’s years of experience with a wide range of parrot species. In this episode, Pamela will discuss tips and tricks that make parrot care easier and more enjoyable for both parrot and owner so that you can provide your parrots with the best quality of life. She will include advice on their diet, forms of enrichment, training and more! Pamela’s advice will help you translate what your parrot wants & needs in the newest installment of this informative series!

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

Unlocking the Kakapo’s Genetic Code: A New Approach to Conservation

Kakapo parrotThe threat of extinction looms large over many species. We’re all uncomfortably aware that there are more than a few species of parrots near the extinction threshold, a line that we would rather not cross. Causality outlooks for many species range from disturbed habitats, climate disruption, invasive predators, and poachers who have helped deplete the natural population of a community of highly prized exotic birds. Scientists, conservationists, universities, and governments have worked hand in hand to help secure perfect solutions to the declining numbers of our birds.

DNA Sequencing To Boosts Numbers

One method of protection that bypasses the work of actual hands-on difficult work with existing parrots is that of DNA sequencing. Teams of scientists that are invested in the protection of birds (and other life that are being threatened) have taken to the internal coding of genetics to produce a pattern of information that could lead to a better understanding of the “at risk of extinction’” parrots. With this information, conservationists can more accurately put a finger on disease susceptibility, discover resistance to environmental fluctuations, and even how eggs respond in relation to where they are located.

Kakapo parrot, flightless parrot
Kakapo chicks, photo by Department of Conservation, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Recently, Dr. Peter Dearden, a biochemist operating from the University of Otago (Dunedin, New Zealand), sequenced the DNA of many of the Kākāpō parrots in existence. This represents 169 of the birds with both living and stored samples accessed for the project. His collected genomic dataset for the parrot species could become essential in the survival probability of the Kākāpō. As the datasets are built upon with more DNA sequences of new chicks and others located but not sequenced, the reality of improved survivability could become a catalyst for possible uninhibited growth.

This is like having a vast database of direct-line medical information that can be referenced for probabilities in the occurrence of diseases for the human body. With such information available for conservationists, the Kākāpō parrot community gained a new tool in the continued efforts to increase its low population. The tool will be used to scan traits that are encouraging in the decision process of breeding. With knowledge of what works and what doesn’t, we should more easily witness an upsurge in the population of the challenged Kākāpō parrot. And not only Kākāpōs, but so many other life forms that need better understanding.

After a period of involvement, scientists at work in the “programming” of careful but effective breeding traits could watch an evolutionary process taking place. This would be a miraculous occurrence that could have an impact on any other living thing that needs to be redirected toward better situational events encouraging ideal conditions for survival.

Today, it is the use of datasets to determine better traits for survival. In the future, we might find pathways that more directly encourage the survival instincts of threatened species of all kinds.

 

Serving Up Fresh H2O: Water Wisdom for Bird Owners

sun conures, conures
Image by JOMON JOSEPH from Pixabay

With the abundance of hydro flask choices flooding the store aisles and various types of filtered water pitchers to fill them, there’s no excuse for us humans not to drink our daily dose of clean, chilled-to-our-liking water. But, for our feathered friends, getting enough clean water takes more effort behind the scenes. Unlike dogs lapping up bowls of water, birds tend to sip water subtly throughout the day. Their intake is quiet and easily overlooked. Just because their water dish is full, don’t assume it’s fine to leave as-is. With food bits and droppings contaminating dishes, freshness declines quickly. Here’s why offering our birds water requires extra care and attention:

Birds Drink Water Every Day

Just because you don’t see your bird gulping down water from the bowl, doesn’t mean they don’t drink it. We are used to seeing dogs eagerly lap up water from the bowl to quench their thirst, especially after a long walk on a sunny day. Birds, on the other hand, can be quick sip-and-goers, or slow, methodical drinkers, as if savoring each droplet. Unlike that thirsty dog who might lick up an entire bowl of water at one sitting, a pet bird likely won’t drink up an entire dish of water. The water volume offered in a dish vs. the bird’s size is a much bigger differential.

Unfortunately, some people might mistake seeing a full water dish in the cage as not needing to replace it until they see the water level go down. When it comes to pet birds, you’re not refilling an empty water dish throughout the day as you would a dog. Rather you’re likely throwing out the fresh water you had to start the day with new rounds of fresh water.

Bird’s Water Can Get Dirty Fast

Water can be a breeding ground for bacteria if left too long in the cage. A lot of birds dunk their food in their water dishes, which can increase bacteria counts as the water becomes more muddled with food debris, which can include fallout from seed hulls and millet drifting into the water dish. Multiple water changes throughout the day are in order if your bird is a frequent food dunker or they have a tendency to poop in their water dish (see Dish Placement Matters below). If you ever dare to look into a sippy cup after a toddler with a mouth full of food drinks from it, you’ll probably see “food floaties” in it. You wouldn’t dare hand the kid the same sippy cup the next day to finish it off; the same goes for our feathered friends.

Dish Placement Matters

When it comes to pet birds and positioning their food and water bowls, “Look out below!” is an important phrase to keep in mind. While you can’t move the food and water cup receptacles in your bird’s cage design, you can relocate and place perches and swings around the cage to lessen the likelihood that your bird’s droppings will fall into its dishes. You can also use bowls designed to bolt on or to hang in other parts of the cage. The goal is to keep your bird from perching in areas that are directly over its food and water sources. That being said, don’t be surprised if your bird still manages to poop in dishes. If your bird’s droppings fall in the water dish, don’t wait until the day’s end to change it—the same goes for its food dish.

Having a Drink While Bathing

two red, yellow, green, and blue colored parrots sitting in the water of a creek
Two rosella parrots cool off in the water in their native Australia. Photo by Geoffrey Moore on Unsplash

A lot of birds take sips of water while bathing or showering, and their bathing preferences can be much more varied than ours. Some birds prefer a light misting from a water bottle, or a splash in a shallow dish of water set out for them, under a gentle stream of water from the faucet, rolling around on a wet piece of lettuce, and, of course, many birds bathe in their water dish inside the cage or on a playgym. Bathing helps maintain feather health, and there’s nothing more relaxing than watching a bird meticulously preen its feathers after a bath or shower! Bath time should not be the only time your bird has access to water to drink; a designated water bowl is always a must.

Clean The Dishes!

If your bird’s water/food bowls are ceramic, stainless steel, or made of thick plastic, there’s a high likelihood that they are dishwasher safe. (Check the manufacturer’s care instructions to be certain). You can also soak them in warm soapy water and scrub them down. Cleaning and scrubbing down your bird’s food and water dishes should be a part of your daily do; resist the shortcut of merely dumping the old water into the sink and refilling it day after day!

Hummingbird Migration is Underway—How You Can Help!

Hummingbird feeds on Mexican Sunflower.
Hummingbird feeds on Mexican Sunflower.
Photo by Dulcey Lima on Unsplash

Mid-August through mid-September are the months that many hummingbirds begin to migrate south for their wintering season. It is essential for migrating hummingbirds to get early starts to arrive at their intended warmer locations within a reasonable period of warmth. Most hummingbird migrations are routed in the central to eastern regions of the U.S. southward, although there are some Western hummers that move south as well. The ruby-throated hummingbird gets started as early as July, a bit too early for the rest. It is the sensing of lessening light in the daylight hours of the waning year that triggers the hummingbird’s migratory response to pack up and head south.

Fueling Up Fast Metabolisms

hummingbird at a feeder
A female ruby-throated drinks nectar at a feeder.
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash

The primary purpose of this article is to alert our bird lovers to this annual, twice-a-year process. The placement, refill, and maintenance of hummingbird feeders help all these migratory species fuel up for the long trip they undertake for their betterment. With that in mind, it becomes essential for those who supply hummingbirds with feeders and the proper mixtures to be prepared to double up on the supply. Hummingbird flight paths require a lot of energy. By having to stop and naturally look for necessary nectars, and the fast movement of their wings, it’s recognizable that they burn a lot of energy. Because of this, hummingbirds often consume three times their weight to maintain their vigorous actions.

These birds fly from many northern regions of Canada and the US. They head towards destinations in the south of the U.S., Mexico, and Central America. Those of you who are already aware of the migration of hummingbirds know that these birds depend heavily on the feeders that are out for them. Some devoted birders even plant nectar-rich flowers in their yards for a more natural acquisition of fuel. (We salute and love you all!)

Offer an Assist

Now that you’re sufficiently aware of this upcoming migration, and you’re interested in assisting hummingbirds along their way, you can help by placing a few (more) feeders. Not only will you be gifted with a large display of species of hummingbirds passing through, but you can also help in logging their arrivals and what they feast on. Typically, it is reported that the male hummingbirds are the first to begin their journey. They are then followed by the female and the juvenile hummers that the females have nurtured. It is hoped that you alert agencies that monitor the migratory habits of the hummingbird. There are multiple sites on the internet that are interested in your reports. Did the birds use your feeders? Did they feed on flowers? All information goes a long way to better understanding migration patterns.

It’s important that you do not use store-bought red syrups, as these contain a chemical red dye that is difficult for the hummers to process. Instead, Audubon suggests a 1:4 concoction of a nectar solution, which means a quarter cup of refined white sugar mixed in with a cup of tap water. Do not use brown sugar, honey, or molasses as they contain other ingredients that can be harmful to the bird.

Keep feeders clean, especially during this period to avoid disease transmission. Clean them at least twice a week. Throw out all nectar before cleaning. However, it is best to clean feeders after every depletion especially if the feeders are in heavy use. Use only hot water to cleanse them.

Get your hummingbird feeders ready to help their fall (and spring 2024) migrations!

Webinar: Avian Vet Insider: ExoticsCon – What’s New in Avian Medicine?

Webinar: Avian Vet Insider: ExoticsCon – What’s New in Avian Medicine?

Date: Friday, September 15, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm PDT (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

 

Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Dr. Stephanie Lamb, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), will discuss important topics presented at the recent ExoticsCon 2023, a Veterinary conference focusing on Exotics Medicine. Top exotics-medicine veterinarians from all over the world presented new findings and treatments, as well as ongoing research. This type of conference is important for specialty vets to maintain their diplomat status and to continue to be on the cutting edge of exotics medicine. Dr. Lamb will walk us through her experiences at the conference as an exotics Vet, as well as the incoming President of the Association of Avian Veterinarians in this insider’s view of the professional life of an Avian Veterinarian.

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

Webinar: The Grey Way: Ask Lisa Anything About Greys!

Webinar: The Grey Way: Ask Lisa Anything About Greys!

NEW Date: Friday, November 10, 2023

Time: 12:00 pm PST (double-check your local time with this time zone converter)

Lisa Bono webinar November 10, 2023Join us for a FREE, live, interactive webinar hosted by Laura Doering, former editor of Bird Talk magazine and Birds USA magazine. Our special guest, Lisa Bono, CPBC, owner and operator of The Platinum Parrot and a certified parrot behavior consultant specializing in African grey parrots, presents Episode 24 of The Grey Way, a Lafeber Pet Birds Webinar Series focusing on Congo & Timneh African grey parrots as pets. In this episode, Lisa will field questions from the viewers, so if you have an African grey-related question on your mind, this is the place to be! If you are a newer viewer, check out some of Lisa’s past episodes to see if you have any questions about past topics. Our playlist of The Grey Way is available on our YouTube channel.

Missed our webinar? No problem! You can access the webinar in its entirety here:

 

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