Archive for June, 2009
Parrot Tricks: Why Train My Parrot, and Where do I Start?
Jun 29th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. People have mixed feelings about teaching budgerigars, macaws, cockatoos and other parrots to perform tricks. Some claim that such is somehow “degrading” (to the bird, I assume!) while others consider training to be vital in forging a good relationship with one’s pet. My experience with captive animals of all types has convinced me that, when properly carried out, trick training greatly improves the quality of life for parrots and other highly intelligent creatures.
In zoos, marine mammals and elephants are trained as a matter of course, in order to simplify veterinary examinations (i.e. when an elephant raises its foot to allow the pads to be seen) and to keep the animals occupied with stimulating activities. Much the same is true for pet parrots. The training process itself also helps to forge a bond between the parrot and its owner.
The First Trick
As a first trick, I highly recommend teaching your parrot to “shake hands”. This behavior is merely an extension of one that many well-adjusted birds already perform – that of stepping up on your finger or arm. If your bird has not yet mastered this, then please do not attempt to teach it any tricks at this point…such will only frustrate both yourself and the bird. Please write in if you need further information.
To train your parrot to shake, you’ll need a cage-top or similar stand set up in a quiet, distraction free room. Training should involve no punitive actions whatsoever…your parrot will be quick to make the association and will lose interest. Improper responses should be ignored, favorable actions rewarded with a small treat. The treat used should be hidden from the bird’s view until needed, and should not be part of your pet’s normal diet.
Timing and Progress
Training sessions should last for at least 10 minutes, and, ideally, should be terminated before your parrot becomes bored and loses interest. As you come to know and understand your parrot’s personality, you will become adept at judging when to end a training session.
Although some parrots exhibit amazing abilities to retain what they have learned, for most the road is bumpy at best. Progress is rarely made on a predictable basis…be prepared for a “1 step forward, 2 (or 3-4!) steps backward” type experience. Your patience is key… do not attempt a training session when you are ill or under time pressure. Much like infants, parrots are very much attuned to subtle cues, and will pick up on and respond to your mood.
“Shaking Hands”
To teach a parrot to shake hands, first touch its foot while saying “shake hands”. As soon as the foot is lifted, praise the bird and provide a small treat.
Once the bird consistently raises its foot on cue, begin to gently grasp the foot and shake it. At this stage, provide praise and a reward only after the bird allows you to shake, not when it lifts the foot.
Practice in various locations, gradually increasing the types and degrees of distractions to which the parrot is exposed when given the “shake hands” command.
Further Reading
An amusing article on the Cincinnati Zoo’s famous singing Amazon parrot, which leads fans in song at local ballgames, is posted at:
http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/pdfs/2008OpeningDayParade.pdf
Please also check out our extensive line of parrot care books http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/cat/infoL3/22315/category.web.
I’ll cover additional tricks in the future. Until then, please write in with your questions and comments. Thanks, Frank Indiviglio.
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Loading ...Vitamin A Deficiency and Swollen Eyes in Parrots, Finches and other Cage Birds
Jun 26th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Swollen eyes (Periorbital Abscess) are a frequently reported affliction of budgerigars, African gray, various Amazon and nearly all other parrots, but are also seen in canaries and other finches, mynas, toucans, bulbuls and a host of lesser-known pet species. In most cases, a Vitamin A deficiency is at the root of the problem. Less commonly, cysts, trapped foreign objects, trauma and bacterial infection may be implicated.
Initial Symptoms (Periobital Abscess)
Swellings usually develop slowly, beginning as puffy areas in front of and possibly above the eyes, and may be quite subtle. This underlies the importance of knowing your bird well, and of performing a close daily inspection – especially for those who keep smaller birds, or any bird in a large, outdoor aviary. Eventually, the swollen area will spread, encircling the eye and forcing it closed. Treatment may involve surgery and/or Vitamin A injections, followed by dietary changes.
Origin of Vitamin A Deficiencies
Vitamin A deficiencies are typical of parrots fed upon a seed-only diet, and are especially common in species and individuals that tend to feed upon 1-2 types of seed to the exclusion of all others. As always, sunflower seeds are the main culprit. Parrots are notoriously troublesome in this regard, but other groups have their share of offenders as well.
In softbills and other non-seed eaters, this or other deficiencies can arise in birds that feed upon a few favored food items, such as the Pekin robin that takes only mealworms or the toucan that fills up on the bananas in its salad.
Aviary and Group-Housing Concerns
While working in large, mixed-species zoo exhibits, I began to notice that the dominant birds in the exhibit were often the individuals most likely to develop vitamin/mineral deficiencies. While this at first did not make sense, upon reflection I came to realize that it is precisely these birds that arrived at the feeding stations first and filled up on crickets, grubs, blueberries, hard-boiled egg and other favorites.
Left with only prepared softbill diets and pellets upon which to subsist, the subordinate birds actually consumed a more healthful diet than did the exhibit tyrants. Those keeping groups of birds in outdoor aviaries would do well to remain aware of this phenomenon.
Balancing the Diet: Pellets and Prepared Foods
For parrot keepers, the answer lies in switching your birds to a pellet-based diet …a task much easier said than done where many are concerned. Lafeber Nutriberries can be an invaluable ally in your battle. Nutriberries present pellets in a very well-accepted form, mixing in seeds and tasty treats and greatly simplifying the ordeal.
Likewise, pellets can be put to good use in finch diets, and softbill pellets should form the basis of the food taken by toucans, barbets, mynas and similar birds.
Other Steps to Take
Please be sure also to take a look at our extensive selection of bird care books, as there are small details affecting the nutritional health of all species. A high quality vitamin/mineral supplement should also be used as part of a balanced diet for your pets.
Further Reading
For more information on the role of pellets in bird diets, please see my article Avian Nutrition: Pellet-Based Diets.
Please write in with your questions and comments. Thanks, until next time, Frank Indiviglio.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Lumps, Abscesses, Tumors and Swellings on Budgerigars and other Birds (Part I)
Jun 24th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Swollen areas and assorted growths are regularly seen on the otherwise hearty budgerigars (parakeets) and, less commonly, on other parrots, finches and softbills. Ranging from harmless to quite serious, these typically arise from trauma, abscesses, tumors, ruptured air sacs, hernias, cysts or egg-binding, but other -less obvious maladies may also be at work.
A Caution
The following remarks, while written with budgerigars in mind, are applicable to all types of birds. Please note that they are provided as guidelines, to help you understand what might be happening… only a veterinarian can accurately diagnose your bird’s medical problems.
Even benign growths, if accompanied by shivering, loss of appetite, breathing difficulties or similar symptoms, are cause for concern and necessitate an immediate visit to your veterinarian.
Ruptured Air Sacs
Budgerigars and other birds may rupture air sacs by flying into windows or other obstacles during their time out of the cage. Bird-proofing flight rooms and gradually adjusting your pet to such will go a long way in alleviating this problem. Less commonly, air sacs may be damaged when startled birds crash into cage bars or walls.
A swollen area along the breast, which emits a characteristic “crackling” sound when gently touched, is a sure sign of a ruptured air sac. Unless involving a huge area, air sac damage usually resolves quickly on its own.
Hematomas
Trauma-related injuries that do not involve air sacs may result in hematomas…swollen, blood-filled injuries below the skin (in people, such are often called “black-and-blues”, but skin color change will not usually be evident in a bird).
Resulting from broken blood vessels, the pooled blood typical of hematomas is usually re-absorbed by the bird without incident.
Abscesses
Avian abscesses present as swollen, painful, reddish areas that are warm to the touch. The swollen area, or abscess, is filled with white blood cells and other blood borne compounds produced by the bird to battle infection. The abscess usually also contains dead tissue and living and dead bacteria or other pathogens. Budgerigars often exhibit abscesses below the eye, but they may also occur on the feet, in the mouth and at other locations.
As a defense measure, the abscess has been walled off from the rest of the bird’s body, but the toxins and bacteria contained therein can escape and spread via the blood to vital organs. This can happen very quickly, and usually has fatal results. Therefore, all abscesses should be treated promptly by a veterinarian.
Gout, a disease that takes hold when uric acid is stored in the joints and internal organs, sometimes produces abscess-like growths on the feet of budgerigars. Known as tophi, these growths will bleed extensively if impacted or cut, and should be addressed by a veterinarian.
Tumors
Tumors are often difficult to identify specifically, and may arise from a wide variety of diseases and conditions. Fatty tumors are usually benign and require monitoring but no other treatment, while others may be malignant.
Any unusual growth or swelling that you notice should be examined by a veterinarian. A biopsy may be used to confirm the doctor’s diagnosis if there is any doubt as to the nature of the problem.
Next time we’ll complete our review of noxious bird bumps with a look at feather cysts and cloacal swellings. Until then, please write in with your questions and comments.
Further Reading
You can access a detailed article concerning the types of tumors that afflict budgerigars here.
Thanks, Frank Indiviglio.
(+1 rating, 1 votes) Loading ...Collecting and Using Live and Processed Insects for Finches and other Pet Birds – Part 2
Jun 22nd
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Please see Part I of this article for information on collecting insects for pet birds.
Today we’ll discuss breeding invertebrates at home, and take a look at some useful insect products. Please see the articles referenced below for further details on each of these topics.
Raising Invertebrates
In addition to being an interesting endeavor, established colonies of invertebrates will provide you with a year-round supply of (largely free) live food. Also, you will have access to individual insects of varied sizes, an important consideration to those with mixed collections or nesting birds.
Nutritional Value
Home-raised insects can be “nutrient loaded” (please see below) so as increase their value as a food item, and can be selected when they are at the most nutritious stage of their life cycle (i.e. newly molted and pupating mealworms). The plumage of birds fed upon live insects often takes on a brilliance not seen in their “less fortunate” cousins (please see photo of Strawberry Finch).
Available Species
Crickets, mealworms, wax worms and fruit flies are the most commonly reared insects, but there are numerous other species to consider. Roaches, despite their bad reputations, should not be ignored (only .3% of the world’s 4,500 species are household pests). The soft-bodied orange spotted roaches are slow moving and, unable to climb glass, rarely escape their enclosures (please see below).
Sowbugs and earthworms are among the most useful and readily accepted of all invertebrates. Widely kept by zoos and European and Asian aviculturists, they are, for some reason, largely overlooked in private collections in the USA. Both are very easy to rear and breed; starter cultures are available commercially or may be collected.
Canned and Freeze-Dried Invertebrates
Canned grasshoppers, caterpillars and other invertebrates and freeze dried flies and Daphnia, marketed for pet reptiles and fishes, offer very useful options to enterprising bird keepers. I cannot understand why they are not more widely used (I keep hammering away at the point in my articles!), but hope they will come into their own soon.
Further Reading
Please see the following articles for further details on prepared insect products and invertebrate breeding:
Feeding Insects to Pet Birds: Anole Food Dried Invertebrates for Birds
Raising Orange Spotted Roaches
Please write in with your questions and comments. Thanks, until next time, Frank Indiviglio.
Images referenced from Wikipedia and originally posted by Shyamal and Rasbak
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Parrot Health – Addressing the Psychological, Environmental and Medical Aspects
Jun 19th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.I recently received a very insightful comment from Yvonne, one of our readers, concerning parrot medicine and nutrition. Yvonne raised an important point that sometimes compromises the medical attention given to parrots and other animals, and so I’d like to address her concerns in this article.
Identifying the Concern…”Red Herrings”
Yvonne mentioned that, while psychological factors are critical to the health of captive parrots, excessive attention to such may cause people to overlook underlying problems that are purely medical in nature. For example, stress-related behaviors, while serious in and of themselves, may mask medical problems, and lead both bird owners and veterinarians to an inappropriate plan of action (the “red herring” concept in human medicine). In Yvonne’s example, treating feather-plucking as a completely psychological concern caused a severe medical condition to go un-noticed, leading to a cockatoo’s untimely death.
In my experience, the interplay of psychological and medical aspects in parrot care is a vital yet easily misunderstood concept. Both factors are critical and each affects the other. I do agree that there is a tendency for people to emphasis the psychological when it comes to parrots…I have seen the same among professional zookeepers, curators and veterinarians dealing with parrots, primates, marine mammals and other intelligent, charismatic animals as well.
Medical and Non-Medical Considerations
Where people are concerned, Western medicine has only recently begun to give ample consideration to the non-medical aspects of disease treatment. We can now measure the output of hormones which, excreted during times of stress, compromise the immune system, proving that both mind and body must be addressed.
The same applies to birds. I often cite an example from my zoo years…birds which easily tolerate normal environmental levels of Aspergillosus can be killed by the same levels of the fungi when stressed by, for example, a move to a new exhibit.
That being said, a secure environment and proper social grouping, etc. can only go so far – medical intervention is needed where appropriate. The key is finding that fine line.
As regards reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates – creatures for which medical care is less-well advanced than for birds – environmental and social factors are, in effect, considered to be “medical treatment”. Often the best we can do is to provide them with appropriate habitats, and hope that this is enough to keep medical troubles at bay. The same holds true to a large extent for birds, especially the poorly-studied species – proper environment is the key to good health. Fortunately, however, we also have significant medical resources to assist our avian friends.
Avian Nutrition…Learning More
Yvonne also laments the lack of information on what constitutes a healthy diet for many species. In this area we do indeed have much to learn, and many surprises await us. As a starting point, I always go back to sources that cite field observations – Forshaw’s classic Parrots of the World (TFH: 1997), for example.
Unfortunately, published observations of free-living parrots (i.e. what parrots eat, seasonal variations in diet) are not easy to come by, and are given far less importance today than in years past. I have access to people and journals which may be of use to those of you who are interested in such research…please write in if you need further information.
Further Reading
The degree of research that goes into zoo avian diets is well-illustrated by article abstracts posted by the European Zoo Nutrition Center
Please write in with your questions and comments. Thanks, until next time, Frank Indiviglio.
Image referenced from Morguefile.
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