That Bird Blog That Fish Place / That Pet Place Bird Blog

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  I recently wrote on the topic of educational TV shows for parrot owners (please see article below); now it seems that parrots themselves are joining the ranks of avid TV viewers.  The staff at Folly Farm Adventure Park, a zoo in Wales, has come up with a unique way to keep their parrots occupied…and the parrots have a lot to “say” about their efforts.

Why a TV?

The group of African Gray Parrots at Folly Farm is kept busy by keepers who interact with them on a regular basis, and are also supplied with climbing and foraging opportunities and other time-tested enrichment activities.  The staff was concerned, however, that the parrots might be bored when there were no keepers on site.  As an experiment, a 32 inch flat screen TV was installed in the parrots’ exhibit, and the birds’ reactions were observed.

The Parrots Respond

The parrots paid a great deal of attention to the TV, and soon began mimicking rainforest and bird sounds on nature oriented shows. This seemed to make sense, but the birds then surprised their keepers by becoming very excited when Loose Women, a lunchtime talk show, was aired.  Some folks were not surprised, however – according to one commenter, the show itself featured a great deal of “chattering”, and so would be a natural for the noisy birds!

Folly Farm’s African Gray Parrots have also taken to mimicking the “beep-beep” make by delivery trucks operating in reverse. Their skilled impressions never fail to draw a few keepers to the loading dock in anticipation of a food delivery!

Music and TV for other Zoo Animals

I’ve used classical radio stations to block out sudden sounds that might disturb especially sensitive zoo animals.  In the case of confiscated Palm Cockatoos and a colony of Naked Mole Rats, the strategy worked well. 

My only TV-animal experience dates back many years, when I was working with Gorillas.  Our females, unschooled in the ways of motherhood, consistently failed to properly nurse their young.  Movies showing “good Gorilla mothers” were shown, but the experiment failed miserably…from what I have seen, parrots would have learned whatever they saw on TV!

Suggest Shows for Folly Farm’s Parrots

Click here to suggest programs that Folly Farm’s parrots might enjoy.  Recent entries (not by yours truly!) have included Feather Say Feather Again, Cockatoo Kill a Mockingbird and Parrots of the Caribbean. 

Further Reading

Parrots Behaving Badly: Britain’s Beer Guzzling, Swearing Birds

TV for Parrot Owners

Hysterical Video: Parrot imitating one sided phone conversation; the video of 2 toddlers “conversing” is also very funny

Please write in with your questions and comments. 

Thanks, until next time,

Frank Indiviglio

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  The Canary (Serinus canaria) is the world’s most popularly-kept song bird.  However, certain basic questions still commonly arise, especially as spring approaches and Canaries begin to show breeding behavior.  Unfortunately, both sound and unsound information has made its way onto the internet.  Today I’ll cover some questions that usually come up as winter ends and avian fancies turn to reproduction.

Why won’t my male Canary sing?

Males that are not in the peak of good health will usually forgo singing.  A singing male is advertising his vigor, suitability as a mate and ability to defend his territory – instinct will compel a sick male remain silent.

Males that are molting rarely sing.  As with all birds, molting individuals cannot fly as well as usual, and are using energy and calories to grow new feathers…it is not in their best interest to attract the attention of predators or competing males. Read More »

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  Avian veterinarians report that obesity, and related health concerns such as atherosclerosis, fatty liver and hernias, are now among the most common maladies exhibited by the parrots under their care.  The problem is approaching epidemic proportions.

Obesity in Parrots

Much of what we know concerning obesity in parrots parallels what we have learned about the same condition in people, and leads to similar health concerns.  When lab tests are run on overweight parrots, a condition known as Hyperlipidemia – high levels of fat in the blood – is usually diagnosed.  Read More »

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  Sparrows do not come to most people’s minds when considering a new pet bird, but a surprising array of beautiful, hardy species are regularly bred in captivity.  Today I’ll cover several of my favorites – the Rufus-Collared, Sudan Golden and Diamond Sparrows, and the Cinnamon-Breasted Rock Bunting.

“Sparrow, Bunting or Finch”?

Aviculturists apply the term “sparrow” to a wide variety of small birds that are not necessarily related, and that are more properly classified as finches.  Ornithologists generally consider birds in the Old World genus Passer to be the “True Sparrows” and those in the family Emberizidae to be the “New World Sparrows and Buntings”.  The genus Passer is home to the widespread House Sparrow, P. domesticus – not a species that is often kept, but which I’ve found to be a delightful captive.  Read More »

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  Finally, conservationists and bird enthusiasts have some promising news regarding the fate of wild parrots.  Mexico’s recently imposed ban on collecting and exporting wild parrots (please see article below) appears to be having its intended effect.  Confiscations are at an all-time low, the public is cooperating, and birds in neighboring Guatemala may be benefitting as well.

A Bad Year for Smugglers

Despite increased attention to parrot smuggling, last year (2010) saw only 568 parrots confiscated in Mexico…less than any time in the past decade, and down 1/3 from 2009.  As Mexico has long been an outlet for birds illegally trapped in neighboring Guatemala, it is believed that the ban is having a positive effect there as well. Read More »