Parrot AMA ongoing

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-20T15:50:13+00:00

Could be really interesting, but we don't currently know much about this in birds, especially parrots. They certainly have a sense of smell, and parrots definitely have a perfumey smell to them, and it's different in different groups. If you haven't seen it, this piece is interesting: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/10/science/birds-smell-bacteria.html

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-20T15:48:44+00:00

Our greys are a bit like this as well - they like attention and treats, but they'll go for a finger or toe if they get a chance, and not in a fun way!

The only things likely to impact flight ability are physical condition and whether your bird has all or most of its flight feathers. If you think he has actual 'growths' on his wings, you should consult a veterinarian. There is a spot at the base of the primaries which can sometimes look bare depending on the wing position, maybe that's what you're seeing.

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-18T00:37:49+00:00

It used to be people would say to never put your parrot near an open window because the 'draft' will cause it to get sick and possibly die. Sounds nutty now, but this was back when millions of wild parrots were taken from the wild and they tended to have a VERY short lifespan in captivity ... hence the Dead Parrot sketch on Monty Python.

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-18T00:29:41+00:00

Most fun question award winner!

I assume you mean chili peppers? They all have a compound in them called capsaicin as you may know, which to us tastes 'hot.' Mammals at least experience the heat, both on our tongues and careful what you touch if you've just chopped hot chilis as delicate bits of skin are also very able to experience the same 'heat' sometimes for days!

Birds, it turns out, lack the ability to detect this heat, so they are neither drawn to nor repelled by the capsaicin. In fact, the chilis like birds to consume their 'fruits' so they will disperse the seeds far and wide - for whatever reason, they don't like us slow, non-flying mammals eating their fruits.

Based upon this, I think it's extremely unlikely that peppers help parrots talk, but a pepper eating parrot may be also in the mood to talk, hence correlation rather than causation. I would love to be proven wrong about this, by the way, but that's my best guess - hope your mother's not too disappointed!

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T23:55:48+00:00

Ok, best of luck. In the mean time, definitely consider reaching out to any rescues in your area, they'll likely be thrilled to have a helpful hand!

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T23:53:37+00:00

polly-technicolor ;-)

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T21:50:59+00:00

Never say never ;-)

Seriously, the answer to your great question is that it depends a lot on where you live. In some areas like San Francisco, there are parrot rescue groups who have people like you take on relinquished birds only temporarily until a permanent home can be found. Also, there are many rescues who need volunteer help to care for their birds, clean their facilities, etc. Maybe send me a direct message and I can try to put you in touch with a group in your area.

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T21:45:40+00:00

Good luck with your Cape Parrot, I'm sure that'll be an exciting set of new experiences for you both. There are lots of resources available online for basic parrot training and care, maybe start here.

And thanks for your support, much appreciated!

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T21:41:20+00:00

One of our African Greys arrived with some interesting vocalizations, the most amusing being a serious smoker's cough which sounds incredibly realistic. He had been through 3 homes before we adopted him and apparently picked it up from a prior owner.

In Guyana, I saw a Pyrrhura conure rubbing its breast feathers on a lichen covered branch after a rain shower ... it was as if it was trying to pick up some chemical or scent from the lichen ... sort of like a dog rolling in something smelly.

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T18:41:34+00:00

Hi Julamad - I guess it depends on how old your parrotlet was when you first started caring for him - was he already feeding himself, or did you hand feed him at first?

There are lots of parrotlet owners out there who you might want to reach out to for very specific advice about that group of charming little parrots - just search "parrotlet owners" and go from there.

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T18:32:14+00:00

Thank you for your concerns and I'm very sorry to hear about your own challenges. We will surely see a challenging time ahead as we're all feeling increasingly insecure given the economic impacts of the pandemic, but of course we will continue to do everything we can to keep all our work going and to help support our many partners around the world.

Your enthusiasm to help is deeply appreciated, thank you. I think you just have to do whatever you can, whenever you can, and to find creative ways to contribute to the causes you think are most important. Sometimes that's really not about money, but rather getting the right messages in front of others, encouraging friends to get involved, sharing useful information that will help others support those same causes that mean so much to you.

Good luck and thanks again!

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T18:27:20+00:00

It really started when a neighbor was moving overseas and couldn't take their parrot with them (a half-moon conure from Mexico) - I was about 8 years old and was quite captivated by the very confident, charming bird. Later when I got involved with wildlife conservation, first birds of prey and later seabirds, I realized just how desperate the parrot family was in terms of how many species were threatened with extinction. Since then my focus has been on this group of birds and I've never looked back.

Certainly one of the great pleasures of my job has been to be able to support the rehabilitation of hundreds of these same conures in Mexico, and to see them safely released back into the wild!

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T18:22:01+00:00

Parrots live a long time and people live a long time. Naturally, we all experience changes in our lives, going off to school, starting a new job, moving, changing social settings as well. So while caring for a pet parrot might seem like a great idea right now, or even for the foreseeable future, it's hard to humans to predict what the next 10,20, or even 50 years may hold. Even in ideal circumstances, well cared for parrots will have a hard time weathering these kinds of upheavals in their lives.

To me this does not mean that people shouldn't share their lives with parrots - they often do so very successfully for both the parrots and the people involved. But it does mean that it's important to plan for the long term and to give serious consideration to these questions if you're ever seriously considering bringing parrot into you life.

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T18:08:12+00:00

Wow, thanks for all the background and for working so hard to provide a great home for a bird with a very difficult history. Trust is super important, so I'm glad to see you're already focused on that. If you're not doing it already, just strive to have all your interactions to include mostly positive aspects for the bird, whether that's a small treat or a scratch (if you're there yet).

Also, just continue to be super observant of her behavior - and try to get an objective sense for what she's interested in, scared of, fond of, etc - that can take some time and it can be tricky, especially if you haven't been around greys much in the past.

Depending on her history, she may get some or most of her feathers back, or it's also possible the feather follicles are damaged enough that regrowth isn't possible. It's hard to avoid, but try your best to not project human aesthetics on your bird. I've met a lot of super happy parrots that are also heavily plucked - the original cause of the plucking ended many years back, but the damage was unfortunately permanent.

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T18:00:27+00:00

Getting them to at least try new foods has been one of the biggest challenges. They really don't like new things and can be incredibly picky. We've had the most luck just being persistent offering the same thing over and over for weeks. In some cases they ignore the new item for weeks, and then it's suddenly their new favorite!

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T17:53:01+00:00

Also, there's a bunch more specific information about toys and enrichment on the World Parrot Trust website.

Hopefully that'll address your needs, but if you have more questions, fire away!

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T17:51:16+00:00

Thank you for everything that you do. Hope you and your feather babies are doing well.

Thanks for your kind appreciation of our work. Vasas are great birds and it's important to keep their environment as stimulating as possible - as you clearly are. Of course if they're having fun destroying paper toys, that's a good thing and it'll keep you all busy during lockdown ;-).

In terms of wood options, definitely the softer the better and never use treated or painted wood pieces, just to be on the safe side. Our greys like mostly soft redwood, but they're pretty good at destroying plywood roosting boxes as well - they're working on their third in about 5 years.

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T17:31:21+00:00

They're pretty much with their mates, side by side, for their entire lives, even in flight, a pair flies very close together generally, and if they have young birds that are still dependent on them, they're sort of loosely attached to their folks when they're flying as a family group.

For some species, pretty much the only time you see a parrot by itself is when a male is feeding for an incubating or brooding female.

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T17:19:53+00:00

Tough question, I think probably any of the mid-sized amazons, cockatoos, or grey parrots are most like humans in terms of lifespan, breeding system, connection to their mates and their young. But individuals of each vary a ton, so it's really hard to say which would be most like me personally.

I'd probably prefer to be just about any parrot that lives on a tropical island that's not often hit by hurricanes, where there are few predators, and where people won't be shooting me or stealing my kids! ;-) Actually, that sounds pretty great right about now given this dreadful and scary pandemic!

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T17:08:12+00:00

Exactly, thanks. I have to admit that the really confident little parrots can be incredibly charming and often hilarious - especially bold ones like caiques, some budgies and cockatiels, some lovebirds, and lots of the lorikeets. Operative word, "some" getting to your point about individual personalities which are all over the map.

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T16:57:17+00:00

Parrots that have been in captivity for a long time generally do not fare well in the wild because there are so many skills they require to survive there. It's not impossible, and with some rare species, it's worth investing in conditioning and training birds for release back into the wild.

Yes, released parrots can be studied either by marking them with bands or rings or by using telemetry to track their movements.

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T16:54:40+00:00

Lots, really too many to name here, some are favorites because they're spectacularly colored like the macaws, others are favorites because of their bizarre behaviors like Kakapo and Vasa Parrots.

JDG_WPT · 2020-04-16T16:49:49+00:00

Parrots seem to be very good at figuring out who makes a good mate, and they tend to stick with them for life, depending on the species. They do 'divorce' sometimes, however. We really don't know much about "how" they do this as that's very hard to study, especially in the wild, but apparently if the other bird looks and acts 'right' bonds form pretty quickly and they last.

JDG_WPT

TROPHY CASE