WELCOME TO JULY & HOT, ITCHY BIRDS

HOT & ITCHY BIRDIES EVERYWHERE:  The month of July brings with it the hot and humid days of summer.  Birdies everywhere are as miserable as you are.  Here are some tips and things to use caution with.

1. 1.      If your bird likes spritzing with a squirt bottle, do this a couple of times a day, but; NOT just before bed time, because the will not have time to preen themselves dry and this can lead to illness/infection.
2. 2.      Change water frequently, but; do not use ice cubes as the sudden cold of ice can cause airway contraction/constriction and your bird will not be able to breath.  Ice does not affect all birds this way, but; it isn’t worth the risk.
3. 3.      Do not put fans for air conditioners where they can blow directly on your bird.  This is a “man-made draft” and your bird can develop respiratory infection.  Keep the fan or air conditioner well away from your bird so that they receive the benefit of the air stirring but; not the blast of cool/cold air directly on them.
4. 4.      If you take your bird out on a sun or screen porch, make sure that the sun is not directly on their cage and do not do this if there is no way to protect them from mosquito’s.  (West Nile Virus Threat).
5. 5.      Use a light weight, dark colored sheet to cover the cage with at night, rather than the usual heavier cage cover.  It will make a more comfortable sleep time for your fid. (I call it “summer jammies”.  Jan

anti-bird legislation NEWS:

Because of Legislative summer recesses, there are no actual Bills to report; but, on a happier note, I understand that citizens of several states are trying to get the ban on Nanday Conures repealed in illegal states.  These petitions should be ready for Legislative review when sessions resume.  We will keep you posted as and if we hear more. 

THE PIONUS PARROT IS OUR BIRD OF THE MONTH: 

 The Pionus pictured here is a Blue Headed Pionus, but; there are several different species of Pionus.  Some talk better than others, some play more than others but; the most remarkable thing about them all is that they are the most laid back and loving of all small parrots.  They make excellent companions for first time bird owners, families with children and folks who live in apartments, condos, and other small quarters where neighbors are close, because they are also one of the quietest parrots in terms of screaming, alarm calling and other loud and abrasive noises that so often cause neighbors to complain and your own ears to ring.  All Pionus are about the same size (11-12 Inches) from beak to their square little tales.  Sure they come with their own parcel of concerns and susceptibility to illnesses; but, with proper care and research, they will make you glad to be a birdie slave.  The most accurate and detailed information on each type of Pionus, that I have found is www.pionusparrot.com .  There is a complete biographical sketch for each one along with a medical page for what they are susceptible to – Vitamin A Deficiency, being the first to come to mind, and how to overcome or prevent these things.  Overall they are easy to care for, inexpensive to purchase and because of their quiet and affable nature, they rarely end up as cast off pets in rescues and sanctuaries.  Having said this, please bear in mind that they are parrots and parrots do bite from time-to-time, not only during breeding season, but; also in emotionally charged situations.  Once you have investigated the breed, and determined their housing requirements, for comfortable living and sleeping, visit our Bird Cages Galore Website and contact Korey or Kim.  They will help you to select a wonderful home for your Pionus. (Jan)

OTHER BIRDIE NEWS

wild quaker activity:The Yacolt, Washington Quakers have adopted the alternative nesting platform which was purchased and erected by the Quaker Parrot Society in concert with citizen volunteers.  WHOO-HOO – THE QUAKERS WIN!!!!

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF AVICULTURE (AFA) IS RAISING MONEY TO OFFER GRANTS TO HELP WITH DISEASE RESEARCH AND VARIOUS OTHER PARROT PROJECTS:  In 2008, the AFA is soliciting contributions from members and friends to provide grants to the following avian research projects:

1. Slender billed Conure nesting ecology
2. Proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) research at Texas A&M University
3. Spix’s macaw project
4. Cuban parakeet nest box project (in conjunction with Loro Parque Fundación)

Funding for the Avian Research Grants Program comes 100% from special
donations made for that purpose by clubs, affiliated organizations, business members, individual members, and friends of AFA. So please give generously so we can make our support to these projects as substantial as possible.

1.) Slender-billed Conure nesting ecology: The slender- billed Conure (Enicognathus leptorhynchus) is a common resident of remnants of old-growth Nothofagus forests found in the extensive lowland agricultural landscapes of southern Chile, where it suffers from conflicts with grain farmers and poaching of chicks for the pet trade.  Although the species is currently “protected” under Chilean law and considered Endangered, its numbers are declining and there is an almost complete lack of basic ecological data on both the species and its relationship to remnant old-growth forest fragments, even though the species lives in very accessible areas.  Chilean authorities have no idea of how past and current human activities are affecting the species, or any idea of how to effectively protect and manage the species within the altered landscape in which it now occurs.  Drs. Jaime E. Jiménez of Universidad de Los Lagos in Osorno, Chile, and Tom White of the US Fish and Wildlife Service are beginning a study together the necessary data to allow development of a species management plan.  They will use the AFA grant for the purchase of radio telemetry collars to track nesting slender-billed conures so as to better understand where they tend to establish their nests and what areas they use for foraging during this critical time in their life cycle.

2.)  Proventricular dilatation disease research, Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center, Texas A&M University: Proventricular dilatation disease, or PDD, is a viral disease of psittacines first described in the 1970’s in macaws.  Some of the best minds in veterinary research, such as Dr. Branson Ritchie and his colleagues at the University of Georgia, labored for nearly a decade attempting to isolate and identify a causative organism, with only some equivocal success.  The Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center at Texas A&M University has recently picked up the banner in the fight against PDD and has had some promising recent success in identifying proteins that appear to be associated with the disease and that may provide clues as to the nature of the causative organism.  Dr. Sharman Hoppes from the Schubot Center will be speaking at the AFA Convention on the progress they are making and what sorts of work the AFA grant will help promote.

 3.) Spix’s macaw project – captive propagation in Brazil: As virtually everyone knows, the Spix’s macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is extinct in the wild and is being preserved and propagated through captive breeding programs located at Loro Parque in the Canary Islands, at the al-Wabra Wildlife Preservation Center in Qatar, and at IBAMA facilities in Brazil.  Hopefully one day there will be a sufficiently large population in captivity that the birds can be reintroduced back into the wild.  Each Spix’s individual is precious with less than 70 existing throughout the world, and extensive health examinations and, if necessary, treatments are periodically performed on the birds in all of the facilities. This AFA grant will go to Dr. Yara Barros and the Brazilian governmental agency IBAMA to help support veterinary care for the birds in the Brazilian captive breeding program.

 4.) Artificial nest boxes for the catey, or Cuban parakeet (jointly with Loro Parque Fundación)Cuban conservation biologist Maikel Cañizares and colleagues have been studying the natural history and nesting behavior of the Cuban parakeet (Aratinga euops) since 1998.  Once common throughout Cuba, the catey (as it is known in Cuba) has been reduced to scattered locations within the island due to removal of chicks from nests and habitat destruction.  Cañizares and his team have identified the locations of remaining breeding populations of the parakeet, have described its natural history and habitat requirements, and since 2005 have studied increasing nesting success in a protected area on the southern part of the island known as Alturas de Banao by the provision of artificial nesting cavities.  So far the most successful models have been made from hollowed out palm logs, but these last only 1 or sometimes 2 years.  PVC nest boxes were accepted by a number of other cavity nesting species but not by the Cuban parakeet.  With our grant and with additional help from Loro Parque Fundación, the researchers will continue their search for a design for a longer lasting acceptable nest box for this threatened species.

VISIT – www.afabirds.org to learn how to donate to these very important projects.