YOUR #1 SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR A SAFE, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND WELL BEHAVED BIRD COMPILED BY: JAN SANTOR & KIMBERLY SANTOR |
Welcome to may & hormone season Grumpy birdies everywhere: As all birdie slaves know, it is hormone season and our dear, lovable feathered friends turn into Pterodactyl biting and yelling machines, this time of year. Here are a couple of things that will help both birds and humans survive this temporary madness and moodiness. 1. Bath, shower or spritz your bird often, (daily). 2. Do not increase the amount of light your fid gets, even though it is lighter outside longer this time of year. Cover and say good night at the regular time. Extended light-time hours increase the breeding urge and the temper tantrums. 3. Watch your bird’s body language, closely. It is better to recognize the “attack mode” than to proceed as usual and have to give him/her space after you are looking for the box of band-aides. Do not insist on your bird doing daily routines that it would rather not do, during this time. It is far better not to try to hold, touch or exercise commands than it is to do so and let the bird think they are now and FOREVER the boss. You will know, by their body language when you are welcome to love on them and when you are going to end up looking like hamburger meat. This behavior can be avoided and at least confined to the actual hormone season by taking these few simple precautions. If you try to interact with your friend when he/she doesn’t want to, during this time, and you back off; then they have won and you have lost whatever semblance of control you had over their behavior. |
anti-bird legislation NEWS: Thankfully, State Legislative Sessions are winding down for the term and there isn’t anything that I can find to indicate anti-companion bird activity. However; the utility companies are on Quaker nest tear down patrol and this is not a good thing. The Quaker Parrot Society is trying to work with the various utility companies to erect alternative nesting platforms and to wait until AFTER the babies have fledged before destroying existing nests. New York City seems to be in mumble-grumble mode over the many wild nests on utility poles and the situation is being closely monitored by the QPS Rescue and Placement Program (RAPP). (CROSS YOUR FINGERS FOR ANOTHER CALM MONTH TO COME). |
 THE QUAKER PARROT (MONK PARAKEET) IS OUR BIRD OF THE MONTH!!!!!! This BIG BIRD in a LITTLE PACKAGE, OFFERS EVERYTHING A COMPANION BIRD LOVER EVER WANTED AND MORE. Because I speak with a very prejudicial pen, I am not going to fill this column with my “praise prolific” for these little guys. Instead, I am going to refer your directly to www.qp-society.com where you will find everything you want to know, from nutrition and housing to the roles that they play in your family flock. If you already own a Quaker and haven’t been to the Quaker Parakeet Society website, go and look and read and join the free discussion list and the Quaker Parakeet Society too. You will not regret it. Thanks to careful scientific genetic breeding, by such folks as the most prestigious Bob Nelson, of Oregon, these wonderful family members come in many colors from shades of blue, yellow, cinnamon and pied. They have become feral in many states and many states have made them ILLEGAL TO OWN OR TRANSPORT THROUGH THEIR STATE, so make sure that you live in a legal state before running out to purchase one and be very selective about the breeder from whom you purchase. If you want a bird that can make you laugh, cry and be amazed all at the same time, the Quaker is for you. Every day with a Quaker is an adventure!!!! (Jan). |
| FACTOID: For those of you, who watched CSI NY, this week and saw the scene about the wild Quakers, you are right – THE BIRDS WERE CONURES!!! Quakers are Illegal in California and CSI NY is filmed in Los Angeles, not NY. Only the skyline and some building scenes are actually shot in NY. OOPS to the writers for that Boo-Boo!!!!!!! (Jan) |
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| Until next month, remember that we guarantee all of our products to be bird safe, because we care about your bird!!!!!!!!!!! |
