Umbrella Cockatoo

Parrot News - 2010

Parrot Health and Happiness
Written by: Jan Santor and Arianna Pleitez

Bird of the Month

The lovable and cuddly Umbrella Cockatoo

General Info: The Umbrella Cockatoo, native to Indonesia, is a large, gorgeous, white parrot. On this bird, the underside of the wings and the tail have feathers of a delicate yellow color. The tail feathers are short and squared at the end. The beak and feet of this bird are a wonderful contrast to the light coloring of the feathers as they are a grayish-black color. There is a ring around the eyes that contains no feathering. This ring is often tinged a light blue. The Female of the species often has eyes of a reddish brown color, whereas the male almost always has eyes of a very dark brown. The head holds a crest of feathers that lay flat against the head when calm and stand straight up when excited or frightened. This, in the wild, gives the bird the illusion of being larger than it really is. In this way, the bird may be able to frighten a predator or impress a prospective mate. In captivity, these feathers may play a perfect role in the comical antics shared between the bird and his or her family. It is (I say this from experience) quite amusing to see an Umbrella Cockatoo dance and "sing" with those "umbrella" feathers standing tall!

This bird is incredibly sweet and loving. It usually becomes very close to its family and will usually be especially close to one person in particular (often this person is the main caregiver of the bird).

It is important to give cockatoos a lot of attention and training. They get board very easily and can feather pick if board or upset.

Provide lots of toys to chew and destroy Change them often to combat boredom.

Before getting an Umbrella decide how much attention you will be able to give on a consistent basis. Stick to a routine with the attention you give your cockatoo. Giving a young bird tons of attention and then cutting off the amount of attention will cause behavior problems and can cause feather picking.

Size: The average length is somewhere around 18 inches, give or take an inch or two. The average weight is about a pound and a half.

Lifespan: The Lifespan of the Umbrella Cockatoo is similar to that of many large parrots; about 80 years. This lifespan, as with all birds, can be lengthened or shortened, depending on the quality of care that the bird receives.

Dietary Needs: A high quality pellet is a good base to the diet. You may lightly mix this with some assorted parrot seed. Everyday, try as hard as you can to give your bird fresh fruits and veggies (stay away from Avocados and chocolate). Great fruits and veggies include apples, cantaloupe, grapes, broccoli, peas, carrots, etc. As is true with humans, the less processing the food goes through, the better. Pellet, though processed, is great as it is nutritious and has vitamins and minerals that may be missing from one or another fruit or vegetable. But there is nothing better than a scrumptious freshly sliced apple or a delectably sweet bite from a crunchy carrot.

Cage size: 36 x 28

Train-ability: These birds are very easily trained. All that is needed is time and patience. These birds are actually great acrobats, so it's common to teach them tricks, as well as the usual "step-up" (perch on your hand) command. Tricks include flipping the bird upside down or "dancing" to music. Teaching your bird tricks is a fantastic way to get your bird to trust you. It takes a lot of trust for a bird to allow you to flip them upside down. I remember my family's Umbrella Cockatoo. He absolutely loved to do his tricks. It really helps them to feel like a part of the family.

Health Concerns: Umbrella Cockatoos may be susceptible to the following:

-Psittacine beak and feather disease

-Fatty liver disease

-Obesity

-Bubblefoot

-Feather-picking

-Sarcocystis

-Cloacal Prolapse

-Poor eating habits (finicky eater)

-Miscellaneous bacterial and fungal infections

Written by: Arianna Pleitez

On The Road

with the traveling Hubka's

Hello Everybody! This the traveling group of Rindy and Dale Hubka, with our trusty dog Tanzy and our feathered companions Maggie and Sonny, our Green Wing and Blue and Gold Macaws. After we assembled the new cage ( purchased from Bird Cages Galore) in the 5th wheel we loaded things up and said good-bye. We headed North from Grass Valley Ca. and spent a couple nights on the road. The second or third night we stayed close to Mt. St. Helens. We didn't even get close to settling in for the night when our neighbor saw our truck and trailer combination. We pull a 37 1/2 ft. 5th wheel with 4 slide outs, one of witch is dedicated to the feathery ones. After showing the Freightliner/5th wheel and Harley to them the birds made a squack, they asked what the noise was so we showed them. When they got the first glimpse, they went nuts. Big mistake, have you ever had people come and stay way too long. Before you know it the sodas, snacks and kids were all in the trailer. We had good conversation and met some new friends. I only wish they had recognized how tired we were. I guess the jungle drums had already sounded and we received several more visitors carrying kids that had heard about the Circus in space #134. Traveling with birds is a real adventure.

We then headed to the Seattle area where we have a lot of friends and family we hadn't seen in many years. During the various visits and reunions the birds continued to be the center of attention. I guess not many people have had a chance to be close to such marvelous creatures. Maybe we take it for granted because we have had our birds for 20 yrs. and they are family to us.

The birds have adjusted well to the frequent loading them into their travel cages and back to their big cage after traveling many hours on the road. They sit and watch the passing views, talk to us and sleep when they want. Actually, they do what they want most of the time anyhow. We have now spent 2 days in Post Falls Idaho with a Viet Nam era friend of Dale's and heading for Montana tomorrow.

As we travel I will keep you updated on the spectacular time we have had with the traveling bird show. Do you have any snake oil, I think I could sell it, people seem to like the Circus when it passes through town. Keep in mind, we are here to answer any questions anyone has regarding traveling with large Macaws. It's a kick!!! The traveling Hubka's

AVIAN HEALTH

For the Love of Your Bird

Bird First Aid Information and Supply List:

HARI Approved First Aid Arsenal: Are You Ready?

Posted: 31 Aug 2010 02:09 PM PDT

Avian caretakers should always be ready in the event of emergency. When is a good time to learn about first aid for your avian companion? Well, if you're asking yourself that question, it might be a good idea to stay tuned to this HARI series on Avian First Aid. The next few posts will cover essential first aid methods plus more holistic remedies. To get you started, we're tapping into the HARI Approved First Aid Arsenal as presented for Parrot Life Seminars! Here's a list of recommended items you can start adding to your First Aid Arenal!

An avian veterinarian should always be consulted as soon as possible should your bird present health concerns. The list compiled below includes recommended products you should have easily accessibility, although their use requires fundamental education of their potential benefits and contra-indications and proper dosages. Should symptoms be alleviated with their use, we still strongly recommended that an avian veterinarian be consulted nonetheless as soon as possible. Here are 2 different reference books that we recommend you could add to your bird library.

First Aid For Birds: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet Julie Rach Mancini, Gary A. Gallerstein

Holistic Care for Birds: A Manual of Wellness and Healing David McCluggage, Pamela Leis Higdon

Pet status file with weight monitoring chart
First aid reference manual
Emergency contact info for a specialized avian veterinarian, a reliable animal veterinarian with whom you have built a trustworthy relationship that can contact a specialized avian veterinarian for advice , an experienced handler or aviculturist
A small cage or aquarium that can be adapted for use as an intensive care unit until a veterinarian can be consulted
Scale and scale perch for weight monitoring
Restraint towel and Velcro strips
Pen light- to monitor pupil dilation and for the monitoring of papilla of the choanal region
5 1/2 size Hemostats for the removal of blood feathers
Ripley Miller leg band removal pliers (exclusively from L&M Bird leg bands for smaller Psittacine and hooked-billed species leg bands)
Cutters for the removal of sturdier leg bands and potentially cage wire if entrapment arises.
Sharp/blunt sharp scissors (to free birds that have caught leg or neck in rope toys....and bandage material
Small battery operated rotary-Dremel tool with white or light blue stone ( manicure Salon Shaper is the best for use on birds)
Tweezers
magnifier
5cc syringe
1 cc syringe
Heating pad

Transporter or Pet Carrier

Hand sanitizer
Hand feeding formula
Fresh millet
Nylon dog bone for the inspection of the oral cavity of a parrot, a small paper clip can be used for the inspection of a small cockatiel, lovebird or budgie sized bird.
Bird or fish net for birds in flights suitable for the species size
Roll of white paper towels ( to use in bottom of cage to monitor droppings)
Coffee grinder (to grind formulated granules into formula for syringe feeding )
Sample size bag of fresh food in case of emergency evacuation or hospitalization
Oxyfresh Cleansing Gele'
Sample bag -"Ziplock" style: to conserve feces samples and feathers with abnormalities(stress bars, off colors, damaged feather due to feather damaging behavior)
Clamp and fixture for heating lamp
Silver nitrate sticks (for bleeding nail only never apply on skin)
Nail Safe Styptic powder (for use exclusively on nails)
Misting-spray water bottle

Bandaging material

Vet wrap roll
Cosmetic wedges Latex free (used for Human application and blending of make-up)
White bandage tape
Steri-strip Skin closure ( Nexcare)
Cotton tip applicators
Thin sanitary pads individually wrapped for bandages
Coffee stirrer plastic sticks for splints

Water soluble ointments such as:

Calendula Gel
Oxyfresh Pet Gel
Aloe Vera 100 % pure gel

Other Ointments and Aids

Hydrocortisone cream ( concentrated for young or breeding birds)
Hibitane® ointment

Vitamin E gel
Packets for sterile lubricant - or better yet a small vial of olive oil both for use topically on the cloaca for emergency treatment of egg retention
Calcium Gluconate or liquid calcium (without sugar) for oral administration in case of egg retention (used ideally in conjunction with lubricant on the cloaca and an increased humidity in the immediate environment.
Rehydrating solution such a Gastrolyte® oral rehydration salt or Pedialyte ® Freezer Pops.
Liquid Aloe Vera gel ( drinkable Aloe see Parrot Life for therapeutic virtues)
Camilia® for pain relief ("Boiron" single dose homeopathic medicine for teething babies)
Living World Clay-Cal
Activated charcoal Digestive aid Art:B-2456
Bentonite Clay paste Tube ( Argiletz)
Bentonite - green clay powder ( Argiletz)
"Traumeel" tablets ( Heel)
Oculoheel® Heel homeopathic eye drop preparation
Bismuth subsalicylate liquid ( Pepto Bismol®)
Gentian violet 1 %
Apple cider vinegar unpasteurized with "mother"
Nutri-cal ® nutritional high calorie dietary supplement paste
Grape fruit extract tablets
Saline Nasal Spray
Chamomile infusion bags

Additional items for the Aviculturist & Retail Bird Department

Collection jar 10% neutral Buffered Formalin ( in case something needs to be preserved for histopathological examination)
Culturette (collection swab to be brought to your avian veterinarian for isolation of bacterial and fungal infection)
Feeding tubes for crop washes of neonates ( Tyco health care Kendall Sovereign)

molly quaker parrot MOLLY'S MUCHIES:

My name bees Molly B. Quaker an I wike to hewp cook gud, gud, food; for da birbies ta enjoi. Dis monf, eye wants to telled yew bout da chikun egg sickness dat has ben gowing on watewy. Sum ob a birbies favorite fuds are made wib eggies dat chikuns way and we hab got to make sure dat our hoomans are making shure dat dey do not come frum dat offal pwace dat sells eggies dat makes eben hoomans dieded dead. It dunt madder ware de eggy comes from, makes shure dat dey are cwean befor cwacking dem open. Tell da hoomans not ta used da shells fer any fud wecipe, trow dem away. Fud is bery dangerus dees days an eye dunt wants my birbie fwends ta get sickies. Hear is my favwite wecipe fer dees fawl morning bweakfasts. My beaker is droolin' just tinking bout fwesh corn from da cob and eggies. Hab yewer hooman putted a cob ob fwesh sweeeet corn, wib da end down on a pwate or ceral bowl an cut da kernels off ob da cob. Take a chikun eggie, an cwack it on tops of da corn an corn joose an beat da daywites outta da hole ting. Put it in da mico-wabe for 2 minutes (whateber dat is) an den wet it cooool. Dis is da bestest brekfest eber.

Untiwl next monf, dis be Molly b. saiding to eat well and stay safe!!!!!!!

Quaker Parrot

QPS is a registered 501(c)3 non profit organization for by Quaker Parakeet owners, breeders and conservationists committed to promoting national interest and understanding of Quakers.

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Sincerely, Kimberly Santor
Bird Cages Galore