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T H E P R E M I E R P E T & AV I A RY B I R D M AG A Z I N E VO L 3 1 I S S U E 5 • O C T- N OV 2018
new
PARROT MUTATIONS
Red-lored
Amazon ANTIPODES ISLAND
KAKARIKI
FINCHES Lories
PET PARROTS
Labels & Free-flying
CONTENTS october–november 2018 VOLUME 31 ISSUE 5
T H E P R E M I E R P E T & AV I A RY B I R D M AG A Z I N E VO L 3 1 I S S U E 5 • O C T- N OV 2018
new
PARROT MUTATIONS
Red-lored
Amazon
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Lories Labels & PET PARROTS Free-flying
COVER IMAGE RED-LORED AMAZON PETER ODEKERKEN
CLASSIFIEDS
FE ATU RES REGU L A RS 250 254 270 286 287 292
ISLAND TREASURE—THE ANTIPODES ISLAND PARAKEET By Jade Welch This rarest member of the kakariki family has some interesting traits and captive requirements. KAKARIKI PARAKEETS By Graeme Hyde Graeme provides advice on keeping and breeding what he refers to as ‘the quintessence of avicultural excellence’. BREEDING THE RED-LORED AMAZON By Peter Odekerken Peter shares his positive experience in breeding these attractive Central American parrots. VALE: KEVIN DEVNIE Compiled Tributes VALE: GREG WIGHTMAN By Keith Gargett YOUNG BIRD KEEPER COMPETITION: BEGINNING MY EXPERIENCE WITH KEEPING BIRDS By William Bentley William’s love of birds has developed from the gift of a young male blue mutation Budgie from his grandparents three years ago.
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BREEDER PERSPECTIVE: EXOTIC LORIES IN AUSTRALIA— PART 2 By Andrew Rankmore
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FINCH CHARM: THE IMPORTANCE OF ROUTINE By David Pace
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MUTATION MUTTERINGS: THE FUTURE LOOKS VIOLET By Paul Court and Ray Chapman
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FINCH FUNDAMENTALS: STOP! FINCHES ONLY PLEASE By Marcus Pollard
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WILD CORNER: GAPEWORMS IN JUVENILE MAGPIES By Dr Claude Lacasse
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A PARROT’S LIFE: THE DOWNFALL OF LABELLING OUR PARROTS By Lee Stone
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PET PARROT BEHAVIOUR: FRESH MUSINGS ON FREE-FLYING PARROTS By Hillary Hankey
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AVIAN HEALTH WITH DR BOB: DO WE HAVE A SOCIAL LICENCE TO KEEP BIRDS? By Dr Bob Doneley
P ODEKERKEN
KAKARIKI
FINCHES
J WELCH
ANTIPODES ISLAND
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HOOKBILL HOBBYIST: LINGERING MYTHS IN CAPTIVE AVICULTURE—PART 1 By EB Cravens
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ABOUT BIRDS: BACKYARD BIRD FEEDING: BENEFICIAL, BENIGN, OR BAD? —PART 2 By Kit Prendergast
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WHAT’S NEW • Birds in Their Habitats By Gordon Rich
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CONSERVATION: • WPT: Hyacinth Macaw Project in Bolivia By Carolyn Pradun • LPF: Yellow-fronted Parrots and Coffee: Protecting their Futuref By David Waugh
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LAST CHIRP: • Numbers Up Down South By Kevin Goulter
BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU | VOL 31 ISSUE 5 | OCT-NOV 2018
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Island Treasure the Antipodes Island AUTHOR AND IMAGES JADE WELCH
Antipodes Island Parakeet
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BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU | VOL 31 ISSUE 5 | OCT-NOV 2018
FI NC H CH AR M AUTHOR AND IMAGES DAVID PACE
THE IMPORTANCE OF
This young Red-browed Firetail fledged prematurely due to a change in routine. Fortunately, it thrived and grew to maturity
Routine A YOUNG RED-BROWED FIRETAIL was sitting on the aviary floor. It had fledged early and, ideally, should have remained in its nest for another 4–6 days. It was late on a Sunday morning when I entered the aviary complex to feed the birds. As many do on a weekend, I had a slept in. I normally feed the birds at 7am; it was now closer to 11am. I had altered the routine and, in doing so, disrupted the routine the birds were used to. I am certain this is why this chick and its six nest-mates fledged prematurely. Adult finches tend to withhold food at the point when they want their chicks to fledge. On this morning, the parents failed to receive their usual diet and consequently didn’t feed their chicks, resulting in them fledging early. Fortunately, this chick did survive but it was a sobering reminder that maintaining a routine is important. I suspect the birds in our aviaries are keyed into established routines more than we realise. I am staggered at the number of times I hear parent birds feeding their chicks just minutes after I enter the birdroom. Is it a coincidence, or is our very presence the cue that the ‘goodies
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are about to be received’ and therefore it’s okay to feed the chicks?
ESTABLISHING A ROUTINE Maintaining and breeding a mixed collection of softbills, finches and parrots requires time and dedication. Without doubt, a key element is the establishment of routines that allow the aviculturist to streamline the daily and weekly chores to maximise available time. This is certainly an age in which many of us are time-poor, juggling family and work commitments. The length of daylight has an impact on when and how we feed our birds. During winter months, I find I am attempting to feed my birds in the short windows of dawn and dusk, before and after work. A late work meeting at this time of year will mean that the birds are not even viewed that night. At least breeding activity is at a low at this time, so a single feed in the morning usually suffices. My aviaries have internal lights above the feeding trays. These lights are timed to come on at 5am, providing birds with the extra opportunity to feed prior to dawn if required.
BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU | VOL 31 ISSUE 5 | OCT-NOV 2018
During the summer months, an increase in daylight hours provides greater flexibility when it comes to fulfilling routines. It is also when breeding is often in full swing and two feeds—pre and postwork—are the norm. The routines we establish need to not only suit our birds and the species we keep but also our lifestyle. The amount of time we can dedicate to caring for our birds determines the number of birds and the species we can maintain. A seed hopper filled with dry seed and topped up on the weekends may suit some species to an extent, however, if we want to breed a particular species, fresh greenfeed, livefood and various supplements daily will be required for long-term health and reproductive success.
MY DAILY ROUTINE Feeds prior to work have to be done quickly and efficiently to ensure the birds receive what they require and I am not late for work. The following demonstrates my daily morning routine, which usually takes 20–30 minutes to feed birds in six aviaries.
J WELCH
AUTHOR LEE STONE
B YOUNG
A PA R R OT’ S LI FE
This Blue and Gold Macaw may be labelled as aggressive, antisocial or even scared but, in terms of observable behaviour, all we can definitely say is he is eye-pinning and alert, and likely vocalising
This Amazon iss tail This T tail-fanning, fann ning g an ob observ observable rva able le beh behaviour ehav avio iou ur tthat hatt ma ha may y be linked to a sexual display, resource guarding or mate/nest protection, depending on the context in which it occurs
The Downfall of
LABELLING OUR PARROTS WE HAVE ALL HEARD OWNERS call their parrots stubborn, aggressive, dominant, jealous, territorial, psycho, aggressive or hormonal. You only have to surf parrot-related forums for a few minutes to find a post asking for advice for a behaviour problem and read the responses (usually by many people) that their bird is one of the above. There are several downfalls with the use of these labels/constructs when it comes to looking at our parrot’s behaviour. ENVIRONMENT VERSUS PERSONALITY The first and largest problem is that labels make the issue a personality or temperament trait rather than a descriptor of behaviour. This leads us to try to change the parrot rather than the environment. However, as Dr Susan Friedman of Behaviour Works says, ‘Behaviour is not who you are, it is what you do’. Behaviour is in the environment not in the parrot. If a parrot is lunging at you when you offer your hand for a step-up, it is the presence of your hand that triggers the behaviour; if your hand or other element of the environment was not present, the behaviour would not occur. LABELLING IS NOT EXPLAINING Another problem with the use of labels is that they rarely have a set meaning. For instance, you may describe a parrot flying towards a visitor to the home as jealous but someone else may describe the behaviour as territorial. Additionally, the construct
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of jealousy may be used to describe a multitude of behaviours, from attacking another bird in the presence of the owner, to attacking the owner when another person arrives home. When someone contacts me for assistance with their ‘hormonal’ parrot, I spend time teasing out what exactly their parrot is doing because ‘hormonal’ may represent a large variety of behaviours that the owner has labelled as such. Labelling also leads to a sense of having explained the behaviour when, in truth, all we have done is given it a name. VICIOUS CIRCLES AND INEFFECTIVE ‘FIXES’ A third issue with the use of labels is that they rely on circular reasoning. For instance, if someone says to me ‘my parrot is hormonal’, I may ask ‘why is your parrot hormonal?’ And they may say ‘because she is biting me’. If I then ask, ‘why is she biting you?’, their answer is, ‘because she is hormonal’. This is a logical fallacy and provides no helpful information for us to use in behaviour change. Other potential downfalls that accompany the use of labels include the propensity for owners to resort to the use of forceful or ineffective techniques in order to try to change the animal. Just look at how we have treated dogs in the name of ‘dominance’. These labels may also be used as an excuse to rehome or euthanise an animal—for example, aggressiveness thought of as a personality trait will lead many to believe that the animal is ‘unfixable’.
BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU | VOL 31 ISSUE 5 | OCT-NOV 2018
EFFECTIVE CHANGE To effectively change behaviour, instead of focusing on what we think the parrot is doing we need to focus on what the parrot is actually doing. This means describing the behaviours in unambiguous, observable terms, identifying the distant and immediate antecedents that precede the behaviour, and what function the behaviour serves (what the consequences are that maintain or increase the behaviour). By focusing on the context or environmental conditions under which behaviour occurs, we are focusing on changing the environment rather than changing the animal to overcome problems. By isolating the antecedent conditions and consequences that trigger and maintain behaviour, we have information to build a behaviour change plan. This plan includes good environmental management to prevent the behaviour from occurring in the first place, and encouraging alternative desirable behaviours to replace the unwanted behaviour. For instance, if we want to change the behaviour of a parrot biting a hand when it is time for it to go back to its cage at night, we can look at it this way: • Environmental conditions: Parrot is on play stand; it is after dark around the time the parrot is usually placed back in its cage. • Antecedent: Hand is placed in front of parrot for step-up. • Behaviour: Parrot pins eyes, leans forward and bites the hand.
Breeding the Red-lored Amazon AUTHOR AND IMAGES PETER ODEKERKEN
Red-lored Amazon pair—male on right
I ACQUIRED A PAIR of Red-lored Amazons recently, and would like to share my positive experience with these attractive parrots from Central America. There are three subspecies—Salvin’s, Lilacine and Diademed, found in the northern parts of South America—which are rare birds in Australian aviculture. I will focus on the nominate race Amazona autumnalis autumnalis because I have only had experience with this form, but I am sure that the same husbandry techniques would be successful with the other three subspecies. The Red-lored Amazon is one of the rarer parrot species available in Australia. It is also considered by some experienced aviculturists to be more difficult to breed than more common varieties such as Bluefronted and Yellow-crowned Amazons. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION This species is found in the evergreen to semi-deciduous forests of eastern Mexico and south to Ecuador, up to about 1100m
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in elevation. It is considered relatively common in most parts of its distribution except Mexico. It is also found in open plantations, small holdings and open forest areas bordering rainforest. Coastal mangrove forests are utilised for food but the trees are seldom large enough to produce cavities of sufficient size for breeding purposes. In some areas the Redlored Amazon has become rare due to the caged bird trade and the destruction of habitat, particularly where prawn farms are replacing mangrove forest. DESCRIPTION The Red-lored is a relatively large Amazon at 32–35cm in length and weighing 310–480g. Males tend to be larger and more colourful than females. This does not mean the species is easy to sex—far from it. If you see a known pair, the male is usually redder in the forecrown and the
BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU | VOL 31 ISSUE 5 | OCT-NOV 2018
yellow cheeks are generally larger. They also tend to have a bolder upright stance, particularly in the breeding season. On leaving the nest, young birds are duller than their parents, particularly noticeable on the forehead and the yellow on the cheeks. One of my young had very little yellow in the cheeks, whereas its three siblings were well marked. The iris on young Red-lored Amazons is a dark brown to black. AVICULTURE When I acquired my birds, the previous owner had put in the hard yards and kept the unrelated pair for some years. They had reached maturity and were showing interest in an L-shaped nest box. The owner explained that it would be advisable to provide a similar nest box sooner rather than later. The previous owner had also owned the original breeding pair which produced one of the young in my new pair, and had swapped a second with another breeder for new blood to form this unrelated pair.
H OO K BI L L H OB BYI ST AUTHOR AND IMAGES EB CRAVENS
Lingering Myths in Captive Aviculture PART 1
Right: Providing a variety of perching spots works best for companion parrots
DESPITE THE VAST INROADS in birdkeeping knowledge over the past years, there still exist many misconceptions, even outright fallacies, in modern aviculture as we know it. Whether this is due to people refusing to change ingrained ideas, or to their lack of study and exposure to new methods and wisdoms, it is hard to say. Nevertheless, here are some of my choices for most prevalent outdated ideas in aviculture…
Manzanita and Hardwood Perches Are Best for Parrots I cannot understand why many of the most expensive cages come equipped with these practically indestructible hardwood perches. Maybe it is because they last so long, hence are less likely to require changing. The surface of manzanita is too slippery for many weaker-gripping or small-footed species. Its iron hardness discourages chewing with all but the hardiest (or most desperate!) psittacines, and the illusion of being easy to clean leads to the same perches being kept around for years, despite the stains and mildew spots that appear once bark is rubbed off. In addition, this is completely dead wood fibre—no live substance or enzymes left to ingest. It would be better to find fresh, destructible branch perches and change them often for the benefit of pets.
Even large macaws are discouraged from chewing on dry hardwood perches. Provide fresh, destructible branch perches which deliver entertainment and are good for them
Parrots ‘Catch Cold’ Easily There are sundry types of hookbills kept in cool, even occasionally frigid habitats around the world. While we do know of some notably fragile species, most birds are quite hardy. What is critical is that keeping conditions are stable and well maintained so that there are not great fluctuations in temperature, wind, humidity and such before the parrot has become acclimatised. Offer well-sheltered areas where birds can choose to retreat for extra warmth and protection. Secondly, the wild environments of the species in question should be studied and considered. For example, mountain birds will tolerate more cold
and altitude, while dryland species may react adversely to moist rainy climes for months on end. Thirdly, fresh whole foods in a clean, non-toxic environment are necessary to develop a strong avian immune system. Birds kept in this way often develop a thicker down undercoat, healthy coldweather habits, and are less fragile than house-bound, overprotected and disinfected ‘sterile cage’ birds. In winter, we used to feed more rich and energy/fat foods to our parrots that ventured outside. It is also important to provide nonmetallic, large diameter perches so that feet can rest on top and be kept warm by lower breast feathers.
A Short Wing-trim is the Way to Keep Your Bird Safe and Homebound
Some Birds Won’t Eat Fresh Greens
This antiquated concept has resulted in thousands of bird deaths and injuries due to attacks by dogs and cats, being stepped on, and numerous other floor injuries. A totally grounded bird is a bird in danger. In addition, heavily trimmed parrots become under-exercised, lethargic, even timid and skittish. They can also fly far away when born by wind or heading downhill. The logical way to keep a pet bird safe and healthy is to teach it a total range of flying skills—up, down, take-off, landing, turn left, right, quickness of eye and decision-making. They should also be taught to fly to a keeper’s arm on command. All the birds we have thus trained have the capacity to avoid dangers and come back if escaped. Of course, this does not mean you carelessly let such a pet outside—it can still get lost!
Poppycock! Try harder. Use herbs and green twigs, buds, fresh unsprayed garden flowers, stems of beet and chard and watercress, crunchy veggie tops and/or fresh leaves. They can be wetted and tied in bunches, chopped up, cubed, grated fine, mixed with cooked rice, lentils, buckwheat and sprouted canary seed, pellets and millet spray, and fed every, every, every day! There, that wasn’t so hard after all…
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BIRDKEEPER.COM.AU | VOL 31 ISSUE 5 | OCT-NOV 2018
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