Parrot Talk: Adult Birds Are Intelligent

By Brenda Bean

Adult birds are intelligent creatures. Be aware of the species’ mannerisms BEFORE you purchase. It is UNFAIR AND DETRIMENTAL to these creatures to be taken home only to be returned or sold again because you were uninformed.

Adult parrots require a longer period to settle into a new home. Change is ALWAYS difficult and sometimes frightening. Like any human child you may foster or adopt, these adult parrots may come with baggage. Baby parrots have no baggage; but an older bird may have been abused or neglected, or it may have never learned manners. All these issues can be resolved with knowledge, patience, and the correct reinforcement. Each bird is different.

It is ALWAYS a good idea to quarantine any new bird before introducing it to your existing flock. Parrots will not show signs of an illness until they are quite sick, well beyond the contagion phase. No one wants to introduce an illness to existing pets. Treat new birds as if they are contagious, using proper quarantine measures: hand washing before and after handling; housed in a separate area of home; and no sharing of toys and spaces.

When adopting an older bird, you need to give it a little time to observe how your household works. Coming out of the cage may be a challenge. If so, please be patient but FIRM. It is better to wait until the bird has observed your household before attempting to get the bird out of the cage. Spend this time sitting next to the cage and offering treats. If the bird shows aggression when you open the cage door, sit with the door open to acclimate the bird to no barrier.

In a new environment, with everything different, a parrot may feel safer inside the cage. It is better to talk slowly and in a low voice before slowly offering your hand for the bird to step onto. Most older parrots know the “Step Up” command. Distractions by children and pets will increase the bird’s desire to stay safe inside a cage. Remember, birds step UP not down, so the position of your hand is crucial. Place your hand at the top of the bird’s legs for a good step up. Even though the thought of getting a nip may make you leery and hesitant, it is important for you to display a confident alpha persona when offering your hand to step on. If you are afraid, the bird will be afraid. Sometimes covering your hand with a towel will make you braver and the bird less likely to absorb your energy.

If the bird refuses to step onto your hand (covered or bare) and leave the cage, you must take a towel and physically remove the bird from the cage. Allowing the bird to remain in the cage is

Cause for Pause Continued from page 17 for letting the cause be my pause of celebration and love. Gladly, the best of those two pause experiences have lasted far beyond the events, and I am thankful.

As we move ahead into this new year after a meaningful holiday season (my fervent hope for you), remember that pauses will come and conflicts will accompany them. Some will be external; many will be internal. And, remember that grain of control we seek? You have it, well within you, to let the pauses bring you what they will if you practice positive conflict management.

Barbara A. Bailey, PhD is the co-founder and CEO of The Healing Bridge Foundation rewarding bad behavior. If allowed, the behavior will become a habit and become an issue over time. “Toweling” a bird is not cruel or excessive. It only shows the bird you are in charge. Many times birds become accustomed to being toweled and stop fighting, submitting to grooming or scratches from their owners. Always keep a towel nearby in case of emergencies. An injured bird will bite hard. The towel will enable examination of any wound, etc. TRUST is never given immediately. Be patient, move slowly, and give your new friend time to become acquainted with you, how you move, and your household. BAD MANNERS, however, must be dealt with immediately. Some older parrots will not want to go back inside the cage. They will fly down, crawl up your arm to your shoulder, and/or nip you to avoid going back inside the cage. Some older parrots will scream to get attention. There are many ways to deal with these mannerisms. Do not give up on a friend because there are times you don’t get along. NEVER give chocolate or avocado. Limit salt, sugar, and everything that you would not give a baby human. Birds do not dig in the ground to get to root vegetables in the wild, so they should be very limited in the offering of onions, potatoes, carrots, rutabagas, and turnips. Otherwise, an omnivore can eat a little bit of everything you eat. Offer a bite of your hamburger, a spoon full of your oatmeal, or a taste of your roast, chicken, or any other meat you are having for dinner. If you feed your bird when you sit down to eat, they will be entertained while you eat your dinner in peace.

There is much out there on the internet. Remember, you can make a better choice if you have more information. Use your common sense and gather several sources of information before forming your own opinion. Having a parrot means you must avoid non-stick pans (the fumes from these will kill your bird). And avoid chemicals: insecticides, paint fumes, and cleaning chemicals. Selfcleaning ovens must only be done when you have removed the bird from the home. If you can smell it, it is not good for your bird.

Brenda Bean is the owner of Parrot Productions and Fancy Feathers. More information at https://fancyfeathersstore.com/ or call 770-986-0661

Author Frans de Waal Continued from page 18 power in choosing an alpha male.

The Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is the only Bonobo Sanctuary in the world and was founded by Claudine Andre in 1994 to care for orphaned bonobos and those who have survived the poachers. These animals are rehabilitated with some returning to the wild, and some spending the rest of their lives at the sanctuary.

Chimps show elements of morality and empathy. “Nature is unfair,” de Waal told the crowd. “Cooperation and sharing benefits all.”

His latest book is titled Different: Gender through the Eyes of a Primatologist. “Animals are more tolerant of difference,” de Waal explained. “Humans label everything.”

Following the lecture, guests lined up to have Frans de Waal sign copies of his books, some of which were available for purchase and some the guests had brought from home.

More information at www.fransdewall.com.

boundaries, structure, discipline, and training. They allow their dog to roam freely about their house, give them tons of affection via physical touch, toys, treats freedom, etc., and very quickly the dog begins to think it rules the roost and can do whatever it wants. Which is exactly what it begins to do and bad behaviors ensue! That’s the point at which owners either call a trainer, give up the dog, or worse, dump it.

By simply having implemented crate training and using a leash to control a dog while also beginning to train, most negative behaviors can be avoided or stopped as quickly as they begin. Both of these things are not forever if you are consistent in the training process. They are short term tools for guiding your dog to good behavior.

Terie Hansen is the Owner or Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care. More information at www.gooddogcoaching.com

Health Matters Continued from page 15 mass index (BMI). All this information can help you understand your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other serious conditions – and help catch problems in early stages when they are much more treatable. • Take the Men’s Health IQ Quiz to find out what you know, and learn what you don’t know, about important factors relating to your health and wellness.

Helping men become more proactive about their health can empower them, and their significant others, to enjoy better wellness and quality of life for years to come. And having women in their corner to support them may be just the prescription men need. (BPT) ural or even man-made disaster like the more recent and massive California wildfires.

Yes, the people of Jackson, Mississippi, and before that, Flint, Michigan, do deserve clean, safe, and potable water for drinking, bathing, and other uses. That said, rebuilding the water systems in those cities, and virtually re-plumbing all of Flint, should NOT be expenses born by the federal government, adding debt to every U.S. taxpayer household. There is a big difference between decades of inaction and neglect and a natural disaster.

If a local community doesn’t care about its infrastructure, they have the right to make that choice, and not invest tax dollars or bonded debt; but they then should NOT have the ability to expect their state or the federal government to step in and bail them out. America’s smarter mayors and county commissioners are on top of this already, and do not want to be in the situation that the west Florida coast is at present with water, water everywhere…yet not a drop to drink.

Start investing now, create a side fund or temporary water rate increase to start building capital improvement funds, and begin replacement work on the most vulnerable parts of your system first…like aging pump systems. Trust me on this one. And with a recession in the near view, don’t expect Uncle Sam to run in with a plunger or play Master Plumber if you cannot at least match that infrastructure investment in the not-toodistant future. That spigot needs to be cut off.

Bill Crane owns the full-service communications firm, CSI Crane. More information at www.CSICrane.com

At BenchMark, your journey is our journey, and we’re committed to getting you back to your best.

That’s why our licensed physical therapists use manual therapy, a hands-on technique that’s proven to get better outcomes so you can start moving and feeling better faster.

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