12 Bird Scene - June & July 2013 by Theparrotsociety

BIRD ISSUE Twelve: JUNE / JULY 2013

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THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS

The National Exhibition MINUTES The Organising Committee

WIRE BREEDING CAGE TRIAL Conservation of the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo in AUSTRALIA

issue 14 th 1 20 AU 3 out 13 GU ST

Rehabilitating Rescued and Rehomed Amazons Is So Rewarding

FR EE

David Allen a Lizard Canary Breeder experiments

PARROT SOCIETY

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CONTENTS

BIRD SCENE: JUNE / JULY 2013

CONTENTS

Conservation A history of this interesting tinning project and hope for the future by David Coombes.

FOREIGN BIRD KEEPING BY JERRY FISHER An interesting article extolling the virtues of breeding normally coloured birds. The National Exhibition 13th October 2013 Minutes of the meeting of the Organising Committee held on 28th April 2013.

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REHABILITATING RESCUED AND REHOMED AMAZONS IS SO REWARDING Dot Schwarz gives her personal experiences. Security Warning John Hayward gives valuable security advice for exhibition bird enthusiasts.

www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php

ON THE COVER

BIRD ISSUE ELEVEN: JUNE / JULY 2013

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THE MAGAZINE FOR HOBBYIST BREEDERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS

THE NATIONAl ExHIBITION MINUTES THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE

06 30

wIRE BREEDING CAGE TRIAl David Allen a lizard Canary Breeder experiments

REHABIlITATING RESCUED AND REHOMED AMAZONS IS SO REwARDING

CONSERVATION of the Major Mitchell’s cockatoo in aUstralia

CLICK THE LINK BELOW:

Donate to our CONSERVATION FUND…

IS 14 SU TH E 13 20 AU O 13 GU UT ST

INTRODUCTION Les Rance details the two years that Bird Scene has been in existence and gives and overview on the various articles in this edition. WIRE CAGES BY DAVID ALLEN The use of these new cages for breeding Lizard canaries.

BIRD SCENE: Issue Twelve: June / July 2013 BIRD SCENE is run by The Parrot Society UK, 92A High Street, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 2BL, England. FOR SALES AND EDITORIAL ENQUIRES Telephone or Fax: 01442 872245 Website: www.theparrotsocietyuk.org E-Mail: les.rance@theparrotsocietyuk.org

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Introducti

Les Rance, Editor, The Parrot Society UK | www.theparrotsocietyuk.org | les.rance@

his is now the twelfth edition of Bird Scene, how quickly two years goes when you are working on a project like an

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on-line magazine , this is the first FREE on-line bird magazine produced in the UK. At 48 pages this is quite a big read! Every time we post the Parrot Society magazine I cringe at the cost and after the recent changes when postal costs increased further the distribution expenses have become very costly, I just do not know how smaller clubs with limited funds will be able to continue printing a members magazine, maybe E-magazines are the way to go? This must be a great worry to many club officials. An e-magazine does not have this problem, or the expense of colour printing and from a slightly technical viewpoint the images do not need to be of

tion

by the Editor

Les Rance

@theparrotsocietyuk.org such high resolution as those required for a printed magazine. As a result of increases to the costs of both postage and printing I am really pleased that we decided to produce Bird Scene as a FREE e-magazine. We have learnt a great deal over the last two years about this way of communicating with bird enthusiasts and I am sure that this knowledge will become more and more valuable as we see further increases in costs to paper magazines. Regular readers will know that Bird Scene has been produced to publicise The National Exhibition held each year at our October Sale Day/Show and to promote our Conservation efforts for threatened parrots in the wild. Previous editions are still to be found in an archive at the foot of the Home Page of our website and if you would like to see earlier versions then do please visit the Bird scene archive. In this edition we have an excellent article on the use of wire and plastic cages for canaries very well written by David Allen and enthusiastic breeder of Lizard canaries, the longest established variety of canary. Also included are the minutes of a meeting

held at Coventry on 28th April of the Organising Committee for The National Exhibition that will be held at Stafford on Sunday 13th October. Unfortunately there seems to be a spate of thefts mainly from exhibitors keeping valuable show birds, please see the advice that John Hayward gives on this serious problem. This item appeared in issue 11 of Bird scene but I make no apology for printing it again as it is such an important area and if it helps save a hobbyist bird breeder’s collection it will be space very well used. In this Issue I have included an interesting article ‘Foreign Bird Keeping’ by very experienced contributor Jerry Fisher and the first part of an article by Dot Schwarz ‘Rehabilitating Rescued and Rehomed Amazons is so Rewarding’ this is an excellent article for all with an interest in pet birds. In this edition is an update regarding the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo project that tins trees to protect them from attacks by Goannas in Australia and gives details of how this system is being ‘copied’ to aid other endangered cockatoo species in that country.

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ARTICLE BY: David Allen. Lizard Canary Breeder.

…never pair two Clear caps together as this would probably give over Capped birds. The use of a non Cap to any of the types of Cap is also satisfactory.

WIRE BREEDIN 06

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n the very first issue of Bird Scene (still available in the archive) David Allen gave us an excellent history and introduction into this beautiful canary. The Lizard is the oldest canary and by 1742 it was well documented as a spangled canary with dark wing markings and tail and “a spot on the head called a cap”. By the 19th century the Lizard Canary had been perfected. A bird depicted in a copy of The London Illustrated News on 12 December 1846 is as the Lizard Canary is today. There are a number of key points that differentiate the Lizard Canary from other varieties of canary, they are fairly easy to breed but there are a few rules that must be applied. A pair must be Gold or Silver it doesn’t matter which one is which. The cap type must also be considered when pairing two Lizards. Broken cap to Clear cap or Broken to Broken. But never pair two Clear caps together as this would probably give over Capped birds. The use of a non Cap to any of the types of Cap is also satisfactory. Why not check out the archive file and see David’s full article? He has now written about his ‘Wire Breeding Cage Trial’ I have been toying with the idea of wire breeding cages for a few years

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I have put some hens in two of the cages so far and am trailing which type of floor covering is best. I have a number of options for floor coverings. The two I am currently trying is sawdust and white paper.

now. I can see the plus for them and I could also see some disadvantages as well. I have seen a number of different types of wire breeding cages when visited world shows. But Brian Keenan’s recent article about what type of breeding cages got me rethinking about this again. A number of British breeders are now using wire cages including my good friend and fellow Lizard breeders Rob & Tina Bunting. There are a number of companies now selling them in the UK so there must be demand for this type of cage. So I decided to try a few out for my 2013 breeding season. I bought two blocks of fours single cages which have doors at either end and one in the front. They have plastic trays but with no wire floor as many of these types of

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cages do. They are in white and look very nice and clean. These cages come complete with feeders and plastic perches, the feeders are similar to the type I currently use on my wooden breeding cages. I will use one for the canary seed and the other for conditioning seed. My intention is to use all eight cages for breeding in 2013 my plan is to have 4 pairs of Blue lizard’s 2 pairs of normal lizards and 2 pairs of my Florinos. I feel I need to give these cages a good trial and by using all of them with a variety of the birds I breed it will give me a fair test. I have put some hens in two of the cages so far and am trailing which type of floor covering is best. I have a number of options for floor coverings.

Feature The two I am currently trying is sawdust and white paper. I have decided to use tubular drinkers in all the cages. Also in my trial I will use a variety of types of nest pans. Nest compartments on the outside of the cage are one option, the other is nest pans on stands in the cage and the other is to hang the pan in the cage. I intend to make detailed notes of how my breeding season goes with these new cages and how the different types of nest pans perform. The outcome of this experiment will then be looked at and compared

with my other breeding results in my old wooden breeding cages. This comparison will decide if I invest further in more all wire breeding cages or not. So watch this space for more updates on my experiment. The other beauty of these cages is they can easily be cleaned using a pressure washer at the end of the breeding season and they will not need repainting each year or so. Many have told me that they have taken to using them as there is nowhere for mite to get into like wooden breeding cages.

LIZARD CANARY ASSOCIATION OF GREAT BRITIAN SUBSCRIPTIONS Adults £10.00 | OAP £6.00 | Juniors £4.00 Please send to the LCA secretary :Mr Dave Ross, 30, GLENORRIN CLOSE,LAMBTON, WASHINGTON, TYNE & WEAR, NE38 0DZ TEL---01914-164967 Benifits for LCA members are:• LCA newsletter {three time a year} • LCA Handbook • LCA Closed rings scheme advantageous prices. [available from the secretary] The Lizard Canary Association hold an annual show each year and award patronage to several shows throughout the UK. For Patronage applications, apply to patronage secretary :David Allen -- 01865-452476. email: david.allen9750@ntlworld.com

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John Mollindina proposed that the Parrot Society UK support the tinning project with regular donations. When he died in January 2001 the Council decided to continue to support the conservation work in New South Wales, in part to commemorate John Mollindinia’s involvement.

Conservat

of the M Mitchel in New S Austral

tion

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ARTICLE BY: David Coombes P.S. Chairman

ONE PART

Major ll’s Cockatoo South Wales, lia

he tree-tinning project to prevent the active nests of Major Mitchell Cockatoos (Cacatua leadbeateri) being predated by goannas, a type of monitor lizard, is the longest supported by the Parrot Society UK. To date just over £22,000 has been donated to it. It all began nearly twenty years ago when John Mollindinia and Tom Alston, highly respected founder members of the Parrot Society UK, travelled to Australia to gain first-hand experience of the cockatoo, a particular favourite of theirs. There they met Ray Ackroyd, who to this day organises tours in the south-eastern states of New South Wales and Victoria as well as being a government licensed bird trapper. The availability of water in recent times as well as cereal crops, both in the field and stored, as a result of farming activities in a semi- arid area of Australia had caused an explosion in the bird populations, particularly the Eastern Galah (Eolophus r. albiceps), Slenderbilled Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris) and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua g. galerita), which devastated the crops and had been subsequently designated “pest” species by the Australian authorities. Ray has tried to persuade these authorities to allow export of these species, but to date these attempts have been rebuffed. John Mollindinia noticed during his visit that there were few Major Mitchell cockatoos to be seen and then discovered that they suffered from constant predation by goannas, a species

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of monitor lizard, which nimbly climb the trees when, for instance, they hear chicks calling for food and gobble them up whole. The lizard concerned is the Lace monitor (Varanus varius), which is the second largest of this reptile group reaching 2 metres (6½ feet) in length and weighing as much as 20 kg (44 lbs). They can forage over long distances (up to 3 km - nearly two miles) in one day and feed on insects, smaller lizards, snakes, small mammals, birds and eggs, which they usually eat whole. They also feed on carrion as well as food waste in domestic rubbish in inhabited areas. The name goanna is believed to be derived from “iguana” with the initial vowel sound dropped because the aborigines found it difficult to pronounce. The goanna population increased with the popularity of the Kentucky Fried Chicken takeaways introduced in Australia. The aborigines had trapped and eaten goannas but now prefer KFC. In addition to the lizards feral cats also predated the nests of the cockatoos.

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The sheaths of metal around the trees have to be covered with camouflage paint so they are not obvious to human predators and the nails re-fixed if necessary. This is particularly important after a dry period as the nails often work loose. Apart from the tinning and pruning work, Ray also plants camel melons near to breeding trees. Ray told John that he thought that the problem might be resolved by placing a smooth flexible sheet of tin at least one metre in height around the trees below the nesting cavities which would act as an effective barrier to either lizards or cats reaching the nest. Branches also needed to be cut back on surrounding trees so that the lizards or feral cats could not gain access to the nesting cavities that way. This pruning work has to be completed with a bush saw as a chain saw could frighten the birds. Ray agreed with John that he would carry out a trial. As part of this he would also assess the population of Major Mitchell Cockatoos in the local area and make a special note of the youngsters at the end of the next breeding season (1993). The results were very

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encouraging with an increase in the number of Major Mitchell Cockatoos in the area concerned. Since then Ray has carried out a programme of tinning nesting trees and maintaining them. This is not as straightforward as it sounds. Firstly he lives near Sydney, several hundred kilometres from the areas concerned, and there are often no proper roads so that the terrain damages his vehicle tyres. The sheaths of metal around the trees have to be covered with camouflage paint so they are not obvious to human predators and the nails refixed if necessary. This is particularly important after a dry period as the nails often work loose. Apart from the tinning and pruning work, Ray also plants camel melons

near to breeding trees. These melons are apparently poisonous to human beings, but their seeds are eaten with relish by the cockatoos. The melons were introduced to Australia by Afghans as a food source for their camels, when these were an important means of transport in the outback. The parrots also feed on pine nuts (probably Callitris columellaris), Wilga seeds (Geijera parviflora), seeds from the mulga tree (Acacia aneura) and tobacco bush (probably Solanum mauritianum) as well as thistledown and various seeding grasses. On his return John Mollindina proposed that the Parrot Society UK support the tinning project with regular donations. When he died in January 2001 the Council decided to continue to support the conservation work in New South Wales, in part to commemorate John Mollindinia’s involvement. In March 2002 David Coombes, who had just retired as Secretary of the Parrot Society UK, travelled to Australia with other members of the Society and an active nesting tree was chosen on the Tandau

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and veggies will be very unreliable drinkers. So drink and the reverse. So dosing is done the only way to ensure they get any supplement is automatically. If you are adding supplements to to add it to the food. Chop the food up really small food it needs to be calculated on the basis of the – this tends to prevent them taking one bite then weight of the bird. Our advisors will be happy to discarding the rest so is a good economy measure help if you need clarification. anyway. Add the supplements and make sure it is 5. Tap waters around the country vary enormously in all eaten. their calcium levels. This can impact on 3. It is best to give birds a break from good quality supplement requirements but only for those birds chelated calcium supplements every now and drinking significant water. So if you live in then. For most birds we recommend giving the Swansea where the water is very soft you will use supplement twice a week for non-breeders and our maximum recommended doses or even more. Budgies, Canaries, Cockatiels, five times a week for breeding stock. Birds that If you live in Swindon you may use a lot less. An Conures, Finches, Large Parakeets, have not had a good quality chelated calcium Lovebirds Parrots , Quail,increasing number of people are using bottled Small Parakeets, supplement should get one 5 days a week for the Softbills,waters and even de-ionised water. Most of these Chinchillas, Chipmunks, Degus, first 1-2 months to load their stores of calcium. waters have very low mineral levels (even if they Gerbils, Guinea Pigs, Mice, Rabbits, The “off days” exercise the bird’s calcium Rats, Tortoise, Hamsters are described as mineral water) so use higher regulation system and produces more consistent levels of supplements if using water like this as blood calcium levels. your calcium carrier. Coving, Towcester Road, Whittlebury, Northants, NN12 8TD 4. In-water supplements areWeavers administered on a per +44 1327 857594 M: 0770 246 (Guy) / 0796 2099 topic. 830 (Lee) litre basis. The bigger theT: bird the(0) more they I hope2277 this clarifies a very important F: +44 (0) 1327 858965 E: info@skybirds.co.uk W: www.skybirds.co.uk

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PARROT SOCIETY MAGAZINE: 11

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farm of some 206,000 acres (82,400 hectares), which is several hundred miles west of Sydney and north-west of Melbourne, as the memorial site for him. Together with Ray Ackroyd they fastened a metal plaque to the tree - a Curly Mallee (Eucalyptus gillii). It remains there to this day and is maintained by the staff on the Tandau farm. Most writers on the project refer to mallee trees and forests, but this does not refer to a species of tree, but the growing pattern of certain eucalyptus species as well as gum trees (Corymbia sp.) and myrtle (Angophora sp.). In the semi-arid climate of the area these trees grow with multiple stems springing from an underground tuber to a height of no more than 10 metres (33 feet). They form the dominant vegetation throughout the semi-arid areas with reliable winter rainfall of southeast Australia measuring some 250,000 sq. kilometres. The pair of Major Mitchell Cockatoos, who made the nesting cavity in the tree their home have over the years produced many young. Ray Ackroyd visited the

tree known as John’s tree, in August of this year after a few years absence on conservation work elsewhere and found that the nesting cavity is still being used by the pair. It is estimated that about 33 chicks have been reared in this nest since the tree was tinned. Ray considered replacing the tin with heavy duty plastic, but initial trials seemed to suggest that tin is better in the long term. The trial plastic became very brittle under extreme weather and started to crack, particularly around the points where the nails were driven through. However the wood of the trees is very hard and it is not easy to fix the tin to the trees. Therefore Ray is now considering using a different type of plastic and using wire fixed top and bottom to tie them to the trees. He also discovered the park management team at the nearby national park had commenced a trial with large pine nesting logs on concrete poles. However these are expensive and do not appear to appeal to the cockatoos. They seem to prefer smaller nest sites. Ray felt it would be better as well as much

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Donate to our CONSERVATION FUND… CLICK THE LINK BELOW: http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php

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…the South Australian government is offering a $500 payment to landowners who tin a tree chosen by Red Tailed Cockatoos as a nest site. This is a result we had hoped for, that Ray’s tinning exercise would be taken up as standard practice. less expensive to strap old dry logs to existing trees and continue to clad the tree. While we were camped by the lakes at Tandau we saw an example of Ray’s flock management. The cotton crop was almost ready for harvesting so it was at its most vulnerable stage to be attacked by the areas Short Billed Corellas. At dawn a jeep with a trailer loaded with a ton of wheat came past our tents, we followed it to an adjacent field where it spread the wheat. The Corellas descended upon it in their thousands, there was a white carpet of birds with more circling overhead, it was impossible to estimate the number present. There were also a few emus

taking advantage of a free breakfast. This morning exercise was repeated until the cotton was harvested. When the wheat was eaten the Corellas roosted in the trees around the lake, it looked as though the trees were in full blossom but it was feathers not flowers, a never to be forgotten morning. In the tree above our tent when we returned were two Galahs amongst all the Corellas obviously part of the flock. Ray’s explanation was that a pair of Corellas would have taken over a Galahs nest to raise their own young and overlooked two fertile eggs which they had hatched with their own. We have just been told that the South Australian government is offering a $500 payment to landowners who tin a tree chosen by Red Tailed Cockatoos as a nest site. This is a result we had hoped for, that Ray’s tinning exercise would be taken up as standard practice. Many PS members have visited John’s tree on their trips with Ray. He hopes to visit it in September and renew the tin with plastic and polish the plaque while he is at it.

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The tinning procedure is now being used by other conservation groups in Australia to assist threatened species at risk of being predated by lizards, feral cats and foxes. Thus Ray and John’s considerations all those years ago have proven to be of great benefit to a wide range of endangered species. The latest news on the Conservation front is that Ray Ackroyd has been asked by the state of Victoria to help promote ways to save the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo in the state which will involve the assistance of school children. An AUS$10,000 fund is available for this project and we look forward to hearing how this project unfolds in Victoria. The Major Mitchell’s cockatoo is such a beautiful bird we are sure that the

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school children will rally to support it. The intention is to pay each child up to AUS $100 for reporting the location of active nesting sites of the rare Cockatoos so that they can be tinned. To help the children achieve this goal Ray Ackroyd has written a guide. This will appear as Part Two of this article in the August / September edition of Bird Scene

Ray Ackroyd has been asked by the state of Victoria to help promote ways to save the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo in the state which will involve the assistance of school children. An AUS$10,000 fund is available for this project …

PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT THE MAGAZINE OF THE

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

SOCIETY UK

VOLUME 45 : MARCH 2011

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

SOCIETY UK

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

SOCIETY UK

VOLUME 46 AUGUST 2012

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

VOLUME 46 SEPTEMBER 2012

VOLUME 46 NOVEMBER 2012

VOLUME 46 DECEMBER 2012

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

SOCIETY UK

VOLUME 45 : MAY 2011

SOCIETY UK

VOLUME 45 : APRIL 2011

VOLUME 45 : OCTOBER 2011

The nATionAl eXhiBiTion

PLUS the 2010 breedinG reGiSter

All you need to know, inside this issue ME CHR RRY ISTM AS!

The scarleT macaws of TamboPaTa Colin O’Hara gives us an insight into the Tambopata Research Centre, Peru The Timneh Grey ParroT

ian GriffiThs – avian arTisT

By Dr. David Waugh

KaKaPo UPdaTe from new Zealand By Deidre Vercoe

By Ian Griffiths

GoinG to StAfford?

Port LincoLn PArt tWo

By Jerry Fisher

By Bob Philpot

Cover photograph © Colin O’Hara

the MoSzKoWSKi’S KinG (A.c. MoSzKoWSKii)

tHe PURPle NAPed loRy

Jim Hayward gives us an insight into this fascinating species

Les Rance shares his knowledge about this magnificent bird

A reSPonSibLe APProAch to bird KeePinG By Dawn Hopkins

A Pet Rock PebbleR By Dorothy Schwarz

SUMMER SHOW

THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION

A PICTORIAL REVIEW OF THE 2012 SUMMER SHOW

THE STORY OF WOLFIE & MILLIE

BOOKING DETAILS FOR TABLES AT THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION ON SUNDAY 14TH OCTOBER 2012.

AN eXPeRIMeNt WItH MoUNtAIN PARAkeetS By Jerry Fisher

Cover photograph © Tony Tilford www.naturepicturesource.com

NAtIoNAl tHeFt ReGISteR By John Hayward

“Sling-ShoT AmneSTy” By Dr. David Waugh

Who’s Training Who? By Amanda Cole

PrePAre noW for The WinTer AheAd

BEALE PARK – SUNDAY 24TH JUNE

BOOK CHAPTER BRAZIL 2011

PARROTS IN MAJORCA

By Les Rance

By Alan Jones

By Emma Freeman

By Rosemary Low

FERAL CATS A PROBLEM FOR GROUND PARROTS

HEARTBREAKING TIMES

By Victoria Laurie

By Sheila Robbins

A HAPPY ENDING STORY OF TWO NEGLECTED AFRICAN GREYS

ECHO PROJECT NEWS FROM BONAIRE DR. SAM WILLIAMS TALKS ABOUT ECHO’S LATEST CONSERVATION PROJECTS

BEAUTIFUL BIRDS DESERVE TASTEFUL TRIBUTES

HARNESS TRAINING

THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION REPORT

THE NATIVE PARROTS OF LUZON

By Terry and Lorna

By Dorothy Schwarz

By Les Rance

By Dr. David Waugh

LET’S SAVE THE KAKARIKI

BLUE-FRONTED AMAZONS

By Eric Prior

By Rosemary Low

GOOD NEWS STORY By John Hayward

Photograph © Les Rance

Cover photograph © Tony Tilford www.naturepicturesource.com

Photograph © Randle Design Consultancy

Cover photograph © Colin O’Hara p.1 Cover.indd 1

Photograph © Les Rance

Photograph © Dorothy Schwarz

23/07/2012 17:46

PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT THE MAGAZINE OF THE

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

SOCIETY UK

VOLUME 45 : JULY 2011

VOLUME 46 OCTOBER 2012

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

SOCIETY UK

VOLUME 45 : FEBRUARY 2011

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

SOCIETY UK

VOLUME 45 : SEPTEMBER 2011

VOLUME 46

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

SOCIETY UK

VOLUME 46 MAY 2012

VOLUME 46 SEPTEMBER 2012

VOLUME 47 JANUARY 2013

FEbRUARY 2012

PORT LINCOLNS Bob Philpot’s last instalment on this fascinating bird

KEEPING PARROTS

THE BASICS OF BREEDING

By Alan Jones

By Allan F. Manning.

ExPERIENCES wITH HAwK HEADED PARROTS By M F Mills

MEALY ROSELLA’S

thE YEllOW mUtatiOn Of thE tURqUOiSinE GRaSS PaRakEEt

tHE MoLuCCan CoCkatoo

BREEDING THE ORANGE-WINGED AMAZON

FINDING LOST BIRDS PART II

By Rosemary Low

By John Hayward

Cover photograph Bob Philpot

THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION GUIDE

Carnaby’s and baudin’s CoCkatoos By Rosemary Low

tHE rarE Parrots oF London Zoo By Oliver Fry

brEEding rEgistEr 2010 By Colin Scott

thE P.S. BOnaiRE REScUE By Tony Pittman

Cover photograph © Tony Tilford www.naturepicturesource.com

Photograph © Les Rance

pArroTLeT updATe

edward Lear

JeRRy FiSheR hAS uSed hiS outStAnding knowLedge oF theSe inteReSting ‘mini’ pARRotS to compiLe An exceLLent ARticLe

Les Rance talks about this wonderful bird

Les Rance looks at The Moluccan Cockatoo sometimes known as the Salmon-crested Cockatoo

LES RANCE WRITES HIS EXPERIENCES WITH THIS SPECIES

GARRy SteptoWe GiveS uS A hiStoRy on thiS FAntAStic ARtiSt

THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION

hOUSinG anD BEhaViOUR

THe MAJor MiTcHeLL’S conSerVATion

Are you A cAring breeder?

Spike A Lucky pArroTLeT

the Bourke’s Parakeet

Progress in feeding Lories and Lorikeets…

new technique to revive aLmost extinct macaw

FERAL CATS A PROBLEM FOR GROUND PARROTS

HEARTBREAKING TIMES

By Emma-Kate Freeman

By Winny Weinbeck

By Ray Ackroyd

Asks Rosemary Low

By Stefano Salles

By Les Rance

Allan F. Manning

Dr David Waugh

By Victoria Laurie

By Sheila Robbins

Cover photograph © Tony Tilford www.naturepicturesource.com

WITH CALMNESS TO SUCCESS!

BOOKING DETAILS FOR TABLES AT THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION ON SUNDAY 14TH OCTOBER 2012.

What tO DO aBOUt GEORGE

Photograph reproduced by kind permission of: DéjàVu Publishing. Website: www.illustrationsofparrots.com

BREEDING FIG-PARROTS IN WELTVOGELPARK WALSRODE

BEAUTIFUL BIRDS DESERVE TASTEFUL TRIBUTES By Terry and Lorna

DOES YOUR PARROT REALLY WANT A MATE?

THE CELESTIAL PARROTLET

I CANT BELIEVE YOU’RE GONE

Asks Rosemary Low

By Les Rance

By Emma Freeman

Photograph © Randle Design Consultancy

PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT THE MAGAZINE OF THE

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

SOCIETY UK

VOLUME 46 JUNE 2012

SOCIETY UK

VOLUME 46 MARCH 2012

VOLUME 46 JULY 2012

HAwK-HEAdEd

wHo is HATcHing now?

TaLenTeD aRTiST anD avicuLTuRaLiST Jim HayWaRD giveS uS HiS expeRienceS

JuveniLeS of the DuSky LoRy in WeLtvogeLpaRk WaLSRoDe

THE

PArrOT

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

SOCIETy UK VOLUME 46 : JAnUARy 2012

Breeding Barnard’s

KeePinG & BreedinG

Galahs

Les rance expLains his experiences with this wonderfuL species

& Their muTaTions

A LOOK AT THE BEAUTIFUL SUn COnUrES

Syd THE QUAKEr rE-UnITEd wITH OwnEr

PArroT KeePing: A free fLier’s UnUsUAL views

Breeding THe BLUe-fronTed AMAZon

YeLLow-fAced PArroT: AvicULTUre And nATUrAL HisTorY

loro ParQue foundaTion news

The BenefiTs of a QuaranTine faciliTy

The dream conTinues

CoCkaTiels – a very good peT Bird

redrumps CenTre page spread

eCHo parroTs and people

By Les Rance

By John Hayward

By Dorothy Schwarz

By Jim Brown

By Rosemary Low

Matthias Reinschmidt

By Anon

By Moya O’Shea

By Jane hainge

By tony tilford

By dr sam williams

Cover photograph © Piet Zwinkles

Photograph © Cyril Laubscher

Photograph © Piet Zwinkles

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

SOCIETY UK

VOLUME 47 FEBRUARY 2013

VOLUME 47 MARCH 2013

VOLUME 47 APRIL 2013

VOLUME 45 : JANUARY 2011

REHOMING BOOKLET

ECUADOR – A LAND OF LOST BEAUTY DAVID STEPTOWE EXPLORES THIS GREAT COUNTRY

ECHO PrOjECT nEwS FrOm BOnAIrE By Dr. Sam Williams

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

BLACK-CAPPED LORIES ALWAYS POPULAR

FAtAL AttRACtiON Emma Feeman takes a humorous look at a recent members meeting

JOS HUBERS WRITES FOR ALL THE LORY ENTHUSIASTS

HOW TO REHOME YOUR PARROT WITH THE PARROT SOCIETY

BEING PREPARED

PROMOTING PET PARROTS

THE MAJOR MITCHELL’S COCKATOO CONSERVATION

ECUADOR – A LAND OF LOST BEAUTY PART TWO

A BRIEF TRIP DOWN UNDER

ESCAPED MACAW A HAPPY ENDING

AVIAN MALARIA

KEEPING AND BREEDING RUPPELL’S

TROPICAL BIRDLAND

By Emma Freeman

By Les Rance

By Ray Ackroyd

By David Steptowe

By Kevin Pickup

By John Hayward

By Alan K Jones

By Allan F. Manning.

By Kevin Pickup

ALAN JONES Alan Jones gives us a preview into his new book

DECEMBER SHOW A pictorial look at the busy Help Bird Keepers Show

PROBLEM SOLviNg Rosemary Low shares more of her knowledge

Cover photograph © Tony Tilford www.naturepicturesource.com

Cover photograph Les Rance

PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT THE MAGAZINE OF THE

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VOLUME 45 : AUGUST 2011

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VOLUME 46 APRIL 2012

VOLUME 47 MAY 2013

SOCIETY UK

VOLUME 45 : MAY 2011

SOCIETY UK VOLUME 46 OCTOBER 2012

The nATionAl eXhiBiTion All you need to know, inside this issue

MErry cHriSTMAS From EVErYoNE aT THE ParroT SoCIETY

PLUS! • BaSiC adviCe fOr aUStraLian Parakeet aCCOmmOdatiOn

suMMer shoW

• HOW tO COmBat “dead in SHeLL”

A pictorial report of the Parrot Society Summer Show 2011

REd-FRoNTEd loRiKEET MalE

MANYCOLOURS

Photographed by Tony Tilford in Biak, Indonesia.

LES RANCE TALKS TO US ABOUT THIS COLOURFUL BIRD

(CHaRMosyNa RuBRoNoTaTa) EaTiNg Moss.

Barrett Watson

Protect Your Birds

the african greY Parrot

“Sling-ShoT AmneSTy”

Who’s Training Who?

PrePAre noW for The WinTer AheAd

My RuNNiNg BaTTlE wiTH RodENTs …

THE NaTioNal EXHiBiTioN REPoRT

MoNTy FEaTHER PluCKiNg

cOnSErvATiOn: EndAngErEd SWiFT PArrOT

THE SWEETEST OF THEM ALL

MOnTHLy SEcuriTy rEPOrT

By Dorothy Schwarz

By John Hayward

By Les Rance

By Dr. David Waugh

By Amanda Cole

By Rosemary Low

By Dorothy Schwarz

By Les Rance

By Bob McClumpha

By Dr. David Waugh

By Emma Freeman

By John Hayward

Cover photograph Colin O’Hara

Cover photograph © Colin O’Hara

Cover photograph © Tony Tilford www.naturepicturesource.com

STAFFORD SHOW

SECURITY ADVICE

Sunday 8 July 2012

By John Hayward

LIVING WITH ENCHANTING PARROTS

TROPICAL BIRDLAND

Jane Hainge gives us an update on living with her two parrots, a Black-headed Caique and an Orange-winged Amazon.

MEMBER’S VISIT TO TROPICAL BIRDLAND, DESFORD, LEICESTER

PARROT RESCUE

TRAINING PARROTS

THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM TRING

By Emma Freeman

By Dorothy Schwarz

By Les Rance

BREEDING REGISTER 2012

CONSERVATION NEWS FROM BONAIRE By Dr Sam Williams

CRIMSONWINGS IN AVICULTURE

PORT LINCOLNS AND TWENTY EIGHT By Bob Philpot

By Les Rance

Cover photograph Dot Schwarz

MEALY ROSELLA’S LES RANCE WRITES HIS EXPERIENCES WITH THIS SPECIES

BREEDING THE ORANGE-WINGED AMAZON

FINDING LOST BIRDS PART II

By Rosemary Low

By John Hayward

THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION GUIDE

Photograph © Les Rance

Cover photograph © Piet Zwinkles

PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT THE MAGAZINE OF THE

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THE MAGAZINE OF THE

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VOLUME 46 AUGUST 2012

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ARE YOU MISSING ANY PARROT SOCIETY MAGAZINES FROM YOUR COLLECTION?? VOLUME 45 : MARCH 2011

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The nATionAl eXhiBiTion

PLUS the 2010 breedinG reGiSter

All you need to know, inside this issue

ME CHR RRY ISTM AS!

The scarleT macaws of TamboPaTa Colin O’Hara gives us an insight into the Tambopata Research Centre, Peru

The Timneh Grey ParroT

ian GriffiThs – avian arTisT

By Dr. David Waugh

By Ian Griffiths

KaKaPo UPdaTe from new Zealand By Deidre Vercoe

GoinG to StAfford?

Port LincoLn PArt tWo

By Jerry Fisher

By Bob Philpot

Cover photograph © Colin O’Hara

the MoSzKoWSKi’S KinG (A.c. MoSzKoWSKii)

tHe PURPle NAPed loRy

Jim Hayward gives us an insight into this fascinating species

Les Rance shares his knowledge about this magnificent bird

A reSPonSibLe APProAch to bird KeePinG By Dawn Hopkins

A Pet Rock PebbleR

By Dorothy Schwarz

SUMMER SHOW

THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION

A PICTORIAL REVIEW OF THE 2012 SUMMER SHOW

THE STORY OF WOLFIE & MILLIE

BOOKING DETAILS FOR TABLES AT THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION ON SUNDAY 14TH OCTOBER 2012.

AN eXPeRIMeNt WItH MoUNtAIN PARAkeetS By Jerry Fisher

Cover photograph © Tony Tilford www.naturepicturesource.com

NAtIoNAl tHeFt ReGISteR By John Hayward

“Sling-ShoT AmneSTy”

Who’s Training Who?

PrePAre noW for The WinTer AheAd

By Dr. David Waugh

By Amanda Cole

By Rosemary Low

BEALE PARK – SUNDAY 24TH JUNE

BOOK CHAPTER BRAZIL 2011

PARROTS IN MAJORCA

By Les Rance

By Alan Jones

By Emma Freeman

A HAPPY ENDING STORY OF TWO NEGLECTED AFRICAN GREYS

ECHO PROJECT NEWS FROM BONAIRE DR. SAM WILLIAMS TALKS ABOUT ECHO’S LATEST CONSERVATION PROJECTS

FERAL CATS A PROBLEM FOR GROUND PARROTS

HEARTBREAKING TIMES

BEAUTIFUL BIRDS DESERVE TASTEFUL TRIBUTES

HARNESS TRAINING

THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION REPORT

THE NATIVE PARROTS OF LUZON

By Victoria Laurie

By Sheila Robbins

By Terry and Lorna

By Dorothy Schwarz

By Les Rance

By Dr. David Waugh

LET’S SAVE THE KAKARIKI

BLUE-FRONTED AMAZONS

By Eric Prior

By Rosemary Low

GOOD NEWS STORY By John Hayward

Photograph © Les Rance

Cover photograph © Tony Tilford www.naturepicturesource.com

Photograph © Randle Design Consultancy

Cover photograph © Colin O’Hara

p.1 Cover.indd 1

Photograph © Les Rance

Photograph © Dorothy Schwarz

23/07/2012 17:46

PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT THE MAGAZINE OF THE

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VOLUME 46

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

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VOLUME 46 MAY 2012

VOLUME 46 SEPTEMBER 2012

VOLUME 47 JANUARY 2013

FEbRUARY 2012

PORT LINCOLNS Bob Philpot’s last instalment on this fascinating bird

KEEPING PARROTS

THE BASICS OF BREEDING

By Alan Jones

By Allan F. Manning.

ExPERIENCES wITH HAwK HEADED PARROTS By M F Mills

MEALY ROSELLA’S BREEDING THE ORANGE-WINGED AMAZON

FINDING LOST BIRDS PART II

By Rosemary Low

By John Hayward

Cover photograph Bob Philpot

thE YEllOW mUtatiOn Of thE tURqUOiSinE GRaSS PaRakEEt

tHE MoLuCCan CoCkatoo

THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION GUIDE

Carnaby’s and baudin’s CoCkatoos By Rosemary Low

tHE rarE Parrots oF London Zoo By Oliver Fry

brEEding rEgistEr 2010 By Colin Scott

thE P.S. BOnaiRE REScUE By Tony Pittman

Cover photograph © Tony Tilford www.naturepicturesource.com

Photograph © Les Rance

pArroTLeT updATe

edward Lear

JeRRy FiSheR hAS uSed hiS outStAnding knowLedge oF theSe inteReSting ‘mini’ pARRotS to compiLe An exceLLent ARticLe

Les Rance talks about this wonderful bird

Les Rance looks at The Moluccan Cockatoo sometimes known as the Salmon-crested Cockatoo

LES RANCE WRITES HIS EXPERIENCES WITH THIS SPECIES

GARRy SteptoWe GiveS uS A hiStoRy on thiS FAntAStic ARtiSt

THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION

WITH CALMNESS TO SUCCESS!

BOOKING DETAILS FOR TABLES AT THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION ON SUNDAY 14TH OCTOBER 2012.

BREEDING FIG-PARROTS IN WELTVOGELPARK WALSRODE

What tO DO aBOUt GEORGE

hOUSinG anD BEhaViOUR

THe MAJor MiTcHeLL’S conSerVATion

Are you A cAring breeder?

Spike A Lucky pArroTLeT

the Bourke’s Parakeet

Progress in feeding Lories and Lorikeets…

new technique to revive aLmost extinct macaw

FERAL CATS A PROBLEM FOR GROUND PARROTS

HEARTBREAKING TIMES

BEAUTIFUL BIRDS DESERVE TASTEFUL TRIBUTES

By Emma-Kate Freeman

By Winny Weinbeck

By Ray Ackroyd

Asks Rosemary Low

By Stefano Salles

By Les Rance

Allan F. Manning

Dr David Waugh

By Victoria Laurie

By Sheila Robbins

By Terry and Lorna

Cover photograph © Tony Tilford www.naturepicturesource.com

Photograph reproduced by kind permission of: DéjàVu Publishing. Website: www.illustrationsofparrots.com

DOES YOUR PARROT REALLY WANT A MATE?

THE CELESTIAL PARROTLET

I CANT BELIEVE YOU’RE GONE

Asks Rosemary Low

By Les Rance

By Emma Freeman

Photograph © Randle Design Consultancy

PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT

Back issues are available from the office at a cost of £3.00 each.

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

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VOLUME 46 JUNE 2012

SOCIETY UK

VOLUME 46 MARCH 2012

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HAwK-HEAdEd

wHo is HATcHing now?

TaLenTeD aRTiST anD avicuLTuRaLiST Jim HayWaRD giveS uS HiS expeRienceS

JuveniLeS of the DuSky LoRy in WeLtvogeLpaRk WaLSRoDe

THE

PArrOT

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

SOCIETy UK VOLUME 46 : JAnUARy 2012

Breeding Barnard’s

KeePinG & BreedinG

Galahs

Les rance expLains his experiences with this wonderfuL species

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

SOCIETY UK

VOLUME 47 FEBRUARY 2013

VOLUME 47 MARCH 2013

VOLUME 47 APRIL 2013

VOLUME 45 : JANUARY 2011

REHOMING BOOKLET

ECUADOR – A LAND OF LOST BEAUTY

BLACK-CAPPED LORIES ALWAYS POPULAR

Most editions available from the last ten years. & Their muTaTions

DAVID STEPTOWE EXPLORES THIS GREAT COUNTRY

ECHO PrOjECT nEwS FrOm BOnAIrE

A LOOK AT THE BEAUTIFUL SUn COnUrES

Syd THE QUAKEr rE-UnITEd wITH OwnEr

PArroT KeePing: A free fLier’s UnUsUAL views

Breeding THe BLUe-fronTed AMAZon

YeLLow-fAced PArroT: AvicULTUre And nATUrAL HisTorY

loro ParQue foundaTion news

The BenefiTs of a QuaranTine faciliTy

The dream conTinues

CoCkaTiels – a very good peT Bird

redrumps CenTre page spread

eCHo parroTs and people

By Dr. Sam Williams

By Les Rance

By John Hayward

By Dorothy Schwarz

By Jim Brown

By Rosemary Low

Matthias Reinschmidt

By Anon

By Moya O’Shea

By Jane hainge

By tony tilford

By dr sam williams

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

FAtAL AttRACtiON Emma Feeman takes a humorous look at a recent members meeting

JOS HUBERS WRITES FOR ALL THE LORY ENTHUSIASTS

HOW TO REHOME YOUR PARROT WITH THE PARROT SOCIETY

BEING PREPARED

PROMOTING PET PARROTS

THE MAJOR MITCHELL’S COCKATOO CONSERVATION

ECUADOR – A LAND OF LOST BEAUTY PART TWO

A BRIEF TRIP DOWN UNDER

ESCAPED MACAW A HAPPY ENDING

AVIAN MALARIA

KEEPING AND BREEDING RUPPELL’S

TROPICAL BIRDLAND

By Emma Freeman

By Les Rance

By Ray Ackroyd

By David Steptowe

By Kevin Pickup

By John Hayward

By Alan K Jones

By Allan F. Manning.

By Kevin Pickup

ALAN JONES Alan Jones gives us a preview into his new book

DECEMBER SHOW A pictorial look at the busy Help Bird Keepers Show

PROBLEM SOLviNg Rosemary Low shares more of her knowledge

Cover photograph Les Rance

PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT PARROT THE MAGAZINE OF THE

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

SOCIETY UK

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

SOCIETY UK

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

SOCIETY UK

VOLUME 45 : NOVEMBER 2011

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VOLUME 46 APRIL 2012

VOLUME 47 MAY 2013

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

SOCIETY UK

For further information please contact the Parrot Society office. Telephone: 01442 872245 / Email: information@theparrotsocietyuk.org TROPICAL

VOLUME 45 : AUGUST 2011

VOLUME 45 : OCTOBER 2011

VOLUME 45 : MAY 2011

VOLUME 46 OCTOBER 2012

The nATionAl eXhiBiTion

All you need to know, inside this issue

MErry cHriSTMAS From EVErYoNE aT THE ParroT SoCIETY

PLUS! • BaSiC adviCe fOr aUStraLian Parakeet aCCOmmOdatiOn • HOW tO COmBat “dead in SHeLL”

suMMer shoW

Barrett Watson

Protect Your Birds

By Dorothy Schwarz

By John Hayward

(CHaRMosyNa RuBRoNoTaTa) EaTiNg Moss.

LES RANCE TALKS TO US ABOUT THIS COLOURFUL BIRD

Photographed by Tony Tilford in Biak, Indonesia.

the african greY Parrot

“Sling-ShoT AmneSTy”

Who’s Training Who?

By Les Rance

By Dr. David Waugh

By Amanda Cole

Cover photograph Colin O’Hara

MANYCOLOURS

REd-FRoNTEd loRiKEET MalE

A pictorial report of the Parrot Society Summer Show 2011 PrePAre noW for The WinTer AheAd

My RuNNiNg BaTTlE wiTH RodENTs …

THE NaTioNal EXHiBiTioN REPoRT

MoNTy FEaTHER PluCKiNg

cOnSErvATiOn: EndAngErEd SWiFT PArrOT

THE SWEETEST OF THEM ALL

By Rosemary Low

By Dorothy Schwarz

By Les Rance

By Bob McClumpha

By Dr. David Waugh

By Emma Freeman

MOnTHLy SEcuriTy rEPOrT By John Hayward

STAFFORD SHOW

SECURITY ADVICE

Sunday 8 July 2012

By John Hayward

TRAINING PARROTS

THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM TRING

By Emma Freeman

By Dorothy Schwarz

By Les Rance

Jane Hainge gives us an update on living with her two parrots, a Black-headed Caique and an Orange-winged Amazon.

MEMBER’S VISIT TO TROPICAL BIRDLAND, DESFORD, LEICESTER

PARROT RESCUE

Cover photograph Dot Schwarz

LIVING WITH ENCHANTING PARROTS

BIRDLAND

BREEDING REGISTER 2012

CONSERVATION NEWS FROM BONAIRE By Dr Sam Williams

CRIMSONWINGS IN AVICULTURE By Les Rance

MEALY ROSELLA’S LES RANCE WRITES HIS EXPERIENCES WITH THIS SPECIES

BREEDING THE ORANGE-WINGED AMAZON

FINDING LOST BIRDS PART II

By Rosemary Low

By John Hayward

THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION GUIDE

Foreign Bir T

he world of birdkeeping is a very broad church, embracing birdkeepers with interests as diverse as waterfowl and zebra finches, showing and specialist breeding. In the “small cage bird” category there used to be budgerigars, canaries, British and foreign birds. I (and I suspect a significant minority across the country) am a foreign bird enthusiast. I am now also an endangered species. As a foreign bird enthusiast my aim was to develop the expertise to maintain and ideally establish in captivity various imported species. There was never any attempt or desire to modify that species in any way – simply to establish it successfully and develop a self-sustaining captive population. Those with an interest in genetics and showing generally concentrated on budgerigars and canaries where “show standards” were drawn up seeking not only to develop colour mutations but to change the very shape, size and feather fixture of the bird itself. As foreign bird enthusiasts we then become victims of our own success. “Establishment in captivity” is an entirely different objective to

BIRD SCENE

“Domestication”. We had no intention of moving to the latter and initially did not realize how our success had opened a new branch of the hobby at the expense of the destruction of ours. A blue Ringneck, a yellow Lineolated, a white Zebra Finch. Unusual and very pretty in their own way – but domesticated variations, not foreign birds. Then the floodgates opened. Species after species fell to “domestication”. Some species have already gone the budgie and canary route of “specialist societies” – think Zebra Finch, Java Sparrow. Others are nearly there – think Gouldian Finch, Splendid Parakeet. Next an import ban. No source of fresh “normal” blood. Every species currently in captivity has potentially two options – either they are established, leading eventually to domestication – or they are not, leading eventually to extinction in captivity. What future for foreign bird keeping?

Country-wide transport is no longer a problem with the Stafford sale days. If you don’t go to Stafford you almost certainly know someone who does.

Feature

rd Keeping

BIRD SCENE 21

I do not doubt that by this point some readers are beginning to bristle that this is simply an attack on mutations. It is not. Mutations are a new branch of the hobby. Those specializing in the development of new colour varieties have their own motivation and specialist expertise but they are – and should be recognized as – Mutation Breeders specializing in a domesticated species (Splendid, Gouldian, whatever). They are not foreign bird keepers any more than is a budgerigar specialist. What this is an attack on is the way in which pure normals of species after species have been lost or are at a risk in this process of domestication. Societies set up to protect and promote groups of species (parrotlike, Australian grass finches) have seen their membership balance after dramatically though only as yet with small species in the case of the Parrot Society. At this point, all is not lost. There are still species without established mutations and others where “breeding back” is realistically achievable. There are also breeders persevering with isolated pockets of pure birds. With some species, however, all is lost without new blood – think Chinese Painted Quail. It is not just a case of foreign bird keepers reclaiming their hobby. Mutation breeders need surplus normals. Remember, a mutation is a bird with something missing in its make-up. It is the “sport” that would not have survived natural selection. Normals are required

BIRD SCENE

Those specializing in the development of new colour varieties have their own motivation and specialist expertise but they are – and should be recognized as – Mutation Breeders specializing in a domesticated species

to maintain/restore vigour. So what does the future hold. I for one have no plans other than to be a foreign bird breeder until I am forced to retire from the hobby. The problem is that we have dedicated breeders scattered country-wide and specializing in diverse species. The key to the problem is communication. As an example, let us concentrate on the issue of parrotlike birds, but bear in mind that the problems are the same regarding finches and various other species. I am currently working with Diamond Doves, trying to “breed back” to pure normals (potentially one of the easier species). The Parrot Society UK has a large

Feature

No complicated breeding programme or record-keeping is required – experience has shown that this will always fail – but if 6 or so breeders around the country each hold a few pairs of, say, Bourkes a simple system can work. Talking to each other once a year and prioritizing exchange of bloodlines is all that is required to maintain a “ring-fenced” breeding group and produce a healthy supply of surplus normals.

membership. I am guessing here but I would bet that the majority of members hold the smaller species. Likewise, I would also bet that the majority of these keep mutations and think of (and advertise) visual normals as “normals” irrespective of genetic make-up. Mr Coombes’ article highlighted the communication problem. He is looking for pure normal Bourkes – I have some youngsters here which are visual normals and while not 100% pure are getting there. I am reluctant to let them go other than to someone who is holding normals or who is “breeding back” i.e. discarding any mutations that appear. Country-wide transport is no longer

a problem with the Stafford sale days. If you don’t go to Stafford you almost certainly know someone who does. Where work is required is to encourage those involved to become part of an informal network of “specialist” breeders and to make it easy for those interested in normals to locate pure (or almost pure) birds. No complicated breeding programme or record-keeping is required – experience has shown that this will always fail – but if 6 or so breeders around the country each hold a few pairs of, say, Bourkes a simple system can work. Talking to each other once a year and prioritizing exchange of bloodlines is all that is

BIRD SCENE 23

Feature

required to maintain a “ring-fenced” breeding group and produce a healthy supply of surplus normals. Checking on the number of “mutation” offspring disposed of would give a simple indicator of progress towards genetic purity. There are various ways this could be achieved but first we need to assess the level of interest and potential commitment. Nothing worthwhile will happen without some effort. The first measure of interest will be the amount of controversy that these two articles generate. Foreign bird breeders need to stand up and be counted. But there is a broader issue that perhaps the specialist societies should address regarding positive action to encourage the maintenance of strains of pure normal birds. In the case of the Parrot Society various simple approaches involving the breeders register, the magazine and members adverts could be considered as a starting point. These options should be examined in detail if there is a willingness to place greater emphasis on the role of normal foreign birds in our hobby.

The first measure of interest will be the amount of controversy that these two articles generate. Foreign bird breeders need to stand up and be counted. But there is a broader issue that perhaps the specialist societies should address regarding positive action to encourage the maintenance of strains of pure normal birds.

BIRD SCENE

Wanted ALL PARROTS

Founder member of the Parrot Society requires the following parrots

Wanted

all hand reared parrots

all parent reared parrots all breeding pairs and singles prices paid in CASH if required or you deliver to me.

Mobile: 07949 447282. Home: 01670 822789 e-mail: parrotjohn1@btinternet.com

MINUTES of The Organising Committee THE NATIONAL EXHIBI

Sunday 28th April 2013 at the Quality Hotel, Allesley Road, C 1. Apologies: The Bengalese Society. 2. Welcome: We are pleased that both Border and Norwich canaries will be represented at this year’s National. Also to P.S. Chairman David Coombes and Ray Howells of Birds & Things. 3. Review of the 2012 National: John Herring of The Gloster Fancy Specialist Society explained that one of his exhibitors had taken another exhibitor’s Gloster and left two of his own birds in error although this was a genuine mistake it meant a lengthy journey the following week for both exhibitors. This does show the importance of waiting until all exhibitors have reclaimed their birds before allowing anyone to leave. To prevent this occurring at future shows doors will not be opened until cards confirming that all exhibitors are happy that they have accounted for all their birds from the respective Show Secretaries have been received by the Show Co-ordinator the order to open the doors will be made. 4. Sponsorship arrangements for 2013: These will follow those of

BIRD SCENE

Feature

ommittee

ITION

Coventry CV5 9BA

BIRD SCENE 27

2012 with both Johnston & Jeff and The Birdcare Company continuing to support The National. Chris Smith representing The Canary Council offered two rosettes for each canary club which was gratefully accepted. 5. Checking In facilities: The Parrot Society explained what they wanted to see happen in order to ensure security was as high as possible. Booking in tables will be lined up in front of the Show staging and the cattle barriers. Security is paramount at this event and we do not want exhibitors walking around the staging area when birds are staged.

BIRD SCENE

We do not see any need for anyone other than Club and Show Officials to be in the show area of the halls until after completion of judging and the show is open to the general public at 12.30pm on Sunday. John Herring (Glosters) said that this caused his stewards too much walking and proposed that exhibitors should take their birds to the Gloster sections staging and then be escorted back out of the exhibition area by one of his stewards. David Allen (Lizards)said that it would be more sensible and give improved security to exhibitors birds if the cattle barrier system

Feature

was retained and those clubs with the largest entries should be located closest to the cattle barriers so that their stewards do not have far to walk, this suggestion was agreed by the meeting. The new clubs joining us in 2013 consider that they will stage the following number of exhibits, Borders 200 to 300, Norwich 60 to 100 and Yorkshire 50 to 60. 6. Erection of staging from 12.00 on Saturday 12th October will again follow last year’s system with clubs supplying representatives to carry out this work. Borders and Lovebirds cannot do this for the coming year.

7. Free tea, coffee and biscuits in the Argyle Centre for Show Officials when birds are being checked in on Saturday and Sunday and for judges will be provided by The Parrot Society. 8. Les Rance requested that clubs encourage people exhibiting to buy the entry wrist bands when they send in their entry forms. Similar numbers, as last year, of wrist bands, car parking passes and Officials badges will be sent to Show Secretaries in plenty of time for the event by Les Rance. 9. Meeting closed at 3.30 pm.

BIRD SCENE 29

ARTICLE BY: Dorothy Schwarz

Rehabilitating Rescued and Rehomed Amazons Is So Rewarding

The old Amazons arrive Four orange-winged Amazons live in my aviary, Archie and Lena and Basil and Cybil. The former pair are in their late thirties or early forties. the latter pair between seven and ten years old. Their stories must be similar to that of many wild caught birds that change their homes for various reasons. Eight years ago our zoo was rehoming a number of their parrots. I already had a pair of pet African Greys

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for whom I’d built a large outdoor aviary, in which also lived a flock of poultry and a few parakeets. The zoo contacted me; would I take any of their unwanted birds. The most suitable turned out to be Archie and Lena. Like most wild caught birds their history was patchy. For twenty years, they had lived with a German couple, who bequeathed them to the zoo in 1992 or thereabouts; the original documents are lost. The curator never explained

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why, for the ten years they lived in the zoo, they were kept apart, living in the bird room in separate cages. They were not tame, although Lena was sticktrained and Archie would step onto the hand. This meant that although you couldn’t pet or play with them they were easy to handle. They arrived in late March 2002. They were my first Amazons. Dave Hall (now deceased) from the Amazona Society freely gave me good advice for their care. With sharp winds blowing, the temperature felt too chilly to put them straight into the aviary so I placed them in a Kings Cage in my sitting room. They perched close together on the top of

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the cage and eight years later, they are almost never more than a metre apart. They were in good health and had a compete diet sheet, although Archie’s feet were badly damaged. I was told macaws had bitten off his toes. Within two weeks of coming here, Lena had laid an egg which smashed on the cage floor. With better weather, I took them outside. Lena has one wing damaged, perhaps slashed by a machete when she was captured in the Brazilian rainforest, so she’s flightless. She must remember being flighted though. In the first days outside in the large aviary, she made a few pathetic attempts to fly. Her mutilated wing

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could not keep her aloft. Each time she tried, she crashed to the ground so she soon desisted. Having birds trained in a zoo by professionals was so agreeable. Both birds would step into a crate from the hand or the stick without the least trouble. Lena tries to breed It was the breeding season. We hung a homemade nest box in a corner. Archie on guard outside it, would fan his tail, flash his eyes, double himself in size and warn in Amazon language, ‘Do NOT approach.’ Lena laid three more eggs and brooded them all. None hatched. I found one chick dead in shell. She was, and still is, a devoted mother and once she goes down, remains in the nest box except for two brief exits to drink and to defecate. Archie feeds her. Again I have no idea whether she may have had live chicks in captivity or even in the forest. I often wish one could tell parrots’ ages by rings on their beaks as one can age horses from the state of their teeth. Since that first spring when I took the Amazons into the aviary, Lena has laid a clutch of three or four eggs every year. The second year, I made the mistake of removing clear eggs after a couple of weeks and she

Lena has one wing damaged, perhaps slashed by a machete when she was captured in the Brazilian rainforest, so she’s flightless. promptly laid another clutch. So now I let her sit on them until she gives up herself. After 4 weeks or so she seems to know the eggs won’t hatch and she and Archie who have both slept in the nest box start to sleep outside again. Sometimes she gives up on her own accord; sometimes I remove the eggs. Archie has fed and guarded her. His devotion may be due only to instinct but everyone who sees them has to smile at such touching devotion. By the third mating season, I was trusted enough to approach them while they were nesting. I have never found out the reasons for the empty eggs. Archie does copulate with Lena. Indeed the first time it happened, I was terrified at the sound of Lena’s screams and rushed from the kitchen to the aviary. However, he wasn’t killing her - simply making love to her. Perhaps his infertility is age-related or perhaps his crippled feet prevent him gripping her firmly enough.

I was terrified at the sound of Lena’s screams and rushed from the kitchen to the aviary. However, he wasn’t killing her - simply making love to her. Perhaps his infertility is age-related or perhaps his crippled feet prevent him gripping her firmly enough.

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Trouble with Casper After a couple of years of the Greys and Amazons living amiably together, Casper, now mature, began to fight with Archie or maybe it was the other way round. I never let the fight continue long enough to find out. Casper is heavier and many years younger. The solution was to construct a separate flight for the old Amazons inside the main aviary. Its door remains shut unless Casper is indoors. As senior residents, Lena and Archie appeared to have won both admiration and respect from the other birds that

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fly in and perch beside them in what appears to be social visiting. Maybe as the old Amazons are given many treats that attracts their visitors who can be seen rummaging on their table. A mystery – why does Archie fight with Casper but has no problems with Ouff, recently arrived male Grey, or the two Timnehs? Indeed the Timnehs spend much of their time in the Amazons’ private flight. In the morning I often find that Ouff, the Timnehs and the old Amazons have roosted together.

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Why won’t you use your shed? Because of Archie and Lena’s age, I worry they’ll suffer from the cold. Their nest box is at the back of a wooden shed in which are their food bowls and their perches, an electric light and a greenhouse heater. When the shed door is closed, a porthole allows them to come out each morning. Do you imagine that they roost in this cosy shed at night? No, they don’t. Unless, I brave the dark and cold and put both birds into the shed they prefer to roost outside. One freezing December night I couldn’t find them. I searched the whole aviary by flashlight. Nothing. Who’d steal two aged Orange wings? One of my students was visiting. ‘I’ll take a look.’ He returned to the kitchen laughing. His sharp. young eyes had spotted the

pair. They’d hidden themselves deep in the branches of fir tree branches that I tie to the aviary supports. The flashlight had reflected in Lena’s eye. I’ve tried many strategies to persuade them to roost voluntarily inside their shed. None have worked. For the last two winters I’ve given them choice. ‘If you insist on staying outside,’ I tell them, ‘you can.’ Although I provide these old Amazons with three bowls of food daily, they remain quite slender. Does the cold of East Anglia winters keep their metabolism high? They indulge in some quirky habits. Archie always perches in front of Lena. But when their breakfast bowls arrive each morning, she clambers into the shed to eat; Archie does not join her for some time. Their only vocabulary is ‘Hello,’ followed by a belly laugh. This they will call out

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from time to time.If anyone speaks a few words of German to Archie, he acts excited, he fans his tail and, pins his eyes and sways on his perch. He is often ready to dance along with you swaying back and forth. Sadly, I sing out of tune, but Archie doesn’t seem to mind. I’m always flattered and slightly apprehensive when he lands on my shoulder. In the afternoon, if I’ve not visited the aviary, Archie begins squawking. ‘What’s that fearful noise?’ non-parrot friends ask. ‘Only Archie asking for his nut treat,’ I explain. As soon as the kitchen door opens, he stops, although I have 50 metres to walk across to him.

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The accident A flock of Buff Orpington hens live on the lower level and eat up what the parrots drop; rodent problems can occur. I knew we had a rat and was putting down poison in bird-safe traps. James Luck (good name for his job) our local pest officer was delighted with the large dead rat he found who must have eaten the poison from the trap left in Lena’s flight. Problem solved – or so we thought. One bitterly cold March morning last year, I went out to feed the aviary birds. In the old Amazons’ flight, a horrific sight, Lena crouched on her table, her back dripping blood, Archie

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beside her, shaking violently. The vet gave her an antibiotic injection and instructed me to give her syringes of antibiotic for the next five days. The two puncture wounds on her back, at least 5 centimetres apart, seemed too wide for a rat. ‘The next 48 hours are critical, ‘the vet said. I took both Amazons indoors. Lena appeared shocked, clinging to the exterior bars of the King Cage. I heated the room, hoped and prayed. At noon she ate a beakful of warm scrambled egg. The vet’s prompt intervention

must have stopped the wound going septic. By the next morning, she was no longer clinging to the bars and perched normally. After forty-eight hours, the immediate danger seemed to have passed. The old Amazons appeared to enjoy their time indoors. I kept the cage top open and Archie took a few exploratory flights to perch on the windowsill and watch wild birds outside, flying back immediately to Lena if anyone entered the room. I made the mistake of walking through with Casper on my arm. Archie flew over and bit my

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cheek. Within a week, Lena’s wounded skin looked pink and her appetite was normal. I put both birds back in their flight. There’s so much luck in bird keeping. With Casper indoors the flight door was left ajar. James Luck made an unplanned visit to check the traps. We weren’t at home. Dreadful shrieks were coming from the Amazons’ flight.Rushing into the aviary, James found the cockerel Don Juan, our cock Mujitu’s year-old son, had flown to Lena’s table - presumably to filch from her bowl. He’d jumped on top of Lena and was ripping feathers from her neck. Little Archie, 400 grams of whirling green feathers, was valiantly but ineffectually trying to drive him off. The cockerel ignored him. James swiped at the cockerel that didn’t 38 BIRD SCENE

budge. He tried again, knocked him onto to the ground, yanked him off Lena and received a nasty bite on his fingernail for his trouble. Lena crawled back to her table. When I got home and examined her, I found no wounds - only missing feathers? The wide rat bite was probably Don Juan’s doing as well. He had a lucky break. Not the pot which he richly deserved but a friend with a free range flock in Suffolk offered him a home. By evening he was gone. Missed by me for his beauty and by one of his wives, who’s roosting in the shelter where they used to sleep together. This has been the only serious problem we have ever had between parrots and poultry. Contrary to some expert opinion, we have had no illness from one species to another.

Feature And now ... The old Amazons have resumed their peaceful life.With Casper indoors and their flight door open, they receive several visits during the day from the Timnehs and the parakeets not the young Amazons. Recently Archie let me stroke his breast feathers – what a joy! After her frightening experiences, will Lena lay eggs next year, I wonder? It is not always an idyll in the old Amazons’ flight; sometimes they squabble like any other long-married couple but their closeness to one another provides an example to any long standing marriage. Are Amazons particularly good spouses? Archie and Lena are and this is also true of my second pair who arrived in June 08. [To be continued...]. Two new Amazons arrive ‘Not another one!’ If you are a parrot person with a non-parrot spouse you’ve heard that remark before. Long suffering Wal, my husband of many years, has stipulated no more than four birds indoors (there are five at the moment). He minds less about how many birds live in the aviary so when a good friend of mine asked me to rehome a pair of Orange-winged Amazons I agreed. The owners, moving house after five years, wanted the bonded pair to stay together. They’d never produced eggs or chicks, nor were they hand tame. Again details of their past history were sparse. The previous owners had first seen both birds crammed into a tiny cage. They wore no rings and were supposed to be one-year old. She and

her husband felt they had to rehome them. They built them a 9-foot outdoor flight, cared for them well but had little time for taming. ‘They must come here with a certificate from a vet,’ I told Kathrynne. Although the birds seemed healthy – disaster! Cybil the hen tested positive for Psittacosis. It took six weeks of treatment and a horrendous vet bill to produce a clear bill of health. Eventually, in June instead of March, the two Orange wings arrived. Kathrynne was so caring she stayed overnight to settle them in. Although the parakeets in the aviary are not tame the parrots are. I didn’t want Cybil and Basil loose in the aviary if I had to net them to catch them. I put them in a 15-foot flight at one end which can be closed off from the main section. The flight has an upper and a lower door. I gave them plenty of enrichment, a nest box, swings and cut branches. Early training I have studied positive reinforcement training since starting with parrots. One of the main tenets as I understand it - is that the bird makes a choice to comply with your requests. Remove the favourite food from the diet and the bird (in principle) quickly learns to work for you to earn the reward. Of course training a bird that is loose in an aviary is more complicated because the bird can simply fly away. Neither Amazon had a step up. However, once I established that peanuts in their shell were Basil’s favourite treat, within a couple of BIRD SCENE 39

weeks he was flying to the swing in his flight to get one. Cybil remained as shy as a wild caught. Given that they had spent one year closely confined and then five years in a 9-foot flight, the skill of their flying made me believe that they were probably wild caught. Basil began to greet me with wing raises and wolf whistles. Cybil always acted as if I was Frankenstein’s understudy and put herself as far away as possible. Adventures Some of the early incidents were a mix of hair raising or amusing depending on how strong your nerves are or how 40 BIRD SCENE

prepared you are to let parrots find their own level of interaction. One morning at breakfast I opened the top door to accustom the new birds to the sight of the others (6 parrots and a dozen parakeets). To my astonishment, Basil flew out and made a beeline for the old Amazons’ flight which was open. A lot of shrieking from the two male Amazons. Unsure whether Basil and Archie were making friends or sparring for a fight, I picked Basil up in a towel, kept his head free and walked swiftly back to his flight. He did not seem to react badly. After that incident I kept the young Amazons shut into their flight. When

Feature in the aviary, I opened the top flight door to let the other parrots make a visit if they wished. Perdy the Lesser Sulphur flew in with enthusiasm. Basil’s body language must have conveyed some stern message for she flew onto my knee and stayed there for the whole visit. Cybil falls Ill This hen was one of the shyest birds I’ve ever met. Soon she was staying most of the time in the nest box. At first I thought this was breeding behaviour. As three weeks passed, it grew evident that she was ill. Her belly was swollen; she was barely eating. The vet’s prognosis was poor. The swelling was probably liver damage; he doubted Psittacosis. We both agreed she was too ill to take to the surgery

for tests. He thought she’d probably die but we could try Baytril antibiotic administered by me. Treating her twice a day was easy; she was too poorly and weak to object. I could take her out of the nest box with a towel and administer the syringe. Basil would fly at me and try to bite as I approached. I don’t know what made him accept my treatment of his partner. Personally I believe parrots have a huge intelligence and ability to understand situations in a changing environment. Once Cybil had gone back to the nest box, he himself would still fly to a stick for a nut but less often than before. Cybil recovers - From my notes Saturday August 30, 2008 Cybil out of the nest box when I go in at 9 am. Much harder to catch than on

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the previous 2 days. Once towelled she remains quiet. I administer the syringe holding her on her back. Turn her upright and try to feed one tablespoon of Recovery/Critical Care and yoghurt and Manduka honey. She gets a few drops of the mixture down. I hope this is better than syringing her. She bites the curved spoon; I hope she may start to eat from it. She swallows at times. Once released she stays out of the nest box for up to 30 minutes. I have seen her eat a banana chip. After the antibiotics were finished,

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she’d gained strength but was not eating. Her keel bone was sharp to the touch, many head feathers missing. I hand fed her twice a day. She never tamed enough to take the spoon willingly but with the semi-force feeding must have swallowed between 30 and 50 grams a day. Isabel from Portugal sent a homeopathic appetite enhancer which I spiked into grapes. Whenever I entered the aviary both young Amazons flew elsewhere. I had low expectations of ever handling them. I never expected the bonus that Cybil would give me later on.

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Relations with the other birds The summer following Cybil’s recovery, I decided to let the young Amazons into the large flight, although they were not stick-trained reliably. I reasoned that for Cybil, sunlight and space would be curative. I monitored their reactions to the two cockatoo hens, the two Timnehs and the two Greys. Artha Grey hen and Basil appeared to dislike one another. I did not know that a hen will fight with a cock bird of another species. After a lot of furious wing flapping and shouting they decided to avoid one another’s perches. Basil grew increasingly confident and would chase both greys and cockatoos away. However he’d allow the young blue ringnecks to feed beside him. The two pairs of Amazons after their initial interest ignored one another.

Cybil outside The summer passed agreeably with one mishap. The electrician, carrying a tool box in Cybil’s flight, left the outer door ajar. Cybil, who had been in the main aviary, spotted the gap, darted through, whizzed past me and landed high in a tree. Les Rance from the Parrot Society was visiting. He advised me to try an old trick - put Basil in a cage and open both external doors. Basil called his mate at the top of his voice (Amazons can yell to wake the dead!) And once we were out of sight, Cybil flew back home. The incident lasted 3 hours. She had looked very beautiful perched in the oak tree. As the cold increased I fretted over the young Amazons. The shed next to their flight, like the old Amazons shed has a greenhouse heater and

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even a little door leading into it from the flight. Like the old Amazons they never entered willingly. The heater burned uselessly. However both looked well when spring arrived. I followed Les Rance’s advice to increasing amounts fed of sunflower seeds in cold weather and decrease them once it warmed up. Cybil’s gift to me Last winter Cybil relented enough to take a monkey nut from my hand. Never any question of a step up onto the hand. However Basil renewed his behaviour flying easily to a stick for a nut. Both Amazons would fly to and perch on the training perch for the nut. I began to hold the stick at right angles. Cybil would gingerly place one claw onto the stick, grab the nut and fly off. Little by little, she desensitised to the stick and by May was perching on the stick and even flying the length of the aviary to land on it and grab her nut. As the weather was warm, the aviary birds had sunflower seeds 44 BIRD SCENE

removed from their diet. Was this the spur that Cybil needed to overcome her distrust of me? From my notes August 14 A fantastic breakthrough today! Both birds have been flying to perch on cue and flying to a stick with almost 100% accuracy. Today I asked them to fly to my hand. Cybil did so three times and flew off with a nut. On the fourth time she stayed on my hand to eat the nut. I left it there. Her body language is snatch rather than relaxed. Basil will fly to stick but NOT fly to hand. The best he does was put one claw on palm. So peculiar that shy Cybil will perch on the hand but Basil refuses. Friday August 21st 09 One week after Cybil flew for the first time to my palm from perch, she has done so again at least twice a day for monkey nut. But it is not a confirmed behaviour. The feel of her warm claws on my palm is like a present each time she does it. I know she’s not tense

Feature because she feels light on my palm. Sometimes she flies straight to the perch and jumps onto my hand. Other times she flies to perch and then flies to another rope. I have no idea of why Cybil’s body language alters. She is more reluctant to step up if someone else is nearby. Saturday August 22nd Vernon Timneh was flying to perch and rope for nuts. Basil sent off Vernon. Once Vernon was gone, Cybil landed on my palm lightly and ate the nut standing there. First time! 15 September 2009 Store ran out and I have not had monkey nuts for a week. At first Cybil would not fly to the hand for peanuts. Eventually she compromised for banana chips but not stay on the hand to eat them. Basil would not fly to me but he would fly to the perch and also fly to a stick. Today new supply of monkey nuts arrived. (Roasted them in case of fungal contamination.) As soon as they realized that my pocket was stuffed full of monkey nuts, both Amazons flew to stick and flew to my hand at every asking. Even Basil after he had watched Cybil twice. If I hold out my left hand and don’t show the nut, Cybil will veer away and land elsewhere. Once she sees the nut, she will land on the left hand. Basil is shyer. I don’t understand why Cybil who was the shyer of the two when they arrived 18 months ago and whom I caught twice daily for 6 weeks to medicate, will fly to me so readily. Is it a sign of avian intelligence that Cybil conforms to my requests so much more readily than Basil? She will also fly to the hand for a grape although he will not.

Winter In the run up to Christmas 2009, the pet birds are enjoying the warm inside the house. Since there are ample sunflower seeds around in the aviary the Amazons are less willing to fly to me. If I go to find them Basil will step up onto the stick and Cybil will step up onto the hand. Once she has the nut in her beak, off she flies. It is an ongoing learning experience (and a great delight) to have these four birds in the aviary. As Rosemary Low has recently written, breeder and parrot owners could put aside an aviary or part of an aviary in order to protect and nurture ex-breeding birds or birds in need of new home. The rewards are not as obvious as those with one’s bright new baby parrot. As you can see from the above account, to gain their trust and to watch them thrive - this is the real reward of rescue and rehoming.

Donate to our CONSERVATION FUND… CLICK THE LINK BELOW: http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/donations.php

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g n i n r a W y t i r Secu 2013 Small Bird Thefts - JUNE

his time last year we published a security warning concerning the thefts of the smaller species of birds particularly in relation to Canaries, Finches and Budgerigars. The main type of aviary and birdhouse targeted by the thieves were those of the more serious breeder of the specialist exhibition species. Many of the birds had been shown at various events previously and no doubt the owners were traced and the thefts took place. One common factor to this activity was the unfortunate fact that the thieves were getting clean away generally as the result of poor security. In an effort to combat this organised crime trend we publicised the need for extra vigilance and crime prevention which we feel eventually slowly reduced the number of burglaries committed. Since those reports went out earlier in 2012 we did however deal with one Budgerigar theft at Doncaster, two thefts of Finches in Dagenham

and Sunderland and four incidents of Canary thefts in Derby, Northampton, Nantwich and Hove. This number of small bird thefts in the last twelve months is well down to the previous year and so far in 2013 we have received not a single report of any such incident throughout the UK. It is quite easy to beef-up one’s shed security, even by DIY alarm kits available quite cheaply from local retailers, battery operated and simple to install. In addition we would always recommend the added protection of infra-red beams to alert bird keepers that intruders have entered the garden before they even get near to the birds. Vigilance is the key word which together with good security is the only answer to protecting our birds in what generally are vulnerable areas. We must make it more difficult for the thieves and hopefully we will maintain this lower level of crime throughout the coming months. John Hayward National Theft Register Tel: 01869 325699 Email: jh@ntr.supanet.com

• Security Warning • Security Warning • S

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Security Warning • Security Warning • Security Warning