Avian Health Network Newsletter Volume II Issue X.
In this issue:
--- Happenings at AHN
--- Website Review of the Month
--- Just for Fun
--- Avian Health in the News
--- It's Time for Vacation: Quick Tips to Idiot-Proof the Bird Sitter
--- Ash's Favorite Cornbread Muffins
--- Before You Buy A Parrot
--- Ask the Expert
--- An Introduction to a Serial History of Parrots and Their Humans
..
Happenings at AHN...
..
"Birds of a Feather" Quilt
For a sneak peek at some of the beautiful and creative quilt blocks bird
clubs
have donated to make the "Birds of a Feather" quilt, go to the new Quilt
page,
still under construction:
http://www.stoppdd.org/clubs/birdfeathers.htm
..
Auction Board
British software developer PHP Pro Bid has provided AHN with a hot new
'skin' to
front the new Auction Board, going live this summer... stay tuned for the
launch date.
..
Online Conference
October 1 is the day tickets go on sale for this popular event! Speakers
like
Irene Pepperberg, Brandeis University's expert on the cognitive skills of
Greys,
provide written "talks" and accept questions on topic from registered
participants. A full set of the Conference Proceedings is provided to
each
registered participant. So far, fourteen experts have agreed to present
material on a wide variety of avian topics.
..
Toys
The Toys are back in town! In the market for quality toys? Who isn't?
Sup****t
the StopPDD campaign by ordering among the three quality toys AHN
volunteers
selected for your birds this year. You can see them in AHN's Stop 'n Shop:
http://www.stopPDD.org
..
Website Review of the Month
By Adrianne Mock
..
The Parrottalk connection at http://www.parrottalk.com
is an amazing site
bursting at the seams with information! Once you are at the main site, you
are
greeted with a beautiful image including a mischievous scarlet macaw
peeking out
from the lower right hand corner. Just click on the image and
you have stepped through the Looking Glass...A magical place covering
nearly
everything about parrots.
..
Live with cockatoos? You can find links to cockatoo websites. Live with
macaws?
Follow the links to the macaw lists. Need info on Amazons? How about
Hawkheads?
Cape parrots are covered too. Looking for recipes? They're here. Lose a
bird?
There is a link to lost and found sites. Interested in adopting a parrot?
That
information can be found here too. Need information on basic care, wing
clipping
or avian health, including first aid, emergency care, and diseases....
Find it
here. Ever wonder what happens INSIDE that egg? This is here too.
..
Want to know how to deal with screaming, biting or fearful behavior?
Follow the
links to Behavior Analysis Solutions and the Living and Learning with
Parrots
Class- you (and your parrots) will be glad you did!
..
And then... there is The Remembrance Wall for those wonderful feathered
souls
who have passed on from the terrible effects of PDD. I cried while reading
their
stories...you will too. There are more links; from the Remembrance Wall to
sites
with information on this terrible disease...there is even a link to this
wonderful newsletter.
..
In this short space, it is truly impossible to cover this entire
information
filled site- visit http://www.Parrottalk.com
and see for yourself!
..
Just for Fun!
..
To see a Hummingbird raise her young:
http://community-2.webtv.net/hotmail.com/verle33/HummingBirdNest/
..
To see what happens when a mother duck and her family get stuck on a
college
campus:
http://www.queensu.ca/security/graphics/2004/int-0405-02.html
..
Avian Health in the News: The Miracle Baby
..
On June 9, 2004 a few privileged individuals in Spain witnessed what might
be
considered a "second-coming" in the psittacine world - a baby Spix's
Macaw.
Avian conservationists had been working for years toward a hatching in
captivity
of this species. But a successful hatching after those long years of
waiting is
not the only reason this young chick is a miracle baby. It is also a
miracle
because this baby gives hope for a future for the entire Spix's Macaw
species.
..
The Spix's Macaw became extinct in the wild in 2000. Currently, there are
only
nine Spix's Macaws in zoos around the world. In addition to the seven
Spix's
Macaws in the Sao Paulo zoo in Brazil, there are only two others, the
breeding
pair of the Loro Parque Foundation in Tenerife, Spain, which produced the
new
"miracle" chick.
..
The court****p tale of the two parents also has a taste of the fantastic
about
it. For years the staff of the Loro Parque Foundation had centered a great
deal
of attention on their one male and one female Spix's macaws. Although the
collection of parrots of Loro Parque is considered the most diverse in the
world
(approximately 350 species and sub-species), the Spix's Macaw pair was
considered a primary concern, having been provided by the Brazilian
government
with hope they would breed successfully in captivity at Loro Parque's
conservation breeding center.
..
However there was no success in breeding the original pair, and subsequent
tests
showed the male was highly infertile. Because the infertility could
possibly be
reversed by a change in environment, an exchange of the Loro Parque bird
with a
male from the Sao Paulo zoo was proposed. In November
2003, Dr. Lorenzo Crosta, accompanied by the Loro Parque male, flew to Sao
Paulo
to examine three males, from which one would be chosen. In December he
returned
to Spain with an eight year-old male. On January 8, 2004 (after a period
of
quarantine), the new male was introduced to his future mate and a
large new flight aviary. By mid-March the pair had selected their nest box
of
choice, and on May 11 one of the most im****tant eggs of the world was
laid.
..
It is amazing these two bonded so quickly to each other, and that this
successful bonding resulted in a youngster who is so im****tant to the
species.
..
The baby is now being raised by hand but will soon be coupled with an
Illiger's
Macaw chick in order to avoid an imprinting with humans. This lack of
imprinting
is very im****tant to future descendants of this youngster because of plans
to
re-introduce a stabilized population of Spix's Macaw's into their natural
habitat in northeastern Brazil.
..
More information about the new Spix's Macaw can be found at:
http://www.bluemacaws.org/news.htm#lpf4
..
It's Time for Vacation: Quick Tips to Idiot-Proof the Bird Sitter
By Jayne Meyers
..
Worried about leaving your feathered darlings while you go away on
vacation?
Not sure your bird sitter knows exactly what to do? Following the amazing
tips
in "It's Time for Vacation" will make the separation much easier for you,
your
bird sitter and your birds. Click here for a guilt-free getaway!
http://www.avianhealthnetwork.info/articles/birdsitter.htm
..
Ash's Favorite Cornbread Muffins
..
2 cups organic cornbread mix
1 whole egg
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. Oil
1/2 cup corn pieces
1/2 cup pellet powder
1/2 cup whole pellets
2 handfuls of flake type cereal
1 mashed ripe banana
..
Add a dash of each of the following: allspice, cinnamon, basil and garlic
powder
Add 2 dashes of chili powder. This recipe will fill up the muffin cups.
Sprinkle chopped nuts on top and bake at 400 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes
or
until golden brown. Storing either type of muffin: Muffins may be frozen,
just
make sure that they have cooled completely. After thawing, muffins may be
microwaved for a few seconds.
..
This recipe was used with permission from Christa Kangas at Bother the
Birds!
http://www.freewebs.com/botherthebirds/
..
Before You Buy a Parrot
By Rossanna Waggle
..
Preparing your home and your life for a new family member is never easy,
but it
can be even more complicated when that new addition is a parrot! "Before
You Buy
a Parrot" will familiarize you with all the basics and more. It is a
must-read
before bringing a baby home!
http://www.avianhealthnetwork.info/articles/beforeyoubuy.htm
..
Ask the Expert
..
This month's answer was submitted by Matthew S. Johnston, VMD, DABVP -
Avian
Assistant Professor, Exotic Animal Medicine Colorado State University /
James L.
Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital
..
Can people get PDD from a sick bird?
..
"PDD does not appear to infect people. However, because the causative
agent has
not been definitively identified, we cannot say for sure it cannot affect
people, though it is unlikely. However, birds with PDD are
immunosuppressed and
are susceptible to other diseases that can infect people, the most common
of
which is psittacosis (Chlamydophila psittaci). Common sense hygiene
should
always be taken when handling birds with PDD, including wa****ng of hands
before
and after handling."
..
Each month AHN will feature a health-related question from a bird owner in
need,
along with an answer from a qualified avian expert. From toe nails to
blood
feathers, nutrition to molting, and wheezing to sneezing - if you have a
question, AHN will find the most accurate and up-to-date answer available
from some of the world's top avian health experts.
..
This is where you come in... we need your questions! So if your bird is
exhibiting an unusual symptom that's got you puzzled, or you have
questions
about the lab re****t from your recent vet appointment, don't wander
through life
uninformed. Simply send your questions to
avianexpert@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
and we'll find an expert with an
answer!
..
An Introduction to a Serial History of Parrots and their Humans
By Elaine Hutchison
..
Most of us share a knowledge and a sacred priority not known to
"non-parrot"
people - that of how im****tant these creatures are to us as family members
and
how central their well-being is to our happiness. Words become inadequate,
clumsy things that roll around awkwardly in our minds and mouths as we
attempt
to describe the fascination of parrots to people who have no intimate
acquaintance with them.
..
"They are your pets," they say.
"No, they are wild creatures, not a pet at all."
"They are like your children," says another.
"Not exactly. I cannot teach them to be human, only how to speak in
'human'."
"Then they are your companions in life," someone counters firmly.
"Well . . . that's true at times, but only when they choose to be . . . "
..
It becomes a dubious, circular conversation that conveys no meaning to the
uninitiated. The closest I've been able to come to any sort of truth is
"they
are everything I've ever wanted and never knew I did." And that
description is
still too weak and too vague.
..
As non-parrot friends continue to speak only of a parrot's ability to
mimic the
human voice and "how much fun that must be," it becomes more and more
apparent
that their reality of parrots, much like beauty, is in the eye of the
beholder.
..
The view of these friends is based upon what they personally know of a
parrot, a
perception which in turn is based upon what their science and society
teaches
them about these animals. For example, only thirty years ago, people
thought
African Greys were capable only of mimicry, albeit brilliant mimicry.
After Dr.
Pepperberg's pioneering work in the cognitive and language abilities of
African
Greys proved an intelligence beyond a mere imitation of sounds, our
perception
of these magical creatures changed
drastically. Those who have not heard of her astounding work, a
regrettably
large percentage of the public, still view them today as talented mimics,
and
nothing more.
..
This recognition of how recently we changed our perceptions of the African
Grey
(and consequently other parrots), along with a lifelong fascination with
history, has made me wonder how humans in the past viewed parrots in
society,
and how our parrot-owned ancestors valued these animals with which
they shared their lives.
..
An absorbing subject, it is a history that is as infinite as the
characteristics
of the many varieties of parrots, and as infinite as the story of humanity
which
precedes us. Different societies have ascribed
different values to parrots, and those values often point more clearly to
the
characteristics of human society than that of the bird in the wild. For
instance, while Europeans valued the parrot for its ability to mimic the
human
voice, the Asmat of New Guinea held them in high regard for a quite
different
reason. The Asmat viewed them as "brothers" during head-hunting
expeditions.
Parrots ate fruit, and to the Asmat, fruit resembled a human head. (1)(2)
..
This series of articles will also explore the narratives, letters and
memoirs of
certain famous and not-so-famous personalities in history whose love of
parrots
shows they were not so different from those of us who love parrots today.
While
reading about these people and their birds, the centuries seem to light
up. The
past becomes articulate and expressive, no longer dumb and forgotten.
..
Throughout recorded history, man has attributed a myriad of meanings to
the
creatures we call parrots. Parrots have been symbols of freedom while at
the
same time viewed as symbols of slavery. They were once classified as
ornaments
in trade during the same era they were valued as gifts for kings. But
through
the centuries of their relation****p with humans, they have remained
constant in
one aspect: they have always been a source of joy to the people with whom
they
lived.
..
Next month: How Parrots Came to Own Humans
..
(1) Claude Lévi-Strauss, La Pensée Sauvage, p 82, (Paris: Plon, 1962)
(2) Louise E. Robbins, Elephant Slaves and Pampered Parrots, p 4, The John
Hopkins University Press, (Baltimore, MD, 2002)
..
Rate the Avian Health Network Newsletter! Go to
http://www.avianhealthnetwork.info/newsletter.htm
and scroll down to the
bottom
of the page to take the quick survey.
..
Looking for a way to help? Volunteering just one or two hours a month to
help
the StopPDD campaign can be very rewarding. We need people who can help
with
website design, ideas for articles, help write the newsletter, and/or help
post
the newsletter. All of this is done right from your computer. If you are
interested in volunteering a little time to help, please contact
newsletter@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Newsletter Delivered to your inbox! Missing our Newsletters, Updates
and
Events? Join StopPDD News today to make sure you are kept in the loop!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stoppddnews/
..
"This newsletter is dedicated to Buddie; lost to PDD July 14, 2002 at the
age of
2 years. To read her story go here:
http://www.stoppdd.org/problem/pdd_quilt/quilt_pages/buddies_page.htm
."
..
The Fine Print ~ The information contained herein is for educational
purposes
only, and is not meant to substitute for quality avian veterinary care.
AHN
cannot guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information contained
herein,
nor the information distributed by other groups or resources referenced in
this
do***ent. Those with a bird(s) exhibiting any symptom of illness should
seek
the advice of a qualified avian medical professional immediately.
..
Newsletter articles may be reprinted on the WWW in their entirety,
including
title and byline, as long as a link to www.AvianHealthNetwork.info is
provided
with the statement: "First published in Avian Health Network, Inc.,
Newsletter
Volume x Issue y."
..
Avian Health Network, Inc. #54-2068091 is a 501(C) 3 headquartered and
incor****ated in the Commonwealth of Virginia. We are an organization of
volunteers with no paid personnel. We are committed to raising public
awareness
and funds for avian diseases such as PDD. Financial Statement is
available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer Affairs,
Commonwealth of Virginia. Proceeds generated by the StopPDD campaign will
go to
help subsidize the research of the Emerging Diseases Research Group (EDRG)
at
the University of Georgia's College of Veterinary Medicine.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change
the
world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. ~ Margaret Mead
|
