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We
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There are two problems with these studies. The first, and
more minor one, is that African grey parrots appear to be at
the top of the parrot intelligence pyramid. Parrots with lesser
intellectual abilities than Alex suffer the same disorders that
Alex did.
A bigger problem is that these studies are all designed to
show how parrots and humans are similar not how they are
different. We people are a self-centered species, we're always
excited when we find similarities between ourselves and
some lower animal. When differences are found, they are
Fear-Biting Parrots
Not all fear-biting parrots are wild imported parrots or
breeder discards. Smaller parrots are often bred and sold
with little or no personal human contact during the critical
period when they imprint on humans or determine that they
are not a threat. Basically, the birds market value determines
the amount of individual care it receives. So does the method
that the bird is sold. Breeders of under-socialized birds
usually (but not always) market them through jobbers, pet
stores. They, like the owners of puppy mills, find it more
convenient that you can not find your way back to them when
problems arise. Retail outlets find all sorts of excuses for the
every day. So set a routine with your parrot that does not
differ from day to day. Many parrots are most alert in the
early morning and in the late afternoon. Try setting your
training sessions at those times. If they seem more receptive
at a different hour, move to that time. Try training sessions of
15-30 minutes. Stop earlier if you parrots interest level drops
and keep initial learning lessons quite brief for fearful birds.
A Hand Held Perch
Step up step down behavior increases all around trust.
For fearful parrots, I cut an 18-inch length of broomstick or
smooth tree branch to make a hand-held perch. It should be
quite thick so the birds toes cannot wrap completely around
it. You can leave it near the cage so that the bird becomes
accustomed to it. Move the perch in smooth slow motions,
don't jab it suddenly at the bird. Work with the perch and
parrot during an evening training session and lower the light
in the room. With my arm extended away from my body and
the stick slightly raised, I say up sweety and nudge the end
of the stick against its lower breast or crotch. The bird
should step up onto the perch. Do this in a slow, confident,
flowing manner without jerkiness or sudden moves that
frighten or startle the bird. What you say is really not
important. "Wanna step up ?" will earn you no more points
with the parrot than "step up". What is important is the
consistency, tone and volume at which it is said.
Keep your other hand out of sight at first. You can then walk
around the kitchen holding the bird. As you walk, talk to the
bird in a soothing voice or sing to it. When the bird
eventually remains relaxed on the perch, begin to shorten the
stick distance from your hand to the bird.
Over a period of days or weeks you can reduce the length of
the stick until the bird is no more than a few inches from your
hand. At that point, lower the stick in relation to you hand
and the parrot will step from the stick to your hand. Continue
to speak gently to the bird and coo to it. Raise your hand
higher than your elbow so the bird does not walk up your
arm to your shoulder at first. Birds on the shoulder are out of
your control. Begin to offer the bird small treats from your
other hand. It is important that these tidbits be very small.
Make all movements very slowly so as not to frighten the pet.
When female parrots do lay eggs, the eggs can be blown out,
refilled with wax and left in the cage for them to incubate (1829 days depending on the species). If eggs are removed before the
parrot looses interest in them, she may lay again and again,
eventually depleting her calcium and nutritional stores.
Veterinarians have found that an injection of Depo-Provera
(medroxyprogesterone acetate) sometimes ends egg-laying and
Boredom
Parrots in the wild busy themselves during every daylight
hour. Searching for food occupies the bulk of their time,
exploration, social interactions with their flock mates and
bonded activities occupy the rest. Their choices and
behaviors vary with the season, in harmony with their
internal rhythms.
Many house parrots, on the other hand, pass 10-14 hour days
choosing only which perch to stand on. Is it any wonder they
pass their hours deciding which of their feathers need a bit
extra attention (exaggerated attention) or enlivening their day with
screaming ? They lean over for their pelleted, boring food much like a bag of Chetos that drops down when you drop
your money into the automat. The behavioral changes that
this sort of life eventually causes are not simply behaviors
that can be easily unlearned or erases, repetitive behavior
rearranges pathways and circuitry in the brain that , with
time, can become permanent.
Poor Diets And Good Diets Fed in Poor Ways
Just as mating and bonding preferences are made early in
life, parrots learn their dietary preferences at an early age as
well. It is a lot easier for large aviaries to rely on pelleted
foods fed in a seed cup than endure the time and expense of
preparing a natural, balanced and varied diet fed in inovative
ways.
When avian medicine was in its infancy, most psittacines
became nutritionally ill because they were feed a straight
Confinement To A Cage
There is considerable individual variation as to how much
cage confinement a parrot can tolerate. Placement and
activity surrounding the cages is quite important too. But no
well-adjusted parrot prefers being caged. If your parrot is
hanging on the walls of its cage, it is telling you it wants to
be let out.
that here and here. But many studies find that a parrots
blood cortisol hormone levels do not correlate well with the
level of those hormones in its stool and that the levels
change so quickly as to make a single determination
meaningless.
Surgery
It is technically feasible to remove a parrots sex hormoneproducing organs, its ovary and testes. when it is done in
male chickens, the procedure is called caponization.
In a parrot, it is a devilishly difficult procedure due to the
anatomy of the bird (very large, fragile blood vesicles interlace the area).
But advanced in micro and robotic surgery make it
conceivable now. Cauterizing and removing sections of the
female parrots oviduct have been performed in an attempt to
stop persistent egg laying. Surgically neutering birds for
problem behaviors is not something I would attempt or
recommend. Should the bird survive the procedure, it would
have other profound effects. When performed in roosters,
they loose much of their colorful plumage and revert to a
dull, apathetic temperament. Besides, it would be an
unspeakably cruel thing to do.
Parrot ?
Different species of parrot differ markedly in
their temperaments, idiosyncrasies, social
demands and ability to speak. Familiarize
yourself with parrots before making the decision
which one to buy.
There is tremendous diversity in the parrot
family - the needy, cuddly temperament of
cockatoos; the comical gregarious brassiness of
amazons; the fearlessness of conures and
parakeets; the quiet, retiring personality of
pionus parrots to the high intellect of grey
parrots. That is because, despite their superficial
similarities, the parrot family has had about 80
million years to evolve. You can read about their
genetic diversity hereand here (their ancient
origins here).
Purchase or accept an adult parrot, hand-medown or culled breeder parrot only if you are
willing to assume the responsibility of dealing
with the difficulties such parrots often bring.
Some people find that giving these mature
orphans a loving home is reward enough. But
others have expectations of these birds that the
parrot will not be able to fulfill.
Never purchase a parrot from a third party.
Purchase your parrot from a breeder with
references - one who keeps a small, closed flock
of breeding pairs and is proud to take your
through their facility. That is the best way to
avoid psychologically deprived birds, and
diseases like bornavirus , beak and feather
disease and polyomavirus that often lurk in large
commercial breeding aviaries, petshops and the
like. (Never visit more than one facility per day)
Do not purchase parrots that have been tube-fed
or hatched in incubators. Stay with youngsters