Bird adoptions soar after Kent SPCA sounds call

CAMDEN — After 30 exotic parrots were given to the Kent County SPCA last week, all but seven have been adopted.

“We were shocked,” said Beth Butts, KCSPCA public relations coordinator. “We honestly had thought that if we adopted out 10 of them in a month’s time that would have been successful. We had no clue that the area had that many parrot owners.”

The parrots, a mix of Macaws, African Greys and Amazons, came from a residence in Georgetown, where their overwhelmed owner could no longer give the birds the care they needed.

Ms. Butts sent a press release about the parrots on Thursday, and early Friday morning — an hour before the shelter opened — interested visitors had already lined up outside.

The story drew attention from neighboring states as well. Folks called from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and Ms. Butts said she even heard from people in Los Angeles and Massachusetts.

Only already-experienced owners were allowed to adopt the parrots, and the shelter requires a reference from an avian veterinarian.

“Even the most well-meaning person, adopting a parrot, especially a large parrot, does not understand truly what they’re getting into.” Ms. Butts said.

Standing in a sunny room lined with five large cages on Monday, she introduced the remaining parrots.

“That bird over there doesn’t care for me,” she said, pointing to the ringleader of three blue and yellow Macaws.

“He’s hamming it up,” she said of the scarlet Macaw in front of her, “trying purposefully to catch my attention. That’s what we want to see.”

There are two pairs, she said, and the bonded birds need to be adopted together. One parrot, the baby of the group, already has two offers.

Parrots are highly-intelligent animals, and, “like a two- to three-year old child” they demand almost constant stimulation, Ms. Butts said. Adopting a parrot is a life-long commitment, because they often live longer than 80 years.

Imagine having a 2 year old on your hands for 80 years.

Prospective owners met the birds for 15 to 30 minute intervals. One at a time, visitors stepped into the room where the parrots were kept. Staff closely watched them interact with the birds.

“Humans think they come here and adopt, but that’s not how it is. They get adopted,” Ms. Butts said.

“This Macaw that you have your heart set on might hate you, and I mean hate.”

If it likes you, a parrot may turn its head and ask for a scratch. If it doesn’t, it will puff up and hiss.

When the parrots first arrived at the shelter, some were plucking their feathers, a sign of stress, and some had untrimmed beaks, which made it difficult for them to eat.

Officials said some birds had been living in small cages, sometimes two to a cage.

The birds now have a clean bill of health, and Ms. Butts said the remaining parrots are doing well — “As well as can be expected considering they’re in a shelter environment.”

“Birds, like humans and other animals, don’t necessarily deal with stress that great,” she said.

But they’re starting to see the same people every day and have settled into a routine. Their cages are in a quiet room away from the noisy dog kennels.

The KCSPCA is following up with the new owners, and the birds are thriving in their homes.

“On of the people who adopted a pair, the female’s already talking,” Ms. Butts said.

The KCSPCA is at 32 Shelter Circle in Camden. For more information call the KCSPCA at 698-3006, using option two on the main menu.

Donations are accepted online through Paypal at www.kcspca.org. All donations to the shelter are tax deductible.

Staff writer Eleanor La Prade
can be reached at 741-8242
or elaprade@newszap.com.

30 Rescued Parrots Need New Home

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The Kent County SPCA is looking for homes for some of the 30 parrots that were seized from a Georgetown residence.
 
Spokeswoman Elizabeth Butts says the birds were seized over the weekend from an owner who could no longer take care of them.

 
Butts says the large birds include Macaws, African Greys and Amazons. She says they were found living in cages too small for them.
 
Five birds are ready for adoption. Butts warned, however, that large parrots can live for 80 years, so caring for one is a long-term commitment.
 
The SPCA is also seeking donations for specialty feed and toys for the birds.
 

Copyright Associated Press

More Than 100 Flock to KCSPCA for Parrots

CAMDEN, Del. (WBOC) – Parrots sent people flying into the Kent County SPCA looking to adopt Friday.

The shelter took possession of 30 parrots from a home in Georgetown late last week. Word of that spread. And Friday morning officials showed up at work to find potential adopters waiting outside.     

The shelter started with two African grays, eight amazons and 20 macaws. After Friday’s outpouring of interest, 21 birds have been adopted or transferred.

When Mariam Moore heard about all the parrots at the KCSPCA she had to see for herself.

“I was amazed by how many Macaws there were in one place,” said Mariam Moore, of Wyoming. “You usually see one or two. They’re very expensive.”

“I just wanted to come and see them and maybe adopt another one,” said Alfredo Serrano, of Dover.

“I’m trying to talk my husband,” Toni Gray, from Magnolia, said. “Into adopting another one so it will have a good home.”

People crowded into a small room to look at the birds and start determining if one might be for them. Kevin Usilton, executive director of the KCSPCA, wasn’t expecting this kind of turnout. He says more than 100 people showed up throughout the day, and the phone was ringing non-stop.

“We were surprised, because macaws and amazons can be challenging to own as pets,” Usilton said.

He says the situation was unique because the woman who had these birds was a breeder, who realized she couldn’t handle them anymore, and voluntarily gave them to the shelter.

“Most of the time when the SPCA is involved with a large number of animals it’s a hoarding case or a cruelty case,” he said. “These animals were able to be processed very quickly and put up for adoption.”

Some of the birds aren’t ready for adoption yet. They’ll need more socialization before that can happen. And exactly how long that takes will vary bird to bird. In the meantime, people are weighing their options on the birds that are ready.

“I don’t have the dedication for taking care of a macaw, so I’m looking at the amazons,” Moore said. “I’ll be going home and making a decision. It’s a big decision. They’ll be with you for decades.”

That decades comment is very accurate. Some parrots can live as long as a human does. And they can be very expensive to take care, especially over that many years.

The shelter is carefully screening possible adopters. Usilton says not everyone is a good fit to own a bird. But he encourages anyone who might be interested and thinks they can handle it to come take a look.

Del. agency looking for homes for seized parrots

<!–Saxotech Paragraph Count: 5
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CAMDEN — The Kent County SPCA is looking for homes for some of the 30 parrots that were seized from a Georgetown residence.

Spokeswoman Elizabeth Butts says the birds were seized over the weekend from an owner who could no longer take care of them.

Butts says the large birds include Macaws, African Greys and Amazons. She says they were found living in cages too small for them.

Five birds are ready for adoption. Butts warned, however, that large parrots can live for 80 years, so caring for one is a long-term commitment.

The SPCA is also seeking donations for specialty feed and toys for the birds.

Kent SPCA takes in 30 parrots in need of homes

DOVER — The Kent County SPCA is asking the public for assistance in taking care of 30 large, exotic parrots that have recently been given to the shelter.

The parrots — a mix of Macaws, African Greys and Amazons — came from a residence in Georgetown.

Beth Butts, KCSPCA public relation coordinator, said this is not a case of hoarding, but a situation where the individual taking care of them could no longer provide the needed care and attention.

Ms. Butts said some of the birds have started plucking their feathers because of stress and some have scissor beaks, which is caused when the beaks are left untrimmed, making it difficult to eat. Officials said some birds were living in small cages, sometimes two to a cage.

The shelter is in a situation where it’s doing the best it can to provide the proper housing, but those resources are limited.

Ms. Butts said right now three or four of the birds are in a spare cat playroom, 15 are in the old dispatch location and the remainder are in one of the garage bays of the organization’s warehouse.

“We’re doing the very best we can to get on top of this,” she said, adding that these birds need a significant amount of space to feel comfortable.

Ms. Butts said Macaws are needy pets that require constant stimulation through toys.

“Imagine a 2 year old. Now imagine a 2 year old with no stimulation and that’s what we have,” she said. “They need that interaction.”

While the shelter is taking its time processing each bird to ensure their health, some of them are up for adoption.

Ms. Butts is looking for people experienced in taking care of birds who are willing to adopt. She warned that adopting a large parrot is a life-long commitment because many of these birds will live to be 80 years old or more.

Individuals interested in adopting a bird can visit the shelter to meet them in person.

If adoption is not an option, the shelter is also asking for monetary donations or large parrot-specific supplies.

Ms. Butts said there are questions about what type of food to buy (the birds eat a pelleted diet, not seeded), employees at area pet food stores will be able to assist in making sure the right kind is purchased.

The KCSPCA is at 32 Shelter Circle in Camden, DE 19934.

Donations are accepted online through Paypal at www.kcspca.org. All donations to the shelter are tax deductible.

For more information call the KCSPCA at 698-3006, using option two on the main menu.

Staff writer Chris Flood can be reached at 741-8230 or cflood@newszap.com.

Parrots can be great pets, but make sure to read up first

Posted by Melissa Weinman
on January 28, 2013.

Dunwoody resident Marie Frank with one of her cockatiels

When you ring the doorbell at Marie Frank’s Dunwoody home, she barely cracks the door.

“Come in quickly,” she says, opening the door just enough for you to squeeze through.

Once inside, the reason for her caution is clear. Frank has three pet cockatiels that fly freely about her home.

Dixie perches on the handle of her oven, singing to his reflection in the stainless steel appliance. Lucky hops over to the table where Frank is sitting, curiously inspecting her coffee mug.

Frank said her birds are always entertaining her. But she said most people don’t know what they are getting into when they buy a parrot.

“These are the best pets,” Frank said. “But if you don’t treat them well, they can be your worst nightmare.”

Frank is passionate about teaching people about responsible bird ownership.

Frank said when she got her first gray and yellow cockatiel, Dixie, she assumed it would be happy living in its cage. “I had a 5-year-old son who wanted a parrot,” Frank said. “I think people think – like I did – that you can buy a big cage and look at him because he’s pretty.”

But she soon learned that her bird needed to spend time outside of his cage, flying and interacting with her family.

“Dixie is kind of the one who trained us on how he wanted to be treated,” Frank said. “To treat them properly, you have to give them little or no cage time.”

Since getting her first cockatiel, Frank has rescued three more and has traveled to Arizona to volunteer with a bird rescue sanctuary.

She said there are many things people don’t know about parrots – the family of exotic birds that includes macaws, cockatoos and Amazons.

If birds are bored or unhappy in their cage, they can be very loud and destructive, she said.

Some birds will even pick out their feathers and bite their skin with their beaks if they are confined to a cage.

“People need to know they are social creatures, they do need stimulation, they do need interaction,” Frank said.

Frank said many people give away their parrots, annoyed by the noise the birds make. There are only a few bird rescue groups around the country, and there often isn’t much space.

“The rescues are bursting at the seams. They’re so overcrowded,” Frank said.

One reason those rescues are so crowded: birds have incredibly long life spans.

Smaller parrots like cockatiels can live up to 25 years. But some larger birds, like macaws and African Grey Parrots, have a life span of up to 100 years.

Ron Johnson, owner of Feathered Friends Forever, cares for 1,400 birds at his rescue facility near Augusta.

He said birds come to the rescue from around the country for a variety of reasons. Some have owners who have died, or owners who have moved and can no longer keep them. Some people turn their birds in because they are simply tired of being bitten by the birds or hearing them chirp.

Johnson said the problem is that breeders continue to sell the birds for a large profit.

“Breeders and pet stores don’t care what people buy so long as they collect their money,” Johnson said.

Johnson said someone recently dropped off a bird that was only six months old.

“A breeder convinced this lady that this was a quiet, lovable bird,” Johnson said. “She paid $900 for the bird, $300 for the cage, and had it 48 hours because she couldn’t stand the noise that it made.”

He said it’s important to keep in mind that parrots are wild animals. They still have natural instincts that can make them unfriendly.

“They’re in a sense “domesticated” in that they will take food from your hand and they will talk to you,” Johnson said. “When it’s breeding season, you have Dr. Jekyll.”

About Melissa Weinman

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AK: Parrots

Amber O’Neill, president of the Alaska Bird Club, and Twiggie, an African Grey parrot. Photo by Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage

Although the sale of wild caught exotic birds has been banned in the US for decades, commercial breeders in the country make a variety of parrots and parakeets available for pet lovers. But they are challenging pets. And there are more parrots in Alaska than there are homes for them. KSKA’s Ellen Lockyer profiles two women working to solve the problem.

Amber O’Neill is for the birds. She’s the president of the Alaska Bird Club, and any conversation that takes place in her Nunaka Valley home will definitely include comments from her parrots.

Amber lives with three parrots. Twiggie is the loquacious African Grey,

Sassy, a Senegal parrot, nestles against Elise Patkotak. Photo by Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage

Junior, a bronze winged pionus, and Janey, a small conure found outdoors, are relatively quiet compared to Twiggie. Talkative Twiggie is adopted. Her first owner had her 13 years, and gave her away for personal reasons.

“Hello,” Twiggie squawked.

But who could not love a talking parrot? Well, it seems lots of people.

That’s one of the big problems with owning a parrot. Life changes – marriages, deaths, relocations happen to us all, and a parrot pet, in most cases, is a pet for life and beyond

“Sometimes people will pass the bird down to the next generation, but sometimes the kids don’t want the birds. Very often, if someone moves or has a child, the person couple will decide maybe the bird shouldn’t be in their life anymore,” O’Neill said.

Finding homes for lost or unwanted birds is one of the Bird Club’s big challenges. Amber calls it re-homeing

“The big birds are a huge commitment. It takes somebody who knows what he or she is doing. And you’ll have cockatoos, macaws, Amazons – we have a lot of those in our adoption program, because you kind of have to be fluent in bird before you get one of those,” O’Neill said.

Janie’s owner was located, but didn’t want her back. And two dozen bright parakeets now housed in big cages in Ambers’ home, were found flying free outdoors in Alaska.

Some people, like writer Elise Patkotak, put their parrots in their will.

“These critters live to be 80,90, 100 years old. So their possibility of being thrown away increases by the amount of years they live,” Patkotak said.

Elise’s living room is dominated by two huge parrot cages, in which Captain, Seebee and Abdullah reside.

All three birds have intriguing stories as to how they came to Elise. Captain is the only bird that started out as her pet.

“Captain and I are going on close to 35 years together, which is more than most marriages I know,” Elise said.

Captain’s cage mate, the dazzling, all white Australian bare eyed cockatoo named Seebee was sold on the streets

“And normally you would never put two different species like this in the same cage. But I got her in ’83 in Barrow and there was no place else for her to go. And I only had one cage, so, and I didn’t know any better back then and now, they’re like the odd couple. They’re the bonded pair. I can’t separate them,” Elise said.

Seebee had found a good home and a good companion. But the African Grey Abdullah still misses his first owner. Parrots have the emotions of a three year old child, she says, and get attached to their owners.

Downstairs, Elise shows me four more birds. Two are foundlings, two are rejects from a parrot breeder

“Baby and Kenya came out of the home of a breeder. Who, I guess the nicest way to put it that I can think of, is to say fell on hard times and got sick and towards the end they were very, very neglected for many years. So they had it very difficult. Sassy, the one Senegal on the end there and Wilson, the conure, were both found outside,” Elise said.

All four perk up with the attention. Elise takes Sassy out of his cage and he immediately nestles into her shirt.

“I mean, I’m holding him, I can hold him upside down, I can put my face in his belly, I can love him. He won’t hurt me, he won’t bite me. There are wonderful birds like this and Sassy is just one of my favorites. I mean, he just wants a home where someone will let him love them,” Elise said.

She’s adopting the two birds from the breeder, because of their special needs. Sassy and Wilson will be fostered until suitable homes can be found. Elise says it takes a certain person to keep a parrot pet.

“They make a lot of noise. And one of the things we try and talk to people about if you are thinking of adopting a parrot, is to research. It’s kind of like a dog, you know, you have little dogs that are yappy little ones, and then you have bigger dogs that are kind of laid back and friendly, and then you have other dogs that are guard dogs. Birds are the same way. People think a bird is a bird. It’s not,” Elise said.

Alaska Bird Club has helped to educate pet stores to not sell the longest- lived larger birds, like macaws or Amazon parrots.

Amber O’Neill says that may help reduce the number of parrots she needs to re-home.

“There are birds all over the state of Alaska that need homes. There is a conure in Anchor Point, I have an Amazon in Sterling, I have some macaws in Seward, I have some Amazons in Fairbanks,” she said.

The Bird Club and a sister group, the Parrot Education and Adoption Center, PEAC, are working to match unwanted or lost parrots with committed, and bird-educated owners.

• The Alaska Bird Club
• Parrot Education Adoption Center

PEAC is hosting a parrot care seminar at BP Energy center on Tuesday, Nov. 20.  Pre-registration is required and there is a fee for non members  see akpeac.org for details.

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Yes, but only part of the time

Few parrots play with the enthusiasm of an Amazon parrot. It is a distinct rhythm that is easily recognizable in their every bob and weave. With eyes upon you, an Amazon parrot makes certain that you are watching its every impressive move. Then, while completely enthralled in its dance, it bobs too far to the left tumbling from the perch. You try not to laugh as the Amazon parrot quickly climbs back up. It is a futile attempt to make you believe that this tumble was planned.

The above description reflects the normal everyday play that one would witness in a healthy and happy Amazon parrot. It is when this type of play is not available to our Amazons that we are more likely to see the development of sedentary and cantankerous parrots.

Psittacosis was once known as parrot fever.

So how do we go about offering our Amazons the optimal environment for exercise and play? Several types of play areas are designed with just this in mind. Here are a few examples.

Playtrees As Playgyms
When well designed, play trees are one of the best types of play areas for Amazons. They come the closest to having a natural tree in your home. Although we must be willing to give up some room in our homes for these larger playgyms, their large size allows us to develop an exercise area with enough play options to keep any Amazon busy for long periods of time.

The main parts of the playtree are approximately a 5-foot tall natural tree branch and a large base or tray set on wheels so the play tree can be easily moved with a large base to catch debris. The 5-foot-height range gives an Amazon parrot adequate room to bang around while playing, yet it is not so tall as to make reaching your bird difficult.

One of the better woods to use for the tree is manzanita. Manzanita wood is very hard and not very porous (will not absorb water easily) — which makes manzanita a durable, easy-to-clean choice for a play tree. Manzanita playtrees come in two types: with the natural “bark” left on, which is very smooth and colored a dark reddish-brown, or sandblasted to remove the bark, which leaves the wood a light tan in color with a rougher surface that is easier for many birds to grip.

Sandblasted manzanita may be a little more difficult to clean because it is more porous, but both versions clean up well. One of the most effective ways to make some of the potentially slippery areas of a natural (not sandblasted) manzanita tree easier for an Amazon to climb around on is to wrap a high-quality bandage gauze, such as Vet Wrap (made by 3M) or CoFlex (made by Andover Coated Products), on slippery spots. These bandage gauzes are quite durable, easily applied and stick only to themselves.

With ample space and a variety of things to entertain, playtrees keep Amazons happy and busy for extended periods of time. This is especially true if the tree has food and water dishes mounted to it, either with metal bowls that are screwed into the tree via a nut and bolt arrangement attached to the bottom of the bowl, or with a screw-in ring designed to hold ceramic or plastic crocks. Both allow for easy removal and cleaning of the crocks.

These gyms can also come in a much smaller size for use on a tabletop. The design ideas are the same only scaled down for a more portable tabletop gym. As an example, a base that is about 18 by 18 inches and an upright branch that is about 2 feet tall makes a nice gym.

Hanging Gym  
Hanging or suspended gyms are another good way to give an Amazon parrot a fun place to play. This type of gym saves valuable floor space where room is limited, while allowing for easy movement from one level of the home to another. There are many varieties of these gyms available, from hanging acrylic trays with the perches and toys kept above them to contain the mess, to simple options like a suspended bouncy rope with toys attached, or the more recently available hanging “cargo-style” nets.

The hanging gym moves and swings about while the pet bird is playing on it. This gives the added benefit of exercising the bird’s ankle joints while it plays. As the bird hangs on tightly when the gym wobbles and swings about, the joints in the legs move in such a way as to keep them mobile and prevent the early onset of arthritic conditions.

Outdoor Play Area
Supervised outdoor play areas (weather and safety permitting) are one of an Amazon parrot’s favorite places to hang out. They enjoy all of the benefits of fresh air, unfiltered sunlight (they are not in direct sunlight unless they have the ability to move out of it themselves so there is no chance of overheating) and the stimulation of seeing what is going on outside. 

My Amazons, Lt. Columbo, Samantha and Rascal, play outside in a large (16 by 16 foot) screen tent. These tents are inexpensive and large enough to allow room for several birds to play on their own portable gyms while being protected from biting insects (including the mosquitoes that carry West Nile Virus) and birds of prey. And, in the event that something frightens them, they can’t fly more than a few feet, so there’s less chance of injury. I always carefully supervise my birds while they are outside.

The Bird Cage
A large and safe bird cage is equally as important as the play areas mentioned above. Your Amazon’s cage should be roomy enough for sufficient varieties of perches and climbing surfaces while still allowing enough room for three to five toys and food and water bowls. A large cage will give your Amazon the room it needs to “burn off” the energy that a well-exercised, healthy bird naturally possess.

Choose a cage at least 34 to 36 inches wide and 30 inches deep. My Amazons thrive in cages that are 48 inches wide. It gives them the room to do the things that Amazons do. A too small cage will not allow your bird enough room for these birds to remain healthy. Some of that space is needed for all those toys, too! Don’t go overboard though. I regularly see cages that well-meaning Amazon owners have packed so full of toys (one small cage we recently saw had more than 20 toys in it) that the bird can barely move around in it! Instead of crowding up the cage, regularly rotate your birds  toys to offer a good variety.

If you are able to spend the time and money and give up a little room in our homes, you will be repaid many times over by the acrobatic antics of these energetic, playful, wonderful parrots. Not only that, but you can also rest well in the knowledge that you are providing Amazons with one of the most important ingredients for good health — sufficient opportunities to exercise!

Assisted Flight Air-obics™ 
Even if your bird’s wing feathers are trimmed, it can still gain the benefits of flying with Assisted Flight Air-obics, something that I came up with for my own birds. I teach the bird to lay in my cupped hands and fly, hence the name, Assisted Flight Air-obics. (I thank Dr. Stewart Metz, of Project Bird Watch, for helping me come up with this name several years ago).

Begin with the bird standing on your left hand and ask, “Are you ready?” This prompts the bird to propel forward by flapping its wings. Once your bird is flapping and moving forward, gently catch the bird in your cupped hands. Move forward, holding the bird for as long as it can go. The idea is for the bird to be winded when it lands on a tree or perch, a true aerobic workout.

Your parrot might not go very far at first. You need to work up to longer periods of time. Many birds attempt to soar like an eagle, letting you do all the work. Each time you and your parrot practice this exercise, your bird will be able to go further and so will you. I try to do this at least three times daily with my birds. It is a lot of fun and wonderful exercise.

Once your parrot becomes familiar with this form of flight, its feet will lay back naturally as if it were flying on its own. The bird will flap its wings as you run or walk behind it and quickly learn to turn using its head and wings. When the bird is ready to land on a perch, it will pull its feet forward for a proper landing.

When I first attempted this with my male double yellow-headed Amazon, Lt. Columbo, he held his wings tight to his body and refused to flap. He reminded me of a hood ornament on a car. I ran for all I was worth, and he just looked around enjoying the ride. I jostled my hands slightly thinking he might get the idea to flap if he felt the air under his wings.

Once he started to go, he made it about 25 feet. When I put Lt. Columbo back on his playtree, he was huffing and puffing with his wings held away from his body looking quite surprised about what just happened. Now, many years later, he can outlast me by a long shot. All I have to do is ask him if he is ready and he launches forward. You can see a short movie clip of Lt. Columbo doing this exercise at our website. You will find this in the Parrot Island Movie Gallery.

BirdBrain Parrots Coming to Meadow Commons

BirdBrain Parrots is the latest business to be confirmed for the newly built Meadow Commons, which will also include an animal hospital and a salon.

Situated on the property that once housed the Crystalbrook catering facility, the new shopping center includes seven commercial spaces that will be leased. Six of the units will be around 1,000 square feet each, with the seventh having slightly more room.

“We work with a network of private professional breeders that allows us to offer quality African greys, Macaws, Amazons, Cockatoos, Conures, Senegals and much much more,” BirdBrain Parrots officials said on their website. “We will teach you how to raise your parrot and provide you with many nurturing and guidance techniques.”

North Shore Animal Hospital will also rent one of the spaces, and Dr. Michael Ferber, a Merrick resident who will be the primary care physician at the new East Meadow location, said that the majority of the work will be done at the new clinic.

“We’re going to have a small facility, but we’re going to have access to the larger locations’ resources,” Ferber said, specifying that he will have the Bellmore and Bayside materials at his disposal as well.

Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone everyday with our free newsletter. Simple, fast sign-up here.

Meadow Commons owner Saeed Ahmed also told Patch in May that a nail salon, of which the name was not released, will be joining the shopping center as well. No further details were released on the business.

What do you think of BirdBrain Parrots coming to Meadow Commons? What should occupy the other four spots? Tell us in the comments.

Amazon Parrot Playtime

Few parrots play with the enthusiasm of an Amazon parrot. It is a distinct rhythm that is easily recognizable in their every bob and weave. With eyes upon you, an Amazon parrot makes certain that you are watching its every impressive move. Then, while completely enthralled in its dance, it bobs too far to the left tumbling from the perch. You try not to laugh as the Amazon parrot quickly climbs back up. It is a futile attempt to make you believe that this tumble was planned.

The above description reflects the normal everyday play that one would witness in a healthy and happy Amazon parrot. It is when this type of play is not available to our Amazons that we are more likely to see the development of sedentary and cantankerous parrots.

Amazon parrots are very active, so provide plenty of toys for them to play with.

So how do we go about offering our Amazons the optimal environment for exercise and play? Several types of play areas are designed with just this in mind. Here are a few examples.

Playtrees As Playgyms
When well designed, play trees are one of the best types of play areas for Amazons. They come the closest to having a natural tree in your home. Although we must be willing to give up some room in our homes for these larger playgyms, their large size allows us to develop an exercise area with enough play options to keep any Amazon busy for long periods of time.

The main parts of the playtree are approximately a 5-foot tall natural tree branch and a large base or tray set on wheels so the play tree can be easily moved with a large base to catch debris. The 5-foot-height range gives an Amazon parrot adequate room to bang around while playing, yet it is not so tall as to make reaching your bird difficult.

One of the better woods to use for the tree is manzanita. Manzanita wood is very hard and not very porous (will not absorb water easily) — which makes manzanita a durable, easy-to-clean choice for a play tree. Manzanita playtrees come in two types: with the natural “bark” left on, which is very smooth and colored a dark reddish-brown, or sandblasted to remove the bark, which leaves the wood a light tan in color with a rougher surface that is easier for many birds to grip.

Sandblasted manzanita may be a little more difficult to clean because it is more porous, but both versions clean up well. One of the most effective ways to make some of the potentially slippery areas of a natural (not sandblasted) manzanita tree easier for an Amazon to climb around on is to wrap a high-quality bandage gauze, such as Vet Wrap (made by 3M) or CoFlex (made by Andover Coated Products), on slippery spots. These bandage gauzes are quite durable, easily applied and stick only to themselves.

With ample space and a variety of things to entertain, playtrees keep Amazons happy and busy for extended periods of time. This is especially true if the tree has food and water dishes mounted to it, either with metal bowls that are screwed into the tree via a nut and bolt arrangement attached to the bottom of the bowl, or with a screw-in ring designed to hold ceramic or plastic crocks. Both allow for easy removal and cleaning of the crocks.

These gyms can also come in a much smaller size for use on a tabletop. The design ideas are the same only scaled down for a more portable tabletop gym. As an example, a base that is about 18 by 18 inches and an upright branch that is about 2 feet tall makes a nice gym.

Hanging Gym  
Hanging or suspended gyms are another good way to give an Amazon parrot a fun place to play. This type of gym saves valuable floor space where room is limited, while allowing for easy movement from one level of the home to another. There are many varieties of these gyms available, from hanging acrylic trays with the perches and toys kept above them to contain the mess, to simple options like a suspended bouncy rope with toys attached, or the more recently available hanging “cargo-style” nets.

The hanging gym moves and swings about while the pet bird is playing on it. This gives the added benefit of exercising the bird’s ankle joints while it plays. As the bird hangs on tightly when the gym wobbles and swings about, the joints in the legs move in such a way as to keep them mobile and prevent the early onset of arthritic conditions.

Outdoor Play Area
Supervised outdoor play areas (weather and safety permitting) are one of an Amazon parrot’s favorite places to hang out. They enjoy all of the benefits of fresh air, unfiltered sunlight (they are not in direct sunlight unless they have the ability to move out of it themselves so there is no chance of overheating) and the stimulation of seeing what is going on outside. 

My Amazons, Lt. Columbo, Samantha and Rascal, play outside in a large (16 by 16 foot) screen tent. These tents are inexpensive and large enough to allow room for several birds to play on their own portable gyms while being protected from biting insects (including the mosquitoes that carry West Nile Virus) and birds of prey. And, in the event that something frightens them, they can’t fly more than a few feet, so there’s less chance of injury. I always carefully supervise my birds while they are outside.

The Bird Cage
A large and safe bird cage is equally as important as the play areas mentioned above. Your Amazon’s cage should be roomy enough for sufficient varieties of perches and climbing surfaces while still allowing enough room for three to five toys and food and water bowls. A large cage will give your Amazon the room it needs to “burn off” the energy that a well-exercised, healthy bird naturally possess.

Choose a cage at least 34 to 36 inches wide and 30 inches deep. My Amazons thrive in cages that are 48 inches wide. It gives them the room to do the things that Amazons do. A too small cage will not allow your bird enough room for these birds to remain healthy. Some of that space is needed for all those toys, too! Don’t go overboard though. I regularly see cages that well-meaning Amazon owners have packed so full of toys (one small cage we recently saw had more than 20 toys in it) that the bird can barely move around in it! Instead of crowding up the cage, regularly rotate your birds  toys to offer a good variety.

If you are able to spend the time and money and give up a little room in our homes, you will be repaid many times over by the acrobatic antics of these energetic, playful, wonderful parrots. Not only that, but you can also rest well in the knowledge that you are providing Amazons with one of the most important ingredients for good health — sufficient opportunities to exercise!

Assisted Flight Air-obics™ 
Even if your bird’s wing feathers are trimmed, it can still gain the benefits of flying with Assisted Flight Air-obics, something that I came up with for my own birds. I teach the bird to lay in my cupped hands and fly, hence the name, Assisted Flight Air-obics. (I thank Dr. Stewart Metz, of Project Bird Watch, for helping me come up with this name several years ago).

Begin with the bird standing on your left hand and ask, “Are you ready?” This prompts the bird to propel forward by flapping its wings. Once your bird is flapping and moving forward, gently catch the bird in your cupped hands. Move forward, holding the bird for as long as it can go. The idea is for the bird to be winded when it lands on a tree or perch, a true aerobic workout.

Your parrot might not go very far at first. You need to work up to longer periods of time. Many birds attempt to soar like an eagle, letting you do all the work. Each time you and your parrot practice this exercise, your bird will be able to go further and so will you. I try to do this at least three times daily with my birds. It is a lot of fun and wonderful exercise.

Once your parrot becomes familiar with this form of flight, its feet will lay back naturally as if it were flying on its own. The bird will flap its wings as you run or walk behind it and quickly learn to turn using its head and wings. When the bird is ready to land on a perch, it will pull its feet forward for a proper landing.

When I first attempted this with my male double yellow-headed Amazon, Lt. Columbo, he held his wings tight to his body and refused to flap. He reminded me of a hood ornament on a car. I ran for all I was worth, and he just looked around enjoying the ride. I jostled my hands slightly thinking he might get the idea to flap if he felt the air under his wings.

Once he started to go, he made it about 25 feet. When I put Lt. Columbo back on his playtree, he was huffing and puffing with his wings held away from his body looking quite surprised about what just happened. Now, many years later, he can outlast me by a long shot. All I have to do is ask him if he is ready and he launches forward. You can see a short movie clip of Lt. Columbo doing this exercise at our website. You will find this in the Parrot Island Movie Gallery.

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