10,000 sick birds face uncertain future

This one is heartbreaking, but it is good awareness. Take great care of your birds, make sure you research

10,000 sick birds face uncertain future as avian hospital struggles to find qualified staff

A bellowing “hello” is what gets your attention the minute you step into the reception area of Night Owl Bird Hospital, on Vancouver’s West Side.

The greeting isn’t from a staff member. It’s from a brilliant blue and gold macaw named Amara.

The 10-year-old parrot is one of dozens of resident birds at one of Canada’s only animal clinics devoted solely to the treatment of birds.

But now the clinic is in jeopardy.

Night Owl has twice attempted to recruit an Australian avian specialist but the hire wasn’t approved by Employment and Social Development Canada. A Canadian company wanting to hire a foreign worker must first prove that efforts have been made to find a qualified Canadian.

The process, called a Labour Market Impact Assessment, must be completed by the employer and approved by federal officials.

Night Owl has twice been denied in its bid to hire a foreign bird specialist. McDonald said the application was rejected because the government said the hospital hadn’t looked hard enough to find a Canadian candidate. A spokesperson for Employment and Social Development Canada said the ministry doesn’t comment on individual cases.

“What is most frustrating is that we are just another number to whoever is doing our application,” said McDonald. “We are not a living, breathing organization. We are a number.”

McDonald said the facility needs another one or two veterinarians.

The demanding workload has taken a toll on McDonald’s health. In the past two years, McDonald, 66, has been hospitalized twice for exhaustion.

If McDonald can’t continue to work and no replacement vets are found, the hospital will have to close, said hospital manager Niki Montgomery.

For years, she performed surgeries at the Vancouver Animal Emergency Clinic, and in 1990, she bought Night Owl Bird Hospital.

The Night Owl hospital is small but the workload is huge.

“We are crazy busy,” said Montgomery amid a cacophony of chirps and tweets from an array of birds. Clinic staff see an average of 45 birds a day, six days a week.

McDonald said birds can suffer from an array of issues with their heart, liver, vascular and respiratory systems.

“Birds get sick,” McDonald said. “Nobody realizes it — and, then they collapse.”

See more…

 

Wonder About What To Feed Your Bird In Winter?

8 Winter Vegetables For You and Your Bird

With winter coming, local berries and fruits like peaches and plums can no longer grace our plates. That doesn’t mean winter doesn’t have its own delicious offerings for you, your family and your flock. Root vegetables and hardier vegetables like broccoli, turnips and cauliflower now line the bins and shelves in the produce section of your grocery store and farmers markets.

What are the best winter vegetables? Try these eight.

1. Beets
Beets are currently in season and are extremely nutritious. I prefer the golden beets for my birds. I use them in my Chop batches and my African grey parrots seem to be attracted to the bright, almost iridescent color. The color of a golden beet when you slice into it is a beautiful glowing yellow.

Select beets that have a healthy, fresh looking tops as well as root bulbs. Those tops are nutritious too, and can be fed to your flock. Ensure that the beet tops are fresh in appearance and not slimy. A little wilting is to be expected.

2. Broccoli
Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, meaning that it belongs to the cabbage family. It is typically available year-round, but you and your flock will find that it tastes best in the winter. You’ll find its mellow taste more appealing.

3. Cauliflower
Like broccoli, cauliflower may be available year-round, but it simply tastes better when it is harvested in cooler weather. The way cauliflower grows means the vegetable doesn’t develop nutritious chlorophyll, but it offers other nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids cannot be produced by the body; they must be ingested through eating. They are beneficial in many ways: they reduce inflammation, lower the risk of cancer, and boost the immune system.

4. Parsnips
While these thin, beige to white root vegetables are not the most popular root vegetable out there, they seem to be making a comeback. The American public is starting to buy produce that fell out of favor and is trying the “Everything old is new again” approach to food. Parsnips have a snappy, somewhat slightly bitter taste that I have come to enjoy. Select thinner parsnips for a more tender texture and interior for the best taste and texture. They are absolutely delicious when roasted in the oven.

5. Radicchio
Radicchio looks like a miniature purple cabbage, but its leaves are more tender and have a texture like butter lettuce. It has a more bitter taste than cabbage, but this bitterness is less pronounced during the cold weather season.

6. Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi has the crispness and crunch of apples or jicama, but it has a different taste. It’s slightly bitter like radishes, but this simply turns the heat up on its inherent sweetness. The entire plant, including the stems and tops, can be consumed so you won’t have any of it go to waste.

7. Turnips
Like parsnips, turnips have gotten a bad rap over the years, but are once again on the comeback list. Like many root vegetables, turnips contain stellar amounts of nutrients, including important minerals. They are rich in magnesium, potassium and calcium, as well as phosphorus. They are also very high in fiber.

8. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes generally come roaring into the supermarkets and farmers markets in just in time for Thanksgiving. These tubers are quite versatile and become more nutritious when cooked or even lightly steamed. Sweet potatoes are great source of Vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. According to the article “20 Things You Must Know About Nutrition” veterinarian Margaret Wissman, DVM, of Exotic Pet Vet writes, “Vitamin A is necessary for the immune system to function properly, it is involved in vision and is important for the proper growth of bones, for reproduction and for maintaining healthy mucous membranes.”

However, that vitamin A should come in the form of beta-carotene. Vitamin A on its own can be toxic if the parrot overdoses on it. Beta-carotene, however, is safe.

“Beta-carotene is a non-toxic form of a precursor of vitamin A,” Dr. Wissman writes. “When ingested, the body turns what it needs into vitamin A and the rest passes out of the body unchanged.”

Sweet potatoes are also a good source of fiber, potassium, phosphorus, as well as vitamins B1 and B2. Luckily, parrots seem to really like them.

Try some of these winter vegetables for your birds. They are a tasty and inviting addition to their meals and they have so much to offer due to their nutritional content. Via birdtalksubscribe.com

 

Spinx Macaws Are Extinct But Some Are Trying To Breed

Did you know that the Spinx macaw (the one in the cartoon movie, RIO) is now extinct in the wild?
 
Huge bummer – sad
 
But, here is a center where they are trying to breed a few pairs to keep the species going. This kind of thing warms my heart because I believe we need birds – and all of nature. It’s good to see people doing wonderful things for these magical birds!

 

The Most Undervalued Parrot

Why Budgies Rock:

In captivity, they offer the most color variety of any
psittacines (parrots).

The Budgies that talk take on some of the largest vocabularies of all parrots.

They are some of the easiest birds to take care of.

And they are undervalued and under-priced!

Budgie Or English?

Budgies come in two ‘varieties,’ which are Budgerigars or English Budgies. The difference is that Budgies, which originally came from Australia, are 7 to 8 inches from beak to tail and are yellow and green. English Budgies, which were bread in England to be show birds and pets, are usually an inch longer, their feathers are fluffier and they come in just about every color in the rainbow.

What Budgies Offer Over Other, Larger Parrots

It’s hard to believe that one of the smallest birds in the parrot family is also one of the best talkers, which people love and find endearing:

“… and many times they speak with greater clarity and broader vocabularies than larger parrot species such as Macaws and Cockatoos. While their voices are small and gravelly-sounding, budgies have an impressive ability to pick up on human words and phrases, and even using them in proper context sometimes.” Spruce Pets

Budgies, given time and attention from their keepers, can be great talkers, like Disco, the famous taking Budgie:

A Perfect Parrot To Keep
@ 1.1 – 1.4 oz (25 – 36 grams)

Poops
Budgies are also the perfect parrot because of their size. It is easy to spend time with them as they ride along on your shoulder or perch on almost anything else. Their small size means only small round poops, which you can usually just flick off and see no trace of. Compare that to larger parrots, who’s poops we call ‘elephant poops’ because there is so much more, it splatters when it hits the floor and is wet! Gross!

Big Personalities
Budgies are quite personable, even for being some of the smallest. Their intelligence will amaze you, along with their preferences and their ability to connect with you. Tune into your little pal and you’ll get to know where they want to go, how they like to play, what fruits or veggies they prefer and how they like to chatter with you!

Little To No Trouble
Most importantly, their size also means little to no damage to your home and your wallet. While cockatoos, being some of the largest and most active parrots, can eat your kitchen cabinets, Budgies are unlikely to hurt you or any part of your home. You can let them fly around (as long as there are no open doors or windows) with the confidence that your home won’t turn into a poopy-half destroyed jungle-like mess.

And, since Budgies are around 25 grams, compared to a lot of other pet parrots that can range from 80 to 500 grams (80-156 grams is a range for Green Cheeck Conures, Indian Ringnecks, Quakers, Caiques; Amazon Parrots, African Greys and other ‘medium’ sized parrots are around 400 to 600 grams). This means a lower food budget.

You can easily share your fruits or veggies and you can get away with just a bag or two of parakeet food each month for these low-cost, highly-rewarding guys!

Budgie Purchase Plan:

Scrape $60 dollars together (cage, food, cuddle bone) plus $20 to $80 (bird purchase) to purchase your first Budgie, which will be one of the best animal-companions you can have. Budgies, which come in a variety of colors, cost $20 on average. English Budgies cost $80 on average. The price difference is due to their specialized breeding.
My experience has been that ‘traditional’ budgies are smarter, so their price is super under-valued.

Give a budgie a mate if you aren’t home much or don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to them, doubling your bird budget.

Even with a mate, I find that they still bond with their human companions, when time is spent with them. If you do, you’ll have one of the best, sweetest and smartest companions!

Parrot Preferences: Rescue or Raise

Philosophy or Heart?

I am a spiritual person and have been a teacher of spirituality for many years. This means that I do my best to practice no judgement. In turn, that means that I don’t judge whether people (or I) rescue or raise a parrot.

What’s the Difference? Why Rescue?

Parrots aren’t always kept the way you and I would want to live to be breeders. They are sometimes in small cages with nothing inside. Nothing to do, nowhere to go, no ability to spread their wings and no ability to socialize with other birds except their mate.

I’m surprised they breed under these circumstances because their emotional health affects their lives. I don’t know, maybe under those circumstances they breed because they have nothing else to do or maybe they know that they won’t be kept if they don’t breed.

Yuck. That will make you sad, maybe angry too.

I don’t believe anyone or any animal should be raised that way. I don’t believe it promotes health or happiness – and psittaciformes (parrots) are extremely social. They also burn a lot of calories flying, so being kept in a small cage with no real flock and nothing to do sounds cruel.

And that is why some people believe that birds should be rescued and not bred. Why encourage such breeding practices when there are birds that need a new home?

What’s the Difference? Why Raise?

On the flip side, not everyone breeds birds in such austere circumstances. A lot of breeders I’ve seen offer their birds large spaces to move in; some allow the birds to return to their flock in an aviary during the off season so that when they are not breeding, they are with their social circle.

We have re-homed several birds. Some are amazing and fantastic, one Green Cheek Conure (just 3.5 ounces) we fear! Will he ever stop his schizophrenic personality that is sweetly sits on your shoulder one minute and then draws blood the next? Fear the beak!

On the other hand, the babies we’ve raised are all loving and I completely trust them. They have only known love and caring, so they are only loving and caring back. We are bonded!

Had my first experience with a bird been our blood-drawing Green Cheek Conure, I would probably think that I really didn’t’ like birds.

Keep The Species Going

There’s another side to giving a home to a bird, rescued or raised: there are several species going extinct in the wild because they are running out of habitats. Birds like the Red-fronted Macaw, the Golden Conure, the Spix Macaw, Sun conures – are going extinct in the wild. I feel good about people returning a home by sharing their home.

After all, what’s the solution? Aren’t people and nature in competition for land and resources? Not an argument I really want to have – the point is, I feel good about people keeping the species going by keeping them. So, I aim to help offer information as to how to keep them healthy and happy so that you have a great experience with your bird.

The Heart Will Do

In the end, birds are a difficult pet. They make a mess, poop everywhere, can bite, demand a lot of time and require a lot of care-taking. They need to be fed fresh fruits and veggies daily in addition to their pellets, and their cages need fresh water and cleaning regularly (two to three times a day is not uncommon). And you have to buy them toys on a regular basis since they destroy them, as they are meant to.

If you are going to give your time, money and attention to a parrot, you are going to have a companion – probably for life. Most parrots live 20 to 80 years when kept happy and healthy. It’s a large life-commitment. It’s taking on a Parrot Life. If you are willing, excited and enthusiastic about it, then you should have the right parrot, rescued or raised!

Life With Parrots: What They Are Like As Pets

ENTERTAINING, DEMANDING; LOVING, BITING!

Let me start by telling you that parrots can be ‘pets’, but they are far more. Nothing like a pet fish in a bowl. ‘Companions’ is a better word…  What word do I use to describe an intelligent feathered-being that you bond with, that sometimes reads your mind or mood and that wants to engage with you? That is demanding, to the point of tantrums and screaming, but sweet, holding your finger with his foot. Let’s not forget, they generally also want to groom you too – so watch any beauty marks, they’ll pick at them, and don’t open wide because they’ll clean your teeth! Of course, they love you too- who else would preen you? Many parrots mate for life and choose one bird, or person, as their “bond.” This makes you special.

When I got married, my husband told me that I should experience the love of ‘man’s best friend.’ Our dog knew when I was sad and consoled me, raced us home when we rounded the corner to our house and even protected our second dog by stepping in to break up a dog fight. She was exceptional! We had one of the best dogs there ever was, so I know what a loyal, intelligent and amazing animal a dog can be. Birds can be like that, they are loyal, tuned into you and protective of you, but in a different way.

THEY WANT TO BE WITH YOU & THEY ARE EXCELLENT AT COMMUNICATING

Parrots express themselves, sometimes screaming for attention. Other times communicating what they want. Some parrots, like my yellow-naped Amazon, Lorenza, express with words in English. When I first brought her home, I sat at the table eating my salad and I heard something, which I didn’t pay attention to. Then I heard it again and again. I started to listen, was I hearing Lorenza saying “Want some?” Yes, I was. Wow! So, I went over and offered her some salad and sure enough! She only says around five things and some like “Hello,” is said for attention. But she also tells me when she wants to be with me, “Want to come” and says “Bye-bye” when she knows I’m leaving, when she wants me to hang up a phone call or when she wants someone else to leave because she wants all of my attention.

Key Lime, our budgie (also called a parakeet), we haven’t taught to talk. Some budgies develop the largest vocabularies that rival an African Grey’s vocabulary, like Alex or Griffin (famous African Greys that talk), others simply don’t talk. Even without words, Key Lime is great at communicating. She was out of her cage one day and flew into another bird’s cage. I can’t recall how I knew, but she made it crystal clear that she liked this cage and the cozy (a soft, fabric tent for birds to sleep in). Now, I could have gone against her wishes, since it was someone else’s cage, but I figure that when a little bird-lady so clearly tells you what they want, well, it’s for a reason. Within two days of switching her cage she and her mate had their first two eggs!

THEY WATCH YOU

I have to be smarter than my birds, I’m going to insist upon it because science says I am, but the argument against me can be made against me. I’m trying to learn to read bird body language to understand what’s going on with my birds -and to avoid getting bit. It’s very important to me to keep my own skin and blood! Nevertheless, they quickly learn my body language- and sometimes they learn to speak my language, English. I get bit. Old dog and new tricks…

Don’t worry though, it happens when you’re new to birds or new to a bird. We re-homed a pair of African Greys and I’ve only been bit a couple of times. Nothing too bloody. Lorenza, on the other hand, I am learning to read, since I spend a lot of time with her. Just the tilt of her head seems to tell me “yes” or “no”; I no longer worry about her biting me. I can even pet her without watching her the whole time – which I would never do until I got to know a parrot well. Super well.

I had a sweet caique that died on me – cries. She and Lorenza have been more than friends to me; with them I have/had a deep connection that rivals my dog’s, but their size and the way about them is a bit more ‘human.’ I believe it has to do with their intelligence, it is easier for us to relate to them (Read a blog about their intelligence versus other birds HERE

They are more readily able to talk, they have preferences, share their lives and their wants with you – and, as their bonded pal, they expect you to share your life, your food and your time and love in return.