Spring and thoughts turn to – bird fairs. Here, some birdy booty is being unloaded in preparation for last week’s Birds Of A Feather Expo in New Hampshire. – Photo by George Sommers,
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: Another day, another newspaper closes shop. This time, it is the Massachusetts based “Pet Gazette”. which distributed 10,000 copies monthly, in addition to an online edition and for which “beak” editor George Sommers (me) contributed feature articles on parrots and aquarium fish. March ’24 was the final edition. I started working for “PG” under publisher Josh Cutler, who later became a MA state representative and currently serving in the MA Gov. Maura Healey administration. The torch was passed to John Harvey, former publisher/editor of “Cape Cod” magazine and 4 weekly newspapers. See later in this column a slightly revised “Parrot Sniffers Anonymous” article, originally intended for the April “Pet Gazette”.
4/20 NOT FOR BIRDS: “It is absolutely 100% safe. I am an avid aviculturist with over 11 years of experience. I have rescued, fostered, and owned almost every bird you can imagine. I have PTSD and smoke marijuana everyday, with my birds beside me. My pineapple conure often steals buds from me and I actually have a tattoo of her holding a marijuana flower on my arm. (I have a sleeve of all 7 of my babies) Hemp seeds are found in bird foods/ seed mixes and most vertebrates have an endocannabinoid system which produce cannabinoids naturally when the animal feels stress of some kind. I have sat through lectures on this. I am a Zoology major, with a focus in Avian Science. I have also worked, and studied, as a vet tech. I would not steer you wrong, birds are my life. 110% positive! They’ve eaten the flowers, the stems, the seeds, and been near the smoke. And I would NEVER allow someone to smoke a cigarette even in the same house with them,” reads a recent Facebook post. The “devil’s lettuce” is becoming legal in more and more states and more socially acceptable, but most experts warn that any kind of smoke can be hazardous to birds. In the interests of better being safe than sorry, stoners should keep their stash, including gummies, spiked cookies and brownies; out of bird reach as well.
Falconer Rita Tulloh and Scarlett O”Hara the red tail hawk at last week’s B.O.A.F. Expo. – Photo taken by Ray Schwartz, B.O..A.F. VP & Marketing Director
ON WITH THE SHOW: Last weekend’s 24th annual Birds Of A Feather Spring Expo carried on despite a couple of inches of snow on the ground from a surprise April snow fall. Dozens of vendors were present; some selling completely out; along with hundreds of visitors. And, of course, there were birds – lovebirds, baby conures, an Amazon, cockatiels, budgies, etc. Special guests included Jasmine Raymond of RAAM Mobile Veterinary Care, who did double duty as free wing and nail trimmer as well as a presentation on the benefits of microchipping pet birds. Also on hand were Rita Tulloh and “Scarlett O’Hara” the red tail hawk for a talk about falconry, the sport of hunting with raptors. And never mind Easter baskets -the event also featured a silent auction with several baskets stuffed with all manner of bird related goodies. No worries if you missed it, B.O.A.F.’s 35th annual Fall Exotic Bird Show and Mart returns 10/26/24.
BUYER BEWARE: The Bird Expo held at New York Bird Supply (see HOT DATES) was criticized for a past event held during a bird flu outbreak . “Nobody at this expo was watching who was coming in so nobody even wiped their shoes before entering,” claims an anonymous emailer with an extensive background in bird care. Crowded cages and some aspects of the physical set up were also targeted.
KEEP ‘EM ROLLING: Kudos to Debbie Goodrich and Jessie, her roller skating macaw; for a successful and educational performance on “Stupid Pet Tricks”.; a revival of a segment of the “Late Night with David Letterman” show, now a full time program in its own right hosted by comedienne Sarah Silverman.
THE PARROT SNIFFERS:The following article was originally intended for the “Pet Gazette”, which recently ceased publication.
A figure bent over a table snorts up a white talc like powdery substance. If there’s a cockatoo involved, don't grab a straw or call the cops.
Parrot sniffing may seem odd, but it’s perfectly legal and no gag. Nor is it a tiny subset. Parrot Sniffers R Us, with some 6.8 thousand members, is one of at least two Facebook pages dedicated to the esoteric habit.
Why would anyone snort their bird? “It’s medicinal. It’s like the joy of kissing the warm fur of a dog or cat but magnified. My blue crown conure purrs contentedly like a cat when I sniff her,” explains one respondent to a recent online survey. “I could identify any parrot by smell alone. It’s amazing how different they all are,” says one woman. “My coworkers used to blindfold me and have me sniff feathers. I was always 100% accurate at guessing the species the feather belonged to on smell alone.” Yet another says, “If I could bottle the smell of a hormonal amazon, I’d be a millionaire.”
Some reported scents could come straight from a movie theater snack bar. “My bare eye smells like popcorn when he's excited,” says Adrianne Mock, an expert on parrot related legal matters, and a 2 year old Senegal has that hot buttered aroma as well. Or if you’d prefer, a bare eyed cockatoo smells like peanuts and an African grey Timneh also smells “nutty” – or how about some moluccan cotton candy? And you can wash it all down with the fruit punch scent of a greenwing macaw.
Food is a common denominator: Froot Loops or candy factory for macaws, clover honey for a peach front, sesame seeds for an African grey, citrus fruits for caiques, maple syrup for a green cheek and fruit salad for an amazon.
Some scent comparisons are downright odd. An African grey smells like a hamster.” (A hamster sniffer, too?) “My favorite Yankee candle smell is a clutch of 12 week old blue and gold macaws,” says Kashmir Csaky, International Celebration of Birds FB page administrator. They’re really reaching for new candle scents! One African grey smells like a (presumably human) baby, and still another grey smells specifically like baby’s breath. Grandma’s perfume rated a mention as did “heaven” and “love”.
On the other hand, “When I stick my nose to my moluccan it looks like I've snorted booger sugar,” says a respondent. And, caution: “My budgies have a subtle sweet smell, but it has a price: one sniff = one bitten nose.” A green cheek conure smells like seagrass mats, a galah “smells disgusting” and one moluccan ‘too smells like “bad breath”.
Some open ended answers included the sweet smell of lorikeets, musky odors of eclectus and amazons (a little more than eclectus); earthy and powdery.
Not everyone is with the program. Tom Marshall, author of “Why Parrots? Why Aviculture?”, says, “My caiques don’t emit any smells but they exude warmth.” And a woman calling herself Janine Bird says, “They smell like bird. “
FREEBIES: If it’s free, it’s for me – and it can be for you, too. Albertus Van Tonder’s April FREE standard magazine is ready to download. This edition comes with an offer of 3 free eBooks to choose from. Monthly subscribers receive 1 a month over 3 months. Supporting advertisers on the website make future standard editions possible.
WHALE DAY HARPOONED for now. Due to potentially inclement weather, the event has been postponed until April 27. South Bay Bird Society is encouraging members to step forward and their parrots to step up to (wo)man the information table they still plan on setting up.
HOT DATES: 4/12-14: Beyond Words – Dr. Irene Pepperberg and Alex play Final days. Cambridge, MA — Acadiana Bird Fair & Sale Lafayette.LA — Keystone State Avian Society – Triple NCS Shows – Class C Chambersburg, PA — 4/13: THE BIRD EXPO: at New York Bird Supply. “The most highly anticipated event of the season”, as they modestly describe themselves. 8:30-5 ET. 3501 Rombouts Ave.Bronx, NY— Rolling Meadows Bird Fair & Sale Rolling Meadows, IL — Bird Walk Celebrating Earth Day with Rev. Dr. LoraKim Joyner from One Earth Conservation 9 a.m. CDT – Des Moines, IA — 4/14: Mid-American Exotic Bird Society Annual Bird Fair Hilliard, OH — 4/15-5/15: The 28th Great Texas Birding Classic state of TX. Keep an eye out for parrots! — 4/15: ANOTHER FUN HOUR OF MUSIC: with Roberta Fabiano, sponsored by Long Island Parrot Society Watch and listen on Frog Hollow Music FB page. 5-6 p.m. ET — 4/16 :UNSCHEDULED FLIGHTS: Imagine knowing your parrot will fly back to you if they fly away. Justice Bellar CPBT-KA has developed a technique that is effective and compassionate in training parrots to come when called. In addition, field researcher Grace Innemee will share info about flight and recall with wild parrots. $35 (US) for non-Parrot Club members. REGISTER HERE! FREE for PK Members! They’ll e-mail a Zoom link before the workshop begins. Replays will be available to members. —4/17-20: Spring Chirp Weslaco, TX * —4/18-21: Galveston FeatherFest Birding & Nature Photography Festival Galveston, TX*
- “The beak” doesn’t normally include wild bird events, except when there is a good possibility of seeing naturalized or wild parrots involved.
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