From the parrot’s beak: 3/10

PHOTO: Don’t worry about me- I’m just playing! Related stories: mystery disease effecting rainbow lorikeets; play and feed the lories at zoo. – Photo by George Sommers

RAINBOW MYSTERY: Over 20 rainbow lorikeets from parts of Queensland, Australia have been turned over for care due to a sudden paralysis.. “It’s like there’s something wrong with their wings,” says Tegan King, head vet nurse at the Proserpine Veterinary Clinic. “They’re holding them down and flat out, but they’re not broken. There’s nothing physically wrong with their wings, but they can’t move them.” President of Fauna Rescue Whitsunday, Jacqui Webb, said a number of the birds the organization has taken into care are also suffering from a number of conditions.”Some are quite lethargic and uncoordinated and their voices sound funny, not like a normal lorikeet screech at all,” Ms Webb said. King suspects that the birds may be effected by something they  ingested and vets say the culprit may be the flowers of the African tulip tree — an invasive pest. There is also some speculation that a recent heat wave and excessive rain may have something to do with it. – From https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-01/mystery-condition-paralysing-rainbow-lorikeets/10861002?fbclid=IwAR2MSqb_8mD7DgSHog51aJLydtAb4acWVfwsWYOdfuZKG_WUsVjpxETyaHY

PARROT REROUTED FROM AIRPORT TAKEOFF: Hugo the female African parrot was spotted and grounded by a firefighter doing a routine safety inspection at Dublin Airport. “A live runway wasn’t a safe place for her so after some difficulty we eventually coaxed her into a makeshift carrier made from a cardboard box,” said rescuer Craig Wade. The airport was contacted by 4 people claiming to be Hugo’s owner; but none of them were able to provide the ID number on her leg band. Lidl Ireland, which oddly enough is a supermarket chain based in Germany, replied to Dublin Airport on Twitter, saying: “Guys this is going to sound unbelievable but there’s a ‘Missing Parrot’ poster in one of our stores. So we called the number to check and it’s his parrot!” it added. Lubomir Michna, who lives in Finglas in Dublin but is originally from Slovakia, was the man behind the poster. He said he could prove that the African grey  was his and he had taught it some Slovak sayings. He sent an audio recording, which was played and “she instantly reacted”, said Dan Donoher, who looked after the pet before the reunion. Hugo had escaped through a door which had been left open in Michna’s house. Donoher said there was “no doubt in my mind that Lubomir was her rightful owner”. “As soon as the carrier opened, Hugo jumped onto Lubomir’s arm and cuddled into his neck,” he added.”You could see they have a really close bond, it was lovely.” – From https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47307685?fbclid=IwAR0eJGW4BESE3zq-0K7LgepjS3CWMA_Sud5G_m5Ggr8YEw_BYJ5U7IBnhTc

LORIKEET LANDING at the San Diego Zoo is an exhibit in which visitors can enter an aviary and feed and interact with 73 lorikeets.

DIDJA KNOW: Very well preserved mummified parrots from 3000 years ago have been found in Egypt.

GOOD (FOR A CHANGE) CONSERVATION NEWS: The Lear’s Macaw is one of the nine species that the Loro Parque Foundation has been able to save from imminent extinction thanks to its funding of conservation projects Six Lear’s macaws born in the Loro Parque Foundation’s facilities and moved last August to Brazil for their reinsertion in nature have already managed to adapt to the harsh conditions of their habitat in the Caatinga and are now flying free in the wild.  The parrot is one of the most important projects of the Foundation, which has managed to move its category on the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) from ‘critically endangered’ to ‘endangered’. Those last six individuals to arrive in Brazil have spent a period of adaptation in a large aviary based in a natural environment, with plants typical of the ecology of the species and where they have become familiar with the sounds of nature and with the conditions of the area where the Lear’s macaw was previously found.

During this process, the project team had to face several challenges: that the birds could adapt to eating the fruit of the licuri palm – which the species feeds on – at the same speed as other wild birds, given that they were accustomed to a softer meal, or that they stopped drinking water directly from a drinking trough and began to consume that which they obtained from the fruit of the palm trees are just two of them.  However, all were gradually overcome and successfully, whilst they were also trained to increase their cardio-respiratory capacity and to react to sounds of possible predators.  – From http://www.cbs8.com/story/40027242/loro-parque-foundation-reintroduces-six-tenerifeborn-parrots-in-danger-of-extinction-to-brazil

TO FLY OR NOT TO FLY: Wing clipping, free outdoor flight and perch potatoes discussed in “Winging It” in the March http://duxburypetgazette.ma.newsmemory.com/

MORE CHILDREN GROWING UP IN ONE PARROT HOUSEHOLDS according to a tongue in cheek article in “The Onion”. https://www.theonion.com/study-more-children-growing-up-in-single-parrot-househ-1819576158

 

HELP WANTED: Southwick Zoo in Mendon, MA is looking to fill a seasonal position for keeper/attendant in the zoo’s Parakeet Aviary. Parakeet staff are responsible for the basic husbandry of a collection of 100+ parakeets/cockatiels- including diet prep, pressure washing, enrichment making, upkeep and monitoring. They also work alongside other parakeet staff to attend the aviary during zoo hours- including making/selling feed sticks, answering questions, and enforcing rules/monitoring the public. Parakeet staff also have the pleasure of watching precious male cockatiel, Damien, desperately beg for preening from his parakeet friends, only to be rejected and forced to preen himself- although sometimes the parakeets decide to be nice. If interested follow the link attached to the comments in Facebook to apply, or message the zoo for additional information.

HOT DATES: 3/10: Hernando Exotic Bird Club 21st Annual Bird Mart  Surgical; DNA tresting by vet. Raffle hourly. $5/ Under 10 FREE. 9-4. 6436 Broad St. (US Hwy. 41) Brooksville, FL — 3/12: STRANGE AND INTERESTING CASES (hmmmm) are the topic of vet Dr. Kristin Sinclair, guest speaker at The Parrot Club. Also at the meeting will be Dean with some Creative Bird Toys. 6:30.100 Sunset Ridge Drive. East Hartford, CT — 3/15-17: Super Pet Expo  Fri. 3-8, Sat.10-7, Sun. 10-5  –  14320 Chantilly Shopping Center Chantilly, VA — 3/16: KEEPING OUT PARROTS FLYING FREE conservation mini-conference. Speakers include Dr. LoraKim Joyner, Emenson Urtecho, Danika Orial-Marway, Dr. Lucy Spelman. Breakfast & lunch provided. Tickets $75. Foster Parrots/New England Wildlife Sanctuary. Contact http://www.fosterparrots.com/conservationconference — 3/17: RARE MUTATION SHOW featured at Tri-State Budgie Society meeting. Potluck supper and soup share. Public welcome. FREE, but please bring soup or food item to share. 2 p.m.  Spotswood Reformed Church, 429 Main St., Spotswood, NJ — Treasure Coast Exotic Bird Club 22nd Exotic Bird Expo  9-4. $5/under 12 FREE. Martin County Fairgrounds, Stuart, FL

LOST: Congo African grey ‘Aura’ ; Lindenhurst, NY . (917) 363-8875.