Tourist poses with Amazon in Honduras.
MYSTERY OF THE BALL GAME MACAWS SOLVED: Two blue & gold macaws descended from the the sky and crashed a Florida collegiate softball game, as reported a few weeks ago in this blog. The pair flew around the field checking out the proceedings with one even landing on an umpire’s shoulder. A bewildered ESPN announcer wondered aloud if the colorful spectacle was part of the game.. Now, the mystery macaws have been identified: Tiki and Zelu, are owned by Megan Brown; who says, “These are my birds. They are free flight trained and they got a little curious about all the ruckus.” – Info from social media. Thanks, Angela
PSITTACINEMA: Used to call them Aything for a Buck Stores. Now it’s more like Anything for a Buck and a Quarter Stores. Anyway, here are the Top 10 Parrot Toy Parts from the Dollar Store – YouTube
Barred owl in Newburyport, MA.; not far from attempted attack on parrot. – Photo by George Sommers
BUDDY THE QUAKER ESCAPES OWL ATTACK:A Merrimack, NH family was celebrating St. Patrick’s Day when an uninvited guest showed up – and not for the corned beef and cabbage. In the middle of dinner, Cynthia Auger heard a loud bang.. “So I came in and I looked out the windows, and all of a sudden in the tree, I could see this big, huge owl,” Auger said. Smaller birds are part of barred owls’ diet and apparently this one was eyeing Buddy, the family’s Quaker parrot, as a potential dinner. Auger worried that the owl would break through the window, but after numerous tries, the predator finally gave up and flew away. Buddy and the Augers’ glass were saved, for now Perhaps the owl decided a Halloween sequel, would be more appropriate. – See more, including video; here: Owl tries to break through window of NH home to eat family’s …
NO PARROTS IN CHINA?: Two Chinese women flew to Los Angeles, then from LA to Orlando where they, rented a car and drove to Key West, to Nancy Forrester’s Secret Garden. “We do not receive a lot of visitors,” Forrester says; so she asked how they knew about the parrot refuge. They said they found out about it through Google and that there’s nothing like it in China – and according to them, no parrots.. They seemed overjoyed interacting with the parrots and Forrester asked them to talk to the birds in Chinese. One told Lucy the scarlet macaw how important the color red is in China. Lots of foot waving and big eagle wing display were performed for the visitors from afar..
CH-CH-CH-CHANGES are afoot in many of the “big box” pet stores, It’s already been some time since they stopped the sales of birds larger than conures. Most don’t offer puppies, rabbits and kittens, although some have adoptable ones. Even some once common tropical fish; like neon tetras and corydoras catfish, are hard to find. Instead, we are seeing these stores selling hydroponic and house plants – and one such store this writer wandered into recently even had a selection of toy plastic animals. And just to complicate things a bit further, some cities including Boston and New York are considering bans on pet store sales of guinea pigs, allegedly because large numbers of them are being surrendered to after being purchased during the COVID pandemic.
- From Facebook
‘CINE STEALERS: Burglar(s) managed to get past metal security doors, security cameras and locks of on all of the bird cages at the bird store, Birds & More in Lawndale, CA wo weeks ago; nabbing two African greys and one double-yellow headed Amazon. Karen Allen, the owner of the 55+ year old bird store, asks, “Please watch out for non store bird sales of African greys and Amazon. We are absolutely devastated that thieves look at these lives as just money, when to us they are our whole world. Please call us if you see these types of bird sales that seems too good to be true they are more than likely stolen.” Contact the store with any info at (310) 370-7550.
PLUCK THAT: Although hand reared baby parrots are sought after, 17% of hand reared parrots turn out to be self pluckers vs. 1% raised by their parrot parents, according to Foster Parrots Ltd. and The New England Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary, whose views are frequently add odds with the views of many in the parrot keeping world.
DOES YOUR BIRD SMELL?: It may strike some as odd, but there is a substantial subset of parrot owners who enjoy sniffing their birds. Moreover, Olfactory Sensation in Birds is Better than You’ve Been Told is the subject of an April 1 webinar, presumably not an April Fools’ joke. see HOT DATES for more info.
AFA ON USDA REGS: In 2002, Congress amended the definition of animal in the AWA by limiting the exclusion of birds from that definition to only those “bred for research,” which explicitly placed birds not bred for research and not otherwise excluded from regulation under the protection of the AWA. While that amendment placed birds not bred for research under the protection of the Act, the USDA did not immediately promulgate regulatory standards specific to birds, causing several animal welfare organizations to file lawsuits against the Department. In 2020, an opinion by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in one such case resulted in the District Court’s ordering USDA to publish a proposal in the Federal Register to establish regulatory standards for birds no later than February 22, 2022, and to publish a final rule no later than 1 year after publication of the proposal. Establishing standards in the AWA regulations specifically for birds is necessary to ensure animal welfare and align the regulations with the intent of the Act. The full document can be found here: https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-03357 The list of “pet” birds can be found here: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalwelfare/new-bird-rule/pet-bird-species
GIMME SHELTER: Help the Gabriel Foundation to have a chance to be in the Top 8. Vote for their birds today, and maybe we can help even more feathered friends win money! https://www.shelterchallenge.com/…/Shelter/Detail/1123380
MAILBAG: Referring to last week’s cover pic of a big box pet store’s bird display, Janine Sandy Shaw writes: At least that one has toys and the cages look clean. I’ve seen much worse. Not that any of it’s right. 
HOT DATES: CONTINUING: FOSTER PARROTS MARCH FUNDRAISER. Up to $20,000 matched. Contact https://www.fosterparrots.com/support-us-pageor send check to Foster Parrots, Ltd. | PO Box 34, Hope Valley, RI 02832 — 3/22-24: GLOBAL PET EXPO 2023: Ginormous convention of vendors in everything pet product. South Concourse, North/South Building, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL. For hours and add’l. info: https://www.globalpetexpo.org/show-info —3/23-25: AvOCET (Avian Online Conference for Education and Training) Conference Avian Behavior International 1st virtual conference – $149 – $325 —3/24: REAL LIFE CONSERVATION: Have you ever wondered how conservation works? Our companion parrots have counterparts in the wild that are amazing. Robin Sullivan hosts special guests Dr.. Donald Brightsmith and Dr. Gabriela Vigo- Trauco of The Macaw Society. 7 p.m. live on the Leather Elves FB page.. — 3/25,26: Southeast Exotic Bird Fair Lawrenceville, GA — 3/25: Michiana Bird Society 27th Annual Bird Fair LaPorte, IN – What Does a Wild Parrot Eat and Why? with José Antonio Dìaz Luque 1 p.m. EDT – Phoenix Landing Zoom webinar. Visit www.phoenixlanding.org/events.html for details on these and other events! If you missed one of our previous webinars that has been recorded, you may view the recording at www.phoenixlanding.org/past-events.html.–3/26: Joliet Bird Fair & Sale Joliet, IL —MAEBS 30th ANNUAL BIRD FAIR: Mid-American Exotic Bird Society. Benefits avian sanctuaries, educations, and research. Parrot rescues – info on adoptable birds. Raffle, educational materials, craft table. Free parking. $5/under 12 FREE with adult admission.10-4.. Franklin County Fairgrounds, Edwards Building, 5035 Northwest Parkway, Hilliard, Ohio (I-270 Exit west onto Cemetery Rd) —PARROT KINDERGARTEN SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE — 3/27: ROBERTA FABIANO MUSIC HOUR presented by Long Island Parrot Society 2-3 p.m.. Go toe Frog Hollow Music on FB for details. —4/1: BIRD MART: Peninsula Caged Bird Society (PCBS) . Large raffle table, bird & craft vendors, birds for sale & viewing, Much more! FREE Great snack bar freshly made by Ladies of the Church Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church 60 Traverse Road, Newport News VA (Just off I-64, Exit 258B and US 17N) —3/31: The Grey Way – African Grey Hormones Top 10 with Lisa Bono, CPBC 3 p.m. EDT . Lafeber Zoom –webinar —4/1: DO YOUR BIRDS SMELL?: Olfactory Sensation in Birds is Better than You’ve Been Told. With Daniel Sigmon, presented by Hoosier Feathered Friends. Beech Grove Library, 1102 Main St. Bech Grove, IN. ZOOM ID: 883 6808 3120 Passcode: 535071. 12-2.– 4/2: OHPA Bird Fair Monroeville, PA — JULIE SCARDINA speaks on “Animal Conservation in India” presented by South Bay Bird Society. Scardina is SeaWorld’s former Head Trainer and Ambassador and was a frequent guest on the “Tonight Show” with Jay Leno and on the “Today Show”, as well as with Jack Hannah on his wildlife specials. 2 p.m. (PT) –4/6-7: PHOENIX LANDING Wellness Retreat
LOST: Green cheek conure ‘Birdie’;. South Royalton, VT. Band on leg. (802) 280-5254.– STOLEN: Blue & gold macaw, rose breasted cockatoos, African grey, umbrella cockatoo. Reward offered- no questions asked. Porterville, CA (805) 423-7461
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