Parrot Blog

News from the World Parrot Trust

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:18:00 GMT

Over the past four years, the WPT’s ongoing efforts to stop wild-caught bird trade has led to the confiscation of almost 5000 parrots from illegal trade, with over 2,000 of these rescued birds already released back to the wild! Donations have assisted greatly in aiding this effort.

In 2011 the need for intervention rose dramatically but World Parrot Trust worked hard to:

Rehabilitate – WPT partners rescued hundreds of chicks and adults in Bonaire, Ecuador, Brazil, Uganda, Cameroon and Mexico
Release – WPT supported the release of hundreds of parrots in Costa Rica, Uganda, Cameroon, Brazil, Honduras, Mexico and Bonaire
Educate – WPT assisted with outreach efforts to educate school children and adults in Uganda, Honduras and Nepal
Legislate – WPT encouraged the adoption of a temporary moratorium on the importation of wild-caught Grey Parrots into South Africa
Support – WPT provided technical, medical and logistical backing for efforts in Uganda, Bonaire and Mexico

World Parrot Trust works with a diverse range of species:

Grey Parrots, Red-masked, Orange-fronted, Cactus and Brown-throated Conures, Scarlet, Blue and Yellow and Great Green Macaws, and Yellow-shouldered, Red-lored, Blue-fronted and Vinaceous Amazons.

Regrettably, many more birds will need help in the coming year if they are to be returned safe and free back to the wild.

Donations are an integral part of the ongoing work of the WPT.

Click for more information and to help save more birds in 2012.

Source http://www.parrots.org/flyfree

News from Parrots International

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:19:00 GMT

The African Grey Parrot Project

This project has been created to better the understanding of the ecology and natural productivity of the African Grey Parrot in relation to its exploitation for the pet trade.

PI has committed to provide $10,000 per year for the next three years in support of the

program of research being developed by Dr Stuart Marsden of the Manchester Metropolitan University on this scientifically neglected but economically important bird species. This study will bring new insights into the management and control of trade in the species throughout its range, which is regarded as essential for both conservation and welfare reasons.

Click to donate to the African Grey Parrot Project

Source http://parrotsinternational.org/

Graphics by Tony Sanchez

Legal Battles Risk the Lives of African Grey Parrots

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:21:00 GMT

Authorities intercepted 161 captive African Grey Parrots being smuggled in three tiny crates into South Africa from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in April.

The birds were taken to a quarantine station in Kempton Park and are being held in a concrete cell where they are getting no natural sunlight. The health of the birds is deteriorating—some have died.

Willem Grobler, a Limpopo based parrot breeder has claimed ownership of the birds however he cannot prove it in court. While the courts argue over the destiny of the parrots, the World Parrot Trust Africa have cared for the birds, funding their feeding, disease testing, veterinary care and quarantine costs. This has resulted in over R40 000 being spent so far.

The Trust would like to see the release of the African Grey Parrots into the wild. Three potential release sites have been secured with the Congo-Brazzaville, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda governments—all areas where the birds have gone extinct or locally extinct.

Unfortunately the birds will have to wait as the legal aspects of such an export have to be adhered to before the birds can be exported and released.

For more information on this story visit http://www.iol.co.za/birds-perish-as-ownership-row-rages-1.1101863

(Info taken from www.iol.co.za 19 July 2011)

Lets Help Bring Back the Cape Parrot

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 09:23:00 GMT

Two South African organisations are joining forces to give the critically endangered Cape Parrot a chance at strengthening their numbers by planting over 22 000 Yellow wood trees over the next two years.

There is believed to be only 1000 Cape Parrots left in the wild today. The Wild Bird Trust and the Percy FitzPatrick Institute are planting the trees with the help of local communities in the Eastern Cape’s Amathole region.

They are also planting wild plums, wild olives and white ironwood which will produce fruits to feed the beautiful parrots. The surrounding communities have an incentive of R10 every six months for each tree that has survived—that’s R22 0000 a year over a five year period!

600 Cape Parrot nest boxes will also be erected across the Amathole mountain range.

(Info and picture taken from Times Live 24 July 2011)

New Population of One of the World's Rarest Birds Discovered in Columbia

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 03:53:00 GMT

Baudo Oropenduala. Photo Credit Fundacion ProAves

An expedition in northwestern Colombia by the conservation organisation Fundación ProAves has discovered two previously unknown colonies of one of the world’s rarest, most endangered birds—the Baudo Oropenduala (Psarocolius cassini). The expedition was funded in part by American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation’s leading bird conservation organisation.

Prior to this new discovery of about 70–80 birds near the Western Cordillera, fewer than a dozen birds were known to exist from a single, different location about 75 miles away.The find represents a major expansion of our knowledge of the bird’s range.

'American Bird Conservancy is thrilled to have helped fund the research expedition that led to this stunning discovery of these two new colonies of this rare bird. Now we need to work with ProAves to conserve and protect them. Their work with us on this and many other projects has advanced the cause of bird conservation enormously,'said ABC President George Fenwick.

The Baudo Oropenduala is listed as endangered under IUCN-World Conservation Union criteria. The species is a large, mostly black bird with brown wings, a pointed gray and orange bill, and a long, yellow tail. The bird has a pink cheek patch that distinguishes it from similar-looking birds.These gregarious birds eat large insects and fruit.They are very vocal, producing a wide range of songs, sometimes including mimicry.
Unfortunately, the two newly discovered colonies are completely unprotected. More alarming is that deforestation in this area is accelerating and urgent conservation measures are required.

ABC, working in cooperation with a variety of local partners, has established or expanded 43 bird reserves in Central and South America, and the Caribbean.

Washington, D.C., September 28, 2010

AFRICAN GREY PARROTS SEIZED

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 01:25:00 GMT

URGENT PLEA FOR HELP

523 African Grey Parrots arrive at Primate Sanctuary

in Democratic Republic of Congo

Located in the South Kivu province of The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Centre de Rehabilitation des Primates de Lwiro (CRPL) is a crucial resource for the protection and rehabilitation of the country’s primates.

The CRPL provides desperately needed care and housing for over 100 primates displaced or orphaned by the illegal forest activities of DRC. In this politically tense region, CRPL not only serves to help primates but is dedicated to working with the community in developing collaborative programs, providing education and creating an environment in which endangered wildlife and humans can successfully coexist.

The Centre de Rehabilitation des Primates de Lwiro was officially launched in 2002 by two Congolese government institutions, the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) and the Centre de Recherche de Sciences Naturelles (CRSN). And in 2006 Coopera, a Spanish NGO became the third and managing partner in the CRPL.

On the 18 September the CRPL received a phone call from the Congolese government authorities stating that 523 African Grey Parrots had been seized at a United Nations airport 7km from the sanctuary.

The birds were bound for Singapore with forged CITES papers. The birds arrived at the sanctuary two hours later in terrible conditions.

The managing partners struggle to provide the best care possible for the many primate residents and is in no way equipped to house and care for this amount of birds. However, in the few days following the rescue, the birds have been fed, watered and given triage medical care. Make-shift cages have been constructed to allow the birds room to move and fly.

Already, over 20 of the animals have died.

But we hope we will be able to get as many of them back to health and released as soon as possible. We are currently looking for funds to assist us with caring for the birds, including hiring new staff members from the community, so that we are able to care for the birds at the highest level possible.

We need your help to nurse these birds back to health and to release them into the wild where they belong. Please visit our blog page at www.lwiro.blogspot.com to see pictures, and click on the donate button to be a part of this rescue operation!

Don't Give Up On Troublesome Birds

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:57:00 GMT

By Debra Clutterbuck

A few years ago I encountered a bit of trouble when I lost a hen Hooded Parrot from a long established pair. There was no question of selling the cock – his ‘sire’ was bred by Steve Climpson and his ‘dam’ was a hen bred by Sandy Stewart.
After three years I found my fellow a new mate. In 2006, a big colourful hen approximately 20 months of age took an immediate shine to him. But that is where the problems started.

In March 2007, they went to nest and the hen hatched three young, but wouldn’t feed them. She did the same with her second clutch. The breeder I had bought her from told me she was not parent reared, but because Hooded Parrots are so hard to find, I wanted her anyway. I wondered what to do? I did not want to hand rear the Hooded so I did nothing.

Hooded Parrot family

In March 2008 she went down on the eggs, hatched them and let them die. It was so frustrating—even the cock was unimpressed by the hen’s lack of parenting. She laid again that season and two of the three chicks died, but one was fed diligently. I know it was the hen, not the cock, feeding this chick as I never saw the cock enter the nesting log until 10 days after hatching.

After four and a half weeks I caught the chick peering out of the log. Success! I couldn’t wait to ring the hen’s breeder and tell him the good news. Worried it was a fluke, I needed the hen to raise young the following season to prove she was a good mum.
In March 2009, two fertile eggs hatched and the hatchlings were given plenty of food from day one. The second chick fledged on May 5. Both are alert, perfectly healthy and quiet like their dad.

So it seems it was no fluke. But why did it take so long for this hen’s maternal instincts to kick in? After much thought, my short answer is that, like us, birds are individuals. They are not machines and we should be patient and give them some chances before we label them ‘problem’ birds. I gave my hen time and she is proving to be a fantastic mum - still following her chicks around six weeks after fledging and still trying to feed them!

I wonder if her breeder gave her parents enough chances to come good over a few seasons, or if he just pulled the chicks after their first breeding season? Was their diet appropriate? Were there any disturbances (such as possums, cats, owls or the wind) at the wrong time?
A recent article in Australian BirdKeeper Magazine concerned the nutritional requirements of chicks, from newly hatched to those near fledging. Their diets varied greatly. I think many ‘problem’ parents are not getting what they need from their keepers when trying to raise their chicks. Are you guilty of expecting parrot parents to rear healthy chicks on a light diet?
My advice when faced with a ‘problem’ breeder is to grit your teeth and be patient. Give your birds a few chances to get it right and talk to others about your problems.

Problem or hand reared birds often bounce from owner to owner for many years before being relegated to an old run down aviary down the back of a yard with the other rejects! This is a bad situation, so hang in there. This could be happening in the wild also—we just don’t know.

Acknowledgements
Once again I thank Barry Whelan, Sandy Stewart and Steve Climpson for introducing me to the Hooded Parrots all those years ago and being willing to share their knowledge; these birds can be a challenge but, boy, are they worth it.

Family of Hooded Parrots

Poppy the White Cockatoo

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:37:00 GMT

Deborah Monks

Deborah Monks from Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Service will be regularly posting to this blog now. She’ll be giving us some insight into the interesting cases and controversies she sees in her line of work.

During a residency in England, she was privy to a particularly amazing operation on a five-year-old White Cockatoo named Poppy. She had been playing with a thumbtack around three hours prior to Deb meeting her, and her owners had feared she had swallowed it. The local veterinarian had taken x-rays and confirmed the thumbtack was inside Poppy.

Here Deb describes what their next move was:

‘We anaesthetised Poppy, placed a tube into her windpipe, and began the laborious process to try to retrieve the thumbtack. Frustratingly, we could see it with an endoscope (a camera telescope) placed through her mouth and into her stomach, but we couldn’t grab it with any of our forceps. After a long time trying, we had to go to abdominal surgery to retrieve the thumbtack. To get access to the proventriculus (first stomach), we had to cut through the abdomen and two ribs.
‘As often the case, Poppy stopped breathing during this procedure and needed manual breathing given to her by the nurse assisting the procedure. We then had to cut into her proventriculus, and reach into her ventriculus (gizzard) to retrieve the thumbtack. Then, we had to close it all up again. It was quite a relief to finally have the offending item in hand when we had finished –the entire procedure had taken 2.5 hours!’
Poppy recovered very well. Deb writes that the case highlights just how inquisitive birds are and how much they can sometimes lack common sense.
‘In the past year I’ve seen birds rip holes in their skin getting caught on sharp points, break wings and legs getting caught in toys, swallow cotton fibres that cause blockages in the gut and even get garlic poisoning from bathing in a saucepan used for sauce the night before.
‘So, keep your birds safe and don’t trust them to recognize hazard when they see it – that’s your job!’ said Deb.
Deb’s next post will cover wing trimming.