Posts
Thanks Sandee for your great parrotlet work and your blog
I know myself and others look forward to new issues being brought up, and your articulate response to all questions.
Also is there a blog connected with yours for parrotlet fans to discuss parrotlet
tales and experiences ..?
On to the good feisty chattie pac. parrotlet named Odie....our special friend here ...
We waited for months for odies' beautiful tail feathers to grow back in after moulting and radiate
their shape and coloration.....well they grew in nicely but in the last few weeks he has
been nibbling and chewing on them....corncobbing' I call it ......picking off the sides and leaving
the center stem or rachis....he is healthy, gets oodles of attention ....as he wants,
and has a good and balanced diet....attention parrrotlet fans....snow peas have
become a favorite of his....organic with prizes in every pod.
So, my question for you this morning is does his picking at Those particular feathers only
indicate emotion stress or dietary absence...?
Your answer would be greatly appreciated
As Odie is aging and being male energized he has become nippy only on occasion
usually around his cage and food which you have always told your readers is quite
normal...acceptance of his moods and having patience is always essential.
I'll be doing an experiment nxt week that I'll send you and the ranch' readers
the result of.....Odie gets a nut bowl daily usually in the afternoon...consisting of
three cashews two almonds and five shelled pistachios...of course he doesn't
and isn't capable of eating all of it....a large amount of nut flour I call it is left in the bowl.
So, I'm planning to weigh the nuts combo before I place it in his bowl, then I will
weigh the nut flour that is left and report the amount of actual consumption to you
And your readers....should be an interesting experiment and eventual result
Thanks again for being there for us all with your tremendous knowledge and answers to
our parrotlet questions
Warm regards
Mark
Dear Mark:
Thank you for your kind note. Unfortunately, until we get bird psychiatrists no one can say why animals do anything. I have friends who chew their fingernails - who knows why? Same with birds. I am not one who believes that animals have emotions like people - their behavior is guided by instinct and it has been my experience over the last 30 years that there are as many reasons for feather destructive behavior in birds as there are birds who engage in it. We humans are always looking for a rational explanation and with animals, sometimes there are none or at least none that sense to us highly evolved humans. I sincerely doubt your bird is malnourished or not receiving an adequate diet but that is based on your behavior not the bird's. As for 'emotion' it could be stress or hormones as those are usually the two culprits when it comes to parrotlets. Sometimes you can figure it out and resolve it, sometimes you can't.
As for the nuts you are feeding, please be careful. That is so much fat that bird is receiving that alone could cause heart problems. Of course, he isn't going to eat it all - again, Nature designed birds to cohabitate in their environment and that includes spreading pollen, seeds and nuts to help disburse plants in the wild. Therefore, birds are very wasteful and both play with their food by tossing and carrying it around as well as only eating small amounts from each bite. If you ever have seen a flock of cockatoos in Australia land in a corn field and pick up each ear, take a bite and throw it on the ground or flick the corn out of their mouths, you can see Nature in action and how the symbiotic relationship between birds and their environment. To me a much more conclusive experiment would be to see how much weight that bird gains over the course of 6-12 months eating that many high fat nuts. Both in the wild and in zoos, studies are done to see both what birds are eating and how much but they do it by checking crop contents. That, or analyzing droppings' contents, are the only scientific ways of determining what birds eat as well as how much.
Best of luck with your bird. Please keep me posted.
Sincerely yours,
Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Can a Shelter Import Birds?
Thanks for your letter Sandee,
Yes, the situation is intolerable. I understand that the only way to import new birds is to become a bird sanctuary. Have you any input on this? I have been breeding birds for a long time, poultry mostly, and I know that it is very important to bring in new genetics regularly to keep the flock healthy. If there is a way to become a bird sanctuary and import more specs, would you see that as a benefit to the national flock?
Sincere warm regards,
Cailin
Dear Cailin:
No, that is not how you import birds. A sanctuary is a shelter for abused animals and they are ALWAYS against breeding. The entire purposed of the WBCA importation exceptions is to breed for conservation purposes only. NOT sell into the pet trade.
The ONLY way to import is to be a bona fide 501(c)(3) educational and/or conservation organization as is IPS. In fact, IPS was recognized as the ONLY organization able to import parrotlets and one that worked directly with USF & W. In fact, the ONLY reason there are ANY mutation parrotlets (or other parrots for that matter)is because IPS petitioned USF&W at the time of passage of the WBCA to include them because biologically, mutations can only be sustained in captivity. In the wild, Nature culls them out.
But people these days do not want to support organizations. Its so much easier to just get online and ask people. No one has to do any work, pay any money or support the avian community. In fact, I am writing an article, as well as submitting a paper to two national avian conventions, about how the loss of bird clubs will eventually lead to the loss of pretty much all of our birds eventually. This is a very real and distinct possibility and one that is largely being ignored by the avian community. Everyone is so caught up with animal rights and other 'red herrings' that by the time people realize, it will be too late.
For almost all the species of parrotlets, it already is. So, no. If you want to import parrotlets, you should join IPS and support it because once the bird clubs are gone there will be NO WAY to import anything unless you are a zoo or looking for color mutations. Normal birds will not be imported.
Sincerely yours,
Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase
Yes, the situation is intolerable. I understand that the only way to import new birds is to become a bird sanctuary. Have you any input on this? I have been breeding birds for a long time, poultry mostly, and I know that it is very important to bring in new genetics regularly to keep the flock healthy. If there is a way to become a bird sanctuary and import more specs, would you see that as a benefit to the national flock?
Sincere warm regards,
Cailin
Dear Cailin:
No, that is not how you import birds. A sanctuary is a shelter for abused animals and they are ALWAYS against breeding. The entire purposed of the WBCA importation exceptions is to breed for conservation purposes only. NOT sell into the pet trade.
The ONLY way to import is to be a bona fide 501(c)(3) educational and/or conservation organization as is IPS. In fact, IPS was recognized as the ONLY organization able to import parrotlets and one that worked directly with USF & W. In fact, the ONLY reason there are ANY mutation parrotlets (or other parrots for that matter)is because IPS petitioned USF&W at the time of passage of the WBCA to include them because biologically, mutations can only be sustained in captivity. In the wild, Nature culls them out.
But people these days do not want to support organizations. Its so much easier to just get online and ask people. No one has to do any work, pay any money or support the avian community. In fact, I am writing an article, as well as submitting a paper to two national avian conventions, about how the loss of bird clubs will eventually lead to the loss of pretty much all of our birds eventually. This is a very real and distinct possibility and one that is largely being ignored by the avian community. Everyone is so caught up with animal rights and other 'red herrings' that by the time people realize, it will be too late.
For almost all the species of parrotlets, it already is. So, no. If you want to import parrotlets, you should join IPS and support it because once the bird clubs are gone there will be NO WAY to import anything unless you are a zoo or looking for color mutations. Normal birds will not be imported.
Sincerely yours,
Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase
Spectacle Parrotlets
Hi Sandy,
You may remember me. My name is Cailin Callahan and we have spoken on the phone a few times back when I was looking for breeder pairs of spectacled parrotlets. Presently I have two pairs -- only one of which has begun reproducing. This pair is unrelated and have produced 4 babies, presently fledging and appearing to be made up of 3 hens and a male. They are 4 weeks old having hatched all in the first week of December. I have another breeding pair which has yet to do anything. The male of this pair is the brother to the male of the reproducing pair and the hen of this pair is the sister of the hen of the reproducing pair. Offspiring from this couple will be double first cousins to the offspring of the first pair and so they would be a little too closely related to take the progeny of these two pairs and breed them.
I am writing to find out if you are still breeding spectacled parrotlets and if you know of an aviary called "three sisters" in North Carolina. I understand she was looking for specs to trade recently but I have been unable to find her. Also, I will soon be looking to sell these babies which have all been regularly handled and hand fed intermittantly. None of them bite but one does shout at you a bit at first when you handle him. They would all make great pets or breeder birds.
Thanks for any help you may be able to give and best of luck to you in 2012!
Cailin
Dear Cailin:
Thank you for your email. If you have read any of my materials you would know that Spectacles didn’t come into the US until 1992, right before the Wild Bird Conservation Act was passed. This prohibited the importation of all the species of parrotlets except for color mutation Pacifics. The birds that were imported in 1992 came from Europe so they were not wild caught birds and there were less than 20 pairs imported. This means that pretty much all of the birds around today are all related in some way – many of whom are very closely related. Just because you get birds from someone else, is no assurance that the birds are not related. I love to tell the story of a friend who bought WILD CAUGHT macaws – one from TX, one from FL and one from CA. He had them DNA’ed and ALL of them were related. And if that happened with wild caught birds, you can be assured that the original pairs that came in the country in 1992 were probably all related because they all came from one breeder in Belgium. The only reason the birds are still around today is because a) the International Parrotlet Society created a breeding cooperative and a managed studbook so that the original pairs’ offspring were as widely distributed as possible and b) the birds that came in were very healthy and were excellent founder stock. Unfortunately, each generation brings the inbreeding quotient higher and higher until eventually the birds will all be sterile or have incapacitating genetic abnormalities. There is no way to prevent this since the Federal government will not allow the importation of new stock. Very sad and as someone who was one of the first people in this country to breed Spectacles and is a co-founder of the International Parrotlet Society who worked for 2 decades to preserve these species, it is incredibly sad. But, people wanted to make money breeding color mutation Pacifics, as well as feeding their own ego’s to make pretty new colors, so the other species – Mexicans, Blue Wings, Yellow Face and even the more common ones such as Green Rumps and Spectacles are pretty much genetically, if not literally, extinct in this country. Another 10 years, and they will all be gone. Very sad.
3 Sisters Aviary used to be members of the International Parrotlet Society but no longer are so I have no idea if they are still around or not. All of my birds are in breeding cooperatives and are traded with zoos and biological parks. I do not sell them into the pet trade.
I wish I had better news for you but unfortunately, that is the state of birds these days. Best of luck to you in your endeavors and if you would like to get more detail, I have a blog as well as an article in the July/August 2011 IPS journal on genetically extinct species of parrotlets and how they came to be that way. It is sad but an interesting read and I am one of the few people in this country that can accurately report it since I was there.
Sincerely yours,
Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase
You may remember me. My name is Cailin Callahan and we have spoken on the phone a few times back when I was looking for breeder pairs of spectacled parrotlets. Presently I have two pairs -- only one of which has begun reproducing. This pair is unrelated and have produced 4 babies, presently fledging and appearing to be made up of 3 hens and a male. They are 4 weeks old having hatched all in the first week of December. I have another breeding pair which has yet to do anything. The male of this pair is the brother to the male of the reproducing pair and the hen of this pair is the sister of the hen of the reproducing pair. Offspiring from this couple will be double first cousins to the offspring of the first pair and so they would be a little too closely related to take the progeny of these two pairs and breed them.
I am writing to find out if you are still breeding spectacled parrotlets and if you know of an aviary called "three sisters" in North Carolina. I understand she was looking for specs to trade recently but I have been unable to find her. Also, I will soon be looking to sell these babies which have all been regularly handled and hand fed intermittantly. None of them bite but one does shout at you a bit at first when you handle him. They would all make great pets or breeder birds.
Thanks for any help you may be able to give and best of luck to you in 2012!
Cailin
Dear Cailin:
Thank you for your email. If you have read any of my materials you would know that Spectacles didn’t come into the US until 1992, right before the Wild Bird Conservation Act was passed. This prohibited the importation of all the species of parrotlets except for color mutation Pacifics. The birds that were imported in 1992 came from Europe so they were not wild caught birds and there were less than 20 pairs imported. This means that pretty much all of the birds around today are all related in some way – many of whom are very closely related. Just because you get birds from someone else, is no assurance that the birds are not related. I love to tell the story of a friend who bought WILD CAUGHT macaws – one from TX, one from FL and one from CA. He had them DNA’ed and ALL of them were related. And if that happened with wild caught birds, you can be assured that the original pairs that came in the country in 1992 were probably all related because they all came from one breeder in Belgium. The only reason the birds are still around today is because a) the International Parrotlet Society created a breeding cooperative and a managed studbook so that the original pairs’ offspring were as widely distributed as possible and b) the birds that came in were very healthy and were excellent founder stock. Unfortunately, each generation brings the inbreeding quotient higher and higher until eventually the birds will all be sterile or have incapacitating genetic abnormalities. There is no way to prevent this since the Federal government will not allow the importation of new stock. Very sad and as someone who was one of the first people in this country to breed Spectacles and is a co-founder of the International Parrotlet Society who worked for 2 decades to preserve these species, it is incredibly sad. But, people wanted to make money breeding color mutation Pacifics, as well as feeding their own ego’s to make pretty new colors, so the other species – Mexicans, Blue Wings, Yellow Face and even the more common ones such as Green Rumps and Spectacles are pretty much genetically, if not literally, extinct in this country. Another 10 years, and they will all be gone. Very sad.
3 Sisters Aviary used to be members of the International Parrotlet Society but no longer are so I have no idea if they are still around or not. All of my birds are in breeding cooperatives and are traded with zoos and biological parks. I do not sell them into the pet trade.
I wish I had better news for you but unfortunately, that is the state of birds these days. Best of luck to you in your endeavors and if you would like to get more detail, I have a blog as well as an article in the July/August 2011 IPS journal on genetically extinct species of parrotlets and how they came to be that way. It is sad but an interesting read and I am one of the few people in this country that can accurately report it since I was there.
Sincerely yours,
Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase
Pacific or Green Rump?
Hello,
I was wondering if a Pacific Parrotlet can be just as nice and gentle as a Green Rumped? Or if a Green Rumped will like to come out of it's cage and be with me just as much as a Pacific would. I am having a hard time deciding on which type and not really sure of the real differences in temperment. Is it true the Green Rumped won't nip? And how can you tell if it is a good baby or not in temperment? Or is that not possible...
Thank you,
Apryl
Dear Apryl:
Thank you for your email. All birds are individuals and you cannot determine an individual bird’s personality or pet quality based solely on its species or even sex. A bird’s individual personality, how it was imprinted (socialized and handled as a young chick) and the training it receives from its owner are the biggest determining factors in how a bird is going to behave. Pacific parrotlets are the most popular pet parrotlets in the world. There are literally tens of thousands of them kept as pets and that includes being owned by children, older adults and the handicapped. Green Rumps, like all birds (or all animals for that matter) certainly DO bite any anyone who claims otherwise clearly doesn’t know what they are talking about. Parrotlets are not domesticated animals like puppies or even cockatiels or budgies and they will not act in their normal manner around strangers. This is a survival instinct ingrained in them by Nature in order to help them survive. Therefore, the judgment about which particular bird is right for you is best left to the breeder, which is why it is SO important to find one that a) has enough experience to be able to judge a parrotlet’s personality and b) is honest enough to match each bird’s personality with the appropriate owner.
Best of luck and I hope this helps!
Sincerely yours,
Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase
I was wondering if a Pacific Parrotlet can be just as nice and gentle as a Green Rumped? Or if a Green Rumped will like to come out of it's cage and be with me just as much as a Pacific would. I am having a hard time deciding on which type and not really sure of the real differences in temperment. Is it true the Green Rumped won't nip? And how can you tell if it is a good baby or not in temperment? Or is that not possible...
Thank you,
Apryl
Dear Apryl:
Thank you for your email. All birds are individuals and you cannot determine an individual bird’s personality or pet quality based solely on its species or even sex. A bird’s individual personality, how it was imprinted (socialized and handled as a young chick) and the training it receives from its owner are the biggest determining factors in how a bird is going to behave. Pacific parrotlets are the most popular pet parrotlets in the world. There are literally tens of thousands of them kept as pets and that includes being owned by children, older adults and the handicapped. Green Rumps, like all birds (or all animals for that matter) certainly DO bite any anyone who claims otherwise clearly doesn’t know what they are talking about. Parrotlets are not domesticated animals like puppies or even cockatiels or budgies and they will not act in their normal manner around strangers. This is a survival instinct ingrained in them by Nature in order to help them survive. Therefore, the judgment about which particular bird is right for you is best left to the breeder, which is why it is SO important to find one that a) has enough experience to be able to judge a parrotlet’s personality and b) is honest enough to match each bird’s personality with the appropriate owner.
Best of luck and I hope this helps!
Sincerely yours,
Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase
Friday, December 30, 2011
Will One Pair of Parrotlets Breed?
Hi Sandy,
I have been out of birds for a few yrs now because of my health.I have a dumb question..I want to get a pr of parrotlets again to have in my sunroom.(I miss the little munchkins).Will they breed with just having one pr in the room? It is a very quiet area,only I will be in going into that room.We are in our 60s and not much traffic in and out of the house.
Ann
Dear Ann:
Its wonderful to hear from you and no, that isn’t a dumb question. While it has been my experience the birds breed better when there are more than one pair and they can hear each other but not see each other, that doesn’t mean it is a hard and fast rule. Believe me, many people who have bought parrotlet pairs as pets and never expected them to breed have reported they have bred. You could certainly get a pair and see how it goes. You are not only an experienced breeder but an excellent one and I have complete faith in your ability to provide the birds with what they need. Also, at the risk of giving myself a plug, The Parrotlet Ranch does sell a CD of parrotlet aviary calls that many people have reported as being successful when played around their breeding pair. I would give it a try. You certainly are missed in the parrotlet world and it certainly needs more dedicated, wonderful breeders like yourself.
Hope you have a wonderful 2012!
Sincerely yours,
Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase
I have been out of birds for a few yrs now because of my health.I have a dumb question..I want to get a pr of parrotlets again to have in my sunroom.(I miss the little munchkins).Will they breed with just having one pr in the room? It is a very quiet area,only I will be in going into that room.We are in our 60s and not much traffic in and out of the house.
Ann
Dear Ann:
Its wonderful to hear from you and no, that isn’t a dumb question. While it has been my experience the birds breed better when there are more than one pair and they can hear each other but not see each other, that doesn’t mean it is a hard and fast rule. Believe me, many people who have bought parrotlet pairs as pets and never expected them to breed have reported they have bred. You could certainly get a pair and see how it goes. You are not only an experienced breeder but an excellent one and I have complete faith in your ability to provide the birds with what they need. Also, at the risk of giving myself a plug, The Parrotlet Ranch does sell a CD of parrotlet aviary calls that many people have reported as being successful when played around their breeding pair. I would give it a try. You certainly are missed in the parrotlet world and it certainly needs more dedicated, wonderful breeders like yourself.
Hope you have a wonderful 2012!
Sincerely yours,
Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com
Join the International Parrotlet Society, – the World’s Largest and Oldest Parrotlet Organization www.internationalparrotletsociety.org
A Chattering Bird Builds No Nest.
Camaroonian Phrase
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Parrotlet's Sudden Death
Hi Sandee,
I have Very Bad news .Today My Parrotlet of 1 month Died…This morning it was acting just fine.. was out on our shoulders etc. eating & Drinking then back in its cage I noticed it was shacking its head as if trying to get something out of its throat or down its throat. But it seemed to manage ok ….I came back at noon and it was dead next to the water bowl. Of course my kids are devastated! I am wondering if it could have choked on the millet or something. Or what we could have done?
Your input would be appreciated.
Regards
Matt
Dear Matt:
I am so sorry to hear about the sudden loss of your parrotlet. I can’t imagine how upset the family must be. Unfortunately, no one can tell you what happened with that bird except a veterinarian trained in veterinary medicine who completed a necropsy (animal autopsy) with 24 hours of death. However, what you are describing sounds to me like some kind of seizure. It may have been caused by an injury – especially if the bird fell, flew into something or was dropped and hit its head. Or it could have been a stroke, a heart attack, a tumor, some kind of toxin exposure – most likely airborne, heavy metal poisoning or a number of other things. But, without a necropsy there is no definitive answer. It does sound to me like it was very sudden and probably nothing could have been done – especially if it were not an injury or the bird was exposed to some kind of toxin.
I am so sorry for you loss but I hope this helps as it does sound like nothing could have been done to prevent the bird’s death.
Sincerely yours,
Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society
I have Very Bad news .Today My Parrotlet of 1 month Died…This morning it was acting just fine.. was out on our shoulders etc. eating & Drinking then back in its cage I noticed it was shacking its head as if trying to get something out of its throat or down its throat. But it seemed to manage ok ….I came back at noon and it was dead next to the water bowl. Of course my kids are devastated! I am wondering if it could have choked on the millet or something. Or what we could have done?
Your input would be appreciated.
Regards
Matt
Dear Matt:
I am so sorry to hear about the sudden loss of your parrotlet. I can’t imagine how upset the family must be. Unfortunately, no one can tell you what happened with that bird except a veterinarian trained in veterinary medicine who completed a necropsy (animal autopsy) with 24 hours of death. However, what you are describing sounds to me like some kind of seizure. It may have been caused by an injury – especially if the bird fell, flew into something or was dropped and hit its head. Or it could have been a stroke, a heart attack, a tumor, some kind of toxin exposure – most likely airborne, heavy metal poisoning or a number of other things. But, without a necropsy there is no definitive answer. It does sound to me like it was very sudden and probably nothing could have been done – especially if it were not an injury or the bird was exposed to some kind of toxin.
I am so sorry for you loss but I hope this helps as it does sound like nothing could have been done to prevent the bird’s death.
Sincerely yours,
Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society
Parrotlet Training Books
Please advise me of any good books regarding Parrotlets
Matt
I only know of one that I can recommend and that’s the one I wrote. The Parrotlet Handbook published by Barron’s, written by Sandee L. Molenda and its available at amazon.com or on my Parrotlet Ranch website. www.parrotletranch.com
Sincerely yours,
Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society
Matt
I only know of one that I can recommend and that’s the one I wrote. The Parrotlet Handbook published by Barron’s, written by Sandee L. Molenda and its available at amazon.com or on my Parrotlet Ranch website. www.parrotletranch.com
Sincerely yours,
Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society
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