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

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

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

Importing Chickens

Wow that is crazy to figure that all out, is the some 1 that imports for a living that you can send me there info? All i am interested in is a few rare chickens.

Dear Mike:

Thank you for your email. Chickens are not the same as parrots when it comes to importing. Chickens are domestic animals raised for the food industry. Parrots are wild animals, many of whom are rare and endangered and protected in their countries of origin.

I’m sure the poultry industry has professional importers but they don’t import a few chickens. They import by the hundreds of thousands. I’d contact USDA, they are in charge of all domestic poultry imports and exports. I can tell you because of chickens are not rare nor endangered (and no BREED of chicken is considered rare under Endangered Species Act or Convention in International Trade of Endangered Species) that they are much easier to import so long as there are no Avian Influenza or Exotic Newcastles Disease outbreaks in their countries of origin. But USDA is the governing authority.

Good luck.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S., Secretary
International Parrotlet Society

Friday, December 23, 2011

Egg Laying Female Pacific, Talking Male

Hi Sandee,

I rescued a five-year-old, female, parrotlet, from Vancouver last September. Since then she has laid two clutches of eggs. The first clutch was five eggs. At the present time (second clutch), she is sitting on six eggs. One fell out of the birdie hut, where she sleeps and keeps her eggs. The last egg was laid November 28th. I have decided to leave the eggs, until December 23rd, as this is the incubation period of the parrotlet. I am also taking away her lovely hut since she likes to lay eggs in it. I read your site, where you suggested reducing the hours of sunlight/natural light she receives (cover off at 8:00 am; cover on at 8:00 pm). I hope she doesn’t produce anymore eggs. Do you have any other suggestions? I also have three male parrotlets (she doesn’t like them), who talk. I put her in my bedroom after she laid her first clutch so she wouldn’t hear the other birds. I don’t like doing this, as I like them all together.

I thought you would be interested to know that I rescued a tiny green, male Pacific parrotlet from Vancouver, who is five-years-old. I don’t know his history, but he is very frightened. No one wanted him because he wasn’t tame. Since I adopted him, he has calmed down quite a bit. He is a very quiet little boy. Last night I was watching my other two blue males sitting on the counter in my kitchen, while they were eating a kiwi and birdie bread that I make. They both talk. To my amazement, I could hear talking and at first thought it was one of the birds on the counter. But it wasn’t because they were eating. It was the little green male, Riley, who was talking up a storm in his cage! This confirms that these little parrotlets (males) can learn to talk even if they are older. I absolutely love this species of bird. They continue to amaze me.

Kind regards,
Sylvia

Dear Sylvia:

Thank you for you email. As I have posted on my website, blog and in my 3 books, the two most important ways to prevent pet female parrotlets from laying eggs is a) to reduce the number of daylight hours to less than 12 and b) to remove any ‘nest-like’ structures in the cage. These two factors will stop 99.9% of most female parrotlets from laying eggs. Of course, there are no guarantees and should she continue, I would definitely have her vet checked. Certain medical conditions can be a factor but generally speaking it is a husbandry problem that can be rectified by changing the environmental factors that stimulate hormones and cause egg laying in pet hens.

I will say should also be supplementing her with additional calcium – both in the form of supplements such as sprinkling a powdered calcium supplement on her fresh foods, providing her with cuttlebone (as much as she will eat) and mineral block plus in her food sources such as green leafy vegetables and broccoli. Cup for cup, broccoli has more calcium than milk and green leafy vegetables such as bok choy, mustard and turnip greens and even the tops of carrots and beets are excellent sources of calcium. I would avoid spinach because spinach is thought to bind calcium and make it harder for the body to absorb. Boiled, chopped eggs with the shell are also excellent and will provide protein and vitamin e as well.

I would not remove the eggs. Mother Nature has hard-wired these birds to sit for a certain period of time and while incubation of eggs generally is 21 days to hatching, she may longer for a variety of reasons. Removing the eggs before she has completed her cycle, regardless of what the calendar says, may cause her to lay again. This is probably why she ‘double-clutched’ in the first place so just leave those eggs alone and let her do what she has been designed to. Not only can she become egg-bound with another clutch, she can also suffer from a prolapsed uterus, extreme blood calcium deficiency and brittle bones…all of those are extremely serious and can result in death.

Also, I would put all the birds back into the same room. There is no reason to believe that the males being in the same room had anything to do with causing her to lay. She doesn’t like males, has obviously imprinted on humans (which is why she is a good pet in the first place) and in the wild, parrotlets leave the company of the flock to go off and raise their offspring on their own. I would say that it has been my 30 year experience that a female would want to fight off these other birds not be so entranced with them that it has caused her to lay eggs. Unfortunately, there are no “Elvis Presley’s” or “Frank Sinatra’s” in the bird world. If there were, it would be a lot easier for people who are trying to breed parrotlets.

I do love the story about your male but I would have to say that he did not suddenly, spontaneously learn to imitate human speech. While you certainly can ‘teach an old parrotlet new tricks’ what you are describing is perfectly normal behavior for an adult male parrotlet that is going through the stress of a move and a learning to adapt in a new environment. I am certain he knew how to mimic human speech but was quiet since speaking in human words is extremely unnatural for a parrotlet and probably would have done it in a few months anyway but when he heard your birds, he joined the conversation. Probably just to say “hey, I’m here! Can I join your flock?” Besides, when parrotlets are learning to speak they take several weeks or months making very garbled sounds that don’t sound like human speech at all. They generally will say words or phrases to themselves for a while before they attempt it to their human owners. It is a well-known in the bird community that teaching any bird to talk is MUCH easier and faster when another bird teaches them – in fact there are videos and CDC’s of parrots talking available to teach birds to speak human language. But if your bird suddenly started “talking up a storm’ it was because he already knew how, he just didn’t feel comfortable until your other birds started talking.

I hope this helps and best of luck with your flock. As I’ve said, I’ve kept parrotlets for more than 3 decades and they are amazing little parrots, for sure! I hope you and your family have a wonderful Holiday and I wish you a very happy New Year!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.

Importing Parrotlets into Australia

Hi

my name is Monika and I have a pair of parrotlets that are perfect pets. I live in Germany. Now I will go for three years to Australia. As I understand I'm not allowed to take the birds with me.

Now I search for breeders of parrotlets in Australia but I can't find any. Do you know if there is any possibility to get parrotlets in Australia. I love this birds so much.

Best regards

Monika

Dear Monika:

Thank you for your email. Australia is one of the few countries that neither allows the export of their birds nor the import of other countries. You are correct - they will not allow you to legally import parrotlets. As far as being able to purchase any birds there, I do have a few people who live in Australia and, although the last time Australia 'tried' importing was over a decade ago, you might be able to find a pair or two - they would cost at least $10,000 or more. And, in all likelihood they would be smuggled. If they had been imported legally, they would be very old. And still extraordinarily expensive. I'm so sorry.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Traveling To Scotland With A Conure

Hello,

I have just read your article online, thank you for making it
available; I found it very informative.

I own a seven year old green cheek conure. I am moving from the
United States to Scotland where I am getting married and settling
down. I am not willing to give him up so I will do whatever I can to
keep him with me.

I have found difficulty trying to get definite answers to questions
concerning my travel with my bird; for example, Continental said he
has to travel in cargo for the 8 hour flight. I am concerned about
the conditions in cargo and his survival as he is only 12 grams.
Edinbourgh airport does not grant entry to birds so it seems I have to
go through London, where they will quarantine him for 30 days which I
am afraid he will not survive well.

I am willing to fly to another country and then take the train into
the UK if that would work. I have heard of people doing that with
cats and dogs to avoid quarantine. Do you have any suggestions for
me? I would appreciate any information you can provide.

Thank you so much for your help.
Sincerely,
Taryn

Dear Taryn:

Thank you for your email. What you are reading on that website is about traveling in the United States with birds. Not taking the bird out of the country on international flights. That is because it is extremely difficult, time consuming, expensive and every country has their own rules about importing birds. It is not the airlines polices you have to deal with, it’s Federal, international and European Union, as well as the United Kingdom's (and quite possibly the government of Scotland as well) laws you have to deal with.

Generally speaking, most species of birds (other than budgies and cockatiels) are NOT domesticated animals but are considered wild animals and because many species are rare and endangered, they are not regulated like dogs and cats. The EU, just like the US, has a policy that prohibits the import of wild-caught parrots. You will have to prove to the EU as well as Scotland (and perhaps the UK) that the bird was legally captive-bred in the US. I have no idea what they require for that designation but I do know that the US does NOT recognize a leg band nor a microchip or even a bill of sale as 'proof' a bird was legally bred in the US. You will need to contact the EU and Scotland about that. I will say not having the proper paperwork or attempting to bring the bird in under the radar of the authorities is called 'smuggling'. Smuggling a bird into a country is a very serious and very dangerous international crime and in the US, it is punishable by YEARS in Federal prison.

You will need to go through US Fish and Wildlife. They will give you the application for the export (US) and CITES (international) permits as well as the arrangements for issuance of health certificates and inspections. This costs a lot of money and can take longer than 6 months. You will also need to get import permits from Scotland as well as possibly the UK and the EU. I have no idea what their requirements are but if they require quarantine (and almost all countries do in order to keep out poultry diseases as well as N5N1 bird flu) you will be required to place the bird there and pay for its keep as well as veterinary inspections. Again, trying to get around this requirement may cause you to be arrested and charged with international wildlife smuggling.

As for the airlines, ALL airlines follow the IATA guidelines and ALL birds MUST travel in the cargo hold. This isn't a problem if the bird is in the proper container and has food and a source of water. I ship parrotlets which are one of the world's smallest species of birds at 28 grams (and btw, there is no way ANY conure weighs 12 grams) and is smaller than half of your conure's tail without any ill effects all over the country including Alaska. Besides, back in the day when the US DID import wild caught birds these birds were captured, trekked out of the jungle, placed in holding facilities that were less than ideal and then shipped to the US from South America (in the case of your conures predecessors) and tens of thousands of birds arrived safely in the US. In all likelihood, your bird would simply go to sleep during the flight since most birds are used to small enclosed areas and Mother Nature designed them to be quiet in the dark so they don't get eaten by predators.

Anyway, you have a lot of work to get done so I wish you the best of luck. International law is designed to be difficult when it comes to bringing birds around the world. This is a) to protect them in their countries of origin from extinction and b) to protect the human population as well as the human food supply from diseases. But you need to start with USF&W.

Hope this helps and let me know how it goes.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Appropriate Temperatures & Suggestions for a Picky Eater

Hi Sandee,

I recently inherited a parrotlet that is two years old. I have been reading about them and trying to make sure I’m providing the best care possible. When he first came into my home, he was very sweet and fun. However, he has settled in to a routine and since his wings are not clipped, he is now acting like a total barbarian. We are taking him to the vet to get his wings clipped and I will be following your instructions for curbing his new and terrible biting habit. My main concern is his diet and ambient room temperature. What temperature should he be kept at and does he need a full spectrum light if he’s in a room with a lot of windows? He is being fed the following seeds: spray millet, cockatiel mix and canary mix. I have offered various fruits and veggies but he mainly likes sunflower, safflower and millet. He also likes nuts like walnuts and pecans. Any suggestions for converting him to eating more fresh food?

Thanks so much
Melissa

Dear Melissa:

Thank you for your email and my apologies for the delay in responding. We had a terrible windstorm here last week and I was without power (as well as phone, cell and wifi) for 4 days. It was a mess.

I am sorry to hear that your little one is being, well, a typical parrotlet who is fully flighted and being bratty. I think you will see an immediate difference in his attitude as well as his behavior once you get those wings clipped again. Parrotlets are very territorial so when they are fully-flighted and have run of the house, they simply transfer that aggression to every where they go, not just with their cage. But most parrotlets immediately go back to being sweet the moment they realize they no longer are in control by flying around the house.

As far as room temperature goes, most adult parrotlets (and even youngsters who have been acclimated) are perfectly content in the same temperature as people. Generally speaking 60-80 degrees are ideal; however, most people don’t realize that they can withstand much lower temperatures. Its actually heat that is a problem – anything above 85 degrees can be dangerous. It has been my experience that anything below 60 degrees stops them from breeding but pet birds can easily withstand much lower temperatures. In fact, I know people that keep them outdoors, once they are acclimated, in places where the temperature drops to as low as 40. So long as they have shelter, are protected from strong drafts and have lots of food to keep their energy up, especially foods high in fat, they are just fine. So, a pet parrotlet kept in a home will certainly be safe and happy in the same temperatures that you and your family enjoy.

Getting parrotlets to eat a good diet, if they weren’t introduced to a wide variety of fresh and healthy foods at a young age, can be challenging. In my latest book, The Parrotlet Handbook, I include in the chapter on diet, ideas and strategies for getting picky eaters to accept a wider variety of food. It can be as simple as providing foods that have a lot of seeds (contrary to popular belief, seeds ARE a natural diet of birds – after all, there are no pellet trees in the jungle) such as peppers (both hot and mild), kiwi, strawberries, melon, papaya, squash, zucchini, etc. You can also place a small dish of thawed frozen peas and corn and sprinkle millet or another favorite food on it. Usually they start playing with it and eventually they start eating it. You can get a birdy kabob and string chunks of various kinds of veggies on it (most parrotlets prefer vegetables to fruit). Again, they start playing with it, eat part of it and then eventually decide “Hey, this stuff isn’t bad!”. You can also place pieces of broccoli or leafy greens in the cage clipped to a favorite perching spot. Another easy way to get them to eat is make a ‘bird bread’ with lots of vegetables it in or try some of the cooked diets they now have available. It really is a matter of trying different things as well as being patient and consistent until you figure out what works with your parrotlet.

I hope this helps. Best of luck with your bird and if you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Hopefully, I will be able to answer in a much more timely manner. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Holiday.

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


Hi Sandee,
Thanks for the response; I saw the wind-storm damage on the news; that was really shocking for the area!

We got Foghorn’s wings clipped at the vet and he’s already much better. He was acting very angry and biting, so we gave him some floor time and he was acting sheepish in no time once he realized he couldn’t fly to my head in order to bite my ears. Your blog was a life-saver!

I’m relieved to know I don’t have to keep the house at 75 in the winter or hook up a heat bulb; I’m a former iguana keeper so I assumed any semi-tropical critter might have special heat needs.

Wish me luck on the vegetable endeavor; he has already eaten the peas from inside a snow pea pod, so I have at least one victory!

Thanks again,
Melissa

You got the idea Melissa. Foods that are fun i.e., can be ripped, flinged, tossed or otherwise mutilated prior to consumption are great ways to introduce him into eating better. Best of luck and I’m glad I could help!

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.

Spectacle Parrotlets

I am still looking for a weened male spectacled baby. Do you have any or are you expecting any soon?

Imagine peace,
Denise

I'm so sorry Denise but I have reduced the numbers of birds so I have nothing available and my waiting list is so long I can't take any more names. I am so sorry.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com


Thank you for the response. I will keep looking. Maybe I should start breeding them. They are too dear to be so rare.

Imagine peace,
Denise

Unfortunately, it's really too late. We no longer import any birds other than Pacific color mutations and since most people got rid of their other species more than a decade ago to breed high dollar color mutations, all the other species are either literally 'extinct' in American aviculture - such as Yellow Face (which were imported in very small numbers back in the mid-1980's), Sclater's (only 1 pair proven to have been bred and then they all died in a house fire also in the 1980's) and Mexican parrotlets (most of which were smuggled birds that had avian TB) or genetically extinct, because there are no unrelated birds to breed to one another, such as Blue Wings, Spectacles, Green Rumps and even normal, wild-type (non-mutation) Pacifics. I wrote an article about it for the IPS journal. For me, after spending 30 years of my life trying to save these species it is beyond heartbreaking.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
The Parrotlet Ranch, Owner, www.parrotletranch.com

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

IPS Band Tracing

I am looking to contact the breeder of a pair of parrotlets that I bought Any information would be appreciated thank you

Bands are both silver and closed - Both are Green Parrotlets info on bands is as follows
Male - IPS(sideways) SFA MI(sideways) 054 03(sideways)
Female- IPS(Sideways)SFA MI(sidways)033 03 (sideways)

Thank You

Thank you for your email. This breeder is registered in our database although they are no longer a member. If you give me permission, I would be happy to forward your email to her and ask her to contact you. She is a wonderful woman and bred excellent birds.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society


Thank you :) Yes please give her my email Thank you so much :)

Kelli

Dear Kelli:

I have been in contact with the breeder. She was one of the best parrotlet breeders in the country but when her husband became terminally ill, she had to stop breeding and find new homes for her birds. That was several years ago. Her husband, unfortunately, passed away and she had to sell her home and move from a large home to a small apartment in her daughter’s home. This arrangement did not allow her to bring many things including her breeding records; all of which were destroyed more than 5 years ago. So I am very sorry but she has no information on her birds available than what is on the band – the birds were hatched in 2003, they were unrelated and they were hatched in Michigan. Other than that, all the pedigree information has been destroyed.

I am sorry I could not find out more information for you. Unfortunately, as more and more breeders give up their birds due to the economy and family obligations as well as illnesses and other issues that develop over time, more and more of this information is going to be lost. As I said I do know that the breeder these birds came from took excellent care of her birds and you can be assured the birds came from strong, healthy stock.

I hope this helps and best of luck with your birds.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society

Green Rump Parrotlet Life Span

Sandee,

In September of 1996 we obtained a Greenrump parrotlet from you and named him "Tasi", which is Chamorru for "ocean". While he had some health issues in his early years (GI infections) which had to be treated and were avoided later with closer supervised and healthier nutrition, he lived to almost 15 years and passed away without any sign of illness overnight in June.
Dr. Dustin from the Bay Area Bird Hospital had been our trusted vet for all these years. We needed to see her almost every 6 weeks in the last few years of Tasi's life to have his beak trimmed, as the lower mandible tended to grow to much (or fast).

We thought you might be interested in feedback as far as the life expectancy is concerned. You had initially told us Parrotlets may live "up to the early 20s", Dr. Dustin estimated 15 to 20 years. Sadly, he did not even reach the lower end of that range.

Sincerely,

Alex

Dear Alex:

Thank you for your email. I am so sorry to hear about the loss of Tasi. I am sure you and your family must be grieving and I am so sorry for your loss.

I hope that someday you will find comfort in the fact that your bird lived a long, happy life where he was loved and enjoyed. Unfortunately, longevity in captive-bred parrotlets is proving not to be as lengthy, in many cases, as their wild-caught counterparts did. I bred wild-caught parrotlets for 15 years prior to the ban being instituted in 1992. We obviously did not know the age of the birds when they were imported but they routinely, at least in my aviary, for 18-20 years or more. I am one of the people in the US who is actually qualified to state that based on my own knowledge; very few people who keep parrotlets today were around 20 years ago so they, and I am assuming your vet is one of them, just repeating information they have read and have no direct knowledge of lifespans simply because they never had the birds as long as I did.

One thing that has become apparent in the last 20 years, is that captive bred parrotlets do not live as long as their wild-caught counterparts. This happens with many species of animals so it is not surprising. Today, a domestically-raised parrotlet’s average lifespan is much more like 10-15 years not the 15 to 20 like the originally imported birds. Also, please remember that the term ‘average’ means just that – its is an ‘average’ based on an entire population NOT something that can be applied to individual birds. I myself have lost 6 friends in the last 10 years to cancer ALL of them under the age of 40. That isn’t an average lifespan for a human so we simply cannot expect all of our birds to live as long as the ‘average’. Some have lives that are much shorter and some have lives that are longer (I have an uncle that is 97 – he too, does not have an ‘average’ human lifespan).

So, I do hope that you will not let something as nebulous as ‘average life span’ contribute to any grief or sorrow you feel over the loss of your bird. 15 is extremely old for a parrotlet these days and it is obviously due to your meticulous care and devotion. I hope you and your family will find comfort and even joy in remembering what a wonderful, happy and very long life you and your family gave Tasi.

Best of luck to you and your family and thank you for contacting me and letting me know.

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

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

"Snow" Parrotlets

On a parrotlet breeder website they have listed Snows(Pure Snow White with dark eyes) parrotlets for $700. Is there such a mutation? Just curious as in cockatiels we would call that a clear pied.

Ginny
"Never think that a handful of people can't change the world ... in fact, it's the only thing that ever has."
~ Dr. Margaret Mead
Cultural Anthropologist

Thank you for your email. Snows? Goodness! I wish people would at least attempt to use correct nomenclature; just because this is new mutation in parrotlets doesn’t mean it isn’t a new mutation in other birds. While IPS would not call that bird a ‘clear pied’ we would also not call it a ‘snow’. But to answer your question there IS a pure white bird with black eyes and it is a new mutation, no matter what they call it.

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, September 27, 2011

Importing a Bird From Asia into Canada

Thanks for all the information provided on your website. And, I have a question for you.Can you offer any advice about bringing a bird from Asia to Canada?


I've been living overseas with my pet bird for 10 years. We are currently living in Thailand and because of the bird flu scare, there are all sorts of restrictions. The USA as you probably know had stopped their quarrantines and banned all imports. I want to relocate to N. America and would love to bring my bird. "Ginger" is healthy but old - she's a 10 year old finch (house sparrow, actually). She has never come in contact with another animal or bird. Her entire life has been lived in quarantine.


Suggestions?
Thanks,
Deb


Dear Deb:

Thank you for your email.

First, you will need to contact Canada - their ministry of agriculture, their wild-life conservation department and possibly their contagious disease center. This is because Canada, like the US, does ban the import of wild-caught birds. In the US its called the Wild Bird Conservation Act and has nothing to do with disease control. Btw, the US does NOT outlaw the importing of ALL birds although it is severely restricted, it does allow some birds to be imported under certain conditions. This was in place years before H5N1 was discovered.

However, in 1997 when the first case of H5N1 surfaced, the US and Canada outlawed the import of birds from countries that have H5N1 as well as Exotic Newcastle disease. But that is the case for almost every Western nation.I'm not sure what Canada's status is for Thailand but it pretty much mirrors what the US does.

Next you will need to find out whether or not Canada allows the importation of that bird. It may be covered under its Migratory Bird Act, Endangered Species Act or possibly an invasive species act but I am not Canadian and not sure how their rules work.

Finally, I believe that Canada does allow in home quarantine however you will need CITES permits, export permits, import permits and testing at your own expense at minimum However all of this is subject to the laws and rules governing both import of birds and disease control.

Hope this helps!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society

Hello,

Pet Egg Laying Parrotlet

I have a female who is laying eggs altho there is no male in the cage with her. She looks sick and is breathing heavily. I've
taken the eggs out-she lays one at a time and when the egg is gone she comes to life again. What's going on and what can I do for her?

I thank you in advance for any info you can provide!!

Susan

Dear Susan:

Thank you for your email. While it is uncommon for single parrotlet hens to lay eggs, it does happen and it is almost always due to management problems.

First, pet parrotlets should not be exposed to more than 12 hours a day of daylight. This is what puts their breeding hormones into action and causes them to lay eggs. Think of chickens that lay eggs for the breakfast table. They are induced to lay eggs, without a male, just because their eyes are receiving more than 12 hours a day of daylight. I always recommend that pet parrotlets not be exposed to more than 12 hours a day of daylight – 10 is better. Cover the bird at 8 PM and uncover it at 8 AM. It does not matter if the bird is sleeping during that time, only that the amount of light exposure is less than 12.

Second, make sure this hen is getting lots of calcium. She is depleting her body of calcium when she lays an egg so make sure she has lot of cuttlebone (it is not used to ‘sharpen or reduce the beak but it is a rich source of calcium) plus foods that have lots of calcium like broccoli and leafy greens (not lettuce). You can also give her some cooked egg with the shell or even provide some powdered calcium a few times a week on her fresh foods.

Finally, DO NOT REMOVE THE EGGS. Sorry to type in caps but I can’t tell you how important that is. Nature has designed them to replace eggs that are lost and every time you take the egg away, her instinct drives her to lay another one to replace it. The best thing you can do is just leave her alone and let her brood the eggs. Don’t interrupt her cycle. She will sit on the eggs until her instinct instructs her not to any more. Mother Nature is truly amazing in what she has designed these birds to do for the last millennia and they do not need our help or our interference. In fact, removing the eggs, especially as she lays them will cause her tremendous stress as their must be a predator in the area and she can’t find a new nesting place plus the physical stress of laying more and more eggs, can eventually kill her. This can happen from her blood calcium levels falling to dangerous lows or by laying the eggs themselves and causing either a condition called ‘egg binding’ where she can no longer eliminate the egg from her body or, worse, a prolapsed uterus which is almost always fatal.

As for her behavior, she probably is going to be more moody, territorial, aggressive and nippy. I would not handle her unless she wants to be and please don’t discipline or try and correct her actions. She is doing what Nature designed her to do and it won’t do any good to try and mold her behavior into what you want. Just be patient, leave her alone and eventually she will get her hormonal cycle back into sync and she’ll abandon the eggs and hopefully, if you have changed the environment accordingly, stop laying.

Best of luck and I hope this helps!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society

Biting Parrotlet

Hi Sandee

Again I must say thank you so much for your web site and blog

Question....I just saw a recent email from Monica on your blog
She mentions the advice you gave her ..." several months ago about taming Toby "
...and she mentions " he doesn't bite anymore ".....could you let me know when
you helped her with taming advice.....the date or month of the blog Monica is
referring too...?......situational behaviors with my male pacific parrotlett the mighty small Odie
After two years from adoption approximately ,he drew blood on my finger
Never bit me that hard before....but knowing from you and others that Pacifics are
indeed quite aggressive and territorial ...still surprised and hurt...somewhat..
It was me who came at him too fast with my hand while he was sitting contentedly
with my wife .....going out that night and wanting to place him back in his cage....
where of course he didn't want to go....he's been more bitey around this issue of late
Total parrot normality....especially amazon parrot behavior similarities
I do get it and he's older and more male in actions....
So, reading your letter that Monica refers to would be appreciated
Let me know how to find it.....I know your academic and breeding chores and more
keep you busy so answer as you can
Greatly appreciated .....odies left foot healed well again and he's just great to have
as part of our family.....latest oration from Odie ....." do you need a poopy break "....then
he repeats the last part several times....likes the rhythm and words it seems

Thanks Sandee

Mark

Dear Mark:

Monica hired me as a consultant and I worked with her for 4-5 months. I did write about it my blogs but I really have no idea what dates. She also purchased my latest book so everything is out there but I really can't track it down. Especially these days. I am terribly busy dealing with the issues of my mother's estate so the information is out there and available or we could have some phone consultations if you wish.

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

Territorial Parrotlet

He is 10 months old and seems somewhat well adjusted to his home. I got him when he was 3 months old. The breeder said he was very sweet and hand raised. I am very patient with him, but he really does not seem all that tame to me. He has not moulted yet as far as I can tell. He is not talking at all. He chirps a great deal and has his noisy times during the day. He plays with his toys occasionaly but not nearly as much as I expected from all the research I have done. He does not seem to interested in playing.

Well, it took him at least 4 months before I could hold him. He still backs off when I try to have him step up to my hand, but will jump on my shoulder when he wants to. He lets me scratch his neck and head and really enjoys that.

My problem is that in the last 2 weeks he has begun "attacking" my hand when I am near the cage. This is when he is on top of the cage. He will come at me and bite, back off and do it again. I don't know what prompted this. He does it wherever he is and I come near him even when I am filling up his food. He is free to come and go in and out of his cage all day. I keep him on a schedule of uncovering him at 8 am and bed at 10 pm.

Any info or thoughts on why this is happening would be greatly appreciated.


Dear Karen:

Sounds like a completely normal parrotlet to me. He’s just being territorial over ‘his’ stuff. Also, he is getting way too many hours of daylight which is probably interfering with his hormones and/or creating a perpetual molt.I have written tons of blogs, articles and chapters in my book so you can look up that information for details but he needs to be taught to step up, you need to keep control over where he goes including the top of his cage, keep his wings clipped, lower the day light hours to 12 or less and make sure he is not in a position of dominance – which may mean keeping him off the cage top and keeping him off your shoulder. Just takes some patience and training but all parrotlets are aggressive and territorial and he is simply doing what all parrotlets do.

Best of luck!

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

Breeding Lifespan of Parrotlets

Sandee,

Can I ask a question. How old can Parrotletts get and still produce babies ?

Thanks.

Dear Kevin:

Usually, males have a longer breeding life than hens. It really depends on how the birds are managed especially with females. The younger they bred, the amount of clutches they had and the quality of the food, housing and rest periods are big determining factors with females but generally speaking they can last 4-8 years. I’ve had males continue to produce into their teens but generally its 7-10 years.

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

Vitamin D Requirements

Hi Sandee!
I had e-mailed you about my 4 month old parrotlet. She eats wholegrains, beans and lentils. Also sprouted seeds, and lots of veggies and some fruits in her diet. I provide her with Bee Pollen, spirulina and wheatgrass powder a couple times per week. I am also considering on giving free choice some dry lory powder for her. My question is, my parrotlet does not eat pellets, and only eats a bit of seed. I have heard of the importance of vitamin d3 in the diet. Should I be providing her with a supplement that contains vitamin d3. I don't want to be over supplementing her! Should I be supplementing? How much is too much? Does she need some vitamin D3? I do not provide artificial lighting for her. Hope you can explain the supplementation for her!
Thanks Sandee
Carol

Dear Carol:

For parrotlets that are breeding, the need for vitamin D is essential for the proper absorption of calcium in order to produce eggs. In pet birds, not so much. There is a lot of controversy over the efficiency of full spectrum lighting, however, it will not hurt your bird if you provided it so long as it isn’t too close to the cage. You can also feed cooked egg yolk a couple of times a week. This will provide both protein and vitamin D. Neither of these methods would be harmful since they are natural sources of vitamin D.

Hope this helps!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Pet Sitter For Vacation

Hi Sandee,

I will be going on vacation soon for two weeks and wonder if it will be sufficient if I have a friend feed and give fresh water to my parrotlet every other day while I am gone? I plan to leave two full dishes of seed mix (one Volkman's and the other a mix of black oil sunflower seeds and oats groats which he loves.) Normally I add some fresh chopped veggies too, but I don't want it to go bad in-between feedings. I'll also leave some millet in the cage too.

I thought he would be less stressed and not exposed to other birds, if he
stays in his nice big cage at home.

Does this sound ok ?

Thanks!

Monica

Dear Monica:

Thank you for your email. You are doing exactly what I advise people to do. It is much more risky, stressful and not comfortable for the bird to be anywhere but at home. Its ok if he goes without fresh food for a little while but not good to expose him to a new environment. You are making the best decision in my opinion.

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



Hi Sandee,

Thanks for your recommendations!

By the way, thanks to your expert advice on taming Toby several months ago, he is now a real sweetheart and NEVER bites anymore!! I am so happy!

Sincerely,
Monica

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Unrelated Spectacles & Green Rumps

Sandee,

Greetings!!

I was speaking with Ed Singh today he has some wonderful Blue Mutation Yellow Napped Amazons. Wow he is very smart as well, he had mentioned your name and spoke very highly of you. I have also been E-mailing with Brian Nielsen in Denmark he has a very good sense with Parrotlets. But he will not ship to USA.

I have purchased 3 Green Rumps from *****, these birds are so small and sweet. But they are related I was looking for an un-related male that was banded and have had no luck. I have spoke with **** and found that I am number four on his list to receive a Spectacled Parrotlet, which is very exciting except that I will be looking for a un-related female Spectacle Parrotlet AND and his stock of Green Rumps are related to these birds...

I am finding myself going around full circle each time and continue to write you. So I would like to say that with out your help I would have given up already. I can NOT believe how much I have learned./ I have read your book of Parrotlets endless times and nearly have it memorized. And I would like to ask if you would know where I could find a Banded male Green Rump, and a Female Spectacle Parrotlet. These birds are very difficult for me to locate.

There was one gentleman in Orlando interbreeding Green Rumps to Pacifics and have decided not to purchase ANY of his birds.

Please if you have any info I would be most grateful. Thanks
Sincerely,
Matt

Dear Matt:

Thank you for your email and your patience waiting for my response. As I responded earlier, I was on a much needed vacation and have just returned.

It is ironic that you mention Ed Singh. I had not heard from Ed in years and just recently ran into him at the AFA convention in August. It was wonderful catching up with him. He is an amazing man with an incredible knowledge of birds and I am very lucky to consider him a friend. As for Mr. Nielsen, neither he nor ANYONE else can legally export normal birds into the US. They can only export color mutation Pacifics and even then, only the color the US government says he can.

I understand your frustration with the extremely limited gene pool available in the US with regard to Green Rumps and Spectacles. If you think those birds are hard to come by, don’t even think about Blue Wings, Mexicans or Yellow Face. I am currently writing a very sad article on genetically extinct species of parrotlets in the US and ALL of them fall under that category except for Pacifics. Even with Pacifics it is almost impossible to find any normal, wild-type birds that do NOT have mutations in their genetic background. This is something that has been very hard for me to accept since I had worked tireless for the last almost 30 years to preserve these species by helping found the International Parrotlet Society, organizating breeding cooperatives, publishing books and countless magazine articles and of course, speaking about the need to preserve these species at national and international avian venues for decades. Unfortunately, however, human greed and ego, along with the passage of the Wild Bird Conservation Act in 1992 has led us to the place where we are now.

You do not mention the WBCA so I apologize in advance if you know about it but I am going to go into it briefly since its passage was instrumental in contributing to these birds no longer being available. In 1992, Congress passed the Wild Bird Conservation act which was intended to stop the importation of wild caught birds. It was required in order for the US to comply with its obligations as a member of CITES (Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species). Unfortunately, US Fish & Wildlife Service, which is responsible for its implementation and enforcement, decided that since there is no way to visually determine if a bird was hatched in captivity or the wild, regardless of being banded or microchipped, they set up regulations that made it so difficult to import birds that even zoos have had problems. For the average hobbyist or breeder, forget it. Only approved breeding cooperatives (usually managed by non-profit organizations not individuals), captive bred birds listed on the Approved Import list, approved foreign breeding facilities and pet birds traveling with their owners can be imported. Most species of parrotlets mature at 1 year of age and produce offspring. So in almost 20 years, we have had 20 generations of birds being produced. Every generation, of course, further drains the gene pool of unrelated birds. Ironically, the birds that were allowed to be imported under WBCA, i.e., color mutations, have proved to be the ultimate downfall of every species of parrotlet in the US except for Pacifics. This is because people got rid of all their other species of parrotlets and chose to breed color mutation Pacifics instead. This was because a) they could charge hundreds if not thousands of dollars for new color mutations and b) they could feed their egos by producing color mutation birds that did not previously exist. This further depleted the availability of birds and the birds that were still available can almost all be considered related.

By 1987 most South American countries had quit exporting their birds, including Green Rumps Obviously this was before the passage of WBCA so their genetic contributions to the US captive bred populations were cut off even earlier than 1992. Also, Green Rumps, were notoriously difficult birds to breed and keep. This was because they are very timid very shy birds. They are easily stressed, picky eaters and very unpredictable parents. Even proven pairs were known for suddenly stopping breeding, producing infertile eggs and abandoning/killing chicks. Today, they are almost impossible to find and for those that can be found, while I am not a betting woman, I would bet my last dollar they are all related. They have to be – otherwise they would not exist.

As far as Spectacles go, there were none in the US until 1992 when approximately 20-30 pairs of birds were imported. They came into the country right before the WBCA was enforced on Jan. 1, 1993. The International Parrotlet Society had been founded in 1992 and the first thing we did was set up a breeding cooperative. It obviously worked very well since the birds were bred and available to the pet trade in less than 2 years. This was due to the devotion and dedication of the breeders who traded birds rather than sell them and the birds’ own strong health and great parenting skills. Unfortunately, many people got rid of their Spectacles to breed color mutation Pacifics. Of the people who continued to breed, our already tiny gene pool was further depleted. I can guarantee you that all of the Spectacles available these days are related.

When it comes to the other species – Mexicans, Blue Wings, Yellow Face and Sclaters, the picture is even more dismal. They are truly extinct birds flying – at least in the US anyway.

Mexican parrotlets were always difficult to breed, only produced one clutch per year if you are lucky and since so many were smuggled many came in with avian t.b. and killed off any birds that were exposed. Not many people worked with Mexicans because of that; I only know of 1 other private breeder although there were a couple of zoos working with them. All of the birds are either related, too old or both to breed.

Blue Wings were a little easier to breed but they never made good pets being nervous and difficult even when hand-fed so very few people worked with them. To complicate things, a color mutation blue Blue Wing surfaced and, once again, due to the amount of money that could be made, everyone tried to breed these birds by breeding them to the few remaining normal birds so they are all related. Now, there are only 2 breeders of Blue Wings in the US and all the birds are very closely related. When they die, the species will officially be extinct in the US.

Yellow Face were never imported in large numbers. In fact, I can only verify 3 legal importations of the birds and the last one was in 1985. In the early 2000’s, there were two reported cases of the birds being smuggled – many of them had avian t.b. and died off; the others, due to their limited availability were hybridized with Pacifics. While some of these birds are still around everyone I have seen have been hybrids so they are now considered ‘extinct’ in this country.

Of the Sclater’s Parrotlet, only one pair was ever documented to have had offspring. That was in the late 1980’s and the birds, along with their single offspring, died in a house fire.

So I am sorry to take such a long time to get to my point, you are not going to be able to find any birds that are unrelated to yours. I do still breed Green Rumps and Spectacles but mine are certainly related to yours – if not directly from my stock. I was one of the first people in the US to breed Spectacles and my Green Rumps were spread far and wide across this country. And while I still breed, they are all getting older producing fewer and fewer birds – very soon I won’t have anything but my retired birds.

To say this is sad beyond belief is an understatement. I had made it my life’s work to be able to preserve these species but unfortunately I was not successful. I wish you the best of luck and perhaps you will be fortunate enough to find the birds you are looking for. After all, a Spix’s macaw was once located in the US but rarely does lightening strike. I do hope you have a better understanding of this situation so you do not get taken advantage of – anyone who claims to have birds unrelated to yours should produce a DNA pedigree and/or they should have been breeding these birds since before 1992.

I do wish you the best of luck.

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

Parroltet Being Too Loud

Hi Sandee,
Our parrotlet is quiet a lot of the time. Sometimes however when we leave the room and occasionally when we are still in it, he chirps loudly and repeatedly. Someone suggested spraying water at him, I don't know if this is the right thing to do. I know he just wants attention but we can't give it to him all the time. How is the best way to get him to stop? We do play with him in the mornings and evenings for 1/2 hour each and his cage is where he can see us when we are in the living room. Thanks

Dear Jean:

Sorry for the delay in responding. As I had explained I was on vacation and just returned.

What you are describing is a 'location call'. It is the way that an individual bird communicates and keeps track of its flock. This is the way they instinctually behave in order to survive in the wild. After all, it is how Nature designed them to protect them from predators and find food, shelter and mates. It truly is a bird saying "Hey, where are you? I'm over here!" All parrots, not just parrotlets engage in this behavior. If you think parrotlets are loud, you should listen to a sun conure or blue and gold macaw!

Unfortunately, it is one of the instinctive behaviors that may or may not be 'trained' out of a bird. It is part of their biological makeup for survival - just like them being territorial and aggressive when it comes to their cage. It really is up to the owner to change their behavior and their reaction rather than trying to punish a bird to make them stop, which is what happens when you spray them with water.

The best thing to do, is what you are doing. Ignore it. Do not react and that includes not yelling, screaming, spraying them or otherwise engaging them. Birds respond to any kind of attention, both bad and good so even if you punish them, they are still going to do the undesired behavior.

My pet parrotlet once developed a very annoying call. I have no idea where he learned it since he wasn't around other birds but at around 4 or 5 he started making this very shrill, very loud call that sounded a lot like a lovebird (and he had never been around lovebirds). I chose to ignore him but he kept making the noise. I realized that whenever he would make the sound, I would look at him. After all, that is a human characteristic and the minute we made eye contact, he got his reinforcement and kept doing it. I then started to train MYSELF to look down when he made the noise and then physically turn my back on him. As soon as he stopped making the sound, I would then talk to him and praise him in a soothing voice. I was irritating but after 2 days, it worked. He stopped making the sound.

So that is my best advice to you. Ignore the sound. Do not respond verbally, physically or by looking at him. All it does is reinforce the behavior. As soon as he is quiet, praise him. I can't guarantee he'll stop doing it but he probably will do it less often and eventually may stop altogether when he realizes that location call does not work with his flock. But it is important to remember that no only do you give the 'punishment' by ignoring him but that you reward him by acknowledging and engaging him immediately when he stops making the sound.

I know it can be annoying but remember he is not doing it to irritate you. He's a parrot and that's what parrots do. Be grateful that parrotlets are the quietest parrots you can have - a Moluccan cockatoo can literally rattle your teeth they are so loud. Remember, that many times behaviors that work to insure survival of the species are not desired in a captive pet situation but that is the burden that we must bear not the bird. The bird didn't ask to be a pet so we must learn to adapt ourselves as well as training our bird in order for everyone to live in harmony.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

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

Life Expectancy of Blue Pacific Parrotlets

Hi Sandee-can you please tell me what you have been experiencing as the most average lifespan for a blue pacific parrotlet---I have read that they can live to age 20 depending on diet...another site listed 10-12 yrs. as the norm..I did read your comments on kidney issues with the color mutations---I was not aware of that until now...thanks so much,Jane

Dear Jane:

Thank you for your email. Unfortunately, the Internet is both the best place to learn about things and the worse. Anyone with a keyboard and an opinion can be an expert and there is no way to check to see if anyone really knows what they are talking about. I have a 30 year history of working with parrotlets and have a paper trail of books, articles, seminars, founding of organizations and holding many positions with various avian organizations.

I find it interesting that people would make the claim that any color mutation parrotlet can live 20 years or more since they have only been in this country for about 15 years. The blues were not imported into the US until 1997 so it is impossible for anyone here to have experience with keeping these birds that long. I got my first wild-caught normal parrotlets back in the early 1980’s. We obviously did not know how old they were since they were wild caught adults but I do know that I routinely kept them at least 15-20 years, therefore I could make the claim, based on my own experience, the birds lived 20 years or more. Unfortunately, that is rarely the case with normal parrotlets anymore – I find their lifespans are now about 10-15 years. As for the mutations, it will take at least another 10-20 years before anyone can claim direct knowledge of their lifespans but based on the empirical date regarding normal parrotlets, they most likely will not live more than 10-15 years and because they are mutations, its probably less than that. But again, that is my opinion extrapolated by my own direct knowledge and experience as well as consulting with pet owners, breeders, zoos, vets, biologists and researchers around the world.

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

Life Expectancy of Blue Pacific Parrotlets

Hi Sandee-can you please tell me what you have been experiencing as the most average lifespan for a blue pacific parrotlet---I have read that they can live to age 20 depending on diet...another site listed 10-12 yrs. as the norm..I did read your comments on kidney issues with the color mutations---I was not aware of that until now...thanks so much,Jane

Dear Jane:

Thank you for your email. Unfortunately, the Internet is both the best place to learn about things and the worse. Anyone with a keyboard and an opinion can be an expert and there is no way to check to see if anyone really knows what they are talking about. I have a 30 year history of working with parrotlets and have a paper trail of books, articles, seminars, founding of organizations and holding many positions with various avian organizations.

I find it interesting that people would make the claim that any color mutation parrotlet can live 20 years or more since they have only been in this country for about 15 years. The blues were not imported into the US until 1997 so it is impossible for anyone here to have experience with keeping these birds that long. I got my first wild-caught normal parrotlets back in the early 1980’s. We obviously did not know how old they were since they were wild caught adults but I do know that I routinely kept them at least 15-20 years, therefore I could make the claim, based on my own experience, the birds lived 20 years or more. Unfortunately, that is rarely the case with normal parrotlets anymore – I find their lifespans are now about 10-15 years. As for the mutations, it will take at least another 10-20 years before anyone can claim direct knowledge of their lifespans but based on the empirical date regarding normal parrotlets, they most likely will not live more than 10-15 years and because they are mutations, its probably less than that. But again, that is my opinion extrapolated by my own direct knowledge and experience as well as consulting with pet owners, breeders, zoos, vets, biologists and researchers around the world.

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

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Parrotlet with PDD

Hi,

I have read The Parrotlet Handbook and I thank you for writing it. I have a 2 and 1/2 year old male Parrotlet, named Pepper, just diagnosed with PDD. Do you have any suggestions as to any changes that should be made in his handling?

He was misdiagnosed by a local avian vet who told me it was behavioral but then I was able to find a more expert avian veternarian as his problems seemed more neurological to me. Now I am being more careful with the information I receive. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Denise

Dear Denise:

Thank you for your email. Sorry for the delay in responding but I was out of town since the 27th.

PDD is not a disease that is very commonly found in parrotlets. In fact, I have only known of one other proven case of it in parrotlets. Obviously, the birds are not immune but it is something that is known as a disease of parrotlets. I have never had it in my aviary in almost 30 years so I have no direct knowledge with which to help you. I strongly recommend you check with University of GA and Texas A & M to see what they recommend for treatment. I know that a lot of promise was shown with Celebrex in larger birds but other than that, I only have anecdotal information no direct or first-hand experience with it. I do know that under no circumstances should he ever come into contact with other birds but other than that, I have no idea about how to handle or treat him.

Best of luck to you and your bird.

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

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Coloration of Blue & Yellow Parrotlets

Hello,

I live in San Francisco and am looking for a Pacific blue parrotlet that is the bright aqua blue or bright canary yellow color.
Do you happen to have any available? If so, I would love to drive down and take a look!

Thanks much,

Jessica

Dear Jessica:

Thank you for your email.

Unfortunately, parrotlet mutations have not been around long enough for us to ‘perfect’ coloring on the birds. Blues can run the gauntlet from light blue to teal to aqua to dark blue or even gray or silvery blue. I always say its like blond hair in humans. Some people have honey blond, some are strawberry blond, some are platinum, etc. But they are all blond. Sex and age can also have an influence on color. A young bird that has not yet molted may be a very different color from what it molts out to as an adult. This the same with the ‘dilute’ or what used to be called yellow. The bird is not a true genetic yellow and therefore can be anything from a light lemon yellow to chartreuse greenish yellow. Also, females tend to have a more uniform and ‘true’ coloration than males. This is because of the natural coloring of normal male birds which are often various shades of color or even different colors such as gray. I am telling you this because I don’t want you to be disappointed or feel like you were taken advantage of but even looking at the parent birds cannot guarantee the color you want will be the color you get.

That being said, I always have a waiting list for birds and right now it is more than five months long. Even then I cannot guarantee when I will have birds available as I have received some news regarding my health that may affect my ability to breed birds. I can recommend a wonderful woman by the name of Marianne who has been breeding parrotlets for years and has a wonderful reputation. You can reach her at yosemjd@aol.com

Good luck and be sure and tell her that I gave you the referral!

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

Full Spectrum Lighting For Pet Parrotlet

Hi there,

Just wanted an expert opinion on full spectrum lighting for my parrotlet. We live in an apartment and therefore the parrotlet is kept indoors as one of the family. He is in the living area with the family. I have read about the importance of natural sunlight for our bird and I am concerned that the lack of this will have a detrimental effect on him. I don’t know much about what is available and would greatly appreciate any advice you could give me. Thanks

Ann

Dear Ann:

Thank you for your email. Almost everyone that keeps parrotlets in the US keeps them indoors as pets. Even breeders generally do not keep their birds out of doors. There is a lot of controversy regarding ‘full-spectrum’ lighting and the need for it with pet birds that are not breeding. I do recommend it for people who breed their birds as they do need vitamin D to metabolize calcium which is vitally important for breeding hens. However, pet birds, especially males that are an otherwise healthy and balanced diet who also receive vitamins probably do not need it. In fact, it has been my experience over the last 30 years of keeping parrotlets that too much light is the problem and it often leads to prolonged molts, aggression and feather destructive behaviors. Also, I have never heard of a pet bird having an issue because of the lack of full-spectrum lighting. However, if it makes you feel better, you can certainly get one and use it. Light is light so it doesn’t matter which manufacturer you use just make sure it isn’t too close to the cage as it can cause cataracts and eye damage nor turned on for more than 12 hours a day or his hormones will go into overdrive and he can start having the problems I described above.

Hope this helps!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Untamed Adult Pair of Parrotlets

Hello Sandee!

I am the owner of 2 Parrotlets (pacific, male and female) for about 3 days. My husband purchased them for me at a Farmer's Market and we have little knowledge of their background or even age. They are very skittish around people (won't allow me to touch them) although they have started looking at me when I talk to them and whistling (which I am assuming is their way of talking).

I am not an avid bird lover but find these little creatures so adorable that I want to make an honest effort to make them a part of my family. I'd love to be able to hold them and teach them tricks and so forth but have NO IDEA where to start!

If you could provide any help on how I can first gain the trust and confidence of my newfound friends, I would certainly appreciate it!

Sincerely,

Sandra

Dear Sandra:

Thank you for your email. I just wrote a blog about the chances of taming an adult parrotlet and it is very detailed and extensive so I ‘m not going to go back into it other than to say that whether or not you will be successful depends on a) how old the birds are b) whether or not they were hand-raised c) the birds’ own personalities d) whether they are bonded to one another (which I can almost guarantee they are) and e) how much time, effort, patience and skill you are going to devote to taming these birds. The fact they are a pair probably means they are bonded to one another and that just makes this situation all the harder for you. This why breeders spend so much time, energy and effort to hand-feed parrotlets every 4 hours for weeks in order to make them good pets.
As for the necessary skills as well as environmental conditions – separating them, clipping their wings and dealing with getting bitten are things that are too extensive to put into a blog and is why I write books. Taming an untamed parrotlet is not something a novice bird owner can usually do – even experienced bird owners are not successful but if you want to try it, you are going to have to do more than just read a blog. My latest book is The Parrotlet Handbook and it is available at amazon.com or off my website. I also recommend you purchase Rebecca O’Connor’s book “A Parrot for Life” and if you can find it, Mattie Sue Athan’s Guide to a Companion Parrot.
Best of luck!
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
________________________________________

Hand-Feeding Day One Parrotlets

Occasionally I have a Parrotlet egg that I have to hatch in the incubator. It seems that I can successfully raise an incubator-hatched baby about 50% of the time. For the ones that don't survive, it seems like they never develop. They don't get pin feathers, their eyes don't open, and I usually lose them at about 3-4 weeks old.

I feed all my babies KayTee Exact Handfeeding Formula. Do you know of anything I can do to encourage the baby's eyes to open? They eat well, and their crops get full. Their brooder is set to 89°. For the ones that survive, their eyes open on time, at around 12-14 days old.

Thank you for any advice you can give me.
Pam

Dear Pam:

Thank you for your email. Unfortunately, there are things that Mother Nature is much better at than we are and that is raising baby parrotlets from Day One. You can try different supplements, Probiotics, vitamins, etc., but nothing can replace a hen caring for chicks. They are just too tiny and too difficult. They probably also receive certain necessary flora, bacteria, hormonal or other things from the parent bird that we don't know about and can't duplicate. I know we as humans always think we can do things as well as Nature or even better but it has been my 30 year experience that no human can duplicate what a female parrotlet can do when it comes to raising chicks that are less than 4 days old.

Sincerely yours,


Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Ranch

Hand-Feeding Day One Parrotlets

Occasionally I have a Parrotlet egg that I have to hatch in the incubator. It seems that I can successfully raise an incubator-hatched baby about 50% of the time. For the ones that don't survive, it seems like they never develop. They don't get pin feathers, their eyes don't open, and I usually lose them at about 3-4 weeks old.

I feed all my babies KayTee Exact Handfeeding Formula. Do you know of anything I can do to encourage the baby's eyes to open? They eat well, and their crops get full. Their brooder is set to 89°. For the ones that survive, their eyes open on time, at around 12-14 days old.

Thank you for any advice you can give me.
Pam

Dear Pam:

Thank you for your email. Unfortunately, there are things that Mother Nature is much better at than we are and that is raising baby parrotlets from Day One. You can try different supplements, Probiotics, vitamins, etc., but nothing can replace a hen caring for chicks. They are just too tiny and too difficult. They probably also receive certain necessary flora, bacteria, hormonal or other things from the parent bird that we don't know about and can't duplicate. I know we as humans always think we can do things as well as Nature or even better but it has been my 30 year experience that no human can duplicate what a female parrotlet can do when it comes to raising chicks that are less than 4 days old.

Sincerely yours,


Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Ranch

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Boarding Parrotlets

Hi Sandee,

I was wondering, do you board parrotlets or know someone in Northern California that does? We have a 6 month old parrotlet and are planning to go on vacation in October. He's well-behaved and friendly. We are having difficulty finding someone willing to watch him while we are gone as everyone we know is unfamiliar with birds. We live in the Sacramento area. Thank you for your help!

Sincerely,
Lea

Dear Lea:

Thank you for your email. I have a blog on my page that goes into great detail but I would never board a parrotlet anywhere. Its too stressful and I can't think of a better way to expose your bird to diseases. Its much better to find a certified pet sitter who is licensed and bonded and will come to your home to take care of the bird.

It has been my experience with my big flock that its better to have someone who is NOT familiar with birds taking care of them because a) there is no risk of them exposing your bird to a disease from their birds and b)they will take care of the bird exactly the way you show them NOT how they think it should be done.

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

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Taming an Adult Parrotlet

Is it possible to tame an adult parrotlet? I like the idea of giving an adult a home, but I also want him to be my friend.

Thanks,

April

Dear April:

Thank you for your email. It has been my experience that parrotlets either bond with other birds or they bond with people. Nature has designed them to bond with birds and perpetuate the species. Human beings have overcome this instinct by imprinting birds to accept humans with which bond and socialize with instead of other birds. This is done by hand-feeding them from when their eyes are open at about 10 days of age. They are handled, touched, spoke to, fed and completely immersed in human interaction until they are weaned. Once they are weaned, the imprinting process continues when they are sold as pets, go to a new home and are trained and handled. Parrotlets that do not receive this further imprinting once the birds are weaned, almost always revert back to their wild natures and will not allow handling by humans. This is actually what people who work with rare and endangered species do in order to have birds breed successfully in captivity. The birds are hand-fed (but usually not handled or socialized) and once they are weaned, they are placed with other birds so they can readapt to being birds and accepting birds as mates and going onto reproduce. These make the ideal breeding birds because they are not afraid of people but they are still bonded with birds and will accept them as mates, breed and raise offspring.

While there are exceptions to every rule, in 30 years I can count on one hand all the birds that can be tamed as adults if they were not imprinted from a young age. If it were that easy, no one would spend the amount of time, energy and dedication to hand-feeding, socializing and training a baby parrotlet. People would simply handle them once they were weaned like budgies, cockatiels and lovebirds.

With all that being said, I cannot answer your question about this particular bird since all birds are individuals. It may be possible with a tremendous amount of patience and skill that you might be able to tame this bird to the point where you can handle it. I am assuming when you say you want the bird to be your 'friend' you want to be able to take it out of the cage and handle it. I can't make that determination. It may respond to training especially if it was hand-fed at one time but only time would tell. I can tell you that being handled isn't that important to the bird. Many parrotlets can live a very long and happy life in a big cage with lots of toys and interacting with the humans in their lives not in a physical manner but by chirping and responding to eye contact, treats, food and a person's voice. The only question with that would be does that work for you and only you can answer that.

Sorry I don't have a cut and dried answer for you but I hope you now have enough information to be able to determine what will work for you and this bird if you chose to bring it into your home.

Best of luck and thank you again for your email!

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

Mutation Green Rump Question, IPS Dues & Bands

I sent you (or someone else - I can't rememeber) an e-mail a week or 2 ago asking about mutated colors of Green Rumps. And I received some information on the subject. But my computer was hacked and I lost everything. I remember that there are breeders of Green Rumps who have dilutes. What I have is a solid white bird. It has not completely feathered out yet but so far everything is white. I guess I need to know of any breeders anywhere (the closer to Texas the beter) that has dilutes or whites. I would like to work with someone with more experance than me to develope this new color. Please send any information you may have.

I expect I to be joining the IPS for 2012. How soon should I send he membership fee for next year? And are bans availabel through the societ?

Thank you,
Randy

Dear Randy:

Thank you for your email. I sincerely doubt you talked to me because the information I have on mutation Green Rumps is not what you are reporting. I only know of two people who bred ‘dilute’ Green Rumps (they were never correctly identified so I will use the term only for ease of communication) and that was back in the late 1990’s. None of these people bred these birds to the second generation and my understanding is the mutation died out.

As for other color mutation Green Rumps, I am unaware of any ‘naturally’ occurring mutations other than the ‘dilutes’ that were produced in the 1990’s. I do understand that some people have hybridized the Pacific mutations with Green Rumps and are now producing blue, dilute, white and other colors. I would be very careful about whom you are purchasing these birds from and I would insist on photographs if not DNA verification of the mutation and the purity of the species. I’m not saying it isn’t possible, but as someone who is truly at the forefront of parrotlets in aviculture – I co-founded IPS, have several First Breeding Awards as well as Rare and Difficult Species Breeding Awards, have written 3 books on parrotlets, bred them for 30 years from wild caught stock and speak all over the world on them, I’m pretty much aware of all the things going on in the parrotlet community. I have seen too many people put up a lot of money and not get what they paid for. I would like to see a photograph of the bird since I can tell you if the bird was hybridized at ANY time in its pedigree.

IPS dues at this time are $25 a year although we probably will be changing that for next year. We are going to an email format for our journal and for those who want a printed journal, we will probably raise the dues, although at this time, that decision has not yet been made by the board. And yes, all IPS members can purchase registered bands through our organization.

Hope this helps and feel free to contact me with any further questions.

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

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Question On Baby Parrotlet

I found your website and have thoroughly enjoyed reading all the information you have provided. I have a question about my 9 week old baby female parrotlet. I have had her for three weeks now, she was shipped to me via airplane. She is very active, eats well, drinks more than any bird I have seen, has attitude and seems healthy but her droppings are very watery. There is still the fecal matter but lots of moisture as well, sometimes there is nothing solid. Would you have any advice or comments for me. I phoned vets and they said as long as she is eating and drinking she should be ok. Just concerned cause I fell in love with her on sight and don't think watery droppings are a good sign. I have held off giving her fruit and vegetables in case that is the cause. She eats cockatiel mix of birdseed, I am trying to get her onto pellets but it is a slow process.
Bev

Dear Bev:

Unfortunately, no one can diagnose your bird without examining it. I am very surprised that a vet wouldn’t know that. I wouldn’t let a doctor diagnose my medical condition over the phone and I am shocked we now have vets that are doing that.

I will tell you that only a vet can examine the bird and check it to see if this situation is normal. I certainly can’t. A sample needs to be taken at least have it checked out for parasites or fungal/bacterial infections or worse, since this bird is so young, a congenital problem especially with kidneys. I can’t see the droppings to know if they are too watery or not but I do know that a) your instincts are the best and b) if you are concerned, you need to have the bird examined. Fruits and vegetables – which should make up 60-70% of a parrotlet’s diet will make the droppings somewhat more watery but not anything that should concern you. After all, they eat produce in the wild and its part of their natural diet – pellets are not. Furthermore parrotlets are not birds that drink a lot of water since they originate in a dry, desert-like area. Most parrotlets drink no more than a tablespoon of water a day. In 30 years, the only birds I have had that drink more than that either have chicks to feed or have had kidney problems. Your bird could also have diabetes – something I am finding that is more and more common in parrotlets so if you are concerned about this bird, I would take it to a veterinarian competent in avian medicine and if you don’t know one, go to the Association of Avian Veterinarians www.aav.org and you can find a vet in your area. As for pellets, I have a page on my site about my observations and reports on birds fed primarily pelleted diets but the one thing you need to understand is if your bird has some kind of kidney issue pellets will make that worse. I would at least have the droppings checked under a microscope and also have blood checked for kidney disease and diabetes.

Best of luck and please let me know how it goes.

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, July 12, 2011

"Holland Blue" Pacific Parrotlet

Hello,

I am trying to find a baby parrotlet in my area so it doesn't have to be shipped. I have looked at the pictures and really think the light blue ones are very beautiful. A lady a few hours from me said that she has a baby "holland blue" parrotlet with Indigo on its wings and back. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a computer and doesn't know how to send pictures on her cell phone so she can't get a picture to me. I have tried looking it up online but nothing shows up under "holland blue" parrotlet. Do you have any idea where I could find a picture like this so I would know what he looks like before we drive four hours just to look at him? I would really appreciate any help you could give me. Here is a picture of the color of bird I am looking for: Could you tell me what color this bird is? If this is not Holland blue do you have any idea where I could find a baby parrotlet this color somewhere in Wisconsin? We live in the Wausau area but are willing to travel within Wisconsins if we find a bird.

Again, thank you so very much.

Elysheva (Elly)

Dear Elly:

Thank you for your email. There is no such bird as a ‘holland blue’. That is an internet term that was made up by someone and passed around like a virus. But it means nothing. All of the blue mutations came from Europe – mostly Belgium but also Germany, United Kingdom and Holland but it doesn’t matter since that happened more than 17 years ago and many generations have been produced in this country. Wherever their origins, they are most certainly “American-made” these days.

Blue is a mutation that has a wide range of color tones. It can run the gauntlet from a deep teal to a light powder blue. Males and females are also different (and btw ALL males except for albino have dark blue feathers on the wings, backs and rumps – that’s how you determine they are males). Males tend to have more gray especially on the back and wings. This is because the normal male parrotlets have more melanin than females. Females therefore tend to be more blue than males. I always tell people its like blond hair in humans. Some people are platinum blonds, some honey blonds, some strawberry blonds, etc., but they are still all blonds. Also, unlike humans, birds often change colors as they molt – particularly the first year. Even look at the parent birds is not going to give you an accurate picture of what the offspring are going to look like since birds are not dogs and you are not going to make exact replicas of the parents because of the factors I have already told you about.

The picture of the bird you sent is a male blue Pacific. That’s it. The only way you can be assured of buying a bird like this is for you to go out and look at them. I certainly, after more than 30 years of breeding parrotlets and having seen thousands of them as well as producing hundreds, cannot tell you where you can find a specific color of bird and promise that it will stay that way. No honest breeder can. Parrotlet mutations haven’t been bred long enough in this country for us to have uniform colors like they do with budgies, lovebirds and cockatiels. Perhaps in another 100 generations or so.

So, if color is the most important thing to you – rather than personality, pet quality or companionship factor, then only you can decide what is as ascetically pleasing to you. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So no, I can’t recommend anyone to you although I know hundreds of breeders – you will have to go physically look at every bird to see if that is what you want and then hope it doesn’t change as it grows and molts, especially if it is a male.

Hope this helps!

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society

Monday, July 11, 2011

Breeding Lutinos Together

hi not long moved over to keeping pacific parrotlets . my question is having produced lutino babies from unrelated sources is a lutino to lutino a viable pairing or is there a promlem with rearing chicks from this pairing .would lutino to spilt for lutino be a better pairing thanks mick

Dear Michael:

Thank you for your email. As someone that has kept parrotlets for almost 30 years, I am in this for the long-haul. I have always thought about and planned for the future of the captive-bred population in the US. I don’t really care about pretty new colors but health, vigor, conformation and the vitality of the species including keeping mutations from destroying them. After all, mutations are genetically abnormal and can have very deleterious affects on captive-bred populations especially when no normal or wild-type birds can be imported with which to outcross and keep them healthy and strong. It is for that reason and the fact that color mutation parrotlets, unlike budgies, cockatiels and lovebirds which have been bred for hundreds of generations, have only been around about 15 years, I never breed two of the same visual colors together. This is certainly not enough time to breed out genetic flaws. Perhaps in a hundred years or so but even then, I would never breed two red-eyed visual birds together. Even cockatiels, budgies and lovebirds have problems when you breed red-eyed to red-eyed so, in my opinion it is not a good thing. I’ve seen birds develop cataracts, been born blind or even one woman had some birds born without any eyes at all. So no, in my opinion it is much better to breed a visual red-eyed bird, whether it is a lutino, fallow, cinnamon, etc., to a split.

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

New Parrotlet Questions

Hi there,
i have just got a parrotlet for the first time, I am used to budgies but have never had a parrotlet before. I am concerned that the bird seems to eat all the time although there is a lot of uneaten seed at the bottom of the cage which he throws from his dish. I am about to introduce him to pellets and have also tried to give him a variety of fruit and vegetables, but as yet, he is not interested even although I know he ate them prior to coming to me. I will continue to offer them to him, its early days yet, I have only had him for two days!. However, I am concerned that he is always at his food bowl. I would be grateful for any advice. Thank you.

Dear Ann:

Thank you for your email. 2 days is not enough time for this bird to adjust. I have a page on my site called Bringing Home Baby and I suggest you read it as it will explain all various issues the bird is going through, what you can expect and tips for training, etc. Remember that budgies are domesticated birds and parrotlets are still very much wild. They need to adjust to you and become familiar and comfortable in the environment and that can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on the bird. As for his eating habits, this how parrots behave. “Wasting’ food is how Nature designed them to be part of the eco-system in the wild. They spread seed across the environment and this is all part of the natural ecosystem. It can be frustrating to owners but such is the Nature of the beast. Also, parrotlets are very high energy birds and gram for gram eat more than macaws so again, this is very normal behavior. As far as pellets are concerned, again, I have a page on my site and a very extensive blog on the subject that explains exactly what they are, what they were intended to be used for and whether or not they really are the best nutritional value for birds. You can find it at http://www.parrotletranch.com/pellets.html or an updated version on my blog at http://parrotletblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/pellets-color-mutation-parrotlets.html

Hope this helps and best of luck to you and your new bird!

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

New Parrotlet Question

Dear Ann:

Hi there,
i have just got a parrotlet for the first time, I am used to budgies but have never had a parrotlet before. I am concerned that the bird seems to eat all the time although there is a lot of uneaten seed at the bottom of the cage which he throws from his dish. I am about to introduce him to pellets and have also tried to give him a variety of fruit and vegetables, but as yet, he is not interested even although I know he ate them prior to coming to me. I will continue to offer them to him, its early days yet, I have only had him for two days!. However, I am concerned that he is always at his food bowl. I would be grateful for any advice. Thank you.

Thank you for your email. 2 days is not enough time for this bird to adjust. I have a page on my site called Bringing Home Baby and I suggest you read it as it will explain all various issues the bird is going through, what you can expect and tips for training, etc. Remember that budgies are domesticated birds and parrotlets are still very much wild. They need to adjust to you and become familiar and comfortable in the environment and that can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on the bird. As for his eating habits, this how parrots behave. “Wasting’ food is how Nature designed them to be part of the eco-system in the wild. They spread seed across the environment and this is all part of the natural ecosystem. It can be frustrating to owners but such is the Nature of the beast. Also, parrotlets are very high energy birds and gram for gram eat more than macaws so again, this is very normal behavior. As far as pellets are concerned, again, I have a page on my site and a very extensive blog on the subject that explains exactly what they are, what they were intended to be used for and whether or not they really are the best nutritional value for birds. You can find it at http://www.parrotletranch.com/pellets.html or an updated version on my blog at http://parrotletblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/pellets-color-mutation-parrotlets.html

Hope this helps and best of luck to you and your new bird!

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