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