August 2013 WVBS Newsletter

A Bird’s Eye View
Page 1
August, 2013
Volume 31
Issue 8
EB Cravens
April and I have recently returned from a fantastic two weeks in Europe,
based in the London vicinity and then in France where April received her
first glimpse of her grandfather’s homeland.
The lengthy (15,000 mile!) journey was precipitated by my being invited
to speak at the annual “Think Parrots” symposium in Woking, England, put
on by the publishers of Parrots Magazine and several other sponsors.
Besides being able to connect with old friends for the first time in years,
this was a wonderful glimpse into the state of parrotkeeping in the United
Kingdom.
I have to say I was quite impressed with the enthusiasm at the
conference. Lecture rooms were filled to near bursting until late in the day
and the exhibition and display hall was abuzz with owners seeking out
information, dietary needs, toys and environmental enhancement objects of all sorts. Add to this the three-times-the-day free flight
parrot show in the center ring and you end up with one fun and educational event! Parrot watching tours, conservation organizations,
and such notables as the esteemed Rosemary Low and artist Eric Peake also had booths at the show.
My talk was a new powerpoint presentation entitled “Why Does My Parrot Do That” and illustrated, just as the title suggests,
psittacine behaviors viewed from a birthing and raising perspective. T’was a look at the many formative stages taking place within the
baby parrot’s life under the techniques most aviculturists have been employing for decades. This is a brief version of the workshop I
will be giving at length during the World Parrot Trust’s Parrot Lover’s Cruise through the Caribbean in late October. Once again, as is
my wont, I spent several hours answering individual questions from bird owners at the close of the session.
And just as an aside, it was a pleasure to see how polite and patient those questioners were when they gathered round. Britain
really is a “proper” country!
Some other things I noticed about birdkeeping overseas during the visit:
1) England has a fine base of bird lovers seeking knowledge about how to better maintain their pet parrots in the home. I was
impressed with the range of bird maintenance topics brought up during private conversations. I also noticed high interest in upto-date concepts such as foraging toys, Birdkeeping Naturally
sprouting foods, and providing greenery and browse for our birds.
2) It was very encouraging how many individual pet psittacine owners were letting their birds have full wingspans and fly around. This
has been a long-term campaign of mine for many years, since actual flight offers sundry health and emotional benefits for pet parrots.
There are a lot of interest groups in the U.S. that adamantly resist such a modern, innovative approach to bird exercise and happiness;
but I was pleased to see that the Europeans I spoke with at the conference by and large are not interested in wing trimming with their
companion parrots. They are avoiding some of the mistakes made by us “yanks” in grounding our pet birds. Spread the word!
3) It would appear from audience reaction during Dr. Brian Stockdale’s veterinary presentation—which, by the way, was excellent
and very understandable for pet people-- that few commercial or hobby breeders took enough interest in the Think Parrots Day to
come out and interact with the pet-owning public by attending the conference. This seems rather ironic to me considering basic logic
(Continued on page 9)
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A Bird’s Eye View
August 16th - Club Meeting — Our special
guest speaker is Mike Keens! DON’T
MISS THIS MEETING—IT PROMISES
TO BE A FUN EVENING!
Birds are welcome at our meeting!
Join the fun.
*Remember to bring a dish to share
OR leave a donation.

Mike Keens, owner of Jungle Toys has
been a proud supporter of WVBS for
over 20 years and was a past WVBS vice
-president. Jungle Toys is a family
owned business that started from an
idea in 1992 to make better and safer
toys and is now one of the largest
domestic parrot toy companies. Family
owned and operated, all toys are made
in the United States out of bird-safe
products. Jungle Toys currently has
over 50 different toys to choose from,
for lovebirds to macaws. Jungle Toys
also produces perches and quality play
stands. Bring your creativity with you –
we will be making toys!
Thanks!
Please take an active role with the club. It's
YOUR CLUB! If you would like to help at any of
the events, contact Linda at 661-803-1416,
[email protected]
Extra: Write an original article and have it
published and receive $5 in free raffle
tickets or a NEW YACHT!
Bring “poop paper” for your bird’s use.
 Clean up after your parrot (poop and
food).
 Do not allow your bird to roam around at
will (on chairs, etc.) or get close to other
birds.
 Clip those wings! Meeting hall doors may
be open.

Bio-security may be in place at the meeting
entrance.
 Use antiseptic hand wipes before touching
other birds—respect other parrots’ health.
 Birds brought to meeting must be healthy
and not have been treated for illness for 30
days.

A Bird’s Eye View
Alan Pollack shared his passion about creating a backyard garden that
is attractive to both humans and wildlife. Thanks alan!
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A Bird’s Eye View
Don’t forget!
Renew your
membership
today!
“Joy of the Eternal Now”
Editors Note: Little did we know that at our May club
meeting, sitting quietly in back, was the artist Alice Asmar!
If you don’t happen to follow the world of art, take a
moment to check out her accomplishments: ALICE ASMAR
Alice Asmar
A master of many media, Alice is distinguished for her
many techniques, which include paintings in oil, casein,
and acrylic; drawing in ink, pencil and pastel, collage,
tapestry, books, lithography, etching, engraving on metal
on plexiglas, portraits, murals, and banners. Her hand
engraving of innovative designs for dinner and household
wares for Nambe Mills in Santa Fe is recognized
internationally.
Alice Asmar's works are in several hundred public and
private collections in the United States and Europe,
including the Smithsonian Institution, Franklin Mint,
Portland Art Museum, Gene Autry Hotel in Palm Springs,
Security Pacific International Bank of New York, The Public
Art Museum of Gabrova, Bulgaria, Kaiser-Permanente, and
the Dr. Nicholas Townell collection in Angus, Scotland.
After studying and traveling throughout the Near East,
France, Switzerland, Italy, Yugoslavia, Turkey, The Greek
Islands, Greece and Lebanon, Alice set up studios in
California, New Mexico, and Oregon. Today, she works in
an 800-square-foot studio that she designed with four
skylights located behind her home in Burbank, California.
- Alice, we hope to see you again at the West Valley Bird Society!
Bird Toys
Perches
Bird Trees and
More
Available at:
Omar’s Exotic Birds
Parrots Naturally
Discount Birds and Supplies
Feathered Follies
Animal Lovers
818-993-9777
E-mail: [email protected]
A Bird’s Eye View
Page 5
Jennifer Portillo
Lauren Cheney
Www.ReptacularAnimals.Com
CLICK HERE
Page 6
A Bird’s Eye View
Congratulations Christina from the west valley bird society!
Having trouble viewing this? Click here for the online version.
Masters degree: Complete!
Announcement: my Masters thesis was accepted! Can we say, ‘excited!?!?’ As other
thesis-based-degree achievers can attest and all others can imagine, it’s a long and
hard road. After 11 full months of fieldwork, constant writing, various
employment breaks, and then more writing, my 122-pg thesis (BELOW) was finally
accepted by The Australian National University. Yes, I guess you can now call me a
Master of Conservation Biology- not nearly as professional-sounding as Doctor
(PhD), but perhaps one day…
For the keenly interested, a free download can be found here at
www.ChristinaZdenek.com (scientific publications from my thesis are in the works)
Editors Note: As many of you may remember,
Christina gave us a superb presentation on the
Tambopata Macaw Project in South America back
in February of this year.. She also brought copies
(and ran out) of her book, The Cassowary and the
Homeless Cockatoos. This is great kid’s book and
is also a great addition to any bookshelf. Click on
the book (to the right) to order a copy (they make
great gifts—get 3 or 4!) If and when her time
permits, we hope to have her back as a guest
speaker.
Go to Christina’s News to read more about her life
Down Under.
A Bird’s Eye View
Page 7
Medical • Surgical • Pediatric • Geriatric
BIRDS • CATS • DOGS • EXOTICS
Reptiles, Rabbits & Rodents
Yoko Tamura, DVM • Mary Jo Howe,
DVM • Natasha Wood, DVM
(818) 881-6344 in Tarzana, CA
Dr Tamura, member of The Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) since 1996
Has your pet been "off" lately?
Is your pet itching excessively?
Is your pet gaining or losing a lot of weight?
Has it been over a year since your pet has been examined by a veterinarian?
Your pet’s health depends on you.
We want to help.
We are here to help you. From the moment you enter the Capri Plaza Pet Clinic, you and your pet will receive the best possible care in
the field of veterinary medicine. We help you care for your pet by offering quality health services through a responsive, professional
team of friendly, knowledgeable, caring individuals. Your pet will receive personal attention in a state-of-the-art facility from a team
that is genuinely committed to helping them live a long and healthy life.
Physical Exams
Parasite Treatment &
Prevention
Routine Dentistry
Geriatric Care
Laboratory
Vaccinations / Immunizations
Microchips
Neuter (castration surgery)
Spay Services (ovariohysterectomy surgery)
Radiology (X-rays)
Surgery
Clinic Hours:
Monday through Friday 8:00AM - 6:00PM
Saturday 9:00AM - 3:00PM Sunday Closed
Page 8
A Bird’s Eye View
Your Bird's Age
By Alyson Kalhagen, About.com Guide
Parrots Birds
Photo of Amelia, an Umbrella Cockatoo, provided courtesy of Pam Graham.
Question: Your Bird's Age
I may be the only one wondering about this, but I'm curious about pet birds and their ages. I have read
something about dogs aging 7 years for every year that passes, and I've also heard similar comparisons for
cats and other types of animals. Does the same sort of thing hold true for parrots and other types of birds?
I have an Umbrella Cockatoo that is 3 years old. Applying the rules that I've heard about pet ages, she
would actually be closer to 21 years as far as her physical development. Is that accurate? What is the best
way to determine the most accurate age for a bird?
Answer: This is a question that many, many people have in regards to their feathered friends, so you are
not alone at all! It's true that there is a lot of information out there about how to judge a pet's age in "dog
years" or "cat years" for example, but the thing about pet birds is that most of the larger parrot species
have lifespans similar to humans or even greater in some cases. This makes the measuring of their age in
anything but regular, 365 day years a moot point.
Your Umbrella Cockatoo, if all goes well, could end up living for up to 80 years or even longer -- so it's safe
to say that her current age, 3 years, is about as accurate as it gets. Physically, your bird is very young,
even though she might not look like it on the outside. The youth of the cells that make up her body could be
compared to those of a 3 year old human toddler, so when you think of it in those terms, it should be easy
to understand why it would be a mistake to measure her age in the same way that many do with dogs and
cats
As I said before, most of the larger bird species don't age any faster or slower than people do -- to the contrary, the rate at which their bodies age is remarkably similar to that of the average person. Some types of
birds, however, namely smaller species, don't have as long a life span as the larger parrots. Some examples
would be birds like Cockatiels, Lovebirds, and the Plum-Headed Parakeet, all of which have an average life
expectancy of around 20 years under optimal conditions. In species such as these, a little math could come
in handy when trying to figure out their age in "human years." The average life expectancy for a person is
somewhere between 75 and 80 years on average, so it could be said, for example, that a Cockatiel that was
10 years old is actually around 40 years old in "human years." Some birds, like Canaries, usually only live to
be 10 years old, so they would age in "human years" even faster than a Cockatiel.
As your bird gets older, it's important to support his or her physical condition with a diet that includes
plenty of fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables, and a schedule that includes an adequate amount of exercise. Birds who aren't as physically active as they should be tend to have shorter life spans on average -much like their human counterparts who don't get enough exercise! The bottom line is that as long as we
take care of our birds as well as we (hopefully) take care of ourselves, we should be rewarded with happy
and healthy pets that are able to meet or even exceed the average expected life spans for their species.
A Bird’s Eye View
Page 9
(Continued from page 1)
would confirm that this same parrot-loving and pet-buying public is the very one which makes successful psittacine breeding and sales
possible in the United Kingdom and elsewhere! One would think at least some conscientious or imaginative breeders would want to
interact with a large group of pet owners, speak with them one-on-one, and listen to what they are most interested in with their
parrotkeeping hobbies. The same tendency has been true in the U.S. for years. The breeders wish to sell their baby birds to pet buyers,
but they basically stop there. Of course, that is also one of the prime reasons that the commercial pet trade in the states is only twenty
five percent of what it once was. Listen up, aviculture, it really is a losing proposition to disdain to mingle with those clients who
sustain your business. Besides, who knows? You might actually learn something important at such a gathering--and take home a few
environmental enhancements for your breeder cages at the same time…
4) One of the most enlightening signs at the symposium was the enthusiasm and attendance shown for David Woolcock’s
‘Relationship with Your Parrot’ address. David, as you may be aware, is Curator of Paradise Park in Cornwall, UK, and a Trustee of the
World Parrot Trust. All we bird owners are linked and indebted to parrots still living in the wilds for the fascinations and joys they have
provided us through their wild-trapped relatives and their previously imported ancestors. The support we can show for psittacines’
continued presence in their native habitats is an essential part of our love for these creatures. Wild birds are an inspiration towards
what our pets’ relatives were, and a profound guide to what we may strive for with our companion parrots. It is only natural that we
pet owners would be drawn to support the conservation of avian species and preservation of wild habitats. David and the WPT
thoroughly represent that level of commitment and achievement.
5) And finally, I have to admit I did feel some concern about the mixing of so many different and unrelated hookbills from various
homes, into such a large public space. It appeared that everyone with a parrot was supervising it well, and the pets were not often
being passed around hand to hand. I loved seeing the birds of course and they do add to the nature of the event. I only caution owners
to be very sure their parrot is in optimum health before taking it on such a hectic (from the parrot’s point of view…) outing. Stress in
our companion birds can set off physical issues.
So if any of you BN readers are dreaming of seeing London and meeting great parrot people at the same time,
you
might consider attending next spring’s “Think Parrots.” It is a great time, I assure you.
P.S….The white horses and pink flamingos of the Camargue in the south of France are not bad either!!
Page 10
A Bird’s Eye View
A group of critically endangered California condors near Zion National Park, Utah. (© Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Minden Pictures/Corbis)
Why the Endangered Species Act Is Broken, and How to Fix It
Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ideas-innovations/Why-the-Endangered-Species-Act-Is-Broken-and-How-to-Fix-It207706581.html#ixzz2TqXPasvE
Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter
On the landmark species-saving law’s 40th anniversary, environmental historian Peter Alagona explains
why it doesn’t quite work, and offers a path toward recovery
While a college student in the early 1990s at Northwestern, Peter Alagona became fascinated with the red-hot controversies
swirling endangered species, from the California condor and desert tortoise to the northern spotted owl and black-footed
ferret. As environmentalists and animal lovers pushed to do whatever it took to save them, there was strong resistance from
the ranchers, loggers, and other communities threatened by the rigorous federal laws required to do so.
“I was watching this stuff unfold on a daily basis, wondering what the hell was going on, why it was so contentious, and
why we couldn't figure it out,” recalls Alagona, now a professor of environmental history at the University of CaliforniaSanta Barbara. “It seemed like a zero sum game,” said Alagona, who saw few winners in such a convoluted process, “and,
frankly, it was pretty confusing.”
Twenty years of investigation later, Alagona finally has some answers, and shares them in his first book, After the Grizzly:
Endangered Species and the Politics of Place in California, due out this month just in time for the 40th anniversary of the
Endangered Species Act and for Endangered Species Day on May 17. Blending his cross-disciplinary career in history,
environmental science and geography, the book uses the Golden State as a lens to detail the history of America's quest to
save rare species, with a special focus on the aforementioned condor and tortoise as well as the delta smelt and San Joaquin
kit fox.
Among other discoveries, Alagona reveals that, while the act has saved certain birds and beasts from utter extinction, it
hasn't really helped many of the listed animals recover to sustainable population levels, which was the supposed mission of
the 1973 law. Below, he discusses that and other findings, and helps chart a course for a more effective ESA in the decades
to come.
Forty years on, how would you grade the Endangered Species Act (ESA)?
There are a lot of pundits out there who will tell you that it has either been a disaster or a huge success. The truth is that it
has really been a mixed bag to date, and “to date” is a really short time. For species that took centuries to decline, 40 years is
probably not enough time to recover.
(Continued on page 11)
A Bird’s Eye View
Page 11
HELP! Our club still needs a treasurer. It only requires a
few hours a month. Please let us know if you can help.
(Continued from page 10)
But based on the data that’s out there right now, the take home message is that the Endangered Species Act has done a
pretty good job, a really good job actually, of preventing extinctions. But it’s done a really poor job promoting the recovery
of species that are on the list.
Your book critiques the prevailing strategy of tying species recovery to habitat preservation, the idea of, “Let’s just set some
land aside and nature will take care of itself.”
Or that some wildlife manager out there will restore it to its natural state. I don’t want to caricature people—it’s not as
simple as that—but that’s the kind of ideology that we’ve developed, and it started a long time ago.
Well, it has been an effective tool for preserving land.
It’s been very effective, so then the question becomes which is which: Are you saving species to preserve the land, or the
land to preserve the species?
But you could safely say that preserving the land has prevented extinctions, right?
It’s really helped. But the problem is that, if you look at the recoveries that have occurred, all of the species that have
recovered have recovered due to relatively simple problems.
Like removing DDT from their ecosystem (Congress banned it for agricultural uses in 1972)?
DDT is the perfect example, or the introduction of an exotic species, or overhunting. With the American alligator, hunters
(Continued on page 12)
Page 12
A Bird’s Eye View
(Continued from page 11)
were just taking thousands of them to make them into boots. Stop shooting alligators, and they come back like crazy. Now
they’re everywhere again.
It’s much harder for species that have lost large portions of their habitat to come back even if you set aside areas with the
intention of restoring and preserving habitat. It’s never really the same, because the land is changing even within the
reserves, the climate is changing, all this other sort of stuff is going on.
Is it a too-far-gone situation, or are their ways to improve the recovery of these species?
There's probably a spectrum. There are some animals that, if we expanded their range and our imagination with what we
could do to establish partnerships with private landowners, we could really, really help. There are others that you could
maybe help somewhat, but it’s going to be a pretty tough go. And then there are other species that seem like, for the
long-term, they’re probably going to be really dependent on a pretty intensive set of management strategies to keep them
afloat.
Your book talks about the lack of flexibility allowed by the ESA, about how experimental but potentially successful
recovery techniques are few and far between. Why is that sort of adaptive management hard to implement?
The problem is that the idea of adaptive management came along in the late 1970s and 1980s, which was after all of the
major environmental laws were passed. So the concerns that drove the legislation of the 1960s and ’70s aren’t the same
concerns that people are dealing with now.
One of the big concerns of the ESA and other laws of that time was just to develop more transparency around the process,
since there weren't any established protocols then. When lawmakers are looking for transparency, flexibility is not the first
thing on their mind—it might even be the last thing on their mind. What they wanted was a step-wise process that’s
deliberate, that’s plotting, where they can actually watch what local, state, and federal agencies are doing in real time and, if
the agencies are making decisions that are arbitrary and capricious, they can be taken to federal court. But one person’s
arbitrary and capricious is another person’s flexible and adaptive management.
And with endangered species, you don’t want to do an experiment that kills animals. Think of the bad press!
There was a condor chick killed in the early ’80s when wildlife biologists were studying it, and that was a big scandal. So
those things have happened before, and people are really wary of that, but it might be the only way to move forward.
(Continued on page 13)
A Bird’s Eye View
Page 13
(Continued from page 12)
Why doesn’t just saving habitat work out?
Some of the species that have had the largest areas preserved are still declining. The two best-known examples of that are
the desert tortoise and the northern spotted owl. They are declining for different reasons—the regions are different, the
economies are really different, the ecosystems are really different—but those are two vertebrate species that have had
enormous areas set aside on their behalf.
The spotted owl wasn’t doing so well anyway for a number of reasons, but then another problem arose: the bard owl, which
is indigenous to the Eastern U.S. but has been spreading across the continent because of all the land use changes. It’s closely
related to the spotted owl, but it’s bigger, more aggressive and more adaptable. It breeds with them, it eats them, it kills their
young, it usurps their habitat.
So now, we had these enormous political controversies. The government set aside all these areas, and people still feel like it
took away their livelihoods and their communities. The ESA promised to bring back the species and others, and now this
other owl comes in and messes everything up. The conservationists who go into this in the first place got into it because
they wanted to save owls, and now they’re being faced with the idea of shooting one owl to protect another.
Is your book the first to point this out?
No. What I would say is that my book is the first to explain how we got into this situation from a historical perspective.
How did we get to this predicament in the first place? It turns out that it goes back a long time. It’s kind of illuminating to
realize that this didn’t start with the ESA in 1973. Americans have been thinking about this stuff and trying to figure it out
for a long time [since at least the 1870s]. There’s a reason scientists make the assumptions we do, and that’s because the
assumptions have been built into the way we’ve thought about things for a century.
And they’re partially true.
They’re partially true, but we also are learning that the world is more complicated.
So if you had all the marbles, what’s your silver bullet solution?
There are a couple things we could do to the ESA to improve it. One is to create better arrangements so that landowners can
be enrolled in the endangered species recovery programs.
From what I’ve seen over the years, despite the private property rights rhetoric, many landowners seem happy to help with
species recovery and are actively involved.
There are a lot of great examples of this, such as the Paramount Farming Company's development of artificial dens for kit
foxes in the San Joaquin Valley in 2002. It seems like every example is treated like a unique exception, and yet if you add
them all together, there’s a trend there. So how can we take those examples and build them more into the policy in
meaningful ways?
What else?
Another thing is that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has become bogged down with this critical habitat process. The ESA
says that, when you list a species, you have to draw a map of its critical habitat—there’s a lot of debate about whether that is
for its survival or its recovery—and, within that area, any project that will have a significant impact has to be reviewed.
That’s turned out to be hugely controversial, so there are people who have come up with ideas on how to make that more
efficient and more transparent. So normalizing the critical habitat process would go a long way.
We also need better arrangements with the states. The ESA says that the states and federal government “should cooperate
wherever practicable,” but it doesn’t say what that means. So how can you entice state fish and game agencies? They often
have more credibility with the local populations, because they’re the ones that make sure there are ducks in the pond so you
can go hunting next year. If we could do a better job with that, it would go a ways toward fixing things.
And then there’s flexibility.
The final thing is this issue of adaptive management. There are parts of the ESA where you could improve on the adaptive
management portions without violating ESA procedures. For example, there’s an “experimental population” clause in the
ESA that says you can dedicate a population experimental. If you do that, it should be a population that if it tanks, it won’t
kill the species, but if you have an idea that a certain set of management strategies might work, you should have the
flexibility to try new things without the hammer coming down in the form of the federal court.
To let that happen, we’d have to be ready and prepared for more failure, right?
But failure can be a success if you learn something from it—as long as safeguards are in place so those conducting such
experiments are not going to wipe out a species in an experiment.
Matt Kettmann is the senior editor of The Santa Barbara Independent, where he has covered endangered species
issues for more than a dozen years.
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A Bird’s Eye View
WHAT'S ALL THE EXCITEMENT?
AT YOUR REQUEST WE'VE EXTENDED
OUR HOURS.
NOW OPEN TUESDAY AND FRIDAYS 'TIL 7PM.
Be Sure to check out our Deli!
after 5 PM Tuesdays and Fridays.
Includes Layered Salads, Fresh Sprouts and 6 pack of
Frozen Birdie Muffins from Betty Squawker's Kitchen.
(Pictured Left).
Remember—please send photos of your
bird to the editor at [email protected]. Do
you have a nice story about your bird?
Please send those in also.
Parrots Naturally
19224 Ventura Blvd.
Tarzana, Ca. 91356
1 block East of Tampa
The club collects old magazines which we
sell at the Bird Mart. Please bring anything
you are done with to the next meeting. Just
give them to a Board Member.
This is your newsletter. If you have any
articles to share, please send them to me at
[email protected]. Why not just write a
little something about one of your birds something cute it does, etc.
Carl
A Bird’s Eye View
Watch this 5-year old train his bird!
http://www.behaviorworks.org/flashplayer/index.htm?file=http://
www.behaviorworks.org/flashvideos/Noah%20Dupuis.mp4
Ciao, Angela Cancilla Herschel in SoCal
Being kind is more important ..than being important. ~
Any good animal trainer knows the science of positive
reinforcement includes .... people too. ~
California Wildlife Center,volunteer wildlife warrior
www.cawildlife.org
Ducks see Water for the First Time!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrPajlIsKd0#at=92
A very clever Goffin Cockatoo!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=4jLkzTsLvVM&feature=player_embedded#at=25
Page 15
Indonesian Parrot Project
There are four subspecies
(races) of Yellow-crested
cockatoos (Cacatua
sulphurea) and each is at a
high risk of extinction, albeit
to varying degrees. CITES
recently elevated this entire
species to the highest level of
risk-Appendix 1 ('Critically
Endangered').
C.s. parvula: The largest
population of C.s. parvula is
on Komodo Island. Total
population of this subspecies in the wild: probably less than 1000;
C.s. sulphurea: found only in Sulawesi and nearby islands. Total
population: 150-200, as determined by recent surveys by KKI and
IPP;
C.s. citronocristata (Citroncrested cockatoo; found only on
Sumba Island. Total population
is controverted but probably less
than 1500;
C.s. abbotti; found only on Masakambing Island in the Masalembu Archipelago, deep in the
remote Java Sea .Total population: 15 individuals. We have
focused on the Masakambing
(Abbott's) cockatoo since they
might be the rarest cockatoo in
the world.
Page 16
A Bird’s Eye View
Fenix Crocks and Feeders, Inc.
Crocks, Cages & Birds
Ron & Cyndie Norcutt
Representatives
Corporate Office and
Warehouse
32685 Briggs Road
Menifee, CA 92584
(800) 99-FENIX
Tel: (951) 679-8412
Fax: (951) 679-7972
Cell: (951) 453-5193
E-mail: [email protected]
Worldwide Website: http://fenixresearch.com
A Bird’s Eye View
Page 17
Editors Note: This is a lengthy and extremely important article
written by Barbara Heidenreich. I urge everyone to click on the
link below to read the entire article. We are all susceptible to target
marketing on the internet and we can easily fall prey to products
and services that promise exactly what we are looking for—but may
not be what they appear to be. To use Barbara’s words: “Most of
the unethical examples presented come from a handful of offenders.
While the number practicing fraud on the consumer is limited, their
reach is broad. Their heavy emphasis on internet marketing means
they have likely in some way connected with most every parrot
person who has been online. There is power in numbers, but this
also works in favor of those promoting ethical practices.”…”By
exposing the questionable practices utilized to sell information on
the internet it is my hope that members of a professional community, will be better prepared to educate clients and other colleagues
about resources available on the internet.” =Well said, Barbara.
= Carl.
Introduction:
Experts in the animal industry are often providing information. This information may be based on hands on
experience, education and usually a combination of both. The internet has offered an opportunity for those
with little of either to exploit the unsuspecting parrot owning public. Those seeking to make a living off of
the internet are instructed to position themselves as gurus. In many cases the self-proclaimed expert is
practicing fraud by misrepresenting themselves, their knowledge and their experiences. This article will expose the various questionable practices used to sell information on the internet, how to safeguard the consumer, how to protect intellectual property and use the internet to market ethically.
How Internet Marketing Works
The internet has led to new ways of generating income. In recent years a controversial and not wellregulated type of internet based business has emerged. The classification of infopreneur is a new style of
business on the internet which allows anybody with a computer and an internet connection to start businesses by publishing information. An infopreneur is generally considered an entrepreneur who makes
money selling information on the internet. They use existing data and target a specific audience. The most
profitable areas are usually non-fiction ‘how-to’ subject matter, where you teach or demonstrate how to do
something.
There are generally two kinds of infopreneurs: those that sell information they have amassed on their own
and those that earn commissions from selling information that they know nothing about. The latter may be
considered more of an "information trafficker". Many of them utilize the power of the World Wide Web, creating web sites and blogs to act as their storefront.
http://goodbirdinc.blogspot.com/2013/06/internet-fraud-targets-parrot.html?
inf_contact_key=7b213f57754de437e1f31135206ce55e0908c149ce8b3eb6e56c202c4b17de90
Barbara Heidenreich [email protected]
Page 18
A Bird’s Eye View
I was walking to 24th Street to catch the J-Church to
downtown San Francisco when I saw a man on his knees in front
of a two-story home. He had something in his hands and he was
crying. He didn't look homeless. He wore a silk button-down shirt
with khakis and polished black shoes and he had several rings on
his fingers.
Usually I'd walk past this kind of scene. But as I neared the man
he turned towards me and thrust his hands forward. He was
holding a dead sparrow.
"Are you okay, sir?"
"It's so cruel," he answered.
He pointed to a car parked in the driveway. It was a 1960's
convertible Skylark and beside the driver side door were several
dead birds. "He electrocuted the car," the man sobbed. "Look." I
saw a car battery on cinderblocks. Attached to the battery was an
electrical cable clipped to the chassis above the front left tire.
Apparently the car owner was charging the steel frame with a lowlevel electrical surge.
"Why would someone do that," I asked.
"People were stealing his stereo. He wanted to scare them
away. But he killed the birds."
"You know this guy?"
"He's my landlord."
This was how I met my neighbor Mike Hunter. We began encountering each other at the local coffee house. We'd chat about the
latest political news or whether Steve Young was a better quarterback than Joe Montana. Mike was a freelance accountant who
worked out of his apartment. He grew organic vegetables in the backyard and he spiked his lattes with chlorophyll which he
claimed "cleaned the blood."
Mike was a passionate birder. He showed me an album filled with images of birds he'd photographed around the country. He
pointed out waxwings and thrushes and jays and loons. The birds ranged in color from bright yellow to dark blue. Some were
striped, others spotted. One had a long needle-like bill, another a ruffled mohawk. While Mike flipped through his journal, his
energy increased and his posture straightened. He became an evangelist spreading the word about the "angels of the sky soaring
all around us."
"How many birds did you notice today while walking for coffee?"
"None," I answered sheepishly.
"Shame on you."
Several months later I found myself in the Mendocino forest with Mike. He was searching for the elusive Scarlet Tanager, a red
Cardinal-like bird found mainly on the east coast. The Tanager had been spotted in Northern California and Mike was eager to
see one up close. I had no interest in bird watching. But my girlfriend was out of town and I'd been in a bit of a funk. When Mike
asked me to join him I thought about how excited he became when he spoke of his birds. I was hoping a trip to the woods would
do the same for me.
I soon learned bird watching was actually tree watching. Mike would hear a shrill whistle or complex warble and he'd whip out his
binoculars. He'd stare at the top of a tall redwood looking for some kind of movement or color variation. He'd admonish me to
remain quiet and still. His patience seemed endless. I quickly grew bored. By mid-afternoon I was starving, grouchy and
exhausted.
"Eat some seeds," Mike recommended. "That's what the birds eat. They're perfect protein." Mike finally tired. We'd spotted
several woodpeckers, blue jays and something called a Clark's Grebe. But no Tanager. We hiked back to the van. Mike began
spitting at trees and softly muttering to himself.
"You okay, Mike?"
"The Tanager is a harbinger of good luck. I guess I'm cursed," he said.
"Why do you say that?"
"It's just the way it is."
He sat down on a fallen tree and I sat beside him. He pulled out a steel flask and took a deep swig. I took a tiny sip and started
coughing. Mike launched into this crazy story about his time in the Navy during the Vietnam War. He was an artillery loader, a guy
who lifted 40-pound shells into cannon-like guns.
"We'd cruise the coast about a mile off shore. The spotter would search for circling birds overhead. This meant dead Vietcong. Which meant live Vietcong were nearby. The spotter gave the coordinates and we'd fire ammo deep into the jungle. At the
time I was shooting up heroin on a regular basis. I kept a syringe and a stash of dope inside my cot. If the stuff was discovered I'd
be subject to a court martial and jail time. The military viewed drugs as a threat to their whole establishment. One morning, about
an hour into my shift, a soldier taps me on the shoulder. 'C.O. wants to see you,' he says. I froze. I was certain they found my
stash. I walked to the Commanding Officer's cabin and took a seat in front of his desk. 'Private Hunter, I have bad news,' he
(Continued on page 20)
A Bird’s Eye View
Page 19
Page 20
A Bird’s Eye View
(Continued from page 18)
says. I'm thinking to myself, twenty year prison sentence, ass-kickings, butt-reamings, mental and physical torture. They're gonna
string me up like a dead duck. Then the C.O. says, 'We received word that your father committed suicide. Jumped off the Golden
Gate Bridge and died on contact. Sorry to break the news to you, son. That's tough luck.' I never felt so relieved in my life. I
thought for sure they found the stash. Now not only was I off the hook, I could return to the States for the funeral. Best thing my
pop ever did for me."
Mike took a deep swig from the flask and started laughing. I was stunned and didn't know what to say. Mike handed me the
flask. "You know why I like birds so much," he asked. He unrolled his shirt sleeve and showed me a tattoo on his bicep of a hawk
with spread wings. Beneath the image was the inscription Matthew 6:26.
"That's from the Bible. It says birds don't have to do shit except fly. God will feed them, God will protect them, God will give them
a place to live. Pretty sweet deal, right?"
"I'd say so."
We sat in silence. I stared at a burn mark on the fallen tree. The tree had been hit been hit by lightning. A wide array of cracks
and fissures spread forth from a black scar. Mike finished the flask and started walking. I followed. I stared at the forest canopy
above. I visualized birds circling over dead Vietcong. The sun was setting and it was starting to get cold. I was ready to be back
in the city.
(6" x 6", Black Ink Print with Watercolor)
Loren Kantor
[email protected]
woodcuttingfool.blogspot.com
Become a published author! We welcome your
own personal stories, articles, tall tales! Amaze
us and your friends with your creative writing
skills. You can do it! And don’t forget, if you
are published in our newsletter, you ’ll receive
$5 in free raffle tickets or?? (see page 2). Does
it get any better than that? Not in this lifetime!
FOR THAT ONE OF A KIND
GIFT
Caps
Jackets
Aprons & Bags
Patches
Personalized Gifts
Custom Logos
Team Uniforms
Tackle Twill
Shirts
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661-297-5074
fax: 661-297-8141
Bob & Linda Buesching
23023 Ash Glen Circle
Valencia, California 91354
Magnolia Bird Farm
We Buy Birds Ÿ We Sell Birds
Complete Bird Supplies
Frank Miser, Sr.
8990 Cerritos Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92804
Phone: 714-527-3387
Fax: 714-527-7636
(Closed first 2 weeks in July)
Frank Miser, Jr.
12200 Magnolia Ave.
Riverside, CA 92503
Phone: 951-278-0878
(Closed first 2 weeks in August)
Open 9-5 Tues.-Sat. - Closed Sunday, Monday, and Holidays
www.BayOrr.com
Business and Commercial Insurance Specialist
Commercial General Liability
Workman’s Compensation
Business Property
Carl Arrechea, Agent
21032 Devonshire St, 209
(818) 772-7014
Chatsworth, CA 91311
A Bird’s Eye View
Page 21
By
Angel Savannah
Where I live in the Midwest, it can be extremely hot and humid this time of year. It
is actually uncomfortable to breathe outdoors and people can hardly wait to get
inside where it is air conditioned.
Paulie & Joey
Birds are very different. They love and need humidity. The lowest recommended humidity level is around 40%.
Most people think this is only for breeding birds to aid in hatching eggs. This is not completely true. Although
humidity is helpful in the hatching of eggs, it is necessary for many other reasons.
Most parrots' natural habitats are lush and humid. It is extremely important that we replicate their habitat in these
basic ways as closely as possible. High humidity levels encourage your parrot to preen, keeping their feathers
shiny, healthy and clean. It keeps their skin moist and healthy, too. It is also very important to their ability to
breathe. Unlike people, who may find it difficult to breathe in high humidity, it makes it easier for a parrot to
breathe. Dry air sacs make breathing more uncomfortable for them, and can be at the root of breathing and other
health problems.
For something that is so very important for our birds, you would imagine that providing a humid environment
would be very tricky and maybe even difficult. Quite the opposite is true.
You can merely provide a basin in which to bathe. It seems like birds like bathing the most when you first put
fresh cold water in their dishes. The bird will flap around in the basin, getting the humidity in their lungs and on
their feathers and skin. I strongly recommend this water be changed daily, if not twice daily. The more frequent
the water changes, the more you will encourage your birds to bathe.
Another way to increase the humidity in your birds' environment is by misting them. This puts an immediate
surge of humidity into their air. You can do this several times a day for them. The only thing you will have to be
aware of is whatever medium you use in the tray. You don't want any bedding to get moldy. So the more humid
you keep the environment, the cleaner you will need to keep their tray.
Another way to keep the humidity at an acceptable level is to use a humidifier. This is something that will keep
the humidity at a more consistent level and the humidifiers you find in the stores are reasonably priced and easy
to use.
I recommend all of these ways to keep humidity up. I use a cold air humidifier in my bird room, give my birds
their drinking water in large dishes and I spray them with a mister at least once a day. They are all very happy
and healthy and their feathers look fabulous! Hopefully you can see in the photo of my Paulie (B&G Macaw) and
Joey (CAG) how shiny their feathers are. My vet always comments on how beautiful they are.
Editor's note -- when using humidifiers, be sure to follow manufacturer's recommendations (as long as they are
compatible with bird safety) on cleaning and filter maintenance. Most humidifiers need proper maintenance and
cleaning to avoid health problems. Scum and film can build up inside humidifier tanks and are indications of
bacteria and fungi which become airborne and can cause lung inflammation in humans, and more than likely in
birds.
**Reprint from July 2011 Angel Wings
Page 22
A Bird’s Eye View
1/2 cup 10 grain cereal (used Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 cup brown rice flour (used Bob's Red Mill)
2/3 cup light coconut milk
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup fresh pineapple whirled in food processor (measure after whirling)
1/2 cup soaked, cooked chickpeas, mashed
1 egg
1 tsp. baking powder (non aluminum)
2 Tbsp. chopped pecans
*Optional 4" paper lollipop sticks (cut off 1 inch)
By Toni Fortin
In a bowl, measure out 10-grain cereal, flour and baking powder. Add the coconut milk, egg and juice to the bowl. Let sit.
Whirl a couple of pieces of fresh pineapple in food processor, measure out 1/2 cup; adding it to the bowl of other ingredients
along with the chickpeas. Fold pecans in.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees; fill the mini muffin pans with batter. As soon as you put muffins in oven, turn down the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes. Working quickly, put some lollipop sticks in center of muffins. Continue baking for an additional 10 minutes. I only put sticks in some of them.
Yield: 28 mini muffins
These smelled so good while baking, I had to taste them. They were hummy.
NOTE: When I soak and cook legumes, I let them cool and measure into 1/2 cup and 1 cup bags and freeze. This way then
can be pulled out and ready for your next recipe.
Since 1975
Discount Cage and Supplies
Handfed Baby Birds
Open Daily 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Featured in:
“LA Magazine”
“Buying Retail is Stupid”
Studio Rentals  Grooming 
14041 Burbank Boulevard
(Hazeltine and Burbank)
Van Nuys
A Bird’s Eye View
Page 23
Mealworms & Crickets
Frank W. Lavac, MS/DVM, DABVP - Avian Medicine (Board Certified)
Pernilla Edstrom, DVM  Michelle Jack, DVM, Anne Dueppen, DVM 
Jim Schulke, DVM, DABVP  Maryam Alemzadeh, DVM
Page 24
A Bird’s Eye View
2013
July new members
Ed Cooperman
Membership up for Renewal?
Check date on mailing label!
Membership questions, changes, corrections?
Contact Fred Lucas at [email protected].
By sponsoring a NEW MEMBER, you get
a chance
to draw from our Raffle Table.
WVBS Membership / Renewal Application
Please print clearly
Memberships run for 12 consecutive months.
Today’s Date: _______________________
 New Member
 Renewal
I am applying for the following Membership (check one).  Individual – annual dues $ 35
 Senior Individual (65 +) – annual dues $25
 Family – annual dues $ 40
 Senior Family (65+) – annual dues $30
Receive the Newsletter by E-mail or add $20 to receive it by mail.
Free Copies of “A Birds Eye View” Newsletter are available at monthly meetings!
Or, please consider one of the following if you would like to do a little more for West Valley Bird Society:
 Platinum – Lifetime Membership -- $ 350
 Silver Supporter – annual dues $ 125
 Gold Supporter – annual dues $ 250
 Bronze Supporter – annual dues $ 75
ALL MEMBERSHIP DUES AND DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE!
Last Name: ________________________________________________ First Name: __________________________ Birth Month: _____________
Complete this section only if you have checked “Family,” “Senior Family,” “Gold,” “Silver” or “Bronze” Membership:
Spouse’s/Significant Other’s Name: ______________________________________________________________ Birth Month: ______________
Children’s Name(s): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
City: ___________________________________________________ State: _______ Zip: _____________
Home Phone: ( _____ ) __________________ Work / Other Phone: ( ______ ) _____________________
Bird Interests:
Email:________________________________________________________________________________
 Companions / Pets
 Rescue / Adoption
 Collector
 Breeder
 Wild Birds
 Avian Medicine
 Other: _________________
(Optional) Sponsored by: _________________________________________________________________
Would you like to participate in WVBS volunteer activities?  Yes
 No
 Possibly
Note: the success of the Club depends on the volunteer efforts of members/bird lovers!
(Check all that apply)
I am enclosing a check in the amount of $ __________________ for the Membership selected at the top.
Please make check payable to:
Mail to:
West Valley Bird Society
P.O. Box 8221
Northridge, CA 91327-8221
Members are asked to donate to our
refreshment table each month.
We greatly appreciate your interest in the West Valley Bird Society, and hope to see you at the meetings!
A Bird’s Eye View
Page 25
Third Sunday of the
Month—2PM
No charge
for guests.
Please join us!
Meeting at the Bahooka Restaurant at 4501 N. Rosemead Blvd,
Rosemead CA 91770 on the third Sunday of this month at 2pm.
Visitors welcome - come early for lunch.
Contact
President: Diane Racey
818-244-2230
For more information
About upcoming speakers
West LA Bird Club
meets 7:30 PM
the 2nd Wednesday monthly
August 14th @ 7:30 pm
WLABC
welcomes
JONI BLANK-MALUKAS
"Hummingbirds: From California to Jamaica"
Information: 818-244-2230 or 626-335-2964
Meets Fourth Tuesday
of each month
7 p.m.
American Legion Hall
5938 Parkcrest Street
(South of Carson & East of Woodruff Ave.)
Long Beach
For Information call: 562-881-9847
My prints are 11" x 17" mounted and signed at
$30.00. Note cards are 5" x 7" blank inside at $5.00 each.
- Marie Sansone www.mariesansone.com
PEAC has several wonderful parrots in need of loving,
permanent homes, and has a short waiting list for entry
in their parrot foster program. Check out
www.petfinder.com for details. Monthly seminars are
in San Diego and Wildomar (near Temecula); seminar
details and on-line registration at www.peac.org.
Please check the website for topics, times, and directions.
Please contact PEAC at [email protected] or go to
the website www.peac.org for more information.
Page 26
A Bird’s Eye View
Do you have something you would like to buy, sell, trade or
are looking for a wish list? Contact Carl at
[email protected]. Ads are free to WVBS members.
Free to members!
There are so many birds needing homes out there. If you are
considering another bird, please think about adopting one. Call
one of these rescue/adoption groups. They all have many
wonderful birds just waiting for someone to come and take
them home. Many of these groups have websites - take a look!
Fine Feathered Friends Foundation - 310-541-2468 Myrna, Parrots First - 866-248-7670, ext. 5937 www.parrotsfirst.org, The Lily Sanctuary - 714-4429474 - www.lilysanctuary.org, Friends of Parrots
Rescue & Adoption - 310-459-0166, PEAC www.peac.org - 619-287-8200, Parrot Rehabilitation
Society - 619-224-6712 - www.parrotsociety.org, and
Southern Nevada Parrot Education, Rescue &
Rehoming Society - www.southernnevadaparrotrescue.org,
Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary - 805-565-1807 or 805969-1944, www.sbbird.org.
Odas Flake
Jennifer Kain
Elise Merrick
Aspen Pittman
Vaughan Rider
Patricia Volger
Chad Wallace
Wishing you happiness and good health
on your Birthday and all the days after.
A Bird’s Eye View
Page 27
The West Valley Bird Society Inc. is a qualified tax-exempt corporation under IRS Code Section 501(c)(3).
MISSION STATEMENT
West Valley Bird Society offers education about birds and bird related topics and provides a forum for networking with
people having similar avian interests.
2013 Officers and Directors -Click on name to e-mail
PAID ADVERTISING SIZES AND RATES
President
Lauren Cheney
818-727-1594
V. President
Cheryl Bean
Secretary
Linda Anderson
Treasurer
OPEN
Membership Fred Lucas
Hospitality
Hazel Lampe
Parliamentarian Dj Blanchette
Advertising
Grace Elliot
AFA Rep
Linda Buesching
Refreshments Linda Buesching
Past President Patricia Volger
News/Web
Carl Arrechea
818-716-5065
805-577-7525
818-887-6416
818-299-7980
818-262-4517
661-263-9727
661-803-1416
661-803-1416
310-980-3635
818-667-6342
Honorary Lifetime Members
Carol Haley
Charlotte Nierenberg
Dale Thompson Nancy Vigran
Platinum Lifetime Members
Diane Bock
Laureen Mitchell
Rose Blume
Audra & Steve Silon
Linda Buesching
Jack & Grace Elliott
Kristin & Mark Moon
Delora & Eugene Stalnaker
Patricia & Karl Volger
Dj & Bert Blanchette
Dianna & Richard Stokotelny
Gold Supporter Members
Sigrid & Aspen Pittman
General Meetings
7:30 p.m., 3rd Friday of each month at Granada Pavilion,
Auxiliary Hall, 11128 Balboa Boulevard, Granada Hills, CA
91344. See map to the right. www.granadapavilion.com
Board Meetings
7:00 p.m on Wednesday, 1 week preceding the General
Meeting. Location: CoCo’s Restaurant, 18505 Devonshire
St, Northridge, CA (near Reseda & Devonshire). All
members are welcome. Please confirm with Lauren at 818727-1594 or via e-mail [email protected]
since meeting dates and times are occasionally changed.
DISCLAIMER and EDITORIAL POLICY
The West Valley Bird Society and its Editor assume no responsibility for omission of
advertising or article material. Letters, articles, and editorials do not necessarily
represent the official views of the club. They are presented for your information. We
believe a wide variety of viewpoints are thought provoking and educational. WVBS
assumes no responsibility with respect to quality or health of advertisers claims,
birds, merchandise, or services whether sold, raffled, traded, or auctioned by this
club or its members. With the exception of All Rights Reserved, copyrighted, and/or
Reprinted with Permission articles, permission is given to avian organizations in our
Exchange Program to reprint articles for non-profit use. Reprinted articles must state
“Reprinted with permission of the West Valley Bird Society.”
Business Card
$5/Month or $35/Year
1/4 Page
$20/Month or $200/Year
1/2 Page
$35/Month or $300/Year
Full Page
$60/Month or $500/Year
Set-up charges for NON-COPY READY ad $30
Rates are subject to change without notice.
Ads must be camera ready
or .pdf, .psd, .jpeg, or .tiff format.
Contact the Editor at 818-667-6342
or e-mail to [email protected]
Buy, Sell, Trade ads are free to WVBS members. The
fee to non-members is $5.00 per issue. Bulletins are
mailed to all WVBS members and various clubs and
businesses. Ads run for one month only and need to
be resubmitted each month.
How to contact the editor: [email protected]
WVBS membership runs for a period of 12 months
starting from the month that you join. The date listed
above your name on the mailing label is the month
and year your membership expires.
EVERYONE BRING A DISH!
Join us for the fun!
Friday August 16th, 2013, 7:30 p.m.
www.thewestvalleybirdsociety.com
West Valley Bird Society
P.O. Box 8221
Northridge, CA 91327-8221
First Class Mail to:
Page 28
A Bird’s Eye View