INSIDE: 25th Annual Bird Exibition Bird of the Month: Parrotlets

INSIDE:
25th Annual Bird
Exibition
Page 3
Bird of the Month:
Parrotlets
Page 6
Puzzle and
Classifieds Page 8
AACBC Newsleter
Editor:
Sydney Ano
Design:
David Ano
Newsletter Address
11977 Hall Rd.
Whitmore Lake, MI 48189
[email protected]
Ann Arbor
Companion Bird Club
President:
Melanie Cunningham
Vice President:
Mary Wieske
Secretary
Nancy Walker
Treasurer:
Pam VanHeyningen
Board of Trusties:
Cindy Tonkin
Gordon Brown
Mary Whitcher
Webmaster:
Tom Leadholm
AACBC Mailing Address
2232 S Main St #183
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
ABOUT
The Ann Arbor Companion Bird Club
(formally known as the Ann Arbor Cage
Bird Club) was organized in 1980 for the
purpose of educating its members and the
community about birds and to support
avian research. The club is a member of
the American Federation of Aviculture
(AFA). We exchange newsletters with
many avian clubs across the country.
Meetings
AACBC meetings are held the second
Sunday of each month at:
Animal Kingdom Veterinarians
(above the above the vet clinics)
4920 Ann Arbor Saline Rd
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
(734) 913-0003
Meetings begin at 1:00pm. Interested
persons may attend one meeting as a guest.
Vet-checked healthy birds are welcome.
Club membership is $20/year/family.
Membership includes our monthly
newsletter.
We’d love to hear
from you!
Do you have any questions or comments
about anything you find in this newsletter?
Would you like to contribute articles or
photos to the publications?
Please feel free to send e-mails to:
[email protected]
Or mail letters to:
11977 Hall Rd.
Whitmore Lake, MI 48189
Ann Arbor Companion Bird Club Newsletter
ANNOUNCEMENTS
June Meeting
June’s meeting was on the
topic of the link between
dinosaurs and present
day birds. The lecture
was given by Gordon
Brown. We learned some
interesting information
with a dose of humor!
Thank you Gordon!
Annual Club Picnic
Don has graciously offered
to host our annual club
picnic once again. Grilling
meats are provided, please
bring a dish to pass. The
picnic will be at Don’s house
on the 19th starting at noon
until approximately 5p.m.
Hope you can make it!
July Meeting
The meeting for July will
be at our normal meeting
location above the Animal
Kingdom Vet Clinics at
1:00 p.m.
Don Makielski
1518 Hanover
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
July’s meeting agenda will
be toy making courtesy
of Carol A. & Chris.
Please plan on attending.
These toys are meant to
be destroyed and will
be enjoyed by all sizes
of birds. Members need
to bring in something
to make the toys with, like
tissue paper, nuts, animal
crackers, palm shredders
etc. Anything that your
bird(s) like to destroy,
bring it along for some toy
making fun!
Snack for July will be
provided by Marie and Joe.
Cards for AACBC
Members
Anyone who has
experienced or knows of a
club member who has lost
a family member/pet or
sustained an illness, please
contact Ann via email so
that a card may be sent out.
[email protected]
July 2010
Thank You!
Many thank yous to
Carol A. for the generous
offering of parrot
magazines brought back
from the Florida club
she belongs to as well as
magnets and bird purses
that were made available to
order for members! Several
people took advantage
of the bird purse/wallet
orders. Please see Carol to
see if you can still order.
Pet Fest
We are looking for people
who would like to attenda
meet & greet at the Pet
Fest hosted by the Pet
Emporium on August 14.
We’ll be staffing a booth
speaking about rescue birds
and AACBC. If interested,
please contact Mary:
[email protected]
up used papers before
you leave! Also, please
remember to be polite and
show respect to our guest
speakers as well as anyone
who has the floor. This
includes talking and cell
phone usage. Thank you!
Meeting Topics?
What topics, projects,
speakers would you like to
learn more about? Would
you like to skip scheduling
a presentation at a meeting
and make it simply a social
event? We are looking for
your thoughts on how to
have AACBC meet your
needs and we need your
input. Feel free to contact
Melanie with your ideas.
melaniecunningham2000@
yahoo.com
Donated Feathers
Save those molted,
untrimmed bird feathers
and bring them to the
AACBC meeting. They are
donated to various people
for special uses. We offer
some select feathers during
the Pet Fest for a donation
along with back issues
of Birdtalk Magazine.
Recycling! Unfortunately,
clipped feathers are not
suitable. Thank you!
Meeting Etiquette
Please remember to
provide papers for your
birds during the meetings.
Extra papers can be
found in the cupboard in
the storage room off the
meeting area. Please pick
BIRD EXhibition
Please remember to bring
in your donations that we
know you’ve been diligently
collecting for the Ann Arbor
Companion Bird Club’s
25th. Annual Bird Exibition.
Everyone’s particiaption, no
matter how small, will be
most appreciated! If each of
us can bring in at least one
item...WOW! How great
that would be!
If you have not already done
so, please see Carol A. to
sign up to volunteer for the
Sunday, Aug. 1 AACBC
25th. Annual Bird Exhibition.
This will be the last meeting
prior to the show. If you have
friends or family members
that would like to help us out,
please let Carol know. They
would be most welcome!
They do not need any special
training or even know
anything about birds. Now
how easy is that?!
Since we had difficulty in
placing a notice in Birdtalk
magazine in a timely
manner regarding our
upcoming Bird Exhibition,
we need everyone’s help
in advertising. Those that
are computer savvy may
wish to go to many sites and
advertise it (refer to the flyer
for info). Be sure and list our
event on ‘non’ bird sites as
well. Several tv, radio and
city community websites
will allow for free postings,
especially for non-profit
organizations. Let’s see how
far & wide we can advertise.
For those that do not have
access to the internet, please
ask businesses to post the
flyer. We have to be our own
best advocates!
Ann Arbor Companion Bird Club Newsletter
Recipes
For The Birds:
Veggie Cookies
For The Humans:
Babe Ruth Bars
– 1 large jar of baby food fruit or veggies
– 1 cup peanut butter
– 1/2 cup of sugar-free corn meal
– 1 cup white corn syrup
– 1/2 3/4 cup of corn meal
– 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
– 2 teaspoon protein powder
– 1/2 cup white sugar
– 1/2 cup crushed pellet
– 6 cups cornflakes cereal
– 1 carrot, finely shredded or chopped
dried fruit
– 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
– 1/4 cup seeds
Mix ingredients except seeds, til very
thick Add more corn meal and sugar-free
cornbread mix as needed til mixture pulls
away from sides of bowl.
(Sticky, thin dough won’t bake well) Add
seeds last.
Roll tablespoons of dough into 1 inch balls
then flatten with to form 1/2 inch thick
circles.
– 2/3 cup peanuts
In a large saucepan over medium heat,
combine the peanut butter, corn syrup,
brown sugar and white sugar. Cook stirring
occasionally until smooth. Remove from
heat and quickly mix in the cornflakes,
chocolate chips and peanuts until evenly
coated.
Press the entire mixture gently into a
buttered 9x13 inch baking dish. Allow to
cool completely before cutting into bars.
Place on lightly greased cookie sheet.
With toothpick, make a hole in center of
each cookie.
Bake at 350 degrees F, 20-25 minutes or til
slightly browned.
Flip over when half done.
Cook then store in an airtight bag or
container.
July 2010
Feature
Bird of the Month: Parrotlets
by Sandee & Robert
Molenda
Virtually unheard of several
years ago, parrotlets are
rapidly becoming one of the
most sought-after companion
parrots. Their small size,
beautiful plumage, comical
behavior and inability
to scream are all factors
which make them highly
desirable as pets. Parrotlets
are true parrots which means
they are intelligent, bold,
curious, acrobatic, can learn
to talk and are capable of
developing a loving bond
with their owners.
Less than six inches in length,
parrotlets are basically tiny
green hookbills. Males have
blue on their heads, wings,
backs and rumps, the shade
and placement of which helps
identify the species. Females
are green with yellow on
their faces, undersides and
wings, the placement of
which also helps identify the
species although it is much
more difficult in females.
In only one subspecies of
Pacific and in the Yellow
Face parrotlet, do the females
have blue on their rumps,
heads and/or wings. It is best
to identify the various species
by the process of elimination.
Spectacles, Yellow Face,
Pacifics and Green Rumps
have horn colored beaks and
legs; Mexicans, Sclater’s
and Blue Wings gray. In
addition, both Yellow Face
and Sclater’s have dark upper
mandibles.
A hand-fed parrotlet can
become a wonderful pet that
is devoted to its “person”.
Most are bundles of energy,
spending hours swinging,
climbing, playing with toys
and eating. Toys that provide
motion such as swings and
hoops are favorites. Natural
fiber ropes, leather and soft
woods are appreciated as
parrotlets love to chew.
Fortunately, unlike most
parrots, they usually do not
destroy their toys due to
their lack of jaw strength.
Amazing acrobats, they often
play with several toys at
once such as hanging from
a swing while chewing on a
rope toy. They are in constant
motion and have no problems
entertaining themselves if
given a wide variety of toys.
Intelligent and fearless, these
curious little parrots can get
into a lot of trouble if they are
not supervised. Parrotlets are
very territorial and will attack
other animals, especially
other birds, even those much
larger than themselves.
Both Pacifics and Green
Rumps make wonderful pets
if placed in their new homes
at the time of weaning.
Unlike many larger parrots,
parrotlets do not bond
with the person who is
hand-feeding them. Rather,
bonding is most successful
when the baby is between
six and nine weeks of age.
As with all birds, they must
be given a loving, nurturing
environment with proper
training and limit setting
from the beginning. Since
parrotlets are true parrots,
closely related to Amazons,
they must be cared for and
trained in the same manner.
It is interesting to note that,
generally speaking, females
tend to be one person birds
and will often attack anyone
but their person. Males,
on the other hand, tend to
have their favorite person
but tolerate other people
handling them.
Pacifics tend to be more
feisty than Green Rumps and
often strut around fearlessly.
They are absolutely unafraid
of any one or anything.
Unfortunately, Pacifics can
also be moody, jealous,
territorial and develop
hormonal problems during
breeding season. They must
also be taught limits and
never be spoiled as they
will turn into aggressive,
biting monsters. However,
most pets are very sweet
and lovable birds. They
will lift every feather on
their body to allow petting
and scratching. Most are
Ann Arbor Companion Bird Club Newsletter
happiest when riding around
on a shoulder or in a pocket,
gently preening hair or
chewing on a shirt.
Another common species,
Green Rump parrotlets are
the smallest weighing no
more than 22 grams. They
are native to Guyana and
have a delicate, streamlined
body with a small beak in
proportion to their heads.
Predominantly apple-green,
the females have a patch
of yellow feathers between
their eyes above the cere.
The males have dark, cobalt
blue on their primary wing
feathers while the secondaries
are turquoise. They are the
only species of parrotlet
which lacks blue on the rump
except for one subspecies
that has pale blue washed
over their rumps and back.
There are three additional
subspecies of Green Rumps
found on Trinidad, Jamaica
and in Brazil.
Pet Green Rumps are
much more timid and shy
compared to Pacifics. They
are often easily frightened
when confronted with
any kind of new situation.
Often, they will stop eating
everything except millet and
seed when placed in a new
home. It takes much more
time for them to become
comfortable in their new
surroundings. However,
once settled in, they are just
as intelligent and comical as
their more assertive cousins
and will swing, attack and
play with their toys for hours.
Parrotlets kept as a single
bird make the best pets.
July 2010
They are very active birds
and need a cage that can
accommodate a lot of toys. A
cage 18 inches tall, 13 inches
wide and 14 inches deep is
the minimum recommended
for a single bird. Be sure
there is a grate on the bottom
to keep the bird away from
old food and droppings.
Natural wood perches, not
dowels, should be provided.
Ensure that food and water
is placed where they will not
be soiled by droppings. Use
open food dishes as parrotlets
will usually not stick their
heads into a dish with a hood
and can starve. Water should
be provided in a glass tube
fountain. Often, parrotlets use
their water dishes to bathe
in and will splash out all of
the water. If provided with
a canary-size bath, they will
play and splash until they are
soaked. Parrotlets will also
bath in wet spinach or lettuce
by rolling every inch of their
body on the wet leaves.
As previously mentioned,
parrotlets are very active
birds and require a great deal
of fuel to expend so much
energy. Hand-fed parrotlets
should be introduced to a
wide variety of foods while
young. They should be fed a
good-quality small hookbill
or cockatiel seed mix. A large
hookbill seed mix can be
provided, however, parrotlets
are unable to crack open the
nuts often contained in these
mixes. They can also be fed
a commercial pelleted diet
instead of seeds. Whether
fed seeds or pellets, they
still require fresh fruits,
vegetables and greens every
day. They also love wholegrain breads, potatoes, rice
and pasta which should be
fed several times a week.
“People food” such as pizza
crust, popcorn and muffins
are especially relished as long
as they contain little or no
fat. Remember, as with all
parrots, your parrotlet thinks
anything you are eating is
better than anything he is
eating. Fresh water, mineral
block and cuttlebone should
be available at all times.
Vitamins can be sprinkled on
the fruits and vegetables.
The exact life span of
parrotlets are unknown,
mainly because they
have been uncommon in
aviculture. It is believed to be
around 20 to 30 years of age.
While they are not immune
to avian diseases, if wellcared for, parrotlets tend to
be relatively disease resistant.
Breeders all over the country
house these birds outdoors
and successfully produce
babies year after year so they
are not “delicate” animals.
Moreover, these birds are
shipped all over the country,
in all kinds of weather, with
no problems.
Anyone looking for a large
parrot personality in a small
parrot body, need look no
further than parrotlets. They
are delightful little parrots
whose antics can provide
hours of entertainment
as well as many years of
devoted companionship
From birdsnways.com. Used with
permision.
FEATURES
Word Search Puzzle
Summer time is time for vacations and the beach. Find and circle all of the beach words
that are hidden in the grid. The remaining letters spell an additional beach word.
Bare Feet
Beach Ball
Boat
Clouds
Driftwood
Hat
Kite
Lifeguard
Ocean
Pail
Pier
Sailing
Sand
Seagull
Seashell
Seashore
Sky
Starfish
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Sunshine
Surfboard
Surfing
Swimming
Swimsuit
T Shirt
Towel
Volleyball
Wading
Water
Waves
© 2008 Livewire Puzzles Used with
permision
Classifieds
For Sale
Services
Have something to sell?
Bird related or otherwise.
Let us know ... e-mail
[email protected]
World Wide Stitches
Rahel Naegele
World Wide Stitches
supplies professional high
Personals
quality embroidery around
the globe.
6540 Peckins Ln,
Manchester, MI 48158
734-272-1849 or
worldwidestitches@
hotmail.com
www.worldwidestitches.com
Please let me know if
you are interested in an
AACBC knitting group!
e-mail sydneyano@gmail.
com
Wanted
What do want? Bird related
or otherwise. Let us know
... e-mail sydneyano@
gmail.com
Rescues
PJ’s Parrot Palace
Tanya at 810.687.1362
[email protected]
Home Again Avian
Rescue
Mary at 734.326.0720
[email protected]
Other
Catagories?
Let us know ... e-mail
[email protected]