A close friend and fellow bird breeder has property on a river on the edge of the Jamaican rainforest and sponsors conservation and eco-tourism to the area. It is a primitive area--without electricity, but a delightful experience nonetheless.   See the Jamaica.Page for pictures and maps.

For any one interested in owning a double yellowhead parrot here is a monograph I wrote on yellowheads. It pretty much applies to most parrots or captive birds.

Inquire about our spring hatch.  djduryea@nativetexas.com

Genus: Amazona ochrocephala

The double yellowhead is noted for its ability and prowess as a talker and for its great character. It is a long lived pet (50 to 80 years) and will provide as a lifelong companion. They can mimic a great variety of human, animal, and other sounds--but they respond mostly to relatively higher pitched sounds and voices.

The sex of yellowheads is indistinguishable by their appearance. Positive determination of sex is usually by surgical observation, and available only recently and more expensively, by chromosome typing. Unless you are going to use the bird for breeding purposes, it is usually not necessary to sex your bird. The surgical process requires anesthesia and can be somewhat risky. Male and female parrots have some basic behavior characteristics which set them apart as you get to know them.

They thrive on most fruits and vegetables, seeds, breads, cooked beans and peas, rice, cheese, and always appreciate a bit of just about anything we would eat ourselves; especially grapes and apples and even fresh hot peppers.

Do not feed your bird chocolate or avocados (the peel and seed)--they are toxic--and as well all of those houseplants toxic to humans; and do not ever use non-stick (teflon and/or silverstone-like) coated cookware-- if over-heated, the fumes will kill your bird in a few hours. I have heard of a non-stick cookie sheet in a 425 degree oven killing birds.

Seeds, meats, and cheese should not exceed more than 15% of their diet. Our birds get 5 or 6 different fruits and veggies every day in clean bowls plus a half teaspoon of seed and bird crumbles or lab chow (this supplies minerals and micro-nutrients.) They will do flips for raw peanuts and sunflower seeds but don't overdo it--they get too fat!--use these for training. If your bird has a big crease down his middle--it's plump and should probably go on a diet! Provide fresh food and water every day with clean bowls and your bird will stay healthy. Cages and perches should be cleaned regularly and papers changed every few days. Don't let soil accumulate or health problems will result. Your yellowhead will thrive on the same temperature range and enviornment as yourself and even tolerate below freezing. However, do not place the cage in a drafty spot or in smoky areas--including cigarette smoke. Cover your yellowhead at night. They are phototropic and require a full nights sleep--dusk to dawn--to remain healthy. It's not uncommon however for your bird to wake up and demand a snack too in the evening if it hears you as you get you one, and then go back to sleep right where he perches.

Parrots generally do well with other pets--however a vet must treat a bite (however minor) by another animal very quickly or your parrot may die of infection (possibly within twelve hours.) Birds survive in the wild by hiding sickness or infirmity--sick critters get eaten first--if your bird stops eating or drinking or becomes lethargic--take it seriously and check him out as soon as possible. It is very important to acquaint yourself with an avian veternarian in your area--well before a crisis develops.

If your bird breaks a blood feather (a newly emerging feather is full of blood as it grows out) you must pull the feather out to stop the flow of blood. A loss of as little as a teaspoon of blood can be fatal. Control your bird by wrapping it in a towel and hold it firmly but not too tight. A struggling bird can easily break a wing or even have a heart attack--be careful. Use a pair of needlenose pliers to grab the feather at the base and pull firmly. Dab cornstarch on the wound to stop the bleeding. We keep pliers and cornstarch nearby all of the time for emergencies.

A good cage size is 22 x 28 x 36 inches minimum, using half inch by one inch welded-wire on all sides. Amazon parrots are very active and playful and do well if a number of toys and wood blocks for shredding are available at all times. A new no. 2 pencil can be shredded into dust in less than 10 minutes. It is essential that your parrot live in your main family area where it may see everything that goes on and interact with it as another family member--it will provide humor, affection, and lifelong companionship and entertainment.

There is about as much variation in bird personality as there is in people and as well your bird may be in a different mood day by day much as we are. Living with a parrot means learning when not to mess with them as well as learning when to play with them--and giving them respect and privacy when necessary.

Training parrots is rewarding but requires a lot of patience. They are somewhat slow learners and thinkers and need a few extra seconds to figure out what you want. A new toy or a new food may send your parrot into a panic--and possibly take more than a few days to adjust and begin to explore something new. Give them time and a lot of patience. Positive reinforcement--use small bits of favorite seed or food to reward or encourage them--works best but requires time and repetition. Negative reinforcement--striking them or intimidation--will scare your bird and produce biting or runaway responses that are very hard to break. They are slow. Trust is the most important aspect of training. It can take a year for a bird to develop a trust in you and for you to trust your bird in turn, so be patient and your reward will be a bird that is affectionate and fun to play with for a lifetime.

Parrots bite. And can inflict serious wounds. With careful training you can teach your parrot not to bite (on most occasions.) And much like our interactions with other folks and animals--one learns when not to mess with them. In most circumstances when your bird bites, try not to react at all and do not strike your bird on the beak or it will become unmanageable. A parrot can learn to bite just to get a reaction from you. A misbehaving or biting or noisy bird should be placed in its cage and covered until it behaves. It may help to just back up until you become less frustated and your bird less afraid or excited (--remember trust?) Your birds' hormones and breeding behaviors will have an affect on its mood. Our eight year old male will become aggressive during the breeding season but generally only in bright daylight. In the early evening--especially when we eat--he is not a problem to handle. During the day in the spring, we just leave him alone. Often when a male is in peak breeding condition, his yellow nape and leg feathers will develop a slight red tinge on the edges.

Unless you have a house that is bird-proof (double doors at every passage to the outside) you should keep your birds' wings clipped. They can slip through a partially open door in a flash and are gone. Chances of retrieving your bird will be small, however, if your bird lands in an accessible tree, soak it with a hose to knock it down and/or call the fire department to hose it down--it works! Also, a clipped bird is much easier to train and less aggressive when they have to depend on you to get where they want to go. Clipping is available at local avian vets or from local bird fanciers and you can expect to clip two or three times a year. Don't trim your own bird or it may learn to be afraid of you.

Enjoy your yellowhead!

To: fws-news@dataadmin.irm.r9.fws.gov This message is from the fws-news listserver. ============================================================

April 22, 1997 Hugh Vickery 202-208-5634

HELPING PEOPLE HELP BIRDS IS THEME OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRATORY BIRD DAY ON MAY 10

Much has improved in the 35 years since former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Rachel Carson awakened America to the problem of pesticides with her book Silent Spring. The Nation's air and water are cleaner. Harmful chemicals such as DDT have been banned and the bald eagle, peregrine falcon, and other species have rebounded as a result.

But unfortunately, many of the Nation's 800 migratory bird species are still in peril because of loss of habitat and misuse of common pesticides that can be found at any hardware store. Populations of some species are declining as fast as 2 percent to 4 percent per year.

"Join the Flock . . . Be Part of the Solution" is the theme of the fifth annual International Migratory Bird Day to be observed this year on Saturday, May 10. IMBD is a celebration of spring migration and the return of millions of birds to their nesting areas. IMBD features bird walks, family activities, bird banding demonstrations, and other events throughout the United States and the Western Hemisphere. These events will be held at many national wildlife refuges, city and state parks, national forests, national parks, National Audubon sanctuaries and other nature reserves.

"People will have an opportunity not only to enjoy watching and photographing wild birds but also to learn what they can do to conserve them," said Service Acting Director John Rogers.

"Average citizens can play an important role in stopping the decline of some bird populations," Rogers said. "Something as simple as learning the appropriate time and way to apply pesticides to your lawn or garden can make a big difference. Many people are inadvertently poisoning birds by misusing these chemicals or applying them when birds are especially vulnerable, such as when they are nesting."

The deaths of 20,000 Swainson's hawks in Argentina last year highlighted the problem of pesticides killing birds. The Service, working with the Argentine government, received a commitment from a major chemical company, Ciba-Geigy, to limit use of the pesticide responsible for the deaths and to expand education and training efforts among Argentine farmers.

Pesticides are still a domestic concern. Every year, 4 million tons of pesticides are applied across the United States everywhere from farm fields to homes and gardens. In addition, well over 100,000 tons of pesticides no longer permitted to be used in the United States are shipped to developing countries where migratory birds spend the winter.

Loss and fragmentation of habitat also is a major reason for the decline of many bird species. For example, the United States has lost more than half its wetlands, nearly all its tallgrass prairie and virgin forest, and 75 percent of its shortgrass prairie. Similar destruction and degradation of native habitat is ongoing in many other countries along migration routes.

Last year on International Migratory Bird Day, the Service unveiled a national strategy to better conserve bird habitat by coordinating conservation efforts at the local, state, and national levels. The plan was developed by Partners in Flight, a partnership of 16 Federal agencies, 60 state and provincial fish and wildlife agencies, and more than 100 businesses and conservation organizations.

Under the strategy, dubbed the "Flight Plan," teams of biologists are identifying and ranking bird species most in need of conservation and then setting population and habitat objectives for each species. They are also designating geographic areas critical to birds and developing a conservation blueprint for each species.

By the end of 1998, the Service and its partners expect to complete 50 regional conservation plans. These plans will help landowners who voluntarily conserve birds coordinate their efforts with their neighbors.

"Regardless of much or how little property they own, landowners can become part of a larger voluntary effort to conserve birds," Rogers said. "They can get together with a local bird or garden club, or coordinate land management or landscaping activities with neighbors and nearby parks or refuges. By combining our efforts, we can help ensure future generations will not have to face a silent spring."

Migratory bird conservation also has significant benefits for the economy, Rogers said. The 65 million adults who watch birds spend up to $9 billion a year on everything from bird seed to birding trips, according to a 1995 study commissioned by the Service.

One of the easiest and most effective things Americans can do for birds is to purchase a Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp, commonly known as the "Duck Stamp," available for $15 from post offices and national wildlife refuges around the country. Ninety-eight cents of every dollar raised by Duck Stamp sales is used to buy wetland habitat, which benefits migratory waterfowl and a host of other species of birds and wildlife.

"Our birds are not only a priceless treasure enjoyed by old and young alike but they are also significant to our economy, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs," Rogers said.

-FWS-

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