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Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Blue and Gold Macaw-Breeding
The Blue and Gold Macaw is regularly bred in captivity. Mating seasons begins in April. The hen usually lays a small clutch of one to three eggs. Following an incubation period of 25 - 27 days babies are born. They fledgling period lasts 12 weeks. Most Blue and Golds breed once a year, occasionally some will see two breedings within the same year.
Blue and Gold Macaw- Care and well being
Like most Macaws the Blue and Gold is a noisy parrot. They enjoy chewing and must be provided with an ample supply of toys. Without these they can be quite destructive. Like all macaws the Blue and Gold must have a healthy well balanced diet. In addition to a pelleted diet they should also be fed fresh fruits and vegetables though it is not advised to feed avocados and apple seeds, as they can be toxic to birds. Nuts and seeds may also be fed, but like children, the Blue and Gold Macaw may only eat those that are not particularly healthy for him, such as sunflower seeds which are high in fat, so it is important to monitor which seeds they are actually eating.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Blue and Gold Macaw
For many people, their first glimpse into the wonderful world of macaws comes from an encounter with the popular Blue and Gold Macaw, Ara ararauna.
One of the large macaws, the average Blue and Gold Macaw measures between 32 and 35 inches long, including their tail, with a three and a half foot wingspan. They usually weigh between 900 and 1200 grams.
No one wasted a lot of imagination naming this macaw: The predominate colors are an iridescent turquoise blue on the back and tail, shading into a rich cobalt blue on the wings, with gold on the belly and underside of the tail and flight feathers. The crown of the head is a rich emerald green, the beak black, and the feathers on the distinctive bare white facial patch are black.
These birds now breed readily in captivity and they are increasingly popular in the pet trade. As always, with large parrots, they are not the best choice for everyone. They require a large, strong cage as well as a sizable playstand. Their normal voices are loud, and they do not do well as apartment or dorm room pets. They are also messy, tossing food about as parrots will do, and if not properly trained and guided for the first few years and throughout their lives, they can and will inflict serious bites.
However, they enjoy one of the best reputations as pets among the Macaw family. Although it isn't a good idea to generalize, many Blue and Gold owners mention how much they enjoy their macaws' impish behaviour, acrobatic skills, talking ability, and general playfulness. They are often clowns who seem to enjoy making their owners laugh, and simply becoming part of a human "flock."
We have to talk!
"Hey can't you see that I need a Larger Home
I can't invite friends over in this place. I did not sign up for this"
A grey's Love connection
HE is a pretty boy with a way with words who needs to find a love bird to make his life complete - shame his name is Holly.
But after 25 years as a singleton, Holly the parrot is finally hoping to share his perch with a female companion.
Belton bird lover Charles Bryanton is putting out a lonely heart appeal in a bid to find a partner for Holly.
Mr Bryanton owns Holly and another African Grey eight year old Lilly, but only discovered that both birds were male after DNA tests were carried out on their feathers.
He said: “Holly is a very friendly, good natured bird and would make a great companion. He knows around 140 words so perhaps will have some good chat up lines.
“Parrots mate for life and I am hoping to find a female to pair up and breed with either Holly or Lilly. They need a lot of attention and are definitely happier with a partner so I am hoping that romance will blossom.”
The former wrought iron business owner, 67, keeps the parrots at his home in Heather Gardens.
Any courting ritual will involve gradually moving the birds closer together and having an opening between the cages to see if they bond.
Mr Bryanton, who is married to Aida, is planning to place an advertisement to help Holly find a mate.
“I suppose it is unusual putting in a lonely hearts notice for parrots, but it would be wonderful to be a matchmaker for them.”
African Greys can live between 80 and 120 year, with females breeding between the ages of four and 20
Lost and found Grey
"He went missing first thing on Friday at 6.45am, he flew out the back door and we've been looking for him ever since."Rita Crane from Llanferres is pictured with sons John Paul and Danny appealing for the safe return of their parrot
A VERY unexpected spectator was spotted at a major sporting event in North Wales this weekend – an African Grey Parrot.
The exotic bird, with its distinctive light grey and red feathers, was noticed, perched high up a tree by members of the crowd at the NPS downhill mountain biking event in Llangollen.
After several attempts, the parrot was finally coaxed down by track maintenance team member Guy Williams who then took it to colleague Tony Traske who owns a similar bird.
When the pair called the police regarding their unusual find they were surprised to learn that there were two different local owners who had reported an African Grey missing.
Yesterday, after both potential claimants had been contacted, the parrot was reunited with its owners, John and Marion Williams, and returned to his home – in Rhos.
After several attempts, the parrot was finally coaxed down by track maintenance team member Guy Williams who then took it to colleague Tony Traske who owns a similar bird.
When the pair called the police regarding their unusual find they were surprised to learn that there were two different local owners who had reported an African Grey missing.
Yesterday, after both potential claimants had been contacted, the parrot was reunited with its owners, John and Marion Williams, and returned to his home – in Rhos.
African Grey's Diet
Try to incorporate plenty of calcium-rich foods. Some suggestions might include:
- Even though most dark leafy greens are rich in calcium, broccoli, rapini, turnip greens, collard greens and mustard greens are better sources than spinach, chard and beet greens because of the high oxalic acid content that blocks absorption of the calcium in spinach, chard, and beet greens.
- Calcium-rich vegetable / fruits and greens are: bok choy, kale, parsley, mustard greens, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, dandelion greens, apricots, figs, endive, okra, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), pinto beans and kidney beans. Please note that large raw beans - such as Anasazi, Black, Fava, Kidney, Lima, Navy, Pinto, and Soy - can cause toxicities when fed raw, causing digestive upsets for people and potentially for birds. Some experts recommend that large beans should be cooked to make them safe and digestible. Others counter that soaking beans for 24 hours starts the germinating process and that soaking makes the beans safe and digestible. For those who do not want to take any risks, it's best to cook large beans thoroughly before feeding to your birds. These beans are not recommended for general sprouting purposes. Certain uncooked dried beans contain enzyme inhibitors, are indigestible , and may cause visceral gout in birds. These enzyme inhibitors may prevent or decrease the utilization in the body of substances, such as trypsin and chymotrypsin, to produce nutritional deficiencies. Beans that can interfere with proteolytic enzymes are lima, kidney and soybeans. Cooking these beans for at least 2 hours destroys these enzyme inhibitors. Other dried beans do not appear to contain these enzyme inhibitors or, if present, are in low concentrations. To be on the safe side, it's best to cook ALL varieties of beans.
- Other food sources of calcium: Baked eggshells, crushed and sprinkled over the food, oatmeal, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sesame seeds, and tahini -- "nut butter" made of sesame seeds
African Grey's Intelligence
Their intelligence makes the African grey a very demanding pet, however. You must absolutely be prepared to spend lots of time with an African grey, providing social contact as well as mental stimulation. Greys have been described as being the emotional equivalent of a two year old human, with the intelligence of a five year old. This means they need a lot of attention and patience, along with a good deal of guidance to acceptable behavior. And, they can be a challenge to deal with at times!
African greys tend to be quite cautious with new situations and new people, although devoted to their owners. They have a reputation as one-person birds, but that is largely because often only one person in a household spends enough time with a grey to really form a close bond. Make an effort to socialize a grey with lots of people, although you will have to give your parrot the chance to become comfortable with any new person. A grey will happily interact with more than one person as long as the effort is made by each person to spend enough time to earn the trust and companionship of the bird.
The African Grey Congo
The African Grey Parrot, Psittacus erithacus, is the largest parrot found in Africa. Wild Greys range throughout Central and Western Africa, and can be found in western sections of East African countries. They live in primary and secondary Rainforest, forest edges and clearings.
There are two types of African grey parrots; some authorities consider them different "races", others consider them sub-species, while still others classify them as different species.
The Congo, P. e. erithacus, is the larger of the two birds, with bright red tail feathers and a black beak. Congos are generally characterized as slightly more intelligent, but also more high-strung than Timnehs.
The Timneh, P. e. timneh, is smaller, its tail feathers are more of a maroon-grey mixture, and its beak includes tints of a reddish-beige color. These birds are characteristically less high-strung and more mellow than Congos.
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