PARROT BEHAVIOR Edited by ANDREW U
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MANUAL OF PARROT BEHAVIOR edited by ANDREW U. LUESCHER Manual of Parrot Behavior Manual of Parrot Behavior Andrew U. Luescher, Editor Andrew U. Luescher, DVM, PhD, is Director of the Authorization to photocopy items for internal or per- Animal Behavior Clinic at Purdue University. He sonal use, or the internal or personal use of specific established the Animal Behavior Clinic in 1997 and is clients, is granted by Blackwell Publishing, provided certified as an applied animal behaviorist by the that the base fee of $.10 per copy is paid directly to the Animal Behavior Society and is a diplomate of the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. He has Danvers, MA 01923. For those organizations that have been treating animals with behavioral problems for been granted a photocopy license by CCC, a separate more than 20 years. system of payments has been arranged. The fee code for users of the Transactional Reporting Service is © 2006 Blackwell Publishing ISBN-13: 978-0-8138-2749-0; ISBN-10: 0-8138- All rights reserved 2749-3/2006 $.10. Blackwell Publishing Professional Printed on acid-free paper in the United States of 2121 State Avenue, Ames, Iowa 50014, USA America Orders: 1-800-862-6657 First edition, 2006 Office: 1-515-292-0140 Fax: 1-515-292-3348 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Web site: www.blackwellprofessional.com Manual of parrot behavior / edited by Andrew U. Blackwell Publishing Ltd Luescher.— 1st ed. 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK p. cm. Tel.: +44 (0)1865 776868 Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-8138-2749-0 (alk. paper) Blackwell Publishing Asia ISBN-10: 0-8138-2749-3 (alk. paper) 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia 1. Parrots—Behavior. I. Luescher, Andrew U. Tel.: +61 (0)3 8359 1011 SF473.P3.M27 2006 636.6Ј865—dc22 2005028547 The last digit is the print number: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents Contributors vii Preface ix 01 Classification and the Status of Wild Populations of Parrots 3 Dominique G. Homberger 02 Behavior of Wild Amazona and Rhynchopsitta Parrots, with Comparative Insights 13 from Other Psittacines Ernesto C. Enkerlin-Hoeflich, Noel F.R. Snyder, and James W. Wiley 03 Parrot Conservation, Trade, and Reintroduction 27 Charles A. Munn 04 Sensory Capacities of Parrots 33 Jennifer Graham, Timothy F. Wright, Robert J. Dooling, and Ruediger Korbel 05 Social Behavior of Psittacine Birds 43 Lynne M. Seibert 06 Captive Parrot Nutrition: Interactions with Anatomy, Physiology, and Behavior 49 Kevin David Matson and Elizabeth A. Koutsos 07 Comfort Behavior and Sleep 59 Laurie Bergman and Ulrike S. Reinisch 08 Parrot Reproductive Behavior, or Who Associates, Who Mates, and Who Cares? 63 Tracey R. Spoon 09 Nest Box Preferences 79 Scott George Martin and April Romagnano 10 Hand-Rearing: Behavioral Impacts and Implications for Captive Parrot Welfare 83 Rebecca Fox 11 Behavioral Development of Psittacine Companions: Neonates, Neophytes, and Fledglings 93 Phoebe Greene Linden with Andrew U. Luescher 12 Handler Attitude and Chick Development 113 Brenda Cramton v vi Contents 13 Grey Parrot Cognition and Communication 133 Irene M. Pepperberg 14 Behavior Analysis and Parrot Learning 147 S.G. Friedman, Steve Martin, and Bobbi Brinker 15 Behavior Classes in the Veterinary Hospital: Preventing Problems Before They Start 165 Kenneth R. Welle 16 Clinical Evaluation of Psittacine Behavioral Disorders 175 Kenneth R. Welle and Liz Wilson 17 Diagnostic Workup of Suspected Behavioral Problems 195 Susan E. Orosz 18 Aggressive Behavior in Pet Birds 211 Kenneth R. Welle and Andrew U. Luescher 19 Parrot Vocalization 219 Laurie Bergman and Ulrike S. Reinisch 20 Parrots and Fear 225 Liz Wilson and Andrew U. Luescher 21 Problem Sexual Behaviors of Companion Parrots 233 Fern Van Sant Color Plates 22 Mate Trauma 247 April Romagnano 23 Feather-Picking Disorder in Pet Birds 255 Lynne M. Seibert 24 Psittacine Behavioral Pharmacotherapy 267 Kenneth M. Martin 25 Behavior of Captive Psittacids in the Breeding Aviary 281 G. Heather Wilson 26 Housing and Management Considerations for Problem Prevention 291 Andrew U. Luescher and Liz Wilson 27 Captive Parrot Welfare 301 Cheryl Meehan and Joy Mench Index 319 Contributors Numbers in brackets refer to chapters Laurie Bergman, VMD, DACVB [7,19] Ruediger Korbel, Prof. Dr. med. vet., Dr. med. Co-ordinator Clinical Animal Behavior Service vet. habil. [4] University of California Veterinary Medical Director Institute of Avian Diseases, Ludwig- Center, San Diego Maximilians-University Munich Cert. Spec. Avian Medicine, Cert. Spec. Vet. Bobbi Brinker [14] Ophthalmol., Dipl. ECAMS. Univ.–Institut Parrottalk.com fuer Gefluegelkrankheiten Brenda Cramton, MS, JD [12] Elizabeth A. Koutsos [6] Arroyo Veterinary Hospital Department of Animal Science Denair, CA University of Missouri, Saint Louis Robert J. Dooling, PhD [4] Phoebe Greene Linden, MA [11] Department of Psychology Santa Barbara Bird Farm University of Maryland, College Park Santa Barbara, CA Ernesto C. Enkerlin-Hoeflich [2] Andrew U. Luescher, DVM, PhD, DACVB www.conanp.gob.mx/ [Editor, 11,18,20,26] Director of the Animal Behavior Clinic Rebecca Fox [10] Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN Department of Animal Science University of California, Davis Kenneth M. Martin, DVM [24] Veterinary Behavior Consultations S.G. Friedman, PhD [14] New Orleans, LA Department of Psychology Utah State University, Logan Scott George Martin, MS, DVM [9] Animal Health Clinic Jennifer Graham, DVM, Diplomate, ABVP, Jupiter, FL Avian [4] Affiliate Assistant Professor, Department of Steve Martin [14] Comparative Medicine,School of Medicine, Natural Encounters, Inc. University of Washington Winter Haven, FL Veterinary Specialty Center of Seattle, Lynnwood, WA Kevin David Matson [6] www.seattleveterinaryspecialists.com Department of Biology University of Missouri, St. Louis Dominique G. Homberger [1] Professor of Zoology, Dept. of Biological Cheryl Meehan, PhD [27] Sciences Associate Director, Center for Animal Welfare Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge University of California, Davis vii viii Contributors Joy Mench [27] Tracey R. Spoon [8] Professor and Director of the Center for Animal Department of Biology Welfare, Department of Animal Science University of Massachusetts, Boston University of California, Davis Fern Van Sant, DVM [21] Charles A. Munn, PhD [3] For the Birds Chairman of the Board, Tropical Nature San Jose, CA Arlington, VA www.tropicalnature.org Kenneth R. Welle, DVM, Diplomate, ABVP, Avian [15, 16, 18] Susan E. Orosz, PhD, DVM, Diplomate, All Creatures Animal Hospital ABVP,Avian, and Diplomate, ECAMS [17] Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Perrysburg Animal Care, Perrysburg, Ohio Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine Adjunct Professor, The University of Tennessee, Urbana, IL College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville Consultant, Lafeber Company, Cornell, Illinois James W.Wiley [2] USGS-BRD Irene M. Pepperberg [13] Maryland Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Associate Professor, Dept. of Research Unit, Princess Anne, MD Psychology, Brandeis University Research Scientist, MIT School of Architecture G. Heather Wilson, DVM, Diplomate, ABVP, and Planning Avian [25] Assistant Professor Exotic Animal, Wildlife, and Ulrike S. Reinisch, DVM [7,19] Zoological Medicine, Department of Small Resident–Clinical Animal Behavior Service Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary University of California, Davis Medicine University of Georgia, Athens April Romagnano, PhD, DVM, ABVP (Avian Practice) [9,22] Liz Wilson, CVT [16,20,26] Animal Health Clinic Parrot Behavior Consultant Jupiter, FL Levittown, PA Lynne M. Seibert, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl Timothy F.Wright, PhD [4] ACVB [5,23] Genetics Lab, National Museum of Natural Veterinary Specialty Center of Seattle History, Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian Lynnwood, WA National Zoo Washington, DC Noel F.R. Snyder [2] Portal, AZ Many have forgotten this truth, but you must not forget it. You remain responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. —Antoine de Saint-Exupery Preface The untamed beauty of parrots has fascinated neglected, covered with a towel to keep them humans for centuries and keeps us in its spell to quiet, are much too common. Even normal parrot the present time. Parrots are beautiful, they can behavior such as vocalization, chewing, and being fly, they are different from us, they are intelligent, messy does not fit well with people’s lifestyles and they remain mysterious. However, our rela- and can result in a broken human-animal bond. tionship with parrots has changed greatly over This book is written by authors who understand time. Once considered a plentiful natural resource and love parrots in order to help foster a mutual- worth exploiting, we now make great efforts to ly beneficial and enjoyable relationship between protect their dwindling natural populations. At the parrots and their humans. We hope it can set up same time we have come a long way in how we new parrot-human relationships for success and keep parrots in our homes. They no longer are but rekindle the joy that should be inherent in such brilliant exhibition pieces chained to a T-stand but relationships in cases where it has been lost. We have become members of our families whose sen- intend to promote a deepened understanding and sitivities, cognitive abilities, and emotions we responsible attitude toward parrots in the wild as respect and try to understand. well as in captivity. We hope this will contribute Yet parrot-keeping is a challenging endeavor. to the welfare of parrots and help develop a We admire their wildness, yet we bring them into respect for and appreciation of these fascinating a very unnatural captive environment for which beings. they have not evolved. We admire their flight, yet Although scientific interest in parrot behavior in most cases where we keep parrots as pets we is growing, knowledge in this area is still limited. need to clip their wings. We like them because This is especially true for behavior problems of they are social creatures, yet we frequently keep pet birds and their treatment.