December 2018 Foster Parrots & The New England Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary P.O. Box 34 Hope Valley, RI 02832 The Official NEEWSLetter of Foster Parrots & T he New England Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary Your Screaming, Biting, Phobic Parrot & The Myth of the Hand Fed Baby Bird By Karen Windsor The fact that parental deprivation has disruption in the infant-parent relationship a negative impact on baby parrots bred in the lives of parrots during this very for the commercial market has been sensitive period in their psychosocial well documented. The 2005 study, “The development has a measurable, physical Influence of the Breeding Method on the impact on the brain, disrupting Behavior of Adult African Grey Parrots” neuroendocrinal patterning that can have (Schmid, Doherr, Steiger) determined that a permanent effect on behavior as parrots hand-raised chicks were notably more mature. (cont’d on p. 2) aggressive as adults than parent-raised babies, and chicks pulled from their mothers earlier than 5 weeks developed more chronic, stereotypic (stress coping) behaviors than chicks who remained under the care of their natural parents for extended periods of time. ack the caique is a plucker, a biter and a Research conducted out of UC Davis, screamer. He’s not a bad bird. He simply California (Meehan, Garner and Mench, lacks the social and psychological tools 2002) established that young Amazons YES! I want to contribute to the 2018 Year-End Mini-Match! Jhe needs to navigate the complexities of an kept isolated from conspecifics - similar to unnatural world. how baby birds are isolated and displayed in pet stores - screamed more, were more And he’s not alone. Much to the distress prone to stereotypies, and demonstrated All donations made in December will be matched up to $2500! of heartbroken guardians everywhere, increased fear-based aggression toward self-plucking amongst parrots in captivity unfamiliar handlers. Young Amazons is common. Whether it’s habitual, housed in pairs were more inquisitive, Your contribution to Foster Parrots, Ltd. helps provide care for over 400 parrots and animals indiscriminate aggression or periodic, more playful and less fearful. unpredictable biting, millions of pet It’s Time for at The New England Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary. It supports our humane education and birds attempt to control the humans in Research by Dr. Gay Bradshaw (et al) has Foster Parrots’ adoption programs, and it helps to protect the freedom of wild parrots and natural habitat. their lives with their beaks. And while established that, just like in human babies screaming is more likely to land a parrot and in other species of higher intelligence, in a basement or garage than result in Year End Yes! I want to support the work of Foster Parrots, Ltd. with a tax-deductible donation of: a positive outcome, millions of birds try to express their discontent through _____ $25 _____$50 _____$100 _____$200 _____$500 _________ Other frequent, inappropriate and intolerable Mini Match! vocalizations. Behaviors like these are Please consider why parrots lose their homes. They are the Name: _______________________________________________________________________ reasons why humans, filled with remorse Foster Parrots, Ltd. over having failed as guardians, seek to Address: _____________________________________________________________________ rehome their birds or surrender them to in your year-end rescue organizations. Like many parrots, charitable giving! City: ______________________________________ State: _________ Zip: ________________ however, Jack’s behavioral issues are likely not rooted in the shortcomings of his last We need your support E-mail address: ________________________________________________________________ two or three homes, but rather, in the now more than ever! formative neonatal weeks he spent with his breeder. See pages 7 & 8 for details Donate on-line by visiting: Please mail checks to: Foster Parrots, Ltd. or www.fosterparrots.com H PO Box 34 H‘Tis the season for year-end giving! The Year-End Mini-Match is a beautiful way to show Hope Valley, RI 02832 It’s safe, secure, and so easy! H your love for the birds & support the important work we do year round! 2 H 2 All donations made in December will be matched up to $2500! See pages 7 & 8 for details H H 2 NEEWSletter design courtesy of Dorian DeSimone Designs— DorianDesigns.com; Photography courtesy of Brian Jones Design— BrianJonesDesign.com Your Screaming, Biting, Phobic Parrot & It’s Time for our The Myth of the Hand Fed Baby Bird (cont’d from the cover) An on-line ad from one Maine based standards in the breeding industry. References: breeding facility states, “We only sell Consequently, the negative behaviors 2018 Year unweaned babies to qualified wholesale we are experiencing in pet parrots Isosexual Pair Housing Improves Welfare of [establishments] that have demonstrated oftentimes cannot simply be addressed Young Amazon Parrots they know how to handfeed.” That by strategies like improving enrichment, statement gives an impression of ethics introducing avian companionship or C.L. Meehan, J.P. Garner, J.A. Mench - 2002 and responsibility. The reality is that this consulting with professional behaviorists. End Mini The Influence of the Breeding Method on breeder’s babies are separated from their Re-orienting troubled parrots can take the Behaviour of Adult African Grey Parrots mothers either as eggs or within days or a longer investment of time, a deeper weeks of hatching, are packed into boxes understanding of parrot psychology and Rachel Schmid, Marcus Georg Doherr, and shipped to various retailers or brokers a willingness on the part of guardians Andreas Steiger – 2005 Match! across the country who demonstrate to accept and work around the unique hand-feeding proficiency. In the absence of dispositions of imperfect parrots. The fact Avian Affective Dysregulation: Psychiatric a nurturing, protective, maternal anchor, that the aforementioned behavioral issues Models and Treatment for Parrots in Please consider including baby parrots like this, in their most helpless are so widespread suggests that, at the Captivity state, are adrift, connected to nothing. very least, standards in aviculture and in breeding practices need to change. At best, G.A. Bradshaw, Joseph P. Yenkosky, Eileen Despite overwhelming scientific evidence captive breeding of a flighted, wild animal McCarthy - 2009 Foster Parrots, Ltd. that parental deprivation is psychologically as psychologically dynamic and vulnerable traumatizing to mammals and birds, as a parrot should discontinue entirely. 2 in your year-end charitable giving! the standard of the handfed baby parrot persists. “Baby birds are pulled from their parents and we, in essence, become their All donations made in December new moms,” boasts a parrot breeding will be matched up to $2500! establishment based in Massachusetts. New Aviary Construction The implication is that human-imprinting to the greatest possible extent is going to Wild scarlet macaws (lapas!) enjoying their free- produce a superior avian companion. The Funded by the Albert Schweitzer dom at the MCCR compound in Costa Rica end result, however, is an animal who is oster Parrots fundamentally confused as to what species Animal Welfare Fund Foster Parrots he is, and is likely to develop a variety of Fis dedicated holds 3 behaviors that will challenge his ability to generous grant from the Albert Overlooking the NEEWS Community to the rescue and fundraiser ultimately succeed as a companion animal. ASchweitzer Animal Welfare Fund late Garden, these stunning aviaries not only events each Sooner or later, these parrots will find in 2017 enabled us to break ground this past enhance the lives of 26 of our resident birds, protection of parrots year: Our themselves in transition, struggling to cope spring on a series of 4 new, outdoor aviaries. but add to the beauty of the garden area! 2 March with new social situations their physical everywhere, and to Matching Fund brains may not be equipped to navigate. Seiko – Happily adopted in 2018 the liberation of all Drive, our us forward in our work to bring relief, The commercial industry is not welfare wild animals who ever-so-popular minded. It is a system of producing a protection and understanding to the lives Fall Fundraiser salable product for profit. Consequently, yearn to live their of parrots, both in captivity and in the Extravaganza, wild. We are a part of a dynamic team the psychological impacts of breeding lives in freedom and and our Year-End Mini Match. We hope methods on parrots as they mature of rescue organizations, educators and you will choose to support at least one into adult birds do not typically factor with dignity. conservationists who have devoted their of these annual events! The programs of into domestic breeding operations, but lives to the Foster Parrots and the lives of the hundreds socialization does. A breeder’s livelihood service of of birds and animals who live at The New hinges on his or her ability to meet birds and consumer demand for friendly, affectionate No Cage Is Big Enough! England Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary depend animals who on you! baby birds, and breeders everywhere orking tirelessly throughout the struggle to liberally handle their babies to achieve that year, we recognize every bird live their Please consider level of tameness expected by consumers. W and animal who comes into our care “Handfed and tamed babies from our natural making a tax- home to yours” are typical ads describing as an individual whose lives have been lives in a deductible babies for sale. All baby birds, lovingly profoundly impacted by their human complex and donation on-line conditioned by their breeders, are needy experience and by their own unique seemingly by visiting www. and affectionate. It’s what happens later on journey. Every bird and animal matters. heartless fosterparrots.com that that will ultimately define their lives. modern As a leader in the national avian welfare world. or send a check to: Scientific research repeatedly corroborates community, we understand it is the Foster Parrots, Ltd.