PROMOTING HIGH STANDARDS IN PARROT CONSERVATION AVICULTURE AND WELFARE ~ 9fJodd9auot fditut Vol. 8 No. 2 May 1996 World Parrot Trust Plans UK Parrot Sane tu ary ByMike Reynolds As our members will know, The Fifth, we answer many estimate that an initial sum of visitors to donate at least £12,000 World Parrot Trust summarises its individual enquiries from pet £30,000is needed, whichwould this year, bringing our eight year aims as follows: 'The survival of owners concerned about the well- allow us to build the first stage of totalto over£100,000. Wecan parrot species in the wild, and the being of their birds. Sixth, we the WPTParrot Sanctuary over the commit £5000 of this year's income welfare of captive birds'. As continually, through this newsletter winter of 1996/97. to the Parrot Sanctuary Fund, but members will also know we have and in other ways, promote views So where is the necessary we must find the remaining made considerable strides in that are intended to help both pet funding to come from? To make a £25,000 from animal welfare pursuing the first aim, with 23 and aviary birds. Our descriptive start we can pledge part of the charities, bird food suppliers, threatened species of parrot helped article in the February 1991 issue income usually earned for the Trust concerned individuals, and possibly in 19 countries. Our work for the of PsittaScene about the 150ft long each summer at Paradise Park by European Union funds. I t would welfare of captive birds has tended 'Big Parrot Flight' at Paradise Park Martin and his flying squad of also be a welcome development to to take a lower priority, no doubt has undoubtedly influenced many eagles, owls, falcons and human receive funding from trade sources, because of the urgency we all feel parrot breeders to build similar assistants. We expect our generous specifically from businesses which when considering the needs of aviaries. parrots in the wild. Seventh, and finally, we have Despite this, we have some helped many pet parrot owners by welfare achievements to record. agreeing to house and care for their Firstly, we arranged the release parrots after their owners' death, or back into the wild of 300 Goffins simply taking on unwanted birds Cockatoos, being held by dealers in immediately. In practice it is Indonesia. Second, we funded and Paradise Park, where The World arranged the construction of a large Parrot Trust is based, that aviary to re-house a group of undertakes this responsibility , Hyacinth and other macaws at because the Trust has a policy of Asuncion Zoo, Paraguay. Third, we not owning any parrots. David have printed and distributed to pet Woolcock, Curator of Paradise Park stores and elsewhere 150,000 and also a WPTTrustee, reports copies of our leaflet 'Who's a lucky that he is asked to take on at least a boy, then?'. This leaflet gives hundred unwanted parrots each novice parrot owners useful and year, and he tries to accept as many 'parrot-friendly' advice, including a as possible; in practice, the Park warning not to buy wild-caught takes in about twenty a year. Where birds. Fourth, we have published possible they are paired up and many cases where people have given breeding aviaries, or placed in been convicted of smuggling the 'Big Flight' or another large parrots, since this practice almost aviary. inevitably means that birds are cruelly treated, and many die. TIME TO MAKE A START Evidence presented in the Tony The problem is, of course, that Silva case (see latest news on page Paradise Park cannot go on for ever 12) gives appalling examples of taking in these birds, because the brutality and a complete lack of aviary space required does not concern for the death of many exist. For the last couple of years Hyacinth Macaws. we have discussed trying to set up a World Parrot Trust 'Parrot Sanctuary' to help deal with this problem. Paradise Park can provide the land, the necessary veterinary " psittacine and avicultural expertise, and some (sit'a sin) Belonging staff time, but the capital cost of or allied to the even a simple new facility to house parrots; parrot-like " several hundred assorted parrots Amazona barbadensisrothschildi. A bird of this speciesis available for adoption. would have to be found. We Photo:A. MichaeIs 1 Martin Ballam with lara the GoldenEagle,raising funds at ParadisePark for The World Parrot Trust. have imported large numbers of completed; it will be 80 metres long they have adopted. wild-caught parrots over the years, by 40 metres wide, and is well Another potential source of or from individual pet stores. It is furnished with large numbers of funds is from our 'Fellows' who these wild-caught birds which have, tree trunks in which parrots will be make a singlepayment of £250or almost without exception, been the able to breed in a very natural $400 for life membership.If during ones which have 'failed' to be environment. The occupants will be 1996you signup for this form of satisfactory pets, and have become amongst the most fortunate of membership, you will have the the kind of miserable unloved rescued parrots. option of asking for your funds to parrot for which a sanctuary has to Our proposed parrot sanctuary be put into the 'Parrot Sanctuary befound. will have to be a more modest Fund'. We will also need, in due course, affair, at least to begin with. ST.VINCENTPARROT: to employ staff specifically for the Finding the funding for it will not 'WOODY' Sanctuary, but we'll cross that be easy, but here is one suggestion bridge later on. we would like to offer our WPT This big bruiser has been with Do not doubt that there is a members, and indeed anyone else Paradise Park since 1974,whenhe need for this sanctuary. Last month interested in parrot welfare. We and his mate were sent to us by the David Woolcock and I visited the have an adoption scheme for the St. Vincent government. Woody well-known and highly regarded birds at Paradise Park, and it could produced a chickin 1980,but Dutch parrot sanctuary be a satisfying experience to adopt ejected it from the nestbox. A 'Nederlandse Opvang a Paradise Park parrot knowing the typically aggressive male amazon Papegaaien'(NOP). We were adoption fee will go directly, parrot, for several years he had to astonished to hear from Tonny van without deduction, to the WPT be separated from his mate during Meegen, the director, that they keep Parrot Sanctuary Fund. the Winter, and watched carefully nearly 2000birds, and expect a when being reunited in the Spring. further 700 to be brought in during In 1989 he damaged his mate's 1996. Their policy is never to sell beak, but in 1991 he finally any bird, but they are sometimes produced a chick! He did it again in able to place birds with approved 1994, and both young birds are breeding progranunes. They also females. In 1995 the 1991 bird was do not require any payment from paired to a confiscated male of the parrot donors, so you might unknown age, and 2 clutches of reasonably ask how on earth the eggs were laid, but they were all sanctuary can be financed. The infertile. answer seems to be that funding BLUECROWNEDCONURE: comes from a number of sources: a 'ROCKY' major contribution from a Dutch animal welfare charity; donations ADOPT-A-PARROTFORTHE This little parrot had a long journey from bird food and other PARROTSANCTUARY on his way to Paradise Park. He was companies; free gifts of building So here is a short list of four discovered in Gibraltar by Customs officials after an attempt was made materials; the unpaid help of a parrots at Paradise Park, with their to smuggle him into the country in large number of devoted personal histories. If you wish to volunteers; about 30,000visitors a black plastic bag. Identified as a adopt one of them, please fill in Blue Crowned Conure and named annually paying a small entrance and return the enclosed 'Parrot 'Rocky' he was flown to England by fee; and some personal funding Sanctuary Adoption Form'. Note the Royal Air Force after they had from Mr van Meegen. that you can be an Adopter for £25 We were very impressed by the ($40), a Benefactorfor £50 ($80),or been asked for help by the Royal standard of bird keeping, and the a Patron for £100 ($160) or more. Society for the Protection of Birds. Two of their staff delivered him to quality and scale of the buildings. A All categories will receive a vast new aviary is almost certificate with details of the bird Paradise Park, where he hasnow 2 settled in and formed a dubious SCARLETMACAW:'OSCAR' relationshipwith a youngHahn's Macaw. We were asked to take care of Oscar after his owner fell ill. We YELLOW-SHOULDERED discovered that this unfortunate AMAZON: 'BARBIE' bird had lived in a large cage inside Found in a handbag at Heathrow a car repair and paint spraying airport, this endangered parrot was garage for over fifteen years. He confiscated by HM Customs and was in poor condition with many placed in the care of Paradise Park, feathers plucked and an overgrown who found it to be a female. beak. Our first task is to get him A few months later, by an amazing back into good health, and although coincidence, a male of the same he had only been with us for a few species was found at Schipol months his feathers are starting to airport in Holland.