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10 PM ET: Long Term Illness Support Chat
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10 PM ET: Long Term Illness Support Chat
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PHCoosmom: Marie Digatono has had the fortunate opportunity to observe Amazon parrots frequently in their native habitat for more than a decade. She takes small groups of visitors on eco-tours to see Amazons and other neo-tropical species flying free in the wilds of N.E. Mexico. PHCoosmom: Marie raised and bred Amazona oratrix, exclusively, for 25 years at her small aviary, Vista de Pájaro (Bird's Eye View in Spanish). All parrots there are pets who are flighted and handled frequently. PHCoosmom: Marie writes about Amazons regularly, gives presentations, and consults on conservation, behavior and handling, specializing in managing your home and amazons for flight safety, and cage and aviary design. Marie is also well known for her contributions to the AOL Amazon Parrot Message Board and as the Minnesota delegate to the Amazona Society. DOVE_kid_nr: I was wondering what a good beginner bird would be? oratrix6: Hi Dove, we talked just a bit earlier, and I understand that you are an eager, young enthusiast DOVE_kid_nr: yes oratrix6: I think that one of the very well known species, such as cockatiel would probably be a fine bird to get involved with... they are smart and pretty oratrix6: and can learn many tricks, and are friendly. DOVE_kid_nr: do they make a lot of noise? oratrix6: Maybe that doesn't make them a 'beginner' bird, since many have them as their permanent bird... PHXue: Amazons, do you generally recommend that they belong to one-bird homes? oratrix6: They can chatter a lot! All parrots are pretty noisy GA PHCoosmom: Marie, can you give us a short over view of the eco tours you lead? Where do you go? What can you expect to see there? oratrix6: OK... we go to NE Mexico oratrix6: That's home to Red-heads, Yellow-heads, Red-loreds oratrix6: and green conures oratrix6: and MANY other fabulous birds... oratrix6: here's a vocab word for you who love all birds... oratrix6: Sympatric species oratrix6: It means the birds whose territories overlap oratrix6: GA PHCoosmom: Xue, your question please. PHXue: sorry, didn't mean to jump in there PHXue: but, was just wondering if she recommends they generally go to one-bird homes oratrix6: Hi Xue, not necessarily... PHCoosmom: Marie is an amazon expert and leads eco tours. oratrix6: One bird is a difficult situation for any bird because they are flock animals... oratrix6: They would NEVER be alone in the wild PHXue: oh, and the sympatic birds, if their territories overlap, they're more likely to be compatable, right? oratrix6: So a single bird is often stressed oratrix6: YES!!! I was going there PHXue: :) thought so oratrix6: I think that sympatric species make the best combination as pet birds oratrix6: Afterall, strangers can seem scary oratrix6: Here, I have a flock...all yellow-heads oratrix6: They all interact as a flock.. actually, this has been very interesting oratrix6: For example, when I bred, the whole fliock was VERY interested in raising the babies PHCoosmom: Rouen, your question please. Rouen: hi Marie, what would you say the average distance traveled daily by healthy adult 'Zons is? oratrix6: In the wild, babies are not ready to go off on their own for several years, but what are parents supposed to do with rambunctious babies when nesting season rolls around oratrix6: sorry... PHCoosmom: That is okay Marie. oratrix6: didn't mean to send that yet oratrix6: OK.. flight. A FAVORITE topic, LOL oratrix6: They fly probably a mile or more from the roost (where they sleep and rest) every AM, to the feeding trees, then back, and repeat this every afternoon sammiecottrill: ? How can I get my three pet (Grey) parrots to be friendlier with each other? oratrix6: bummer... should have figured this out earlier... oratrix6: OK... anyway oratrix6: Flight per day is probably 4 to 8 miles oratrix6: All of our Yellow-heads are flighted Rouen: all of my birds are flighted as well, I dont think it's fair to take that ability away, thanks Marie oratrix6: we don't LET them fly, we actually make it so they HAVE tio fly at least 2X/day oratrix6: before and after eating, like in the wild oratrix6: Me too Rouen Rouen: good point, flying with a purpose, but birds like budgies do fly for the sake of flying Rouen: thanks again oratrix6: Yes, ours do too, on ocassion oratrix6: but often need something across the room to go for... oratrix6: a play stand, food, a mate... oratrix6: we bring them down into the basement where they do long circles around the stair area oratrix6: GA PHCoosmom: Sammie, your question please. oratrix6: he he,... I am a SLOW typer sammiecottrill: How do you get pet birds to be friendly to each other? PHXue: Stafford, GA PHCoosmom: stafford, yoiur question please. staffordmom: what are the most popular Amazons & which are the best talkers? PHCoosmom: Marie, answer Stafford's question please oratrix6: Sammie, Slow introductions.. making everything safe, no overlapping territory until sure everyone is happy... oratrix6: actually, I don't have a lot of experience introducing new birds. Mine are all (except one) 26 years old oratrix6: OK oratrix6: Most popular WERE Red-heads PHIggysbirds: ? oratrix6: but they are now almost extinct!!! staffordmom: wow oratrix6: And now Yellow-heads , blue fronts and napes... all DIFFICULT to have as pets staffordmom: oh? oratrix6: I always feel bad to see these birds go to anyone but the MOST dedicated and well informed bird lover oratrix6: They are a huge challenge staffordmom: hmmm ty oldgrouch8: back when my redhead was more difficult then my bluefront, about 25 years ago oratrix6: very high physical and emotional needs PHCoosmom: Rolin, yoiur question please. Rolindice73: If i may ask...what subspecies of amazon do you find the most interesting, and why? =) oratrix6: hmmm... I love all of the amazons, but think that A.oratrix belizensis, a sub of oratrix, is probably a fav. They are petite and sweet, for an amazon Rolindice73: thanks =) curiosity oratrix6: It seems to me that size often matters.LOL... seems like the bigger amazons often are more challenging Rolindice73: thank you oratrix6: Even within my A. oratrix species.. they smaller birds here are a little more friendly GA PHIggysbirds: Which is the most aggressive or emotional and which is the most easily trainable in your opinion oratrix6: I used to deny this, but I think that the males... of the LARGE amazon species are most difficult... they really want to take charge of their territory.. oratrix6: I have some sweet male YHs... PHIggysbirds: We had that experience with our DYH male aggression and our Orange wing female is a sweetie so was just curious thank you oratrix6: but they sometimes give a surprise nip or divebomb when I don't do whatever just right PHIggysbirds: Our orange wing can surprise you at times too LOL oratrix6: how easy training is...well, I think that if everyone would go to some of the behavior conferences, you would be amazed by all of the things that are being learned about training these days oratrix6: Have any of you gone to a conference? It's really fab! PHIggysbirds: I have taken courses in training but was curious as to if you felt a certain species was more trainable than others PHIggysbirds: or conferences LOL PHCoosmom: I think the questin was which species is more trainable if there is one. oratrix6: The skill of the trainer, matched with the intelligence of the bird... best combo. oratrix6: So a skilled trainer with a larger (often most capable) parrotcan do amazing things. PHIggysbirds: Well our DYH is more aggressive but more open to training our OW is sweeter but not open to new things just curious oratrix6: but this is not necessarily so for an average, casual pet owner PHIggysbirds: we work in rescue so we work with alot in training LOL GA oratrix6: I have never lived around an OW, but have heard that's true.. kind of mellow guys oratrix6: cool.. oratrix6: GA PHCoosmom: Sammie, your question please. sammiecottrill: where are training classes that teach us to train our birds?Any good books? oratrix6: Yes...SOOO many!!! oratrix6: great books out now, loaded with super training ionfo oratrix6: do you know barbara Heidenreich's book, and new magazine too? sammiecottrill: I have three greys. Talking is about all I have been able to teach them, Please reccomend oratrix6: Someone help, please, what are they named??? PHXue: Good Bird oratrix6: Yes... and the book? PHXue: is that it? oratrix6: Good Bird Magazine... And if you do an amazon.com search on her name, she comes up a lot Valkyrie: The Parrot Problem Solver sammiecottrill: If I look under her name I should find some? oratrix6: you'll see the book... VERY simple, and inexpensive oratrix6: Thanks Val Valkyrie: Good Bird! A Guide to Solving Behavioral Problems in Companion Parrots Good Bird! A Guide to Solving Behavioral Problems in Companion Parrots sammiecottrill: Thanks sooo much!! oratrix6: Sghe does a lot of conferences and it's impressive to see her work sammiecottrill: I will buy it!! sammiecottrill: That's all I needed... oratrix6: She SLOWYL took a rescue, fearful macaw from slashing at everone, to stepping calmly onto her arm right infront of us all at a conference here in Minneapolis last summer oratrix6: GA PHCoosmom: Philosophy on breeding birds. I know you no longer breed but if you did, how would you handle finding homes and raising the young? PHCoosmom: Please tell us what you believe. oratrix6: hmmm, the reson that I stopped was that many people, though well intentioned, often were not well enough informed (despite my efforts). I wrote quite a bit about their care and needs, but people still often "failed" even though I was an intense screener oratrix6: and even the well informed... oratrix6: and the dedicated...well, some of them failed; too. oratrix6: and even more... oratrix6: thiose who 'succeed' oratrix6: well... we simply can't provide what they have in their natural habitat oratrix6: so sorry to not be more upbeat about this, but after being involved all these years, and being as determined as I am to do a good job, I fell like it's not really enough. PHCoosmom: Thank you Marie. I think it needed to be said. oratrix6: well. I am not always the most popular person at a bird talk, LOL PHCoosmom: xue, your question please. PHXue: interesting what you said earlier, about your birds taking interest in each others' babies. Since you've observed them in the wild, do they do that in their natural environment also? And, do you still do the tours? I didn't see any upcoming ones on your website (if I looked in the right place) oratrix6: Sooool, I actually recommend that most people , if they chioose to live with a bird or more, that they chooses a species that can altleast fly intensly in a home oratrix6: Aww thanks for asking Xue PHXue: :) oratrix6: my site is terribly out of date due to illness of my site person oratrix6: I need to revamp oratrix6: but I try to do 2 each year, once in the spring and once in the fall oratrix6: we have gotten our groupls very involved in conservation programs oratrix6: YES... in the wild it's marvelous to observe natural behaviors oratrix6: the babies are kind of booted out, LOL, after a year... they need to hang out in groups of other juvenile chicks PHXue: i would LOVE to do that, observe them in their natural setting oratrix6: sometimes a hundred or more, babies with some miscellaneous adults , maybe those who have lost a mate PHXue: wow oratrix6: Xue... it is a true thrill PHXue: Are the tours open to everyone? where could we find more info? oratrix6: I get goose bumps thinking about seeing, and especially LISTENING to the flocks oratrix6: They make a real rackett on the way to the feeding trees, and back. Their calls carry a mile or more... geee...no surprise that they are loud in our homes PHXue: lol oratrix6: Yes...all people interested ibn birds... kid to expert oratrix6: would have a good time, (no cerveca for the kids though!) oratrix6: I have brought 16 year olds, through 74 year olds. PHCoosmom: Sammie,you have the last question sammiecottrill: Is it true that tame parrots cannot be bred? Or won't breed? oratrix6: Check my website for contact info... thouh like I said,. the info on the site is not all updated oratrix6: No Mine are all tame... sammiecottrill: what then is required? oratrix6: Enough space, light, safety, quality food, stimulating environment... oratrix6: I think that also I may have been very successful because I had all one species... no outsider threats sammiecottrill: I'd like to give each of my three kids one. They are in their 40's oratrix6: I loved doing it, and miss it... miss them flying green puppies! LOL oratrix6: Let's talk, LOL PHCoosmom: Marie, thank you. Everyone, if you are interested in eco tours, I recommend you go to Marie's site and learn what she can do for you. PHCoosmom: This is our last guest for chat week. We thank you all for attenting. oratrix6: www.vistadepajaro.com oratrix6: would love to have all of you come along PHXue: Thank you Marie! PHCoosmom: I am sure that if you have further questions for Marie, you can contact her and ask them. oratrix6: Thanks to ALL of you. This went so fast!!!
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