Parrots

Question 1

distinctive anatomical features of parrots

Answer 1

parrot bill is hooked on top and bottom

feet is two forward and two backward

Question 2

world distribution of parrots

Answer 2

southern hemisphere near the equator in tropical climates

Question 3

food source for Lories

Answer 3

pollen and nectar

Question 4

significance of parrots ingesting clay

Answer 4

neutralizes toxic compound inside nuts of unripe fruit

Question 5

feather color of most parrots

Answer 5

green

Question 6

breeding in parrots in general

Answer 6

most monogamous, females incubate eggs, male gets food

Question 7

illegal pet trade

Answer 7

monetary value - a macaw bought for $100 can sell for 10,000

• reasons for demand - second most lucrative trade
• methods used to smuggle illegal wild animals - Smuggled wildlife is often hidden in secret compartments of luggage, shipping containers, or clothing.
• regulation of wildlife importation - Fish and Wildlife Service To facilitate inspection, the FWS has designated 18 ports across the United States through which most wildlife traffic is required to pass. CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

Question 8

pet considerations for macaws

Answer 8

extinct in wild,

strong beaks can crush fingers

Question 9

things to consider before buying a parrot

Answer 9

1. What type of bird
2. Commitment duration
   a. Some can live up to 100 years
   b. Don’t rehome well
   c. Parakeets can have 5-10 years maximum
3. Allergies
   a. Cockatoos shed a talcum-like powder constantly
4. Cost (direct and indirect)
   a. Rare birds can be upwards to $20,000 a bird
   b. Some can be as low as $20
   c. Smaller birds can do less damage, eat less

Question 10

the significance of closed versus open leg bands on parrots

Answer 10

• An open band means it was put on when bird was older
o Pieces of wire tells you this bird was imported and wild
o Has info about when bird came, what station, what batch of birds
• A closed band is slipped onto foot when 7-12 days old
o Can only be placed when foot is not fully matured
o Has had human contact
o More likely to be a better pet
• No bands at all
o No federal law that you have to band the bird
o Big birds can break it off anyway
o Allowed to take off bands for safety precaution if getting leg caught into wire of the cages

Question 11

disadvantages and advantages of different cage and perch types

Answer 11

•	Cages
o	Stainless steel
	Doesn’t rust, most expensive
o	Wrought iron
	Will eventually start to rust, chip paint off
o	Heavy gauge wire
	Powder coated or non-toxic paint
Cage considerations
•	Vertical and horizontal bars
•	Bar spacing
•	Overall size
•	Door size and locks
•	Knock-down vs. assembled 
Perches
•	Variety of sizes and surfaces is the key
•	Wood 
o	Can chew which provides activity
o	Hard to disinfect
•	Cement
o	Works great because don’t have to clip toenails
o	One will do
•	PVC pipe
o	Slippery
•	Rope
o	Perfectly fine but watch bird
o	If starts eating it, not digestible

Question 12

term sexually dimorphic and reverse sexual dimorphism

Answer 12

• reverse is female takes on male characteristics

Question 13

bird cage and toy considerations

Answer 13

• Give them something to chew on, wooden is best
• If don’t chew, have to shave down beak
• Birds are very sensitive to zinc and lead toxicity
• Cheap toys that are painted can have these toxic chemicals
• Bells on many toys
o Bird will ring bell constantly
o Bird will take clapper out of it and ingest it which has lead and zinc and will slowly kill your bird

Question 14

species of parrots known for their talking ability

Answer 14

o	Greys – can mimic human voice exactly
o	Amazons
o	Eclectus – can mimic human voice exactly
o	Macaws
o	Cockatoos

Question 15

methods used to teach a bird to talk, and for elimination language and noises not desired

Answer 15

•	Model/rival method 
o	Have a mentality of four year old
o	Instructor and another person or bird is model and the rival is the one being taught
o	Model his behavior 
o	Instructor says word, model says word and gets treat, bird sees this and mimics to get the treat
	Speak clearly
	Repetition
	Different pitch
	Closet speaker – record while gone and see if it speaks, want extra attention so smart enough that if they start talking they won’t get as much attention
•	Making it a habit
o	Modeling
o	Enactment
o	Reinforcement
•	Solution
o	Don’t respond the first time 
o	Divert their attention and make them focus on stupid word apple