Golden-shouldered Parrot (Psephotus chrysopterygius) by Ian

Newsletter: 12/8/2009

The Hooded Parrot featured as bird of the week at the end September following our encounter with some at Pine Creek in the Northern Territory. This week we have its rarer, and just as beautiful, close relative the Golden-shouldered Parrot of Cape York Peninsula, which we saw last week on our way back from Iron Range. We were shown them coming in to drink at a dam at sunrise by Sue Shephard of Artemis Station south of Musgrave.

Golden-shouldered Parrot (Psephotus chrysopterygius) by Ian

The two species look very similar. Male Golden-shouldered Parrots have narrower black caps, not extending past the eye, a yellowish forehead and, despite their name, a smaller golden patch on the wing. These shoulder patches are very obvious in flight, as in the bird top right in the first photo, and presumably act, along with the turquoise rump, as signals to other members of the species. At about 26cm/10in in length, these are both quite small parrots. Like the extinct, closely related, Paradise Parrot of southeastern Queensland, all three species nest, or nested, in terrestrial termite mounds.

The Golden-shouldered Parrot used to be quite widespread on Cape York Peninsula. It is now found only in two areas: in the Morehead River catchment south of Musgrave (where we saw them) and in Staaten River National Park farther to the southwest. Population estimates range up to 1,000 pairs and the species, classified as endangered, is now the subject of a national recovery plan. The good news is that in the last decade the contraction of the range appears to have stopped and the population stabilized, owing to active conservation measures being taken by the holders of grazing properties in the Morehead River catchment, notably Tom and Sue Shephard of Artemis Station. Staaten River National Park is inaccessible by road, so monitoring and conservation there pose particular challenges.

Links:
Hooded Parrot
Golden-shouldered Parrot Recovery Plan

Best wishes,
Ian
–
Ian Montgomery, Birdway Pty Ltd,
454 Forestry Road, Bluewater, Qld 4818
Phone: +61-7 4751 3115
Preferred Email: ian@birdway.com.au
Website: http://birdway.com.au

He comes from the north as golden splendor; With God is awesome majesty. (Job 37:22 NKJV)

The Golden-shouldered Parrot is in the Psittacidae Family (Parrots) of the Psittaciformes Order (New Zealand Parrots, Cockatoos, and Parrots).

The adult male is mainly blue and has a characteristic yellow over the shoulder area. It has a black cap and pale yellow frontal band. It has a pinkish lower belly, thighs and undertail-coverts. It has a Grey-brown lower back. Adult female are mainly dull greenish-yellow, and have a broad cream bar on the underside of the wings. Juveniles are similar to the adult female. ^(Wikipedia)

To see more about the Golden-shouldered Parrot:
Nice Video at Internet Bird Collection
By Wikipedia
By Bird Life International

This is, to date, my all time favorite Christmas song. It brings me to my knees and makes me tear up. I remember when I was in college, I could never make it back home for Christmas because I couldn’t afford it, or I couldn’t chance driving home because of some God-awful snowstorm between me in Minneapolis and my Dad’s home in the Chicago suburbs.

When I signed on with my Airline twenty-two plus years ago, I knew damned well that I’d never make it home. If you’re way down on the seniority list at your Company as a Flight Attendant, your home at Christmas is where your suitcase is. I’ve spent most Christmas Holidays at 35,oo0 feet popping sodas and handing out hot towels. I’ve spent Christmas in San Antonio, Paris, Brussels, London, and most memorably, Chattanooga, Tennesee where I got to my hotel room at about ten at night and I had to get up at five to make the next flight to Nashville. I remember it because I recalled “A Charlie Brown Christmas” airing for the first time. That night in my shabby hotel room, I remembered when I was a nine year-old kid and heard Linus speaking such simple words. I’ve thought it was a most poignant way of explaining the simplicity of Christmas:

That Christmas Eve in Chattanooga, I pulled out the Bible thoughtfully provided by the Gideons, (Who are these people? They have been  in every hotel room I have bedded down in. They do get around…) and read the passage of the birth, the manger, the Three Kings,and the whole bit with the voice of Linus in my head. That was my Christmas celebration. But I gave up Christmas, one of my favorite times of the year for a life. A life that gave me the world. It was a trade-off.

It’s been quite a trip from when Santa used to come to the front door on Christmas Eve. That’s when I received the first edition “Barbie” (Mine had a black pony tail.):

…My  favorite toy, a “Pop-za-Ball!”

This was a favorite video I used to watch every year until they announced that the film was so old, that  showing was to be the last year it was to be played. Thank God for film restoration and for You Tube. You’ll all laugh, but this was charming when I was growing up and and the time, it was very high-tech. I still think it’s charming:

I never did get a Mr. Potato Head:

But in my early teen years, I got a “Kindness 20″ Hot curler set. It rocked my waist length hair and I owned that thing for years:

But I moved on. I cut my hair for one thing…Actually, the Airline did it for me…

The video looks good and seems real glamorous, but the reality is more like this:

I made it home once for Christmas early in my Flight Career …For about seven hours. I missed the dinner, but the leftovers were great as my Dad made a plate for me. I made it back “home” for Christmas perhaps three times in the last thirty years. When I moved to New York, I found some odd jobs. This isn’t one of them:

I now live in Florida which puts an entirely different spin on what Christmas looks like:

You’re more likely to see this than snow men and ice castles. But I did manage to get a shot of the “Christmas Ducks!” I think about Christmas more in this way now:

Now things have changed.  I no longer have anyone to go “home” to, as most of my family is gone. My Parents passed away years ago, and the rest of the cousins and such are scattered hither, thither and yon. For a while, I felt bad about this; orphaned, forlorn and estranged.

But I have come to an understanding about “Christmas”, and about “Home” and about “Family.”  To me, Christmas is about getting the day off and flying a trip that day for someone who has kids. Christmas is about spending time with my friend Bill and eating great food and not having to turn on the Air Conditioner.

Christmas is sharing our Christmas dinner with Parker, Pepper, Nyla and Mattie.

Christmas is about making Holiday walnuts that are fattening, salty, sugary and delicious, and making them for everyone.

Christmas is understanding that your home is who you are closest to; birds, dogs, people…it doesn’t matter. What I have come to realize is that I no longer have to “Drive Home” for Christmas. Christmas is where I live. It’s where my friends and Family are. It is where I choose to have Christmas. For once; it’s not the journey; it’s the heart.

Christmas is sharing your life with those closest to you:

Parker….

Pepper…

Nyla…

Mattie..

My friend Bill has always been there for me when he can. He gives me a break some mornings by taking care of the birds, builds them toys and dotes on all of them, including Mattie. (No photo…he wouldn’t let me…)

My friend Nan has helped me out countless times:

Tamara and Jean have been there for me:

And although I don’t hear from her much, Leeann has been a sweetheart:

Beverly has been so good to me. She looks after Mattie when I fly to Bird Events, the Cincinnati Zoo; it doesn’t matter, she’s there for Mattie, (and me). Mattie adores her! I try and pay her back by making her vegetarian French onion soup and other dishes.

I cherish the memory of her dog Maisy:

And Shari’s Grey Iko:

Shari has been a rock. A total boulder. My touchstone…My friend.

Shari has taught me so much about Greys, about nutrition for birds and about the way things sometimes work in the World of Birds. We have a give-and-take friendship; we share stories, ideas, bird food recipes and brunch. She looks after the Greys when I go out on those “Adventures in the World of Birds,” looking after my birds as though they were her own:

My friends do this because they believe in me. And I appreciate that.

Christmas is not an event in the mall. It is a state of mind; It is an event of the heart. Christmas is a mix of memory and nostalgia, family and sentimentality. It is the distant, fragmented link to memories of long ago; of how we felt during this joyous season: When our ideas were straightforward, our lives were less complicated and our needs could be filled by a simple toy. It is inside every one of us. And this is what I believe keeps us young and happy to see yet another Christmas.

“Joyeux Noel” from all of us,

Parker, Pepper, Nyla, Mattie and Patricia

Ooh, and a  little more video from my Family to yours:

3D Parrots on tree branches .PNG images with transparent backgrounds. Commercial Use OK. High resolution @ 300 dpi. Great for Zazzlers!

$5.00 on sale for only .50!

Watcha looking at? Wanna fight isit?
Ultra cuteness. Adorable.
I know, that’s my brother=)

I’ve done my part as a brother. I’ve passed down my addiction for coke to my little Adam.
I’m proud of you, *wipe tears* really proud.
Oh, don’t you just wanna pinch his chubby cheeks. Uuurgh.

BTW, totally random, wonder how kids will look like when they’re thinking?

Take a look:

He’s trying so hard to act like an adult. But it’s cute, so it’s ok.

Seriously, one week is such a long time. Getting to see him only once a week is not enough. But at least I got to see him, I’m thankful.

Even so, many things can happen during that period of time.
Like how after one week, he suddenly knows how to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,
then the following week, Happy Birthday Song and next, other nursery rhymes.
Also, not to mention, how he’s becoming more and MORE hyper active.

How I hope there’s hooks(not hookers) at different places around Singapore, so we can hang kids to prevent them from running around. It would be easier for adults.

Imagine a shopping centre with a “Kids Hanging” room, where there’s hooks all around. So you just have to hang the kids there and go shop peacefully. That’ll be cool.

Anyway, ‘bonding time’ at some unknown place(at least for me).

Went to -really am not sure what’s the name of the place is called-, but there’s like a lot of parrots(not Bird Park).

So pretty, so colorful. So cutely disgusting too.

They can say ‘hello’, that’s pretty cool.
But all they can only say is ‘hello’, so i guess its a bit annoying.

More picture of the parrots.
(Didn’t take much, as while I was taking pictures using my phone, a guy came with a more ”professional looking’ camera, taking pics of the parrots, so I felt a little bit, paiseh.)

Not sure to whom the birds belongs to. There are shops around, so i guess it belongs to one of the shops owner. Pretty cool that the birds just stayed there, and didn’t fly off.

Was about to leave when we saw two parrots kissing(I choose to believe they’re kissing)!
Aww, so cute. So sweet.

Now I feel like googling images of kissing animals.
I think it’s cute, don’t you think so?

Apart from that, my favourite contestant, Joe, won X-Factor 2009.
Hmm, the first winner that didn’t cry when won. But who cares, he’s the best!

Again, apart from all the above,

I AM GOING TO SINGAPORE IDOL’S FINAL SHOW!

Gosh, I’m so high

Many parrot owners struggle to get their parrots to eat healthy vegetables and leafy greens. There are a few ways of offering this type of food – all sorts of vegetables and greens can be cut up and hung up on skewers, chopped up in large chunks and served in bowls, minced into sunflower seed size pieces, stuffed into foraging toys or turned into foraging toys, clipped to the cage bars or to the playstand.

There is another way to get your parrot to benefit from all sorts of seasonal vegetables, greens, fruit and berries – by offering him or her delicious juice! It can be given from a spoon or diluted with a little bit of water and given in a regular water bowl for a couple of hours each day. It has to be removed in about two hours (or less in hotter climates) before bacteria starts to grow rapidly.

The juice made of a variety of vegetables will offer a nutrient-dense cocktail full of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. The pulp left after juicing can be also fed to your birds or added to a batch of birdie bread.

It is best to juice vegetables and fruit whole where possible without peeling, because the skin contains a high concentration of the beneficial compounds. For this reason, it is best to choose organic produce whenever possible.

Some of the vegetables which can be used for juicing include celery, cucumber, carrot, broccoli, beetroot, etc.

Greens and herbs: kale, chard, spinach, cavolo nero, cabbage, dandelion leaves, wheatgrass, barley grass, parsley, coriander, thyme etc.

Fruit: oranges (no peel), clementines (no peel), mandarins (no peel), satsumas (no peel), lemons (no peel), apples, pears, plums, peaches, apricots, ripe mangoes, pomegranates, etc.

Berries: blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries, cranberries, etc.

For more info and some great recipes visit the website of Dr. Dave Mccluggage, a holistic veterinarian and an expert in avian medicine.

There is a wide variety of books available on juicing with a variety of recipes, suitable for both humans and parrots alike (just watch out for the suitability of the suggested in books produce for parrots!).

Suggested read:

Juice Lady’s Guide to Juicing for Health: Unleashing The Healing Power of Whole Fruits and Vegetables by Cherie Calbom

The Big Book Of Juices and Smoothies: 365 Blends for Health and Vitality Every Day by Natalie Savona

New Pyramid Miracle Juices: Over 40 Juices for a Healthy Life by Charmaine Yabsley and Amanda Cross

Companion Parrot is a magazine edited by Sally Blanchard, a famous parrot behaviourist and an author of numerous books on different parrot species and parrot behaviour. You can get your free copy by clicking here to view the file in your browser in pdf format.

To subscribe to the magazine click here.

To read some of Sally Blanchard articles visit her new and very informative websites http://companionparrot.com/

Barbara Heidenreich  is offering a free copy of Good Bird Magazine available for download for a limited time only. Click here to get your copy!

If you enjoy your free copy follow the link to get a subscription, it is well worth it!  http://www.goodbirdinc.com/store-subscribe.html

To learn more about Barbara Heidenreich and pick up some useful hints and tips have a look at her blog here http://goodbirdinc.blogspot.com/

It is winter and even parrots have lost animation. So they sit puffed up waiting for sun rays to breathe some life into them. Long live chilly mornings :smirk:

School Libary Journal has the skinny on loads of forthcoming kids books.  Several look like good reads for vegetarian and vegan kids.  Moon Bear by Brenda Z. Guiberson and Ed Young promises to expose young readers to the truth about bear bile farms, while Beautiful Yetta: The Yiddish Chicken by Daniel Pinkwater details the escape of a Yiddish-speaking hen who sets out to rescue Spanish-speaking parrots in the Bronx.

I also can’t wait to read Forever Friends — whose cover features a bird and a rabbit — by the super-talented Carin Berger whose Little Leaf is an absolutely gorgeous book (that I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed yet).  Other interesting books coming out soon: Nico & Lola by Meggan Hill and Susan M. Graunke; Face to Face with Manatees by Brian Skerry; and Mr. Badger and Mrs. Fox: The Meeting by Brigette Luciani and Eve Tharlet.

Massive Confiscation of African Grey Parrots

Date: Nov 29 2009 | By: Simon at Limbe Wildlife Centre

Yesterday hundreds of parrots were rescued and transfered to the Limbe Wildlife Centre. They were confiscated at the Douala Airport, where they were kept prior to shipment out of the country. The illegal animal dealer has fled. The parrots were sitting in 10 crates, covered with lice, without food or water. By the time they arrived in the LWC 7 animals were dead and 4 more died soon after arrival.

Fortunately we had space in the quarantine, so we quickly prepared an enclosure for them. Our carpenter rushed to the market to get perches and find saw dust for on the floor. Some others went to buy corn, casava, peanuts and palmnuts in order to prepare the food. In no time the ape quarantine enclosure was changed into a flight cage for parrots. The parrots were off loaded and less then 2 hours after arrival they were confortably settling down in their new temporary home.

The horror of shipments like this is most visible when the strong birds have flown out of the transport cages, leaving the weak ones behind.

This makes me very angry with the people who do this. On the other hand, I want to focus on all those parrots whose lives are now saved. They will get all the care they need and most of them will be released back into the wild. From earlier experience I know that we will have months ahead of us with a lot of extra work, but that is okay. The Limbe Wildlife Centre has a bunch of great animal keepers, who will do everything to rehabilitate these parrots and let them fly in the forest again. We will keep you informed about the developments.

Located to the west of Palma in the municipality of Calvia, Santa Ponca is one of the most popular resorts on the island – and rightly so. Close to the east end of the main beach there is a small pine wood which has become home to some wild parrots.

You are likely to hear them before you see them as they are a noisy bunch. Since they have more sense than the tourists they tend to take shelter from the heat of the midday sun, therefore your best chance of seeing them is late afternoon when they come out to stretch their wings, squabble and search for sustenance.

A recent visitor to Paradise Island wrote this in her personal blog:

5 Things To Love About This Campground

1.  The Parrots.  Bright green, noisy and beautiful, they pass through several times a day.
2.  Personality.  The French Canadians have started moving in, "en force" for the season. Their patios are adorned with potted palms, soft ligshting and "Bienvenue" signs identifying the occupants.  
3.  Convenience.  Did I mention that within a 5-minute walk there is a Walgreens and a liquor store?  You’d be surprised at the variety of food available in a Walgreens.
4.  Kids.  Even though most of the residents here are in the 55+ category, there’s a family of homeschoolers with at least 4 kids who patrol the park in a golf cart at all hours of the day and evening.  They also seem to have a dog-walking service.  They’re extremely friendly.  Actually, everyone here is extremely friendly.
5.  Coffee.  When you’re too lazy to get out the French press and make a second pot of coffee, you can walk over to the office and pour yourself a cup of theirs.
6.  Geeks On Tour.  Two sites down from us are Jim and Chris Guld.  Their business is helping people in RV parks get connected to the Internet and learn how to use their computers better. They’re also experts in teaching Picasa, and they flew out to Google headquarters last week to conduct a webinar with the Google folks. PS: They had a blast and if you know anyone who’s 30-something and mobile, "Google is hiring". 

I do not know where I heard this information many years ago but it has been said that Parrots are ancestors to the Dinosaurs.  This seemed odd at first but the more you think about it many Parrots have the same features of these huge prehistoric creatures.

I always thought my Cockatoo Marshmellow looks like a dinosaur when she takes a drink of water.  She always reminds me of “Dino the Dinosaur” from the Flintstones. (LOL)

Now at the University of Chicago, Palentologists have found the remains of a dinosaur that had a parrot beak and ate nuts and seeds.

For more on this article click here: