by Karen Justice, President & Founder

Puppy Mill Parrot Rescue

First I wish to thank everyone for their generous contributions to our emergency intake birds. We raised several thousand dollars to assist with these guys. Also many thanks to all of the families who offered to quarantine/foster. I am happy to report that all but the elderly Cockatiel are in good health considering the horrific conditions in which they were living. Even more amazing is the fact that they are friendly and most are hand tame! Here is a short assessment of each bird. They have finished quarantine and are in foster care until we have room at Parrot U.

The pair of B&G macaws is a bonded male/female pair that appears to be older (one is banded and the band is worn smooth). "He" will step up, likes head skritches, and fresh food. "She" is timid but not terrified. I have great hope that these two will settle in and make great companions even though bonded. We will not separate them.

Rescued Cockatoos

The pair of Umbrella Cockatoos is male but age cannot be determined. One is very outgoing and rambunctious while the other is shy and reticent. Both love attention (they ARE cockatoos, right?). We are desperately looking for a placement for them as we cannot add additional male Cockatoos to the flock at Parrot U. If you have room in your home and heart for the challenge of a mature male U2, PLEASE let us know. This pair does not have to remain together. In fact, we feel it might be best to separate them.

The Orange-winged Amazon is a male and appears to be an older bird. He is quite shy but his foster parents report that he is interested in what is happening around him and that he has started to vocalize a little.

The Jenday Conure (female, six years old by the band) and the Cockatiel (also female) are a bonded pair that must remain together. Both are very sweet and hand tame. Sadly the 'tiel is elderly and has some health issues which we can discuss further if you're interested in adopting.

Living and Learning with Animals (LLA) Event October 6-7

PLEASE do not miss this opportunity! Enrollment has been excellent and many non-parrot owners are taking advantage. We have zoo staff, Carolina Raptor Center curators, dog trainers and Discovery Place personnel enrolled. There are only 15 seats left so please hurry! Click for information and registration.

Holiday Boarding

Just a reminder about reservations for boarding at Parrot University this holiday season. Reservations were way up this summer, with birds being turned down, so please contact us early to reserve a spot or a private room. This service helps Parrot U financially, which in turn helps the birds of CPR. Click for more information.

New Class -- 'What's in Your Toolbox: Strategies for Problem-Solving'

We've been promoting the benefits of training and positive reinforcement for quite a while. Now we're taking it one step further with a new class designed to enhance your skills and empower you to tackle problems. We'll do a quick review of the basics of good bird ownership, give you a list of more advanced tools to use, and discuss the ABCs (antecedent, behavior and consequence) which are present in all behaviors. Then each person in the class will be allowed to put a problem on the table. The whole class will brainstorm a list of possible solutions, giving you a "toolbox" of solutions to take home and try. Please come prepared to discuss the biggest challenge you have with your bird (start making notes to describe the behavior, and where and when it occurs).

Because of the design of this class, it will be limited to six people and requires advance registration. Also, our 'Positive Reinforcement Training' class is a prerequisite to this class, because we'll build on the principles taught in it. We're working on the schedule now, so watch the website, newsletter and the class schedule posted on the door of Parrot U.

You have a wonderful opportunity to get a head start by attending Dr. Susan Friedman's Living and Learning with Animals seminar on October 6th and 7th. SIGN UP NOW! This is a great event at a fabulous price, but seating is limited. Click for information or registration.

Lea explained that she had been putting off a nail trim because Bos is the hardest bird to groom given that she fights and screams, plus due to her lack of feathers, she bruises easily.

So that gave me an idea for training Bosley and also for this newsletter column -- towel training!

Towel training can be useful to all of us. At some point, our birds will have to be restrained in a towel in order to be medicated, for toenail and wing trims or for physical exams. So why does the towel have to be a scary thing that only comes out in a bad situation? Why can't we have fun with towels?

Knowing how food motivated Bos is (an understatement if ever there was one), I paired the treat with the towel. I put a small towel, folded into quarters, on one end of the table and put a piece of walnut on the other end. Bos scarfed it down in record time, so I put the next piece closer to the towel. I repeated this several times, getting her to move progressively closer to the towel each time. Then I put a piece of food ON the towel. She trotted right over and retrieved it. I did this a few more times, then lifted just the corner of the towel and put the nut under it. I held the corner up and Bos came and got her treat. Working slowly and carefully, watching her body language, I started moving the nut farther back. Bos actually had to put her head into a tunnel I was making out of the towel. By this time, she had no problem with any of this and couldn't wait to go again.

Taking it to the next level, I created a tunnel with the towel by putting my arm under it and holding up an opening with my other hand. Before long, Bos was willingly entering the tunnel at one end and coming out the other to get her reinforcer.  Watch the videos Part One and Part Two to see how she did it.

See, towels can be fun! Train away!