DesperationFree Flight Folly

by gloria scholbe
Spring 2003

What's So Good About Flight?:: A Bit of History :: Free Flight :: Talent and Desire :: Of Hawks and Pigeons:: Of Parrots :: Priority Shift :: Responsibility::
Alternatives :: References

They call it "Free Flight", and it has become a hot topic of debate among bird owners. What's good about it? Who should and shouldn't do it? What's wrong with it? Are there alternatives?

What's So Good About Free Flight for Parrots?

No one can deny that parrots were designed for flight. In a previous issue of the HBNewsletter, Pamela Clark made an excellent argument that flight might even be necessary for a parrot's physical and mental well-being. see our Spring 2002 Issue.

Flight exercise works the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, strengthens pectoral muscles, builds endurance, burns calories, relieves stress and produces 'feel good' hormones. The exercise most akin to flying through air is swimming through water but parrots do not swim. Climbing, walking, and vigorous play with toys can provide some of the benefits mentioned, but no single other exercise can accomplish all of them.

Inspired by this knowledge, and motivated to give their birds the best life possible, bird owners are gradually shifting from the practice of clipping their bird's flight feathers to allowing their birds flight. And so the pendulum swings.

A Bit of History

When I first developed an interest in companion birds, parrots' wings were not clipped; pet birds were typically housed in small cages that allowed hardly enough room to spread a wing; and when allowed out of their cages, many birds were tethered to T-stands, porch railings, or trees. Every pet store that carried bird supplies also carried leg chains for parrots.

But time passed and as bird owners become enlightened, the push was on for larger cages, where parrots could spread their wings, climb, and play with multiple toys. It became hip to clip. Clipping flight feathers allowed birds to have ample time out of cage to visit with the family and still be safe from hazards of being flighted. These hazards include: flying into ceiling fans, flying into glass windows and doors; flying into food cooking on the stove, and flying outdoors, often to be lost forever.

Bird behaviorists and veterinarians all recommended that birds be clipped. Behaviorists recommended it because clipped birds were easier to control and train. Vets recommended it because they saw first-hand what happened to unclipped birds. Thus, bird owners who did not clip their birds were considered irresponsible.

Fast forward a few more years. Clipping birds' flight feathers didn't solve all behavior problems, and may have created some new ones. Folks working with pet bird behavior started thinking: "If being flighted isn't the problem, then what is?"

So they compromised. They may have thought the reason we still see behavior problems in domestically raised birds is because the birds are clipped too soon, before they have time to develop confidence in themselves through flight. Subsequently, a new concept was created: Baby birds should not be clipped until after they have fledged and learned some flight skills.

I have to confess that this notion was a bit hard for me to swallow. To me it seemed cruel to allow birds the experience of flight and then take it away from them. It also seemed to me that if they never knew flight they would never miss it. Therefore to me one would either clip flights and keep them clipped or never clip them.

Apparently this line of thought is not uniquely mine. Adding it together with the knowledge that flight may be healthy for birds means that once again bird owners are opting not to clip their birds' flight feathers. Unfortunately the safety and behavior problems of unclipped birds that existed in the past still exist in the present so the next logical step is training.

If birds learn to fly skillfully indoors, assuming they aren't startled or panicked by something, they might be less likely to fly into objects in the home and injure themselves. They might also be less likely to panic if they accidentally fly out of an open door - although since everything looks vastly different from the air, they can still get lost. However, if they are taught to come when called, their recovery is more likely and indoors they will certainly be more manageable.

Laurella Desborough, long-time parrot owner and breeder advises:

"Consider that when a bird is in flight, the air sac system in the body is more fully used, sort of like us running hard and breathing in deeply. This helps a companion bird maintain a healthier body and also provides real enjoyment for the bird.

That is why we fledge all our companion birds and teach them to fly to us...indoors that is. This happens at a little over two months of age as they fledge. We do not push them at all. By the time they are weaned and go home...anywhere from 4 to 6 months, depending on the subspecies, they have been flying for some time, and many remain flighted if we are able to work with the owners. These birds are now capable of coming on call, flying to your arm. If by accident one of these birds is released outdoors, you can call it and have it fly to you. All our pets are flighted and will come on command...and we don't give them treats for doing it either.

I believe it is important that birds fly. There are some situations where it is not a good idea for companion birds to be fully flighted. There are other situations where it is fine. It is important that each owner recognize when fully flighted birds are okay and when it is not a good idea....but this is flying indoors only."

Even with indoor flight training, owners of flighted birds must still adapt their home to provide a safe environment for flight. This may mean getting rid of ceiling fans, changing human behaviors or constructing an airlock system that prevents accidental flight to the outdoors.

For some bird owners, however, adjusting people behavior or the home environment is out of the question. Their thoughts might then progress toward flying their birds outdoors.

Free Flight

Ahhh, the romance of free flight. To us, grounded humans, the thought of soaring high and free is exhilarating. Since ancient times, humans have dreamed of flight and have woven stories of doing so into the fabric of cultural myths. Is there anyone who hasn't wished, sometime in their life, to fly like a bird? What better way to fulfill that longing than to live second-hand through the flight of our own birds, especially since it might also benefit the birds' health.

Many of us have seen free-flight exhibitions at amusement parks, zoos, and entertainment events. If those people can fly their parrots, it stands to reason that we should be able to fly our parrots too. Besides, we know that people fly hawks and pigeons, so it can't be too difficult. All one needs to do is find out how folks go about it. As Pamela Clark mentioned in her article about flight, there is a free-flight discussion list that offers information about this skill.

Talent and Desire

Unfortunately, not everyone is capable of training a bird for flight. Let's face it. We are all different and we all have different degrees of talent in any given area. One person might excel at computer programming but lack the knack of artistic design. Another person might be a successful surgeon but cannot nail two boards together.

One point worth mentioning here is the curious connection between certain people and parrots. There seems to be no accounting for the magnetism that draws parrots to particular people. I've seen bonds of attraction form between them the instant they met and heard numerous stories about how birds of the household favor one family member even though another might do all of the work, give all of the treats, and offer most of the attention. It's obvious that birds will respond best to trainers that attract them and not respond at all to someone who does not.

Sometimes we need to realistically appreciate ourselves for who we are and what we can do instead of wanting to be something we are not. Not all of us can be animal trainers, although a lack of innate ability might be overcome to an extent, with training and tutoring, if the quality of instruction is superior and the motivation for learning is high.

Finally, not all birds may wish to fly free. Having legs doesn't imply that every human has the desire to run even though we might have been designed to do so.

Discussion List Training - Information garnered from discussion lists should always be carefully evaluated even though some of it is, no doubt, valuable. For one thing, communication is a two-way street. The reader might incorrectly interpret information that is offered. Other times the information itself might be incorrect. This is the nature of discussion lists.

When I asked Steve Martin, professional bird trainer and president of IAATE and Natural Encounters, Inc. some questions about free flight training, this was his response:

"I believe that unless I have given a person very detailed and personal instructions on the techniques required to train a parrot to fly free in the wild, and I can mentor that person through the early stages of the experience, then I should not encourage anyone to fly a parrot free in the wild. For me to encourage a person to fly a parrot free in the wild makes me feel that I should share responsibility if something goes wrong. This is the reason I do not offer this kind of advice in articles, books, video tapes, public lectures, or any other venue I am involved with. I relate this to writing a glorifying book on skydiving. I can put all the information required for success, but I have no assurance that the people will read or fully understand the book before they jump out of the plane."

Detailed and personal instructions are exactly what is needed to properly train most bird owners about the care and methods involved in preparing their parrots for flight outdoors. This cannot be obtained from a discussion list. A discussion list can play a partial role in learning but it should not be the primary source of knowledge.

Of Hawks and Pigeons

Although it is true that raptors and pigeons are taught to fly free outdoors and return either on cue or otherwise appropriately, there are critical differences between flying those species and flying parrots.

Falcons -Those who wish to train raptors for the sport of falconry undergo a mentoring program during which they serve under either a General or Master class falconer. During this time, they are called 'novices' or 'apprentices' for a period of two years. They are required to pass a knowledge examination which consists of questions about birds of prey, raptor biology, health care of the birds, laws and more. They must pass this examination with a score of 80% or better. In addition, their facilities are examined and they must also obtain a license. General class falconers have five years of experience. Master class falconers have over seven years of experience.

raptor and preyThe best falconers are passionate about their sport, become active members of falcon associations and follow strict codes of conduct that reflect their responsibility for the birds, for conservation, and for minimal impact on native wildlife.

Raptors typically are housed in mews, not in the home. They are not normally considered or treated as companions or as family members. The enjoyment and satisfaction of watching them perform successfully would be similar, in certain respects, to that of hunting with dogs who are kept in kennels but who do not live with you. They are classed as predators.

Pigeons- Several types of pigeon fancies have evolved from the original messenger pigeon. Most common are homing pigeons and racing pigeons. Pigeons that do not perform successfully are eliminated from the flock. Pigeon keepers normally keep multiple birds, often numbering from twenty to 100 or more. They are housed in lofts, not in the home.

feral pigeonsPigeons that fail to return for reasons other than accidents or predation join feral populations. Although pigeons have adapted to living feral throughout the US and Europe, they are not native to these areas. Their populations have increased to the point that pigeons are regarded as pests.

Racing pigeons have been clocked at around fifty miles per hour. The enjoyment of watching pigeons perform is similar to that of enjoying horse or dog races, without actually being able to see the entire race. Owner losses of pigeons to raptors are documented at between 7% and 12% annually. Pigeons are prey animals.

Of Parrots

From the previous sections, it should be clear that the main difference between flying parrots vs. flying hawks and pigeons is the purpose and intent of flying them. Hawks and pigeons are flown to enrich the lives of the owners. These birds are used for recreational sport. The purpose of flying parrots, on the other hand, was evolved out of a desire to enrich the lives of the birds.

Typical parrot owners view their birds as family members. These birds live in the home and interact socially with family members. Parrots and owners often form strong personal bonds. For some bird owners, parrots are their surrogate children. These folks care as deeply for their birds as they would for any family member and the loss of their birds sometimes causes grief lasting for months or even years.

Flying pet birds outdoors exposes them to the following risks:

Disease- can be communicated to pet birds through contact with native birds, their droppings or contaminated water, etc. (Avian TB -Mycobacteria; Newcastle's - virus; Avian Influenza - virus; various ecto- parasites; Avian Chlamydiosis - bacteria; Salmonellosis - bacteria; Mycoplasma - bacteria; Trichomoniasis - protazoa; Giardia - protazoa; and many more)

Some of these diseases are treatable and some may not be. Several years ago, the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Zoo experienced an outbreak of Avian TB that was introduced to the zoo's bird exhibit from native wild birds. All of the birds in that exhibit had to be euthanized and the aviary soil was bulldozed and removed. A new aviary was constructed in a different location.

Disease transfer can go the other way, also. Exotic diseases can be introduced into native populations from our birds. One concern regards PDD. We already know it can affect both psittascines and passerines. It has also jumped the species barrier from birds to mammals. Because of its sometimes long incubation period and the fact that there is no reliable test for the disease, some veterinarians feel that very few parrot collections have not already been exposed to PDD. Free flight birds could be a prime way of bringing this disease to native birds. We cannot even speculate about the potential impact to native birds. Other exotic diseases are equally problematic.

Environmental factors- Pigeons, starlings, and sparrows are three non-native avian species that have proliferated on the North American continent. Although not probable, it is entirely possible that parrots form feral colonies, competing with native species for food and nesting sites.

Parrot species have already formed such colonies throughout the United States and time alone will determine whether these colonies continue to expand and further threaten native birds.

Predators- The most obvious ones are raptors such as hawks, falcons, and owls. Less obvious are dogs, cats, foxes and raccoons should the bird go to ground in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Parrots are prey animals. This means that one of their functions in nature is to be food for predators. Once an owner releases a bird into nature, that bird becomes fair game. In flight they are virtually unprotected. They can't carry a sign that says "This one is off-limits, guys." When a hawk kills your bird, do not hate the hawk. It is simply doing its best to survive. Besides, that hawk has a right to fly and hunt its own native skies. It belongs. The parrot does not.

Most parrots are social flock creatures. That is what makes them such good companions and it is also what helps to protect them from predators in the wild. Many eyes have a better chance of detecting danger before it has a chance to do harm. The lone bird, especially one that acts differently from native birds of the area, is the one most likely to be singled out for lunch. This too is part of nature's plan. Birds that behave abnormally are usually sick or weak. The instinct for flock survival explains why some birds will attack their injured or weak flock or cage mate (to drive them away so they do not attract predators;) and why parrots strive to hide signs of being sick.

Raptors have been reported snatching parrots in flight; chasing a parrot from tree to tree as it screamed in terror until it was killed; and grabbing birds right after they made it safely to ground. In some cases, it is not even safe to take your clipped bird outside unless it is in a carrier. Raptors in Florida have been known to snatch pet birds off their owner's shoulders when they are out walking, and off an owner's chest who was sunbathing on a deck. Here is a link to Mark Bittner's photo of a hawk killing one of the feral parrots of Telegraph Hill. http://www.pelicanmedia.org/Hawks.html

Do not assume that everyone will enjoy the same luck as someone who has flown parrots for years with few losses. Luck has a habit of running out sooner or later and not everyone will feel the same degree of devastation when it does. A person with ten parrots left is unlikely to hurt as badly as the person who loses his only bird.

Priority Shift

When well-intentioned but struggling bird trainers have a difficult time getting their free-flight prospects to return to them, they are being advised to withhold food from their birds. The theory is that hungry birds will be better motivated to respond than birds not driven by hunger. This philosophy probably originated from psychological experiments on rats and birds using hunger as the motivating force in training. However, scientists are notorious for their lack of empathy and their regard of animals as 'subjects'. Their attitudes, which depersonalize the animals they study and work with, would make it difficult to form the kind of bond that bird owners wish to have with their companions. Therefore, scientists can hardly be regarded as role models for training methods suitable for pet birds and their owners.

Falconers, probably inspired by such animal studies, do use hunger to train their birds; but some of these birds have been starved to death. Not all falconers consider extreme hunger as a wise choice in training their raptors. Neil Forbes from the Falconer's Web suggests that raptors should be trained the kind and healthy way:

"Why not fly an imprint. Imprinting a bird correctly is not necessarily easy, it is very time consuming, and can go wrong. But if you get it right, that Goshawk wants to be close to you, on your fist. It is not frightened out of it's skin and trying to bait away from you all the time. As the bird is responsive, you do not need to reduce the weight to any significant extent."

When I asked Steve Martin about withholding food to motivate birds, he replied:

"Reducing a bird's body weight is a practice that has survived thousands of years in the sport of falconry. However, it is only one of the many tools available to falconers to encourage their birds to perform at high levels. This is the same with parrots. You can reduce a birds food and drop its weight and force the bird to come back to you. Or, you can use the many other training tools available that will also encourage a bird to come back to you. These tools are far more complicated and more difficult to use than dropping a bird's weight to create motivation. My goal is to work all my birds at or above their ad-lib weight, or the weight nature wants it to be in this particular situation."

Karen Pryor, author of "Don't Shoot the Dog" speculates about the use of food deprivation in her book.

"The theory is if an animal is working for positive reinforcement, the more it needs that reinforcer, the harder and more reliably it will work. Laboratory rats and pigeons are often conditioned with food reinforcers. To heighten their motivation, they are fed less food than they would eat on their own. It is customary to give them just enough to keep 85 percent of normal body weight. This is called food deprivation."

Deprivation has become such a standard technique in experimental psychology, she assumed it was probably a necessity in working with rats and pigeons. This deprivation was not used with dolphins, since dolphins that do not get enough to eat often become sick and die. She says that

"In those days she was using food and social reinforcers with ponies and children, quite successfully, without first having to reduce the baseline supply of love or nourishment to get results. Perhaps food deprivation was necessary with simpler organisms, such as rats and pigeons? Yet Sea Life Park trainers were shaping behavior with food reinforcers in pigs, chickens, penguins, even fish and octopi, and no one ever dreamed of making the poor things extra hungry first. Sea lions at Sea World worked for social and tactile reinforcers, as well as fish, and, of course, for conditioned reinforcers and on variable schedules as well. Consequently they did not have to be kept hungry in order to make them perform, during and after the day's performances, the sea lions could have all the fish they wanted. One result was, the sea lions were not snarly and crabby, as any hungry animal might be. They were friendlier to those humans they knew, and enjoyed being touched. Another result was that they grew larger, because they weren't stunted."

She suspects now that trying to increase motivation by using deprivation of any sort is not only unnecessary but deleterious.

"Reducing the normal levels of food, attention, company, or anything else a subject likes or needs before training begins-- and solely in order to make the reinforcer more powerful by making the subject more needful--is just a poor excuse for bad training. Maybe it has to be used in the laboratory, but in the real world it is good training that creates high motivation, not the other way around."

The very fact that some folks seem to need an added measure of control over their birds indicates to me that there is something missing between them and their birds: a bond, an element of sensitivity, trust, call it what you will. But these are the very people whose birds would be most at risk in a free flight program.

Not everyone has the talent to be a bird trainer thus not everyone will
be able to free-fly their birds safely outdoors. These people should consider a flight alternative and look instead for other things they can do to develop their relationship with their birds. They should stop pursuing a course that is likely to terminate that relationship forever.

Earlier, I mentioned that the main difference between flying parrots vs. flying hawks and pigeons was the purpose for flying them. People fly their parrots because they love their birds and wish to improve their lives. People obtain hawks and pigeons specifically to participate in the sport of flying them. As you may have already guessed from the discussion about using hunger as a motivator, this difference is beginning to fade. To some, flying parrots has become a sport and a challenge for its own sake. The original intent of enriching captive lives has become a lame excuse, making the risks to the bird seem acceptable to the gullible. This unfortunate trend of shifting priorities gets worse.

Some free flight advocates encourage the purchase of unweaned babies specifically for free-flight training. Unspoken but clear are these thoughts: "Never mind the older bird you already have. It is too difficult to train. Maybe the young bird can be the older bird's mentor, or maybe the older bird will never learn to fly outdoors. Forget the idea of enriching your other bird's life with flight. What's really important is to fly a bird outdoors and for that you need an unweaned bird to train."

Now we have a triple threat. Pet owners are not only being motivated to risk their birds in outdoor flight, they are being told to use hunger to train them and they are also being advised to purchase unweaned babies for easier training. Yet, most pet owners lack the knowledge or expertise to accomplish any one of these without grave risk to the bird.

StaceyOf the three, the sale and purchase of unweaned baby birds is the most reprehensible. Take Stacy's Story, which has been published in trade journals and on several internet sites, for example. The people who purchased her unweaned were good people who simply didn't have the qualifications to feed an unweaned baby bird. They fed her formula that was too hot and burned her crop severely. At first they didn't even notice that anything was wrong. It was the breeder who discovered the hole burned into her crop. Stacy had surgery to remove the dead tissue, but the dying tissue continued to spread which required more surgery. Finally, there was little crop left, and Stacey had to be fed with a tube directly into her stomach. Complications continued to multiply so she was put to rest.

Stacy's story is not unique. Many baby birds have died unnecessarily because they have been removed from the hands of the experienced and placed into the hands of rank amateurs.

With the exception of a few species, handfeeding is actually quite easy. Managing all the little variables such as brooder temperature, formula consistencey and temperature, sanitation and the weaning process is a little more difficult. The hard part is having the experience to notice when something is wrong, knowing what to do about it, and acting fast enough to correct the problem. Handfeeders cannot gain experience from a discussion list or a book. They learn it by feeding many babies over a period of time. Being experienced with one species does not necessarily qualify someone to feed a different species, either.

On one occasion, I gave one of my eclectus babies for handfeeding to the person who had originally taught me to handfeed. She was experienced feeding amazons, african greys, macaws, and cockatiels. Unfortunately, she was not experienced with eclectus and my baby died. Another time I had to be out of town for two weeks so some friends of mine offered to feed my baby Jardine's while I was gone. They are bird breeders who have experience feeding many species of birds, but not Jardine's. When I returned home, my baby Jardine's had dropped so much weight that they were feathers and bone. Many Jardine's breeders have so much trouble keeping weight on Jardine's babies that they think 'going light' is normal for that species. They are wrong.

Both The American Federation of Aviculture (AFA) and the Association of Avian Veterinarins (AAV) have published positions against the sale of unweaned birds to inexperienced handfeeders. I personally wish their wording was stronger, but I also understand that they do not wish to offend supporters and customers who engage in such sales as a large part of their business.

Now the state of California is considering a Bill to ban the sale and posession of unweaned babies. If it is worded or interpreted incorrectly, this Bill has the potential to end the bird business in that state because not even bird breeders would be allowed to have their own unweaned babies. Perhaps the Bill would never have been authored had the avicultural community taken a strong ethical stand against this practice. When we do not develop our own industry standards, we will find ourselves bound by others' rules and regulations.

Are unweaned birds easier to train? According to Laurella Desborough, not necessarily.

"Just ask any avian trainer. They DON'T deal with unweaned birds! In fact, the older the hand reared bird the better as they are more stable, more solid, with better established immune systems and better developed muscle structures. And when I say older, the bird could be ten years old. I do know as I provide such birds to avian trainers and the most successful birds are always the mature ones, not the youngsters."

Laurella also had this to say about mixing the weaning process with free flight training:

"Baby parrots that are weaning go through a difficult process when losing sufficient weight to enable them to more easily manuever during flight. On an almost daily basis, they balance the amount of food they eat versus their need to maintain a slightly lower than normal weight. This takes place over a period of weeks, not days. During this weaning period, their daily food intake is critical in maintaining adequate health. When bird owners trying to teach their birds to free fly, bring flight training and food deprivation into this weaning period, along with the owner's lack of experience and knowledge of the weaning process and the specific needs of the species they have, the mental and physical health of the bird can suffer.

Young weaning birds are going through one of the most critical times of their lives. Videos of parrots in the wild show young birds that fly with their parents and that are fed by their parents. These young birds are not eating sufficient food on their own to survive. Young birds are shown trying to cut palm nuts off the trees and simply not being successful. When we take over the task of parenting and weaning these young birds, it is our responsibility to do so in a manner which maximizes their health, not put their health at risk."

Even if some people find it easier to train young rather than mature birds, they are still missing the point. The reason behind the idea of flight for birds was to improve the lives of the birds they have, not to purchase new birds in order to fly them.

Responsibility

Peope who free fly their birds bear three areas of responsibility:

Some birds are not going to be good candidates for free flight either mentally, physically, or both. Before starting, owners must evaluate their bird's health and continue to evaluate it on a routine basis. Their birds are exposed to stress, which lowers the immune system, making them more susceptible to diseases encountered in nature. Free flighters should:

1. Take their birds for a full veterinary exam, including cbc, chemistries, and gram stains to determine whether their bird is healthy enough begin flight training.

2. Purchase a digital scale and weigh their birds every day to insure that healthy weight is being maintained.

3. Learn the caloric and nutritional differences of foods to be aware of which foods can sustain a bird for the appropriate activity level.

4. Understand the gut transit time and metabolic rate of their bird species to insure that they are fed often enough and adequately for their energy needs.

Impact on Wildlife

This was discussed earlier and needs to be considered. Feral flocks in the area may arouse your own bird's curiosity and increase the chance that it might respond to "the call of the feral."

The Avian Community

People who free-fly their birds will be regarded as being irresponsible:

Once again, people will point the finger at aviculture and tar us all with the same negative brush.

The better course for those who wish to pursue free flight would be to develop a worldwide owner training structure similar to that of falconers. Parrot free flighters should function under a mentor program for that same two-year, five-year, and seven-year guidance.

Ideal mentors would be caring, ethical, and responsible professionals skilled in all aspects of free flight training and avian care; they would be willing to train others one-on-one in order to minimize mistakes and risks to the birds; and they would also be members in good standing of organizations such as the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators (IAATE.) www.iaate.com

Best for pet birds would be that their owners decline to risk them to the dangers of free flight altogether and instead seek creative alternatives for enriching their captive lives.

Alternatives

There are several excellent articles in this issue that offer alternatives to free flight outdoors. For some, it is possible to build an outdoor flight aviary; for others adapting the home or a room will be a good solution.

Also, consider alternatives to flight. Even a clipped bird can be taught to energetically flap its wings in joy while clinging tightly to a special swing suspended from the ceiling that allows the bird to spread its wings and 'fly'. I've also heard a little about an enrichment program for birds that does not involve flight but introduces some new lifestyle enhancements to companion birds. Those who would like to investigate this further might wish to join a discussion list devoted to this topic and see what they have to say. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Macawdreams/

 

References

http://www.iaate.org/index.php
http://www.n-a-f-a.org/index.html
http://www.i-a-f.org/index.htm
http://www.falconers.com/
http://www.falconers.com/articles/vets_corner/index_files/page0005.htm
http://www.trailnotes.com/davidbird/2001/col010210.htm
http://home.aaris.net/~nce/free.htm
http://home.aaris.net/~nce/introduc.htm
http://www.natureali.com/ID.htm
http://www.parrotchronicles.com/departments/flight_behavior.htm
http://www.parrotchronicles.com/marchapril2003/feral.htm
http://monkparakeet.com/jmsouth/
http://mirror-pole.com/collpage/pf_loveb/pfl_1.htm
http://mirror-pole.com/collpage/pf_loveb/pfl_2.htm
http://www.agsci.ubc.ca/animalwelfare/2002_classpres/sara/index.html
http://www.scottishfalconry.co.uk/index.htm
http://www.internationalparrotletsociety.org/aviantb.html
http://birds.cornell.edu/cfw/challenges/bird_diseases.html
http://www.prettybirds.net/Buyingunweaned.htm
http://www.globirdwebs.com/pages2/honor.html
http://www.tgpa.com/ZoesStory.html
http://www.wingedwisdom.com/ww7eii.htm