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Angel Wings A monthly journal for human angels who make a positive difference in companion birds' lives. June 2008 |
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 Megan from NC |
Featured Toys for June
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 Let's see if you all read this newsletter Special for readers only 10% off the 2 featured breads listed below LIMITED TIME ONLY Must mention this newsletter for discounted prices! Summer is almost here! What better treat for the birdies on a warm summer day than some $13.50 per pre-cut loaf 'til 6/19/08 Click Here to order
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We are here to help, because we care about your bird!! ♥ ♥ ♥
Safety Today  Looking for a way to recycle those old 35mm film canisters from the old days? They make great places to hide money, to separate small screws and to store sewing needles. You can keep them in your fishing tackle box for small weights, in the car for spare fuses, in an emergency kit to help keep matches dry and you can even make a rocket with them. The one thing you should never use them for is toys for your bird! These film canisters have a coating on the inside to help protect the film and keep it dry. This substance may seep into the plastic, making it difficult to remove even with the aid of a dishwasher. So play it safe, and find safer items to recycle into toys. ♥ ♥ ♥
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Natural Cleaning Products By Sue Christie-Cox Using stuff that is already around the house for many purposes, means that not only is it cost cutting but by creating your own cleaning products you know just what is being used around your bird's environment. To wash your clothes: For a clean rinse: To clean your windows: To clean your dishwasher: To remove bumper stickers: ♥ ♥ ♥
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 A heartfelt thank you to all our generous donators: Artistic Expressions - Bonnie Bruhn To all those that bid...we appreciate your support! Because of you we are ♥ ♥ ♥ Tricking the Picky Eater
1. Follow the mash recipe but use less water ♥ ♥ ♥ |
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Death by Chocolate By Regina M. Jankowski Chocolate! Just typing that word has me salivating all over my keyboard. It's the most wonderful treat to pass my lips. It is the most common gift for dates, Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, and Mother's Day. We love it more than flowers and thanks to the calorie content, it's the gift that keeps on giving. Chocolate means "I'm sorry", "Congratulations" and "I love you". Office staff uses it to bribe me. But, with the sweet, comes the sour. Chocolate can kill your bird. Chocolate contains theobromine. Theobromine is a methylxanthine, a compound in the same class as caffiene, (another birdy no-no). Theobromine occurs naturally in cocoa, tea, and coffee. Parrots, dogs, cats, and horses are unable to metabolize this chemical effectively. It will remain in their bloodstream for up to 20 hours. Dogs and horses can metabolize theobromine, but much more slowly than humans. Consider how much smaller a bird is to a dog and it makes theobromine that much more toxic to them. Symptoms of theobromine poisoning are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and increased urination. You may be thinking about the time where you felt one or all of those side effects. Was it worthwhile for your chocolate fix? Let's face it, we've all been there. However, these symptoms in your bird can progress to cardiac arrhythmias, epileptic seizures, internal bleeding, heart attacks, and eventually death. That's a pretty painful death at the cost of one treat. Please make sure that all the chocolate in your house is far away from curious beaks. I always keep chocolate where my birds could not get to it should they escape while I am at work. In fact, my chocolate consumption has dropped dramatically because of my birds. Living up to their expectations is difficult, but well worth the sacrifice. ♥ ♥ ♥
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A man goes into a pet shop to buy a parrot. The shop owner points to three identical-looking parrots on a perch and says, "The parrot on the left costs $500." "Why does the parrot cost so much?" asks the customer. The owner says "Well, the parrot knows how to do legal research." The customer then asks about the next parrot, to be told that this one costs $1,000 because it can do everything the other parrot can plus it knows how to write a brief that will win any case. Naturally, the increasingly startled customer asks about the third parrot, to be told that it costs $4,000. Needless to say, this begs the question, "What can it do?" To which the owner replies, "To be honest, I've never seen him do a darn thing, but the other two call him The Boss". 
♥ ♥ ♥  Junior Angel Daulton playing with Charlie 'too |
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A Place 2 Fledge Toy Delivery Bremerton, WA By Susan Kesler At 4:00 AM on Saturday, May 17th, 2008, the very last thing I wanted to do was roll out of bed, shower, make an early birdie breakfast and drive over an hour to pick up a Jr.Angel named Daulton and then drive another 168 miles in record breaking high temperatures, but I am awfully glad I did! After a few wrong turns, a few missed streets, Dori, Daulton and I finally arrived at our destination: A Place 2 Fledge. This is where the real story begins. We were met at the door by Jackie, Randy and Zach, Every bird at A Place 2 Fledge has a story and a past. This family of bird lovers knows every story and every name without hesitation. Many hours, tears and even some blood have been shed rehabilitating these precious feathered creatures. Randy and Jackie also lecture at schools trying to educate the public, starting with the children in the proper care of birds. They initiated a program where, if a student wishes to adopt a bird, they have to complete a research paper on proper care and nutrition. Upon completion of this research, they are given a complete cockatiel setup with cage, toys, food and the bird. What a wonderful way to match birds and kids. After meeting and greeting each bird in their care, we all began to bring in the packages. I don't even know how many there were, After all the boxes were opened and each bird given a new toy, the birds all went in for a nap while the humans retired to the patio for a relaxing lunch. We ate, talked and laughed like old friends. Randy, Jackie, and Zach welcomed us into their home and they in turn hold a place in my heart.  Randy and Jackie opening gifts ♥ ♥ ♥
Have these stories got your toymaking talons twitching? Do you want to help make a difference in somebirdie's life? Come join our ranks! We have angels from all different backgrounds and walks of life, and there's always room for another generous heart.
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amid the raucous caws and screeching of a huge flock of birds. Yep, I think, this is the place! A little nervous, I think, Jackie started our visit with a tour of the "bird house" as I've come to think of it. First, we were introduced to the birds that had arrived recently and the few that were going to new homes soon. Daulton was enthralled. These birds, some missing toes, one a wing, and some in various stages of undress, were none the less beautiful. Then we were introduced to the "family" birds. These are the ones dearest to their hearts. Some of their birds are unadoptable, some just pulled a special heartstring, but all will stay in this special home forever. Daulton even got to play ball with a comical cockatoo.
but I do know the boxes filled the living room of this huge house. Jackie said, with a tear in her voice, "There weren't this many packages under our Christmas tree!" The birds all watched as the family started opening up the boxes. As toys were held up, there was a bird voice claiming it as their own. Jackie held up a huge wood toy and a macaw says "WOW". Randy holds up a foraging toy and Earl, the Amazon, says "OOOH" and Zach holds up a beaded whiffle ball and a gray says "OOOKAY!" The love these folks have for birds, and the birds for them, is truly wonderful, but the one that amazed me the most was Zach. At 14, an age where most boys don't even admit they have a "soft" side, Zach openly shows his love and has a true affinity for each and every bird there. For each toy that was taken from the box, this special young man knew, without hesitation, which bird that toy would be perfect for.
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Rikki Sez... Rikki will try and answer frequently asked questions here.  Rikki, I gave my cockatiel a toy and he yelled at it and tore it apart. Why doesn't he like toys? Rikki, I have heard that if my bird is even licked by a Dog or a Cat, I should take the bird to the Vet immediately. Why? |
Nutrition Questions & Answers
By Lori M. Nelsen In all the feeding and diet advice I have read, it is mentioned regularly that cockatoos need more calcium. Why is this? I want to know what kind of wild bird seed I should feed my parrot? A wild bird seed mix is allowed to contain a percentage of noxious weed seeds and non-seed content such as insects and dirt. Wild bird seed usually contains both black sunflower and thistle seed. Both of these seed types contain roughly 40% oil. The wild bird mix may also contain safflower with 38% fat, millet that is low in fat, and milo, which is a filler, that most birds are not interested in. Is it wise to feed pellets and vitamin supplements at the same time? Can you tell me what the best food source of Vitamin D is? Can parrots have animal protein? Chicken, beef, etc. and how often is okay? ♥ ♥ ♥ |
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Featured Fid ~ Ringnecks By Vicki Hartsfield
Traits: The most popular and widely kept of the Psittacula species, the Indian ringnecked parakeet is not known for its affectionate manner. Indian ringnecked parakeets can make excellent companions if owners handle, interact, play and talk to them daily. Behavior/Health Concerns: Indian ringnecked parakeets can develop social phobias without regular interaction and handling. Indian ringnecked parakeets enjoy chewing, so provide soft wood toys. Generally not picky eaters, provide an Indian ringnecked parakeet a varied diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables, green and whole grains. Males have a more distinct rose collar and facial markings than the females. They have a narrow black stripe on the mandible under the throat and a black lower mandible. Female Indian ringnecks do not have the colorful neck rings or facial markings found on adult males. Female also tend to be more dominant than males. These brightly-colored Asian and African parakeets are often kept as aviary birds, but they're making their way into homes as pets with their grace and social nature. Psittacula parakeets earned a reputation as nippy, noisy birds, but their owners are fiercely loyal to them, pointing out their good qualities, such as their easy-going and independent nature. Fourteen species make up the Psittacula genus, but the Plum-headed, Ringnecked, Alexandrine and moustached parakeets are the most common species kept as pets in the United States.
Traits: African ringnecked parakeets are affectionate birds that need enough attention to keep it from getting bored, but enough independence to spend time alone on a playgym. African ringnecked parakeets are shy and quieter than Indian ringnecked parakeets. They need to be handled and socialized often when young in order to keep them tame. African ringnecked parakeets enjoy bathing with their owners while staying on a shower perch to catch drops of water. They make good companions that can be taught to snuggle and perform elaborate tricks. Behavior/Health Concerns: African ringnecked parakeets enjoy a diet filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, pellets, parrot seed mixtures, cuttlebone and fresh water. Both the male and female are primarily light green with a greenish-yellow hue on the under parts. The male has a black stripe across the mandible that circles the neck and extends to its rose pink collar washed with a light blue. Male African ringnecked parakeets also have a light blue and thin black line across the beak and to the eyes. Females lack the rose pink collar, blue on the neck and the thin black mandible stripe. Instead of a black ring, found on the males, the females have a light green collar and only a hint of the black line leading to the eyes.
Traits: With vibrant plumage, moustached parakeets are often considered elegant and lovely. They are one of the smaller members to the Psittacula genus. While not usually popular as companion birds due to their noise level, they are often kept as aviary birds. Moustached parakeets are also chewers and often damage household funishings. Behavior/Health Concerns: Moustached parakeets needs a varied diet consisting of pellets, vegetables and plenty of fruit. Moustached parakeets also need plenty of space. Five of the eight known subspecies of moustached parakeets are sexually dimorphic. The males of these sexually dimorphic subspecies have a red upper mandible and females have black beaks. They do not make ideal pet birds, instead are admired as aviary birds.
Traits: Alexandrine Parakeets are independent but social and make excellent pets. They are adventurous and enjoy new toys and activities. While they do not enjoy as much handling as other parrots, Alexandrine parakeets do like being touched and stroked on occasion. These birds enjoy showering in the rain, so regular indoor showers or spraying them with a bottle is ideal. Behavior/Health Concerns: Alexandrine Parakeets can be noisy and a prolific chewer, so provide wooden toys. They can also be aggressive toward other birds, so it is best to house Alexandrine parakeets in separate cages. These pet birds need a varied diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables and greens. With training, practice and patients, this parakeet can become a tame pet.
Traits: Generally easy-going, plum-headed parakeets are playful, but fairly quiet. When they are not in the breeding season, plum-headed parakeets interact well with other birds of the same species. They become tame with regular handling and interaction. Behavior/Health Concerns: Plum-headed parakeets are not as big chewers as other Psittaculas. Watch the temperature, because this species is sensitive to cold and wet conditions. Males develop a plum-red head that fades to a purplish-blue color toward the lower cheeks, hind crown and nape of the neck. A black stripe on the males circles the neck and diagonal patches of plum-red wing bars (matching the head color) are on the wing coverts. These male birds have blue central tail feathers with broad white tips and yellowish-green lateral tail feathers, tipped with yellow. The upper mandible of the male is orange and a brownish-black color covers the lower mandible. Females in this species have a lavender-gray head with a golden yellow collar where the male's black neck ring is. The female's wing bar is lavender-gray. They have pale yellow upper mandible and the lower portion is gray tinted. Plum-headed parakeets are hearty eaters and thrive on a healthy diet consisting of pellets, fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. REFERENCES:  Paco and Peaches, Best Friends |
Indian Ringneck Parakeets - Psittacula krameri manillensis
African Ringnecked Parakeets - Psittacula krameri krameri
Moustached Parakeets - Psittacula alexandri
Alexandrine Parakeets - Psittacula eupatria
Plum-Headed Parakeets - Psittacula cyanocephala|
An Angel Amongst Us Parrot Toy Angels come in all shapes and sizes, and from all walks of life. Let us introduce you to one of our Angels  Our Angel, Dori, is not only a very accomplished toymaker, she is also a very compassionate nurse, a newlywed (congratulations Dori!), and the proud mom of a new litter of Bengal kittens! I don't know where she finds the time, but on top of her family and her work, she also acts as an "advice nurse" for all the Parrot Toy Angels. Thanks Dori, we appreciate it! When she isn't ministering to the sick, donating her time and skills to PTA, you might find this Angel up to her elbows in the dirt...gardening I mean, or caring for the outside critters. She has quite the little farm going. Dori also enjoys painting, wood carving, and making jewelry. As a volunteer at Mollywood, a cockatoo sanctuary, Dori saw first hand what was involved in running a bird rescue and got to see some of the birds that come from abusive or neglected backgrounds, and it saddened her. When it became difficult for her to continue traveling to Mollywood, she joined Parrot Toy Angels as a way to continue helping the birds. I had the pleasure of accompanying Dori on an "Angel Delivery" to A Place 2 Fledge in May, 2008. It was amazing to see the compassion she has for underprivileged birds and their caretakers. Thank you for being an Angel, Dori. |
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My Alien, My Friend By Father Don Scott Founding Director, The Chloe Sanctuary I received a rogue transmission on the Internet. Even though I had trouble believing what it said, I had to discover if it was true. So I travelled to a distant place and there I found the alien, just as promised. I transported the alien to my home and locked it behind secure bars. I fed it what I had been told it would eat and occasionally let it out under strict supervision. It wasn't until nearly a year later that I discovered the strange story of the alien race. They come from a land with no seasons and days only as long as nights. They live on a small outcropping in a sea of heat and humidity. The sky is streaked with electrical fire all year long. Yet, the lightning does not cause the only thunder—the voices of the aliens thunder with the dawn and the sunset. Like ancient Pagan Gods they greet the coming and ending of the day. After nightfall the aliens turn into statues or at least the semblance of them. It would be a rare human eye indeed that could discern the aliens from the twisted monoliths reaching like pillars to the sky upon which they rest. The aliens have freedom that humans have never known. In an instant they can move with the wind or vanish into the labyrinth that erupts from the soil and touches the heavens. There is little that can avoid their scrutiny and little that passes unnoticed. Like a gang delinquent teenagers they live in this world of dark wonders with only their passion and their history to guide them. The world is theirs for the taking. In this place they raise their young who take five years to learn what it is to be an alien. This training is essential to their well-being and survival. They learn what foods are good to eat, what to avoid, how to deal with their fellow creatures, when to cry out, when to run, and when to take a life partner. Much of what they learn we will never understand no matter how much we might try. It is as different from us as night from day. Physically they are superior to us in many ways but they require their homeland to prosper. They have four limbs. Two are used for grasping and two for locomotion. They move much faster than we do with their locomotor limbs. They can be in one place and simultaneously relocate with awe-inspiring speed. Radiating from their bodies are soft extensions of their lofty spirits that glisten mostly pure white in the sun. They breathe but not as we do. They take advantage of every wisp of air that enters their bodies. Yet, they are easily poisoned by pollution—even minute amounts. They are used to constantly amusing themselves and become bored easily. Many objects of interest must be presented to my alien or it will begin to wither and die. I have seen it suffer from boredom and the thought of it brings tears to my eyes. My alien speaks to my heart by placing its head there. I call this "hugging". This manner of speech touches me in ways I cannot express in words. Like us they have a huge cranium, a language, a civilization and a culture. They live in a society that knows no murder and no hate. Like us they have disputes over property and mates. The aliens are monogamous and choose their companions for life. They have a communal life and are never alone; they have no word for loneliness in their language except for "pain" or "suffering". Rather than fight they choose to dart away from danger seeking ever more distant lands in which to live—much as the Native Americans did against the flood of European settlers. I have no idea what they eat; I can only guess from the food my alien eats when I offer it. It is certain that their diet is unknown—they have no words for food—if they do I am unable discern them. Their language is a kind of body sign language of which I only know the fundamentals. I speak it like a baby alien and poorly. I sense that there is much more to it, many nuances, but I will never master them. Their history stretches back 80 million years into a world long past except on the strange archipelago in which they live. They have thrived in groups of hundreds for all that time. Yet soon their alien culture may disappear. Recently they have been sought after as slaves. Their unique abilities and amazing intelligence are desired to adorn the homes of another, less spectacular creature. Their captors have only been around for about 4 million years. These slave masters even enslave their own kind. They place the aliens in small home prisons and force them to act like circus clowns. They are breeding them as pets now, taking them from their parents and forcing them to live in a world foreign to their natures. In this new world they now know loneliness even if they have no word for it. Pain and suffering are their constant companions here. You will find others like my alien sold in stores. Please don't buy them. The slave markets sell them to anyone who wants an alien. If you find one suffering please help them. Alien rescues and sanctuaries are the places to look. They cannot return to their homeland after being stolen and need intensive care and understanding until they die. Some of them can live up to 100 years. Give them the best life you can or support those that do and find a way to help protect their homeland. My alien is an umbrella cockatoo. Chloe is my alien, my friend. She is 25 and might live to be 80. She was hatched and "hand-raised" by humans but her heart longs for Mom and Dad in the flock she never knew. Her body longs for the babies she will never have. Her spirit will always seek the wind and the freedom of the sky, the hatch-right of her kind. No amount of love will ever replace what was taken from her by the greed of humankind. Her heart can never be whole. Please support your local sanctuaries and rescues. The lives of many aliens depend on the generosity of the "master race".    Chloe enjoying PTA toys Thank you to Father Don Scott of The Chloe Sanctuary for submitting this article. ♥ ♥ ♥ |
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This is the official newsletter of the Parrot Toy Angels. Members and subscribers are encouraged to submit articles/photographs for publication. PTA reserves the right to reject, edit, or use only portions of items submitted. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the PTA Editor, Directors, Officers, or the general membership.
Do you have a question or comment? Perhaps you have an idea for our newsletter, or simply want to share a story on how an Angel has touched your life. Drop us a line at: editor@parrottoyangels.org |
© 2008 Parrot Toy Angels • P.O. Box 34372 • Houston, Texas 77234 All rights reserved. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced by any means, print, electronic or any other, without prior written permission of the Editor or author. For permission to reprint, please contact us at Editor www.parrottoyangels.com |