Birds & Parrots In The News!

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Cameroon: The Battle for Parrot Souls in SoutheastallAfrica.com - Fidelis Pegue Manga - 05/12/2008Two "notorious" parrot capturers, Roger Atangana and Ignace Onana were recently arrested and detained pending trial, for illegally trapping African Grey Parrots.
[Read more...] Parrots in Arizona? It's true ...AZFamily.com - Author Unknown - 05/12/2008 Most people think parrots live only in tropical climates, but the endangered thick-billed parrot prefers higher elevations. The thick-billed parrot is one of only two parrot species whose natural range once included the United States. They have adapted quite nicely to the northern-type conifer forests of central Mexico.
[Read more...] Bird Man's parrots 'can say just about anything'thedailytimes.com - Victoria Porter - 05/05/2008Bird sightings are common at Maryville's Greenbelt Park, geese, ducks and occasionally even an African gray parrot and a red lory parrot. Yes, that's right. On a warm afternoon sightings of the exotic birds have become common.
[Read more...] Parrot's back to threaten desal bidThe Australian - Rick Wallace - 05/05/2008THE endangered orange-bellied parrot - once used in an attempt to scupper a wind farm in Victoria - is set to play a role in the future of a planned $3.1 billion desalination plant.
[Read more...] The Parrot with an Outstanding Example of Interspecies CommunicationSkypedia - Author Unknown - 04/21/2008A parrot was found to have a remarkable ability to communicate with people. Scientists were baffled by this finding. The bird, a captive African grey called N'kisi, has a vocabulary of 950 words, and shows signs of a sense of humour.
[Read more...] Birds of a Feather Find Sanctuary at World Parrot RefugeSeattle Times - Sally and John Macdonald - 04/20/2008You never heard such a ruckus. Screeching, squawking, the occasional curse from someone who's stuck a finger too close to a beak and the whap and whir of a thousand rainbow-hued wings fill the air. Welcome to World Parrot Refuge.
[Read more...] Seven Chicks Boost Population of Rare Parrot to 92Earth Times - DPA - 04/15/2008Wellington - The population of New Zealand's kakapo - the world's rarest parrot and critically endangered - has increased by seven after the first chicks for three years hatched on tiny Codfish Island. But that merely brought the number of the nocturnal, flightless birds to 92 and the vulnerable chicks were transferred this week to a specialist unit where they will be hand-reared to ensure their survival until they can be returned to the wild.
[Read more...] Encounters with Kakapo to be HeldOtago Daily Times - Hamish McNeilly - 04/14/2008MEMBERS of the public will have a chance to see the world’s rarest parrot when Sirocco the kakapo is temporarily transferred to Ulva Island, off Stewart Island, later this year. The first Kakapo Encounter was held in 2006, when more than 1000 tourists paid $80 each for a glimpse of the flightless, nocturnal parrot. The encounters did not take place last year but will be held again from September.
[Read more...] Frankie's Back on his Perch After Mysterious AdventureNews Scotsman - Gareth Edwards - 04/05/2008FRANKIE the stolen parrot has been reunited with his owners – after pecking on a neighbour's door. The exotic bird was taken from his cage during a break-in to Sharon and Dave Finlay's home in Earl Haig Gardens, Trinity, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
[Read more...] The Secret Life of Magic's Most Famous ParrotOC Register - Tom Berg - 04/08/2008HOLLYWOOD It is a packed house in the Palace of Mystery at Hollywood's Magic Castle – the most famous magic nightclub in the world. The crowd is here to watch a "psychic" parrot that does, well, absolutely nothing, to be honest.
[Read more...] Thief Takes Flight with Frankie the Pet ParrotEdinburgh News - Gareth Edwards - 04/04/2008The burglar who broke into Sharon and Dave Finlay's home is clearly a real bird-brain. As well as swiping an expensive laptop, mobile phone and digital camera, he made off with the family's beloved pet parrot Frankie.
[Read more...] Macaw Blimey!This Is Cheshire - Hannah Al-Taraboulsy - 04/04/2008A FLIXTON resident was pleasantly surprised to see a more exotic type of bird than usual coming to feed in her garden. Carol Ager of Daresbury Avenue had to do a double when she saw a parrot eating bird food that was attached to her washing line.
[Read more...] Five Endangered New Zealand Kakapo Parrots Hatch; 91 Now SurvivePR Inside - Author Unknown - 03/31/2008The world's largest species of flightless parrot is edging back from extinction with five new chicks hatched in New Zealand in recent weeks and two more on the way, wildlife officials said Monday.
[Read more...] Talk About Lucky! Zeke Finds His Way HomeDaily Mercury - Author Unknown - 03/31/2008THE search for missing parrot Zeke is over. The talking Alexandrian parrot has been found and is now safe and sound at his East Mackay home. The fly-away bird had been missing since Easter Sunday and his owners were fretting. "It's so fantastic to have him back. I'm so excited," Zeke's owner, Collette Memory, said.
[Read more...] A Girl, Her Parrot and the Man at the ShoreThe Press of Atlantic City - Steven Lemongello - 03/30/2008His name was Ringo, and he disappeared. Palm Sunday was the day his eyes caught sight of the open door. It was a cool day and very clear. You could see a long way - but not as far as Ringo had gone. Where he was headed, no one could say. And the girl he left behind was desperate for answers.
[Read more...] RODNEY RICHEY: That's Some Parrot You Got ThereHerald Bulletin - Don Knight - 03/29/2008When we last left our hero, he and his trusty sidekick Ed were motoring down to the gold-kissed sands of Daytona Beach, Fla. But first, a recap ... Uncle Rod regaled us all with history of "The Parrot Joke," a sublimely absurd and pointlessly violent shaggy-dog saga that goes like this:
[Read more...] Limerick Parrot Thief CagedLimerick Reader - Petula Martyn - 03/29/2008A TEENAGER who set three exotic birds free from a cage in a neighbours shed is behind bars after insisting he should be jailed. The 18-year-old who was accused of stealing a parrot called 'Cheeky' last year escaped a prison sentence after the charges against him were struck out.
[Read more...] Parrot Beats Humans in Solving PuzzleThe Times of India - Author Unknown - 03/27/2008 Ten, a six-year-old New World parrot, can solve a puzzle consisting of two entangled chains in less than 30 seconds. It takes humans about an hour. The female macaw at a botanical garden in suburban Tokyo competes against more than a dozen human visitors every day, but remains undefeated.
[Read more...] Wild Parrot ColoniesHealthy News Digest - Author Unknown - 03/22/2008At least three dozen different parrot species are now considered threatened or endangered in their quickly shrinking native tropical and sub-tropical habitats (mostly in South America). As such, the health of wild flocks in the U.S. and other developed countries around the world may well be key to preserving these birds that could otherwise go extinct.
[Read more...] Los Parrot's Kiss TellsMercury News - Author Unknown - 03/21/2008A great deal of confusion, and a few ruffled feathers, have been cleared up with a kiss. It seems a multicolored parrot found in Glendale last week wasn't from far up the coast but from just down the road—in Eagle Rock.
[Read more...] Parrot Joins Couple for TV Watching, Web SurfingThe Star - Valerie Hunch - 03/15/2008From child to teenager to single, young woman and now wife – Herbie, a Senegal parrot, has been with Rebecca Carson every step of the way.
[Read more...] A Delightful, Awful Marriage to a Pet Parrotnpr - Julie Zickefoose - 03/13/2008 Perhaps you've seen a colorful, talking bird in a pet shop and thought, "I've always wanted a parrot!" Before you take the plunge, here's a note of caution.
[Read more...] Something to Squawk AboutAltoona Mirror - Ashley Gurbal - 03/13/2008When Wendy Geesey's three children left home, it seemed natural to her to fill her empty nest with a bird. Kermit, a green Hahn's Macaw, came to live with Geesey and her husband, Ken, about two months ago.
[Read more...] This Parrot Scam Must Cease To Beic Wales - Ben Glaze - 03/12/2008ILLEGAL traders could be behind a scam in which bird lovers are duped into buying fake parrots that die days later. RSPCA Inspectors are set to probe claims that common parakeets are being scared out of trees in London parks and sold as 'rare' parrots to unsuspecting buyers.
[Read more...] Pets on ProzacHerald Sun - Eleni Hale - 03/09/2008DEPRESSED dogs, cranky cats and even budgies with the blues are being put on Prozac by vets. Pets are increasingly being prescribed pills to perk them up, treat anxiety and even help them control odd behaviour caused by lustful intentions towards their owners.
[Read more...] Photogenic Parrot's Sidekick Goes MissingUnited Press International - Author Unknown - 03/09/2008Bobo, a prize-winning Congo African Grey parrot from Chicago, is mostly blue these days because her sidekick, Chomper, has gone missing, their owner says.
[Read more...] Last Refuge of Rediscovered Fuertes's Parrot Acquired by ConservationistsSurfbirds News - Author Unknown - 03/07/2008American Bird Conservancy's partner group Fundación ProAves has established the first private protected area for the critically endangered Fuertes's Parrot. The species, whose population size is estimated at just 160 individuals, lives only in a small area in the Andes of Colombia that is heavily impacted by deforestation.
[Read more...] Tremor Trauma for Quaking Parrot SidSunday Sun - Sarah Robertson - 03/02/2008LAST week's terrifying tremors left an unlikely victim from the North all shook up . . . a parrot.
[Read more...] Cafe's Missing Parrot Returns HomeJD News - Author Unknown - 03/02/2008Jojac, the 13-year-old blue and gold Macaw who is mascot of the Marina Café, returned home today after an arrest was made in his theft.
[Read more...] Queens Couple Turn Home Into Parrot HavenNY1 News - Roger Clark - 02/29/2008A Queens couple says their house is literally for the birds. They’ve opened their home to more than 30 parrots of all colors and sizes. NY1’s Roger Clark filed the following story.
[Read more...] Stolen Parrot Causes Owners to Take ActionNews Channel 9 - Amanda Shropshire - 02/28/2008On Monday, a couple in the East Lake area lost a very dear friend during a burglary. Their pet parrot was stolen, and now, they want to take action. They tell us right now they aren't sure what they will do, but they do know, that they are tired of the crime in the East Lake area.
[Read more...] 1st Symposium on Pet Parrot BehaviorCity Parrots - City Parrots - 02/24/2008On 6th May 2008, the European Parrot Association is organising in Paris its first symposium on the behaviour of the domesticated parrot.
[Read more...] One-legged Parrot to be Fitted With Prosthetic LegTop News - Mohit Joshi - 02/24/2008A one-legged parrot is perching on a scientific breakthrough, for it is about to be fitted with a 'wooden leg'.
[Read more...] Rash of Quebec Parrot TheftsThe Canadian Press - Author Unknown - 02/24/2008Polly wants a cracker, but some slick parrot thieves want Polly so they can feed a global black market in rare exotic birds.
[Read more...] Kakapo Encounter 2008: Rare Chance to See A KakapoWildlife Extra - Author Unknown - 02/16/2008Get your map, mark your calendar and dust off your intrepid adventuring cap. From September 8 - October 22, 2008, you have a date on New Zealand’s Stewart Island with one of Earth’s most unusual and fabulous creatures.
[Read more...] Project Seeks Amateur Bird WatchersPekin Daily Times - Nick Vogel - 02/16/2008This weekend presents an opportunity for amateur bird watchers and professional ornithologists to take part in an international bird counting project. Similar to the annual Eagle Day census, the Great Backyard Bird Count aims to give scientists a general idea of how many bird species are being seen in the backyards of the United States and Canada.
[Read more...] Cutting Edge Technology to Film Endangered BirdsScoop - Author Unknown - 02/08/2008Cutting edge technology used to film endangered birds in NZ. In a world first, Otago film company ELWIN Productions is using new High Definition technology to document a remarkable story following the struggle to bring the world's rarest wild parrot back from the brink of extinction.
[Read more...] Parrot May Well Be Wild at HeartHartlepool - Richard Mennear - 02/06/2008ANIMAL experts are still waiting to solve the mystery surrounding an exotic bird that was discovered this week. A rare green parrot, which is believed to be an orange-winged Amazon, was found sheltering under a bush in the back garden of a house in Knightsbridge Gardens, in the West Park area of Hartlepool.
[Read more...] Susan Copple of Zamzows has Overseen Hundreds of Birds Over the Past 20 YearsIdaho Statesman - Jeanne Huff - 02/03/2008If you got a wolf-whistle or a pinch on the bottom at work, you'd probably report the perpetrator, who, at the very least, would be fired - or worse. Susan Copple endures such activity daily, and loves it.
[Read more...] Death of Mascot Parrot Saddens Pet Store StaffLansing State Journal - Danielle Quisenberry - 02/02/2008For 17 years, he perched on carts, took rides on the shoulders of patrons and made smile many who came to Pet Supplies Plus for dog food or kitty litter. Charley, a blue crown conure, wasn't just another pet store parrot. He was practically an employee, a bird who greeted and lured customers, some of whom came only to see him.
[Read more...] Parrot Smuggling FoiledAHN - Joseph Dela Cruz - 01/27/2008More than three hundred parrots were rescued after Belarus border patrol intercepted a man who tried to smuggle the exotic birds out of the country onboard his bike.
[Read more...] Birds-of-a-feather Raise a Big FlapLancaster Online - Jon Rutter - 01/27/2008A Pennsylvania Game Commission proposal to ban nanday conure parrots is raising a squawk in Harrisburg. Bird fanciers say it's unfair to single out the green South American birds. "If they can justify banning the nanday," said Chet Fuhrman of Columbia, "then they can justify banning any pet bird species."
[Read more...] Anything To Declare - Your Tiger, Parrot or Tarantula?This Is Aberdeen - Author Unknown - 01/26/2008 Cool-headed customs staff are seldom surprised by what they find at airport control. But they were shocked and horrified when they opened a suitcase and came face to face with - a dead tiger!
[Read more...] Bird's Beak an Amazing, Formidable ToolSacbee - Dr. Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori - 01/26/2008The beak of a bird is a tool with many features. It's a weapon that can put a dent in any enemy or damage the relationship with a friend. It can be a delicate tool for feeding a newly hatched chick or for the precise adjustment of feathers while grooming. With their beaks, birds can pick a lock, crush a walnut or peel the skin off a grape.
[Read more...] Cameroon: 1,200 Parrots Rescued at AirportAfrica News - Author Unknown - 01/24/2008Over 1,200 exotic African Grey Parrots have been seized from traffickers in Cameroon after 2 two shipments were intercepted by the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife in Douala International Airport.
[Read more...] Parrots Get New RoostThe Columbian - Howard Buck - 01/13/2008Several Quaker Parrots who have made an unlikely home in this rural burg were a cheerful bunch on Saturday. Joy Tindall could tell so from the birds’ familiar chirps, a far cry from angry shrieks after their most recent eviction from a utility pole transformer platform they covet.
[Read more...] Push To Block Housing PlanThe Age - Dan Harrison - 01/13/2008FEDERAL Environment Minister Peter Garrett is under pressure to block a controversial coastal housing development that opponents say will destroy protected wetlands and the habitat of the endangered orange-bellied parrot.
[Read more...] Parrot And Owner Reunite After FloodLafayette Journal and Courier - Curt Slyder - 01/12/2008Claudia Shown has her Mo Jo back. Mo Jo, the 6-month-old African grey parrot, is back with his owner after nearly drowning in floodwaters that badly damaged Shown's house on Brandywine Lane.
[Read more...] Whole New Meaning to Pigeon PostThe Scotsman - Alba - 01/07/2008OUR own Andy Murray was pictured on the front of several newspapers yesterday kissing what looked like a gold stuffed pigeon, celebrating his triumph in the well-known Timbuktu Open. Which brings Alba to the subject of bird-brains.
[Read more...] Sick of Parrot Fever?Ledger Enquirer - Tim Chitwood - 01/06/2008It sounds like fervent fans getting fired up for a Jimmy Buffet concert: Parrot fever. The scientific name is avian chlamydiosis. When humans catch parrot fever, it's called psittacosis -- unless "parrot fever" refers to the infectious joviality of Jimmy Buffet fans known as "parrotheads."
[Read more...] Parrot Fever Halts PetSmart Bird SalesUnited Press International - Author Unknown - 01/05/2008PetSmart has halted sales of birds at 775 of its stores after cockatiels at 23 of the U.S. retail chain's shops tested positive for parrot fever. A spokesman said the company suspended bird sales in 44 states as a precaution and has quarantined birds that tested positive for the condition known as psittacosis, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said Saturday.
[Read more...] Parrot Memoir Due This FallForbes - Author Unknown - 01/03/2008The story of a Brandeis University scientist and her famous African grey parrot, Alex, whose untimely death last fall made news around the world, will be told in a book.
[Read more...]