HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: oday@lobster.gsfc.nasa.gov  (Orin Day)
Subject: Re: screeching green cheek parrot
Reply-To: oday@lobster.gsfc.nasa.gov  (Orin Day)
Organization: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Greenbelt, MD USA
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 03:18:04 GMT

In article <9JAN199314122914@watson.bms.com> gibson@watson.bms.com (Minde  
Gibson) writes:

> A good friend of mine has a 1 1/2 year old green cheek parrot that
> screeches for her when she is home but not in the same vicinity
> as the bird.  If anyone else is in the house while my friend is not
> home and they are not in the vicinity of the bird she does not screech
> at all.

Hmmm.  I have this problem with my 2 birds sometimes.  Usually
I just deal with it, though being an apartment dweller I have
to worry about excess noise.  If the creatures really get going,
I cover them up for a while and tell them to "be quiet!", and
then I uncover them after a few minutes.  If the problem then
persists, I cover them for increasingly longer periods until they
get the message.  

I've also used a squirt bottle in the past, but prefer not to do
this - just picking up the brightly colored bottle deactivates
my cockatiel, but activates the Quaker into screaming until I
put it down...

Hope this helps.  Birds want our attention, and I find that the
problem with mine roughly decreases as I spend more time with
them out of the cage - but I fear it will never go away.  One
must just be careful not to enforce screaming - but in some
situations this is hard to do.

--
************* "How about a little fire, Scarecrow?" **************
Orin Day, Code 664.1                    oday@lobster.gsfc.nasa.gov
Hughes STX/NASA       GSFC Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics
*******"Think that this is NASA's opinion?   NO, NO, NO!!!" ******
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: bgt@cbnewsh.cb.att.com (barbara.tongue)
Subject: Birdie Meets Carpet!
Organization: AT&T
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 13:16:09 GMT
Keywords: <vroom!><vroom!>

folks,

recently my SO and i decided to recarpet the basement.  now, because
we specialize in software reuse at work, we figured the same concept
should apply to carpeting.  thus we ventured to all carpet stores within
a 20 mile radius (yes this story will apply to birdies eventurally)
and purchases about $150 worth of carpet remnants.  for those poor
individuals who have no idea what we were doing, the remnants were
of sizes from 1'x12' to 2'x14' to 3'x10'. ie, mega high-quality
carpet at starving artists (tm) prices in colors ranging from
navy to turquoise to skyBluePink to ... you name it.  about 16 remnants
in total.

one of my hobbies besides dissuading angus, my yellow collared macaw,
from eating my computer <ESC> key, is creating stained glass windows.
this was exactly the same, except we used carpets instead of glass.
we carpeted quite the large space most attractively at a very 
reasonable price!

enter the birdie.

some of you might remember the story of "Angus, Birdie Vacuum
Cleaner Incarnate."  (angus loves to put his beak to the ground
and push it along, scooting like a minature vacuum cleaner.  this is
most amusing especially in the bathroom, where you hear <click!>
<click!><click!> when he zooms over the tiles).  well, here he
had custom made runways where the remnants joined one another!
ecstasy!  see birdie rocket over the carpets, investigating one
after another with his battle cry of <hello!><hello!><hello!>

'twas most amusing indeed.

anyone have any other stories of birdie home repair?
-- 
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%%   The Speaking Tongue, AT&T   %%  C Code.  C Code Run.  Run, Code, RUN! %%
%%       bgt@hogpf.att.com       %%           PLEASE!!!!                   %%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: donna@andromeda.rutgers.edu (Donna Whitlinger)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: Cockatiel Conquers Evil Paper Was Re: Bird Snacks Summary
Date: 12 Jan 93 16:56:16 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

dboldt@dsdbqvarsa (David Boldt (x5679)) writes:

>My cockatiel also seems fascinated by pens 
>and pencils in use;  though if I put the writing implement down she carries it 
>to the edge of the tables and watches it fall.  No chewing at all.

Daniel Bird (male grey cockatiel) finds nothing so fascinating as dropping
things from a higher surface to a lower one.  He watches things fall and
sometimes chirps in victory.  Is there any explanation for this behavior?

Donna Whitlinger
Rutgers College of Nursing
donna@andromeda.rutgers.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: judy@lobster.hou.tx.us (Judy Scheltema)
Subject: Re: Birds reaction to noises
Organization: Lobster; Houston, Texas
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 02:16:17 GMT

In article <1i9s7pINNeuh@network.ucsd.edu> judy <judy@nepac.ucsd.edu> writes:
>Any other good noises for birds???

My African Grey (Nikki) does:
	My cough
	My SO's cough
	My SO clearing his throat
	My vacuum cleaner- even varies the sound for when I vacuum under
		the cage.
	My dachshund whining when I leave the house
	Imitates my Moluccan when she has her evening holler
	Imitates my Citron with a tiny voice saying hello to the Moluccan
	Imitates my Blue & Gold saying hello
	Imitates my female Eclectus doing the "Eclectus sound"
	Rings the phone

And the female Eclectus (not quite 6 months old) has picked up
the phone ringing with perfect timing!

-- 
Judy Scheltema                |                       judy@lobster.hou.tx.us
P. O. Box 270249	      |                          uhnix1!lobster!judy
Houston, Texas 77277-0249     |
From: lind@ll.mit.edu (Tom Lind)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: Birdie Anecdotes
Date: 12 Jan 93 17:50:45 GMT
Followup-To: rec.pets.birds
Organization: MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Having enjoyed the stories posted by others over the past few months, I
thought I'd post a few myself.  Enjoy.

Our red-shouldered macaw (Hahns Macaw), Mr Chips, also affectionately known
as Attila the Hahns, has developed this cute little habit - whenever
someone peeks into the room or passes into view he says "Peek-a-boo".  My
son says he was playing with him one day and spent a few minutes hiding his
face and repeating the phrase with no apparent success.   A few nights ago
I had him on my hand and covered my face and he says "peek-a-boo", I
uncover my face and he makes his usual chuckling sound.  This was repeated
three or four times and then I just laughed with amusement and when I
stopped Mr Chips looked at me with his coy sideways look and said quite
demandingly - GIMME KISS!  He is a rascal.

Also, our blue-fronted amazon, Maggie, being the six month old food hog
that she is (and nick-named Miss Piggy by the family) has learned to detect
when her morning snack is being prepared.  She gets real excited when she
hears my wife chop up veggies and fruit or open the various bags we keep
her food stuffs in.  But when the microwave starts and stops she will lets
out a real loud and extremely clear  "UHHMMMM,  GOOOODD! 

Bye for now,    Tom...


Thomas A. Lind  < lind@ll.mit.edu >   |   Work Hard, tell everyone every-
Electrooptical Devices Group          |   thing you know, close a deal
MIT Lincoln Lab                       |   with a handshake, and HAVE FUN.
From: mikula@ugcs.caltech.edu (Alf Mikula)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: Re: Bird Snacks Summary
Date: 11 Jan 1993 01:05:37 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
NNTP-Posting-Host: plague.ugcs.caltech.edu

I have a cockatiel that goes completely bonkers over mechanical pencil lead.
Sometimes when she discovers me doing my homework, she won't leave me alone,
and even tries to lick the letters off the page.


I guess I have two questions:
1) Is this normal behavior?  Another cockatiel I used to have used to chew
   up pencils if I left them laying around.  Is there something about the
   graphite or the clay that's mixed with it?  A taste?  A narcotic effect?

2) Is it harmful to my pet?
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: mnoeske@SU12K.Harris-ATD.com (Mike Noeske x4143)
Subject: questions of macaws
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 13:30:59 GMT
Organization: Advanced Technology Dept, Harris Corp, Melbourne, FL

hello
  i have wanted to get a large macaw since i have been about 15 years young,
since then i have been working my way up starting with finches. parakeets,
cockitiels, a red-bellied macaw (smallish), and presently cohabitate with
a 6 year young molaccaan (sorry no spell checker) cockatoo.
 
 i would apreciate any replys from any blue-gold, scarlet, or green-wing
owners out there, i would like any information as to what type you own,
what sex (if known, and if it was known before you aquired it), how old
was it when you got it, how long you've had it, favorite food, any helpful
hints and amusing stories about your bird/owner relationship. basically i
just want to hear anything you have to say about your bird.
 

thanx in advance ... send replies to me or post them in this newsgroup

Mike noeske
From: jberry@brutus.ct.gmr.com (John Berry CT/90)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: cockatoo price
Date: 4 Jan 93 18:42:30 GMT
Reply-To: jberry@brutus.ct.gmr.com (John Berry CT/90)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation

Over the Christmas break I was window shopping through a "Pass Pets" (a pet
store chain in this area). Among the dogs, cats, and hamsters they had a
beautiful 4 month old umbrella cockatoo. 
 
Now, I would never buy such a bird from this sort of mass market pet shop,
but just out of curiousity I asked their price for the bird.  Twenty-four
hundred dollars was the reply.

I know some of you out there are breeders - can any of you tell me (again,
just out of curiousity) how inflated a price that is for an umbrella?
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: demetri@cgrg.ohio-state.edu 
Subject: Birdie treats
Organization: OSU Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 22:53:21 GMT

Somebody was asking if birds have preferred colors.  Our Umbrella, Zoe, is
being weaned to Pretty Bird.  She goes for the red pieces with gusto, eats
the yellow ones next, and usually leaves the green ones.  I wonder if there
are actually any flavor/nutritional content differences between the
different colors.  Our Timneh Grey, Simon, LOVES Better Cheddars and likes
pizza if it is JUST the right temperature.


Completely off the subject...I enjoy this news group and find it a good
source of information, but I'd love to see more bird anecdotes. I really
like hearing about the wacky things other people's birdies do.  For
starters, what is the funniest/smartest (context appropriate)/most unusual
thing your bird can say?  Simon says "Gimme a kiss" to my husband and says
"Woo!" after the kiss. (We did NOT teach him Woo!--He made it up.)
Ricky almost always says "what do you want?" repeatedly while mating with
Boyd.

Okay, our birds aren't exactly prodigies.  So, the rest of you, have at it!

                         Renee
From: au500@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Linda Zinn)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: Thanks for anti-bite advice!
Date: 5 Jan 1993 00:08:50 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: au500@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Linda Zinn)
NNTP-Posting-Host: slc10.ins.cwru.edu


Thanks to everyone who has posted or mailed advice in response to my plea
for help. Zack is getting better about squawking, and we're still working
on the biting thing. As you can see, I still have enough fingers with which
to type, so I think I'm ahead of the game!

Thanks again,
Linda
--
From: bobscott@access.digex.com (Bob Scott)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: Re: Parakeet with Weird Habits
Date: 10 Jan 93 15:38:07 GMT
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt MD USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: access.digex.com

afong@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Krell Kraver) writes:

>In article <7JAN199310410250@watson.bms.com> gibson@watson.bms.com (Minde Gibson) writes:
>>I have a two year old male parakeet that exhibits what I believe is a
>>strange behavior.  When I call his name he will come running over to me
>>and jump off his perch onto the side of his cage and hang upside down.
>>Does anyone else have a parakeet that displays this batlike behavior ?
>>

>I've never seen this one, but then again my guys pretty much hate my
>guts :)

    My late, lamented little budgie Bozo was particularly fond of this.
She would put one foot on the cage wall, one on the perch and flip upside-down.
Usually this was caused by not letting her out of her cage when she thought
she needed to be, producing the phenomena we called "upside down in protest".
  Look on it as the birdi equivalent of running a metal cup up and down
the bars.
Bob

-- 

   Bob Scott   Internet: bobscott@digex.com   CompuServe: 73125,1437

                 "Everybody's got a story..."   Mike Hammer
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: rjg@umnstat.stat.umn.edu (Robert J. Granvin)
Subject: Re: Favorite snacks?
Organization: School of Statistics, University of Minnesota
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 22:03:52 GMT

In article <1993Jan11.190018.14134@mailer.cc.fsu.edu>, pepke@scri.fsu.edu (Eric Pepke) writes:
|> After reading that hot peppers evolved their hotness as a bird lure, I 
|> tried out some fresh hot peppers on my girlfriend's budgie.  He loves 
|> them.  His favorites seem to be the little skinny Thai hot peppers.  He 
|> likes Scotch Bonnet's as well, but he is somewhat bewildered by their size 
|> and shape.  I have to take a bite first to show him that it is for the purpose
|> of eating rather than a conversation.  Hot peppers are, I'm sure, very good 
|> for him because they have lots of vitamins.

Birds are strange.  When I wasn't looking, my Cockatiel (who not only hates
everything but seed, but also eats only white saffron until there's no 
choice - sheesh...) snuck a taste of some hot Pace Picante Sauce.  This
was followed by a scream of panic and a circular flight path warning the
neighbors for about 5 minutes about the evil attack salsa jar.

I dunno what she didn't like about it, but she felt it important to let
everyone know.  :-)

She's also a fashion critic.  There are some sweaters she just doesn't
like and screams in panic when she sees them on me.  (On a hangar or
in a drawer is OK - as long as you don't actually WEAR that...)  Oh - 
and no head gear.  She hates hats.

-- 
\\ Robert J. Granvin                                 User Services Specialist
// School of Statistics - University of Minnesota            rjg@stat.umn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: gibson@watson.bms.com (Minde Gibson)
Subject: screeching green cheek parrot
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1  
Organization: Bristol Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 19:12:00 GMT

A good friend of mine has a 1 1/2 year old green cheek parrot that
screeches for her when she is home but not in the same vicinity
as the bird.  If anyone else is in the house while my friend is not
home and they are not in the vicinity of the bird she does not screech
at all.  Someone had suggested that a water pistol be used to squirt the
bird when she screeched but the moment my friend walks in the room the
parrot stops screeching so the parrot therefore wouldn't understand why
she was being squirted. Does anyone have any suggestions to stop this
parrot from screeching?

                             Thanks in Advance,


                             Minde, Lynn(my good friend) and 
"Kayla"(Screecher)
From: afong@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Krell Kraver)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: Re: Parakeet Questions
Date: 9 Jan 93 19:56:14 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

In article <1993Jan6.202059.13308@porthos.cc.bellcore.com> jackie8@dasher.cc.bellcore.com writes:
>My parakeet, Gee LaFleur, died the Sunday before Christmas. 
>
>I'm looking for any tips,etc., on training my future new bird (and
>me, too!) and how can I make the transition for a new bird easier
>adjusting to his home. I don't want to scare him too much.

You really SHOULD be a "technical" person when it comes
to birds.  They are not as easy to take care of correctly as you
might think.  You should know that four years is an extremely short
life-span for parakeets!!  They can live well past 10 years (maximum
I've read is 18 years!), from what I've read, and its not uncommon
for them to live 7 or 8.

There are many issues about nutrition, environment, care, etc. that
are not at all intuitive. 

There are many sources of good information.  Everyone will recommend
you search back issues of Bird Talk for articles relating to just
about all of your questions.  Check your library or bird store.
Another good source of info is this newsgroup, or if you have a
modem, subscribe to the Bird Information Network in Colorado
(303-423-9775).  They have LOTS of bird breeders and owners on there
with enourmous combined experience.

>Two other questions:
>Is it recommended on getting a new cage since Gee passed on in this one?
>and

Its hard to say since you don't know what Gee died from.  Maybe it
was communicable.  To be sure, you should disinfect the current
cage.  Good disinfectants include Roccal, Avicide, Betadine, Nolvasan
(Chlorhexadine), and regular bleach.  If you use bleach, use 1 part
bleach to 32 parts water.  And, make sure it remains in contact for
at least 10 minutes.  Problems:  you need good ventilation, and it
tends to corrode cages if used often (you sound like you're talking
about a one-time application, though).
 
>How can you tell a boy bird from a girl bird?
>
Adult boys usually have a dark blue cere (the nose portion above the
beak, surrounding the nostrils).  Girls are usually pink, white, or
brown.

>I'm not too technical with birds. To me they're companions and pets,
>but lovable all the same. But I would love to play with my new bird
>and have him do tricks and a few more whistles and stuff.

PLEASE look at him more than just a pet!  Learn about appropriate
care so that he can lead a happy, healthy, and LONG life!  As for
the tricks and stuff, again, BirdTalk is an excellent source of info.

Good luck!

Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: andrus@cs.uwp.edu (Bonnie Andrus)
Subject: Blue and Gold macaw
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Parkside
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 14:59:50 GMT


Here it goes one more time.  I will try to post again.  I have a 7 month
old macaw who is giving me some problems.  His behavior is starting to
change.  He wants to be out of his cage constantly and has learned how to
open it up.  I even put locks on it and he figured that out.  He has lots
of toys which he seems to have gotton bored with.  When he is out of his
cage he is very destructive.  He goes for things like knobs on the tv,
parts of the vacuum cleaner and has even torn up the toilet seat.  He is
also starting to bite (pinch) me.  He knows what no means but I seem to be
yelling at him constantly like a two year old kid.  Can anyone give me any
information on macaw behavior.
From: dougnews@access.digex.com (Doug Humphrey)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: Re: Another question
Date: 13 Jan 1993 05:22:13 GMT
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: access.digex.com

In article <1it427INN76r@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> au500@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Linda Zinn) writes:
>
>Zack (yellow-naped Amazon) exhibits a very strange habit (at least to
>me, and he's come up with no reasonable explanation). Every time
>he reaches for and holds onto my finger when he's in his cage, he bites
>his own leg. He does the same thing at times when he is holding onto
>one of his hanging toys.

The resident Cockatoo here, Shiro, often does something like 
this, but what is really going on is that she is bending her
head down to present the back of her neck to be scratched.
If you don't pay the attention to her, she bites a bit (very
halfheartedly) at her leg, and then straightens up.  If you 
start kneeding the back of her neck, all interest in the leg
vanishes, and you have her total attention, eyes closed, head
rolled over on its side, completely absurd.

-- 
Doug Humphrey    Express Access Public Access Internet   Voice (301) 220-2020
doug@digex.com   Dialup: (301) 220-0462 Login as "new"   Email info@digex.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"I say it again, in the land of the free; use your freedom of choice." - DEVO
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: Diana Bray <djb@tadtec.co.uk>
Subject: Ouch!   A parrot's gotta chew...
Organization: Tadpole Technology plc
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 16:35:33 GMT
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1.1d1

Hello and Happy New Year to everyone!

All this talk of parrots biting reminds me to ask if anyone has the same
problem(?) that I do & if so does anyone have any suggestions?  This
isn't a biting problem, this is a chewing problem - the two are different
I think becuase biting is with intent to hurt, but chewing isn't.

Ella is a hand fed blue fronted amazon.  It seems that a parrots way to
explore the world is to chew - fair enough, but this includes fingers
(mine!).  She starts off very gently, but then she gradually chews harder
& harder - especially if she comes across joints in fingers (ouch!).  I
generally twist my finger gently & she's forced to let go.  There doesn't
seem to be any malice in her chewing, she's just exploring, but doesn't
seem to have any idea that it hurts.  Will she ever learn?  Is this
common with larger birds?  Any advice?  

I'm curious if this is an Amazon thing - do any of you cockatoo owners
have this problem?

My wild but tame conure doesn't do this - he knows exactly that all human
skin is tender.  I trust my conure with exploring my earlobes! 

Please post or mail any suggestions or comments.

Diana.
From: davec@Autodesk.COM (Dave Cooper)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: Re: Parakeet with Weird Habits
Date: 8 Jan 93 01:05:46 GMT
Organization: Autodesk Inc., Sausalito CA, USA

Minde,

All of the behaviour you describe is quite normal for caged
Budgiregars. By the way, the term "parakeet" is not correct
for Melopsittacus undulatus, if in fact this is what you own.

Budgies are parrots. Most parrots exhibit acrobatic behviour
like hanging upside down, hanging from their beaks, or whatever.
For a Budgie, hanging upside down in a normal thing.

Budgies will make all sorts of soft, chittering, whistles, and
squawks. They're very responsive, and react to stimuli like
familiar sounds, and actions. For example, everytime I cover
my two male English Budgies for bedtime, they both puff up their
feathers and make cooing and twittering sounds. If I shout loudly
at them "Hello Budgies!" waving my hands in the air, they come
forward to the top of the cage and carry on an equally loud and
demonstrative chorus. They also do this when they see birds outside
of their equal size. If they see birds outside that are larger
than they are (ie. crows or seagulls), they act very differently
indeed.

Cheers

DAVE
From: davec@Autodesk.COM (Dave Cooper)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: Re: Single Budgies (was Re: Parakeet Questions   )
Date: 8 Jan 93 22:46:35 GMT
Organization: Autodesk Inc., Sausalito CA, USA

Manjit,

I posted something else on this group about having single birds.
Budgiregars are flocking parrots and should not be kept singly. Having
a companion is really the kindest thing to do for them. I have two
males and they most certainly do NOT ignore their human company. In
fact, one of the pair is very possessive about his human friends, to
the point of not allowing the other bird access to my hand, shoulder
or general attention from time to time. Of course I have to make sure
that the dominant bird is rebuffed enough to allow his more submissive
brother the right amount of attention.

By the way, watch out for the kind of planters that your Budgie has
access to --- some indoor plants are toxic to Budgies. Remember, Budgies
live in semi-arid conditions in Australia where there are not many
tropical or temperate plants. I provide my birds with Eucalyptus branches
on which to perch and nibble. Eucalypts, Mulga, Acacia and Spinifex are
the kinds of plants these birds find naturally in their environment in
the wild.

Cheers

DAVE