From the parrot's beak: 1/10 edition

- Big news for "From the parrot's beak" and bird news: "From the parrot's beak" will very soon be partnering with the BIrdChannel. The column will still appear in its current form along with our new venue. Details to come!

- One last holiday leftover: Just when you thought you had the holidays put away for the year comes this. “It was about 4:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve and I was listening to the radios to grasp who else was done and who was still working,” says Operations Manager for the GTA Northwest Division for GFL Environmental Corporation. An emergency services dispatcher got a call that a parrot flew into truck driver Brandon Muir's cab. Due to an unusually mild Christmas Eve, Muir had his passenger window open - and heard a fluttering sound. “I looked up, and there was a parrot standing on the outside edge of my pick-up truck!” he explained. “He stepped right inside,” explains Muir. The parrot hopped up onto the steering wheel. Muir's resourceful wife checked out some Lost & Found bird sites and deduced that it was a three-year-old female quaker parrot named Baby who had escaped from the home of the Dedonato family. “It’s a Christmas miracle. We’re so happy to have her home,” says Roman Dedonatdo.

- How's tricks?: Chet and Dave Womach; of the "Bird Tricks" site, are no strangers to controversy - held in high regard as bird experts by many, but accused by some of stealing ideas and techniques. Jinx, their blue throated macaw,is a rising star in the brothers' cruise ship bird show. Recently, US Fish & Wildlife seized Jinx's traveling permit saying blue throats are in the Endangered Species Act and now require a different permit. Jinx is grounded for the time being, and substituting will be Tusa the Camelot macaw. The pair have also been asked to curtail direct contact between birds and passengers in the form of their "free pictures". Passengers can, however; email the Womachs for private "meet and greets".

- Not all black and white: When is a black parrot (coracopsis barklyi) NOT a black parrot? A mysterious white/grayish phase individual has been appearing in the forests of the Seychelles Islands as observed by the staff of the Vallee de Mai Though named the black parrot, the species-- the national bird of Seychelles -- is usually a dark brownish-grey color.

- Ya talk too much: Puck the parakeet was recognized in the "1995 Guinness Book of World Records" for an astounding vocabulary of 1728 words.

- Oh, rats: Fourteen orange bellied parrots are confirmed dead due to a rat infestation at the Taroona captive breeding facility, near Hobart. 14 non-breeding or beak-and-feather-disease positive birds were lost over a 'very short period'. Rat predation never caused a single OBP mortality in over 20 years - until now.

- Parrot joke: Man to buddy: "I once had a girlfriend with a pet parrot. Thing would never shut up. The parrot was kinda cool, though."

- Quote o' the Week: "I see the future continuing to improve for the Spix’s Macaw, both ACTP and Al Wabra are achieving greater success each year and the determination of both these world class facilities to see these beautiful blue macaws return to the wild is only increasing with each breeding season. I certainly believe that we will see them released back into their wild habitat sometime between now and 2021 and when the time comes I will have everything crossed in the hope that they will survive and once again fly free in Brazil!" -Simon Degenhard – bird breeder and publisher of "Australian Aviary Life".

- No business like bird show business: Ever dream of being part of a professional bird show? Southwick Zoo in Mendon, MA is now accepting applications for summer interns for their bird department to use science-based positive reinforcement to train a number of different behaviors, assist in educational programs, help construct and distribute enrichment, and perform a number of husbandry tasks.

- Big news for parrot news: "From the parrot's beak" will soon be partnering with the very popular site The Bird Channel. Details to come.

-Clarification: "Mayhem in Maui", an item in last week's "Parrot's beak referred to an ongoing feud between two parrot clubs in Hawaii. While that tile was meant to be an alliterative reference to te situation in the state,it was pointed out to this editor that both clubs are physically located on the island of Oahu.

- Stolen: African Congo grey 'Alex' Hollister CA (may have gotten loose from abductor) (831) 524-6805 -- Lost: 14 yr old Congo African grey 'Chelly' Mineola, NY. (516) 298-8534.-- Found: Large parrot, Orlando FL. Be prepared to describe. sara.fpr18@yahoo.com

- Hot dates: 1/9: Avian Health & Medicine class, Parrot University, Pineville Towne Market at 321 So. Polk Street. Pineville NC

1/10: Foster Parrots and New England Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary Open House - 87 Woodville Alton Road, Hope Valley, RI - 1-4.

All Exotic Bird Event, Central Florida Fairgrounds 4603 W Colonial Dr. Orlando, FL Adult admission $5, free under age 10. Admission fee includes one free door prize ticket per admission. 9-4. Central Florida Fairgrounds 4603 W Colonial Dr. Orlando, FL

1/16-17: Tim Vogle's Southeastern Exotic Bird Fair - Atlanta State Farmers Market, 16 Forest Pkwy, Forest Park, GA 9-4 both days.

1/16: Parrot University Volunteer Orientation. 1 pm. 321 South Polk St, Pineville NC

- A parrot's point of view class. Stahl Exotic Animal Veterinary offices, 4105 Rust Rd., Fairfax, VA.10-12. [Satisfies Phoenix Landing adoption process requirement].

1/17: Free 20 minute Reiki session for birds and other pets at Healing Spirits Integrative Wellness Center. 11-4. Plaistow, NH.

Parrot 101 class. Parrot University. 2 pm. 321 South Polk St, Pineville NC