From the parrot's beak: not for Halloweenies edition

- Return of the Vampire: Two yellow head Amazons spent their days in a couple of trees with some ropes to climb on at a Costa Rican research station. There was a large cage attached for their nighttime use, but the birds steadfastly refused to use it. One morning, the research staff got up and discovered a pile of blood splattered feathers - all that was left of the male 'too. The culprit could have been an ocelot, a great horned owl or a local blood sucker known as the false vampire bat. We don't know what to use against "false" vampire bats - perhaps plastic stakes and oregano. We do know that from the following night on, the surviving female 'too would quietly and cooperatively go into the cage and allow its door to be shut. - From an account by zoologist Frank Indiviglio.

- Mummy Parrot Resting Place Disturbed: A Mexican father and son were leveling the floor of a cave on their property when they stumbled upon two human skulls, a textile, deerskin, baskets, a large sea shell, and the naturally mummified head of a macaw. The rest of the bird’s remains apparently were swept away by the earth-moving machinery, making it difficult to say for certain if the macaw was buried at the same time as the human remains, which local archeologists believe pre-dated the arrival of the Spanish. No word yet on any of the grave disturbers have been subject to any kind of curse.

- Halloween Parrotrivia: A pet lovebird goes all Hitchcock's "The BIrds"; divebombibg its human family before bursting into flame in "Nightmare on Elm Street 2". Ironically, a young girl's pet lovebirds were the only avians not to fly from the cuckoo's nest in "The Birds".

- Psittacine Cinema: Einstein the Parrot destroys a Halloween pumpkin -...

- You Shouldn't Laugh When a Hearse Goes By because sooner or later you're going to die. Depressing subject, but after all 11/1 is the Day of the Dead. What will you do if your long lived parrot outlives you? Susan Chamebralin of 14 Karat Parrot addresses the subject at the Birdie Bash, 11/12 in CT. See next week's "beak" for details.

- The creaking sound of Dracula opening his coffin is heard- but it's southeast Australia; not Transylvania. More likely it's the not so melodious call of the gang gang cockatoo.

- From the Bone Yard: The fossilized bone of a parrot that lived 16-18 million years ago has been discovered in Siberia; the farthest north on has ever been found and the first time a fossil parrot as been spotted in Asia. Wild parrots may have at one time been common through out Eurasia.

- Nightstalkers: Diurnal animals are active during the day, nocturnal animals are active during the dark hours and crepuscular animals are parrots active at dawn and dusk. A few parrots seem to be crepuscular including the Patagonian conure and the Great-billed Parrot. Flocks of Patagonian conures can often be seen flying at night especially if there is a full moon so they seem to be all three - diurnal, Crepuscular, and nocturnal.

- Missing Arizona Sunshine: Sunshine, a 12 year old blue and gold macaw, once worked with the World Wildlife Zoo and Aquarium in presentations to promote conservation and responsible pet ownership. She retired a few years ago and lived in the home of her handler Amber Hammant - until some one broke into Hammant's house on e afternoon; stealing Sunshine, a guitar and a TV. Sunshine apparently put up a valiant fight. “She bit the robbers really badly. In fact, they attempted to clean up. They left good blood samples for the police so that’ll be interesting to see what happens there,” notes Hamant. Sunshne has medical needs, is on a special diet, has an ear piercing shriek; and as an older bird probably would not fetch much money. A reward is being offered for her return; no questions asked.

- Halloween Parrot Costume Contest: Assuming your bird will allow you to put a costume on it, up to 10/31 you can enter up to five photos of your Halloweened out hookbill. Send your email address and your bird's name with each entry. The Facebook community will vote and the winners will receive gift certificates. See the Make Your Own Toys site for submission and rules.

- Hot Dates: 10/29-30: Trick or Treating at Jungle Island. Halloween-themed arts & crafts to scarecrows and animal shows with cool creepy creatures- including parrots. Costume contest judged by Miss Florida USA and Miss Florida Teen . Halloween festivities takes place from 10-5. $39.95 per adult and $32.95 per child. See Kids In Free offer below. Jungle Island is located at 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail in Miami. -- 25th Annual CT Pet Show & TICA Cat Show-Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Blvd., Hartford, CT Sat 10-6, Sun 10-4

10/29: Halloween costume party for pets; participating Petco stiores. How many birds can we get out there? -- Toy Making 11 am; Parrot 101 2 pm - Parrot University Classes-Pineville Towne Market, 321 South Polk St., Suite 2C, Pineville, NC -- Central California Cage Bird Club 63rd annual bird show/10th annual bird mart Adults: $5; unde 5 FREE, Free parking. 5411 Luce Ave., Sacramento. CA -- Fun with Food -2 pm, Parrot University Classes-Pineville Towne Market, 321 South Polk St., Suite 2C, Pineville, NC-- CCCBC Bird Mart and Bird Show Stanislaus County Fairgrounds i9-3; $5, 900 N. Broadway, Turlock, CA

10/29-30: 25th Annual CT Pet Show & TICA Cat Show-Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Blvd., Hartford, CT Sat 10-6, Sun 10-4

10/30: Exoticbirdmart.com Adults $10 kids 5 to 10 $5 McClellan center 5411 luce Ave Sacramento ca 95652

10/31: Halloween. Parrots can join in some of the fun, but make sure they are happy, safe and secure.

11/4: Avian/exotic vet Dr. Laurie Hess book signing "Unlikely Companions", about life as an exotic pet veterinarian: 7pm at BookCourt in Brooklyn Heights, NY

11/5-6:New Jersey Family Pet Show - Garden State Expo Center, 50 Atrium Drive, Somerset, NJ - Sat 10-7 -- Southeastern Massachusetts Canary Club 36th Annual Show - Liberal Club, 20 Star St., Fall River, MA - Sat 10-5, Sun 8-11:30 -- Tim Vogle's Southeastern Exotic Bird Fair - Atlanta State Farmers Market, 16 Forest Pkwy, Forest Park, GA - Sat 9-4, Sun 9-4 -- National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA) 2016 National Conference - DoubleTree by Hilton, 10100 International Drive, Orlando, FL

11/5: Birds of a Feather 29th Annual Bird Show & Mart- All Dogs Gym, 505 Sheffield Road, Manchester, NH - 9-4 -- Parrot 101 class. 2 pm. Parrot University, 321 South Polk St, Pineville NC -- Laurie Hess, DVM: Q&A Phoenix Landing, Springfield, VA

11/6: Positive Reinforcement Training Phoenix Landing Rockville, MD -- TBD Phoenix Landing, Cary, NC -- Fun with Food class. 2 pm. Parrot University, 321 South Polk St, Pineville NC

11/7: Fresno Bird Mart, Fresno big fair grounds, Fresno CA. 9-3. $5 to get in

11/11-13: American Federation of Ornithology 1st National C.O.M. Show - German American Social Club, 11919 SW 56th St., Miami, FL - open to public Sun 9-12 -- Step-Up Advanced Workshop, Phoenix Landing, Alexander, NC

- Lost: Black capped conure. Burlington, NJ. Reward offered. Contact Bird Paradise (609) 747-7777.-- Lost: Congo African grey "Klohe" Deer Park NY, Leg Band/Microchipped:
(631) 243-1654/ladyscorpio1024@gmail.com