African Grey Parrot – Einstein Talking Up A Storm

African Grey parrots are not the most colorful among parrots of the world, as the name indicates. Whether your African Grey is of the Congo or Timneh subspecies, the bird will be predominantly grey in color. The Congo African Grey will have a bright, cherry red tail, while the Timneh African Grey's tail will be maroon.

African Grey parrots are very intelligent. It has been said that they have an intellect similar to that of dolphins and chimpanzees. African Grey parrots have the ability to mimic up to 2,000 different sounds. They can understand the use of many words they learn, and are known to be the best talking parrots.

Einstein, a talking African Grey, is living proof of this. Einstein has been talking up a storm in a Knoxville, Tennessee zoo. Einstein's trainer, Stephanie White, says that it is natural for African Grey parrots to enjoy mimicking sounds. Einstein, though, seems exceptionally good at mimicking. White believes Einstein can make more than 200 different sounds, many of which are English words.

"If she hears a sound that she likes, she'll start to repeat it over and over. Then we'll put it on cue," says White.

Is Einstein Male or Female?

African Grey parrots of both sexes look the same, so no one knows whether Einstein is male or female. The zoo's veterinarians could tell with a blood test, but the zoo has decided not to do it. Einstein lives happily with the name of a great male scientist, and a feminine pronoun.

Einstein – a Talking African Grey's Bio

Einstein, the talking African Grey parrot, hatched in California in 1987. He did not live in a zoo at first. He lived with a California couple. Not for sale, the Congo African Grey was donated to the Zoo in 1992 at age 5.

When Einstein arrived at the Knoxville Zoo, she soared from unknown African Grey parrot to star status. Einstein was an immediate hit in the zoo's new Bird Show. Visitors loved the show, which features free-flight, natural behaviors of about 14 birds and a few other animals. However, the African Grey quickly became the star.

Einstein does not stay at the zoo every day. Nor does she limit her vocabulary to words and sounds her trainers want her to learn. One day, the African Grey was riding in a car on the way to a school show-and-tell. Suddenly, she began to sing "Happy Birthday" to her shocked trainers. No one knew when and how she learned the song, but she knew it.

Einstein is not only the star of Knoxville Zoo's Bird Show. She is also a popular "spokesbird" for the zoo and for Knoxville tourism.

Although Einstein is about 22 years old as I write this (early 2007), she will never behave or understand as a 22-year old human. African Grey parrots have the intellectual capacity of a 5-year old child. Emotionally, they are more like a 2-year old human. Those who live with African Grey parrots are constantly reminded of this.

African Grey – the Right Pet for You?

Einstein, the talking African Grey is amazing. You should be aware, however, that not all African Greys are like Einstein. The Knoxville Zoo has another African Grey parrot named Allie. Allie has learned only a handful of words. Perhaps Allie is shy of talking because Einstein is so good. Perhaps Allie is just not motivated.

Certainly many African Grey parrots do learn to talk. A privately-owned, 10-year old African Grey in Texas – also named Einstein - is credited with knowing 122 words, 94 phrases, and 21 sounds.

If you purchase an African Grey parrot, and patiently work with it, you will probably be able to teach it to talk.

Be Proud to Be a Bird Watcher

The passion and pleasure that a bird watcher finds in that hobby is inspirational. Those who bird watch are unique group of people. Bird watchers have a great sense of awareness as to what is going on around them and a degree of patience that is rare in our society.

A bird watcher will find as much delight in telling you about how they got to the place where they saw a particular species as they will about the bird itself. There is something satisfying about trotting up a hill, climbing an old barbed wire fence, and then sliding down a muddy ravine just to catch a glimpse of a warbler family flitting amongst some remote treetops. Western society has made people quite content to drive up to a window, order, and then be on the way without ever getting out of the car. If only birding were that easy. Bird watchers can teach the busy world around them about what it means to deliberate, and to spend all day working towards a goal that may not even come to fruition. After all, not every outing is a successful one.

Society can learn from the patience of a bird watcher. A business mindset causes many to think that times of inactivity are wasted. Successful people in this world capitalize on every available moment and use those moments to be proactive. The bird watchers demonstrate first hand that this in not necessarily true. These people show the world that sometimes, the best and most rewarding things are the ones that you waited patiently, quietly, and for a long time to get.

To be a bird watcher is to do a great service to society by being passionate about conservation. Building processes and roads continue to destroy acres of forested ground and prime avian habitat. Various voices of the bird watching community are speaking loudly and clearly about the importance of preserving these habitats. Bird watching enthusiasts know that progress is inevitable, but that we must work diligently to find a balance with the natural world. This passion for conservation is often born out of the time that a birder spends in the field, marveling over the complexity of not only the birds, but the entire eco-system that they call home as well.

A veteran bird watcher must understand the responsibility he or she has to the bird watching community. An experienced bird watcher needs to be proactive about bringing new enthusiasts along and teaching the proper methods and ethics of birding. As long as every generation is willing to take the time to pass along their knowledge, then the movement to conserve habitat will continue to thrive.

The Golden Eagle Facts and Info

This Beautiful Golden Eagle eagle is named for its golden brown plumage, with head and nape feathers are a little slightly lighter, golden color. The golden eagle is between 26-33 inches in height, the eagle has a wingspan of 78 inches (over 7 feet long) and weighs 3.2 to 6.4 kg. Adults have a bill which is a bit smaller and darker than that of other eagle, which include the bald eagle. The immature golden eagle's in flight can be recognised from the immature bald eagle by the presence of distinct white patches on the under-wing and by a large white tail with dark band. The most notable field mark at any age distinguishing these two eagles, should you be in a position to see it, is the presence of feathers on the legs of golden eagles all the way down to the toes while the bald eagle has a considerable amount of the leg showing. Its favored prey food include rodents, birds, rabbits, and reptiles, as well as carrion. They have also been known to take small sheep and other small farm animals.

Life and the History of these eagle's

The golden eagle is a long-lived bird, with a life span believed to be around 30 years or even more. It is also known that a pair of eagle's mate for life and defends a large selected territory against other golden eagles to protect there young from starving. Both the male and female help in building the nest, occasionally in a tree but more often on a cliff ledge, commonly with the protection of an overhanging tree or rock so they have shelter. The nest is made of large sticks and branches and often contains aromatic leaves which may serve to deter insects and other small pests. Since the same nest may be used and added to almost every year, So as you can imagine theses nests can become very large due to the birds adding to them.

The birds nest usually of 1 or 2 sometimes but rarely 3 eggs which hatch after an incubation period of 34-45 days. Eaglets fledge in 65-75 days. The male provides some help with incubation, but he is the major food provider during incubation and chick rearing. Young reach sexual maturity and obtain adult coloration in most cases at around 5 years of age.

Habitat is very Important

The golden eagle is seen worldwide throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Golden eagles are typically associated with the large plains of the western United States, and are fairly common in our western states, Alaska and western Canada. Never abundant in the eastern U. S., this species is now virtually extirpated as a breeding bird east of the Mississippi River. Golden eagles once nested at no more than a few or so sites in the Adirondacks of New York, in Maine and in New Hampshire. They are believed to still nest in large numbers in eastern Canada and they are also protected here, as evidenced by hundreds of golden eagles appearing during the fall and spring migrations in the eastern U. S. Preferred habitats include generally open areas, mountains, grasslands, and deserts. The golden eagle feeds primarily on live mammals such as ground squirrels and rabbits, and other small animals found in their preferred upland habitats. In winter they will feed on carrion and waterfowl in the east.

Status

Golden eagles have been protected in the United States since 1963. During the 1950's, an estimated 20,000 eagles were destroyed by ranchers and farmers, particularly sheep farmers who perceived them to be a major threat to there livestock. In the north eastern states, remnant populations declined drastically to almost distinction. Although sightings occur every year in New York, most are during migration. A nest was built in the winter of 1992-93 by a wintering pair in southeastern New York, but has never been used as the pair departs every spring to return the next fall. The reasons for the decline of this species in the east are not clear. Various factors seem to be involved, including shooting, accidental trapping, human disturbance at nest sites, posishing, loss of essential open hunting habitat due to succession and fire control, and possibly pesticide contamination (especially by DDT).and also construction and building works.

Hacking, a technique used successfully in New York to restore the bald eagle, has been considered for golden eagle's, but has not been pursued due to the uncertainty of why golden eagles disappeared from New York and whether these conditions still remain. Tracking of golden eagle's is being conducted in a few south eastern states during the 1990's and latter and at least three pair's has nested in there in recent years.

The Best in Bird Watching Binoculars

Trying to read and interpret all of the jargon about various bird watching binoculars can be a little difficult if you are new to it. You will probably find that all of the manufacturers think their product is the best, and that nothing else is worth looking at. If you are like most consumers, you want a place to go where you can find an honest opinion and some accurate information. If you do not live in an area where you can just walk into a specialty optics store and ask, do not worry, there are some resources available.

There are several such guides available to those who are in market for bird watching binoculars. Bird Watchers Digest publishes a review of the latest models and improvements every year. Additionally, a number of Web sites publish product reviews on a regular basis. Some sites even have entire sections devoted specifically to binocular reviews and evaluation. Check out www.birdwatching.com/optics.html for one good example of Web based product reviews. Experienced birders offer their honest opinions about the products that they use on a regular basis and what they did and did not like about each one.

When researching bird watching binoculars, keep in mind several things that may affect which style will work best for you. If you wear glasses, then some binoculars may not work well for you. Do you wish to use the binoculars to focus on small things that may be relatively close? There are models like the Pentax Papillo, which will work very well when trying to zoom in on things like butterflies. When considering any binocular, a bird watcher needs to give careful thought to how much magnification power they need. While many are under the impression that they need the most powerful binocular available to enjoy watching birds, often times the most powerful optical tools can be very difficult to keep focused and to hold steady enough to get a clear image.

Some people in the market for bird watching binoculars pay no attention to price and do not consider cost to be of any importance. For most people, cost does play a large role in their decision. Do not get frustrated if at first all you see are slick catalogue pages full of extravagantly prices binoculars. You can, and will, find equipment from many reliable well-known manufacturers that is well made and quite affordable for the average bird watcher.

To ensure that you are pleased with your purchase, make sure that you do the research. As shown here, there are plenty of resources available outside of actually walking into a store. Bird watching binoculars will be your primary piece of equipment as you begin your bird watching hobby.

Setting Up The African Grey Parrots Environment - Cage, Perches, Care And More

African Grey Parrots thrive on activity. In the wild they are very social amongst their own species and forage the forest in groups to search for food. They need to run around, climb, chew and play for most of their day. Their large size makes their need rather difficult to cater in captivity but one must nevertheless try their best to provide the best environment possible.

Choosing the Cage: Before you buy your bird you need to buy its cage. Choosing the cage should take the same consideration it takes selecting a bird. This will be your Greys home- its safe place. It seems incomprehensible that someone would buy a tame Grey and not provide it with a cage. There are very important reasons why every parrot should have a cage. It needs to literally know its place in the house, and know its cage is a refuge from danger to which it can return if it feels insecure. And, of course, its cage is a secure place in which to roost every night and a place to rest quietly every afternoon where it will not be disturbed. Without a cage, the likelihood of the parrot escaping is also greatly increased. The purchaser of a young Grey Parrot may be too excited to notice the important aspects of how their bird has been kept and fed.

Because Grey Parrots have a sensitive nature, they can be more stressed by a transfer to a new location than, for example, an Amazon. The Purchaser should therefore note the size of its present cage and the location and type of food containers used. If the young Grey has been feeding from a low perch with food containers at the same level, and he is placed in a larger cage, he will probably climb to the higher perch but may be very reluctant to climb down to feed. Therefore, it is advisable to buy some hook-on feeders in case it needs to be fed at the perch level to start with. In a large cage perches can be placed at a low level and their height (except one) gradually increased as the Grey feels more at home in the cage.

Remove the grate at the bottom of the cage. African Grey Parrots like to walk on the cage floor and perhaps scratch in a corner. Older hens will probably want to tear up newspaper. There activities are good outlets for their energy.

Features of a Good Cage: When choosing a cage these features are most important:

• Buy the largest size cage you can afford. It should be longer than it is high as this design offers more opportunity for exercise and play. Cylindrical cages should be avoided; they are unsuitable for birds of any species.

• It should have at least some sides with horizontal bars, for ease of climbing.

• It should have a fairly large cage door. This makes it easier to move the parrot in and out of the cage and to clean the inside of the cage.

• It should have food and water containers that can be replenished from the outside. This is standard in all but the cheapest cages.

• It should have castors so that the cage can be moved to other rooms of the house. Greys are curious animals and nothing can be more boring than having the same view everyday.

• Take a careful look at the door catch on your Grey's cage. These parrots are strong enough and clever enough to undo some cage doors. If this is likely, put a dog clip or a padlock on the cage.

• Newspaper is a good material to cover the cage floor. It is entirely safe (newsprint no longer contains lead) and easily obtainable. As a rule of thumb use the paper without any colored printing- just black and white is safe. It is also a quick change; several layers of paper can be used to line the bottom of the cage and several sheets can be removed twice daily. Do not use cat litter (possibly toxic) or sand (a Grey can scratch it all over the room in a matter of minutes).

Free Trivia Questions - For The Birds

1. Which is not a group term for birds?


A. Flock


B. Flight


C. Volery


D. Swarm





D. Swarm


TOPICS: Various insects can collectively be called a swarm but not birds!

2. Which of these is a fear of birds?


A. Alektorophobia


B. Astraphobia


C. Ornithophobia


D. Ouranophobia





C. Ornithophobia


TOPICS: Although alektorophobia was close, that is a fear of chickens! Astraphobia is the fear of lightning and Ouranophobia is the fear of heaven!

3. Is one of these birds NOT called a chick when in the nest?


A. Canary


B. Condor


C. Owl


D. Penguin





C. Owl


TOPICS: A small owl is called an owlet, but surely a condor would have a more impressive name when young?

4. What is the collective name for crows?


A. A murder


B. A clutch


C. A clutter


D. A Sleuth





A. A murder


TOPICS: You can have a clutch of chicks, a clutter of cats, and a sleuth of bears, if anyone was wondering.

5. What is the largest living species of bird?


A. Condor


B. Eagle


C. Ostrich


D. Emu





C. Ostrich


TOPICS: Did you know they are omnivorous, eating grass, foliage, and any small animals they can chase down?

6. What is the heaviest flying bird?


A. The great bustard


B. The Condor


C. The Egyptian Vulture


D. The Ostrich





A. The great bustard


TOPICS: They can weigh up to 40 pounds!

7. Which is NOT a proper name for a group of ducks?


A. Brace


B. Flock


C. Skein


D. Team





C. Skein


TOPICS: Actually that was pretty tricky as you can have a skein of geese…

8. Which is not the correct name of a baby bird?


A. A duckling


B. A cheeper


C. A fledgling


D. A chicken





D. A chicken


TOPICS: For some strange reason, baby turtles are called chickens, while baby chickens are called chicks! The other baby names are for the duck, the partridge, and the penguin.

How To Train Your Cat

Cats are incredible pets with a unique style all their own. If you have chosen a cat as a pet you probably already understand that discipling and training them requires special effort. You'll need to some extent to understand and adapt to your pet's unique personality traits.

Most cat owners realistically are not looking for a circus cat ready to jump through hoops. They'll be satisfied if the litter box is used well and the furnishings are left intact.

Accordingly, it is good to realize that cats learn through experience. This may require an owner to be patient, in order to build a pattern of cause and effect. This means that if they experience a good thing they are more likely to repeat it. Also, the opposite is true if the encounter was not pleasant. So whatever there's good behavior (like clawing the pet scratching post instead of your furniture), you'll want to reinforce that with a good reward.

Whether it's good or bad behavior, your cat will learn it by this method of immediate response. Delaying a reward or punishment will only confuse her. For example, if a cat is used to being fed every time it pesters you, that will reinforce the behavior. So it is important to evaluate your actions accordingly.

Training a cat to use the litter box is something that must commence when they are young. Keep in mind that cats do enjoy a clean litter box. You need to do your share to make it a pleasant experience. It has been noted that if the box isn't cleaned regularly, but the rest of the house is cleaned, then your pet may head for the clean areas away from its box, such as the edge of a lovely rug!

With time and careful attention you will come to realize that your pet's independent nature still allows a wide variety of moods, which can be either aggressive or playful. A cat will normally enjoy some playful interaction, however it can change its mind swiftly and decide it's had enough. But as a cat owner you already know that, and are just learning to go with the flow!

Pet Food Recall Gets Personal

My Border Collie, Tippy, died recently. I originally thought it was just a combination of old age and bad luck. Even though we purposely feed healthy dog food, Tippy went to the vet recently. As she was to be knocked out prior to a teeth cleaning, we allowed her no food and only water after 10pm the day previous. Accordingly, her hyperactive self was very hungry when she was dropped off at the vets on Friday morning.

The vet declined to work on Tippy citing poor health possibly diabetes as the reason. Making a long story short, we strongly suspect that Tippy was fed some of the recalled dog food while at the vets. She got progressively lethargic over the week following the vet visit and began vomiting blood the last couple of days. She died a week after her visit to the vets on March 10 2007.

I am trying not to be emotional here, but Tippy was my shadow. At 59 years of age I am allowed a rant once in a while. Now if you have been paying attention to the news in this last week of March, many pets have died and a very very large amount of premium brand name pet food is being recalled. My sympathies to those who have sick pets and those whose pets have died. For the last 54 years I have had at least 2 dogs. All great memories, all but one has passed on.

My issue here is industry accountability, responsibility. The pet food industry operates just about without government regulation. Most of the top brands are produced by contract shops who also produce feed for the inexpensive store brands etc. This recall is all too typical of the pet food industry and here is what I mean.

The contract shop tested the pet food using the supplies with the contaminated wheat. Animals died when they ate it. The percentage of deaths was tolerable in their opinion. Gee I wish they had asked me or any other grieving pet owner. Which is more important: a little more profit or the lives of some pets? What is even worse, the test results were not revealed until the company was pressured by the publicity from numerous pet deaths. Pets are dying. Everyone is upset and asking why. They knew. They may be located in Canada, but they certainly are good at the Washington shuffle. Even though it took forever to reveal the test results; boy it did not take them long to deflect the blame onto a Chinese source of wheat. Responsibility, accountability, I do not think most industry and government leaders can spell either word.

OK, lets assume the source of this problem is the Chinese wheat. Here are several issues with that:

· As Canada is one of the prime producers of wheat on this planet how did it happen that a Canadian manufacturer of pet food is using Chinese wheat?

· If for that last cent of profit, we must ship wheat around the world to make pet food, then who tested it? Who specified the level of rat poison that was used as the preservative/pesticide during the shipment?

· OK, let us move past the manufacturer. What about all these premium brands, you know the ones the vets say are the best by far etc. I do not remember any TV ads telling me that these top brand products were made in contract shops.

· If no real testing, as evidenced by this last recall, is conducted by the company which owns the high profile brand names, then what is the difference between their pet food and the grocery store brand or the no name brand at one quarter the price?

This whole pet food recall stinks. The true tragedy is the loss of pets to many loving owners. The only consolation I can offer you is weak. Revenge is not very Christian but perhaps here is a spin which will catch your fancy. If these high profile brands are so intent on maximizing their profit that they allow pet food to be manufactured and shipped without their stamp of approval through specifications and testing, then take the only thing away from them that they treasure. They took your treasure with their greed. Take theirs. Stop buying the high profile brands. Spend some time on the internet. Read some reports. Read the ingredients on labels for pet food.

There is a Pet Food Report which is available. Read it. It reveals 5 red flags about the pet food industry. Practices and ingredients they do not want you to know about. Misleading ingredient listing practices are revealed and much more.

Again, please accept my sympathies for your losses. If you have had enough, be proactive. Hit them in the only place they care about, their pocketbook.

Is Your Dog Allergic to Something in its Home?

Dogs have always been regarded as man's best friend. Sadly, these creatures are also susceptible to allergies some say are very similar to what humans may experience.

Vets have placed dog allergies into 5 categories. These are namely atopy, bacteria, contact, flea, and food.

Atopy is another word for inhalant allergy. A dog may excessively chew stuff and scratch or lick different parts of the body to relieve the itch. This usually comes from dust, feathers, pollen, molds and human dander. This means the house should be kept clean not only for the humans but also for the dogs as well. You can be sure that this is the problem by looking for visible signs that are usually in a reddish brown color over the affected area. A vet can perform a more thorough exam using what is known as Intradermal Skin Testing. Treatment for this allergy is simply. You can give the dog a bath using some medicated shampoo, a diet that is high in Omega 3 or 6 fatty acids or give it an allergy shot to make it go away.

Next is bacteria allergies. Again this is nothing serious and owners will know something is wrong when the dog's hair begins to shed. The only way to treat this problem is by letting the doctor give the dog some antibiotics.

Dogs that are sensitive to certain things may have what is known as a contact allergy. This could be from the collar attached to the neck to food and water bowls. There are other examples and the only you will know what is causing is by observing the pet. Once this is found, this should be removed and things will go back to normal.

Fleas are considered to be the number one enemy of dogs. This is because not being able to pluck it could make the pet lose blood and die. This is why dogs should be bathed at least once a week and treated with a flea preventative medication. But dogs that experience flea allergies do not get it from it biting on the skin. This comes from the saliva, which causes the pet to itch and lose hair. Just the same, using some accessories and proper hygiene can take care of it.

The last is called a food allergy. Believe it or not, some dogs are sensitive to certain foods just like humans. Some examples of this could be fish, chicken, milk and pork. This isn't that hard to notice because the pet may sneeze often, have discharges in the eyes or nose, experience hair loss, diarrhea, coughing and even breathing problems. The best thing to do of course is to find out what causes it and make sure these are no longer fed to the dog. The pet will have to follow a strict diet so such incidents will never happen again.

Dogs are sensitive animals and the only way to make sure it is doing fine is by checking on it regularly. Should there be a hint of trouble, the best thing to do is bring this to the vet for his advice.
You should not leave the situation to chance thinking it is just the weather and things will be okay. No one will be able to tell if this is an allergy or a virus, which means this can only be confirmed with the help of a veterinarian.