Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 19, 1993 TAG: 9309160081
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By KAREN L. DAVIS Special to the Roanoke Times & World-News
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
That's what Gayle Hefter learned when patrons began returning to Phoenix, The Earth Store downtown on Campbell Avenue to visit and talk to the store's mascot, Clucker.
Clucker, an 8-year-old Mexican Double-Yellow-Headed Amazon parrot, lives at the store. He greets almost everyone who comes in with a cheerful "Hello!"
First-time visitors, unaware of Clucker's command of the language, glance around with a surprised "Who said that?" look on their faces. A second squawk draws their attention to the gilded cage in the rear corner of the store. In another minute, they're across the room and clucking at Clucker, trying to get him to say something else.
Sometimes he's in a talkative mood, and sometimes he's not, according to his caretaker and store manager, Mary Eberhardt. But he always likes the attention. And a lot of patrons drop by the store just to visit Clucker, she said.
Hefter, who recently moved from Roanoke to Redwood City, Calif., owns Clucker and the store. She periodically returns to Roanoke on business. But she decided to leave Clucker at the store. "He loves it there so much. He likes the people who come in to see him."
She said Clucker was hatched and hand-raised in the United States. His feathers are mostly green, with a yellow head and splashes of red on his wings. The yellow on his head will spread a bit more with age, and his expected lifespan is about 80 years.
Exotic birds can be expensive. Hefter, a bird lover who has owned many pet birds, said one like Clucker can cost $1,200 or more. But after the initial investment of bird, cage and supplies, "There is very little maintenance on a bird."
Bird vaccines are uncommon, although some new ones are due out soon, according to Dr. Vanessa Rolfe of Avian and Exotic Mobile Veterinary Services in Blacksburg.
"Avian medicine is a quickly growing field," Rolfe said, and within the past 10 or 15 years, has come to offer about the same level of care and types of procedures, such as microsurgery and viral antibody testing, that have been available to dogs and cats.
When shopping for a pet bird, Rolfe recommends selecting a young bird that has been domestically bred in captivity and raised by hand.
Because of the labor involved in formula feeding, hand-raised babies are more expensive. However, Rolfe said they generally are healthier and more people-oriented.
"There's a big difference in a bird that has imprinted on people and in one that's been around only other birds," she said. "Hand-raised babies adapt more readily to people and make better pets."
Buy only from a reputable breeder or dealer. If the bird is wearing a leg band, notice whether the band is solid or crimped together. A solid band generally means the bird was bred in captivity. A crimped band usually means the bird was caught in the wild and imported.
Beware of an influx of baby birds in spring, when more Amazon parrots are smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico. Smuggled birds often endure much stress and sicken easily.
Birds are adept at concealing signs of illness, Rolfe said, and by the time one appears ill, "it usually has been sick for a long time."
Generally, a healthy bird has brilliantly colored feathers with crisp, smooth edges. Depending on the species, fluffed-out feathers may indicate something wrong, as can picking at feathers until bald spots appear.
"Don't buy the quietest bird in the cage," Rolfe said. "The quiet one may be the sickest. Get one that's preening, talking, playing and alert to its surroundings."
Malnutrition is directly or indirectly responsible for many diseases seen by avian veterinarians, Rolfe said.
Commercial parrot seed mixtures are rich in oils but lacking in certain nutrients such as vitamin A, calcium and some amino acids. Even "vitamin enriched" mixes are inadequate because the nutrients added on the seed hulls are generally lost when the bird de-hulls the seeds before eating, Rolfe said.
"Feeding a bird nothing but seed is like feeding a person nothing but bread with margarine," Rolfe said.
A bird probably will not live out its full lifespan without supplemental fruits, vegetables and cereals.
Clucker likes his fruits and vegetables. But Hefter never gives him iceberg lettuce or chocolate.
Chocolate, avocado, apple and pear seeds, peach and cherry pits are toxic to birds. Lettuce is not toxic, but it has no nutritional value to a bird, Rolfe said.
"Peanuts are Clucker's weakness," Hefter said, but because of their high fat content, he gets only a few as occasional treats. Sunflower and safflower seeds also are high in fat.
Birds that have eaten only seeds for a long time may not recognize fruits and vegetables as edible. Persuading them to eat other foods can take months. Many people give up after offering different items once or twice and deciding that the bird does not like them, Rolfe said.
"One way to show them what's safe to eat is to eat the food in front of them," Rolfe said. "Show him how much you enjoy eating it, then offer him a piece." But don't give the bird food your mouth has touched, because human saliva has disease-causing bacteria.
Send general-interest questions to The Pet Podium, in care of the Features Department, Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491.
by CNB