Happy New Year From The Zen Parrot!

Happy New Year from
The Zen Parrot!



We can only hope that 2012 is an improvement over 2011!

And certainly no New Year's Eve would be complete without Jimmy Stewart!

World's Only Rock Band Fronted by a Parrot

Hatebeak

As someone with two African grey parrots, we were thrilled to find a rock band fronted by a nineteen year old Congo African grey parrot named Waldo. Founded in 2003, Hatebeak is a Baltimore Death Metal band comprising vocals by Waldo, Blake Harrison on drums, and Mark Sloan on guitar.

Hatebeak is strictly a studio project. No live music. No tours. We can just imagine the complications of trying to tour with an African grey parrot. Blake and Mark are accomplished studio engineers. Thanks to the power of modern digital recording technology, Waldo’s spontaneously-timed squawks and poetic lyrics could be captured and fine-tuned. Breaking out of the traditional confines of melody, Waldo creates a new vocal language. 

The band is signed to the Baltimore hardcore label Reptilian Records. So it's Death Metal. We went through a Heavy Metal phase years ago. You're probably wondering what a Death Metal band sounds like? We were too. Their sound is described as "a jackhammer being ground in a compactor." Ready for this? Here goes:

Beak of Putrefaction, Released 2004

Bird Seeds of Vengeance, Released 2005

According to the notes posted with the video: There are no intelligible lyrics, the vocals are that of an African Grey parrot doing senseless death-squawking. Can't get enough? Here's more:

Feral Parrot, Released 2007

We find the music strangely mesmerizing. Not sure if that's the sign of a deranged mind. Or what? But if you still can't get enough, Hatebeak has a new album in the works, The Number of the Beak. No word yet on the release date.

Carol of the Bells

Merry Christmas and Season's Greetings
from The Zen Parrot!

 

Ye Who Now Will Bless the Poor Shall Yourselves Find Blessing

Good King Wenceslas has always been one of our favorite Christmas carols. The story of a Tenth Century Saint, Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, bravely battling the winter cold to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen, the Second Day of Christmas.

Does a Nineteenth Century Christmas carol based on a Thirteenth century melody about a Tenth Century Saint have relevance to Twenty-first Century America? Besides being a catchy tune? We think so. The last line of the song sums up the meaning and spirit of Christmas to us in a nutshell:

Ye who now will bless the poor Shall yourselves find blessing

Christmas in America today has come to focus on accumulation, materialism, and greed. Pepper spray at Walmart. Riots at Nike. What we buy has displaced what we give as the contemporary meaning of Christmas. We say the spirit of Christmas is found not in all the junk and trinkets we buy and accumulate. The spirit of Christmas comes from helping those who need help. And not just once or twice a year, but all the year around. Tax cuts for billionaires, and blaming the poor for being lazy, are not exactly what John Mason Neale had in mind when he penned this carol:

Good King Wenceslas

(lyrics by John Mason Neale)

Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel


"Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain."


"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither."
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather


"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."


In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing


By the Way: We love the R.E.M. 1989 Fanclub single version of Good King Wenceslas:

December 21, 2012

The one year countdown begins now. The one year countdown to what? You ask. Apparently you haven't been paying attention to John Cusak.

Some New Age types regard December 21, 2012 as the end date of a 5,125 year long cycle documented by the Mayan (or Mesoamerican) Long Count Calendar. The end of this cycle will bring at best physical and spiritual transformation of the planet and its people, or at worst total calamity, such as the Earth colliding with a passing asteroid or black hole.

Mayan Calendar Fragment from Second Century CE

Scientists generally consider these New Age concepts to be junk pseudoscience. We'll know for sure one year from today. You might want to hold off buying Christmas presents next year.

Look Sharp! Feel Sharp! Be Sharp! When Rock N' Roll and Parrots Collide: Gillette's Singing Parrot Sharpie

We vaguely remember growing up with television during the 1950s and 1960s. We have very fuzzy memories of commercials on the television of that era. Doctors hawking cigarettes. Brylcreem. Maxwell House Coffee. The one brand we distinctly remember is Burma Shave, probably because of the Burma Shave signs along the long lonely Nevada highways of our youth. What we do not remember is Gillette's singing parrot Sharpie, featured on television from 1952 to 1960: Sharpie debuted in 1952 during the very first ever World Series broadcast!

Being the 1950s, Sharpie was a Rock N' Roll pioneer:

Gillette's singing parrot Sharpie was a fixture of boxing and sporting broadcasts until 1960.

Buddy's New Beak: The Technology Revolution: Prosthetic Beaks for Parrots

Buddy's New Beak
Photos Courtesy Betsy Lott, Mollywood Avian Sanctuary

We have been fortunate that none of our parrots have ever lost a beak in an accident or animal attack. Unfortunately we know people with parrots that have lost beaks. It's not a pretty situation. In the past, options for rehabilitation have been limited. But now, with new materials and new reconstructive techniques, we are starting to see prosthetic beaks as a viable alternative.

Twenty-nine year old Umbrella Cockatoo Buddy, Before

Buddy is a twenty-nine year old Umbrella Cockatoo parrot, currently residing at Mollywood Avian Sanctuary in Bellingham, Washington. Buddy lost part of his beak in an attack by another Umbrella Cockatoo. He was bitten in the beak and the growth plate between the nares was forever damaged. At first, Mollywood's Betsy Lott thought it would grow out normally. After some time however, the fissure decayed and a huge chunk fell out. Betsy Lott began to worry what that would mean for Buddy.

After initial reconstruction

Buddy needed a new beak. Since he couldn't grow one, a new beak needed to be constructed for him! The architect of Buddy's new acrylic beak is avian veterinarian Dr. Bridget Ferguson with Animal Health Care Center of Renton, Washington.

Dr. Ferguson used a mold to create Buddy's new beak, described by Betsy Lott as a:


"Kind of a hoaky homemade thing that didn’t exactly go as planned. It was some wax lined drinking cups (overgown Dixie) that we cut and spiraled. The thing sticking up with the blue tip was something we used to keep Buddy's nare open so the compound didn’t fill in. When the mold came off, we were like, 'Uh oh.' Not exactly what we were hoping for but thank god for dremels. We dremeled the holy heck out of it."

The acrylic compound is brand new to the market, produced by Imex Veterinary Products. The acrylic compound was originally used as a fixing agent for setting pins in bones for broken limbs. Most importantly for parrots, the compound is practically odorless, unlike most acrylic compounds on the market. Imagine how the birds must feel waking up to the odor following their procedures! Dr. Ferguson reported that in all the years she’s been doing beak repairs, this was the first time she had a bird wake up without sinus issues or irritation. Betsy Lott of Mollywood Avian Sanctuary pleaded with the president of Imex to let them experiment with the compound on Buddy. Imex agreed to put Buddy in their Beta program. The white acrylic compound used on Buddy is opaque and not conducive to x-rays, so Imex is developing a clear formula for future release. Buddy couldn't wait for the clear acrylic compound to be developed. He needed a functional beak!

According to Betsy Lott, Buddy needed his new beak filled after two and one-half months. Dr. John Berry with Lynden Veterinary Hospital let Betsy use his office in Lynden, Washington. Aided by notes and copious photographs taken from the surgery with Dr. Ferguson, Betsy Lott was assisted by Dr. Berry's licensed veterinary technician Keri Griffith, currently studying dentistry in mammals. Buddy's new acrylic beak required delicate work, sweat, patience, dremels, and hammers. And one gutsy parrot!

Buddy's New Beak

In a future blog post we will investigate the evolving science and engineering behind prosthetic parrot beaks. Stay tuned!

Parrot Soup: Season's Greetings from The Zen Parrot

Parrot Soup: Season's Greetings from The Zen Parrot

by TheZenParrot

The Pirate Parrot Aboo

Work in Progress: Prosthetic Beaks in Parrots

This is a fascinating story that we are working on, and we wanted to put this teaser out to our audience:


Prosthetic beaks in parrots! What to do if your parrot looses all or part of a beak? This is the story about Buddy, a twenty-nine year old Umbrella Cockatoo parrot residing at Mollywood Avian Sanctuary in Bellingham, Washington. Buddy lost part of his beak when he was attacked by another Cockatoo parrot.

Buddy before Reconstruction:

Buddy during Reconstruction:

Buddy, with Avian Veterinarian Dr. Bridget Ferguson, of the Animal Health Care Center of Renton, Washington, who led the reconstruction effort:

Buddy's new beak, after a whole lot of dremeling by Mollywood's
Betsy Lott:

As they say: Stay tuned for the rest of the story!

That is One Big Parrot!

Okay, admit it: Size does matter! So we're having a contest. We're looking for the world's largest companion parrot. We're not talking breeders or one of those nine pound Kakapo parrots that shag inquisitive reporter's heads. We're talking pet parrots. Companion parrots. And we're talking size as measured by verified weight.


Here's our submission: Princess Tara is our Hyacinth macaw parrot, and our third parrot, weighing in at 3.5 pounds (1,588 grams). As far as we can tell, she's the largest parrot in Seattle. And she's a real princess: Her parents are a Duke and a Duchess! But even at 3.5 pounds she's not the largest parrot in Washington state.

We know of two parrots reported to weigh 3.8 pounds: A Scarlet macaw in Shoreline, just north of Seattle; and a Greenwing macaw named Chevy in Graham, south of Seattle.

Greenwing macaw named Chevy belonging to Sonya Brewer of Graham, Washington, weighing in at 3.8 pounds!

Surely someone somewhere must have a four pound parrot. Five pound parrot? Let's see what other people have in the way of large parrots. Send us digital photos of your parrot, along with a verified weight (usually provided during a vet check). Let's set Christmas Day as the deadline. Submissions will be posted and the winner announced on Boxing Day.


Just FYI: One pound equals 453.6 grams. Gram weight will determine the winner. In the event of a tie, multiple prizes will be awarded.


Here's what the winner will win: We will make up a custom tee-shirt for you (any size) with your parrot's photo featured on the sweatshirt, just like Princess Tara below.

Good Luck!

Willawong Station: Parrots of Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo

One of the largest and least known public collections of free flying parrots on the West Coast is to be found at Willawong Station at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo. The interactive exhibit includes Budgerigar parrots, Cockatiels, and Rosellas in a setting that is designed to mimic the environment of the parrots' native Australia.

Additionally, Willawong Station hosts a colony of a New Zealand oddity, the Kea parrot, considered one of the most intelligent parrots on the planet! This surprisingly large (over two pounds) parrot has an interesting vocalization:

Let us state clearly that we adamantly oppose keeping parrots or any other wild animals in zoos. Parrots are not museum pieces, which is the way most zoos tend to treat parrots, and other wild animals. We support captive breeding for conservation purposes such as underway at the Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation Center in Qatar for the Spix's macaw. The only zoo anywhere in the world currently engaged in a parrot captive breeding program for conservation purposes, as far as we know, is Loro Parque, on Tenerife. Any other parrot exhibit at any other zoo, as far as we are concerned, has zero conservation value!

There is No Such Thing as a Quiet Parrot!

Think you want a parrot? Think you want to buy someone a parrot as a gift? Think again! How would you like to have a rock concert in your house? Might be fun for a special occasion like a birthday. Maybe again for a special holiday. How about today? How about tomorrow? How about the day after that? How about every day? Day after day? A macaw parrot can produce as many decibels as a rock concert!

Still think you want a parrot? Our macaws are louder than your kids! You will have to deal with the noise. Your neighbors will have to deal with the noise as well! Macaws evolved to communicate with each other through miles of rain forest. The walls of your house will not contain the decibel output parrots can produce.

A customary way to compare the intensity of sounds is with a Decibel Comparison Chart. The intensity of sounds is measured in decibels. As a baseline, normal conversational speech typically produces about 60 decibels. A motorcycle produces around 100 decibels. A power saw produces 110 decibels. A rock concert produces up to 115 decibels

 A macaw parrot can produce over 110 decibels!

A pneumatic riveter produces 125 decibels, the level at which ear pain occurs. A jet engine produces 140 decibels. Permanent hearing loss occurs at 180 decibels.

A Moluccan cockatoo can vocalize at 135 decibels! Almost as loud as a jet engine!

Think You Want a Parrot? NorthwestParrots.org by TheParrotCafe

There is No Such Thing as a Quiet Parrot!

Is This a Great Country? Or What?

Is this a great country? Or what?

If this scene was in Libya, we'd be dropping bombs by now. No wait. We did that! When do the bombs start falling on Davis, California?

What the Fuck?

Winter and Birds: Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder

Those of us with backyard bird feeders face the challenge of dealing with hungry squirrels, as well as wild birds. We've worked out a solution that appears to be squirrel proof. This backyard bird feeder has successfully survived ten years of assault by our local squirrels! How did we do it? Well, let us show you:

The pieces are readily available at most superstores such as Fred Meyer. We use a six foot tall Shepherd's Hook, It can have a single hook, or multiple hooks. With more hooks, the more feeders you can hang.

The critical piece of this assembly is an Aluminum Pizza Pan. The pizza pan needs to be a minimum diameter of eighteen (18) inches, although we recommend twenty (20) inches. You may need to go to a restaurant supply store to find a twenty inch pan. The aluminum finish makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for squirrels to grip the surface. A hole needs to be punched in the center large enough to slide onto the shepherd's hook. We simply punched a hole in ours with a large standard screwdriver and hammer.

To hold the pizza pan in place on the shepherd's hook, we use a large three inch Bull Dog Clip. The pizza pan needs to be high enough off the ground to be above squirrel jumping distance. We've found that to be about four and one-half feet.

To ensure that the feeder is in fact squirrel proof, it must be located beyond the horizontal jumping ability of any living squirrel. We have found that placing the shepherd's hook at least six feet from any tree, power line, or roof seems to do the trick.


Once assembled, you will enjoy hours of entertainment watching squirrels attempt to scale the shepherd's hook. Eventually, however, they will give up.


If you want to feed the squirrels, well that's your choice. We prefer to focus on the birds. The squirrels sit under the feeder and feast on the debris.