Macaws:
Red Shouldered (Hahn's) Macaw
Severe Macaw
Blue And Gold Macaw
Blue Throated Macaw
Military Macaw
Red Fronted Macaw
Scarlet Macaw
Green Winged Macaw
Hyacinth Macaw
Evolution of Flight - A comparison of the development of flight in flying organisms and aviation technology
On Tuesday March 20th, Professor Truman and his Teaching Assistant Kili presented a lecture about the Evolution of Flight at NYU. They brought me along to help illustrate the information they were presenting. The class they were presenting to is about the History of Aviation and Aviation Technology so it was a fairly relevant comparison to look at not only how aviation technology evolves with time but also how flight evolves in the natural world. The lecture covers the step from no flight to flight and then draws coincidental parallels between natural avian structures and human designed airplanes.
I'm not going to write out the details of the presentation as I have a video of the actual live event. I think this lecture can be of interest to bird lovers as well as airplane enthusiasts and aviators. Throughout the video are moments of the parrots flying around and performing tricks so check it out:
Here are the power point slides from the lecture in the video above.
"If Truman were intelligently designed, he'd have hands so he could write books on the fly!"
Finally it is time to reveal the correct answers for the Trained Parrot Quiz. Lots of people participated with great enthusiasm. Winners will be announced a bit later on the Trained Parrot Facebook Page so check back throughout the day to find out if you won. Meanwhile, here are the correct answers to the quiz and explanation/source. You can find out how you personally scored and what answers you picked by logging in below with the name/email you submitted the quiz with:
Check out the awesome prize package for winner(s):
Includes Parrot Wizard clicker, target stick, popsicle sticks, star, clothes pin, birdie bagel, Indonesian Palm Cockatoo coin (as seen on Asia trip article), autographed Kili & Truman picture, free worldwide shipping.
For those who didn't win, there will be a chance to buy clickers and a special gift version of the Palm Cockatoo coin down the road. However, I'm sold out of clickers at the moment so it's an especially special prize at the moment. Until I get my new supply in, the only other way to get one is with a Parrot Training Perch Kit. Keep checking back throughout the course of the day to find out who the winners are!
I made some graphs charting scores not only to help people asses how they performed but also to demonstrate what a fair contest it was! I purposefully made some questions more difficult with the intent of narrowing down the winners. Even some of my friends couldn't do better than an 8 or 9. The average score is around 5. So any score 7 or above is quite outstanding. The 5 minute allotted time seems fair as most participants were able to complete the quiz in time. This was to prevent people from looking up all the answers and giving a disadvantage to those who actually know their stuff. Likewise only the first quiz attempt was counted.
The graph above shows how many people answered correctly on each question. It looks like most people got questions 1, 3, and 4 correct. I'm glad to see that most people figured out that Truman is a Cape Parrot. After all, it says that in his profile box on every page of this site! I am actually very surprised that so many people got question 2 wrong. More people thought that positive reinforcement applies to cognitive learning rather than operant. I realize that not everyone has a background in psychology but I have thrown the term around here and there in my blog and on the parrot forum. Here's an article that mentions and defines operant conditioning.
The question that the most people got wrong was question 7 asking about my first parrot. I realize that Spock was rarely mentioned and this question was to benefit those who have really been paying attention to my blog and checked out my bio page. I don't know how some people voted that Truman or Duke were my first parrots though because they clearly both came after Kili. Question 8 turned out harder than I thought. I understand the terms can be a bit confusing but by reasonable process of elimination it should come down to Psittaciformes and Psittacidae. Aves are all birds and Poicephalus is just one genus of parrots. Psittaciformes include all parrots and Cockatoos while Psittacidae are all the parrots excluding Cockatoos and New Zealand parrots. A bit tricky and how it was meant to be. I'm a bit disappointed people didn't perform better on question 6. Although nearly noone doubted parrots' intelligence, many thought Hookbills or Zygodactyl Feet were uncharacteristic of parrots. Actually these are the two defining characteristics of parrots. They all have beaks that bend downward and untypical feet where two toes face forward and two face back (most birds have 3 forward).
Just two people scored 10 out of 10 so I'm going to send the full prize to each of them. Since so many of you participated I decided to make one more "honorable mention" prize (picture and coin) for a random winner of the next scoring category (9/10). And the winners are: Nancyjane Bailey, TPishek, and honorable mention to Carl-Michael Lofving! I congratulate the winners and all participants for giving the quiz a shot and for following my parrot endeavors. Thanks again!
Parrot Quiz Answers
1) _________ refers to the process of making a parrot at ease around humans: A. Training B. Toweling C. Taming D. Flooding Source: Taming
6) Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of all parrots: A. Zygodactyl Feet B. Hookbill C. Intelligence D. Colorful Plumage Hookbill and Zygodactyl feet are defining characteristics of parrots. Intelligence is typical of parrots where even a Budgerigar is quite smart compared to other birds. Yet you can have really uncolorful parrots such as a male Eclectus, Monk Parakeet, or Orange Chinned Parakeet
8) Which of the following classifications includes all parrots except cockatoos? A. Psittacidae B. Aves C. Psittaciformes D. Poicephalus Aves include all birds, Psittaciformes include all parrot and cockatoos, Poicephalus is just a genus of African Parrots, Psittacidae include all true parrots but not Cockatoos or Strigopidae which are the parrots of New Zealand.
10) What is the natural habitat of Senegal Parrots? A. Tropical Rainforest B. Woodland Savannah C. Jungle D. Desert Source: Wild Senegal Parrots of West Africa
Over the last few weeks I have been traveling the depths of South East Asia. My trip began in Manila, Philippines then continued to Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei Darussalam. The trip continued on the island of Borneo to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. This was not the only part of Malaysia as I went to Kuala Lumpur. Upon leaving Malaysia, I flew to Jakarta, Indonesia. By bus and train continued to Yogyakarta and then flew to Denpasar in Bali. From Denpasar to Dili, East Timor, around the island, and then finally back home. I would like to share some of the parrot themed highlights with you.
Zoobic Park - Philippines
I got to experience a fair amount of parroting during my trip but unfortunately none of the wild variety. In Zoobic Park in the Philippines I saw a Blue Naped Parrot native to the region. I did not waste time photographing the Sun Parakeet, Grey Parrot, White Cockatoo, nor Alexandrine Parakeet as they are non-native to the region and common in captivity. Passing through the outdoor mini-theater, I saw the zoo's parrot trainers rehearsing some tricks with their parrots.
Out of nowhere, a man approached asking to take a picture with me. Before I could even process the question his friend already snapped a photo of us. I asked if he knows who I am to which he smiled and said, "yes, of course!" They welcomed me on the stage and I posed for a photo with their White Cockatoo. What a wonderful bird. Not only did he step up, but just melted away in my hands as I stroked his feathers and hugged him. It's always fun to bump into my fans in person and find out what they've learned from my videos.
Trained Parrot Fans in Philippines
Subic Ocean Adventure - Philippines
I watched a Sea Lion show at the Subic Ocean Adventure. It was a pretty generic show where the Sea Lions wave their flippers and perform headstands. What I enjoyed watching more so than the show was the trainers at work. They actually both held clickers in their hands and the sound of the music did a poor job concealing them. I doubt anyone else noticed. I just wanted to post a video of this smart Sea Lion vs Stupid Human for your entertainment. But also as parrot trainers, watch it again while paying attention to the cues, behaviors, bridges, and rewards.
Kuala Lumpur Bird Park
In Kuala Lumpur, I was surprised to walk into a Blue and Yellow Macaw perched outside the Kuala Lumpur TV Tower. With a "hello" it welcomed me into the small zoo behind the door. The mini-zoo housed several species of parrots, rodents, and other small local animals. They offered several parrots to hold for photo posing. Some tourists wanted to hold a Green Wing Macaw but were scared. Seeing how friendly it was, I got it up on my arm and stroked his head. It is always such a pleasure to come across such friendly well socialized birds. At fist sight their parrots may have appeared to be flighted as their primaries were intact. However, upon stretching their wings you could see how brutally clipped they were on all feathers behind the first few primaries.
The avian highlight of Kuala Lumpur is the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park. It is the worlds largest bird aviary housing over 150 species. It is split into several enormous walk in aviaries with nets hung from tall posts. Once inside you nearly feel like you are witnessing the birds in the wild because of its enormous size and landscapes. Some birds are housed in smaller metal aviaries inside the larger open aviaries.
Upon entering the series of aviaries, the very first exhibit is a mixture of small parrots and parakeets. Ring Necked Parakeets and Monk Parakeets fly around while behind a divider Sun Parakeets, Green Cheeked Parakeets, Rosellas, and Cockatiels reside. It seems that there is no regard for taxonomy or geographic distribution when exhibiting parrots. Small and colorful ones are housed with other small and colorful ones even though their natural habitats may be continents apart.
A separate aviary within the confines of the greater aviary houses the "World of Parrots" exhibit. Several species of Lorikeets roam free in this aviary but maintain their distance from humans. Behind bars in smaller individual aviaries are housed some more "exotic" parrots such as Blue and Yellow Macaws, Scarlet Macaw, Green Winged Macaw, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Grey Parrots, and a Vulturine Parrot. I was really looking forward to seeing unfamiliar parrot species unavailable in captivity but was disappointed to find that all but one species I had previously seen back home. A mere 20 species of parrot were represented. Heck, I was able to count 35 other parrot species that I had seen in bird stores or captivity in the US that the exhibit did not have. I had really been hoping to get to see some parrots of the 330+ species that are not available in the pet trade (especially native ones).
A crazy monkey was running around taunting visitors and ransacking garbage cans for food. But that's not all. It would climb across wires and hop down on top of a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo's cage. The monkey would then climb down the side of the cage and sneak its hand in to steel sunflower seeds from the Cockatoo's food bowl. Amazing how the Cockatoo was nearly as big as the monkey and it would fight back on occasion and give that monkey a good bite on the hand. But the Monkey was very persistent and it wasn't like the Cockatoo was running out of food so it got away with it most of the time. The monkey was not the only animal subsisting off the Cockatoo's rations. While the monkey was laying a diversion near the top, a giant rat hopped into the cage bottom tray and got a mouthful of seeds. It was out as quickly as it came in.
Although common as pets, to this day I have never seen a single Poicephalus parrot represented in a zoo, aviary, or museum. It sure makes owning a Cape Parrot feel exotic when not even a Senegal Parrot is ever displayed.
There was a large booth with a dozen birds on individual perches available for photos. I paid their fee to get to take a picture with two birds. Most available ones were parrots but they also had several raptors and native birds. I was not going to waste time or money taking a photo with a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Grey Parrot, Scarlet Macaw, etc as I could get one at one of my local bird stores any day. Instead I chose to hold a Palm Cockatoo and a Barred Eagle Owl. I had never held an owl before so that was quite exotic, especially because it is a local Asian species you won't find in the US. Although I had the chance to even see a Palm Cockatoo in the United States, I never got to hold one. They sell for somewhere in the range of ten to twenty thousand dollars so store owners are reluctant to let anyone handle those expensive birds. Unlike the cuddly Greenwing and Cockatoo I got to play with before, the Palm Cockatoo was pretty standoffish. Still it would step up and not bite. But it did not want any unnecessary contact beyond that.
Bird World in Jakarta
I visited yet another bird park, this time in Jakarta Indonesia. The park, Taman Mini, is like the Disney World of Indonesia. Inside are exhibited the diverse buildings and cultures of Indonesia. In a far corner of the park is a secluded bird park. Although smaller than the aviaries of the KL-Bird Park, this one was still quite extensive and interesting. Across several dome shaped aviaries, birds of the region were on display. Again, exhibits devoted to parrots mixed them without any regard. A Blue and Yellow Macaw was housed in a tiny cage opposite a Palm Cockatoo. Although the aviaries are large enough to give any bird sufficient flighted exercise, somehow the parrots always end up regarded as house birds belonging in small cages.
Palm Cockatoo Coin
I happen to collect coins when I travel and had a hard time finding Indonesian coins. When I finally got some Indonesian coinage I was shocked to find a parrot on the face of one of the coins. It was a Palm Cockatoo engraved in the face of the 100 Rupi coin with the inscription "Kakatua Raja" which translates to King Cockatoo. This did not make sense to me as these parrots are not found in the parts of Indonesia that I was visiting. However, upon further research I learned that they do live in New Guinea and Indonesia happens to own a sizable chunk. So although the bird is not representative as a common Indonesian bird, the coin demonstrates their pride in at least having one island inhabited by the majestic parrot.
Test your parrot knowledge with this Trained Parrot Quiz! How well do you know my flock? Have you been paying attention to training articles? What do you know about parrots in general? Take this 10 question quiz to find out.
Everyone who achieves the highest score among contestants will be in the drawing for a free parrot training kit including a Parrot Wizard Clicker, Target Stick, autographed Kili & Truman picture, and free shipping in the US or International. The more people that participate the more goodies I'll throw in. Some questions are easy and others are tough. If only one person gets a perfect score (10 out of 10) or scores higher than anyone else, that person wins by default. If there is a tie for perfect score or for the highest score (if no one gets 10), then everyone in the top scoring category will be in the contest for a random of drawing of one winner. The contest winner will be announced on March 15th.
You are allowed to take the quiz as many times as you'd like but only your first score will count toward the contest. Multiple entries are not allowed. You have 5 minutes to answer 10 questions. There is no timer on the screen but entries that take longer than 5 minutes will not count. So don't take too long or keep track of time yourself. Ready, set, go!
Truman is really looking forward to the Superbowl now that he thinks he's a star quarterback. Not only is he good at passing the ball around by flinging it with his beak, he can also hold the ball for kicking a field goal. Check out these photos, cartoon, and video of my Cape Parrot playing with his football!
Then Truman becomes the football himself! He's just about the right size come to think of it. I can play the role of both quaterback and receiver! We started playing a game with Truman where I hold him like a football and throw him and he turns around and comes back to me. Originally this started out as me just trying to get rid of him when he was being annoying not letting me get things done but he'd just turn around and come back to keep bugging me. But then we realized the trick potential and I began encouraging these boomerang flights with treats.
Truman the Cape Parrot lining up to play some football. Set...
...Hut! Truman snaps the football
It's a fumble! Quick, recover the ball!
Ok, let's play it safe and go for the field goal! Cartoon of parrots kicking a field goal.
Trained Parrot is a blog about how to train tricks to all parrots and parakeets. Read about how I teach tricks to Truman the Brown Necked Cape Parrot including flight recall, shake, wave, nod, turn around, fetch, wings, and play dead. Learn how you can train tricks to your Parrot, Parrotlet, Parakeet, Lovebird, Cockatiel, Conure, African Grey, Amazon, Cockatoo or Macaw. This blog is better than books or DVDs because the information is real, live, and completely free of charge. If you want to know how to teach your parrot tricks then you will enjoy this free parrot training tutorial.
Trained Parrot site content Copyright 2010-2020 Michael Sazhin. Reproduction of text, images, or videos without prior permission prohibited. All rights reserved.
"If Truman were intelligently designed, he'd have hands so he could write books on the fly!"
Fossil Cast of Archaeopteryx Lithographica Berlin Specimen demonstrating teeth, bony tail, wing claws, and flight feathers
Fossil Cast of Sparrow Sized Pterodactylus Kochi. It evolved flapping flight similar to birds but with skin membranes instead of feathers.
Truman the Cape Parrot lining up to play some football. Set...
...Hut! Truman snaps the football
It's a fumble! Quick, recover the ball!
Ok, let's play it safe and go for the field goal! Cartoon of parrots kicking a field goal.
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