Exotic Birds I Dr. N. Matthew Ellinwood, D.V.M., Ph.D. March 7, 2012 I OWA S TATE U NIVERSITY C OLLEGE OF A GRICULTURE AND L IFE S CIENCES

Companion Animal Birds Diverse group Recent and incomplete domestication Populations established from released birds –Quaker or Monk Parakeets San Francisco Miami

Species Types Passerine birds –Passeriformes Gallinaceous fowl Anseriformes –Ducks and Geese Rattites –Emu and Ostrich Psittacines

Psittacine Introduction Bill Upright Legs Zygodactyly Seeds, nuts, fruit, insects, small animals, sheep Sexually Monomorphic –Minimally sexually dimorphic –DNA Sex testing Psittacineformes: 3 families: 90 genra: 370 species

Psittacine Systematics Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Psittaciformes –Family: Cacatuidae (Cockatoos) –Family Psittacidae (True Parrots INCLUDING LORIES AND LORIKEETS) –Family Strigopidae (New Zealand Parrots) 4 sps, not companion animals, incld raptor like, and ground dwelling birds

New World Psittacines Macaws –Hyacinth –Military –Blue and Gold –Scarlet

Macaws Long lived (100 years) South American Large Companionable and demanding

Anodorhynchus –Genus of large macaws Hyacinth Macaw –Longest of the macaws Also the much rarer but similar indigo macaw –AKA Lear’s Macaw

Ara Genus of Parrots Additional group of large macaws 8 surviving species and one extinct –Cuban red macaw

Blue and Yellow Macaw

Blue Throated Macaw Critically endangered Easily kept

Miltary Macaw

Great green Macaw –Larger than military

Scarlet Macaw

Red and green Macaw AKA Green winged Macaw

Red fronted macaw

Chestnut fronted macaw

Exotic Birds (The Amazons)

Genus Amazona Medium sized New world South America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean

Amazona Family: Psittacidae Subfamily: Psittacinae –True parrots (including lories, lorikeets, and excluding cockatoos) Tribe: Arini –Neotropical parrots Genus: Amazona

Amazons Large to medium/small Short bodied Short tailed Mexico to South America Primarily green Named for –Location, eponyms, colors Nuts, seeds, and fruits Talkes Companions Endangered (captive bred)

Yellow Headed Amazon Mexico and C Am. Mangroves and forests near water Endangered Excellent talker –Second to African Grey

Yellow-naped Amazon Pacific coast, Mexico to Costa Rica Yellow crowned subspecies Playful Talkative Nest protective –Males esp Blue variant

Orange-winged Amazon Large South American, Columbia to Trinidad and Tobago (Caribbean islands) south to Peru Agriculture pest and pet trade

South American Large Among more common Variably as talkative as Yellow headed Singers. Blue Fronted Amazon

Yellow faced Parrot Mountains of Brazil and Bolivia Previously an Amazon Now a short tailed parrot In the monotypic genus: –Alipiopsitta

Cockatoos family Cacatuidae 21 species Australasia –Philippines, Indonesian island, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Australia. Cockatoo (Malay via Dutch) –parrot, or older sister, grip, call

Cockatoos Physical characteristics –Movable head crest –Carotid anatomy –Skull anatomy –A gall bladder –No Dyck texture feathers

Cockatoos Systematics in a state of flux –21 species in 7 genera 3 Proposed subfamilies Subfamily Microglossinae –Singleton species, Palm Cockatoo Subfamily Calyptorhynchinae: dark cockatoos Subfamily Cacatuinae: white cockatoos

Cockatoos Affectionate and interactive Captive bred Long lived and demanding Tend to be less vocal Not to be recommended for junior or inexperienced owners –Exception is the cockatiel (smallest cockatoo species)

Budgerigar Small Relatively short lived Less demanding Best starter bird Wild type coloring shown Not a cockatoo family member, but from Australia

Cockatiels Excellent intermediate companion bird Interactive and affectionate without significant problems Moderately long lived –15-20 years Many color variations –Wild type shown

Large Cockatoos Bond Strongly with Owner Easily bored –Stereotypes, destructive, raucous behavior –Long lived ( years) Only for the most expert bird keeper and enthusiast

Major Mitchells Cockatoo

White Cockatoo AKA Umbrella Cockatoo Very affectionate Kept since Tang Dynasty – ~ CE Gift to HRE Fredrick II Cuddling predilection Velcro birds

Salmon Crested Cockatoo AKA Moloccan Cockatoo Threatened Illegal to import Among most demanding Performers at animal shows

Aviculture Wild breeding patterns –Monogamous –Cavity nesters –Hand rearing

Cockatoos Intermediate Pet Cockatoos Galahs Goffin’s –AKA Tanimbar Corella

Miscellanea Endangered or threatened status Pest Status Social nature –Flock behavior Musical responses

New world Parrots Non-Macaw, non-Amazon Pionus –New world, smaller, less active, demanding, and vocal then Amazons –Short, stocky, squared tailed bare eye ring

Caiques Family: Psittacidae Subfamily: Psittacinae Tribe: Arini Genus: Pionites Black headed White bellied

Caiques Activity –Walking/climbing verusus flying –“Surfing” –“Relatively” quieter –Poor talkers –Not a beginning bird

Conures Small South American psittacines Long tailed Once designated a genus Current systemics –Conures are members of up to 10 genera Term being replaced by parakeet in ornithological community Fancy aviculture term persists

Quaker or Monk Parakeet

Sun Conure AKA Sun Parakeet

Carolina Parakeet

Dusky-headed Conure

Half Moon Conure (Orange-fronted Parakeet) Non-native colony in Long Beach

African Psittacines African Grey Congo (larger, greyer, cherry red) Timneh (small, darker, maroon tail)

Intelligence Brain to body size in some psittacines and corvidae approach humans Brain usage (small cerebral cortex) May use different part Require stimulation as young to prevent stereotypes

Alex and N’kisi N’kisi –950 word vocabulary –Grasp of grammar (makes up verb forms) –Creates phrases –Not academically assessed Alex/Irene Pepperberg –50 object name recognition –Number to six, seven colors, and concepts (bigger, smaller, same, different, over, under) –Language, 150 words, pronouns (I and you) –Sarcasm/boredom

Love Birds Genus Agapornis 9 species Africa/Madagascar Pair bonding, affectionate nature Pairs

Misc Short Tailed African Parrots Poicephalus –Senegal Parrot –Meyer's Parrot –Jardine's Parrot –Brown-headed Parrot

Passerines Common Hill Myna –(Myna – any Indian bird of the Starling family) Omnivorous Native to Southeast Asia 1990’s 20,000 in trade/yr Captive bred/imported Not endangered Popularity

Finches Zebra –Australian –Research, neural basis of learning Gouldian Finches –Australian (pot 100,000 pets) –Color variants in fancy

Canaries Finch song bird from Madeira, Azores, Canaries Bred, since 1600’s for –Type –Color –Song (Harz Roller) Research model of neurogenesis