Chester: Parrots will NOT be banned in CT town (and neither will chickens)

On January 19, George Sommers’ From the Parrot’s Beak reported:

Chester CT. parrots (and chickens) can stay: UPDATE: Last week’s column reported on a Chester CT man’s petition to ban “noisy fowl”, aimed at chickens but including parrots from the town.From Sally Murray, Town Secretary: “The scheduled public hearing of the Chester Planning & Zoning Commission for Monday, February 4, 2013, at Valley Regional High School in Deep River to hear the Petition submitted by John S. and Bonnie B. Bennet to amend the Town of Chester Zoning Regulations Section: Definitions, ‘Livestock’ and Section 40R, Animals, has been CANCELED due to the fact the petitioners have withdrawn their petition.” Thanks to Dr. Amy Hopkins of Connecticut’s The Parrot Club.

Take Part in the World Parrot Count 2013

Courtesy of CityParrots.org:

Who is planning a “world parrot count” and why?

The “extra-tropical“ department of the parrot researchers group of the International Ornithological Union (IOU) with Roelant Jonker (City Parrots & CML Leiden University) and Michael Braun (Heidelberg University) organize the global parrot count. The main focus of the study are neozoon parrots, meaning parrots which have been introduced by man to locations they are not native to. Read more…

NYS Assembly Member sponsors Monk Parakeet Protection Act

Barry Schwartz reports:

NYS Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal of Manhattan has stepped up once again and has become the long-awaited Assembly sponsor of the proposed Monk Parakeet Protection Act. This is now Bill No. A08526, as the NYS Senate counterpart is S01246, which has been sponsored for several months now by NYS Senator Joe Addabbo.

Feathered Friends and Macy’s Team Up

Just in from Barry & Gayle Schwartz of Feathered Friends Parrot Adoption Services:

Feathered Friends is pleased to announce that we are participating in the Macy’s Shop for a Cause event, which brings you shopping discounts at Macy’s on Saturday, August 27th, and helps us to raise funds for Feathered Friends Parrot Adoption Services, Inc.

The tickets are only $5.00 and you will receive 25% off all day on regular, sale, and clearance items, including home—even on most brands usually excluded! You will also save 10% on most electrics/electronics, furniture, mattresses, and rugs/floor coverings.

Please contact us via email right away for your savings pass—please send us $5.00 (check, money order, or cash if picking up in person), and we’ll send you the savings pass. If requesting by mail, send to Feathered Friends P.A.S., Inc., PO Box 780344, Maspeth, NY 11378-0344

PLEASE HELP US TO RAISE MUCH-NEEDED FUNDS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH“

And don’t forget to say you saw it on the Wild Parrots of New York Blog. Thanks!

A Step Closer to Legalization in New Hampshire

On May 9th, George Sommers reported in the Boston edition of  The Examiner:

“Quaker parrots may become legal to own in NH, pending the signature of Gov. John Lynchon a biil just passed by the state senate. They had been officially and legally banned for years but many pet stores and parrot owners unwittingly violated the obscure law. A phone inquiry by a well meaning NH Quaker owner stirred up a legal tempest.”

New Hampshire Ruling Ties to Issue of “Feral” Parrots

This week’s Examiner post from George Sommers:

Good or bad news for New Hampshire Quaker parrots, depending on your perspective. On Tuesday, 3/22, the NH House of Reps. Fish & Game Committee voted 12-1 in favor of  “grandfathering” current Quaker owners; but no more selling, breeding or bringing the birds into the state. This bill replaces an outright ban bill, potentially forcing current owners to “rehome” their pets. Quaker ownership is already technically illegal in the Granite State, based on fears that the adaptable birds could go feral as they have elsewhere; potentially harmng crops and electrical wires (where they sometimes build nests) and/or native wildlife. The current law has been seldom, if ever enforced. Many NH pet stores openly sold Quakers – until a recent phone inquiry. Despite the less-than-satisfactory outcome for parrot lovers, Rep. Jeanine Notter and others vow to press on for full legality. For further info…

Red Headed Parrot Flock Sighted in Middle Village, NY

Stella & James report:

We were taking our daily exercise at Juniper Park in Middle Village (Queens), NY when we saw a flock of these colorful parrots perched on a tree.   They were singing and enjoying the sunny day!

Here’s a picture we took before they flew away.

I Saw Wild Parrotts in New York City Kid’s App!

StoryChimes iPhone/iPad App now available for download!

iPad App Review

-The iPad has quickly become my favorite way to read books and I have an affinity for kids books, probably due to the fact I am a father. The iPad app “I Saw Wild Parrots in New York City! StoryChimes by Sienna Entertainment & Wiggles Press is a fun, interesting, graphically pleasant kid’s app. This iPad book is a story about yes, you guessed it wild parrots loose in New York City. Having recently visited New York city for the first time I can ensure you I did not see any wild parrots while there. I saw some wild things, wild people, maybe even a few wild flowers, but no wild parrots. The story is whimsical, original art work graphics are excellent and the user interface is easy to figure out. All the necessary navigational tabs come from the bottom of the app and there is an information icon int the upper right that will pull up the options. The information icon is available throughout the story, but the main navigation bar disappears once the user starts the story. I Saw Wild Parrots in New York City! StoryChimes is a great book for kids, especially kids just learning to read.

Article courtesy of CrazyMikesApps

This wonderful book was written by a constant contributor to this blog, George Sommers and contains a review from yours truly. ;^}

Wild Parrot Legislation Update

NYS Assembly Member Rosenthal has now introduced the legislation into the State Assembly on 1/11/11. The bill numbers in the Assembly are:

A01767 Relates to the sale of birds by pet dealers (and referred to the Assembly Agriculture Committee)
A01718 Makes Monk (Quaker) parakeets protected birds (referred to the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee)

So, as you are doing with the letters to the State Senate, please do so now to your local State Assembly member, with copies to Assembly Members Rosenthal, Magee, and Sweeney (not to Pheffer for now).

We have been asked, who do we write to?

Write a friendly letter of support for now to:

NY State Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., 159-53 102nd Street, Howard Beach, NY 11414.
Also, write to your local NY State Senator, whomever that may be.

As of today, the new Chairs of the State Senate Agriculture and Environmental Conservation Committees have not yet been named. Once they’ve been named, we will let you know.

As far as the State Assembly is concerned, please write a friendly and supportive letter to:
Hon. Linda B. Rosenthal, 230 West 72nd St., 2nd Fl., Suite 2F, New York, NY 10023, and ask her to reintroduce and support A7688A (Makes Monk Parakeets protected birds) and A7694C (the sale of birds in pet shops).

You should send copies of the letter you send to Assembly Member Rosenthal to:
Hon. William Magee, Chair NYS Assembly Agriculture Committee, 214 Farrier Ave., Oneida, NY 13421
Hon. Audrey Pheffer, Chair, Assembly Consumer Affairs Comm., 108-14 Crossbay Blvd., Ozone Park, NY 11417
Hon. Robert Sweeney, Chair, Assembly Environmental Conservation Comm., 640 West Montauk Hwy., Lindenhurst, NY 11757-3708.

Passage of this legislation in the State Senate and Assembly is dependent on public support. Please, take a just a few moments to write some letters. It does make a difference if our elected officials receive correspondence regarding these bills.

The Story of the Amazing Alex

Yes, yes, this blog is dedicated to Wild Parrots, but Irene Pepperberg and her amazing African Gray gave us much of what we know today about the extraordinary intelligence level of parrots (something every parrot owner already knew by the way). Be sure to check it out, the program airs February 9th on PBS!

“An unlikely scientific team, Irene Pepperberg and her talking parrot, Alex, revolutionized scientists’ ideas about animal communication and intelligence. Yet even after Alex’s premature death, Pepperberg still struggles to convince some critics that Alex’s accomplishments—counting, reasoning, identifying shapes and colors—are more than mere party tricks. (In this photo, Pepperberg poses with a new study subject named Griffin.)”

Photo & Caption courtesy of PBS.org