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Bird of the Month
by Jessika
What gender is the bird: Male
What species is he: Congo African Grey
How old is he: 14 weeks
How did you get him: From a breeder a few towns over at 8 weeks.
What's the silliest thing he's ever done: He will drag his cuddle towell to us to spread out on our chest and he flies up and lays there for us to wrap him.
What's the scariest situation he's ever been in: I was getting him out of his cage and he flew for the first time into the big bird room with all the BIG birds. I was afraid he would land on one of their cages and they'd bite his feet.
What kinds of foods does he like: He Loves fruity cheerios, sunflower seeds, noodles and corn.
Describe him in one word: Loving
Click here to
read the entire interview.
Member of the Month
by Meghan
Name: Len Charnoff
Username: GrayGeek
How many birds, and what are they: 1, 11 year old male M2
Any other pets: 7 year old female samoyed, 11 year old female blue merle aussie, 13 year old female calico cat
What got you into birds: My wife started thinking about a bird when she was an attendee at a writer's conference. A friend had a cockatiel who whistled with the radio each morning. We both researched a companion parrot but I picked out Tango over a G2
Do you plan on getting any more birds in the future: I doubt it, but sometimes fantasize about an aviary with a Palm Cockatoo and a Hyacinth Macaw
Do you have a dream bird: Moluccan Cockatoo
If so what is it, and why did you pick it: Tango outsmarts me almost every day.
Favorite Movie(s): Dances With Wolves, Bourne Identity
Favorite music artist(s): George Gershwinn, Fort Minor, Spyro Gyra
Click here to
read the entire interview.
Hot Buy
by Jessika
Brainiac Block is a foraging toy for your parrot. You simply insert their favorite toy or treat, sit back and watch them have fun! It comes in two sizes. Priced at $15.50 for the regular size, it's a bargain, and it looks like a lot of fun!
Check out the product.
XO Parrots Award
by Meghan
This months XO Parrots Award goes to Patagonian Conure. This website was handpicked by the award manager, a direct quote about the site can be found below.
"All the information you need to know about Patagonian Conures."-Meghan
Check out this awesome website!
XO Parrots Book Club
by Liz
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Barnes & Noble Review
Stephenie Meyer's thrilling debut novel is a love story with a bite. In this suspenseful and sensual tale, 17-year-old Isabella moves to a small town in Washington State and gets more excitement than she bargained for when she falls for an enigmatic classmate -- who happens to be a vampire. Filled with fantastic mystery and romance, it's a heart-stopping novel that captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires.
Liz's Review
"A+ series for teens and adults alike. You can't get enough of this story. Check it out!"
Buy it Today!
Recipe Highlight
by Isaac Miller
Pizza Cake posted by Liz.
This week I am featuring one of our older recipes that I personally tested and wholeheartedly approve of. This is the best pizza alternative you could possibly try. The love of my life and admin of this forum Liz is the greatest cook when she tries and this recipes shines with creativity. She really makes some good stuff and knows how to remember to record it. Try it out and good luck.
Check out the recipe.
Arcade Overview
by Sandy
For those who have yet to visit the arcade, the arcade is a great place to have some fun. You don’t even have to be great at games just have fun. The Arcade includes a selection of over 180 games, and daily tournaments. Here are just a few games chosen from the arcade.
This week’s games include: Tontie; Sandwich Stacker; & Puzzle Express.
Tontie: In this game you use the numbers on your keyboard. Each pad has a number that corresponds to the number on the keyboard. Use your mallet to hit the Red, Green, and Yellow one eyed guys. Don't forget to collect the coins and life hearts that are left behind. Make sure to to hit the right number also when a one eyed guy comes up or you'll lose a piece of your life heart. Collect coins to buy pieces of life hearts or a bigger better mallet. When a store comes up just hit it with your mallet and you can go buy whatever you need at the time. This game gets progessivly harder with each level, which makes it a fun challanging game.
Sandwich Stacker: In Sandwich Stacker, 625, from Lilo and Stitch, loves Sandwiches. He holds a plate which you make move back and forth by using the arrow keys. The higher you stack your sandwich with ingredients the more points you get. The toaster will pop out a slice of bread. When you catch the bread your sandwich is finished and you get awarded points accoreding to how high you stacked your sandwich and you start a new one. But watch out for the green meat and stinky smelly rotten cheese. The lettuce can be limpy and gross and even the condiments can go rotten. Be sure not to catch any of the gone-bad items or your sandwich making days will soon be over.
Puzzle Express: Puzzle Express is a lot like Tetris only the shapes come down a conveyer belt which you right click on with the mouse. You load the shapes onto railroad cars. You can change the direction of the shapes using the space bar. You have a limited time to work with and be careful not to let the shapes back up on the belt or the game will be over. Fill up the cars and you move on to the next level.
That concludes this week’s Arcade Review!
Site Updates
by M2Jackie
Jackie has prepared a thread filled with our site updates. You can check it out here.
Rainbow Bridge Obituaries
by Shea
Gypsy Rose- Member Tiffany lost her young puppy Gypsy Rose to an unknown cause. Gypsy Rose will be forever missed by those that new her.
Two Little Puppies- Moderator Sandy lost two of her dachshund puppies to the “Fading Puppy Syndrome”. The two of them will remembered by all.
Alex the African Grey- A big figure in the bird world crossed the Rainbow Bridge this month. Alex the African Grey, owned by Irene Pepperberg, passed of unknown causes. The bird world will always remember Alex.
Blue- Member Rachel lost her young kitten to seizures. Blue’s suffering is over and she will be greatly missed.
At this time, we would also like to pay our greatest respects to two people who have also passed on. Barbara, a friend of Jackie's from her bird club. Also Joe's brother, Nathan. They will always be remembered and forever missed by their loved ones. May you rest in peaceful slumber.
All of the loved ones we have lost will always be remember. May they rest peacefully.
Bird Profile
by Liz
This month's Bird Profile is the Nanday Conure. Check out this month's Bird Profile here.
New Arrival's
by Jessika
Nancy - Nancy got herself a beautiful new linnie who she's named Parsley. Parsley is a total cutey and is settling in to her new home very nicely. We love seeing new pics of her.
Shea - Shea picked up a cute new rattie. Luna Lovebug is one of the most adorable rats I've ever seen and as soon as her quarantine is over, we'll get pics of her two ratties meeting!
Isabelle - Isabelle's bearded dragon eggs have hatched and we have gorgeous little beardie babies!
Cindy - Cindy got four new budgies this month; two for herself, Sunny and Lemony Snicket, and two for her daughter (QuakerGirl), Summer and Winter. They're all beautiful birds, and we look forward to seeing more pics of them in the future.
CrazyBird - Tiffany's finally got her very own Amazon who she named Sota (as in Sarasota).
Ladyscroller - Linda picked up a gorgeous little lovebird named Bonkers at a bird auction, he's seven months old, and he's a beauty.
Short Story
by Shea
Read it here.
Private Group Overview
by Liz
Tutoring Club - Tutoring Club has gotten off to a fantastic start! Tutoring Club is all about helping out our members who are currently enrolled in school. Subjects have included Elementary English, US Government, 8th grade Spanish, and 9th grade French.
Awesome Month
by Hbsgarden
This awesome month, we came to the end of a very special journey. We almost held our breath as this journey took us from a very tragic beginning, to it's wonderful, joyous end!
Those of you who have not read the thread by Tiffany (Crazy Bird) about the two injured doves she rescued, please do so! You will be glad you did! We cried and laughed, felt dispair and then excitement, as Tiffany kept us updated on the progress of Easy & Dummy! ( you have to read the thread to understand the significance of the names!) She took us through every heartwrenching emotion as she nursed these two precious lives back to health. We wished we could have been there as Easy took his beautiful flight back to freedom once again! And our hearts are still with little Dummy, who Tiffany has placed in a wonderful rescue, where she can live out her life in a caring environment.
We are proud and thankful that this wonderful lady is a part of our XO Parrot Famly. She went above and beyond in rescuing these two sweet doves, and shared it all with us! We are so very happy that Tiffany has been rewarded with the love of a beautiful new Fid, Sota, an awesome Amazon!
-Heidy Clark
XO Potty Training Group
by Jackie
"For everyone, the key is to know when your bird goes and be proactive. If it's usually every 20 minutes, pick the bird up from where he/she is located and take him to the approved location and give the command. 9 times out of 10, you WILL get results. Again...the key is being proactive and KNOWING your bird. You will see precursors to the actual deed. In some cases, it's fluffing their feathers, in others it's nipping, some backing up their rear or wagging the tail feathers. Knowing what your bird does to indicate the need to poop will be a huge indicator for success. Like I said before, poop training is for YOU more than the bird!"-Jackie
Get More Tips.
Health Talk
by PinkDagger
What's Cookin'? TEFLON TOXICOSIS
The truth is what may be cooking is a set of deadly fumes that can cause your companions pain, harm, and even death. Households very commonly contain at least one, but usually multiple, cookware fully equipped with the miracle of non-stick coating. While it sure is a miracle in terms of cooking, it could be a death sentence to all living things in the house. This warning is, and should be, heeded by all parrot owners as what is often known as the "Teflon warning", simply because Teflon is the most popular brand name of non-stick cookware.
To get scientific, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a coating that is used on many household appliances, and most commonly on cookware, that releases an incredibly harmful gas that damage all animal lungs, including human lungs, when heated and having gone through the process known as 'pyrolysis', and has been found to cause defects in unborn babies when breathed in by pregnant women. The largest concern in keeping parrots in the same house as overheated PTFE is that it moves by air which, obviously, we cannot isolate in one room. As PTFE heats, it begins to break down, releasing many harmful pollutants into the air that any living creatures' lungs are not made to inhale. In a study conducted by DuPont, "at 680°F Teflon pans release at least six toxic gases, including two carcinogens, two global pollutants, and MFA, a chemical lethal to humans at low doses" (The Good Human). Carcinogens are basically cancer-causing substances, and considering the danger PTFE is to humans, how bad is it really for our birds? Birds have a very different way of breathing, efficient enough to accommodate breathing while flying long distances for long periods of time as they normally forage in the wild. Their lungs are sensitive and do not process foreign substances in the air the way our lungs do. Plain and simple, when non-stick appliances overheat, the PTFE causes a bird's lungs to hemorrhage and fill with fluid and birds wind up suffocating in a matter of ten to twenty minutes. It is neither quick nor painless. And as harmful as it is to humans, unborn babies, and birds, it is to cats, dogs, rodents, ferrets, rabbits, any other pets in the house. Even with that study, the truth is that before 500°F, birds are already at high risk and some already requiring emergency vet intervention and, obviously, very fresh air.
Also, do not think you are safe for simply ditching non-stick cookware, or just because you may "lessen" your use of PTFE coated cookware, it does not mean you or your pets are safe. Even when in use and not overheated, it is still very likely that small fumes are being emitted and harm is still being done. PTFE is everywhere in our modern day appliances! Irons, ironing board covers, space heaters, tapes, threads, cords, wires, waffle irons, bread machines, curling irons, stain repellant on furniture and/or fabrics, blow dryers, grills, microwave popcorn bags, etc. The list is neverending! Not all are as harmful as the others, but by acknowledging that many appliances we use everyday in our homes has that risk, one knows to be safer than sorry and to keep a close, watchful eye on anything that may cause that sort of devastation. Birds have even been known to drop dead after being allowed access to furniture coated in stain repellant, such as the popular brands "Stainmaster" or "Scotchguard".
The obvious safest bet is to eliminate non-stick cookware from the home and invest in stainless steel cookware, which may take a couple minutes longer to scrub clean, but it could be life saving. If it is really that much of a hassle, use a little more oil pre-cooking to avoid the mess afterward! Must Read: http://www.ewg.org/reports/toxicteflon/
Hey Everyone,
It's October and it's African Grey month!!! Check out the blinkies above and put them everywhere! October means candy, and it's almost time for Halloween! With plenty of Halloween threads and posts, we're all getting into the spirit on XO Parrots!
We've had a few step downs and a few promotions, a lot of new stuff going on on the boards. We've also just opened XO Reptiles! http://www.xoreptiles.com/ check it out! We're in the process of opening up an Aquarium forum, so look out for that. Don't foget about XO Critters http://www.xocritters.com/!
I also want to say congrats to Jessika for becoming our new site admin, she's doing a lot of hard work on the board! Thank you Jessika, you're a big help.
Liz
Administrator
XO Parrots
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