Page 587 - Hand rearing birds second

588 Hand-Rearing Birds

Table 39.1 Duration of life stage events for White-fronted
and Yellow-headed Amazon Parrots.

Key stages Average­duration

Egg incubation to hatching 26–32 days
Eyes opening 14 days
Fledgling (move to outdoor enclosure) 10 weeks
Weaning 8–24 weeks
Flight aviary 16 weeks
Initial release periods 18–24 months
Breeding age 4 years
Life span 45–60 years

siblings. Chicks fledge at 6–12 weeks (depending on the species) and do not return to the nest
cavity once fledged. Generally, fledglings stay with the parents until the next clutch and all young
will be integrated into the flock and develop a place within its complex social structure. A chick
forages alongside his parents for about 12 months in order to learn the territory and the location
and season of each food source. As the chick matures, it remains within the flock, reinforcing
familiarity with the territory and forging bonds with other members of the flock. These early flock
bonds often result in a life‐pair bond.
Flock language is complex and extensive. Studies show that birds have their own names given to
them by their parents in the nest (Berg et al. 2012). They use the name to identify themselves dur-
ing flight and landing in foraging and roost trees. Communication among the flock includes loca-
tion of food and water, when and likely where to gather for pre‐roost and roosting, and, of course,
predator awareness. Amazons share a common roost site and usually gather at a pre‐roost, appear-
ing from every direction in pairs and small groups. At dusk, they fly as one to the night roost. There
are no noises from the flock arriving at the roost or throughout the night, unless disturbed by
a predator. Most parrots do not defecate during the night as this would alert a predator to the pres-
ence of parrots in the canopy above. Many parrot owners can attest to this “morning poop.” Parrots
do not see well at night and silence is one of their best defenses against being localized by a preda-
tor during sleep. Sleeping in groups is most likely a good defense against predators as their large
number, up to a few hundred, will increase the survival of more birds. See Table 39.1 for timing of
life stages and rehabilitation milestones.

­ Criteria­for Intervention

Belize Bird Rescue (BBR) has been rehabilitating and releasing locally endemic parrots since 2004.
The majority of BBR’s intakes are confiscated chicks brought in by local authorities or those sur-
rendered by pet owners. In many cases these chicks are sick, have nutritional deficiencies, or both.
Clipping the flight feathers is a very common practice, often with long‐term detrimental effects.
Occasionally, injured wild birds will be brought in, but this is rare.