Birds

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Parrots

Parrots are a group of 328 species of birds native to many regions of the world. Members of Order Psittaciformes are generally thought of as parrots, although only members of the family Psittacidae are true parrots. The other two families in Psittaciformes are Cacatuidae (cockatoos) and Loriidae (lories and lorikeets). Cockatoos can be distinguished by a crest of feathers on the top of their heads and powdery down feathers. Lories and lorikeets differ from parrots primarily in their specialized diet, which consists almost entirely of pollen and nectar that they gather using a brush-like tongue. Parrots have a generally upright posture and large curved beaks which they use to crack nuts and seeds. They also have clawed zygodactyl feet, which means that they have two toes on each side of their foot to effectively grasp tree branches. Most parrots spend the majority of their time in the forest canopy and eat nuts, fruits, leaves, bark, flowers, buds, and seeds.

updated 2010-07-17 18:15:22

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Conures

• Avian Publications: Conure Books and DVDs

• Amazon.com: Conures Books

• Calypso Parrot: Conure Gifts

• CafePress.com: Conure Gifts T-Shirts and Gifts

• • This page was created by Tayri21, a Part Time Guide in the Mahalo Greenhouse (see the original), and curated by Jonathan.

• If you'd like to help us create the best spam free search results on the Internet, apply to be a Part Time Guide!</em>

updated 2010-07-17 02:08:24

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Cockatoos

• Avian Publications: Cockatoo Books & DVDs

• CafePress.com: Cockatoo Merchandise

• eBay: Cockatoo Items

• Amazon.com: Cockatoo Books and Merchandise

• PETCO: Bird Supplies

• • This page was created by Elena Rodriguez, a Part Time Guide in the Mahalo Greenhouse (see the original), and quality controlled by Laura.

• If you'd like to help us create the best spam free search results on the Internet, apply to be a Part Time Guide!</em>

updated 2010-07-17 01:53:16

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Short-Eared Owl

Short-eared owls are not a federally endangered species. However, habitat loss is endangering them in many regions, particularly in the states near and around the Great Lakes in the United States. As such, short-eared owls have been marked as endangered in Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York.http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Asio_flammeus.htmlhttp://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7080.html

updated 2010-10-14 19:41:36

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I Love Animals

Christmas tidings come in all shapes and sizes. This year at Animal Place, Christmas Day brought a frightened, underfed baby calf with a pair of the biggest brown eyes imaginable.

Berkeley Animal Control retrieved the week-old male Jersey calf from a back yard in the city of Berkeley on Christmas Day. With neither the facilities nor the knowledge to care for him, the Berkeley Shelter called upon us to help, and within two hours, the little calf was on his way to Animal Place. We quickly got together the milk bottles, nipples, calf-replacer milk, blankets, antibiotics and other things we'd need to care for him.

Nicholas, as we've named him, was apparently bought at auction and was likely destined for backyard slaughter, which is fairly common.

One factor making such slaughter common is that male calves like Nicholas are of little use to dairy farmers.

As the country's leading dairy state, California is home to 1.5 million milk cows, each of whom must be impregnated to give milk. Although nature intends this milk to feed baby cows, calves are generally taken from their mothers within a day of being born. Female calves are raised and used as milk producers, while male calves are viewed as basically worthless animals who don't fatten up like cows raised for beef. As a result, male dairy calves are sold at auction. (In many states, baby male calves are locked into tiny crates and eventually slaughtered for veal.)

Nicholas' fate ...

updated 2010-07-17 10:21:16

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Chicken

• Restaurant Guide: Yelp

updated 2010-09-06 01:11:58

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I Need Pet Supplies Coupons

• I Need Pet Supplies coupons are typically not available through the official site, though the website does typically offer savings and promotional deals.

• Various coupon compiling sites often offer vouchers or coupons that can be redeemed towards the purchase of various brands sold on the I Need Pet Supplies website. Coupon codes that are eligible to be redeemed through the website are generally available from Coupon Snapshot, Savings and Retail Me Not.

updated 2010-12-09 16:30:32

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Chickens

As the days get shorter and colder, chickens automatically quit laying. To keep your chickens laying all year long, add a light and heat source to fool them into egg production. Put the light on a timer so the chickens get at least 15 hours of light each day. A heat lamp works well as a heat source for the chicken coop. Keep it clear of any combustible material to reduce the risk of fires.

A simple heat source can also be made by running a light up through a clay pot bottom and inverting the clay pot onto the bottom plate. Keep the chickens from tipping it over by anchoring the pot to the bottom with wire.

updated 2010-07-17 01:19:00

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Birds

Bird feathers are made up of layers. The shape of the feather is controlled by the contour feathers while the inside down feathers keep the bird warm.http://www.birds.com/education/anatomy/ Feathers are made from keratin.http://www.birds.com/education/anatomy/ They cling together to form a seal that helps manage wind resistance.http://www.birds.com/education/anatomy/ Because the feathers weigh more than the bird's bones, it is able to fly.http://www.birds.com/education/anatomy/ The bird bone has a unique honeycomb structure that keeps its weight light but still maintains its strength.http://www.birds.com/education/anatomy/

Birds (that can fly) have a keel that holds the flight muscles.http://www.birds.com/education/anatomy/ These muscles come in a red and white form. Red flight muscles are used for long distance flying.http://www.birds.com/education/anatomy/ White flight muscles are used for speedy take offs.http://www.birds.com/education/anatomy/

updated 2010-09-06 10:16:00

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