The Wind Beneath Their Wings

This is a collection of sessions from a 1994 gathering, titled The Wind Beneath Their Wings.  It is not perfectly clear, but it appears to have been in the New York – New Jersey area.  The quality of the tape is high quality amateur.  A single camera is fixed for the length of each session.  Audio quality is good.

Wing, Nail and Beak Trimming – Dr. Michael Taylor

This presentation had some problems viewing the presenter’s slides due to ambient light.  The first part on beak disease and trimming emphasized there is no need to trim a healthy beak.  If the bird is healthy, with adequate material to chew, the beak will take care of itself.  There is discussion, and photos of various beak problems and their treatment.  The segment on nails emphasized proper perch size and material which will minimize the need for trimming.  When trimming is necessary, easy does it. 

The speaker felt behavioral problems do not result from the lack of ability to fly.  The discussion of wing trimming preferred the method that cuts primaries four through ten back to the coverlets above them.

Parrot Show by Pinocchio – Entertainment

Two handlers, with Pinocchio, a Conure and Snowball, a Cockatoo provide after dinner entertainment with their birds.

Parrots As Pets – Steve Martin

Frank discussion on the benefits and drawbacks to having parrots as pets.  Mr. Martin points out that there are between 10 and 20 million pet birds in the United States, and most of their owners are not educated in their care, and didn’t have a clear understanding of what their care would entail before acquiring them.

Mr. Martin’s training technique and discussion emphasizes the birds’ instinctive behavior based on survival in the wild.  He suggest that before selecting a pet you make two lists, one of things you want in a pet, the other things you don’t want.  And then evaluate each potential bird against those lists.  That is could advice for a number of areas in life.

What Kind of Bird Should I Buy? – Joe Freed

This is primarily a Q&A session on bird selection and behavioral issues.