John Gamblin asked a few questions in his response to my original posting on
my concerns for the local Sulphur Crested Cockatoo population and I will
attempt to answer them
JAG asks:
Do you mean the total feather falls from the birds
body? or each feather is being attacked as if by a
feather mite?
Response: I mean the birds are flying around virtually bald on the underside
and around the head, with missing flight feathers as well
Rampant? how many have you seen in this condition?
Response: I haven't done any counts but I would guesstimate that
approximately one third of the population is showing symptoms
I think Ian, and with very little to go on by what you
have given, that old age would be the most likely
culprit? they do tend to live for quite a few years
you know?
Response: Then there are surely one hell of a lot of old birds around - I
have lived in this location for 18 years and never noticed birds getting
around like this before, I doubt that they have all reached old age together
Why do you immediately jump to the conclusion it's a
disease?
Response: It's either a disease or they are going through a very radical
moult. I have seen cage birds with Beak and Feather disease previously -
their owners have resorted to dressing their bald bodies in little woolly
clothes to keep them alive. Search the web on Psittacine Beak and Feather
Disease (PBFD) - it has been known in wild populations before
Have anothe four X mate and then roll over.
Response: John, I don't drink four X - I really expected a better quality of
response from this list - I posted what to me was a serious concern about
the viability of a population of Australian birds
Ian Cowan
Clifton Beach
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