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At least 487 records · Page 27Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

[Pilot study of echocardiographic studies using color- and pulsed-wave spectral Doppler methods in blue-crowned amazons (Amazona ventralis) and blue-fronted amazons (Amazona a. aestiva)].

Colour-flow and pulsed-wave spectral Doppler echocardiography was performed on 6 healthy, adult Hispaniolan amazon parrots (Amazona ventralis) and 6 blue-fronted amazon parrots (Amazona a. aestiva) to establish normal reference values. Birds were anesthetized with isoflurane in oxygen and placed in dorsal recumbency. An electrocardiogram was recorded continuously and birds were imaged with a micro-phased-array scanner with a frequency of 7.0 MHz. After assessment of cardiac function in 2-D-echocardiography, blood flow across the left and the right atrioventricular valve and across the aortic valve was determined using color-flow and pulsed-wave spectral Doppler echocardiography. Diastolic inflow (mean value +/- standard deviation) into the left ventricle was 0.17 +/- 0.02 m/s (Hispaniolan amazons) and 0.18 +/- 0.03 m/s (Blue fronted amazons). Diastolic inflow into the right ventricle was 0.22 +/- 0.05 m/s (Hispaniolan amazons) and 0.22 +/- 0.04 m/s (Blue fronted amazons). Velocity across the aortic valve was 0.84 +/- 0.07 m/s (Hispaniolan amazons) and 0.83 +/- 0.08 m/s (Blue fronted amazons). Systolic pulmonary flow could not be detected in any of the birds in this study. No significant differences were evident between the two species examined. Results of this study indicate that Doppler echocardiography is a promising technique to determine blood flow in the avian heart. Further studies in other avian species are needed to establish reference values for assessment of cardiac function in diseased birds.

Amazona↗
PubMed1991

[The occurrence of Cryptococcus neoformans in fecal samples from birds kept in human living areas].

With help of Guizotia creatinine agar (syn. bird seed agar) Cryptococcus (Cr.) neoformans var. neoformans was isolated from 71 (7.7%) of 925 investigated droppings of birds kept within human living area. Cr. neoformans was detected in droppings of 1.2% from 164 psittacines, in droppings of 1.7% from 118 budgerigars and in droppings of 18.4% from (carrier) pigeons. This yeast was not isolated from droppings of 13 small parrots, 10 eclectus parrots, 13 rosellas, 21 cockatiels, 6 Polytelidus sp., 32 Cacatua sp., 13 Carduelis sp., 5 waxbills, 5 starlings, 120 chicken, 9 turkeys, 2 geese, 2 Turdus sp., 1 duck and 1 gull.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Cloacal papillomas in psittacines.

Papilloma-like masses affecting the cloaca of 19 Amazons, 16 macaws, 3 parrots, 1 conure, and 1 parakeet were examined. Papillomatous lesions were characterized by proliferation of the lining epithelium on thin fibrovascular stalks. Carcinoma in situ was diagnosed in the cloaca of a macaw in addition to the other 16 macaws with papillomas. Papillomavirus group-specific antigens were not detected in any of the 41 lesions, using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique. The DNA extracts from 6 different frozen papillomas did not contain papillomavirus genomes detectable by Southern blot hybridization, using an African gray parrot cutaneous papillomavirus as a probe. Evidence of an infective agent was not found by electron microscopic examination of 8 of the papillomas. Inoculations of partially purified homogenates of a cloacal papilloma from a yellow-crowned Amazon did not induce lesion formation on cloacal mucosa of an adult yellow-crowned Amazon, green and yellow macaw, sulphur-crested cockatoo, or mollucan cockatoo.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

[The removal of foreign bodies in different birds].

Following problems are shown using slides: --ingrown rings and their removal with follow-up treatment, --the removal of fishhooks, especially in swans, --the removal of projectiles from the bird's body, --the removal of lead slivers from the digestive tract of parrots as well as the follow-up treatment, --the removal of gold chains, plastic tubing and other "toys" from the intestine. Gastrotomy in the parrot is described.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Allergy to egg yolk possibly induced by sensitization to bird serum antigens.

Hypersensitivity to ingested hen's egg yolk is described in a 65-year-old female patient. The patient's symptoms started in adult life and coincided with the acquisition of a parrot as a household pet. The bird's presence caused complaints of allergic rhinitis, while the ingestion of eggs caused urticaria and angioedema. Analysis of sequential blood serum samples revealed high levels of IgE antibodies to egg yolk and to various bird sera, but no precipitins. RAST-inhibition experiments indicated that the primary sensitization may have been to antigens from the parrot.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Thyrotropin stimulation test for evaluation of thyroid function in psittacine birds.

Serum thyroid hormone concentrations were determined before and after thyrotropin (thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH]) stimulation in caged psittacine birds to determine whether the TSH stimulation test could be used to evaluate thyroid function in this class of birds. The mean (+/- SD) resting thyroxine concentrations (ng/ml) for the species studied were: cockatoos, 13.63 +/- 6.53 (n = 6); Amazon parrots, 8.19 +/- 6.90 (n = 8); scarlet macaws, 1.34 +/- 0.51 (n = 9); blue and gold macaws, 3.41 +/- 1.78 (n = 8); African gray parrots, 1.42 +/- 0.44 (n = 6); conures, 1.76 +/- 0.77 (n = 5); and cockatiels, 11.83 +/- 6.76 (n = 3). The mean (+/- SD) thyroxine concentrations (ng/ml) 4 to 6 hours after TSH stimulation were 35.10 +/- 13.16, 27.40 +/- 15.93, 6.46 +/- 3.10, 12.36 +/- 6.34, 9.30 +/- 2.90, 13.50 +/- 7.71, and 39.0 +/- 5.66, respectively. Serum tri-iodothyronine concentration did not increase significantly after TSH stimulation. The results demonstrated that the TSH stimulation test can be used to evaluate thyroid function in caged psittacine birds.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Epidemiologic and laboratory observations of Chlamydia psittaci infection in pet birds.

Psittacosis was diagnosed in 13 (24%) of 55 pet bird submissions in the first 3 months of 1983, compared with 18 (17%) of 103 in 1982, 4 (4.6%) of 87 in 1981, and 3 (8%) of 36 in 1980. The numbers and types of birds in which psittacosis was diagnosed were 2 of 47 budgerigars, 8 of 45 cockatiels , 3 of 11 small parrots ( lovebirds , conures ), 20 of 116 medium-sized parrots (African Grays, Amazons ), 2 of 21 macaws , and 3 of 21 cockatoos . Thirty-nine percent of psittacosis-positive birds were received from pet bird owners, compared with 21% from pet shops, 18% from pet bird breeders and fanciers, and 13% from pet bird jobbers and retailers . Most frequently observed clinical signs were anorexia, weight loss, and diarrhea or yellowish droppings. Major gross lesions were splenohepatomegaly (77%), followed by enteritis (53%), sinusitis (47%), airsacculitis (37%), pneumonitis (23%), and pericarditis (10%). Regarding the 38 cases of confirmed psittacosis in pet birds since 1980, transmission of the disease to human beings was confirmed in 2 cases and suspected in 4 cases.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Cardiovascular effects of impulse noise, road traffic noise, and intermittent pink noise at LAeq = 75 dB, as a function of sex, age, and level of anxiety: a comparative study. II. Digital pulse level and blood pressure data.

In a previous paper, in which the experimental conditions of the present research are fully described (Parrot et al., this issue), heart rate (HR) was studied in 60 male and in 60 female subjects in response to a pile-driver noise (P), a gunfire noise (G), a road traffic noise (T), and an intermittent pink noise (R), all noises being emitted at the same LAeq = 75 dB for 15 min. Digital pulse level (PL) responses were concomitantly surveyed by the use of pulse oximetry, allowing continuous arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) readings. An index of pulse reactivity (PRI) could be calculated. Arterial blood pressure was measured 7 times from the beginning to the end of each trial. At rest, within the last minutes preceding each exposure to any of the 4 noises, no difference for conditions or for age in prestimulus PL was observed. In all cases, sex is a highly significant source of variation: Mean resting SaO2 values are higher in women than in men. Mean SaO2 at rest was also found to be significantly higher in anxious (Am) than in anxiety-free (Nm) men. When the noise was on for 15 min, increase in PL prevailed to be in most cases in men. In contrast, decrease or near-zero changes prevailed in 1 case out of 2 in the female subgroups. In all groups, the mean PRIs are significantly higher in men. In no case did the age factor prove to be a significant source of PRI variation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2006

Technical intelligence in animals: the kea model.

The ability to act on information flexibly is one of the cornerstones of intelligent behavior. As particularly informative example, tool-oriented behavior has been investigated to determine to which extent nonhuman animals understand means-end relations, object affordances, and have specific motor skills. Even planning with foresight, goal-directed problem solving and immediate causal inference have been a focus of research. However, these cognitive abilities may not be restricted to tool-using animals but may be found also in animals that show high levels of curiosity, object exploration and manipulation, and extractive foraging behavior. The kea, a New Zealand parrot, is a particularly good example. We here review findings from laboratory experiments and field observations of keas revealing surprising cognitive capacities in the physical domain. In an experiment with captive keas, the success rate of individuals that were allowed to observe a trained conspecific was significantly higher than that of naive control subjects due to their acquisition of some functional understanding of the task through observation. In a further experiment using the string-pulling task, a well-probed test for means-end comprehension, we found the keas finding an immediate solution that could not be improved upon in nine further trials. We interpreted their performance as insightful in the sense of being sensitive of the relevant functional properties of the task and thereby producing a new adaptive response without trial-and-error learning. Together, these findings contribute to the ongoing debate on the distribution of higher cognitive skills in the animal kingdom by showing high levels of sensorimotor intelligence in animals that do not use tools. In conclusion, we suggest that the 'Technical intelligence hypothesis' (Byrne, Machiavellian intelligence II: extensions and evaluations, pp 289-211, 1997), which has been proposed to explain the origin of the ape/monkey grade-shift in intelligence by a selection pressure upon an increased efficiency in foraging behavior, should be extended, that is, applied to some birds as well.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Varied egg gas conductance, air cell gas tensions and development in Agapornis roseicollis.

Different color varieties of the small African parrot, Agapornis roseicollis , lay eggs which differ by as much as a factor of 7 in gas conductance. Oxygen consumption (VO2) and air cell gas tensions (PAO2, PACO2) were measured repeatedly on individual eggs during development. No differences were observed in the ontogeny of VO2, incubation period, or hatchling mass of eggs with different gas conductances, in spite of large differences in PAO2 and PACO2. Low conductance eggs reached PAO2 as low as 46.0 torr (6.13 kPa) and PACO2 as high as 90.5 torr (12.07 kPa). Although pipping occurred earlier in low conductance eggs, pipping did not occur at similar air cell gas tensions in eggs differing in conductance. Chorioallantoic membrane development was about 75% complete on day 12 and not fully complete until day 18 of the 22-23 day incubation period. The capacity of avian embryos to develop and hatch normally in eggs of different conductances may be important in allowing adaptation to varying nesting environments.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Evidence for specificity of psittacine beak and feather disease viruses among avian hosts.

Beak and feather disease is a major avian disease of both captive and wild parrot and cockatoo populations. Clinical signs include beak elongation and abnormal growth, together with weight loss and in some individuals the disease is fatal. We investigated the relationship between viral genotypes and their hosts in order to test for a positive association between distinct viral genomes and avian species. Specifically, we used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify and sequence a 605-nucleotide (nt) segment of a coding region in the Beak and Feather Disease Virus (BFDV) genome. Feather and blood samples from 25 caged birds representing 10 species were assayed and the BFDV was detected in 21 samples from New Zealand. A phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences from 17 specimens together with previously published sequences from Australian "isolates" revealed three lineages present in New Zealand. One viral lineage was found in six cockatoos representing two species (designated CT), a second lineage was detected in a budgerigar (designated BG), and a third was found in 10 lorikeets representing seven species (designated LK). This distinctive clustering pattern of viral sequences with groups of psittacine species indicates a genotypic association between the virus and these hosts.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Contact call-driven zenk mRNA expression in the brain of the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus).

Contact call-driven zenk (zif268, egr1, NGF1A, Krox 24) mRNA expression was mapped with in situ hybridization histochemistry in a vocal learning parrot, the budgerigar (M. undulatus). Relative to controls, call stimulation induced high zenk mRNA expression in all auditory areas including those closely associated with the vocal system within the anterior forebrain (Brauth et al. (2001) J. Comp. Neurol. 432, 481; (2002) Learn. Memory 9, 76). Thus there is a high correspondence between the distributions of neurons exhibiting contact call-driven zenk protein and mRNA expression in budgerigars. Field L2a, an area reported previously to express only perinucleolar zenk protein localization (Brauth et al. (2002) Learn. Memory 9, 76) also showed zenk mRNA expression.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed2004

Molecular systematics in Aratinga parakeets: species limits and historical biogeography in the 'solstitialis' group, and the systematic position of Nandayus nenday.

The parrot genus Aratinga comprises 20 species that can be separated, based on morphological characters, in at least three distinct groups. We performed a phylogenetic analysis based on mtDNA sequences of individuals belonging to the solstitialis group with the objectives of: (1) assessing the genetic differences among individuals in order to clarify their specific status; (2) testing the monophyly of the group and establishing its phylogenetic position relative to other Aratinga species, (3) making inferences about temporal and geographical patterns of diversification in the Neotropics. As a result of the analysis, the three taxa belonging to the Aratinga solstitialis complex were found to be diagnosable phylogenetic species, the monotypic genus Nandayus was found to be included in the solstitialis group and the non-monophyly of the genus Aratinga was confirmed. Most of the speciation events occurred during the Pliocene and Pleistocene and may be related to habitat shifts associated to climate oscillation during these periods.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Occurrence of yeasts in psittacines droppings from captive birds in Italy.

Three-hundred twenty five droppings from parrots raised in the premises of 4 breeders and in several private households were cultured for yeasts. One-hundred sixty droppings (49.2%) resulted positive. From these specimens 212 isolates belonging to 27 different species were obtained. Mainly Candida species such as C. albicans, C. catenulata, C. curvata, C. famata, C. glabrata, C. guilliermondi, C. holmii, C. intermedia, C. krusei, C. lambica, C. lusitaniae, C. membranaefaciens, C. parapsilosis, C. pelliculosa, C. sake and C. valida were isolated. Debarvomyces marama, D. polymorphus, Geotrichum sp., Pichia etchelsii, P. ohmeri, Rhodotorula glutinis, R. rubra, Rhodotorula sp., Saccharomyces cerevisiae, S. kluyiveri and Zygosaccharomyces sp. were also obtained. Dark colonies on Staib medium were never observed. The psittacine birds apparently serve as carriers for several Candida species or their perfect states and to a lesser extent for other opportunistic yeasts such as Rhodotorula, Trichosporon and Saccharomyces spp., which are considered part of the transient microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract. The most striking finding was the absence of Cryptococcus spp. among the isolates. The present survey confirms the role of pet birds in carrying potential zoonotic yeasts.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Perception of conspecific faces by budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus): I. Natural faces.

Perception of faces by 4 budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus), a species of small parrot, was studied with a same-different discrimination task. Reaction times were taken as a measure of the similarity between pairs of faces and analyzed with multidimensional scaling to reveal patterns of similarity among the faces. The perception of natural faces was tested to determine which characteristics were perceptually salient. Color, patterns of markings, darkness of the iris, and size of the pupil corresponded to the observed patterns of similarity among the faces. Differences among budgerigar faces were more salient than differences among zebra finch faces, and budgerigar faces were perceptually distinct from the faces of other avian species. The results from these experiments provide a basis for understanding the ways in which these signals function in the coordination of social behaviors.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

A modified biopsy technique to improve histopathological evaluation of avian skin.

Skin biopsies are a viable diagnostic tool in avian dermatology, however, the thinness of avian skin makes it difficult to prevent rolling and contraction of skin biopsy specimens during collection and fixation. The difficulty orienting such rolled samples during processing ultimately interferes with the establishment of a histopathological diagnosis. We describe a modified skin biopsy procedure for obtaining avian skin biopsy specimens. In this technique nontranslucent self-adhesive tape (Scotch tape) was attached to skin biopsy sites before obtaining skin biopsies using a standard skin biopsy punch instrument. A total of 23 skin biopsy specimens were obtained: 15 from nonfeathered skin of 12 normal Hispaniolan parrots, 3 from feathered skin of 2 normal birds and 5 from feathered skin of 3 psittacines presented for pathologic feather-picking. All 23 skin specimens consistently adhered to the tape during the biopsy procedure. The specimens were fixed in 10% neutral phosphate-buffered formalin. During processing, no curling or rolling of specimens occurred, and all specimens could be easily orientated for correct trimming and subsequent histopathological evaluation. The tape technique did not produce any appreciable artefacts. Remnants of the tape were microscopically evident above the stratum corneum assuring that none of the stratum corneum was lost during processing. Obtaining avian skin biopsy specimens using this modified tape technique is easy and ensures flat fixation of the skin biopsy specimens, which later allows trimming at right angles, and through the longitudinal diameter of feather follicles for accurate histopathologic evaluation.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Filamentous intranuclear inclusion bodies in psittacine birds. A structural and ultrastructural study.

This paper concerns a disease affecting a group of African grey parrots, which involves intranuclear inclusion bodies composed of filamentous material. The disease was characterized by either sudden death or death within 2-3 days from onset of non-specific symptoms. At necropsy, gross lesions included enlarged liver, mild hepatic congestion and focal necrosis. Samples from five birds were fixed in 10% formol and routinely processed for light and electron microscopy. In four birds, numerous hepatocytes displayed an enlarged nucleus, with peripheral margination of chromatin; the nucleus was partially or wholly filled by a basophilic inclusion body. In the remaining bird, inclusion bodies were acidophilic and completely filled the nucleus; nuclear enlargement was less evident than in the other birds. At ultrastructural examination, and in both types of IIB, nuclei contained looped filaments but no evidence of viral structures. However, virion-like structures were observed in the cytoplasm of some hepatocytes.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Nucleotide sequence analysis of a C1 gene fragment of psittacine beak and feather disease virus amplified by real-time polymerase chain reaction indicates a possible existence of genotypes.

To investigate sequence diversity of psittacine beak and feather disease virus, samples collected from 31 psittacine species with or without clinical signs were tested for the presence of the viral genome. A real-time polymerase chain reaction was developed amplifying a 202 base pair fragment of the region encoding the capsid protein C1 and detecting 100 to 1000 genome equivalents. The nucleotide sequences of the polymerase chain reaction products showed 84.1 to 100% identity with no consistent pattern with regard to the infected bird species. Amino acid exchanges were concentrated mainly in five of the 42 deduced positions. Sequences obtained from an outbreak of acute beak and feather disease in lories clustered in a separate branch of a phylogenetic tree. Sequences in samples from African grey parrots with feather disorders grouped together, whereas those from the same species with immunosuppression clustered in other branches. These results indicate the possible existence of beak and feather disease virus genotypes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗