Chat Week 2003 at BirdHobbyist.com

BirdHobbyist, part of the PetHobbyist Community, is proud
to announce its Chat Week 2003 Online Bird Chat Symposium.
Chat week allows our users the opportunity to chat with noted
authors and researchers in a live format.

For the latest chat schedule and information on how to
participate please visit our web site at
http://birdhobbyist.com
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Chat Week at BirdHobbyist.com
December 7-13, 2003

More guests are being added, so check back often! Current confirmed 
guests are:

Julia Allen, President, National Cockatiel Society
Learning Through Exhibiting
Sunday, December 7, at 10 PM Eastern in The Aviary
Julia Allen has bred cockatiels since 1982, and has also bred zebra 
finches, the rare Deliciosus Greenrumped parrotlet, and Australian Red 
Rumped Grass Parakeets. She has had several top winning parrotlets over 
the years. Julia will discuss the physical preparations of showing 
birds, the underlying reasons and benefits of participating in a show. 
She says, "The education of experiencing showing can not be found in 
text books, nor on the internet. A person has to be an active 
participant in order to be exposed to the 'plan' of it all. There is a 
misconception among many bird owners that exhibiting their birds is all 
about winning. That would be considered the icing on the cake, but 
without exhibiting birds, owners lose the opportunity to learn how and 
why to make better quality cockatiels, which is the real reason for 
exhibiting our birds." For more information on showing cockatiels, visit 
the website of the National Cockatiel Society.

Jonathan E. Reyman, Ph.D.
The Feather Distribution Project
Wednesday, December 10, at 10 PM Eastern in The Aviary
Macaw, parrot, and turkey feathers are a central part of Pueblo Indian 
ceremonial life. But the practice of plucking captive birds is harmful 
and painful to the birds. In addition, feathers, especially Macaw 
feathers, are expensive, and recently their price has been on the rise 
as demand increases. Twenty-one years ago, Dr. Reyman founded a small 
organization called The Feather Distribution Project, which gathers and 
distributes molted Macaw, parrot, and turkey feathers, and provides them 
at no cost to about one thousand Pueblo individuals. Although the 
Project has distributed more than six million feathers, and has been 
able to reduce the commercial market for these feathers, they have not 
been able to eliminate it. Donations of turkey feathers come from the 
National Wild Turkey Federation, and many parrot organizations and 
aviaries, as well as parrot-owning individuals, donate feathers to the 
Project. But the need is not being met, and they are actively seeking 
additional donors. Come hear more about this fascinating project, Pueblo 
ceremonial life, the history of birds in America, and other issues 
related to the Project. For more information on the Project, visit its 
website.

Bob Seibels, Curator of Birds, Riverbanks Zoo
Avian Husbandry at Riverbanks Zoo
Thursday, December 11, at 9 PM Eastern in The Aviary
Bob Seibels has a BA in Comparative and Physiological Psychology (Animal 
Behavior) and has been Curator of Birds at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, 
SC, since 1976. He is also Species Coordinator, American Zoo Assn., for 
the Bali mynah Species Survival Plan, and the North American Regional 
Studbook Keeper for the Toco toucan. He'll be joining us on BirdHobbyist 
to offer a historical perspective on his 30 years working with exotic birds.

Jacki Harda
Founder, IMOM, Inc.
Friday, December 12, at 9 PM Eastern in the Auditorium
"No pet should ever have to die because their person didn't have the 
funds necessary to get proper medical treatment, or medicine and 
supplies." With those words, IMOM, Inc. founder Jacki Hadra expresses 
the mission of her organization, and the legacy of her cat, Magic, who 
died in 1998. IMOM works its magics by supplying funds, or helping pet 
owners raise funds, to pay veterinary bills for pets who need surgery or 
other medical care that the owners could otherwise not afford. You can 
read the moving story of IMOM's founding, as well as countless stories 
of pets helped by the organization, and learn how you can support IMOM, 
at IMOM.org.


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