Welcome to the My Parrot Shop Newsletter for July 2008!
In this newsletter we'll be looking at a great new DVD, cool new My Parrot toys, Keiko Training, The Maze, and a new baby...
Special Offer - Australia: Land of Parrots DVD
The ABC have recently released a fantastic new DVD called Australia: Land of Parrots.
Parrots and cockatoos are the most conspicuous birds in Australia. They’re everywhere, and often in large numbers. From the dense rainforests of the tropical north to the cold, wind-swept coast of Southern Australia and the arid deserts of the interior, every region is inhabited by parrots. Made by reknowned Australian filmmakers David Parer and Elizabeth Parer-Cook, 'Australia: Land of Parrots' explores the diverse & spectacular life of parrots & cockatoos across the varied landscapes of the island continent. Inhospitable forces of nature-cyclones, drought, flood & fire shape their life as do humans who unwittingly offer food & water in abundance. 'Cockies' are stunningly colourful, unbelievably adaptable, surprisingly smart and their antics will amaze you.
We loved watching this DVD and were particularly impressed by the quality of the camera work, and the large number of parrot and cockatoo species covered, including some very rare birds.
We have 10 DVDs to give away - so be one of the first 10 people to send us a photo of your bird with any one of our products and we'll send you a free DVD.
Introducing the Smarty Ring and Smarty Stick . . .
New, from the creative people at My Parrot - there's more than meets the eye with the Smarty Ring and Smarty Stick!
The Smarty Ring is a cool Foot Toy for medium-large birds. Your parrot will enjoy liberating the pony beads tucked away behind the brightly coloured wood buttons, dyed with food grade vegetable dye, in this birch ring. This foot toy makes a delightful rattle, and will keep even the bigger birds entertained for a while.
The Smarty Stick is a Hanging Toy which is suitable for all bird sizes. Like the Smarty Ring, it will intrigue your parrot with the mysterious rattling noise of the hidden pony beads :)
The Smarty Stick is part of the My Parrot Refill range, so it's designed to reduce waste and save you money - you only have to buy the chain once, and when the toy has reach the end of its life you can replace it without having to buy another chain.
Keiko, the Blue & Gold Macaw that lives with Caroline & Richard, and features in many of our product photos, has learnt some tricks, despite Caroline’s absolutely dreadful training skills! She has “wave” (left foot), and “shake hands” (right foot) sorted out, and "turns around" enthusiastically. She HAD “eagle” going well until Caroline introduced “praying mantis” (wings half raised and one foot up) and confused Keiko completely. She likes to “roll over” but can only do it once or twice before the excitement of it all overwhelms her and she has to launch into a general playtime with Caroline instead. Overall Keiko trains very well. Caroline, who’s all over the place with her cues, needs more practice! But both are finding the training sessions very rewarding.
Heres a little video of Caroline doing her best and Keiko achieving wonders in spite of it. (watch for the baby bump at the end of the video :)
Congratulations to Caroline and Richard for the arrival of their first child 'Henry' on Sunday 13th July. If you've ever called us here at My Parrot Shop you've probably spoken to Caroline. Richard works behind the scenes on the website techie stuff.
Henry is cousin to Leo who was the first 'My Parrot baby', born 9 months ago to John and Jen, the other two core members of the My Parrot team. (not to mention Keiko, our Blue & Gold Macaw - perhaps she was truly the first My Parrot baby :)
Featured Product - The Maze
The Maze is a great foraging toy, now available in Large and Small sizes (we just got the small size in). This hollow ferris wheel, made of clear plastic, rotates smoothly and easily on a bolt. An inserted toy or food item can provide hours of fun as it bounces around off the colourful partitions within, and a clever parrot will get much satisfaction from figuring out how to get the treat out.
Smarty Toys!
Welcome Guest
The ABC have recently released a fantastic new DVD called Australia: Land of Parrots. 
