Abstract
Question #1: What's the story
with sunflower seeds? Do they really
cause hyperactivity in parrots?
M. Thomas, California
Answer #1: Sunflower seeds are
not psychedelic. They are high fat
content seeds that "junk food" birds
love. Like all seeds, they are deficient
in calcium, vitamin A, and protein.
Sunflower seeds, as well as almost all
the seeds fed to birds in this country,
are not native to Central and South
America or the Pacific, Asia, or Africa.
They are organic but not "natural:'
I do use some sunflower seeds in
my bean, wheat and corn mix which I
sprout for my birds, but I do not feed
them raw. I would suggest discussing
with your veterinarian a proper
expanded diet for your birds. The
Association of Avian Veterinarians has
an excellent booklet on feeding. Ask
your veterinarian for a copy.
James M. Harris, D.V.M.
Oakland, California
Answer #2: There have been
rumors for some time that sunflower
seeds are addictive in parrots and may
cause them to become hyperactive.
There is no scientific evidence to support
this. Sunflower seeds are a tasty,
high energy food source that parrots,
people and a lot of other animals like.
Parrots will eat sunflower seeds to the
exclusion of other foods. Sunflower
seeds are deficient in vitamin A and D
as well as calcium and essential amino
acids and are very high in fat. They
should be fed to parrots only as part of
a balanced diet.
Nicole VanDerHeyden, D.V.M.
Indianapolis, Indiana
Answer #3: Many individuals, as
well as one well-known seed distributor,
have propagated the myth that
sunflower seeds are addictive because
they contain an addictive narcotic substance
called papaverine. This narcotic
substance is said to cause hyperactivity
among those who partake
of it. At this point in time, there is no
evidence to support the presence of
papaverine in sunflower seeds or that
it would be a harmful ingredient if,
indeed, it were present.
Papaverine is usually classified as a
muscle relaxant rather than a narcotic.
So, if such a substance were found to
be present in sunflower seeds, a bird
eating the seeds possibly might be
relaxed and enjoying life, rather than
stressed and hyperactive as has been
suggested.
Amy B. Wore!!, D.V.M.
West Hills, California
Question #2: What could cause an
occasional white feather to appear on
a Hyacinth Macaw? Is there a dietary
deficiency?
A. Boblett, Missouri
Answer #1: Feather coloration in
parrots involves both pigments and
structure. Melanins and lipochromes
are pigments that produce black,
brown, yellow, and red colors while
blue color is structural as it results
from light scattering by small, air filled
spaces in the feathers. The green....