October 2010 - Mickacoo

Official MickaCoo Moratorium on Intake Until More Adoptions
by Elizabeth Young 27 Oct '10

27 Oct '10

Hello- Despite a truly amazing and heartwarming increase in our foster capacity, MickaCoo <http://www.mickacoo.org/> continues to be faced with more birds coming in than being adopted. We now have 77 (!!!) pigeons and doves in foster care and, until we place some of these lovely birds in forever homes, we must turn new intakes away. PLEASE refer potential adopters to me and refer surrenderers to Pigeon Talk (www.pigeons.biz/forums) and their local shelters. Sorry. Thank you. e -- Elizabeth Until they all have homes, don't buy, don't breed- adopt. www.RescueReport.org www.MickaCoo.org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGjyooh3Yo0

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Who wants to build an aviary?
by Elizabeth Young 26 Oct '10

26 Oct '10

Hello- I am serious! MickaCoo has SO many lovely doves and pigeons in need of homes and they are SO enjoyable and easy to keep in an aviary. Please- march outside with your tape measure, choose the site where your beautiful new aviary will be most enjoyable and start planning it out! It is not that hard (nor expensive) to create a lovely aviary for pigeons and/or doves! If you are serious, MickaCoo will help! I WISH I had a nifty little How to Create an Aviary post to include here (I know, I know - it is on the MickaCoo Too Doo list!) but I don't. BUT you can do some easy research online, craft your draft plan and MickaCoo can swoop in with answers from there. Here's the story of one family's aviary to inspire you- Pinch Me Because I Must Be Dreaming<http://www.rescuereport.org/2010/08/pinch-me-because-i-must-be-dreaming.html> Please? -- Elizabeth Until they all have homes, don't buy, don't breed- adopt. www.RescueReport.org www.MickaCoo.org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGjyooh3Yo0

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Another Daly City Baby
by Barna Mink 25 Oct '10

25 Oct '10

Found another baby pigeon at Daly City BART this morning on the way to work. My wife Kathleen found her, she was standing close to the agent booth, alone, not moving, apparently resigned to her fate. She didn't resist being picked up. I rode my bike back home with the bird in my jacket pocket. She seems even younger than the baby I found a few months ago. She is extremely exhausted and freezing -- she fell asleep as soon as she was close to something warm. She slept in my pocket, and she even fell asleep in my hand while I held her up for a picture. She was also famished, her crop was completely empty. I hand-fed her, then held her close to my body for 1.5 hours (she slept the entire time), then forced more food into her and set her up in the bathroom for now (warmest and quietest room in the house). Overall I'm optimistic that she will pull through, as she pooped and drank water on her own, and she flaps her wings and kicks and behaves like any baby pigeon. But, she is exhausted and she will need a lot of rest. She probably fell out of the nest in yesterday's storms. We'll see how she does when we get home after work. Barna

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Pictures from yesterday's SJACS "Home for the Holidays" Adoptathon
by Elizabeth Young 24 Oct '10

24 Oct '10

Hello- Here's a link to pictures from yesterday's SJACS "Home for the Holidays" Adoptathon http://picasaweb.google.com/AdoptKings/MickaCooMickabooAtTheSJACSHomeForThe… Thank you to Pam and Rachel and Leslie and Cheryl for staffing Mickaboo & MickaCoo's booth! e -- Elizabeth Until they all have homes, don't buy, don't breed- adopt. www.RescueReport.org www.MickaCoo.org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGjyooh3Yo0

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MickaCoo has taken in 19 new pigeons in the last two weeks
by Elizabeth Young 22 Oct '10

22 Oct '10

Hello- MickaCoo has taken in 19 new pigeons in the last two weeks, including thirteen dumped at Our Lady of Peace Church in Santa Clara (and three new doves as of tomorrow). Please be so kind as to check their stories at www.RescueReport.org<http://www.rescuereport.org/>and please share this link throughout your network. We are REALLY, REALLY stretched thin and need support. We need donations<http://www.rescuereport.org/2009/09/donate.html>to help pay vet bills, we need foster homes and we need adopters. Thank you for all your help. e -- Elizabeth Until they all have homes, don't buy, don't breed- adopt. www.RescueReport.org www.MickaCoo.org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGjyooh3Yo0

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Please Welcome Jaclyn- our newest volunteer
by Elizabeth Young 21 Oct '10

21 Oct '10

Hello- Jaclyn and her friend Rod have been VERY busy this past week and a half rescuing 13 (to date) king pigeons of 20-something that have been dumped at the Our Lady of Peace Church in Santa Clara. Prior to finding a king pigeon from the group that was being attacked by a hawk (Mogie who is recovering great), Jaclyn had never heard of king pigeons. She has joined MickaCoo not just as a finder but as a fellow rescuer- taking the injured and sick to vets, helping to build a cage for housing, fostering, fundraising and publicizing. Welcome, Jaclyn, and THANK YOU for helping these poor birds. MickaCoo would have been unable to take in so many without your and Rod's support. e -- Elizabeth Until they all have homes, don't buy, don't breed- adopt. www.RescueReport.org www.MickaCoo.org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGjyooh3Yo0

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Re: [MickaCoo] [Mickaboo Discuss] New study shows pigeons like to gamble
by Barna Mink 20 Oct '10

20 Oct '10

I've read this a few days ago, but I see no reason to find experiments on pigeons funny. This guy "has worked with pigeons for more than 35 years". Worked with? Hardly, as that implies cooperation on the part of the animals. More like "used". Just how many birds has he "worked with" throughout his long career as an animal experimenter, and also do pray tell, what important insights did his research bring us? We all know already that pigeons are intelligent animals. So they take chances... um, okay. What a shock. I wouldn't have guessed that! Like most if not all other animal experiments, this one too is using animals against their will and best interest to "prove" the most trivial and useless things. I bet these pigeons are purpose-bred for Mr. Zentall's research. They live in cages, they never see the sun, they never fly, and they are "culled" once they are not "useful" anymore to the research facility. Animal experimentation is just another brutal industry which sees animals as disposable commodities. I understand that scientists sometimes need to go public with some BS "research" to raise their profile and secure continued funds for their jobs, and that this creates these funny articles with a punchline, but at least we should be a little more willing to question and take a stand against experimentation on these magnificent animals. If not us, who? Barna On Oct 20, 2010, at 6:53 PM, John Graziano wrote: > Interesting implications for foraging and training... > > http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/44199/ > > Pigeon Gambling: Study Shows Pigeons Have Urge to Gamble > > Pigeon gambling? That’s what a scientist at the University of Kentucky is saying in a recent study which showed that, like people, some pigeons take risks to win prizes, according to a news release from the school. > > University of Kentucky psychology professor Thomas Zentall has been working with pigeons for more than 35 years. He conducted a study of the birds to test their affinity for gambling through pecking at lights for predetermined numbers of pellets, the news release said. > > Professor Zentall said if a pigeon pecked to the left, it would see a green or red light. After 10 seconds, the red light would reward the bird with 10 pellets but the green light would give nothing. Overall the birds would receive two pellets per trial on average, according to Zentall. > > Meanwhile, if pecking on the right side, a bird would receive either a blue or yellow light, which both would give out three pellets per trial. > > "You'd think that pigeons would choose the right side, but they don't," Zentall said in the news release. The study noted that most birds “reliably” chose the left side in hopes to get 10 pellets when zero was more likely, although some, like some humans, preferred not to gamble. > > Zentall likened the pigeons' behavior to gambling in lotteries and casinos, but noted that a few pigeons do not display this behavior. > > "It's more efficient not to gamble, and the likelihood of winning is low, but pigeons do it anyway. And so do people," he said. > > > > ------- HOW TO -------------------- > CHANGE PERSONAL SETTINGS: https://mickaboo.org/cgi-bin/mailman/options/discuss/ > VIEW LIST ARCHIVE: https://mickaboo.org/cgi-bin/mailman/private/discuss/ > HOW TO RESET YOUR LIST PASSWORD: > http://confluence.mickaboo.org/x/2wFj

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FW: [Mickaboo Discuss] New study shows pigeons like to gamble
by Elizabeth Y 20 Oct '10

20 Oct '10

-----Original Message----- From: John Graziano <jgraz(a)mac.com> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 6:53 PM To: General mickaboo discussion <discuss(a)mickaboo.org> Subject: [Mickaboo Discuss] New study shows pigeons like to gamble Interesting implications for foraging and training... http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/44199/ Pigeon Gambling: Study Shows Pigeons Have Urge to Gamble Pigeon gambling? Thats what a scientist at the University of Kentucky is saying in a recent study which showed that, like people, some pigeons take risks to win prizes, according to a news release from the school. University of Kentucky psychology professor Thomas Zentall has been working with pigeons for more than 35 years. He conducted a study of the birds to test their affinity for gambling through pecking at lights for predetermined numbers of pellets, the news release said. Professor Zentall said if a pigeon pecked to the left, it would see a green or red light. After 10 seconds, the red light would reward the bird with 10 pellets but the green light would give nothing. Overall the birds would receive two pellets per trial on average, according to Zentall. Meanwhile, if pecking on the right side, a bird would receive either a blue or yellow light, which both would give out three pellets per trial. "You'd think that pigeons would choose the right side, but they don't," Zentall said in the news release. The study noted that most birds reliably chose the left side in hopes to get 10 pellets when zero was more likely, although some, like some humans, preferred not to gamble. Zentall likened the pigeons' behavior to gambling in lotteries and casinos, but noted that a few pigeons do not display this behavior. "It's more efficient not to gamble, and the likelihood of winning is low, but pigeons do it anyway. And so do people," he said. ------- HOW TO -------------------- CHANGE PERSONAL SETTINGS: https://mickaboo.org/cgi-bin/mailman/options/discuss/ VIEW LIST ARCHIVE: https://mickaboo.org/cgi-bin/mailman/private/discuss/ HOW TO RESET YOUR LIST PASSWORD: http://confluence.mickaboo.org/x/2wFj

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Re: [MickaCoo] Help Needed: Lots of King Pigeons being dumped in Santa Clara!
by Cheryl Alley 18 Oct '10

18 Oct '10

If the Merc won't respond, the local community papers should be interested - so look for the local city paper that comes out once a week and call their editor. They way it gets out to the neighborhoods where the problem is actually happening (those papers automatically show up on everyone's driveway. The Vietnamese neighborhoods are pretty tight nit, but there a city mayor or district rep in that area that's Vietnamese. She might be worth approaching, but it's a sensitive cultural issue. The only reason I know this is a buddy of mine is Japanese and he's talked about how that community would like to get rid of all the local Mexicans, so they're not very inclusive. They've recreated Viet Nam in parts of San Jose and really stick together. Might want to see if there is a local church pastor for the Vietnamese community as well that could get the word out. I doubt that group reads the Merc anyway. Any there's a local Vietnamese newspaper as well, so you might want to talk with them (you could probably find one at a hair salon) - that's how you'll let them know there's a problem with what they're doing. I'm sure they think they are saving the birds by dumping them. Hope that gives you all some ideas. Cheryl

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Help Needed: Lots of King Pigeons being dumped in Santa Clara!
by Elizabeth Young 18 Oct '10

18 Oct '10

Hello- Last week there were a bunch of kings dumped at the Our Lady of Peace Church in Santa Clara and, thanks to good samaritans (and now MickaCoo's newest volunteers) Jaclyn & Rod, 7 of them are safe and being cared for. At least ANOTHER TEN have been dumped by a couple believed to speak Vietnamese. Three pigeons have been caught, one killed by a car and the fate of the others still TBD. We're absorbing the healthy, aviary-ready birds into foster aviaries and have 4 sick one in special care but are going to need help for any more sick or injured ones that come in. (Short-term foster in a dog-crate on a heating pad with likely twice daily meds and a vet trip.) If you can help foster sick birds OR if you speak/write Vietnamese (or know someone who does) or if you are in the area and can help stake out the area, please reply to me (AdoptKings(a)gmail.com) and to Jaclyn at jaclyn.alderete(a)gmail.com Also- four of the original seven caught have needed vet care and we know that at least of the three caught today will too. If you are able, please donate towards the cost of these poor birds care. Three were sick BEFORE being dumped (Paco, Lupita & Francis) and one was damn near killed by a hawk (Mogie). The link for donating is here- http://www.rescuereport.org/2009/09/donate.html and include "Our Lady of Peace Pigeons" in the comments/note section. Please share this with others as well. We've been too busy dealing with all these poor birds to get them up on the website or blog yet but that will be coming- stay tuned. Here's a link to some pictures on Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/album.php?aid=289581&id=7294212… -- Elizabeth Until they all have homes, don't buy, don't breed- adopt. www.RescueReport.org www.MickaCoo.org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGjyooh3Yo0

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