pappers past

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Last year The Most Expensive Bird In The World

$clic

Bought by a Kuwaiti for 1,200,000 Saudi Riyal.

Red Cross Animal Lifesaver Award

Lifesaver Award

Red Cross Animal Lifesaver Award

Willie, a Quaker parrot, is the first bird to win the American Red Cross Animal Lifesaver Award. Willie alerted his owner to a choking toddler by squawking, “Momma, baby. Momma, baby.” when 2 year old Hannah was choking on a Pop Tart. The owner, Megan Howard, performed the Heimlich just in time as Hannah’s lips and face were turning blue. Megan knew there was an emergency as Willie is normally a quiet bird. Megan notes that Willie started to screaming and flapping his wings. There was panic in his voice like she had never heard before from Willie. Megan is Hannah’s babysitter not mother. Needless to say, Hannah’s mother is grateful to both Willie and Megan.Red Cross spokesman, Jim Rettew, stated, "Obviously, Willie played a very important role in saving a little girl's life. This was not just a bird chirping for his food. He saw that there was an emergency and used exemplary behavior to notify the babysitter that the child was choking."Usually dogs are recognized by the American Red Cross with the Animal Lifesaver Award. The Denver chapter of the American Red Cross had nominated Willie for the award.

Papagaio salva garotinha e vira herói nos EUA

Thursday, March 26, 2009

glob.com

DENVER, March 24 (UPI) -- A pet parrot was honored with the Colorado Red Cross' Animal Lifesaver Award after it alerted a babysitter that a baby was choking.
Willie the parrot, owned by Megan Howard, was given the award at a ceremony Friday that was also attended by Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and other Red Cross honorees -- which except for Willie were all human, KCNC-TV, Denver, reported Tuesday.
Howard said she had brought Willie with her while she was babysitting for toddler Hannah Kuusk in November. She said she had went to the bathroom while the child was eating breakfast and heard Willie repeatedly shout: "Mama, baby!"
The babysitter said she found Hannah was choking on her breakfast and had begun to turn blue. She performed the Heimlich maneuver and cleared the toddler's airway.
"He's kind of small and he's just a bird but he's in there with all of these people that have gone above and beyond just to save people's lives and it's an honor to be in there and know he's recognized for what he did," Howard said.
© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Michael Pestel

For the birds: Ensemble gives concert for National Aviary residents, guests
A most peculiar concert took flight yesterday at the National Aviary. But it was not until a petite and prideful trumpeter joined the jam session that it really took off.

That's because this was no ordinary musician, but a grey-winged trumpeter, a native bird of South America's tropical forests. It was responding to the musical musings of the Syrinx Ensemble, performing a concert literally for the birds at the North Side sanctuary.
Led by flutist Michael Pestel, the quartet of musicians sought to liven up the birds' day with a peripatetic concert he hoped would stimulate them, even to the point of interaction.

"I don't want to overpower the birds, but to respond to their sounds and rhythms," said Mr. Pestel, a former professor of art at Chatham College and current visiting lecturer at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. "I want to be a bird among birds."
While the exotic birds of the spacious Tropical Rainforest and Wetlands of the Americas exhibit rooms likely weren't fooled by the local musicians -- Mr. Pestel, singer Eden McNutt, saxophonist Ben Opie and bassist Tracy Mortimore -- they seemed to enjoy the tones.
"They are definitely responding; the birds are more vocal." said Erin Estell, manager of animal programs at the aviary. She said the birds' general chatter level in the rooms was significantly increased. "It seems to be enriching for the birds."Some of the birds were more than just stimulated by the improvisatory serenade. A few chose to interact with the performers, who used extended techniques on their instrument to mimic bird song. By forcefully blowing air into his flute and by inserting a dowel inside the instrument,

Mr. Pestel was able to create a whimsical sound that attracted the attention of that curious grey-winged trumpeter. Chirping and tweeting made for a strange duet with the dulcet tones of a modern flute.
Later another trumpeter arrived, crooning to the accompaniment of the saxophone.
Elsewhere, an emerald green macaw took a keen liking to Mr. Mortimore's walking bass line. "He likes to follow me around," said the bassist.
The affair engaged aviary patrons, too, including several children who Mr. Pestel encouraged to participate by shaking various noisemakers and birdcalls.
"A good time was had by all species," said Patricia Carpenter of Squirrel Hill.

While this is the first such interactive concert by the Syrinx Ensemble, Mr. Pestel has visited the aviary for years on his own and with other musicians.

Another group now called panTonal has worked with him on sound installations and performances in the Pittsburgh area.

Mr. Pestel's work with the Australian lyrebird was celebrated in the book and CD "Why Birds Sing," by David Rothenberg, which attempts to further understand the evolutionary reasons for bird song.
The concert yesterday also served to show bird song's influence on humans.
"There is a definite connection between bird song and human music," said Mr. Pestel. For instance, "the liocichla sings a perfect pentatonic scale."

Syrinx Ensemble

Composers and songwriters have long been intrigued with imitating bird song, from folk songs to Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" to Messiaen's "Reveil des Oiseaux." Einojuhani Rautavaaras' "Cantus Arcticus," a concerto for birds and orchestra, and Lee Hyla's "Wilson's Ivory Bill" are recent examples of ornithological works incorporating recordings of actual birds singing.
But few Western composers actually write music that is to be performed with and for real birds.

It is more of an Eastern tradition. Judging from this performance, it should happen more often.
"I think they enjoy it," Mr. Pestel said.
First published on January 9, 2006 at 12:00 am

Monday, January 09, 2006
By Andrew Druckenbrod, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette