Santa Clara Valley Canary & Exotic Bird Club
January 13, 1980

POTLUCK - 1:00 P.M.
MEETING - 1:45 P.M.

A - G DESSERT
H - P HOT DISH
Q - Z SALAD

PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN TABLE SERVICE

AND SO WE START A NEW YEAR -

Whatever your hopes, your dreams, your needs I hope that this will be a year of fullfillment for you, a year when you will be healthier, happier, more prosperous than ever before. - CAL

Before I get into the news let me suggest for those of you who were not at the last meeting, just who our officers are:

President - Chuck Arella
Vice President - Howard Hansel
Secretary - Sue Mocko
Treasurer - Ralph Barnes
Newsette - Charlotte A. Le Doux

Members - at - Large
Ruth Mitchell
Joe Gordon
Bill Cooper
Mel Culrose
Leonard Quieto
Roland Skirrow

And the next item of importance - DUES ARE DUE - DUES ARE DUE - DUES ARE DUE!!! (See either Ralph or Delilah before, during, or after the meeting.)

Remember, you will not be sold any bands for 1980 until you have paid your DUES!!! And the 1980 bands (canary) are now available from Leonard Quieto.

A couple of left over notes about the show - the club received a very complimentary letter from Gene Hall (one of our judges) about our show and also what a great membership we had in our club. We donated $150. to Santa Clara High School for the use of their facilities.

Those of you who have been in the club for a while will remember Joan Armer and will be very happily surprised to know that she had a baby boy born last January 30. He is named Machael Geoffrey, and weighed in at 4.2 killograms (9.5 lbs.); he is already walking.

The next Executive Board Meeting will be held at the home of Joe Gordon on Friday January 25.

Our Vice President Howard Hansel is trying a new innovation this year - he is calling it "The Question of the Month". Hex is urging all members to phone, mail or hand him any question about birds. These may be big - or little, simple - or difficult, and about any type of bird. If he can't get an immediate answer for you, he will try to have it for the following meeting. He would like this to be an on-going project so that we won't have any frustrated members by the end of the year. And he wants to assure you that he is the first one to admit that he doesn't have "all the answers" - but will certainly keep trying till he solves your problems.

Some of the appointments for next year are as follows:
Show Chairman - Roland Skirrow
Assistant Show Chairman - Howard Hansel
Picnic - Jim Mocco
Raffle - Janice de Guc & Luis Drummond
Feather Show - Janet & Jon Gilio
Membership - Delilah Quieto
AFA - Charlotte Le Doux & Nickie McClatchie
Publicity - Ron & Mary Joyce Fournier
Historian - Caroline Hansel
Hospitality - Mae Skirrow

I have included in this newsletter a full page about the American Federation of Aviculture Western Regional Convention, to be held February 16, 17, and 18. As an integral part of the AFA, you are surely aware that the AFA now has some 70 affiliated avicultural organizations, associations and clubs, plus thousands of independent members. We are non-profit - governed only by our affiliates. We strive to serve and defend the rights of all ethical and legal bird keepers. The successful defense of these rights requires the active cooperation of us all.

This convention in February - at the San Francisco Airport Hilton - sounds like something you won't want to miss. The speakers on Sunday have been choosen so as to appeal to everyone - whatever type of birds he has - and the banquet on Sunday night with Dr. Jean Delacour from France as the speaker should be great. He is famous all over the world as an Aviculturist and Avian Author.

I highly recommend your attendance - plan ahead - save the date - make a reservation.

Our meeting for this month will be in the form of a Workshop - Jan. 13.

From our President - "As president for this new year I'm looking forward to working with all of you, and will welcome any suggestions you have to make the club more meaningful."

See you Sunday
Charlotte A. Le Doux


HOW DOES A BIRD SING?

Birds do not have a voice box as humans and animals do. Their song is produced by air being pushed into the Syrinx! And this - though not definately proven - is considered to be controlled by emotions.

The Syrinx (or voice organ) is situated at a point where the trachea divides into two bronchi, and involves the last three treacheal rings and the numbers of muscles acting upon it. The better singers may have as many as seven to nine pairs of syringeal muscle. In general - birds possessing more muscles are able to produce a wider variety of notes.

Sound is produced in each bronchus, thereby enabling the bird to give two notes simultaneously. The sound arises in each bronchus when the internal membrane fills the passage so that air from the lungs causes the membrane to vibrate. This vibration produces the sound waves - or song. An increase or decrease in the frequency of the sound waves causes the differences in the tone produced - or the variety and beauty in the song. The slower the sound waves - the lower the tones and vice versa.

So - if you want your birds to keep singing - don't upset their emotions - just keep them happy!


FIRST-AIDE Suggestion for the Beginner

Many things can happen very fast and a first-aide kit in your aviary will often save the life of one of your birds:

  1. Clippers - for beaks and toenails
  2. Eyebrow tweezers - for broken feathers
  3. Aureomycin - for an ailing bird
  4. Penicillin ointment (without prescription) - for eye infections
  5. Styptic powder or cornstarch - to stop external bleeding
  6. A small covered or enclosed cage with a light for heat is very important to a sick bird

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