Biosketch

My History
Although California-born, I grew up around Dallas, Texas; graduated from UT Austin; and lived in the Austin, Texas area for many years. I have now retired and relocated to the countryside of Comanche County, Oklahoma.

I have frequently had flying dreams, and I loved 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull'—both the book and the movie. I have always felt very close to birds. My first bird, Tweetie Boy, was a green budgie I received on my 7th birthday. He talked, did tricks, and was a much-loved member of our family during the next decade. When I left for college, he stayed with my folks and later kept my grandparents company.

In years past, I've raised Arabian horses and maintained MacDonald's farm when my kids were in FFA and 4H. My daughter still has horses, as do I, and even though I now share my home with a lot of birds, I also love the sight, sound, smell, and feel of a sensitive and responsive horse! When I want to experience what really loud and pulsing to the core is, I enjoy the Austin Taiko Drumming group.

FCA's History
Feathered Companions Aviary began almost 20 years ago when I received a cockatiel companion who reminded me how much I love to interact with birds. I bred cockatiels for a while, but then I fell in love with a special sun conure, Solay. He and his mate Suzie have been with me since 1995. Through them, I learned about co-parenting, being included in a flock, and sharing deep affection with feathered creatures.

As the "bird fever" grew, I acquired more types of parrots and finally made some hard decisions that led to my specializing in smaller species  that I felt were most adaptable to human and bird flocks. My wonderful sun conures continue to be excellent feathered ambassadors. The plucky Pyrrhura conures have become a major focus, and my appreciation for the feisty and beautiful parrotlets and the sweet lineolated parakeets is growing.  All my birds have inspired me to write articles of my experiences and to help educate others.

Through many bird e-lists, I have networked with like-minded people, and I am currently President of the Pyrrhura Breeders Association and the Oklahoma state coordinator for the American Federation of Aviculture (AFA). I actively support responsible birdkeeping, as well as organizations that are concerned with the well-being and re-homing of parrots (and not the "warehousing" of birds to generate donations).

The Future
My primary joys are my birds and participating in the best that aviculture and related endeavors have to offer. I will continue to home-raise handfed, socialized youngsters that can be pets and/or breeders—individuals that interact with both the "extended" flock and with people. I also will continue to learn and expand my "reality" in regards to these special companion birds. I will pass on what I've learned to those just starting or who are also questing to increase their knowledge and understanding in aviculture. I believe that all aviculturists have an obligation to provide the best care for, and access to owner-education about, these wonderful feathered creatures that share our homes and hearts.

I will also continue to enjoy trail riding with friends and family, and perhaps breeding an occasional mare, although that will be done with care and forethought, as the equine industry right now has challenges in most areas, attributable to both the economy AND the actions of the "animal rights" industry.

I am a member of the following avicultural and animal-welfare-related, and civil liberties organizations: Pyrrhura Breeders Association (PBA), Avicultural Society of America (ASA), American Federation of Aviculture (AFA), International Conure Association (ICA), Parrotlet Alliance (PAI), National Avian Welfare Alliance (NAWA), Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA), Oklahoma Animal Interest Alliance (OAIA), Responsible Pet Owners Alliance (RPOA), Animal Agriculture Alliance (AAA),  Oklahoma Farm Bureau (OFB), National Rifle Association (NRA), and American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Animal Rights/Prohibition Fanatics and Thieves
I am very cognizant of (and actively oppose) the ongoing legislative encroachments of supporters of the “animal rights" aka "animal prohibition" philosophy (e.g., H$U$, PeTA, AWC, ALDF, ASPCA, et al) that embrace fascist ideologies, use "propaganda mill" BIG LIE strategy and "Moving the Middle" tactics, and eagerly trample on *human rights* to promote their agenda. H$U$, for example, is the "animal rights" INDUSTRY leader ("living off the backs of animals", as they accuse the animal industry of doing), and at this time this organization is the biggest single threat to the U.S. livestock industry, as well as to companion animal breeding and sales. This is BIG BUSINESS at the expense of the taxpayer (whose resources are fighting bad bills in almost every state). These deceitful and immoral organizations attempt to force compliance with their anti-animal-use agendas by lying to the public to gain its support, and through intimidation of animal owners/breeders with egregious anti-animal and anti-human legislation. I fully understand that no matter how persuasive the AR industry rhetoric is, their ultimate goal (after they have made their billions and control the U.S. animal population) is to break the human/animal bond and take away the public’s access to ALL companion animals (including exotic birds) through incrementally legislating and eliminating breeders, and thus the availability of home-raised, socialized pets.  If there are no breeders, our grandchildren will have no pets.

In addition, I educate about coat-tail opportunists who use the AR industry propaganda to hoard or 'warehouse' birds, assist with wrongful seizures, and exploit the animals under the guise of animal welfare, and which in reality gives true "rescue" a negative image. I also work to expose those organizations, including those that seize (steal) animals (privately *owned* property) under color of law, including using enabling ordinances (that give unconstitutional power to such thieves) under the guise of "animal welfare", and then adopting out (RE-SELLING) for a profit the seized animals, most of which miraculously become adoptable ($alable) almost immediately, despite claims of "horrific conditions". Breeders are intimidated and threatened with high fines and jail time unless they *voluntarily* relinquish ownership of most or all of their animals. In some states (e.g., Texas) local "traffic courts" are *shopped* by seizing agencies for JPs (that don't have to be attorneys) who will find in their favor and set unreasonably high bonds for the victimized owner to have to come up with in order to appeal to a *real court* for DUE PROCESS. Isn't that terrorism and racketeering at work?

I wholeheartedly support legitimate rescues and re-homing individuals and groups. Like most breeders, I help in re-homing birds when possible.

Friends don't let friends donate to H$U$ or PeTA! **Flash! H$U$ continues to discriminate against animal breeders with BIG LIE legislation in most states and at the federal level!**

More Information, Links, and Contact
Please visit my other pages and the Links page, which includes a whole world of avian networking articles and pictures. Contact me with specific questions about my birds.

Cordially,
Marcy Covault

   
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Disclaimer:
Articles and observations are our experience only. Each person should rely on common sense, personal research,
and professional avian veterinarian advice to determine their own actions with their birds.
This site last updated on September 2, 2010.