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Pet parrot begins mimicking ospreys
“We have had the website on so much Sailor has started to mimic the pleading cry Aila makes."
Habit picked up after watching online footage of osprey nest

A pet parrot has begun to mimic the call of an osprey after her owners started watching online footage of a nest in the Scottish Highlands.

Sailor, a 24-year-old African grey parrot, lives in Yorkshire with her owners Stuart and Sue Brannen, who became hooked on live footage of a pair of ospreys, Aila and Louis.

The nest is at Loch Arkaig Forest in Lochaber, which was recently purchased by the Woodland Trust Scotland, in partnership with Arkaig Community Forest. The nest camera is solar powered and will capture live footage throughout the summer.

Retired merchant seaman Stuart Brannen, 70, said: “We have had the website on so much Sailor has started to mimic the pleading cry Aila makes when she wants Louis to feed her. It is remarkable! If you are in the other room you can’t tell if it is the osprey or the parrot making the noise.”

George Anderson of Woodland Trust Scotland added: “It seems our nest cam has brought a real call of the wild into people’s homes. Aside from Sailor we have heard there is a budgie somewhere which also thinks it’s an osprey now!”

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."