Feather duster budgerigar Feather duster budgerigar Feather duster budgerigars ("Melopsittacus undulatus"), sometimes called budgerigar mops, are budgerigars that have a condition characterised by overly long feathers that do not stop growing at usual periods, giving the bird the appearance of a feather duster. This condition is sometimes known as chrysanthemum feathering. The contour, tail and flight feathers do not stop growing, and they do not have the necessary barbs and barbules for the feather's structure to interlock. The shaft (calamus) is also curved, and so the feathers appear deformed and fluffed out. Individuals with this condition often appear less alert than nest mates.
Leonard Cohen: Bird on a Wire phone call from Herb Cohen, Frank Zappa's former manager, telling him that he had located dozens of boxes labelled "Bird on a Wire." Machat had died in 1988, but his son Steven obtained and delivered all 296 film canisters to Palmer. Since the negative was not available, Palmer used the soundtrack to reconstruct the film to its original form. The film stock was in fragile condition, some disintegrating to the touch. Restoring the film required piecing together the film from 3,000 fragments. The film was then sent to Cohen, who wrote back that he was "glad the problem has been