Aa
For Honey and other Avian Enthusiasts
" Was interested in what kind of parrot you have? Do you have lots of experience with all kinds? I always wanted one that talked but many say,,,they can be annoying at times!"
Right now I have 4 parrots and 2 parakeets.
a blue-front Amazon
a feral Monk or 'Quaker" parrot
a plum-head parrot
Lutino cockatiel
In general, each bird has to have their own cage unless they're the same species. Even then, with the bigger birds like Amazons and Cockatoos, African greys, Eclectus, McCaws, etc. they have to have their own territory coz they can be unpredicatble, nmoody and aggressive, especially during molting and breeding seasons.
(Sounds a little like Forum, doesn't it? - JUST A JOKE!!!!).
Some species are known to be better talkers than others. The African grey is probably the best. There's a documentary out about "Alex" the African grey, who has a working vocabulary of 500 plus words.
Mine don't talk but that's coz I spoil em rotten and give em whatever they want and don't make them do much in return except look beautiful and act entertaining.
I don't clip their wings so they all fly free every day for 3-6 hours. Venus(the amazon) and Wyntre (the Quaker)follow me through the house up and down stairs.
There are a couple of really good docs about parrots and I'll post the titles soon as I can find them.
Right now I have 4 parrots and 2 parakeets.
a blue-front Amazon
a feral Monk or 'Quaker" parrot
a plum-head parrot
Lutino cockatiel
In general, each bird has to have their own cage unless they're the same species. Even then, with the bigger birds like Amazons and Cockatoos, African greys, Eclectus, McCaws, etc. they have to have their own territory coz they can be unpredicatble, nmoody and aggressive, especially during molting and breeding seasons.
(Sounds a little like Forum, doesn't it? - JUST A JOKE!!!!).
Some species are known to be better talkers than others. The African grey is probably the best. There's a documentary out about "Alex" the African grey, who has a working vocabulary of 500 plus words.
Mine don't talk but that's coz I spoil em rotten and give em whatever they want and don't make them do much in return except look beautiful and act entertaining.
I don't clip their wings so they all fly free every day for 3-6 hours. Venus(the amazon) and Wyntre (the Quaker)follow me through the house up and down stairs.
There are a couple of really good docs about parrots and I'll post the titles soon as I can find them.
I bred African Grey's for 5 yr's.They are the smartest birds to my knowledge.Also, I've heard crows are too .They are the only birds(African Grey's), that can pick up you, your child, spouse, phone, doorbell, frig., or microwave to an exact science.Imagine your voice speaking back.If you want to own an inevitable two yr. old mentality all the time, purchase a parrot.Also, remember parrots bites get to muscle, macaws to bone.As they mature, males in peticular get nippy during the spring or mating season.I would have to look back but it's like 900 lbs. of pressure they have behind their bites and it hurts.They take chunks.
Poop.You can teach to go to potty on demand but it's usually the domesticated one's who you can teach.Get them as a baby, younger the better.They are costly.$900.00 for an African Grey Baby.I've handfed many and it's an art.They are very interesting and you almost have to clean daily.Some poop in their own water.They live as long or longer than humans.If fed human foods and 1/4 seed.Some foods are restricted as chocolate, apple seeds and a few others.They eat as we do.Also, they are known to chew off a foot if tangeled in something.I didn't mean to but in.I just wanted to share a little in case anyone decides to purchase a bird.They are a big responsibility.I finally got my always wanted baby hanfed african grey.They don't start speaking words till the age of two.He could make all kinds of sounds.My little girl was two at the time and wanted to spend hours in his cage daily.I just knew Chaos would take and eye, finger, etc. so I sold him but maybe someday I may get another.Good Luck if you guys get one.They are fun to a certain degree.You just have to be the boss.They also choose a mate for a lifetime.If they choose you, the'll regurgitate their food to feed you.lol T.
Poop.You can teach to go to potty on demand but it's usually the domesticated one's who you can teach.Get them as a baby, younger the better.They are costly.$900.00 for an African Grey Baby.I've handfed many and it's an art.They are very interesting and you almost have to clean daily.Some poop in their own water.They live as long or longer than humans.If fed human foods and 1/4 seed.Some foods are restricted as chocolate, apple seeds and a few others.They eat as we do.Also, they are known to chew off a foot if tangeled in something.I didn't mean to but in.I just wanted to share a little in case anyone decides to purchase a bird.They are a big responsibility.I finally got my always wanted baby hanfed african grey.They don't start speaking words till the age of two.He could make all kinds of sounds.My little girl was two at the time and wanted to spend hours in his cage daily.I just knew Chaos would take and eye, finger, etc. so I sold him but maybe someday I may get another.Good Luck if you guys get one.They are fun to a certain degree.You just have to be the boss.They also choose a mate for a lifetime.If they choose you, the'll regurgitate their food to feed you.lol T.
Oh My....
Amazing how they can live & function with a handicap like that!
When we went to Charelston in October.. we met a PIGION this lady had at the market... it's name was PEG... because it had a PEG LEG.... she said a hawk swooped down & got it & she rescued it... it's still "in the wild" so to speak & not caged... but it won't go anywhere & appears to LOVE the lady for rescuing it!!!
The Quaker I had was my first & only bigger bird... (i have had finches before)...so I didn't know much about them.. (Still Don't) but evidently they are a bit peculiar...
I went out of town once for a week & I guess the Bird got mad at me... & when I came home I had NO Idea That my daughter had it out of the cage... It Immediately flew over & swooped down at me (I was wearing a tank top) & it latched on to my flesh right between the shoulder blades on my back & attacked the you know what out of me... needless to say it drew MUCH blood... I felt like a victim out of that Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Birds"... to be such little things... they sure can HURT you!!!
Think IF I ever do get another bird... I might be better off sticking to finches...LoL
;)
Amazing how they can live & function with a handicap like that!
When we went to Charelston in October.. we met a PIGION this lady had at the market... it's name was PEG... because it had a PEG LEG.... she said a hawk swooped down & got it & she rescued it... it's still "in the wild" so to speak & not caged... but it won't go anywhere & appears to LOVE the lady for rescuing it!!!
The Quaker I had was my first & only bigger bird... (i have had finches before)...so I didn't know much about them.. (Still Don't) but evidently they are a bit peculiar...
I went out of town once for a week & I guess the Bird got mad at me... & when I came home I had NO Idea That my daughter had it out of the cage... It Immediately flew over & swooped down at me (I was wearing a tank top) & it latched on to my flesh right between the shoulder blades on my back & attacked the you know what out of me... needless to say it drew MUCH blood... I felt like a victim out of that Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Birds"... to be such little things... they sure can HURT you!!!
Think IF I ever do get another bird... I might be better off sticking to finches...LoL
;)
OK. I confess. I was lying about "almost laughing now."
It still isn't funny.
And when it happened, well, between trying to catch her, coz she was understandably freaked, and getting her in a carrier and trying to calm her down and thinking the whole time she was gonna bleed to death and then getting her to the stupid vet who opened the carrier and she promptly flew off three more times and I had to get her each time coz he was useless and i kept thinking she was gonmna have a heart attack. . .
and then I held her while he examined her and he said what I'd figured I would hear all along, which is there's nothing he could do . . .
well, I was bawling my eyes out on the drive there and back to the cottage and for weeks after. I had to keep her isolated (from her sister) and the toes got black and fell off and she had a hard time holding onto the perch.
I found another home for Wyntre, the quaker, as i couldn't stand to endanger any of my other birds and I felt like I just couldn't trust him.
So I placed him with a falconer friend of mine.
Luckily, the story ended happily.
The parakeet made a full recovery, doesn't even miss her toes, perches just fine
and I took Wyntre back, too.
What happened wasn't his fault. He's a feral Quaker parrot.
It was mine. I should have known better.
It still isn't funny.
And when it happened, well, between trying to catch her, coz she was understandably freaked, and getting her in a carrier and trying to calm her down and thinking the whole time she was gonna bleed to death and then getting her to the stupid vet who opened the carrier and she promptly flew off three more times and I had to get her each time coz he was useless and i kept thinking she was gonmna have a heart attack. . .
and then I held her while he examined her and he said what I'd figured I would hear all along, which is there's nothing he could do . . .
well, I was bawling my eyes out on the drive there and back to the cottage and for weeks after. I had to keep her isolated (from her sister) and the toes got black and fell off and she had a hard time holding onto the perch.
I found another home for Wyntre, the quaker, as i couldn't stand to endanger any of my other birds and I felt like I just couldn't trust him.
So I placed him with a falconer friend of mine.
Luckily, the story ended happily.
The parakeet made a full recovery, doesn't even miss her toes, perches just fine
and I took Wyntre back, too.
What happened wasn't his fault. He's a feral Quaker parrot.
It was mine. I should have known better.
No, No... no more birds for me.. maybe one day... but not now I have my hands full as it is between my dog & my grandchild!
That's pretty cool your bird showing up like that.. especially were you are located...But OMG... I'd of FREAKED about the toe incident... I'd of been afraid the poor thing would bleed to death before I could get it to the Doc...!!! Shish... !!!
I watched a documentary on the feral community's in South Florida once... it was actually very interresting!
Glad the little bird survived... even if it is a few toes lighter.... !!!
;)
That's pretty cool your bird showing up like that.. especially were you are located...But OMG... I'd of FREAKED about the toe incident... I'd of been afraid the poor thing would bleed to death before I could get it to the Doc...!!! Shish... !!!
I watched a documentary on the feral community's in South Florida once... it was actually very interresting!
Glad the little bird survived... even if it is a few toes lighter.... !!!
;)
Thanks for posting! You have lots of birds! Yes,,some friends of mine had a cockatiel and she was the sweetest bird. They are quite expensive though because at one time,,,I was looking at a macaw and it was over 1000 and then of course you need a cage and all. I take it you have just birds and no other pets(dogs or cats) I have both so that is why I have always held back on getting one! My hubby has always been a big fan of the African Grey!
"My (X) husband gave her to me... & I should have known anything coming from him would BITE"
hahahah.
Quakers are one of the most territorial of the medium sized parrots.
She probably thought your kids hair was her nest and anything unusual (in her view) was regarded as an intruder.
My feral, who literally flew into a cage on my deck on Dec. 21, (the solstice) took a long time to calm down.
I didn't realize just how territorial she was. One day my parakeets were flying free, (Wyntre was in her cage). The blue female landed on the Quakers cage and Wyntre chomped off two of her toes.
I can (almost) laugh about it now but at the time, well it's like how you felt when your bird escaped. You just feel so repsonsible.
After hours of driving around looking for a vet (I was up in the mountains on vacation) I finally got her treated. The vet didn't do a damn thing, naturally, just charged me a couple of hundred bucks. I went there more to soothe my guilty conscience.
Anyway, the parakeet made a full recovery, though she'd missing two toes on one foot, and now I'm super careful to never let Wyntre fly free with any of the rest of the flock except the Amazon, who's twice her size.
I've lost a number of birds over the years, a couple of gorgeous miniature diamond doves, a couple of parakeets, a cockatiel, and it never gets any easier.
My solution is no more birds, but somehow they keep finding me. Like the Quaker. What are the chances of a feral Quaker flying into a cage on a deck in the NYC-metro area suburbs?
If there are other feral flocks in GA, your Quaker might have joined them.
"I think of her often & although she was mean... I still miss her!"
You could get another. There are always birds who need foster homes or
permanent rescue.
Mine wasn't the sweetist bird at all... but she definately had a lot of personality!
My (X) husband gave her to me... & I should have known anything coming from him would BITE... Ha! She had drawn blood on more than one occation! She put the fear of God in my children, she didn't like anything in their hair... & of-couse my girls always wore barrets, or the hair in a pony tail.... so the chase & attack was on!
Wyntre,
Yea... that what we were thinking & hoped.... Those birds aren't legal in Ga either (because the winters aren't cold enough) & they don't want the escaped birds flocking & mating.... we think she had/has a good chance because herwings had NEVER been clipped either!...
Knowing her she probably landed on some poor kids head who started screeming & had to be resqued by their parent.. & any adult would know that this was not a wild native bird... so probably rescued the bird &/or found it a good home too!
I printed out over 500 two page color flyers & distributed them... only to get into trouble by the mailman whom said that I was not allowed to put flyers in peoples mailboxes as it was federal property!
I think of her often & although she was mean... I still miss her!
;)
My (X) husband gave her to me... & I should have known anything coming from him would BITE... Ha! She had drawn blood on more than one occation! She put the fear of God in my children, she didn't like anything in their hair... & of-couse my girls always wore barrets, or the hair in a pony tail.... so the chase & attack was on!
Wyntre,
Yea... that what we were thinking & hoped.... Those birds aren't legal in Ga either (because the winters aren't cold enough) & they don't want the escaped birds flocking & mating.... we think she had/has a good chance because herwings had NEVER been clipped either!...
Knowing her she probably landed on some poor kids head who started screeming & had to be resqued by their parent.. & any adult would know that this was not a wild native bird... so probably rescued the bird &/or found it a good home too!
I printed out over 500 two page color flyers & distributed them... only to get into trouble by the mailman whom said that I was not allowed to put flyers in peoples mailboxes as it was federal property!
I think of her often & although she was mean... I still miss her!
;)
If her wings weren't clipped she might have survived. They're really strong birds and very adaptable. (that's not true for most parrots, the Quakers are unusual in that respect) There's a thriving colony on the Jersey side of the Hudson River, across from Manhattan and there's another one in Brooklyn College.
There's also a parakeet Colony in Brooklyn.
But I know you must have been heart-broken.
There's also a parakeet Colony in Brooklyn.
But I know you must have been heart-broken.
I had a Quacker Parrot....
I still have some of her eggs in a basket...
She was sooo cute & quite a talker....
She got away though while I was on TX.... It was my fault & I handled the situation wrong... she probably thought I chased her off.... I still feel bad about that!
;(
I still have some of her eggs in a basket...
She was sooo cute & quite a talker....
She got away though while I was on TX.... It was my fault & I handled the situation wrong... she probably thought I chased her off.... I still feel bad about that!
;(
They sound like good company! I guess you did alot of reading about birds. Since I don't know anything about them, I'd be afraid that I wouldn't know if they weren't feeling good. I'm used to dogs so I can tell when they don't feel good but I bet you can tell when your birds aren't feeling good too.
They cost about as much as some dogs too. At least you don't have to walk them like a dog.
Make sure you bring your birds when we go to Mikes farm. I'm bringing my dog along with the homeless guy who makes my organic ketchup.
See ya later!
They cost about as much as some dogs too. At least you don't have to walk them like a dog.
Make sure you bring your birds when we go to Mikes farm. I'm bringing my dog along with the homeless guy who makes my organic ketchup.
See ya later!
"Wyntre! Wow! I know nothing about birds. The Amazon is big, right? Any of the other ones big?"
Venus, the blue-front Amazon, is about the size of a large pigeon.
"They fly around free? But what about poopy?"
It's all vegetarian and biodegradable. :) I have wood floors. I just clean it up. Although you can train parrots to go on cue, like dogs. i just don't have the patience and I don't really care. (it's just me and the flock) i mean, it's annoying, sometimes, but so is everything else in life, right?
'Really though? Do they fly back into the cage."
"No they fly OUT of their cages to poop somewhere ELSE, especially Venus, the "amazon,. I swear she does it on purpose. Saves it up just for me.
PS - there is such a thing as a parrot diaper but I've never tried it on her. Somehow, I don't think she'd be too cooperative. After all, she's got me to take care of those mundane tasks like cleaning up her s***.
'Those birds cost alot of money too right?"
My amazon is a rescue bird, so are the quaker (flew into a cage on my deck) the cockatiel and the plum-head.
Breeders charge 1,000 and up for amazons. Plum heads go for 7 to 8 hundred. Quakers aren't exactly allowed here but I'm sure mine is from the feral colony along the Hudson. (the flock that was blamed for the big northeast blackout a couple of years ago? Con Ed and PSEG tried to pin it on feral quakers roosting and building nests in the wires to cover their a**.)
"Amazon lives a long time if I remember correctly. What about the other birds life span?"
Longest recorded life span of a blue front is 98 years!
Quakers can live 25-35 years.
Plum-heads about the same
cockatiels anywhere from 10 to 25
parakeets 8 to 15
"Are they affectionate?'
That's their middle name. Especially hand raised birds. (Although I know Venus was a captive import BEFORE all the great humane laws were passed about 15 or 20 years ago. Another post) She sits on my shoulder, or my knee, and bows her head and wants me to scritch her usually for 20 minutes or so. Then she grooms my hair, I mean, my feathers.)
Wyntre! Wow! I know nothing about birds. The Amazon is big, right? Any of the other ones big?
They fly around free? That's good. I feel sorry for birds stuck in cages. But what about poopy? (oh no another poop thread ha!)
Really though? Do they fly back into the cage to go to the bathroom?
Those birds cost alot of money too right? Amazon lives a long time if I remember correctly. What about the other birds life span?
Are they affectionate?
They fly around free? That's good. I feel sorry for birds stuck in cages. But what about poopy? (oh no another poop thread ha!)
Really though? Do they fly back into the cage to go to the bathroom?
Those birds cost alot of money too right? Amazon lives a long time if I remember correctly. What about the other birds life span?
Are they affectionate?
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