Who Has Parrots?

[Chickerdoodle13]

I don't own parrots myself but I've worked at a parrot sanctuary for six years now. I really recommend meeting the bird first and then making a decision after that. In fact, go meet the bird a few times. Birds have a tendency to "choose" their people. Some may love you and others may just really really hate you. If you end up with a bird that just doesn't want to be yours (I know, that sounds strange) it can turn into a nightmare owning that bird! I usually know fairly quick after I meet a bird whether or not they like me. I've had some practically attached to my shoulder because they just loved being with me so much, but the other workers in the sanctuary would not go near the same bird!

Other than that, the one thing that scares me about actually owning a large parrot is that they live such a long time. I fear that would be very constrictive to my lifestyle. At least with a dog or cat you could get a pet sitter or put them in a kennel, but a parrot can be tricky. However, if you don't travel much and you get along with the bird, and you don't mind their mess (And yes, even ONE bird can be really, really messy!) then this arrangement may work out very well. After you meet the bird, you can make a decision from there. You may fall in love at first sight or you may have some doubts and decide it's not for you.

Good luck with your decision and I do hope you decide to give the bird a home! Feel free to ask if you have more questions.

 

[bagendhens]

good point about the mess chicker...

theres 3 thigns my macaw does very well...
1: make noise
2: destroy things (hes a small woodchipper lol)
3: make a mess...infact he likes ot toss his food across the room then call the dogs...yay!

 

[MNShepherdess]

Greys aren't quite as destructive as macaws or 'toos, but they can be. I would definitely take the advice of meeting the bird first. We got lucky with our Sammy, he loves both my mother and I (since I'll be inheriting him someday), and tolerates my fiance. They're wonderful, lovey birds. Also, if you're allergic to dust, they're not nearly as dusty as 'toos, but they are very dusty. Lots of baths and spritz's will help, but in the end, still dusty. They are a wonderful bird though, and I would say go ahead if s/he likes you

Rayna

@bagendhens - LOVE the comparison between your macaw and a small wood chipper...Had a Umbrella 'too I was sitting for a friend, and he found every remote, calculator or anything else with buttons and pulled all the buttons off before ripping it apart, pulling out all the guts, throwing them everywhere and laughing while he did it

They're amazing, albeit frusterating animals ;-) hehehe

 

[andalusn]

We are home #3 for our African Grey, a Congo. This is due to everyone wanting the best home for this bird. He was hand raised as chick by a co-worker (woman) and he was part of her family of animals and small children for a few years. They also have a very large dog that tried to eat the bird one day. After that he was re-homed to another co-worker that has many birds. They did fine but she always felt he was not in his element. When She started dating a new man that entered her like it became quite apparent that the bird preferred men. I enter the picture by joining the Company and we get to know one another and that I have had birds over the years. Somehow she offers me the chance for the bird to meet my older teenage son at that time and I bring the bird home for a planned week long visit. It was like someone flipped his switch. My house is not quiet, my son had friends over (all male) and the bird just started jabbering, scolding my dogs, telling the cats NO when they scratched the furniture. The list goes on and on

He is very situational and his responses appropriate t the moment.

As it turns out he adores my son but his person is my DH. He is very happy, loves to watch Star Wars and his room is the family room where he can be involved in everything. I can't pick him up from his cage like they do, I would regret it but if he winds up on the floor he will walk to me and step up and we do fine and I can hold him and visit with him. He started out his life in a home of computer gamers, named after a game characters and he likes to hear sound bites from Utube from the game they must have played all the time as he calls for reinforcements and shoots his ray guns

he charms us all except for my dogs when he makes their squeaky toy noise just to mess with them.

 

[flgardengirl]

I have a yellow nape amazon who speaks both English and Spanish and also a little German. We bought but really rescued him from a pet store in AZ. He belonged to the owner before he put him in the pet store to be sold. He had lived his entire life on a manzanita perch that was huge in diameter. He was a few years old (supposedly) when we got him but his feet were in bad shape due to not being able to walk on different sized perches or even the ground. He couldn't make his foot flat..it was kinda contractured. Plus he was not tame at all, bit everybody and was terrified of big hair or towels. Like major petrified. He has since bonded strongly to my youngest son who has disabilities. He lets others hold him but he loves my youngest son the best.

Anyhow, he has been a huge joy in our lives for the last 17 years. He sings, whistles, immitates every noise in the house: phones, microwaves, zippers from bookbags etc.
He can mimic anybody in our families' voice and some on TV. He loves Wheel of Fortune and will scream out the letters and gets all excited. He likes SouthPark and Family Guy and repeats all the naughty words. Since he is in the living room he hears way too much stuff on cable lol. He has grown up with my kids and thinks he is one of them. Oftentimes he says things at completely appropriate times and I know he understands quite a bit because I can ask him stuff and he will answer appropriately. He also loves to carry on phone conversations by himself, lol ,which can get pretty hilarious.
He probably has as large of vocabulary as most adults or larger and every day or two will say something new. He practices certain words and get down in the bottom of his cage and mutters them quietly to himself but sometimes just will say something new out of the blue. He likes to try and sing to guitar hero lol.
Sometimes I put him out on the covered screenporch when the weather is nice and he immitates the chickens, turkeys, ducks and especially the annoying guineas.
Since he was in a pet store when he was younger he still immitates all kinds of animals. He likes to show off and do tricks like hang from his perch by his beak and hold his feet together and kick them.

We had a Severe Macaw that we had handfed from a baby and Jenday Conure but my mom wanted to keep them since she got attatched to them when we moved here so I let her.

 

[abluechipstock]

i got this guy 17yrs ago as a handfed baby, he's a brat but i love him

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
We have a congo african grey who is completely addicted to TV.. he is also a movie critic.. unfortunately he likes all the shows and movies that my husband hates (the parrot is into romantic comedies, chick flicks and twilight (he asks for Bella.. so I have to hunt for Twilight or one of the sequels on the movie channels.. which we subscribed to for him).. my husband prefers the Discovery channel.. so they tend to butt heads at times.. Ours loves World of Warcraft and will mimic all of the monster sounds.. and also the "chugga chugga choo choo..choo choo" sound that you can make your character do.. he ALWAYS has a comment regardless of what is being said.. and it always fits with the conversation. He makes up his own jokes and laughs at them.. he dances, sings (poorly and very off key).. and does his "bat dance" where he hangs upside down and dances (and will yell "do the bat dance! get down and boogie.. whooo hooo!".. while he's doing it).. I showed him a baby chick the other week.. he looked at it and said "it goes PEEP!".. when the chicks or turkey poults fuss he will ask them "aww. what's the matter baby.. are you ok?.. it's alright baby.. you'll be ok" and will yell at the dogs to leave them alone.. he will continue to try to comfort the chick until I make it happy or it settles down on it's own..
he is also very picky about his food.. and will demand certain foods.. if I refuse to give him what he demanded he will look at me and say "you're and a$$".. drop the food or feed it to one of the dogs
Our dogs completely ignore him.. even though he yells at them constantly.. but they will come over if he offers them his extra blueberries or some other treat.
We have had him since he was a baby.. and hand fed him from the start.. he doesn't have a favorite between my husband or myself unless my husband has been gone for an extended time (like to Iraq). then when he comes back the bird makes a big fuss over him and I am treated like yesterdays old liver..
One thing I have noticed is he doesn't quite understand bunnies.. he knows cats meow (and imitates them exactly).. he also imitates dogs, chickens, guinea pigs and several other kinds of animals and birds.. however rabbits are a different matter.. he calls them "bunnies" or "bun buns".. the other day I heard his talking to the turkey poults.. "hey turkey babies wanna see bun buns? MEOW.. wanna see the bunnies? MEOW"..so around here bunnies go MEOW... but I suppose it's better than a rabbit scream!

 

[andalusn]

Terran is named after Star Craft Terran units, he really likes to listen to the sound bites on Utube and then he gets to shooting his ray guns and such. He also likes to cook, makes microwave tones and the long beep when its done

I always tell him he's watching too much Animal Planet. Makes phone calls and holds an amazing conversation and then says good bye and hangs up. I am always amazed at people that just don't 'get" why we have birds. They think they are a do nothing pet. The best moment recently was when a electrician came to the house and walked into the family room asked a few questions about the wiring and Terran says ... "What ya doing?" the guy jumped a mile

 

[Nava]

funny real funny, mine calls me Mommie I wana go bye bye, he want me to take him out side just love my Blue and Gold McCaw

 

[Nava]

ooops