Hi, I'm fairly new here, and VERY NEW at posting. I know how to reply - I've just never started a post or thread myself.
I have loved birds all my life. I started with taking in injured wild birds as a young girl and doctoring them back to health. I don't know of a time when I was a kid that I didn't have at least one bird. I grew up in an actual village (yes, we really do have those in the U.S.), so while I grew up "in town", to a lot of people, I grew up "out in the sticks".
When I was growing up, people didn't know the things about parrots that they know now. If people had birds, they were kept in cages, and you were told to keep your fingers away. Knowing what I know now, it just makes me cry for all the imprisoned birds who were taught a couple words as party tricks. We always had wild birds that could talk. Crows (black birds, Ravens) could repeat words, and we're known to be very smart. But the kind that were kept in cages were never considered to be that intelligent. I was always the weirdo who thought they were.
As my kids were growing up, we ALWAYS had various kinds of birds, and my kids knew they could talk, and sing songs or whistle songs. But even then, we were still taught that birds stayed in cages - for their own safety.
Now I am a grandmother, and 9 months ago I became a widow. I have been watching YouTube videos of various birds for the last couple years, after my husband became enthralled with our neighbor's Moluccan. My husband DIDN'T KNOW about birds (we'd only been married 5 years) so I was really excited to teach him. We started discussing getting one, but then he got sick. After he died, I just kept watching videos. Then I started talking to my youngest (she's 32) about getting a bird. I also had become very familiar with Kelly & Pebble, and love them both to pieces. Recently, Kelly put out a video talking about "the Parrot Crisis", and saying "adopt - don't shop". Well, ALL of my birds were adopted, I'd never bought one. And there was no need for rescues back then. I started looking into it, and found that it really IS a problem. So, I decided that while I might look at birds in a store, I wouldn't look to buy, just to learn.
As we've learned so much about these beautiful creatures, we've become aware of how traumatizing it is to them to be re-homed. If you look at Pebble, you can see what that has done to her. These amazing creatures average from a 2-3 year old to a 5 year old human emotionally. I have a 5 year old granddaughter. And I have a brand new 5 1/2 year old granddaughter who has been in the foster care system since birth. I see what the re-homing changes have done to that little one. And she speaks our language. So I couldn't purposely do that to a bird. I know things happen in life that we don't expect and can't help. But, for me to get a BABY parrot - of ANY type - would be uncaring and irresponsible on my part! We KNOW how long THEY live. I figure, that given my parent's lifespan and health issues, compared to my own healthier choices, I probably can plan on another 23 years of active life. That is still way too short for a long-lived baby parrot! But, if I were to take in a bird that had to be re-homed, and NOT a larger bird, which I'd LOVE right now (and always wanted), that would be the most responsible way for me to go. I had been looking at Caiques and Quakers because of the size. Conures had been mentioned, but I live in a 55+ community that just got new owners, and the old owner was cool with the cockatoo - the new owners didn't know about her!
So, do you think I'm looking at this the right way? Or should I just leave the birds to younger people?
Thank you.
I have loved birds all my life. I started with taking in injured wild birds as a young girl and doctoring them back to health. I don't know of a time when I was a kid that I didn't have at least one bird. I grew up in an actual village (yes, we really do have those in the U.S.), so while I grew up "in town", to a lot of people, I grew up "out in the sticks".
When I was growing up, people didn't know the things about parrots that they know now. If people had birds, they were kept in cages, and you were told to keep your fingers away. Knowing what I know now, it just makes me cry for all the imprisoned birds who were taught a couple words as party tricks. We always had wild birds that could talk. Crows (black birds, Ravens) could repeat words, and we're known to be very smart. But the kind that were kept in cages were never considered to be that intelligent. I was always the weirdo who thought they were.
As my kids were growing up, we ALWAYS had various kinds of birds, and my kids knew they could talk, and sing songs or whistle songs. But even then, we were still taught that birds stayed in cages - for their own safety.
Now I am a grandmother, and 9 months ago I became a widow. I have been watching YouTube videos of various birds for the last couple years, after my husband became enthralled with our neighbor's Moluccan. My husband DIDN'T KNOW about birds (we'd only been married 5 years) so I was really excited to teach him. We started discussing getting one, but then he got sick. After he died, I just kept watching videos. Then I started talking to my youngest (she's 32) about getting a bird. I also had become very familiar with Kelly & Pebble, and love them both to pieces. Recently, Kelly put out a video talking about "the Parrot Crisis", and saying "adopt - don't shop". Well, ALL of my birds were adopted, I'd never bought one. And there was no need for rescues back then. I started looking into it, and found that it really IS a problem. So, I decided that while I might look at birds in a store, I wouldn't look to buy, just to learn.
As we've learned so much about these beautiful creatures, we've become aware of how traumatizing it is to them to be re-homed. If you look at Pebble, you can see what that has done to her. These amazing creatures average from a 2-3 year old to a 5 year old human emotionally. I have a 5 year old granddaughter. And I have a brand new 5 1/2 year old granddaughter who has been in the foster care system since birth. I see what the re-homing changes have done to that little one. And she speaks our language. So I couldn't purposely do that to a bird. I know things happen in life that we don't expect and can't help. But, for me to get a BABY parrot - of ANY type - would be uncaring and irresponsible on my part! We KNOW how long THEY live. I figure, that given my parent's lifespan and health issues, compared to my own healthier choices, I probably can plan on another 23 years of active life. That is still way too short for a long-lived baby parrot! But, if I were to take in a bird that had to be re-homed, and NOT a larger bird, which I'd LOVE right now (and always wanted), that would be the most responsible way for me to go. I had been looking at Caiques and Quakers because of the size. Conures had been mentioned, but I live in a 55+ community that just got new owners, and the old owner was cool with the cockatoo - the new owners didn't know about her!
So, do you think I'm looking at this the right way? Or should I just leave the birds to younger people?
Thank you.
. I think you’d be a great home for an older parrot, or a smaller and not as long-lived parrot. I have conures and cockatiels - 4 rehomed to me and 2 from the rescue that I volunteer at. Have you ever considered volunteering at a rescue? It is a great way to connect with the bird community and be in contact with birds that may need a home. I also get lots of contact with larger birds at the rescue, and have smaller birds at home.... we have cockatoos at the rescue that are over 60 years old (the oldest pair are in their 70’s!).
