Macaws at Church

[Alwese]

Several weeks ago when I was out with Clifford and Kayko at the Riverside Arts Market I was approached by a lady who asked if I could bring my macaws to their church BBQ and carnival. She wondered how much I would charge and I said I would gladly do it for free. Today was the day and I brought all three of my macaws for them to see and Kayko my B&G would not think of biting anyone, so he gets to go on peoples arms for cell phone pictures (Doogie and Clifford WOULD bite!) In addition to a great time had by all, we got fed, plus I was handed a check for FIFTY DOLLARS! Thank You Lakewood Presbyterian Church!

 

[Alwese]

Here is another picture

 

[Boysmom]

LOL from the title I thought maybe we had a ordained macaw on the forum. That was very nice of you to share your birds at the church market. I bet the birds enjoyed it as much as the people did !

 

[Pinkbirdy]

Great pictures Alwese!! Looks like everyones having a great time . ( I think I live in the wrong area)

 

[Abigal7]

Nice. It is great when people can show people their pets in public

 

[psychocircus91]

Your birds are gorgeous.

 

[JerseyWendy]

What a fantastic outing!!! You've SO inspired me by taking your birds out in public, that I've made my first attempt with Ripley just the other day.

No, I didn't drive anywhere, but it was a warm and sunny day, so I took him out front with me. My neighbor was outside, so I slowly walked accross the street with Ripley. My neighbor asked if he could hold him so that I could take a picture for him, and lo' and behold, it all worked out very well.

Ripley was the perfect gentleman, calmly set on Dennis' arm while I snapped a few pictures with his phone.

I think after I do this a few more times, I'll take him to the park with me for more adventures....AND I'll bring Niko, too, of course.

 

[Blancaej]

You look like a proud Papa! And you should be, they are beautiful! Sounds like everyone enjoyed the birds! Great photos. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Grinder]

Awesome thread. I hope everyone sees it. Beautiful birds!

 

[ruffledfeathers]

AW, great photos!!! I have been taking Gilbert just to meet the neighbors, with me holding him. He is totally chill with that, but i think he would be scared if i let other people hold him. Maybe in time he will have the confidence to do that.

Your outing may have inspired another bird lover/future parront.

 

[Melandkids]

I am not sure. But I think you are the one at Walmart outside awhile back and I got to hold him. If so it was such a wonderful experience! My granddaughter went to the zoo and she was in the bird area. They give you food to feed them. It was so wonderful to see my 3yr old grandbaby talking up a storm with them. Asking if they wanted to step up and what was their names. People like you expose people to the wonders of them. Help teach people about them. Athena chitter chats with Marley and I love the interaction.

 

[Alwese]

What a fantastic outing!!! You've SO inspired me by taking your birds out in public, that I've made my first attempt with Ripley just the other day.

No, I didn't drive anywhere, but it was a warm and sunny day, so I took him out front with me. My neighbor was outside, so I slowly walked accross the street with Ripley. My neighbor asked if he could hold him so that I could take a picture for him, and lo' and behold, it all worked out very well.

Ripley was the perfect gentleman, calmly set on Dennis' arm while I snapped a few pictures with his phone.

I think after I do this a few more times, I'll take him to the park with me for more adventures....AND I'll bring Niko, too, of course.

YEA!!!! Another convert to taking your birds out in public instead of hoarding them all to yourselves! Ours is such a secret world that few get to enter. Nobody out there knows what really to expect. Yes, we do have to be careful, but after years with our pets there is very little that we do not know what they will do. Doogie and Clifford I'm afraid will never be "arm matieral" but others can enjoy their beauty from a distance and hear what they say. Yes I am the Walmart Bird Man and have been in the Phillips Highway Wal-Mart no less than 40 times. My wife needs a prescription just about every day and they are really used to seeing me in there; so much so that they know Clifford on a first name basis (I only go in with him as he stays put on my shoulder and if he poops it is ME that gets it, not the Wal-Mart floor... I take paper towels with me anyway) I am certainly enjoying my retirement and even more so because of the birds!

 

[Featheredsamurai]

How fun! I always love seeing people with their parrots, especially a majestic macaw! If I was a kid I would of been talking to you until my mom dragged me away!

I have Rosie harness trained and I take her all over, I would love for Kenji to join me one day. I've brought Rosie to the pet store, the mall, kohls, wallmart, plant nurseries, target, and mostly just out for walks and short hikes.

When I take her everything takes twice as long, so many people want to look at her. It seems they either ask if she is real, or they ask if she is a African gray LOL. Very few people have ever seen, or even heard of a galah. I've only met about 5 people who knew what she was. A pink bird really interest them haha.

 

[Camille]

I'm not a church-goer generally, but that would definitely make me want to attend! Thanks for sharing

 

[drlisaort]

Your Macaws are gorgeous!!!!!

 

[Jtbirds]

Alwese so glad to see someone else doing this to, I do a lot of public outreach although it is through a rescue I get asked out to many places to inform and educate people or even to just have a great time out, we have two outreachs this weekend and one is to promote a mobile spay and neuter van, the other is a outdoor event in a city near use that is kinda like this but at a funeral home....


Great pictures I'm sure the macaws loved it out!

 

[Alwese]

For those of you wishing to share your birds on public outings, may I impart a little wisdom learned from thousands of encounters with people; especially children: First when a family approaches and notices the bird, I introduce them and their ages. People always look at their claws and assume they are very sharp. I tell them they are not and always seek to put the bird first on the PARENTS' arm so they can see they are not sharp. Understandably, children are hesitant to have a strange big bird on their arm, so I always then put him on the arm of the oldest child present first. Younger siblings will never want to be outdone by their older brother or sister will then be willing to try. With young children ALWAYS hold the hand of the child while the picture is being taken. To a small child, a two pound bird is heavy and while the mother is searching for the camera option on her I-pad, the child will unusally let his arm droop a bit. Naturally Kayko is seeking to not fall and clenches a bit tighter frightening the child who will then try to run... not if you are holding their hand! I first ask people not to try to pet the bird. Everybody wants to pet him and he doesn't want to be petted. I explain that he thinks they are the "trim lady" who cuts his feathers short so he cannot fly. I have a two sided card in my wallet to show them what a trimmed bird looks like before and after a trim. Many people think trimming is some cruel thing that permanently damages the bird's ability to fly. I often take a bag of feathers to hand out to children who may be too fearful to hold him and as a reward for some that do. I show them the trick that when you hold the underside of the feather towards the sun, the yellow coloring disappears and there is only grey. I explain that this is how God hides them in the forest from the Harpy Eagles that want to kill them. Naturally I have developed a routine explaining the birds like a Yellowstone Park ranger. When I tell them Clifford is 9 and Kayko is 31, the first response I get from their stunned faces is "Well how long to they live? Next I tell them when they go home to plug the words "Winston Churchill" and "Macaw" into Google and the second listing is a nice 5 minute long video of the bird Winston Churchill got third handed in 1937. When the video was made the bird was 107 years old and now he is 113 years old and still curses the Nazis. That always brings a laugh. I explain that these are macaws because they have patches of very white skin on the sides of their faces and ask them to look closely at the lines on Kayko's face which are rows of very tiny feathers. Intrigued with the details, I tell them all the birds in their front yard have three toes going forward and one toe going back, but God even made their feet different. I explain that Kayko has a British accent from his first owner who died when he was 13. Kayko has seldom spoken in public, but I can usually coax Clifford into saying "Hello". I also bring a pocket of nuts in the shell to show them the power of that beak. Most people have struggled to open a Brazil nut and are surprised to see the ease Clifford can get inside. These are very real lasting memories especially for children that are unavailable anywhere else. No one anywhere is allowing a macaw to be put on someone's arm for pictures and I can do that. God has richly blessed me by giving me free two of the three birds I have and I am thankful enough to share them.

 

[JerseyWendy]

What a beautiful, inspiring and MOTIVATIONAL post, Alwese!!! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for it.

When Dennis (neighbor) asked to hold Ripley, his first question was: "Won't he dig into my skin with those talons?" He was SO surprised at how "unsharp" they really were.

I will take baby steps from here, but I WILL take them out for more adventures. I truly think our birds benefit greatly from this, as well as the people who we will undoubtedly encounter.

 

[Alwese]

Well thank you for the complement Wendy, but I'm just trying to have people get the most enjoyment they can from their birds. Kayko has had his picture taken so many times that now when he sees the camera flash he sticks his left foot out to get off their arm because he knows that that is next!!! People are so impressed that they are just so calm and will stay right there on my shoulder and arm.... actually they have been through this routine so many times that it is really "old hat" to them. The next question I always get is "Won't they ever fly away?" Kayko was a REAL flier when I got him 11 years ago at age 20. With his 10 feather trim he realizes that he can't fly and never tries. Cliffford has never flown as he came to me with a baby trim when I got him at 7 months and I just kept up the trim. Here are some "before" and "after" shots of Kayko so all can see what a good safe trim looks like: (click thumbnails to enlarge)

 

[Jtbirds]

Alwese thanks for the explanation on taking birds out as many don't know what to do and end up getting hurt or freak there bird out and then they don't enjoy it as much!