So you REALLY want a parrot huh???

[Mare Miller]

You definitely have to own one, to know one. It is sad when people go out and by one on impulse without ever have been around one. Sometimes, it works,,,depends on the person. It sure helps, too, if you can learn to read their attitude.

 

[lene1949]

I have had parrots for many years, and only my first GCC, Duke has ever bitten me hard enough to draw blood... I was told he was aggressive, and I wanted to see for myself... He was!

He trained beautifully with clicker training, and turned out to be such a sweet boy...

I think I'm pretty good at reading their body language, which saves me from bites... I have no scars a yet, but Max often get cranky after I've worked a 12 hour shift, and I'm sure if I let my guard down, he could give a nasty bite...

 

[azdesertrhino]

Sometimes I do feel quite bad when I take Birdie around with me in public.
Every time without fail, I get asked slight variations on the same questions:
Is that your pet? (when he's sitting beside me on a parkbench/table)
Doesn't it fly away?
Whats its name?
Is it a boy or a girl?
Does it talk?
How much did he cost?

1 in 500 people recognise him as a GGC
1 in 100 people recognise him as a conure
1 in 75 people call him a Rosella!
1 in 50 people take pictures/video of him with their phones*
1 in 5 people will try and touch him*
*often without warning/asking.

Not one person asks about what its like to own a parrot. Apparently all they see is a happy Birdie and assume he is completely obediant to me, Which is not the case at all. The reality is he's just happy to be with me and excited to see the world.

Many parents at the park with their kids ask me some worrying questions about where to purchase a parrot and how much he cost me.

I've gotten to the point where I have to hold an almost negative point of view when talking to strangers about Birdie (-very messy -demanding on time -can bite -expensive) just to stop people from going out and buying a bird on impulse. :smile003:

I should carry around a card with Birdie's infomation so I don't have to repeat myself. Or even better, train Birdie to answer them himself

Just about spot on!! We just got back from a visit to the Grand Canyon and of course "MAC" traveled with us!

Numerous folks wanted to look and talk to Mac and the questions were virtually word for word, in the correct order of the OP post!!

 

[ann]

if only people did their research. there was a girl at a pet store on the phone with her mom, she wanted a GCC and was telling her mom "please! ill lock it in my room, youl never know" her mom said no "Please! i'll keep it in my closet!" thankfully her mom still said no. i just cant believe that people treat them like objects. when some boys at the pet store tried to get a zon to step up and it just screamed at them instead he told it to shut up. like it was supposed to bend to his will or something! i think birds are the most misunderstood kind of pet. people even think finches are easy to care for, nooooo. sure they cant bite you but they are fragile, messy, constant chirping, vitamins, minerals, breeding, and not just seed; fruits nd veggies too. and did i mention the poo. i dont think i have ever seen a mess so big as 6 finches pooin in one place. and while they dont really like to be held, they recognize you, look up and depend on you, and absolutely bond to you. and tame ones will cuddle, fly to you, and preen you. and i hate it how people think of budgies as disposable birds you stick in a cage with a mirror (which drives them crazy), and expect them to be little angels when the owner wants to hold them. but when untame terrified budgie (or any bird for that matter) bites them, its a mean dumb bird. gosh it makes me mad. ok rant over

 

[mrob]

The number one asked question for me and my Eccie when we are out and about?

OH MY GOSH.... IS THAT REAL??

No, because it would be MUCH less weird to be walking around with a stuffed parrot on my shoulder, wearing a flight suit.

*Facepalm

 

[djkeithbrooks]

Off topic. Can someone please tell me how to post a new thread??? Remarkably I can find nothing about it anywhere on this site and nobody will answer me when I ask. what is this the aluminati?

 

[ann]

The number one asked question for me and my Eccie when we are out and about?

OH MY GOSH.... IS THAT REAL??

No, because it would be MUCH less weird to be walking around with a stuffed parrot on my shoulder, wearing a flight suit.

*Facepalm

lol some of the questions people ask are just common sense to us, but non bird people just don't seem to get it. immagine the questions you would get on Halloween!?

 

[weidjd]

Wow. We about made a purchase of Hawk-Head, but he did not want to go with us. He decided to bite my hand between the thumb and forefinger. Freaked me out. They are amazing birds but seem very intense.

 

[greycloud]

In my 30 years of owning and breeding parrots it never ceases to amaze me the reasons why some people buy birds and what they want in a bird.
I have heard everything from:
I want it to match my curtains
it will look good on the patio
it has to talk
it cannot ever bite
it only needs seeds to eat right?
etc. etc...
What many people do not realize is that parrots in captivity(esp larger species) are only 1-2 generations removed from the wild.
Within every species all parrots bite, not every parrot talks, not every parrot wants to be touched. It is our responsibility in the avian community to educate people that want to have parrots in their lives.
Parrots are expensive, their vet care is expensive, they need the biggest cage you can afford or bigger, their diet is varied and important for their health and well being, They need out of cage time, they need interaction and not to be shoved in a corner as a decoration. They need love!

 

[Mozzie]

Off topic. Can someone please tell me how to post a new thread??? Remarkably I can find nothing about it anywhere on this site and nobody will answer me when I ask. what is this the aluminati?

Just go to the right and click on the forum you want to post on (it will say all the different types of parrots and other topics as well) then after you click on the one you want to post on you will see all the posts. At the very top you will see newthread. Just click on that and you can post your thread. Hope that makes sense. I am not too good at explaining things. Give it a try.

 

[ann]

i just got my parrot and the first thing people ask is if it talks, then i have to explain...i love him but hes a handful...and then some!

 

[Oedipussrex]

It seems i am the lucky minority. but pickle has never drawn blood with his beak on me or anyone in my family ever.
sometimes his claws are quite sharp on our forearms. but he does this half-effort warning bite thing, which pretty much makes sure he never has to hurt anyone

the only problem is he seems fixated with fingernails. i swear he thinks they should be able to come off, and if you let him get a good hold he will try and peel you. O_O

so when i am warning people about the hardships of parrots i biasedly tell them all about the stimulation/boredom/responsibility side of it. they are super intelligent, and do not deserve to be treated with less respect than a tank of tropical fish, as sadly, they are in many cases.