Story Time!!

[Jferrand526]

Hello everyone! I recently took Tango, my sun conure, with me to a local market that is held in the small parking lot of my sister’s school every Sunday. Tango loves walks and he had his aviator harness on but I had people rushing up to me to get a look at him. It scared him a few times and other times he screamed at everyone to get them to go away which worked for the most part. This isn’t the first time we’ve been to this market, I have no clue why last weekend was so busy but anyways I literally had five people come up to me with $500USD cash that asked me for Tango.

Finally after the fifth time of saying “No. Tango is not for sale. He is my baby.” I decided to ask why eveyone was so interested in my bird, here was the answer that baffled me, “Your bird is tame. I have no time to train a bird. I want one already trained. They are pretty to just watch and I could never see myself cuddling or holding one for long.” I immediately told the man in the nicest way possible, “Birds are not some animal you just throw in a cage and leave alone for the rest of their life. You need toys, mental stimulation, healthy diet, avian vet, and many other things to keep them active and healthy. You need to be able to spend time with your bird, at least 4-6 hours a day if possible, that is how much time I spend with Tango and all of my other birds.” The man got mad at me and said I was being overdramatic and exaggerating how much work a bird is. Whats worse is the man tried reaching for Tango after I said all that, clicking his tongue and whistling, Tango screamed loudly at him and spread his wings then opened his beak everytime the man’s finger approached. The man got even more mad because Tango was showing aggressive behavoir and walked away after that. If that man would have touched Tango while my baby was perched on my shoulder and clearly showing signs of aggression, I would have lost it. You always should ask first before attempting to touch someone’s bird or dog or any animal for that fact.

I’m sorry if I sound overdramatic right now its just that this issue came up today again. It irks me because many people think birds are just something to set in a cage and leave alone without any toys or anything! I have an instagram, I post pictures and videos of all my babies, I had someone message me saying “Hello! I love your birds! They are so cute! I’m going to go down to the bird farm and get a sun conure tomorrow morning!” I was happy at first until I said “Oh. Sunnies are great, all birds are great really. I love them all.” The person had responded saying that a sun conure would be their first bird and proceeded to show me a tiny tiny cage that the Sun would be housed in. I had warned the person of all the requirements of owning a bird, teflon is bad, you need to train your bird and spend time with she/he, healthy diet, avian vet, and you need a BIGGER CAGE!. I also said maybe a cockatiel or parakeet would be a good starter but a bigger cage would still be required, lots of toys, time, avian vet, healthy diet, and research before buying the bird would be excellent.

I posted a warning on my instagram today for everyone that sees my page with the pictures of my birds. I even offered my help if needed. The problem that I see is most people say “Oh! That bird is pretty! Lets choose that one because of its colors!” and the other question that pops up all the time is “Can it talk?” or “Does it bite?” The warning I had put up said “To my followers, new and old, you might see pictures of my birds, just a fair warning to those that see them and decide you want a bird. Do research. Birds are a lot of work but in the end it is worth it to me. My birds are very cuddly but they can and do bite, it is a bit painful. You need to realize these birds are not just a pet but a family member for life. Think before getting a bird. Think long and hard. I’m not trying to discourage anyone from owning a bird because I love my birdies. They are my children but birds live a very long time and they can hurt you even if they dont mean to. I’m not saying everyone is a bad bird owner but owning birds is not for everyone” The person that had messaged me about getting a sun conure blocked me after I posted that. I don’t care if I get blocked or not, I just wanted to get my point across.

Anyways, here is my daily rant. Has anyone ever had this happen? What did you do?

 

[LeaKP]

I don’t take Nigel out since theft is a huge deal here. When people come to the house, i put Nigel away and don’t let anyone handle him if and until i see that there is a good feeling between them. I say good for you I’d have been right there with you giving my 2 cents opinion! #teamtango


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bigfellasdad]

You can not really blame people for their lack of knowledge, i see this all of the time when people come to my house and just expect Enzo to behave as she does with me, now I just ask Enzo to go back to her cage and she seems to understand now. People do seem to think a parrot is just a colourful thing that sits in a cage, sadly thats what the majority of birds have to deal with and therefore what the majority of people are used to.

Good for you for taking Tango out and for educating people though, im hoping to do the same during summer months...... i must start harness training soon i think.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

I had a similar experience at a Wal-Mart a year or two ago. Amy goes out a lot with me and a woman approached saying the usual stuff.."oh what a pretty bird!..is IT tame?..does IT bite??" as she was reaching to pet her.
Amy reared back with beak up and told her "I BITE!"
The lady's eyes bugged out of her head as she looked at me and then Amy then scurried off down an isle
Don't mess with an Amazon lady!





Jim

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

Cockatiels and parakeets are not “starter birds”. They deserve just as much respect as a sun conure, and a large cage. I have not had this happen to me before, but you can’t blame those people. They have no idea what owning a bird is like.

 

[bigfellasdad]

Cockatiels and parakeets are not “starter birds”. They deserve just as much respect as a sun conure, and a large cage. I have not had this happen to me before, but you can’t blame those people. They have no idea what owning a bird is like.

Id sort of disagree a little, maybe its unfair to say starter birds but they are certainly less of a handful than a larger bird. Those smaller beaks cant chew furniture as much for example. I had a few budgies when i was a school boy and had no idea how to treat them, they where always my best house buddies though and all lived for many many years. If I had an African Grey then, i doubt it would have been the same, I doubt I would have felt as comfortable.

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

They are not taking about larger birds like African Greys. They are talking about a Sun Conure, which is just a little bigger than a cockatiel. It has a bigger beak and is louder. It can bite harder. Other than that I cannot think of any reason why cockatiels are more of a starter bird than them.

 

[bigfellasdad]

They are not taking about larger birds like African Greys. They are talking about a Sun Conure, which is just a little bigger than a cockatiel. It has a bigger beak and is louder. It can bite harder. Other than that I cannot think of any reason why cockatiels are more of a starter bird than them.

Ok thank you. The only conure I have met was quite large but still no where near CAG size, full darkish green feathers and he took a chunk out of my hand as a greeting, my cockatiel (rip Jed) could never bite that hard for sure. Other than that introduction I haven't had any more interaction with him so im not best placed to comment.

 

[Jferrand526]

Cockatiels and parakeets are not “starter birds”. They deserve just as much respect as a sun conure, and a large cage. I have not had this happen to me before, but you can’t blame those people. They have no idea what owning a bird is like.

I’m sorry if I seemed disrespectful towards parakeets and cockatiels. In my experience with my cockatiel and my sun conure, my cockatiel loves attention and can bite but not as hard as my sun conure that is why I suggested a cockatiel to the person I was talking to. I had messaged the person on instagram telling them that all birds bite but in rating hardness of bite from least to greatest a cockatiel would not bite as hard as a sun conure and that is why I suggested the parakeet or cockatiel.

I do agree parakeets and cockatiels deserve as much respect as any bird. They are cute and cuddly and will definitely be a life long pet and an amazing family friend. The conversation between the person and I went on for a while on instagram, its just that even though I tried to suggest a bird to him/her and give my advice nothing seemed to get to them.

I also had told the person that with my personal experience, my cockatiel Arrow makes less of a mess than Tango, they both need the same amount of time out of the cage, will both need a 100% willing and caring family or person to look after them and they both need toys. The person kept arguing with me saying that a bird shouldn’t need toys especially a cockatiel who is seen just stuck into a cage at most places because birds aren’t meant to play. They also kept saying they don’t have the time to give 4-6 hours of their time every day to a cockatiel and that something so small shouldn’t need their time everyday.

I do fully agree with you, I should not have said parakeet or cockatiel as a starter but in lvls of bite, a cockatiel or parakeet might be better than a Sun. I do understand a parakeet and cockatiel deserve as much respect as any other bird, I wasn’t trying to disrespect them.

I know I can’t blame people because they think owning a bird is just about sticking it in a cage but I compare my birds to my dogs in a way. Dogs need my time, toys, need to be cleaned up after, baths, good diet, and a veteranarian. Birds are like that too.

 

[itchyfeet]

I had a similar experience at a Wal-Mart a year or two ago. Amy goes out a lot with me and a woman approached saying the usual stuff.."oh what a pretty bird!..is IT tame?..does IT bite??" as she was reaching to pet her.
Amy reared back with beak up and told her "I BITE!"
The lady's eyes bugged out of her head as she looked at me and then Amy then scurried off down an isle
Don't mess with an Amazon lady!





Jim

This made me LOL! Good girl Amy! I can just imagine that woman's reaction!

 

[MooshieBird]

I hate the term "starter bird" but honestly their is some truth to it. Budgies and tiels are great first birds as they are on the easy scale of bird care. They are easier to house, have great personalities as a general rule, the mess they make isn't as bad as many birds, and with their small beaks they can't give a serious bite nearly as easily as even a small conure or parrotlet.

Starter bird can imply that they need less care than another parrot, which we know isn't true. I personally don't take offence to the term and I didn't read it as disrespectful, I just don't like what it implies. And if someone wants a bird and has little to no experience then a budgie or tiel is a wonderful bird as they are relative to most parrots easy to care for and they are much less likely to destroy furniture or a finger when the inevitable mistakes do happen. I absolutely love tiels they are wonderful companions no matter what level of bird keeping experience you have. I have an aversion to budgies because I am terrified of hurting the tiny things as I am clumsy as heck.

I have had people ask me how much Mushka is when we are at the pet store, but never had a random person ask me in a random place to buy her. I do get questions on what its like, does she talk, can I pet her, etc. I don't take her outside un-caged as she is not harness trained yet so we only get that attention in stores or at gatherings. I try to take her out as much as possible to get her socialized (difficult right now because of the cold) and I always bring a bag of treats so people can interact with her without getting bitten and it makes the experience positive for Mushka. Doing this has made a world of difference in her behavior and comfort level with others. She went from biting most everyone and stressing to now enjoying meeting new people and is willing to step on new people and chatting with them.

Most people know little to nothing about what parrots are actually like and I find it a good thing to give them a positive but honest experience.

 

[Jferrand526]

I don’t take Nigel out since theft is a huge deal here. When people come to the house, i put Nigel away and don’t let anyone handle him if and until i see that there is a good feeling between them. I say good for you I’d have been right there with you giving my 2 cents opinion! #teamtango


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m sorry about the theft problem where you live. We used to have that problem around my house but a few neighbors of mine got arrested a year ago and the theft problen has basically just gone away. Although I am always very very careful when it comes to taking one of my birds out for a walk.

There is a lady that i don’t know who I see walking everyday with a cockatoo and two macaws. I would love to get to know her but I am awkward around people sometimes.

 

[Jferrand526]

I hate the term "starter bird" but honestly their is some truth to it. Budgies and tiels are great first birds as they are on the easy scale of bird care. They are easier to house, have great personalities as a general rule, the mess they make isn't as bad as many birds, and with their small beaks they can't give a serious bite nearly as easily as even a small conure or parrotlet.

Starter bird can imply that they need less care than another parrot, which we know isn't true. I personally don't take offence to the term and I didn't read it as disrespectful, I just don't like what it implies. And if someone wants a bird and has little to no experience then a budgie or tiel is a wonderful bird as they are relative to most parrots easy to care for and they are much less likely to destroy furniture or a finger when the inevitable mistakes do happen. I absolutely love tiels they are wonderful companions no matter what level of bird keeping experience you have. I have an aversion to budgies because I am terrified of hurting the tiny things as I am clumsy as heck.

I have had people ask me how much Mushka is when we are at the pet store, but never had a random person ask me in a random place to buy her. I do get questions on what its like, does she talk, can I pet her, etc. I don't take her outside un-caged as she is not harness trained yet so we only get that attention in stores or at gatherings. I try to take her out as much as possible to get her socialized (difficult right now because of the cold) and I always bring a bag of treats so people can interact with her without getting bitten and it makes the experience positive for Mushka. Doing this has made a world of difference in her behavior and comfort level with others. She went from biting most everyone and stressing to now enjoying meeting new people and is willing to step on new people and chatting with them.

Most people know little to nothing about what parrots are actually like and I find it a good thing to give them a positive but honest experience.

I agree with you. I feel bad to have used the term “starter bird”. For the future I am sorry to anyone and everyone for using that term. I was carrying some treats with me but its just that Tango will not take treats whatsoever from a stranger who is taller than me. He will gladly take treats from children and other people who I seem comfortable around but I realized that they all were around my height.

 

[MooshieBird]

I agree with you. I feel bad to have used the term “starter bird”. For the future I am sorry to anyone and everyone for using that term. I was carrying some treats with me but its just that Tango will not take treats whatsoever from a stranger who is taller than me. He will gladly take treats from children and other people who I seem comfortable around but I realized that they all were around my height.

You shouldn't feel bad at all. I don't think anyone thought you were trying to belittle anything. I even agree with you, they are excellent birds for new people. Some people may think if they want a big impressive looking bird they should get a small bird to learn then get the bird they wanted to begin with and their first bird gets pushed to the wayside. That's why I hate the term "starter bird". I didn't think you were using it in that context and I was in no way offended.

 

[Jferrand526]

Thank you for making me feel better! I tend to over apologize but I just don’t want to upset anyone. I like the people on this forum and everyone here just seems like a big family. I definately don’t want to make anyone angry.

 

[Terry57]

I didn't think you used the term in a disparaging way at all

Back to your original post, what drives me crazy is when I tell someone about my birds, and they say,"Oh, can I have one?"
It's as if because we have a large flock that we would just give one away because someone doesn't have a bird.

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

I totally agree with what everyone says. I don’t like the term because it implies they deserve less care and less respect than other birds. In terms of biting, Ducky has never bitten me hard enough to even say “ouch”. Cockatiels are the perfect bird in my opinion. My conure is more of a handful than Ducky is, but it’s all the more reason to love him. My budgies are great but not as interactive as my ‘tiel and GCC. Also, I get very annoyed when I tell people I have parrots and they expect them to be large colorful macaws that talk. “Do they talk” is a very common question from people who don’t have birds.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

I can see "starter bird" being used to describe a 'tiel or budgie,as a lot of people get one of those as their "first" fid. My starter bird was an English Sparrow at age 13..lol..but my FIRST REAL starter bird was Wally the Budgie

Budgies and cockatiels are relatively cheap...geez I think my mom bought Wally for $4.95 but for the too short time he was with us ( he was on mom's shoulder,as she walked out the back door one night :02 I learned a wealth of info from him.

Beeb's was a mere $150,bought from a reputable breeder,who has been in to Parrots for almost 40 years,and BB was tame and eating properly,where a pet store budgie or tiel would most likely not be.

If I knew back then on how and what BB would turn out to be,I would have gladly paid $1000.00 for him :10: He does NOT deserve any less proper treatment,love,and consideration,than Amy,or HRH,or RB..or or or! BB is not a throw away bird...and budgies are not throw away birds,and I believe that's what most people think when someone says "starter birds"...sighhhh



Jim

 

[Squeekmouse]

When I was a little kid, my grandma had a budgie that came from a pet store and wasn't very happy being handled. To my little kid brain he was basically a goldfish, but without the water. My dad had an Amazon, who was my responsibility to feed and play with. I was only 8 or so though, so I didn't really know much about what I was supposed to do. I only lived with my dad part time (divorced parents). We fed him good food, cooked brown rice, pellets and mixed veggies. He didn't get a lot of handling though because:

1. I was the only one that handled him
2. I was only there half the year
3. I was 8 years old and Pickles was very big compared to tiny little me. Bites hurt. A lot.

I loved to play with him and carry him around on his perch when he was in a good mood, and I liked to talk to him, but that's about all I knew of bird care. I wish I could go back in time and change so much...

That's more experience with birds then most people and still, I never thought birds were affectionate, loving, cuddly, or sweet. Birds were pretty, interesting, and maybe fun to talk to and look at.

I'm SO glad I did a lot of reading and learning before I got my Yoda, and I LOVE reading posts on these forums from other potential Parronts looking for information. I feel like I've learned a truly precious and amazing secret, with this new discovery of how wonderful a parrot can be as a companion. We are SO lucky to have this amazing little feathered family member to trusts us, loves us, stays with us, and brings so much joy to our lives!

I wish this weren't such uncommon knowledge, I wish the pet stores gave better information about parrots than they do now. I wish nobody anywhere thought of ANY parrots as 'starter' birds, or worse yet as 'throw away' birds. That just breaks my heart. Not that I am criticizing anyone, I am in fact criticizing MYSELF for ever thinking the same. Budgies and tiels are smaller, gentler, quieter, more widely available and less expensive. Less effort is required to buy one and keep it alive, so many people don't value them as much as they should. Obviously if you are paying $5,000 for a Macaw and $1000 for it's cage, you are FAR more likely to value it and put more effort into caring for it and learning about it. But a $5 bird from Petco, along with a $20 plastic cage and $5 bag of seed... that's the same price as a trip to the movie theater. Is it any wonder that people get them for their 8 year old kids and don't lose any sleep over it if they poor thing doesn't last long?

Sorry... I'm just ranting and rambling now. I guess all I am trying to say is that I understand how and why people would think of some birds as 'starter' birds, or think of a parrot as basically an interactive decoration for the home. However, that man who offered $500 for Tango has just learned something new about birds, he's just learned that there is more to Tango then just looking pretty in a cage. Maybe he went home and read more and learned more. Maybe not.

But I for one thank YOU and I thank everyone else here, and everyone else who has tried to teach those less informed masses about the joys and complexities of keeping a parrot.

Tango is a lucky bird, and you're lucky to have Tango also. I hope many many more people see Tango and become inspired to learn about and love these feathered miracles like we do!

 

[Soyajam]

I actually used to think of some birds as 'starter' birds - but I blame that on lack of education. None of my family owned birds, really.

With some research I realised the level of care is identical for all species regardless of size, that is to say 'as much as you possibly can'. In fact, rather than say 'starter bird' I'd probably refer to tiels and budgies simply as 'small scale' birds.

I'd be inclined to say the reason people use the term 'starter' birds with those is that all the unpleasant behaviours are scaled down due to their size.

I detest that people are of the opinion that small birds (in fact any birds) are there merely to be looked at, and that sitting alone for long periods is any kind of existence. It seems stupid that it's ok to think that for birds but also understand that dogs and cats can't be left alone.

But the lack of education is widespread. My partner was against having a parrot, but it wasn't until we'd had remi a while that he confessed he didn't think he could snuggle birds like he was doing with ours. The inference he made was that he thought I was buying a parrot to just look at and to talk to - that we'd get no physical interaction. (She's a velcro bird to him so wasn't he wrong on THAT score?!)

Anyway back to the OP - I will be endeavouring to take Remi out in public much more and I am a little paranoid about people reaching to touch her - thankfully she's pretty good at non-bite language (she's great at growling when she wants you to back off) - and my hope is that massive beak should be a fabulous deterrent.

I don't know if it's just me but Female Eckies with their white irises can look a bit crazed when they eye-flash so that should help people back off too. I can teach her to go all "mad scientist" with eye flashing and wing flapping to scare off people?

Errr, I wrote a lot. Sorry. I do that