Dec. 8, 2001, at age 10, BUDDY, the
Cockatoo, came to live with me He loves music and likes to rock his head to the rythm. Sing him a song
and he keeps the beat just right. Sometimes he even walks up and down your arm to the rythmn. He especially
likes his own dance, swirling his head in a circle... he's histerically funny when he is dancing to rock-n-roll.
Imagine seeing people dancing with a feather costume on!
Buddy's nickname is sometimes "Mr. McGoo"
because he is always getting into mischief. If he wants to see you, he will fly down
from his open play perch and walk around the floor calling you with a little voice, saying "hello-ooo".
He hops on the carpet instead of walking so his feet don't get stuck. To get your attention... he
will nibble on your toes... but, if you ignore him, he bites your toes. When he doesn't want to get back on his
cage, he clings with all his might. Even when I use two hands to unwrap his tight grip, he clings so, so tight,
as if to say, "No, No... I won't go".
Buddy is a little cuddle-bug. He NEEDS to nudge and cuddle
under your chin daily, as if you are the mother hen keeping him secure. If he doesn't get his daily dose of "cuddle-bugs"...
his screams turn into crying in a very short time. Once he gets them, he is fine for several hours ... but then he needs
them again in a few hours... kind of reminds you a toddler who needs a hug from mommy now and then. These birds
are like little kids in that they never grow up past a 5-yr. He watches everything you do with such interest as if he understands what you are doing. He peers at you just
like a little dinosaur would, but that is the era he is from!
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| SOCRATES |
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| African Grey Parrot |
Dec.
7, 2002... SOCRATES came to live with us when she was eight years old. Her owners told me she had a good
vocabulary... GOOD isn't the word... It is a phenominal 500+ word vocabulary... and a crystal clear, too... what
a talker! She picks up new sounds and words daily. Even the differences in tones. Whatever she
HEARS you say today, she REPEATS the following day. It's amazing how she does that. She even mimicks
electrical appliances, like the "beep" in an answering machine every
time the phone rings. If she sees you holding an aluminum juice can, she makes the sound of the cap popping off BEFORE
you can EVEN OPEN IT. She GIGGLES with
my voice, then says, "Soccers, you're so-oo cute, you're Gorgeous" .... "C'mere, c'mere... want rubbies?
rubbies? "Hello-oo-oo, ...beep, beep, "Hellowww", "Helllloo". When
I come home in the dark... she can surprise you with a "HELLO". If you don't say say hello right
back, she comes back with a long drawn out man's voice, "HELL-O-O-O-O ... H-O-W ARE YOU".
"Goodnight
Sweetheart" she says every night at the same time. SOCRATES, makes you laugh continually... She seems to
know what words mean and WHEN to say them, too. Her association is remarkable. I recently taught her the word "water"
and she says it when I drink anything, when she hears the shower running or the kitchen sink... and yells "W-A-T-E-R" as clear
as can be; it's as if she is telling me how smart she is... "see, Mom, I know what that is, too". If Buddy, the cockatoo, screatches,
Socrates YELLS AT HIM to "be quiet" "NO, STOP IT, no,no--" and then Soccers says,"bye-bye" if he continues
because she knows Buddy has to go take "TIME-OUT" in the other room for screaming. When Buddy is acting cute and
dancing to music, Soccers sings out "Wheeeww" and "Woooo-woooo" as if she were cheering from the crowd.
She entertains us continually.
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Parrot Rescue I have become
the Bird Rescue Center for these three muskateers, who were no longer wanted. They were my Christmas gifts for three years in a row. "Sweet-Gifts".
| JAKEE |
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| Blue-Fronted Amazon Parrot |
Dec. 6, 2003 JAKE-ey, my SINGING Blue-Fronted Amazon,joined us as a 15 year old
teenager. Her favorite songs are "Brahms Lullaby", "Rock of Ages", "America, America, the Beautiful", and
Good Morning To You to the HappyBirthday melody. She loves to sing in the shower and whistles out the tune as loud
as she can. She also tries to hum along to figure out other songs she doesn't know. When I am talking
on the phone, she "PARROTS" you while using your tone of voice with, ... "ggwak, ggwak, ggwak, ggwak..
ggwak, ggwak, ggwak, ggwak" ... well, that's how we sound to her when we talk fast.
Don't put her on your shoulder while you are talking on the phone, she might just bite your cheek out of jealousy.
She expects your undivided attention when you hold her, or she will bite your ear or cheek... and DO NOT talk
to another bird while you have her on your hand or shoulder...that will drive her insanely jealous. Of course, that
is not acceptable bird manners, but Jakey doesn't really care, she was born in the JUNGLE." Don't mess with
her, she'll chase both of the other birds if they get in her territory and thinks nothing of invading theirs and kiking them
out. She fluffs up all of her feathers to look bigger than she is... the Arifcan Gray out-weighs her six times at least..
Jake was not a hand-fed baby, like the other two here. She came out of the South America Jungles. The wild
adult Parrots must have taught her that gesturing with their enemies... she really takes it seriously. Mistakenly named
Jake for 15 years,but he is a she.
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