ROCKY & LOUIE'S STORY

"EVERYBIRDIE NEEDS SOMEBIRDIE TO LOVE" One of the truly amazing things about parrots is their ability to adapt. Of course, in the wild this is the natural state of things; wild animals adapt to their environment. If there are too many changes outside of the natural order of things then only the most adaptable survive. It makes it all that more amazing that parrots are able to live in our homes, in an environment so different from what they are programmed to accept. Over the years much has been written about behavior, and how to control screaming, biting, feather picking, hormonal surges, and any number of other issues. Many of the birds we take in at Avalon Parrots are because of a conflict in the home, either with another family member or other birds. Regardless of how well you provide for your parrot it is an artificial environment, but one that they seem to accept, and can actually flourish in, if given enough companionship and things to do when in their cage. I think one of the keys to living with a parrot long term is acceptance. There has to be a certain amount of acceptance when it comes to behaviors we don’t like. We are asking a lot from them, to live in our homes, and be our companions. Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of the wild caught parrot. However you may feel about captive breeding and the number of unwanted parrots these days, it is truly tragic that so many have been taken from the wild before it became illegal. Of course, it is still done, but not to the same extent. For every bird that survived being taken from the wild and shipped to its final destination, hundreds probably died. Perhaps the word lucky cannot be used to describe the survivors; birds destined to a life of captivity, but certainly words like strong, spirited, and adaptable do. Meet Rocky, an Orange-winged Amazon. ‘He’ is probably a ‘she’, at least 34 years old and a wild caught parrot. She has been in two previous homes before coming to Avalon Parrots. I don’t know much about the first home, only that they had her for 18 years. I doubt, though, that it was too great. For one thing, she is completely untamed and was probably not worked with much those first few years. Also, cages were abysmally small 30 years ago, and parrot toys were hardly recognized as a necessity. Food for parrots consisted of mostly sunflower seeds. She probably spent the first part of her life stuck in a cage in the corner of a house, until the owners tired of her and took her to a bird swap meet, where her new owner bought her. Her life was better. Her new owner was more knowledgeable about parrots, and able to provide more for her. In fact, she had even owned a parrot store for ten years. She had Rocky for 18 years, but as time went on and the owner became older she was able to spend less and less time with her. She had long since sold the parrot store and her new job consisted of a long commute and even longer work hours. Once again Rocky found herself spending long days, even months at a time, in her cage, and she quickly returned to her previously wild state. Never one to step onto a hand, she was no longer even perch trained. Recognizing that she was not able to provide the time and attention her birds needed, the owner came to us. I agreed to take her Severe Macaw, Libby, and Rocky. She was planning to keep her Senegal, something I felt a little sad about, because Rocky was very attached to the Senegal. Libby was an easy placement, and is doing well in her new home. Rocky, I felt, deserved to live in as wild an environment as possible, and when I found an appropriate sanctuary situation wanted to place him in as wild a habitat as possible. The first few days were rough. She was terrified of me, and screamed every time I approached her. Coaxing her into her cage at night was an ordeal for both of us. But it wasn’t long before she accepted the new routine in her life. As soon as she saw me putting the other birds in their cages for the night, she would climb into hers. As she settled in, she began to take an interest in the birds around her. My heart ached for her; she so desperately wanted a friend. Unlike the other captive bred birds in the store, who are eager for human interaction and touch, Rocky wanted none of that and spent her days alone, sometimes comforting herself by gently rubbing the back of her own head. She tried first to make friends with Poindexter, my Senegal. She would climb down from her cage and go over to his. While there was no aggression, he certainly wasn’t interested and though the two sat side by side at times, there was no interaction. She gave up and set her sights on George, a Jardine’s. George was happy enough to be invited to her roomy cage, and ran up and down the perches and ate with enthusiasm out of her food dishes. But whenever she approached him he became rather aggressive, and so I put an end to that budding friendship. Besides, Rocky was learning to play with toys and seemed much happier. She especially loved balls with bells in them, or any type of foraging toy. And then into her life walked Louie, a Quaker Parrot. Louie had been there all along, but perhaps because she came in initially bonded to a Senegal she failed to notice him. I am not exactly sure what happened. It seems one day they were ignoring each other, and the next day they were inseparable. Louie is affectionately nicknamed Sid Vicious. One look at him and you will see why. His eyes dance with mischievous glee. He will entice you over for a little head scratch and then bite, and gleefully chuckle afterward. He is full of energy and mirth. He is also very human bonded and does seek the attention of people, largely ignoring the birds around him. He is however, interested in everyone else’s stuff. He had been exploring all the cages around him; playing with all the other toys and generally making a nuisance of himself. Rocky was sitting quietly playing with a foot toy. Louie paused to watch. You could almost read his mind. “Hey, that looks like fun!” And before I could stop him (I still wasn’t sure how aggressive Rocky would be to other birds) Louie jumped up on Rocky’s cage and snatched it away. Now I hate to keep anthropomorphizing, but Rocky looked at him with stunned disbelief. All I could think about was kids in a playroom where one clearly does not play well with others. She tried to retrieve her toy, but Louie would have none of that. And so the friendship was formed. It makes it all the more endearing that the bullying one is half the size of his friend. As soon as their cages are uncovered in the morning, Rocky searches out Louie. They eat together (with Louie often grabbing the food from Rocky), and they play together, and preen each other. I had of course intended on adopting Louie out but now am not too sure. For now I am content to know they have each other, and that Rocky is perhaps enjoying a quality of life she hadn’t previously. And so, the next time you come home from a hard day of work, and your bird is screaming, and you feel irritated, pause for a minute and think of Rocky. Why? Because your parrot has all the same instincts as Rocky. Your parrot, though captive bred, wants and needs your companionship. And when you cannot be there, be sure to provide enough toys and activities to help your bird pass the day. It is disheartening how many birds are given up after a few years for doing what comes naturally to them. We would like to help you keep your bird in your home. While sometimes circumstances are such that an individual can no longer keep their parrot, often it is a lack of tolerance for behaviors that are natural, and a lack of understanding of what parrots really need: somebody to love.