More.....My family is going to the birds!

[Mt_Goat]

Well it all started when we got the bird in this thread (http://short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17767&highlight=birds) and we have kept growing.

In October we got an "African Grey" we named Jezebelle due to her outgoing personality.We got her at 6 mos. old and she is currently 9 mos. old. These birds are supposed to be one of the smartest bird species on Earth. You can really see this when you look into their eyes. The way they look at you really reminds me of the Velociraptors in Jurassic Park. These birds are totally cool and can learn thousands of words in their 70 year lifespan. Not only do they mimic but they seem to know how to use them in different situations as well as reply to what you are saying. This is the only species that doesn't speak in a "bird voice" as they can mimic the exact voice of many different people and imitate any noise they hear to perfection. Most birds that talk learn to talk between 4 and 6 mos. of age but Greys start between 12 and 15 mos. Jezebelle is way ahead of schedule since she started talking at 5 mos. and at 9 mos. knows over 30 words, several phrases and a variety of sounds.

Then we got a "Goffin Cockatoo" named Casper (his name has since been changed to Stonewall) (http://www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26779) that was a RESCUE bird as he was socially neglected and chewed all his feathers off. Casper was surrendered by his previous owner to a local Avian Rescue organization when they tired of him. He is doing much better now and is starting to grow back his feathers. These are a bit smaller than the big Umbrella Cockatoos and look similar except their beaks are blueis white insted of black with a blue eye ring. They can talk (mimic) but to a much lesser degree than African Greys, Amazons, Macaws and Eclectus Parrots. He is a "wild caught" 10 year old that come here from Australia before the ban on importing wild caught birds. When we first got him he would stay in the back of his cage and try to bite anyone who put their hand near him except to occasionally ley you scratch his head. Now he enjoys coming out of his cage to play on the top, steps up (this is when you put your hand in front of the bird and command them to "step up" onto it) and he loves to be scratched all over his body all the time.

We had already put in an order for a Goffin Cockatoo which we got 2 weeks later. So when Nanette our female Goffin Cockatto arrived we were a little overwhelmed. She is exactly the same sub-species as casper but acts completely different as she is a young hand fed adolescent. She loves to be cuddled and petted and already knows some tricks in addition to what I call the "Cockatoo Dance" that they all do.

Along the way we also got 2 Yellow Canaries for breeders, a male Yellow Canary because he is a great "singer", 2 Red factor Canaries for breeding, 2 Green Canaries for breeding, 2 Saffron Finches, 2 Diamond Doves (that are the size of a Canary), and 2 Cockateils (rare breeding variatiesthat were hand fed). My wife wants to breed and sell singer Canaries of several different varieties and we now have a several eggs in 2 of the nests.


The grey bird is Jezebelle the African Grey and the white one is Nanette the Goffin Cockatoo.

[Mt_Goat]

This is Stonewall the Goffin Cockatoo that was rescued. He is will look just like Nanette, the other Goffin Cockatoo when he recovers. You can easilly see how much damage he inflicted on himself, which is less than what had when we got him. He had no feathers at all below his eyes! So what he has he has already grown back. :D

[TheBaron]

poor bird! big props to you for rescuing an at risk animal

[primesuspect]

Man, I love birds. I WILL be a bird owner in my lifetime.....

African grays are eerily intelligent. I heard a story on the radio about an african gray that can perform 1st grade arithmetic, speak in sentences, and knows something like 200 different objects.

[Mt_Goat]

Man, I love birds. I WILL be a bird owner in my lifetime.....

African grays are eerily intelligent. I heard a story on the radio about an african gray that can perform 1st grade arithmetic, speak in sentences, and knows something like 200 different objects.
We are currently working with Jezebell on object recognition and some basic "doggie" tricks in addition to speech. She does enjoy calling and teasing the cats by calling them in my wife's voice then laughing at them when they show up below the cage. I get the distinct impression Jezebelle knows she is much smarter than they are. ;D

[a2jfreak]

What all is required to properly care for an African Gray? How much would one cost? Also, what would food costs be and do they need to see vets regularly and do they need any sort of special vitamins?

[TheSmJ]

Sorta like how my family is with aquariums. We started with one, and now we have somewhere in the neighborhood of 8!

[profdlp]

Those look like very cool pets. I bet my dogs would enjoy having a bird for company - maybe I could train the bird to holler at the them if they look like they're about to have an "accident". :p

[Geeky1]

African Greys are supposed to be about as smart as the average 4 year old human child. They're supposed to be great birds...

a2j: it wouldn't surprise me if African Grey parrots go for $750-$1000+... Macaws and stuff seem to start around $1000 or $1500 and go up from there, so...

[Mt_Goat]

What all is required to properly care for an African Gray? How much would one cost? Also, what would food costs be and do they need to see vets regularly and do they need any sort of special vitamins?

First their are 2 kinds of African Greys. There is the Congo African Grey (http://www.avesint.com/ctag.html), which is what I have and what most folks prefer. And there is the Timneh African Grey (http://www.avesint.com/ctag.html) which is slightly smaller and has a brownish beak instead of black with a maroon tail instead of bright red. The vitamins they need is generally in their food pellets with some protein powders available if your bird needs more. Food is generaaly about the same cost as for a small dog or cat. I like to figure on buying food every 2 weeks along with a new toy and spend on the average of $25.00 every 2 weeks for pellets, seed (a treat item), chews and treats, and a new toy. You should also be prepared to prepare food for your bird as they need more than just pellets for different minerals, protein and vitamins and is much better than giving them supplements. We cook rice every day along with frsh or cooked veggies and fresh fruit. Birds love to eat what we eat and can eat most of it as long as its healthy food and does not contain any preservatives, chemicals or salt. Just think of what they can eat like you were trying to eat the healthiest diet without chemicals. No bird should ever eat chocolate, avocados, anything with caffine or carbonated as it will kill them!!!] As long as your bird is healthy it will only need to see an Avian Veternarian once or twice a year. Something to remember is that germs and viruses take hold in a bird as an infection and always considered deadly so if your bird falls ill you must take it to the vet right away! An avian vet is generally a little more expensive than a regular vet but is much better for your bird as they specialize in birds only and birds are much different than say a dog, cat or hamster. There is so much information to share but I think I hit most of the essentials.


$1,000 For a hand fed youngster Congo African Grey
$400+ For a decent cage. (30" wide minimum, coated wrought iron)
$150 For perches, toys and other things to get started.
_______
$1,550+ Total to get started


Any bird is actually a very big comitment in that anything larger than a Cockateil will live for at least 20 years and the bigger the bird the longer they live. A Greys average lifespan is 70 years, so be prepared to not only care for it for the rest of your life but consider who will care for it after your gone if need be! Greys and most large birds are very emotionally needy creatures so they need the same kind of care and attention (as Geeky hit it on the head) a 4 yr old human child would need all it's life. You need to be prepared to give your bird a minimum of 2 hours of individual attention every day with more being better. The cool thing about them is that you don't need to hold them or have them perched on you all that time every day as you would for say a Cockatoo. You need to provde them with toys to keep them occupied while youre not there and change the toys frequently. As with anything, the more you read and research prior to making the plunge is nothing but beneficial as you can learn about the species and its care. I highly recomend buying one from a known breeder or smaller bird shop and not a big store or a petshop that sells all sorts of critters. You want to try to find a young bird that is still being hand fed if possible as you can then put a deposit on it and visit to socialize with the bird on a regular basis so it gets to know you. For a first time big bird buyer this can be very important as you will bond and learn from each other. I would have to look and see who I could get recomendations on in your area if you want but do know that the 2 places I deal with here in the Austin area have many clients who travel from Houston to buy their birds.

a2j,
let me know if you need anything else and I'll be happy to help out.

[a2jfreak]

Thanks Goat. That told me what I needed: I'm not cut out for a bird that size. I don't have two hours a day to give a bird.

[primesuspect]

It's hard to comprehend their lifespan. We hear "yes they can live as long as 70 years" but we don't really realize what that means.

The thing that put it into perspective for me was my parent's neighbor. When I was growing up, my neighbor always just had this macaw. He spoke polish (the bird)... And then I found out that the reason the bird spoke polish is that for the first 20 years of his life, he grew up in a household where only polish was spoken. Okay, so now the bird is in his 50s. He speaks english now too (the old lady is now in a nursing home, in her 80s), and the son is taking care of the bird. When I visit, that bird has just always been there for my entire life, as well as the neighbor's entire life. It's amazing. He's 30 years older than me!

Yeah, you have to plan for who will inherit the bird when you die. It's a big, big commitment.. Bigger than any other pet I think....

I want a bird :( I grew up with parakeets. I loved them. My one bird lived for 8 years and I sure missed him when he died. It was a ritual - I would come home from school and he would fly out (his cage was always open) and land on my head. He loved me.

[profdlp]

...I don't have two hours a day to give a bird.
Commute to work in the Washington DC area and you would. :sawed:

[muddocktor]

That's pretty cool Larry, that you all have gotten into the birds. I've been having birds for a good part of my life and I presently have a Mitred Conure, which is one of the largest Conure species and is originally from South America around the Andes mountains. Conures are small to medium sized birds from 9 to 20 inches long. They aren't the vocabulary kings like the African Greys, but they can learn to talk and Bob has a vocabulary of around 30-50 words and phrases. They are also very intelligent birds and I know that Bob actually knows what he's saying at least part of the time. Since Mitreds originally came from high altitude climes, they tolerate cold weather much better than a lot of parrot type species, which means that they can be put outside quite a bit more than the tropical parrots such as the Amazons. Bod will definitely tell you that he wants to go "outside" by saying it. We have a smaller cage that I use to hang him on a hook on the porch when he wants out, so he can looks at all the critters running around. :D He normally stays in a large parrot type cage in the house.

Larry is so right about buying from a breeder; you will generally get a bird that most probably was hand raised and is tamer than buying from a big store. You don't know how they were raised when you buy from a big shop and maybe won't even know how old a bird it is. I got Bob from a lady that breeds several different types of parrots, including Macaws and Africans and he was just weaned when we got him around 6 years ago. As far as feeding is concerned, most parrot type birds are primarily seed and veggie and fruit eaters, but they are raptors which means that they are also opportunity eaters too, meaning that meat in small quantities is just fine for a treat. If I don't give Bob a little something from my plate when we sit down to eat, he will definitely get upset, be it some corn or peas or meat or potato. He is actually crazy about chicken, (that cannibal ;D ) and starts raising hell when he smells it cooking. If you let him, he will also share your Coke or Dr. Pepper. :eek: BTW, it's not good to let your bird eat something that's been in contact with your mouth as there's something in our saliva that makes it very easy to pass disease to your bird. Letting them give you kisses on the lips is also a no-no for the same reason. They can catch colds and flu from you and it can be deadly for the bird.

On behavior, you definitely have to give the birds attention or they will cut up and do stuff until you do. They are very much like a small child in that if they can't get attention by being good, they will get destructive or noisy until they get attention. BTW, Mitred Conures wouldn't be a good choice for someone who is living in an apartment complex because they can get very loud and they have a squawk that can be very grating on the nerves. When he starts one of his tirades I will tell him to shut up, which he then repeats back to me or yells "You be quiet!" right back. Then the fun begins with him and I trading insults. He will also get on my finger and "play fly" with him flapping his wings to beat hell while holding on tightly while I whirl him around and upside down. He also has a big enough beak that gives the cats a pause about messing with them and actually bit the crap out of them when they were real young and stuck their paws in his cage. ;D The cats know bettter than to mess with Bob, but they all get along pretty well now.

I've attached a pic of a couple of Mitred Conures that I found on the web. I'll have to find where some pics I took of Bob are later to post my bird up.

[maxanon]

Birds are amazing. We've only had parakeets and finches. The commitment of a large bird is too much and it would not be fair to even try.

I agree with Prime with the longevity. We had a neighbour who had a bedroom for his two birds. They have the second largest room (aside from the master suite) since he pre-dated his children. The guy is about 70 and the birds are ~50 and have seen the guys great-grandkids and outlived about 4 dogs. The room is so modifed (flooring, wall fixtures, and a lot of windows) and the birds have the run of the house. They're potty trained (they only go in their room) and they can turn on the TV/Stereo and open doors. The guy just bought them a puppy to play with.

[Mt_Goat]

The room is so modifed (flooring, wall fixtures, and a lot of windows) and the birds have the run of the house. They're potty trained (they only go in their room) and they can turn on the TV/Stereo and open doors. The guy just bought them a puppy to play with.
The horor at the thought of a bird having a puppy as a pet is :eek: :wtf:

[Mt_Goat]

Here is another more recent pic of our first bird "Jazzy" a Gold Capped Conure. She is a total crackup when she's not driving us crazy with her shrieking. She talks fairly well but not near as well or clear as the Grey or Cockatoos. Among her vocabulary is; "that bird is crap", "stop it", "stop that crap", "how true", "hi bird", "NO!", "cut it out", and "no screaming". She always laughs her demented little laugh bobbing her head and dancing back and forth after saying "that bird is crap". "No screaming" is always repeated after we say it or better yet when she has been making lots of noise and we go to scold her. The funniest part is that she always replies with an appropriat response to something said, be it to her or to someone else including the other animals in the house. She has mostly made up her own phrases by mixing what words she knows and they always fit! ;D

[tcith]

Our family has a large white Cockatoo (sorry don't know the exact species, we refer to them as sulphur crested white cockatoos, but they are extremely common here in the eastern states of Aus) she was rescued by my father when he was on a date with my mother (my father that is not the cockatoo) - she had broken her wing somehow and never learn to really fly properly again and became tame very quickly, she was an adult when we got her so her age is unknown, she has been with the family 48 years (and is often refered to as the eldest child) I'm 37.

She speaks about 100 words and can mimic my fathers whistle and my mum calling us kids, she can also call the dog, she also barks and meows.

She does a few tricks - the cockatoo dance for one and can roll a ball around and play fetch and she will happily sit on a shoulder for hours regardless of what task your doing, never getting in the way and never "messing" your shoulder, even fast things like riding a bike, she just leans into the wind and loves it, she can always jump off and fly if she wants to get off.

Cockatoos are fantastic pets, long lifespan makes them the complete companion animal, my parents are now in their 70's and it would not surprise me that the bird outlives them.

[Mt_Goat]

We are at it again and our flock is going to grow by one very large bird. The new addition is going to be a Greenwing Macaw which is the second largest Parrot in the world. My wife and I just paid for a Greenwing Macaw egg! (only an egg,we must be nuts) We got a 15% discount ($375 savings) by paying in full up front instead of just the normal 50% with the rest due upon picking up the bird. This will certainly be our largest bird as it will grow to a total length of about 38" with a wing span of around 42". We also got a discount on the huge cage by buying it at the same time. It is big enough for both my wife and I to fit inside together (this led to sme kinky ideas;)). The egg was DNA'ed to determine the sex of the bird, which is a female or hen and she will be ready to go home around Christmas time. In the mean time they will feed and raise it like a baby and we will go visit so it will socalize with us and be part of its flock. It also costs considerably more to get a bird that has been completely hand fed and socialized rather than just fed to weaning. (cough cough) Here is a picture of what she will look like.

[primesuspect]

wow! I didn't even know you could buy eggs like that!

Congrats on your new soon-to-be family member, larry! :D

[primesuspect]

okay, i love birds, and I plan to have one eventually, but larry, honestly - you have to admit. They are UGLY as SIN when they are newborns.

http://www.jmparrotplace.com/images/Greenwing%204.jpg

i mean, they look like testicles.... ;D

[bothered]

Are those blocks chained to it to stop it flying off? what are they chained to? no wonder it looks so supprised. :)
Lovely bird Mr Goat, I read the rest of this thread and believe they live a long time?

[bothered]

Prime, Testicles? I have tears in my eyes. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[primesuspect]

well?!?!? They do!! ;D

[profdlp]

I think the latin name for that breed is scroteus maximus.

Good lord help us all... :wtf:

[Mt_Goat]

okay, i love birds, and I plan to have one eventually, but larry, honestly - you have to admit. They are UGLY as SIN when they are newborns.

i mean, they look like testicles.... ;D
Thanks Brian, you had to ruin it for me. :rolleyes:

But yes, all birds are quite ugly for some time after they are born. I think it may even be where the phrase "So ugly only a mother could love" may have originated. And yes I have that ugly stage to look forward to with my new bird.
Are those blocks chained to it to stop it flying off? what are they chained to? no wonder it looks so supprised.
Lovely bird Mr Goat, I read the rest of this thread and believe they live a long time?
Mr Bothered
The blocks are toys for the bird to play with and chew on. And the chains are to keep the bird from throwing the blocks or carry them off. They are attached to the perch.

[LIN]

wow! I didn't even know you could buy eggs like that!

Congrats on your new soon-to-be family member, larry! :D
neither did i - and congrats! that's cool :)


LIN

[Nomad]

First thing when I saw that picture I said to myself, "Those kind of look like ba--Whoajesus."

[Mt_Goat]

Originally Posted by primesuspect
wow! I didn't even know you could buy eggs like that!

Congrats on your new soon-to-be family member, larry!

neither did i - and congrats! that's cool :)


LIN
Well I guess that's what you get when you are willing to spend a little more than a couple grand on a baby bird! :eek: This really does make me sound insane. Doesn't it? :scratch:

BTW Brian
here's some real nuts for ya. ;D
















http://joecartoon.atomfilms.com/media/images/comics/comictesti/comictesti1.gif

[LIN]

Well I guess that's what you get when you are willing to spend a little more than a couple grand on a baby bird! :eek: This really does make me sound insane. Doesn't it? :scratch:
nah ;)

BTW Brian
here's some real nuts for ya. ;D




http://joecartoon.atomfilms.com/media/images/comics/comictesti/comictesti1.gif
dang, you guys are obsessed, Lol


LIN

[FormFactor]

We are currently working with Jezebell on object recognition and some basic "doggie" tricks in addition to speech. She does enjoy calling and teasing the cats by calling them in my wife's voice then laughing at them when they show up below the cage. I get the distinct impression Jezebelle knows she is much smarter than they are. ;D


OMG that is hilarious. The bird messing with the cat. priceless. Can she say "I tought I taw a putty cat"? How does she call that cat? Like "here kitty kitty kitty".

now THAT sounds like a cool pet. I really wish I could get one. But the African Gray sounds too expensive.

Is there another kind of bird with comparable intelligence that might be more affordable?

[Mt_Goat]

OMG that is hilarious. The bird messing with the cat. priceless. Can she say "I tought I taw a putty cat"? How does she call that cat? Like "here kitty kitty kitty".

now THAT sounds like a cool pet. I really wish I could get one. But the African Gray sounds too expensive.

Is there another kind of bird with comparable intelligence that might be more affordable?
That's exactly what she does is calls kitty, kitty, kitty but she also meows just like the cats. If you were not looking you would have no idea if it was the cat or the bird meowing! ;D She also barks like a pomeranian and like an australian Sheppherd.

[Mt_Goat]

We are at it again and our flock is going to grow by one very large bird. The new addition is going to be a Greenwing Macaw which is the second largest Parrot in the world. My wife and I just paid for a Greenwing Macaw egg! (only an egg,we must be nuts) We got a 15% discount ($375 savings) by paying in full up front instead of just the normal 50% with the rest due upon picking up the bird. This will certainly be our largest bird as it will grow to a total length of about 38" with a wing span of around 42". We also got a discount on the huge cage by buying it at the same time. It is big enough for both my wife and I to fit inside together (this led to sme kinky ideas;)). The egg was DNA'ed to determine the sex of the bird, which is a female or hen and she will be ready to go home around Christmas time. In the mean time they will feed and raise it like a baby and we will go visit so it will socalize with us and be part of its flock. It also costs considerably more to get a bird that has been completely hand fed and socialized rather than just fed to weaning. (cough cough) Here is a picture of what she will look like.

Well I realized I hadn't updated this for a while as things have changed considerably.

First, the Greenwing Macaw that we were originally getting had problems so we got to get a new baby. But that put things back a bit from our schedule. Her name is Rubt and we finally get to take her home in a few more weeks as she will be 6 mos old then. You can count on me posting pics of her then! She is totally awesome as we go make socialization visits regularly. She is about 2/3 of her adult size right now and is reaking huge!

Second, we got a mini-Macaw that is called a "Hahns Macaw". His name is Mack and he is only about a foot long counting his long tail feathers. He talks up a storm already (thanks to our African Gray) and is just the nicest little bird you could meet.

Last, we had to find a new home for Nanette our female Goffin Cockatoo. She just didn't fit in with the other birds and was causing them to act up constantly. She is now the only big bird in her new home and loves it! But Stonewall, the male rescue Goffin Cockatoo is much happier now and is back on the road to recovery.

More to come soon.

[profdlp]

I used to think that with a bird, all that's involved in caring for it is tossing some seed and water in the cage and changing out the newspaper once in a while. It looks like there's a lot more to it.

Thanks for the update, mtgoat. :)

[GHoosdum]

Could your birds teach my dog how to talk, Larry? Sometimes she looks at me like she's trying to understand me, then she does the exact opposite of what I tell her... kids!

I don't really care if she learns to cognitively understand what she's saying, can your birds just teach her to say "I'm sorry"?

[Mt_Goat]

Well, they just had my new baby Macaw on the news. It wasn't about her but rather she was used for "stock footage". She's a star! :rolleyes2 So I will post the web pic and a pic I just took of Mack the hahn's Macaw

[Mt_Goat]

Well now there is very sad news concerning Ruby our baby Greenwing Macaw. The week before she was to come home she suddenly fell ill. They couldn't figure out what was wrong and did tons of lab work with blood, droppings and other fluids with no clue as to what was wrong. Then she suffered a stroke and now she is gone. We have been so sad for the past week and a half now because e got so attached to her. I can still smell her and see her bright shining eyes. We had been eyeing a Scarlet Macaw that was in the cage next to her and asked to see if it would like us. It's kind of weird and hard to explain but when an an animal connection is 'right' you can feel it. Well it was love at first contact and we are bringing it home tomorrow! This bird is not yet sexed and we won't know for a few weeks yet so we gave it a non-gender name, Lyric. My wife came up with Lyric because she says the bird is as beautiful as a song. It also needed to be simple so the bird could know and say its name. My wife was much more upset about Ruby so I left her go with the name. I will post pics after the new bird is settled in.


This is a Scarlet Macaw like what we are now getting. The bottom pic is of a Green Wing Macaw which is what Ruby was.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1f/Belize54.JPG


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Ara_chloropterus_pair.jpg

[primesuspect]

:( Sorry to hear it Larry. I know what it means to lose a beloved pet, so I know what you're going through right now :(

[Nightwolf]

I'm sorry to hear that mt. I hope you guys enjoy/love the new one as you did the other.

[QCH]

Dude.... I am SO sorry. Be thankful you had time with her and that she was able to bring you joy...

[Winga]

I am so sorry to hear about the loss of Ruby.
I hope Lyric will be able to fill the gap and heal the hurt you guys are experiencing right now.

[profdlp]

Sorry to hear of your loss. :(

[Mt_Goat]

I truely thank everyone for the condolences. Things are looking better now with the new bird Lyric the Scarlet Macaw at home. I now have a pic and am trying for more. Jezebelle the African Gray is dropping bombs right now. She whistles like a bomb falling and then makes explosion sounds.


This is Lyric

http://www.short-media.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=19801&d=1145152007

[Nightwolf]

Can you tell the gender yet?

[Mt_Goat]

Can you tell the gender yet?
We had her to the vet today and they took a blood sample for a DNA gender test. It is the only way to tell as both sexes look identical.

[Nightwolf]

do the males/femals have different personalities? Or different attidues like dogs?

[Mt_Goat]

do the males/femals have different personalities? Or different attidues like dogs?
Some birds can be different by sex. Some males or females may only like one certain sex of person. It seems that there is actually more of a difference in personality due to indivuality than due to being a particular sex. The two largest contributors to a birds personality is first how it was hand-raised as a baby then ultimately the owner. How long a bird has been between the time it is weaned (finished hand-feeding and eats nothing but a normal diet) and placed into a home also has some effect on its personality. You would never want to buy a large bird from a place like Petsmart. We get all of ours from a few local places that raise and hand-feed chicks themselves and socialize the chicks to bond with humans. If a chick is parent raised (by birds) it will almost never make a good pet. Also, the quality of time and attention given by the caregiver of babies is very important (just like people). Then the way the owner cares for and interacts with a bird ultimately has the final say on how a birds fares with its human flock. Humans are so much 'negative response trained' and birds CANNOT BE TRAINED WITH NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT! Positive reinforcement is the only way as a bird has no comprehension of it and will eventually turn mean. This is where most birds go bad so to speak.

[tmh88]

any idea how old lyric is?

[Mt_Goat]

any idea how old lyric is?
Lyric was hatched on 17 September 2005. So that would make the bird 7 months old tomorrow. Lyric is still just a baby and acts like it too. I will be happy when the DNA results come back by the end of this week. We just do not like not knowing.

[TheSmJ]

I just finished reading an article about the psychological ways birds perceive interactions with humans (http://parrotisland.mainsecureserver.com/catalog/article_info.php?articles_id=58).

Needless to say it's a lot more complicated than I thought.