Marlene
Welcome to the neighborhood!
It is with great pleasure that I announce the Celebirdy for the month of October,
The one and only, beautiful, Tuchis!
The one and only, beautiful, Tuchis!
Here is what Jen had to say about her baby Tuchis
1. How did you acquire your bird?
I had been thinking about getting a bird for a few years but had no idea what kind of bird I wanted. I had a number of smaller birds as a child from finches, budgies, and cockatiels to a Quaker and even pigeons. I walked into a Pet Smart one night and met a Timneh African grey that I fell head over heels in love with and bought every book they had on African greys and asked if there was any way to put a deposit down on that bird. Of course they said no but took my name and number and said they would call me if someone came in who was interested in the bird. I went home that night and literally read every book I had bought that night and over the weekend and knew this was the bird I wanted. I was sure it was the exact right match. The intelligence level, the more quiet nature, everything seemed like it would fit me and my lifestyle perfectly. It would take me about two weeks to come up with the $1000 the pet store was asking for the grey they had, but it was not to be. They sold the bird about a week later and I was devastated. That’s when I found a breeder about two hours from me and we went and visited the next weekend. She had three Timnehs but one was already spoken for. There was one who was about two months old and two that were about one month old. We spent about three hours talking to her and holding the babies and I was in love. I put $150 down and knew that one of these birds was going to be my baby. About two weeks later, Pet Smart called me and said the bird I was interested in had been returned and wanted to know if I was still interested. My heart was broken and I felt so badly for this bird but I had already made up my mind. For a short time, I almost thought of getting both birds, but decided against it. When it came time to decide which bird to take, I told the breeder that I wanted the one that got into the most trouble and she said that was the male of the male/female younger pair because the girl ahead of me had decided to take the older of the three, assuming that one would wean sooner. She wanted them all to abundance wean and couldn’t give me a firm date of when he would be ready to go but would let me know. We visited one more time before I got the call that he was ready. Interestingly enough, he was the first of the three to wean out.
2. What is your bird's name, age and sex?
As my first bird, I wanted to name him something that was significant to my Jewish heritage. I went through a lot of different Yiddish and Hebrew names but couldn’t find one that I liked. My best friend at the time suggested Tuchis and I looked at her and asked her if she knew what that meant and she said no. When we went to pick him up I looked at him and said…you know what, it really does fit…and that’s how he became Tuchis Fagel Fleishman…Fagel is bird in Hebrew. Tuchis is DNA’d male and will be 11 years old on December 27, 2013.
3. Does your bird do any special tricks?
Does Tuchis do any special tricks…does harassing other birds count?
We have taught him to turn around in a circle, to wave, and to shake hands. I worked with him for a while to teach him how to fetch but that was going no where and I kind of gave up on that…considering my training skills and his strong will, I think we were lucky we got the first three tricks out of him.4. What are some of your birds favorite foods?
Well, that would probably be anything he’s not supposed to have, especially anything that comes in a coveted white bag that he knows instantly is from a fast food joint!
Grudgingly, he will eat carrots and apple…his favorite healthy foods. He loves almonds as well.5. What is the funniest thing your bird has done?
I would have to say that this would be a long list. He’s always up to something that will make me laugh. Bugging the other birds, getting into trouble with Kishka RB2, faking to have a plastic golf ball stuck on his foot just to get me to come running, trying to steal food and/or drink from me, etc. The funniest memory I have of him which wasn’t so funny at the time was when I got him out of his cage one morning and set him on a playstand that was on a dark throw rug I used to protect the white carpet in my apartment. He fluttered to the ground and landed on the dark throw rug and just as I had turned around and tried to stop him from what I knew was inevitable, he quickly wattled his little butt onto the white carpet and pooped! Nope, couldn’t do that on the playstand or even on the dark throw rug…he had to get to the white carpet and do his business…
6. How has your bird enriched your life?
You know, I don’t know that I could even count the ways. He’s my best friend. He knows when I’ve had a bad day and tries to cheer me up. He tells me he loves me and I truly believe he knows what he’s saying…only because sometimes he uses it honestly and sometimes he uses it to get out of trouble!
He’s such a kind and sensitive soul but has the personality of a thousand wise men. I don’t know that I could even describe everything that he has brought to my life. He’s a unique and wonderful individual with a heart of gold and the sass to match.7. What would you tell people who are considering this species?
From all the Timnehs I’ve met, I’d say they seem to come in two flavors…saucy and sweet. Tuchis is of the saucy variety. He is very much his very own birdie and does things on his own terms and in his own way. He is very strong willed but still sensitive and his bond with me is very strong. A friend of mine once stated that I spoil him too much and she said I needed to discipline him more. She had the opportunity to bird sit him for a while as we ordered new cages and his old cage had been moved to her house while I watched her birds and we decided to just leave it there until the new cages came. She made it about a month before she surrendered and asked me to come get him and trade him for one of my "better mannered" birds. That’s when I asked her if it was my spoiling of him that made him who he was or if it was just who he was and she admitted that it was just who he was!
What does that make him? I would say determined, maybe slightly bratty, definitely strong willed. I think these are probably pretty stereotypical of many Timnehs. He’s also very loving and sweet when he wants to be though. He’s been a great companion for me but may not be for everyone. I don’t try to control him and I let him be who he is. I try to stay away from the stereotypes of what greys are supposed to be, neurotic, feather picking, afraid of things. I treat him as an individual and always have and I think we’ve avoided most of the stereotypes but he can be a bit fearful here and there and he definitely is careful in new situations and with new people he doesn’t feel comfortable about. I’d say do your research and meet a few and then decide. I think the species as a whole is wonderful but they can keep you on your toes and they can also give other birds a run for their money!8. What is the activity and noise level of your bird?
Over the years, Tuchis has slowed down and is much less active than he used to be, although he was never incredibly active to begin with…not compared to my ADHD Galah but more so than my perch potato Amazons. He is fully flighted and loves to fly but even flying is something that he doesn’t do as much of at nearly 11 than he did at 3. He does occasionally play with toys, but once again, as an older bird, it’s not as much as it used to be. He likes to chew and destroy more than anything, but he’s kind of lazy and prefers naturals and softer woods like balsa than even the pines these days. His noise level isn’t too bad. He does talk quite a bit and knows quite a few words and phrases and still picks up new things every now and then. He loves to chatter with the other greys in the house and they all make various beeping noises and clicks and other noises. He’s not known for screaming or other really loud noises but occasionally the high pitched beeps can get annoying. For the most part though, the noise level is very acceptable.
9. What are some of your birds quirks?
Quirks? He will not leave you alone if you have food of any kind. I don’t know if that’s a quirk or not but it is slightly annoying! He likes to pick on and harass the other birds his size but is deathly afraid of the Linnies. He does not like going outside and I think he’s the one bird that definitely knows what outside is and would never accidentally or otherwise fly out an open door or window, not that we would test this, but it’s pretty good theory!
He makes the cutest little zipping like noise all the time that I have no idea where he picked it up or what it is. Oh, and he loves, loves, LOVES to give kisses!10. If your bird talks, what is the most surprising word or sentence it has said?
The day I was called to my friend’s house to fetch Tuchis and replace him with a more mild mannered parrot from my flock while we waited for his cage to come in, I spent the day at my friend’s house and I must have repeated the phrase "Are you ready to go home?" several times along with a few variations. This was back in 2006 or so. Tuchis quickly started saying it along with "Do you wanna go home?" Since then it has morphed into "Are you ready to go to bed?" and "Wanna go to bed?"
11. What is your bird’s favorite treat?
Dare I say Chinese food?
Whenever I have it and he’s out, he will sit in the middle of my plate and simply help himself! We don’t have it very often and I try to make sure he’s in his cage…but I would have to say that’s probably his favorite treat other than pizza crust or some of Kishka RB2’s feathers!
Tuchis sounds like someone I know! 
