Parrot species that are Misunderstood?

[impala400]

IRNs! Supposedly, they like to spend hours alone, don't like interaction, can be mean, don't make good pets, etc. Obviously Doisy isn't an IRN but some sort of rare unknown parrot.
I think most of a parrot's behavior results from the way it is socialized, trained, and interacted with. in general, I think that birds as pets are misunderstood. Many people don't realize that they need toys, interaction, large cages, and so on and so forth. When such a person ends up with a bird, their misunderstanding of what goes into owning a bird can lead to these "problem behaviors" popping up. Therefore, it can become "My irn is mean and doesn't want to have anything to do with me but it's because it's an irn." (insert whatever bird species you want).

*Please don't think that I am saying that all new parrot owners are uneducated (and remain so) about parrots. I just think that this is how some of the misrepresentations come to be.

 

[cassiesdad]

All BIRDS.

How true!

 

[Onyxena]

I also agree that many species DO in fact tend to be more challenging. I also agree there are many exceptions! I previously owned a female BG, my first macaw for nearly 10 years that I rehomed last year. I have shared her story several times. But in the end she was a very difficult natured individual. I tried everything over many years and eventually rehomed her. I also have a scarlet macaw, which certainly gets a bad rap also. In the over 4 years he has been with us, he has been much much more reasonable to deal with. I can however, see the tendencies that have earned their rep as aggressive birds. I find him to be exceptionally intelligent and sensitive to the slight movements and moods. I strongly feel that scarlets are very reactive and this often leads them to be overly defensive. Which over time I have no doubt that it can easily become more and more aggressive. People often end up thinking they are in need of a firm hand and a no nonsense approach. I think they in fact need a very gentle, encouraging approach to bring out their best. My guy Max responds amazingly well to a calm, gentle, yet firm presence.

But overall, I think most birds tend to be misunderstood on some level. I just cannot imagine something as different from us as they are being completely fulfilled and understood in our world.

 

[TITANIS]

All BIRDS.

QFT!!

 

[Saemma]

QFT!!

What does this mean?

 

[Renae]

What does this mean?

Quoted for truth. (I think?)

I agree with all birds, too.

 

[TITANIS]

What does this mean?

Urban Dictionary: qft

 

[Holiday]

I think this topic probably calls for a balanced approach. And, yeah, I do agree that birds generally are misunderstood, but when it comes to species reputation, I think we have to be careful about generalizing either way from too few examples--saying that they're all one way or another based on only one case is a mistake, IMO. Severes probably do have an undeserved rep for one-person behavior, because as far as I can see, most macaws are like that when they hit adulthood. Are Severes more like that than the average macaw? I don't know. I haven't known enough to make a judgement.

It would be easy for someone to say 'toos are easy to care for, or that female Ekkies don't get nesty much, or that Scarlet macs are sweethearts, just because someone has a mild, sociable, sweet specimen of the species (and most pre-adult birds are pretty sweet, as Shyra pointed out). Would we generalize about people like that? I know a woman from Cleveland who is a self-important, officious PIA, so therefore all people from Cleveland are like that? Nope. I know a kind sweetheart of a lady from Savannah, GA. Are all people from Savannah like that? Nope.

There was a lengthy story about a Severe on another board once upon a time (several years ago) that documented over time all the problems a woman had with her fiance's/husband's Severe. It made her life fairly difficult (typical one-person aggression). She eventually came to terms with it after years of struggle, and they even ended up with a couple more Severes (one of whom chose *her*) . Reading her story shaped my views. But, I also knew that her story was only one of many. There are all kinds of Severes out there. Reputations are made or lost on individual stories, but it's really the rescue people who can probably speak best to this--people who've known many individual birds of a species and can talk about what they've seen overall.

I know one thing for sure: there are birds who are harder to manage than other birds of the same species, and just because some are sweet and easy doesn't mean they're all like that. My Bella p'let is not an easy bird. Her temperament is not sweet or mellow. She is not cuddly or mild. No matter how many sweet p'lets there are out there (and my other p'let, Corbit, is certainly one of them) I know that some p'lets are not. It would have been very easy for me to get Corbit and see how sweet he was/is and post about how great p'lets are, never knowing Bella. Owning Corbit AND Bella has made me aware that one bird does not a species make. It also keeps me humble. If I hadn't owned Bella or Zoe or Patrick, I might think I'm some kind of great bird whisperer. But, they keep me grounded. It's not all about me--I can't merely take credit for Elvis and Max and Corbit. Individuals can vary drastically.

Do I also think that the person owning them makes a difference? Do I think that training makes a difference? You bet. The lady who owned Patrick before me thought he was "too much," but he's a sweet-tempered bird. He's just parent-raised. And that's not his fault. He was probably intended for a breeder. She only knew that he wasn't the pet she was wanting. I get that, because he's not really a pet in the way that my other birds are. But he's a very nice bird. IMO, it also takes a certain attitude or orientation to distinguish environmental influence, early rearing, and training from temperament.

Just one more example: my Zoe. She's not sweet or easy or tolerant or mild or nice. I love her anyway, because she's brilliant, fiery, funny, sassy and audacious, but she's not what most people think of when they think of an RFM. Can I imagine a Severe or a Scarlet or a Military like her? You bet your sweet aunt Fanny I can

Is it important to tell the world when we have an exception to a species rule? I think it is. Whether we have a particularly sweet one or a particularly fiery one, we should let people know. Because they could end up with either, or both.

 

[Saemma]

I think this topic probably calls for a balanced approach. And, yeah, I do agree that birds generally are misunderstood, but when it comes to species reputation, I think we have to be careful about generalizing either way from too few examples--saying that they're all one way or another based on only one case is a mistake, IMO. Severes probably do have an undeserved rep for one-person behavior, because as far as I can see, most macaws are like that when they hit adulthood. Are Severes more like that than the average macaw? I don't know. I haven't known enough to make a judgement.

It would be easy for someone to say 'toos are easy to care for, or that female Ekkies don't get nesty much, or that Scarlet macs are sweethearts, just because someone has a mild, sociable, sweet specimen of the species (and most pre-adult birds are pretty sweet, as Shyra pointed out). Would we generalize about people like that? I know a woman from Cleveland who is a self-important, officious PIA, so therefore all people from Cleveland are like that? Nope. I know a kind sweetheart of a lady from Savannah, GA. Are all people from Savannah like that? Nope.

There was a lengthy story about a Severe on another board once upon a time (several years ago) that documented over time all the problems a woman had with her fiance's/husband's Severe. It made her life fairly difficult (typical one-person aggression). She eventually came to terms with it after years of struggle, and they even ended up with a couple more Severes (one of whom chose *her*) . Reading her story shaped my views. But, I also knew that her story was only one of many. There are all kinds of Severes out there. Reputations are made or lost on individual stories, but it's really the rescue people who can probably speak best to this--people who've known many individual birds of a species and can talk about what they've seen overall.

I know one thing for sure: there are birds who are harder to manage than other birds of the same species, and just because some are sweet and easy doesn't mean they're all like that. My Bella p'let is not an easy bird. Her temperament is not sweet or mellow. She is not cuddly or mild. No matter how many sweet p'lets there are out there (and my other p'let, Corbit, is certainly one of them) I know that some p'lets are not. It would have been very easy for me to get Corbit and see how sweet he was/is and post about how great p'lets are, never knowing Bella. Owning Corbit AND Bella has made me aware that one bird does not a species make. It also keeps me humble. If I hadn't owned Bella or Zoe or Patrick, I might think I'm some kind of great bird whisperer. But, they keep me grounded. It's not all about me--I can't merely take credit for Elvis and Max and Corbit. Individuals can vary drastically.

Do I also think that the person owning them makes a difference? Do I think that training makes a difference? You bet. The lady who owned Patrick before me thought he was "too much," but he's a sweet-tempered bird. He's just parent-raised. And that's not his fault. He was probably intended for a breeder. She only knew that he wasn't the pet she was wanting. I get that, because he's not really a pet in the way that my other birds are. But he's a very nice bird. IMO, it also takes a certain attitude or orientation to distinguish environmental influence, early rearing, and training from temperament.

Just one more example: my Zoe. She's not sweet or easy or tolerant or mild or nice. I love her anyway, because she's brilliant, fiery, funny, sassy and audacious, but she's not what most people think of when they think of an RFM. Can I imagine a Severe or a Scarlet or a Military like her? You bet your sweet aunt Fanny I can

Is it important to tell the world when we have an exception to a species rule? I think it is. Whether we have a particularly sweet one or a particularly fiery one, we should let people know. Because they could end up with either, or both.

I love what you posted. I agree fully. It is true that certain parrot species are more misunderstood than others. This is why there is a disinterest in some parrots as opposed to others. I was QUITE QUITE surprised to discover that parrotlets and lovebirds can be SO aggressive. I really had no idea. I look at them and I only see cuteness.

Cockatoos, when I'm around them .. I feel like there is something about them that sucks the energy out of me. Not a good feeling and a bit unsettling.


I guess for all parrots we can only hope for the best and be prepared for the *potential* worst.

 

[Conurekidd]

I belive most birds are indeed misunderstood. But if way presented them in ways we shouldn. The shelters and rescues would be flooded. It's kinda for the best that people assume there mean and nasty. But for a true parrot owner. Someone who cares and already understands Most species. Then I belive there misunderstood. For us parrot owners birds are misunderstood. Essp amazons.

 

[Onyxena]

Holiday! I beleive my greenwing MaiTai and your Holly have a lot in common! All the things I heard before getting her about their famou "gentle giant" nature and all that, does NOT apply to her! She is loud, bossy opinionated, fearless, bullies everyone but me, bullies other macaws, very high maintenance, can be obnoxious, always up to no good. But that's my girl! We seem to have an understanding, andI do get along with her pretty well. She CAN be sweet, but its her terms. I do adore her, I have grown somewhat fond of my crazy girl over the years Oh and she gets even more fun when her hormonal cycle kicks on. Overall, we do pretty good together, and even my husband thinks she is funny, despite his threats to send her to South America! My daughter calls her our angry pet dragon.

 

[Bokkapooh]

I think baby greenwings are big gentle giants, but I'll send people to you Morgan if they want to know what an adult Greenwing is like

 

[Saemma]

I've been thinking alot about this topic and I suppose that all species of parrots are susceptible to being *Misunderstood* Especially those who have had such a good start in life. (example, bad diet, no interaction, no toys, terrible cage conditions.. etc.). It would make sense that these parrot would develop all kinds of poorly behaviours.