expressmailtome
Ripping up the road
Administrator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
- Joined
- 4/15/10
- Messages
- 50,091
- Real Name
- Matthew
Our "Mayor of the Avenue" award is presented to a member who exhibits the qualities that distinguish them to be an upstanding credit to the Avenue, a loving, informed, conscientious and caring bird parront and an all around good neighbor.
I am happy to announce that Karen is August's Mayor of the Month.
I enjoyed reading your interview, and am sure that everyone else will as well!
1. What kind of birds do you have (age, species and names)?
I have 3 birds:
Cheeky - female GCC, 18 years
Kiwi - male linnie, 7 years
Sammy - male budgie, 3 years
2. What got you interested in birds?
I'm not sure what did, specifically. I was always interested in animals and pets of all kinds, especially intelligent animals, and my dad's cousin always had an Amazon or two as I was growing up. My aunt also used to have two large cockatoos but she had to rehome them when I was around six or seven due to medical issues - I never had much interaction with those cockatoos but some of the family stories of their intelligence probably got my interest a bit.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
They bring happiness and joy, as well as a bit of mess and frustration at times Every one is a completely different personality so it is also entertaining to just watch them interact with each other.
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
Well I have learned a lot about birds themselves - parrots of all kinds in particular. In fact, I'm a little bird-obsessed. But it's also taught me responsibility and patience.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
I have a hard time choosing a memory in particular. I think I will always remember Pippin, my second bird and first budgie. He was an amazing little bird, so loving and caring, to anyone who needed it. If someone was upset, he'd fly to their shoulder and talk. If I was trying to trim Cheeky's claws and he saw she was upset at being restrained, he would fly over and try to preen her and comfort her (of course he only got in the way but he meant well). My dad once said that it was impossible to be unhappy with Pippin around, and I think he was right.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
They mostly split their time between the living room and a home office/bird room. They have a large playgym and window perch in the living room, and usually spend at least 5-6 hrs a day out there. The rest of the time, they spend in their bird room which has another playgym, two cages, and a little basket perch I keep on my desk. I spend quite a bit of time in this room with them, but it's also where I leave them if there's no one home to keep an eye on them.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
Yes, I changed some things in my home, but they were things I should have changed anyway. I never liked scented candles or air fresheners anyway, so that was no big deal; but I also got rid of nonstick pans and replaced them with stainless steel and cast iron. I used to take several asthma medications before I got birds - now I don't take any. I'm pretty sure that paying attention to air quality for my birds has improved my health a lot as well.
Other than avoiding items with toxic fumes, I haven't really changed anything in my home except to actually make space for my bird stuff and to put some tape on the glass doors between the porch and living room since the birds like to fly out there on occasion.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
No not really asides from Avian Avenue. I used to occasionally make toys and perches to donate to a local rescue, but they moved to a location farther away around 10 years ago.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
I can't really think of all that much. A large outdoor aviary sounds really nice, but I'm not sure the birds would actually enjoy that at all. I used to have a small (9 ft diameter) aviary, and they didn't really enjoy going out there very much - after all, they had much more room to fly around in the house.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
I used to dream of owning a macaw, maybe a red front, but I'm not sure now. I am finding myself very glad I only have smaller birds most of the time. Birds I would like realistically are plum headed parakeets, princess parrots, and some of the less common Pyrrhurras - like a fiery shouldered conure. I think I will always have at least one budgie, though.
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
A typical day when I am home, I will get up, shower, then scoop the birds' veggie mix into bowls and warm it a little. Then I go and wake them up and take them out to the living room to eat. Naturally, they each think the others' food is better, so they swap food dishes frequently (usually without any squabbles). Then I will usually snuggle Cheeky for a few minutes while I read or check email. After that, if I need to go out, I may lock them in their room, if someone's home they stay out in the living room. Kiwi, who was a semi-rescue, and kept in a very tiny cage before I got him, usually prefers to spend the middle part of the day napping or resting quietly in an open cage. Sammy will be a typical busy, hyperactive budgie, and spends all day scurrying about on the floor, pestering the other birds, playing with toys, visiting everyones' shoulders, trying to steal everyones' food, talking adorably, flying around like a little maniac, and basically being a cute little brat. Cheeky is usually content to just hang out near people and hope for cuddles.
In the evening, the birds do share dinner with us usually. Cheeky gets to sit on the kitchen sink when I do dishes (which she loves) and gets a bath if she feels like one.
If I'm doing something inactive, like watching TV or using the computer, I always do that with Cheeky cuddled up next to my hand. The other birds come and go as they please and will usually want some attention and might take a quick nap on my shoulder, but they are pretty independent.
When Cheeky starts to get a little crabby, that means it's time to turn down the lights so they settle down for bed. Usually within 10 minutes of turning down the lights, everyone's settled into their sleeping spots, they get treats and then lights out.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
I've learned a lot but not much that is new. I learned early on, that having cage free birds is much easier than expected (at least with my particular birds); to me, they don't belong in a cage any more than a dog or cat does. But of course my birds are too small to destroy anything more than the occasional newspaper.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
Not too much, except I would not have kept Cheeky clipped the first year I had her. At the time, all available parrot resources seemed to insist that clipping was essential, and so I did. I figured out pretty early on though that I didn't want clipped birds.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
Bonsai (I have a few trees I'm working on) and woodcarving. I have a bit of a hobby business making ornaments and other woodcarvings - often of parrots.
I am happy to announce that Karen is August's Mayor of the Month.
I enjoyed reading your interview, and am sure that everyone else will as well!
1. What kind of birds do you have (age, species and names)?
I have 3 birds:
Cheeky - female GCC, 18 years
Kiwi - male linnie, 7 years
Sammy - male budgie, 3 years
2. What got you interested in birds?
I'm not sure what did, specifically. I was always interested in animals and pets of all kinds, especially intelligent animals, and my dad's cousin always had an Amazon or two as I was growing up. My aunt also used to have two large cockatoos but she had to rehome them when I was around six or seven due to medical issues - I never had much interaction with those cockatoos but some of the family stories of their intelligence probably got my interest a bit.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
They bring happiness and joy, as well as a bit of mess and frustration at times Every one is a completely different personality so it is also entertaining to just watch them interact with each other.
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
Well I have learned a lot about birds themselves - parrots of all kinds in particular. In fact, I'm a little bird-obsessed. But it's also taught me responsibility and patience.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
I have a hard time choosing a memory in particular. I think I will always remember Pippin, my second bird and first budgie. He was an amazing little bird, so loving and caring, to anyone who needed it. If someone was upset, he'd fly to their shoulder and talk. If I was trying to trim Cheeky's claws and he saw she was upset at being restrained, he would fly over and try to preen her and comfort her (of course he only got in the way but he meant well). My dad once said that it was impossible to be unhappy with Pippin around, and I think he was right.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
They mostly split their time between the living room and a home office/bird room. They have a large playgym and window perch in the living room, and usually spend at least 5-6 hrs a day out there. The rest of the time, they spend in their bird room which has another playgym, two cages, and a little basket perch I keep on my desk. I spend quite a bit of time in this room with them, but it's also where I leave them if there's no one home to keep an eye on them.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
Yes, I changed some things in my home, but they were things I should have changed anyway. I never liked scented candles or air fresheners anyway, so that was no big deal; but I also got rid of nonstick pans and replaced them with stainless steel and cast iron. I used to take several asthma medications before I got birds - now I don't take any. I'm pretty sure that paying attention to air quality for my birds has improved my health a lot as well.
Other than avoiding items with toxic fumes, I haven't really changed anything in my home except to actually make space for my bird stuff and to put some tape on the glass doors between the porch and living room since the birds like to fly out there on occasion.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
No not really asides from Avian Avenue. I used to occasionally make toys and perches to donate to a local rescue, but they moved to a location farther away around 10 years ago.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
I can't really think of all that much. A large outdoor aviary sounds really nice, but I'm not sure the birds would actually enjoy that at all. I used to have a small (9 ft diameter) aviary, and they didn't really enjoy going out there very much - after all, they had much more room to fly around in the house.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
I used to dream of owning a macaw, maybe a red front, but I'm not sure now. I am finding myself very glad I only have smaller birds most of the time. Birds I would like realistically are plum headed parakeets, princess parrots, and some of the less common Pyrrhurras - like a fiery shouldered conure. I think I will always have at least one budgie, though.
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
A typical day when I am home, I will get up, shower, then scoop the birds' veggie mix into bowls and warm it a little. Then I go and wake them up and take them out to the living room to eat. Naturally, they each think the others' food is better, so they swap food dishes frequently (usually without any squabbles). Then I will usually snuggle Cheeky for a few minutes while I read or check email. After that, if I need to go out, I may lock them in their room, if someone's home they stay out in the living room. Kiwi, who was a semi-rescue, and kept in a very tiny cage before I got him, usually prefers to spend the middle part of the day napping or resting quietly in an open cage. Sammy will be a typical busy, hyperactive budgie, and spends all day scurrying about on the floor, pestering the other birds, playing with toys, visiting everyones' shoulders, trying to steal everyones' food, talking adorably, flying around like a little maniac, and basically being a cute little brat. Cheeky is usually content to just hang out near people and hope for cuddles.
In the evening, the birds do share dinner with us usually. Cheeky gets to sit on the kitchen sink when I do dishes (which she loves) and gets a bath if she feels like one.
If I'm doing something inactive, like watching TV or using the computer, I always do that with Cheeky cuddled up next to my hand. The other birds come and go as they please and will usually want some attention and might take a quick nap on my shoulder, but they are pretty independent.
When Cheeky starts to get a little crabby, that means it's time to turn down the lights so they settle down for bed. Usually within 10 minutes of turning down the lights, everyone's settled into their sleeping spots, they get treats and then lights out.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
I've learned a lot but not much that is new. I learned early on, that having cage free birds is much easier than expected (at least with my particular birds); to me, they don't belong in a cage any more than a dog or cat does. But of course my birds are too small to destroy anything more than the occasional newspaper.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
Not too much, except I would not have kept Cheeky clipped the first year I had her. At the time, all available parrot resources seemed to insist that clipping was essential, and so I did. I figured out pretty early on though that I didn't want clipped birds.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
Bonsai (I have a few trees I'm working on) and woodcarving. I have a bit of a hobby business making ornaments and other woodcarvings - often of parrots.
Great interview
