Macawnutz
Seriously Nutz!
Super Administrator
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
It is with great pleasure that I announce the
Celebirdy for the month of December 2023
@DesertBird 's Marshmallow
1. How did you acquire your bird?
I got Marshmallow together with Sprite from a breeder almost two hours away. When I decided to get budgies I knew I wanted to find some that were going to be healthier and live longer than those at the chain pet stores, so I searched far and wide for a breeder. I found a very nice woman who had some budgies available, and ended up bringing Marshmallow and Sprite home a few days after Christmas.
Marshmallow's first night at home
Taking a nap. Being a baby budgie is exhausting!
2. What is your bird's name, species, age and sex?
His name is Marshmallow. He is a 3 year old male budgie.
3. Does your bird do any special tricks?
Marshmallow is not as into doing tricks as Sprite is, especially since he knows that if Sprite does a trick he will end up getting millet too, even if he didn't do anything.
But there are a few things he can do. He's pretty good at recall, and can even fly down to me from a higher height. He can also go under my hand like a tunnel, give kisses, and shake hands. At the moment he's learning how to skateboard!
4. What are some of your bird's favorite foods?
Marshmallow's absolute favorite food is millet! But he also really likes fresh fennel, carrot greens, and broccoli.
5. What is the funniest thing your bird has done?
There are so many! But one that really stands out was the time when Sprite got sick during her molt and had to have antibiotics. So twice a day I had to catch her with a towel and hold her while I used a syringe to give her the medicine. Once she was done she would get a big treat of millet, which Marshmallow was of course allowed to share with her. He very quickly learned that Sprite getting medicine meant he got a treat too, so he would wait impatiently for her to be finished. But Sprite can be very stubborn and is definitely a fighter, so sometimes it would take me a while to get her to hold still and open her beak for the syringe. So Marshmallow would get frustrated with waiting and would fly onto my hand next to Sprite, grab her beak, and hold it open while looking at me expectantly to just put the medicine in and get it over with already!
Playing with the towel while I'm trying to catch Sprite.
6. How has your bird enriched your life?
Oh gosh, how has he not enriched my life? Before I brought Marshmallow and Sprite home, I never thought I would get so attached to these little birds. They're so intelligent, sweet, funny, and have such huge personalities. Every day they make me laugh. Even when I'm down, just looking at Marshmallow's adorable, fluffy white face and hearing his cheerful chattering makes me happy. I love just being near them and watching them fly around the room, play with their toys, and interact with each other. Having budgies has brought so much joy into my life, I just can't imagine ever being without them.
7. What would you tell people who are considering this species?
I would say just don't underestimate them. They may be small, but they are parrots and they need just as much as bigger parrots do. They need space to fly, play, and exercise. They need good, healthy food. They need lots of toys and things to do to keep their incredibly intelligent minds stimulated. You need a lot of patience too, as budgies are naturally skittish and can take longer to warm up to you.
Many people see budgies as "easy" pets, but there's so much that goes into keeping them happy and healthy.
8. What is the activity and noise level of your bird?
Budgies are typically pretty active. They love to fly and play, and can get into mischief pretty quickly. Even though they have small beaks, they can be pretty destructive, and they love nothing more than to shred up a toy. Marshmallow is usually a little calmer than Sprite, not quite as playful or as destructive. He tends to prefer watching her destroy things and then sing the background music. But lately he actually has been getting more into shredding things.
Budgies do make some pretty loud shrieks, but those are only occasional. Otherwise the sounds are more like whistles, clicks, and chattering. But even though those noises aren't particularly loud, they are pretty constant. So if you want budgies, be prepared to hear them all day long.
I have found though, at least with my two, Marshmallow chatters more but it's usually a little quieter, while Sprite chatters less, but she tends to make louder calls. I'm not sure if that's a typical difference between males and females, or if it's just my two though.
Playing with his favorite foot toy!
These are some of his favorite spots to sing from.
9. What are some of your bird's quirks?
Marshmallow is a real Romeo. He loves to love, even if the thing he loves can't love back. He of course always wants to show is affection for Sprite, and show her just how great and handsome he is, and how well he can take care of her. Sprite definitely does appreciate it, but she's quite the free spirit and sometimes she just doesn't have the time to be wasting on Marshmallow. So then he's forced to show his affection to some of his favorite toys and perches instead.
He just didn't understand why Sprite didn't want to be bothered after taking a bath!
10. If your bird talks, what is the most surprising word or sentence it has said?
Marshmallow is not a huge talker, Sprite talks more than him which is odd considering he's the boy. He does say "millet" occasionally though. And recently, every time I cover the cage for the night and leave the room I say "goodnight baby birds" and Marshmallow replies with a whistle that kind of sounds like "goodnight". It's not the exact word, but it does sound close and he says it every night in response to me, so I think he is trying to imitate what I'm saying.
11. What is your bird’s favorite treat?
Millet! Marshmallow will do practically anything for those heavenly little seeds of golden perfection.
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Marshmallow- “Hurry up women I’m hungry!”
Absolutely loved your interview
