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Ripping up the road
Administrator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
- Joined
- 4/15/10
- Messages
- 50,070
- 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 Hankmacaw is December'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 now have only one bird. Jasper is a female Greenwing who is 22 years old.
My Hank, was a 34 year old wild caught male Greenwing , who died in July 2012. I miss him terribly.
Those are the only two birds I have owned.
2. What got you interested in birds?
Friends bought Jasper in 1995 as an unweaned chick and I helped them with her. They gave her to me when she was 6 ½ years old. I had left my full time job and was consulting, I had lots of time, so I volunteered at a sanctuary for 18 months in 1997 . Between Jasper and the Sanctuary I became enamored with parrots.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
That’s a tough question. They have brought me peace and joy and sadness.
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
Patience. I had always been a Type A hard charger – that doesn’t work worth a darn with parrots.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
Watching/holding my Hank die and not being able to do any more to help him. A carcogenic thyroid tumor killed him after 15 years of fighting Asper and the numerous other diseases that are caused by Asper.
6. Where is your bird’s main living area?
I built a 7’ x 10’ aviary onto my house. After Jasper came to live with Hank and me in 2001, I just couldn’t see keeping them both in cages, so I had the room built. It has worked out well.
She’s rarely in the aviary except at night and when I’m gone.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
Only the aviary.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
No.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
It seems that the first ½ of your life you gather up “things”. I’m now in the second ½ and am trying to get rid of “things”. There is nothing that we need or want.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
When I bought Hank, I really wanted an African Grey. But had decided after volunteering at the sanctuary that they were smarter than me and that scared me. Turned out that Hank and Jasper were just as smart as me and sometimes smarter.
I still would like to have an African Grey, but I’m 76 years old now and will never own another bird.
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
I get up at 5am and have an hour to myself, my coffee and my news, until I get Jasper up at 6-6:30. Then I get her breakfast ready and give it to her while the oxygen box fills up. I give her 4 of her morning meds and put her in the oxygen box for one hour. After the hour, I give her her other three morning meds. I leave her in her aviary for an hour or so to let her eat, then let her out.
If it’s warm enough she goes outside for 2 – 4 hours and if it’s really warm I give her a shower with the hose. She can’t fly and we have no large hawks, so this time gives me an opportunity to get things done.
When she comes back in the house she runs around causing chaos or sitting on my knee preening.
At 5pm she goes back into the oxygen box for an hour and when she comes out she gets her 5 evening meds and goes in her cage for dinner. At 7pm it’s time for her to go nite, nite and she is put into her sleep crate for the night. If I’m not quick enough she goes and sits on the crate until I put her in it.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
I recommend that everyone who wants to own a bird realize that they can’t care for themselves and they need lots of care and attention. They become very bonded to you and you need to take into consideration if you can really keep them forever when you decide to get a parrot. They grieve a loss terribly.
Learn as much as you can about parrot illnesses (there is lots of information on the internet and ask questions on AA) – they can’t talk and let you know when something is wrong. It’s up to you to be forever vigilant and take every symptom seriously. It is also your responsibility to make sure they have proper medical care, as much as you would your child.
Diet and exercise is so important to the health of a bird. Study and ask about diets. It’s far better to keep them leaner rather than chubby. Exercise – let them fly and let them run around the house. Far more birds die of respiratory/circulatory problems than anyone realizes.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
I’ve never owned a healthy bird. Both Hank and Jasper came to me with life threatening diseases. I wish with Hank that I had treated him more aggressively and for a longer period of time for his Aspergillosis. I wish that I had immediately put Jasper on a very lean diet and let her fly more. She came to me with serious congestive heart failure.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
None.
15. Anything else you would like to share?
Love your parrots, because they adore you.
I am happy to announce that Hankmacaw is December'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 now have only one bird. Jasper is a female Greenwing who is 22 years old.
My Hank, was a 34 year old wild caught male Greenwing , who died in July 2012. I miss him terribly.
Those are the only two birds I have owned.
2. What got you interested in birds?
Friends bought Jasper in 1995 as an unweaned chick and I helped them with her. They gave her to me when she was 6 ½ years old. I had left my full time job and was consulting, I had lots of time, so I volunteered at a sanctuary for 18 months in 1997 . Between Jasper and the Sanctuary I became enamored with parrots.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
That’s a tough question. They have brought me peace and joy and sadness.
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
Patience. I had always been a Type A hard charger – that doesn’t work worth a darn with parrots.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
Watching/holding my Hank die and not being able to do any more to help him. A carcogenic thyroid tumor killed him after 15 years of fighting Asper and the numerous other diseases that are caused by Asper.
6. Where is your bird’s main living area?
I built a 7’ x 10’ aviary onto my house. After Jasper came to live with Hank and me in 2001, I just couldn’t see keeping them both in cages, so I had the room built. It has worked out well.
She’s rarely in the aviary except at night and when I’m gone.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
Only the aviary.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
No.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
It seems that the first ½ of your life you gather up “things”. I’m now in the second ½ and am trying to get rid of “things”. There is nothing that we need or want.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
When I bought Hank, I really wanted an African Grey. But had decided after volunteering at the sanctuary that they were smarter than me and that scared me. Turned out that Hank and Jasper were just as smart as me and sometimes smarter.
I still would like to have an African Grey, but I’m 76 years old now and will never own another bird.
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
I get up at 5am and have an hour to myself, my coffee and my news, until I get Jasper up at 6-6:30. Then I get her breakfast ready and give it to her while the oxygen box fills up. I give her 4 of her morning meds and put her in the oxygen box for one hour. After the hour, I give her her other three morning meds. I leave her in her aviary for an hour or so to let her eat, then let her out.
If it’s warm enough she goes outside for 2 – 4 hours and if it’s really warm I give her a shower with the hose. She can’t fly and we have no large hawks, so this time gives me an opportunity to get things done.
When she comes back in the house she runs around causing chaos or sitting on my knee preening.
At 5pm she goes back into the oxygen box for an hour and when she comes out she gets her 5 evening meds and goes in her cage for dinner. At 7pm it’s time for her to go nite, nite and she is put into her sleep crate for the night. If I’m not quick enough she goes and sits on the crate until I put her in it.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
I recommend that everyone who wants to own a bird realize that they can’t care for themselves and they need lots of care and attention. They become very bonded to you and you need to take into consideration if you can really keep them forever when you decide to get a parrot. They grieve a loss terribly.
Learn as much as you can about parrot illnesses (there is lots of information on the internet and ask questions on AA) – they can’t talk and let you know when something is wrong. It’s up to you to be forever vigilant and take every symptom seriously. It is also your responsibility to make sure they have proper medical care, as much as you would your child.
Diet and exercise is so important to the health of a bird. Study and ask about diets. It’s far better to keep them leaner rather than chubby. Exercise – let them fly and let them run around the house. Far more birds die of respiratory/circulatory problems than anyone realizes.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
I’ve never owned a healthy bird. Both Hank and Jasper came to me with life threatening diseases. I wish with Hank that I had treated him more aggressively and for a longer period of time for his Aspergillosis. I wish that I had immediately put Jasper on a very lean diet and let her fly more. She came to me with serious congestive heart failure.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
None.
15. Anything else you would like to share?
Love your parrots, because they adore you.
I think the election was rigged. 
I'm so glad you are on this forum so you can share your knowledge with everyone.
A very well deserved award. 
