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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
- 50,091
- 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 Sarahmoluccan 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)?
Currently I have Echo, my Umbrella cockatoo. He's roughly 19 years old
2. What got you interested in birds?
I have always loved all kinds of animals. For a long while as a preteen and teenager I wanted a rat but my mother couldn't bare the idea. One her friend got a couple of cockatiels and invited us over to meet them. After that my mom told me if give up on idea of having a rat she'd get me a cockatiel for my 15th birthday. And that's when I got Sam my first bird.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
Happiness! And a lot of love, a sense of purpose, laughter and so many different unique connections with people. Whether it's great online communities like AA or when I take Echo out to meet strangers sharing my love of birds with other people has brought me a lot of joy!
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
Patience and how to roll with punches. Just to keep trying your best, and recalibrate when you need to. Echo taught me that when working through his aggression.
Zane taught me love is important but it won't cure everything. Its important to think out the box and to keep trying new ideas.
Sam taught me to appreciate the smaller things of life, it's never too late to improve things and how big birds' personalities can be.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
One was the first day meeting Zane. It the first day of my Co-op. Something came up and I was left there on my own to clean about 8 cages. I did Zane's cage first but unfortunately I ended up getting the bottom tray severely struck. Turns out It was a bottom from an older cage as the bottom of his cage had lots of rust on it. Anyway I felt so bad for him, he'd been through so much already and now here I was wreaking his cage! I moved on to clean the other cages as the tray was hopelessly struck.
When I finsh I went back to see him. He was so sweet. I sat down beside his cage and he came down see me. You could tell all he wanted was to be loved. He let me pet him and I stay with him until the manager of the rescue came back. I was in such awe of him and could tell how special he was. He was just so sweet and forgiving.
Also the first time Echo said "I love Sarah" was pretty special. I teared up. It wasn't something I taught to say, he just came up with it on his own.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
Outside of Echo's cage? Probably on me! Unfortunately I don't really have any area that completely for safe for Echo be unattended other than his cage. He has a stand and smaller cage that's downstairs right now. But even then I have to keep an eye on him. So when he's outside of his main cage his most likely on me or close by. But he has a favorite spot of the couch and on my daybed too.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
Normal bird safety things like no Teflon/PTFE, candles, airflesher, ect... I also when I move back home with my parents, we remove the carpet in the now birdroom and my living room.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
Not too much. There's some birds I follow on Facebook and Instagram. Lot of them are from rescues, and quite a few are from the World Parrot Refuge.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
An indoor aviary!! Just real dedicated space for Echo and any future birds would be awesome.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
I'd love to have a moluccan again. There's some birds in Vancouver rescues I'd love to give a home too. If I ever win the lottery that's one of the first things on my to do list!
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
My days vary so this is a tricky question to answer. So some days he's out more than others. But we almost always we hang out in the evenings. I try to share my dinner with him. But he always wants things he's not supposed to have. If I can get a tiny bit of vegetables in him it's a win. He likes to dig in blankets, find things he can destroy and when he's super hyper he likes it when I swing him in circles while he's holding on to my hand. He also gets misted once a day which he tolerates.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
You're always learn new things. And what was once consider ideal standard of care can change dramatically over time. As we learn more about these dynamics creatures we share our home with hopefully our care standards will get better. So important it's be open to new information.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
I would have gotten Sam my first bird a bigger cage sooner. Also I'd find an avian vet sooner too.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
I rughook a little and I like being creative.
15. Anything else you would like to share?
Just how much I enjoy Avian Avenue. It's a great community
I am happy to announce that Sarahmoluccan 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)?
Currently I have Echo, my Umbrella cockatoo. He's roughly 19 years old
2. What got you interested in birds?
I have always loved all kinds of animals. For a long while as a preteen and teenager I wanted a rat but my mother couldn't bare the idea. One her friend got a couple of cockatiels and invited us over to meet them. After that my mom told me if give up on idea of having a rat she'd get me a cockatiel for my 15th birthday. And that's when I got Sam my first bird.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
Happiness! And a lot of love, a sense of purpose, laughter and so many different unique connections with people. Whether it's great online communities like AA or when I take Echo out to meet strangers sharing my love of birds with other people has brought me a lot of joy!
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
Patience and how to roll with punches. Just to keep trying your best, and recalibrate when you need to. Echo taught me that when working through his aggression.
Zane taught me love is important but it won't cure everything. Its important to think out the box and to keep trying new ideas.
Sam taught me to appreciate the smaller things of life, it's never too late to improve things and how big birds' personalities can be.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
One was the first day meeting Zane. It the first day of my Co-op. Something came up and I was left there on my own to clean about 8 cages. I did Zane's cage first but unfortunately I ended up getting the bottom tray severely struck. Turns out It was a bottom from an older cage as the bottom of his cage had lots of rust on it. Anyway I felt so bad for him, he'd been through so much already and now here I was wreaking his cage! I moved on to clean the other cages as the tray was hopelessly struck.
When I finsh I went back to see him. He was so sweet. I sat down beside his cage and he came down see me. You could tell all he wanted was to be loved. He let me pet him and I stay with him until the manager of the rescue came back. I was in such awe of him and could tell how special he was. He was just so sweet and forgiving.
Also the first time Echo said "I love Sarah" was pretty special. I teared up. It wasn't something I taught to say, he just came up with it on his own.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
Outside of Echo's cage? Probably on me! Unfortunately I don't really have any area that completely for safe for Echo be unattended other than his cage. He has a stand and smaller cage that's downstairs right now. But even then I have to keep an eye on him. So when he's outside of his main cage his most likely on me or close by. But he has a favorite spot of the couch and on my daybed too.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
Normal bird safety things like no Teflon/PTFE, candles, airflesher, ect... I also when I move back home with my parents, we remove the carpet in the now birdroom and my living room.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
Not too much. There's some birds I follow on Facebook and Instagram. Lot of them are from rescues, and quite a few are from the World Parrot Refuge.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
An indoor aviary!! Just real dedicated space for Echo and any future birds would be awesome.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
I'd love to have a moluccan again. There's some birds in Vancouver rescues I'd love to give a home too. If I ever win the lottery that's one of the first things on my to do list!
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
My days vary so this is a tricky question to answer. So some days he's out more than others. But we almost always we hang out in the evenings. I try to share my dinner with him. But he always wants things he's not supposed to have. If I can get a tiny bit of vegetables in him it's a win. He likes to dig in blankets, find things he can destroy and when he's super hyper he likes it when I swing him in circles while he's holding on to my hand. He also gets misted once a day which he tolerates.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
You're always learn new things. And what was once consider ideal standard of care can change dramatically over time. As we learn more about these dynamics creatures we share our home with hopefully our care standards will get better. So important it's be open to new information.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
I would have gotten Sam my first bird a bigger cage sooner. Also I'd find an avian vet sooner too.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
I rughook a little and I like being creative.
15. Anything else you would like to share?
Just how much I enjoy Avian Avenue. It's a great community
Such lovely photos of everyone.
congrats!
