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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
- 50,094
- 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 Wasabisaurus 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)?
We have two birds. A gray male cockatiel, rehomed to us. He’s a young adult. His name is Mr. Peepers. He loves to eat and sing to his reflection. He’s a quirky little guy. Then there’s Wasabi. Double Yellow male Amazon. Adopted from an animal shelter where I volunteered. He was abandoned by the person who last had him. He’s about 34. I love him dearly, but he embodies exactly that which makes Double Yellow males notorious. His moods change in milliseconds. He has a temper. He will bite, strike out scream and sucker bite. I keep headphones handy to wear when he begins to yell. It usually leads him to think I cannot hear. I am very thankful when he keeps it to a dull roar.
2. What got you interested in birds?
A cockatiel surrendered to the animal shelter needed a home. He spent the last 20 or so years of his life with us. Never liked us. I’d bet $1,000 somebody’s kids tormented Sashimi. He liked to climb around his house, wolf whistling. He was feisty.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
A lot of dander, dust, mess, worry but more enjoyment than anything. They bring us joy.
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
Patience and flexibility. A stubborn male DYA who does not want me near his house has encouraged me to respect that beak - or bleed. While I may want to deep clean his house, if he disagrees, it’s not worth stressing over. There’s always something else to clean and tidy. Someone wisely pointed out that it’s Wasabi’s house, not mine, so chill.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
As we were driving from the animal shelter to take Wasabi home, Wasabi looked straight at me, pinned his eyes and hissed. I thought, whoa - this is going to be an interesting adventure.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
The family room, in the heart of the home.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
No more scented cleaners, we bought stainless steel and aluminum pans for cooking and baking. We got rid of everything non stick. I don’t wear perfume or scented lotions around the birds. Blue Dawn is my main cleanser.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
No, or we’d be tempted to get more birds. Two is the right number for us.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
A macaw sized stainless steel cage for the big boy.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
No. We are happy with the tiel and the zon.
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
They get up at 10:30 a.m., cages are cleaned and they are fed. We see to it they have toys to occupy them for the day. They are more interested in food than play in the morning. At 4 p.m. food and water are freshened. If they are interested in play they come out in the evening if they want. Wasabi likes to sneak behind the room divider that’s behind his house. He knows he’s not allowed there but he goes there anyway. He seems to think it’s fun to do the opposite of what I tell him. He cocks his head and looks at me as if he’s waiting for a reaction. Mr. Peepers, a gray cockatiel, visits the four mirrors in his house to admire himself with a song and a dance. When he becomes momentarily annoyed by something, he’ll bob his head and hiss. It’s adorable.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
With adopted birds, get to know them at *their* pace. It’s fine to have hopes of cuddling and petting, but be guided by the bird. Go at the bird’s pace. He or she will let you know when a little head scratch or more is welcome. Sometimes I can give Wasabi two little strokes on his head. Three strokes is pushing it. I am happy to have 2 strokes.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
I would have done more research into Amazons. I thought because I had prior experience with birds like our first cockatiel, Sashimi, that I’d be ready for an Amazon. Nope. Not even close.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
Gardening, yard work, reading, feeding wild birds, and cobbling together brush piles in the woods behind the house for wildlife habitat.
15. Anything else you would like to share?
Every bird is an individual. A behavior approach that may succeed with one bird may not work with another. If you’re having some challenges with a bird having behavioral issues, nobody sees what you’re going thru and for whatever reason people sometimes don’t understand the struggle and they draw their own conclusions. Their conclusions are not your concern. Not all proposed solutions will work for every bird - for screaming, for example. People will readily agree that every bird is an individual and has its own personality but then insist certain behavior problems, such as screaming, can always be extinguished, every time. I don’t think it’s that simple.
I am happy to announce that Wasabisaurus 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)?
We have two birds. A gray male cockatiel, rehomed to us. He’s a young adult. His name is Mr. Peepers. He loves to eat and sing to his reflection. He’s a quirky little guy. Then there’s Wasabi. Double Yellow male Amazon. Adopted from an animal shelter where I volunteered. He was abandoned by the person who last had him. He’s about 34. I love him dearly, but he embodies exactly that which makes Double Yellow males notorious. His moods change in milliseconds. He has a temper. He will bite, strike out scream and sucker bite. I keep headphones handy to wear when he begins to yell. It usually leads him to think I cannot hear. I am very thankful when he keeps it to a dull roar.
2. What got you interested in birds?
A cockatiel surrendered to the animal shelter needed a home. He spent the last 20 or so years of his life with us. Never liked us. I’d bet $1,000 somebody’s kids tormented Sashimi. He liked to climb around his house, wolf whistling. He was feisty.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
A lot of dander, dust, mess, worry but more enjoyment than anything. They bring us joy.
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
Patience and flexibility. A stubborn male DYA who does not want me near his house has encouraged me to respect that beak - or bleed. While I may want to deep clean his house, if he disagrees, it’s not worth stressing over. There’s always something else to clean and tidy. Someone wisely pointed out that it’s Wasabi’s house, not mine, so chill.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
As we were driving from the animal shelter to take Wasabi home, Wasabi looked straight at me, pinned his eyes and hissed. I thought, whoa - this is going to be an interesting adventure.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
The family room, in the heart of the home.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
No more scented cleaners, we bought stainless steel and aluminum pans for cooking and baking. We got rid of everything non stick. I don’t wear perfume or scented lotions around the birds. Blue Dawn is my main cleanser.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
No, or we’d be tempted to get more birds. Two is the right number for us.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
A macaw sized stainless steel cage for the big boy.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
No. We are happy with the tiel and the zon.
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
They get up at 10:30 a.m., cages are cleaned and they are fed. We see to it they have toys to occupy them for the day. They are more interested in food than play in the morning. At 4 p.m. food and water are freshened. If they are interested in play they come out in the evening if they want. Wasabi likes to sneak behind the room divider that’s behind his house. He knows he’s not allowed there but he goes there anyway. He seems to think it’s fun to do the opposite of what I tell him. He cocks his head and looks at me as if he’s waiting for a reaction. Mr. Peepers, a gray cockatiel, visits the four mirrors in his house to admire himself with a song and a dance. When he becomes momentarily annoyed by something, he’ll bob his head and hiss. It’s adorable.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
With adopted birds, get to know them at *their* pace. It’s fine to have hopes of cuddling and petting, but be guided by the bird. Go at the bird’s pace. He or she will let you know when a little head scratch or more is welcome. Sometimes I can give Wasabi two little strokes on his head. Three strokes is pushing it. I am happy to have 2 strokes.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
I would have done more research into Amazons. I thought because I had prior experience with birds like our first cockatiel, Sashimi, that I’d be ready for an Amazon. Nope. Not even close.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
Gardening, yard work, reading, feeding wild birds, and cobbling together brush piles in the woods behind the house for wildlife habitat.
15. Anything else you would like to share?
Every bird is an individual. A behavior approach that may succeed with one bird may not work with another. If you’re having some challenges with a bird having behavioral issues, nobody sees what you’re going thru and for whatever reason people sometimes don’t understand the struggle and they draw their own conclusions. Their conclusions are not your concern. Not all proposed solutions will work for every bird - for screaming, for example. People will readily agree that every bird is an individual and has its own personality but then insist certain behavior problems, such as screaming, can always be extinguished, every time. I don’t think it’s that simple.
You deserve any praise you get dealing with Wasabi all these years and I'm sure he's secretly happy that he can be a obstinate that still has a nice place to live and a flock mate who cares no matter how many times he tries to bite.
