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Derbyan Parakeets?

sunnysmom

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Do any members here have a Derbyan Parakeet? Awhile back a rescue near me had a Derbyan for adoption. I had never even heard of them before. They're stunning. I debated about contacting the rescue and in the meantime he was adopted. Now, I see they have another one. They're really not very common where I am so I'm amazed that they've had two fairly recently. I've read that they tend to be kind of possessive of their "person". Is this true? How would they do around smaller birds? Any info would be appreciated.
 

lupe

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Not sure but I''ll bump for ya.:)
 

Stormcloud

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I often seem at bird sales over here and while I wouldn't say that they are common over here, they are far from rare. I don't know anything about their behaviour, because I don't know anyone that owns one. Over here they are reasonably expensive at around $1500 each.
 

ilrak

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I have a Derby! She's the sweetest parrot we have and is really only possessive of me around my fiance. She's incredibly intelligent and has trained us well and will always try any type of food at least once. We don't have any issues with her with regards to our other birds (though, we rarely have them all out at the same time in the same room), but when she has noticed them, it's with an air of indifference. She's very curious and friendly with almost everyone. Hope this helps! If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I love talking about these guys!
 

sunnysmom

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Thanks for the replies! Ilrak, your Derby sounds like a sweetheart. I went back to the rescue site to check on the bird and he's been adopted. :wideyed: Which I'm happy for him. I'm sure they found him a good home. But what are the odds? I post today about him and go back and check and he's not available anymore. When I checked late last week he was still there. Oh well. I guess it wasn't meant to be. But I'm happy to learn more about them. They are very striking birds.
 

sunnysmom

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Ilrak, how are they noise wise? Do they make much noise? Can they talk? Is your cuddly? (For future possible reference. :) )
 

Screamy

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Hey @ilrak would you be interested in posting pictures of your lady? Derbys are so pretty :>
 

ilrak

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@sunnysmom Gemma is pretty quiet most of the time. She does sing when she's upset (and it can be a 2 minute long song sometimes - Here's a link to a short version of it. We had to film it discreetly because she won't sing on camera )

@Screamy I would love to post some photos!
This is my favorite one of her recently. It was taken during her vet visit (she had a couple minor health issues but is back to full health now!)

I also have a full album of nothing but Gemma photos! (the links should be accessible by anyone, I hope xD)
The Lovely Lady Gemma | Facebook
And a couple more videos of her (such as her nighttime routine and bathtime)
 

Screamy

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Oh my gosh those pinning eyes and those sounds. What a girl. Thanks for the pics and videos!
 

sunnysmom

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Wow, she is gorgeous. :) Thanks for sharing the pics. How old is she?
 

ilrak

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Thanks so much!
@sunnysmom We actually aren't sure of how old she is. We got her from a rescue and the family that had her before found her on their doorstep two years ago. They put up signs and posted online, but no one claimed her. They eventually had to give her up because they travel a lot. The vet thinks she's between 5 and 10 years old.
 

ilrak

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@sunnysmom I also forgot to mention one of my favorite things about derbys. They smell absolutely wonderful! Gemma has this constant musk that smells like spiced baked goods (not quite like cinnamon, however she smells amazing after she chews on a cinnamon stick). I've heard this is pretty common in the species, as is the general sweetness that we have from Gemma, personality-wise. She's completely converted me to Derbyism (I used to be a hardcore linnie person).
 

sunnysmom

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I will definitely have to keep my eye out for another Derby. They sound like great birds. :)
 

Screamy

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@ilrak Wait, she seriously smells sweet? To me most birds smells like pancakes or maple syrup so maybe I'm actually not that surprised. Lol. That's awesome though. It's always nice to have an animal that smells as sweet as their personality. :heart:
 

thekarens

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They had a hen at our local bird shop. They had reduced her price to $300 because no one wanted her. Her brother sold fairly quickly.
 

jmfleish

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We had a male come in to the rescue I volunteered for and he was so beautiful and very sweet but I have to warn you...he was part beaver! He went through a perch a day I swear! I think they're really neat birds but you really don't see them much, I'm not sure why.
 

ilrak

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Ah yes! I always forget to warn people about that! Gemma goes through so much wood, we should probably invest in a lumber yard! She's also destroyed some macaw toys (like those plastic balls with the jingle bells that claim to be indestructible), and goes through a phone book in a day. However, she has a very gentle beak when it comes to people and has only bitten hard once when her hip was hurting.
 

Bejeweler

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My name is Michael Staley and I live in San Francisco CA. I have lived with two male Derbyans for 17 years. One is 17 and one is 16. Kihei is my talker but Makena is my birdie buddy! I would be more than happy to share my experiences with anyone that would like to know. I have two videos on YouTube that are just so cute. Here's the first:
and here is the second:
The second shows how well the Derbyan can talk. Kihei will talk in context and knows what he is saying!

I look forward to interacting with people in this forum. Especially anyone that also owns a Derbyan.
 

Hrtofau2

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Wow he is a little chatter box!! Thank you so much for sharing @Bejeweler
 
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