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January 2023 Mayor of the Avenue... TikiMyn

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expressmailtome

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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 TikiMyn is January'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)?


Henkie(male, about 8 years old) & Fëanor(male, 5 years old), a bonded roseicollis lovebird pair.


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Maui (male, 3 years old) & Sirocco (male, 3 years old), Fischers lovebirds.

FAEE590D-6ED7-4C4C-874E-D175A9C730F1.jpeg

Volar (male, about 1,5 years old) & Zora(female, 2 years old), budgies

AD87F818-2477-478B-9233-C6820AF15D1B.jpeg

Floki(male, 8 years old green cheek conure) & Finn (8 years old, white pearled conure), bonded pair

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Orion, Ori for short. 4 year old Illiger’s macaw


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2. What got you interested in birds?


I think I have always loved birds. A store I have visited since I was very young keeps an Umbrella cockatoo. He is super sweet, sadly not very well taken care off. Even though he is amazing I never imagined myself having a bird as a companion. That changed when they had diamond doves in the store one day. I started researching and fell in love with cockatiels. I had never seen one in real life(ironically that store did steadily have lovebirds for sale, but they never drew me in), until I brought home my first bird as a kid.


3. What have your birds brought to your life?


So much. They have brought joy, happiness, hope, love, fulfilment, but also intense grief, worry and pain. I could not imagine my life without birds, they have been such a fundamental part of it for so long. They kept me going at times where I wanted to give up.


4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?


A lot! Watching body language, both with birds and humans. Patience, determination,

to be forgiving, some of my birds come from very bad situations, yet they are not resentful and keep an open mind. Putting others in front of yourself, treating everyone equally with respect and what the power of positive reinforcement can do


5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?


My first cockatiel Tiki and lovebird Henkie were not especially close. Back then I didn’t know a lot about flock dynamics, they are together, bathed together and slept at the same times. Henkie would try to come close to Tiki but wasn’t allowed. I thought that meant they were friendly with each other, but nothing more. Tiki I regarded as a grumpy old man.

Then Henkie fell ill, he had to be hospitalised and stayed there for over a week. When I brought Henkie home again he had to stay in a small cage to recover. As soon as I brought Henkie into the room, Tiki lightened up. He flew to the top of Henkie’s cage and refused to leave. He was singing and cooing over Henkie like nothing I had ever seen before. Tiki wouldn’t eat, neither did Henkie, so I decided to let him go in with Henkie and see if then he would eat some. As soon as I opened the cage, Tiki rushed inside. I didn’t cage Tiki, and he definitely didn’t like being caged when he was. For him to go in such a small cage voluntarily, I couldn’t believe it. Once they were together they both started to eating like piggies. Tiki fiercely guarded Henkie when I had to deliver him medication. I was amazed by by their bond, I had never imagined it to be so deep, it was so touching to me that I know I will never forget it.


6. Where is your birds main living area?


The conures and Orion live downstairs in the living room. The budgies and lovies each have their own room upstairs.


7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?


When we were looking for a home to buy, the most important thing for me was enough space to have a bird room. Henkie and Fëanor have gone through a terrible state of constant hormones(3 years). I wanted the surety of being able to provide them with a cage free life in a room appropriate for that, where all dark corners and spaces could be eliminated to limit hormones.

The only room with no bird stuff is our bedroom. We made the rule no birds in the bedroom(well, I guess that didn’t work well as we have an extra cage in there and they hang out there practically every day!) but I have tactically put up safe decorations that they can hang out in when they are there.

The bird rooms upstairs are basically indoor aviaries. The birds got all the best rooms, and we have the one that was left haha. The upstairs isn’t very large, but I am happy with what we have right now.

In the kitchen I was determined not to have high cabinets, the lovebirds would certainly make a nesty spot out of that.

We are preparing the building of an outdoor aviary. It will be directly connected to the house so they will easily be able to visit. Another part of the garden will be covered by a removable net for extra exercise space.

The living room play areas are a work in progress, but already we have ropes and branches spanning half of it. Criteria there is, it has to be practical(no play areas abive furniture for easy cleanup) and more beautiful then upstairs. I still want to appear a little sane to none bird people who visit

We screened in the hallway upstairs to prevent the birds flying downstairs if they are not meant to.


8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?


Except AA, not really


9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?


I would love for each species to have their own large indoor aviary, attached to a planted outside aviary. Plus a really large room like @flyzipper to excersise the birds in.


10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?


I would love another Illiger’s, which is a plan for the future. If I didn’t have conures/Illigers I would love a grey or galah.


11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.


I take care of the birds upstairs first and do some cleanup. Most of them are cage free most of the time so usually I clean the floor or put down some newspaper for easy cleanup in the evening. Typically I leave all doors open so they can fly about and visit all rooms if they want and pick which one they want to be in for the day. When I change water bowls, there is usually someone on my shoulder as I go downstairs(we don’t have a water supply upstairs) to change the waters. I then get their breakfast and give them at least one foraging opportunity.
Then I go wake up the birds downstairs, look after their needs and let either Orion or the conures out as I prepare to leave. Only one of the conures want to help me in the morning, Finn is too sleepy to come out.

My partner works from home most days takes turns hanging out with all the birds. Depending on their noise levels

When I get home of course I greet everyone and they all get a treat. We cook dinner and usually the conures come and help. During dinner Orion is out and gets a healthy piece of what we are having, or some veggies if we are not eating healthy. Evenings vary a great deal, but it does always include some training with the conures and Orion, and hanging out with the upstairs gang. The conures have a screaming problem, some days it is really bad and we spend the majority of the evening upstairs. When they are behaving, the upstairs flock gets less attention, to heavily reinforce the good behaviour. That is not the goal, but the reality of trying to solve their behavioural problems. Thankfully the birds upstairs couldn’t care less if we spend 1 hour or 3 hours with them most days. Some days they are all up for attention where as other days, they are much more interested is doing something without us. When the weather is nice we take the lovies out to the garden in a carrier or take the conures for a walk if they feel like it.


12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?


That they will always surprise you, you are never too old to learn, and neither are birds


13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?


I am rather happy with how bird related things have gone for me. It wasn’t ideal bringing home parrots as a teenager, the biggest issue for me was being allowed to spend my own money on vet care. Other then that I think I was well informed when I adopted my first bird.
I would have liked to know that previous owners often don’t tell the true story about their birds, whether that is on purpose or not. My advice to anyone looking to adopt a parrot would be to take whatever the previous people say with a grain of salt and trust what you see(the birds behaviour) and go from there, and be prepared for the worst case scenario just in case


14. What other hobbies do you have?


Drawing, painting, hiking/walking, toy making, writing, cooking(for humans and birds), gardening, I have started collecting a jungle of plants in the living room so would say indoor plants have become a hobby too. The birds get safe plants to destroy now and again


15. Anything else you would like to share?


Being chosen as mayor of the avenue took me by surprise, especially because I mostly lurk
. Thank you for the honour
 

April

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Congratulations! Well earned indeed and I loved reading your interview and learning more about you and your flock. :heart:
 

Pixiebeak

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:bounce4: :cheer::chickendance::congrats:
Congratulations!!!
I enjoyed your story!
I love the quote that you are never to old to learn and neither are your parrots! Agree!
 

Fergus Mom

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:congrats: You SO deserve this honor! Yaaaaaay!!! :heart:
 

Tiel Feathers

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:yah:
Excellent interview and photos, and so well deserved!
:congrats5:
 

Shezbug

ASK ME FOR PICTURES OF MY MACAW!
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Congratulations!!

I love your pictures, especially (surprisingly) the Christmas one with the rabbit :heart:
 

Clueless

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Congrats
 

Zara

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Congratulations Robin! Very well deserved! You give your birds an incredible life :swoon: I really enjoyed reading your interview :hug2:
 

fashionfobie

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Well deserved!

:yah:
 

Emma&pico

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:congrats5: You absolutely deserve it loved your interview pictures are amazing you have some lucky birds
 
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