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July 2015 Mayor of the Avenue..... rockybird!

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Shade

Crazy for Pois!
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/19/09
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32,212
Location
Ontario, Canada
Real Name
Natacha
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 so delighted to announce rockybird as July's Mayor of the Avenue.
I loved your interview and enjoyed getting to know you a little better!


1. What kind of birds do you have (age, species and names)?


Rocky - maroon belly conure - 14 yrs. Zeek - male white bellied caique - 13 yrs old. Scout - nanday conure - 4 yrs. old. Pip - American parakeet - found outside in 2010. Sky - English budgie - 3-4 yrs. old (purchased to keep Pip company).


2. What got you interested in birds?


I am allergic to cats and dogs.


3. What have your birds brought to your life?

An appreciation for the intelligence of birds. They are also very affectionate and endearing animals.

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

Parrots are highly social, intelligent and demanding animals. I don't believe that most people are capable of providing the environment that they require as pets. I struggle every day to meet their needs. The caique is very challenging to keep as a pet.


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


Rocky flew out a door that did not close all the way. She landed high in some oleanders in a back alleyway. I drove my SUV around to get her. Even with a broom and standing on the roof, I could not reach her. She tried to reach the broom and was clearly scared. A bunch of doves flew out of my back yard as a flock, and she instinctively joined them. They flew towards the city, and she blended in with the doves, just a dot in the sky. I thought I had lost her forever. I called her name repeatedly, standing on the roof of the car. As I watched, I saw a bird separate from the flock and fly towards me. As it flew closer,, I realized it was Rocky. She was much too high to land, and I thought she would overshoot me. And then she had a seizure in mid air! She landed softly in front of the car. I slid down the windshield in my stocking feet and scooped her up. She was not harmed. My toe nail caught the edge of the hood, bleeding terribly, and eventually came off. It was well worth it to get her back.


The other memory is bringing Scout home last year. She was on craigslist for a couple mos. She was in a tiny round cage. She looked skinny, scruffy and scared in the photo. I broke down and bought her, hoping to rehome her. When I picked her up (I met the family at a gas station), they said she was mean and had not been out of the cage in a long time. I got her home, regretting buying her. I knew nandays were loud and I did not know how easy it would be to rehome a loud mean bird. I didn't know how to get her out of that tiny cage and into the avian adventures cage I had set up for her. I opened the cage door and to my surprise, she came right out. She let me hold her, but she did not seem to know how to perch. I held her against my chest and rocked her for an hour, preening the old hard feather shafts off her. She was coated in them. I did this every day for the first week. I found out at the vet that she had a badly broken wing and bumblefoot. We bonded immediately and she would not leave me for the new owners who were going to adopt her. We all decided she should stay wth me. She has never bitten me. She is very easy to take care of. She is my most affectionate bird. She just seems so happy with her new life.

6. Where is your birds main living area?


They have their own room.
All three have large EH cages.

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


Yes, the parrots have their own room. They also each have cages with playtops to eat on top of in the great room and night cages in the master bedroom/dressing area. The caique also has a rocking chair that I rock him to sleep in at night. The ma. bathroom area has places for each of them as well.


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

No. I used to donate money to a bird rescue but stopped after I realized the birds were not well cared for.


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


An air conditioned outdoor aviary.


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


I don't think I can handle owning any more birds.


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


I get them out of their night cages in the AM. The caique and conure eat breakfast on the kitchen counter while the nanday sits on my shoulder or on her playtop cage eating. She cannot be around the other two as they don't get along. Then they all go to their places in the bathroom (boing, counter, perch) while I shower and get ready for work. All three then go to their day cages while I am at work. When I come home and get them out, they go back to their spots in the bathroom while I shower. Then they play on the counters while I make dinner, get their food ready for the next day, and clean. They all go to their dinner cages to eat. Zeek gets rocked to sleep. Rocky gets put in her night cage, which has food and water, by the bed so she can still see me. Scout snuggles with me on the bed, playing silly nanday conure games and then she is put to bed. They are out 3-4 hours a day. On weekends, they also come out for lunch. I also try to take each one out to spend some alone time with me. The caique gets field trips around the house and is let out to run around the floor (supervised). The parakeets are left alone. They have a double flight. They are not very tame and seem to enjoy each others company. They fly into the windows, otherwise I would let them out.


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


They are truly wild animals. They require an incredible amt. of attn. They are by nature social They cannot be put in a cage and forgotten. They are very intelligent and require lots of stimulation. They are a very long term commitment - living 30+ years. They do not grow up. They can be loud and will bite. They are not good pets for the average person.

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

I would not buy a caique.


14. What other hobbies do you have?


Cycling, collecting mid-century modern rare items.
 

Clueless

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Congrats! Love that Scout chose you.
 

webchirp

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Chandra
Congrats!!!
 

Kellie728

Rollerblading along the road
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:congrats: So glad that Scout found a loving home. Your birds are lucky to have you.
 

sunnysmom

Ripping up the road
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:congrats5:
 

kathyth

Jogging around the block
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:congrats::starshower:

The story of Rocky is great!!
 

Aubrey

Biking along the boulevard
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It was wonderful getting to know you and your parrots better :roflmao:

:congrats5:
 

Greycloud

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Lo_

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Congratulations! :D loved the interview :)
 

fluffypoptarts

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Congratulations!! :) Scout is such a sweetie. I love the story of how she came to be with you, and how she has grown with you.
 

expressmailtome

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Congratulations!

Matt
 

rocky'smom

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:starshower::congratsbig::starshower:
 

KimKim

Rollerblading along the road
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:congrats5:
 

Newbie GCC

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:congrats5:
 
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