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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 Toy is July'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)?
"Jengo" African Grey, female, just turned 24 years a few days ago, "Jasmine" Umbrella Cockatoo, female, age 24 in July, "JaKhu" Blue & Gold Macaw, female, age 3 years 2 months. "JaJaBinnks, B&G Macaw, female, passed away at age 21 from kidney disease.
2. What got you interested in birds?
We had a parrot when I was a kid (many many years ago LOL). I also had a Purple Martin colony for 23 years. The Purple Martins chose me. Just showed up one day & kept coming back to my yard. So I got them houses. I spent many cold rainy or snowy days flipping crickets to keep them feed during bad weather, picking chicks up off the ground & putting them back in nests. Hand feeding chicks to keep them going to fledge.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
Joy & laughter, as well as meeting many on-line friends.
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
How amazing & complex they are.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
I have many, but one that sticks in my mind is the day I went to get "JaJaBinks" B&G Macaw (avatar pic, she passed away in 2020). She was 2 years & 1 week old when I got her. I drove 45 minutes thru freezing rain to get her. They took me to her room, which was a tiny laundry room in a house trailer. I saw they had her in a junky homemade tiny cage made from plastic coated garden fencing, no toys, wild bird seed for food, a one inch dowel rod for a perch, & kept in the dark 24/7. Her nails were over 2 inches long. Her feathers curled up due to being dirty & not showered & she stunk like a dirty wet dog. The woman let her out of the cage & she started lunging at her right away. The woman back handed her, grabbed her & shoved her to me. I took her out of the room, down the hall & laid her on her back on my lap. She instantly started cooing. I paid the people for her, put her in a dog crate I had taken along, shoved the junky cage in my car (it went in the trash) & promised her she'd never be in the dark again. She turned into an amazing fun loving companion. She passed away at the age of 21 from kidney disease. I sure do miss her.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
One in the living room, 2 in the dining room. They can all see each other.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
Got rid of some furniture & all my huge house plants. Added air purifiers & a parrot tower. We had an aviary custom made for the back yard. Stopped watching TV shows with any bad language, which is getting harder today.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
No. There are none in my area.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
Can't think of any we haven't purchased. We have a parrot tower in the living room (plus 2 stored as back up) & an aviary ( 7' W x 12" L x 7"H, with a roof) in the back yard. A wall of toy bins & food in the basement.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
Maybe a Hyacinth Macaw. I am drawn to the macaws.
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
We greet them when we get up. Uncover Jasmine & open the drapes. They get breakfast. If the weather permits they go outside to the aviary late morning until late afternoon. In winter months they get time out of cages. Since they can see us & each other, in most of our downstairs, we talk to them back & forth a lot. They get fed mid to late afternoon. Some out of cage time in the evening.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
They are complex compared to say dogs. They learn, react & respond different. They require a lot of space for cages, play gym, food storage, toys, etc. They are messy, loud, messy, loud, and can be very destructive. They can be silly & very entertaining.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
Would not have powder birds due to my asthma & all the dust they create.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
I'm a seamstress/sewist. I've been sewing & making most of my clothes for 57 years, I also quilt & have done leather work/tooling. I also have many rose bushes.
15. Anything else you would like to share?
Parrots require a lot of time, finances & life changes. They can live a long time, so be prepared to spend a lot of time at home.
I am happy to announce that Toy is July'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)?
"Jengo" African Grey, female, just turned 24 years a few days ago, "Jasmine" Umbrella Cockatoo, female, age 24 in July, "JaKhu" Blue & Gold Macaw, female, age 3 years 2 months. "JaJaBinnks, B&G Macaw, female, passed away at age 21 from kidney disease.
2. What got you interested in birds?
We had a parrot when I was a kid (many many years ago LOL). I also had a Purple Martin colony for 23 years. The Purple Martins chose me. Just showed up one day & kept coming back to my yard. So I got them houses. I spent many cold rainy or snowy days flipping crickets to keep them feed during bad weather, picking chicks up off the ground & putting them back in nests. Hand feeding chicks to keep them going to fledge.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
Joy & laughter, as well as meeting many on-line friends.
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
How amazing & complex they are.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
I have many, but one that sticks in my mind is the day I went to get "JaJaBinks" B&G Macaw (avatar pic, she passed away in 2020). She was 2 years & 1 week old when I got her. I drove 45 minutes thru freezing rain to get her. They took me to her room, which was a tiny laundry room in a house trailer. I saw they had her in a junky homemade tiny cage made from plastic coated garden fencing, no toys, wild bird seed for food, a one inch dowel rod for a perch, & kept in the dark 24/7. Her nails were over 2 inches long. Her feathers curled up due to being dirty & not showered & she stunk like a dirty wet dog. The woman let her out of the cage & she started lunging at her right away. The woman back handed her, grabbed her & shoved her to me. I took her out of the room, down the hall & laid her on her back on my lap. She instantly started cooing. I paid the people for her, put her in a dog crate I had taken along, shoved the junky cage in my car (it went in the trash) & promised her she'd never be in the dark again. She turned into an amazing fun loving companion. She passed away at the age of 21 from kidney disease. I sure do miss her.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
One in the living room, 2 in the dining room. They can all see each other.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
Got rid of some furniture & all my huge house plants. Added air purifiers & a parrot tower. We had an aviary custom made for the back yard. Stopped watching TV shows with any bad language, which is getting harder today.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
No. There are none in my area.
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
Can't think of any we haven't purchased. We have a parrot tower in the living room (plus 2 stored as back up) & an aviary ( 7' W x 12" L x 7"H, with a roof) in the back yard. A wall of toy bins & food in the basement.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
Maybe a Hyacinth Macaw. I am drawn to the macaws.
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
We greet them when we get up. Uncover Jasmine & open the drapes. They get breakfast. If the weather permits they go outside to the aviary late morning until late afternoon. In winter months they get time out of cages. Since they can see us & each other, in most of our downstairs, we talk to them back & forth a lot. They get fed mid to late afternoon. Some out of cage time in the evening.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
They are complex compared to say dogs. They learn, react & respond different. They require a lot of space for cages, play gym, food storage, toys, etc. They are messy, loud, messy, loud, and can be very destructive. They can be silly & very entertaining.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
Would not have powder birds due to my asthma & all the dust they create.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
I'm a seamstress/sewist. I've been sewing & making most of my clothes for 57 years, I also quilt & have done leather work/tooling. I also have many rose bushes.
15. Anything else you would like to share?
Parrots require a lot of time, finances & life changes. They can live a long time, so be prepared to spend a lot of time at home.
you are so deserving of this. I loved reading your interview 
