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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
- 50,690
- 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 Karen is March'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)?
I have one, a Green Winged Macaw named Kady. He will be 33 years old in July.
2. What got you interested in birds?
I came across a bird in serious need. He needed someone to care for him and I decided I would be that person. I had never owned a bird and had no bird experience. He didn’t have much people experience and had never been handled or touched. He only knew a cage. Ahh, the perfect pair!
What we did have, was an instant connection the first time we saw each other. I felt it. He knew it. It was surreal. Life was about to change drastically for both of us. His 1st. day with me he was immediately taken to the vet for surgery.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
Laughter, love and worry. I believe with my start into parrots being one of vets and medications instead of boings and toys it brought tremendous worry. I still worry about every little thing. They are such complex animals that keep me on my toes!
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
That they are delicate and sensitive while still being very resilient. I will be forever amazed at how forgiving they are. Being that we don’t always pick up on what they’re trying to communicate to us, in their world so many wrongs come their way and yet they still give us one more chance to get it right.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
Forever... the first time my bird was lovingly touched (his beak stroked with one finger) he cried like a baby, so did I. I can’t think about that moment, almost 16 years later, without tears rolling down my face.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
What used to be my living room is now his bird room. French doors close that room off from the rest of the house at night.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
Oh my gosh, everything! All the usual good parront birdie things. I try to do it all by the book.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
Just Avian Avenue
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
I would give anything for him to be able to fly.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
If I was doing the choosing, I would be hard pressed to pass up an Amazon. They appeal to me. They’re all beautiful but I especially love the double yellow heads. I love their personalities, their tenacity and their short tails.
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
I keep a pretty regimented schedule. Works days and weekend daytime activities can vary but most days begin and end the same. Weekends, our daytime activities vary with showers and more time spent together. On good weather days, we get to go outside. I can get yard work and gardening done and Kady can sun himself in his outside aviary.
We’re up at 6-6:30 AM. Kady only sleeps in his cage at night so as soon as he goes potty in the morning, he comes out of his cage to spend the day on his day stand. He is allowed to stay out all day.
We spend the morning together doing chores and having breakfast together. Work days I leave the house at 9:40. During the day he eats, naps, plays and he may take a dip in his water dish if he is so inclined. He’s not a typical dare devil busy Macaw. He’s a very quiet bird and a perch potato. Even in his younger years he was not the type of Macaw that was hanging by one toe or chewing up the wall. I believe this is because he did not have enrichment when he was young during his informative years.
I get home at 4:30 to a chorus of “Come here, come here please.” We spend time together visiting, playing, singing and fixing dinner. We eat dinner together between 6 and 7 PM and bedtime is usually between 8 and 8:30.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
They require a lot more work and life style changes (if you do it the right way) than I ever imagined.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
I would buy the biggest cage made right out of the gate.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
I am an avid reader and have an unusual need to learn in depth about everything I read. I love softball.
I am happy to announce that Karen is March'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)?
I have one, a Green Winged Macaw named Kady. He will be 33 years old in July.
2. What got you interested in birds?
I came across a bird in serious need. He needed someone to care for him and I decided I would be that person. I had never owned a bird and had no bird experience. He didn’t have much people experience and had never been handled or touched. He only knew a cage. Ahh, the perfect pair!
What we did have, was an instant connection the first time we saw each other. I felt it. He knew it. It was surreal. Life was about to change drastically for both of us. His 1st. day with me he was immediately taken to the vet for surgery.
3. What have your birds brought to your life?
Laughter, love and worry. I believe with my start into parrots being one of vets and medications instead of boings and toys it brought tremendous worry. I still worry about every little thing. They are such complex animals that keep me on my toes!
4. What have you learned from sharing your life with your birds?
That they are delicate and sensitive while still being very resilient. I will be forever amazed at how forgiving they are. Being that we don’t always pick up on what they’re trying to communicate to us, in their world so many wrongs come their way and yet they still give us one more chance to get it right.
5. What's one birdie memory that will stay with you forever?
Forever... the first time my bird was lovingly touched (his beak stroked with one finger) he cried like a baby, so did I. I can’t think about that moment, almost 16 years later, without tears rolling down my face.
6. Where is your birds main living area?
What used to be my living room is now his bird room. French doors close that room off from the rest of the house at night.
7. Did you change things in your home to accommodate your birds and if so what kinds of things did you change?
Oh my gosh, everything! All the usual good parront birdie things. I try to do it all by the book.
8. Are you involved in any kind of bird related group or activities?
Just Avian Avenue
9. What is the one luxury item you would love to have for your bird(s)?
I would give anything for him to be able to fly.
10. Is there any bird that you dream of owning and if so why?
If I was doing the choosing, I would be hard pressed to pass up an Amazon. They appeal to me. They’re all beautiful but I especially love the double yellow heads. I love their personalities, their tenacity and their short tails.
11. Describe a typical day with you at home with your birds.
I keep a pretty regimented schedule. Works days and weekend daytime activities can vary but most days begin and end the same. Weekends, our daytime activities vary with showers and more time spent together. On good weather days, we get to go outside. I can get yard work and gardening done and Kady can sun himself in his outside aviary.
We’re up at 6-6:30 AM. Kady only sleeps in his cage at night so as soon as he goes potty in the morning, he comes out of his cage to spend the day on his day stand. He is allowed to stay out all day.
We spend the morning together doing chores and having breakfast together. Work days I leave the house at 9:40. During the day he eats, naps, plays and he may take a dip in his water dish if he is so inclined. He’s not a typical dare devil busy Macaw. He’s a very quiet bird and a perch potato. Even in his younger years he was not the type of Macaw that was hanging by one toe or chewing up the wall. I believe this is because he did not have enrichment when he was young during his informative years.
I get home at 4:30 to a chorus of “Come here, come here please.” We spend time together visiting, playing, singing and fixing dinner. We eat dinner together between 6 and 7 PM and bedtime is usually between 8 and 8:30.
12. What have you learned about owning birds that you would like to share?
They require a lot more work and life style changes (if you do it the right way) than I ever imagined.
13. If you knew then what you know now about birds, what would you do differently?
I would buy the biggest cage made right out of the gate.
14. What other hobbies do you have?
I am an avid reader and have an unusual need to learn in depth about everything I read. I love softball.
sweet story! Congratulations 
A well-deserved award for an absolutely amazing person and parront!
!
She has turned it down twice. 
