I also have something to confess....
I bought a special little bird...
It isn't so much crow that I'm eating as it is a Blue-headed Pionus Parrot...! I thought that since I've been wanting to have a little birdie friend for so long, it might be time to give another one a chance. I did a lot of research on the birds that were available at the shop here in town. I read up on everything from Cockatoos to Cockatiels, Macaws to Caiques, Finches to Lorys. I was enchanted with the idea of having a Pacific Parrotlet, but I was afraid of accidentally killing it. I needed something sturdier and larger, which looked intimidating enough to the cats that would make them think twice about going up to sniff it. (My cats are all very much scaredy-cats, the biggest thing they'll eat is spiders.)
I ruled out any parrot that I thought could be accidentally knocked off the desk and killed while reaching for a glass of water (Parrotlets), was known for lots of screaming (Cockatoos, Macaws, Conures, etc), was known to need lots of attention (Cockatoos, Macaws, Conures, etc), had super watery, projectile poop (Duyvenbodes Lory), was too hyperactive (Caiques), and of course, with the little birds like Finches, were very skittish and were unable to be handled.
After ruling many birds out, there were two possibilities: Pionus and Senegal. I thought something that was quiet in temperament, calmer, more independent, yet still playful and affectionate would suit me best. When Peaches asked me what I was going to get, I first said a Parrotlet or a Budgie, but that was before I did my research. When she asked again, I had thought about it for a while, and I had decided that I would go after I had read up on everything and see if anyone was attracted to me. I would rather an animal choose me, rather than me choosing someone who might not suit my personality in the end.
When we got to the bird store, we were both very excited. We mingled and said hello to all the birds. Wellllll, after lingering at the adorable little Cockatiels, who were all bobbing their heads and making hungry sounds as they begged for food. I stopped by the Lesser Sulphur Cockatoo, who was reported as being very sweet, but he didn't appear to be interested in me. I stopped by the Parrotlets and realized, WOW, they ARE tiny! I didn't trust my clumsy hands at all with something so petite and fragile. The Caiques were adorable as they played with toys on their backs, but watching them again, I realized they're just too active for me. I glazed over the Canaries, Budgies, and Finches, which always manage to provoke my prey drive (I want to eat them....*cough*). We talked with the Conures a little bit, and marveled over their beautiful colours...and at long last, I finally arrived at the Pionus' cage.
To my surprise and delight, he came right over to me as I crouched in front of his cage. (Note: for the purpose of less confusion, I'm going to refer to the Pionus as a boy :) ) When I meet new birds, I like to hook my index finger over my thumb like a bird's beak, and move it slightly, as if it's a bird. If a bird is interested in having its head scratched, it may come up and investigate, staring at me from the side to get a good look, then offer its head. He came over and inspected me, but was hesitant to have his head scratched, which is understandable! Peaches and I talked to him and I wiggled my finger, then touched his cage to see if he was approachable or not. After a few minutes, he leaned against the bars and I got to scratch him gently!
My world kind of went tunnel-vision on the birdie after that. I wandered around the store in a bird-induced daze...and eventually Mr. Lewis came back to us and asked if we were needing anything. I thought it must be getting late, so I asked about the Pionus. He brought him out and put him on my hand, and I stared at the Pionus as he stared right back at me! I've never really held a bigger bird on my hand like that before, the weight was a little surprising! He's very solid, which is reassuring! Carefully, I brought my hand to the side and up along his back, because I know I would be startled if someone waved their hand over my head! Dogs tend to look up and raise their heads when people do this, some may even find it threatening, but I wasn't taking any chances with a bird, either. I would like very much for him to trust me right from the beginning.
I scratched his head for a long time with my left hand, then Mr. Lewis put him on my left instead when he wouldn't step up onto my left hand. He laughed and said the bird knew how to step up, but he was just nervous, which is understandable. My arm got tired after a while and I put him down onto the playstand, but he stayed very close to me the whole time. At one point, he started regurgitating seed for me, which made me, Peaches, and another employee go, "Awwwwwww!!" (Later, when I explained this to Lauren, she laughed and made a face. We all agreed not to barf up food for each other, even though we loved one another...)
Still in my daze, I realized it must be getting really late! I didn't want to keep everyone waiting, so I asked Mr. Lewis to show me around to purchase the other things that my bird would need. As I started to walk away, the bird made a soft sound, and I felt that yes, we definitely had made a connection. I picked out a handsome cage with an antiqued bronze finish, some toys, and a stand perch. I didn't want to bring him home without a cage, so I told them I would pick everything up the next day (which is now "today"). He/she will also be DNA sexed, so I'll know for certain what sex he/she is, and I'll be able to name him/her appropriately!
I wanted to finish writing this before it gets much later. It's almost 9am, and I still have my room to clean and prepare for my new, special friend...argh!
Pretty soon, we'll be able to watch and photograph birds together in front of the kitchen sink :)
I'm so excited...I could barely sleep! This is him/her...He's so handsome!
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Chirp!