Dr. Guess-Who-Clementine!

Guess who you should not ask to help

with Christmas cards?

Clementine is doing very well, now a year since I adopted her. Her diet was about average when I got her, but she has slowly become a much better eater, not just with new foods but with new ways of preparing them and, therefore, new food textures. She no longer shuns mushy food, which has greatly increased her sweet potato, cooked mash, and squash intake! She was fairly well adjusted when I got her, and has remained so. Very rarely, or rather never, is she in a bad mood, and shows her age less than Lola and Miss Patty. Yes, she has some joint inflammation and a bit of plucking under one of her wings, but quite good really. All in all, Clementine is still just as fabulous as ever. My sanity, eh, not so much. Clementine is a talented mimic. Really talented. So talented, in fact, that she has become my resident household ghost.

In general, she leaves actual talking to the other parrots. No, Clementine specializes in those subtle noises that generally accompany having someone else in the house- distance voices that are incredibly realistic, cars driving up, doors creaking, even people walking around. She will do this if you are standing next to her, or if you are in the next room or upstairs, so she is certainly not a closet talker  She just has a deep appreciate for the subtle. One that might, in fact, drive me insane as I check the door for the 5th time thinking it is Gwen whining to come in. Or jump once again when she uses her most human of voices at a moment you are least expecting. I think she likes making me jump. She must. Because while I cannot fully describe why her ghost talking is so much more, well, rattling, than any of my other parrots- trust me, it is. And she practices a lot. So she is only getting better.

Really, what was wrong with a simple, loud and clear, hello? Or the telephone ringing? Or even the dogs barking,as Alasdair is doing outside in the above picture. Nice, loud, simple noises. Conversations like frank. Basic stuff.

Jokes aside, to (for once) be perfectly honest, Clementine's noises get very little reaction from me, hardly any, aside from the door checking, which rarely works any more. They do make me notice, but usually when I am not in the room, and only because of how good they are, rather than because I think robbers have actually broken into the basement- my dogs are way to bark happy to miss an event like that, it is all they live for, that and dinner anyway. And I do not think looking up from my knitting counts as enough of a reaction, either. So I think she has just developed a fascination with sounding as good as she can for her own interest, rather than mine. Although it does thoroughly confuse the occasional guest I get, which is very frustrating for them, not being as sedate as I am when it comes to odd noises from parrots. But then, I enjoy that quite a bit too, so I guess we are just both terrible.

Sunny day, chasing the clouds away...........

 Give them a bath if it is hot, even on humid days it is quite cooling.

Trust me, I am from the humid south. It is. However, if you 

see any signs of discomfort, get them inside immediately!! 

Getting outside is important for parrots- they really need the Vit. D. In fact, for some species like African Greys, getting outside regularly can be the difference between seizures and all the trouble with calcium deficiencies, and a happy, healthy parrot. Vit D plays an integral role in healthy body functioning; you need vit D. to properly absorb calcium (so not enough vit. D means not enough calcium), which affects magnesium, and phosphorous, etc. etc. Vit. D is also is an important hormone, which helps boost your mood and do all the wonderful things those happy hormones do. Further, as it naturally is not good for bacteria and other nasties, it can help external skin issues. If you do not have enough vit. D, you cannot expect a healthy, happy, stable parrot. In basic layman's terms, sunshine is even better than it feels!

Clementine, your thoughts?

Wait......... ugh....

 just a minute........

 getting .... umm......this..... feather......

You can get vit. D from pellets and other fortified foods, but there is some debate over how well the body can use those synthetic sources; personally, I think you need some form of Vit. D, but the best form, if you can get it, is naturally from the sun. As someone that does not feed pellets, I make sure to get my parrots outside year round. In the winter, this is not overly often, but since I am in the south, there are usually a few days a month when the weather is in the upper 40s/50s, sunny and not really windy so they can go out. They rest of the year I try to get them out all the time, several times a week if possible. Vit. D can be stored in the liver for 20-30 days, so there is some leeway on this.

Claudia says:

What do you think? Should I peroxide???

Yes, I do hope to have an aviary soon, but up until now, I have done this just like most folks have to: with carriers and harnesses. If your parrot is not harness trained, no worries, a carrier is fine. If your parrot will not go in a carrier, you have a huge problem, one that would need a post of its own, and you need to address that problem. What if there was an emergency, not to mention vet visits; all parrots should accept carriers with little fuss, and it is not that hard to train should you have a phobic one; Barbara Heidenrich has a lot of advice on this.

Chester says:

Ummmm..., nah, I like the red.

Lastly, a warning- NEVER take a parrot outside unless in a safe and secure carrier or in a proper harness; falconers use jesses, those are not safe with parrots!!! Even well clipped birds, can, will, and have gotten away; all it takes is one good bit of wind, and they can be surprised in to taking off, and once off, as they are unable to fly, they will be unable to come back to you.

Peek-a-boo!

I don't know why I like this picture.......

must be all the shades of green!

So make some time, get a carrier, and get out in the sun! Good for you as well, and with some good reading material and a nice drink (I like lemonade and ice tea, what 'bout you?) what could be better? Just watch for hawks!

Friends? Pretty Please?

Despite the fact that I do like to keep my birds in pairs, something that will always carry inherent risks, I consider myself fairly cautious about allowing any of my parrots to be together. Then again, since many people, such as one of my past vets, think keeping birds together at all can be quite dangerous and should be preferably avoided, maybe I am actually a reckless caretaker. Who knows. What I do know is that whatever the risk, my birds are much happier with friends. There have been disasters before (think Peter and Ava) but I just cannot really regret the situation which allowed the fight, and though I can hardly speak for any of my birds, I am not sure Ava necessarily regrets her life up until he flipped, either.

Let me be clear- I do not think anyone should get a parrot they do not want. Before getting any parrot, any bird at all, you need to think through how it could change your household, as well as how it definitely will; costs, mess, etc, are things that will always be there, at least. I mean really think about it. When I say a friend for your parrot is a good idea to consider, I mean it is a good idea to consider AFTER you have already decided to get another parrot. If you have decided another parrot is something you are prepared for, it is then I strongly recommend looking at the option of another of the same species.

However, I do not just throw any birds together and hope for the best. There are many fine people in this world, even some I admire, that I would likely try to kill (assuming my hatred of violence suddenly dissipated) were I forced to live with them. Sad fact. I see no reason why we should think animals, and in this case parrots, are any different. It is somewhat easier with flock parrots, like budgies and some conures for example, as they are small enough to have a fair amount of room in a standard flight cage and are pretty good at getting along with others though they may not be their heart's desire- think roommates. Contrary to popular opinion, though, many parrots do not naturally stay in flocks, and would in the wild spend most of their lives just with their intimate family- their partner, chicks, and not-quite-mature young. This means they do not generally take kindly to the idea of a roommate, since all they are looking for is "the one", so to speak. And, getting back to the first sentence in this paragraph, you can understand why getting another parrot, even of the same species and opposite sex, and expecting them to be "best best!" friends can be quite chancy. They may, and they may not. You have to be prepared for either outcome.

Yes, this has picture been posted before, 

but if you do not think it is cute enough for a re-post.....

there is just no hope for you.

I am perhaps more fortunate than the average parrot caretaker in the ability to search and find friends for my parrots. Since I foster, if I think one of my foster parrots might work out with one of my own, I can introduce them after quarantine and find out. Obviously, this is not an option for everyone, but it may be more of an option than you think. If there is a rescue near you that fosters out, such as Phoenix Landing, you may be able to try this for yourself. If the foster does not work out, you are still helping them get to a wonderful home. If fostering is not an option, carefully evaluate your parrot. Do you know whether they were ever socialized with other parrots, particularly those of their own species? Were they hand-fed from a young age? Do they play well on their own, or are they severely attached to you or another person? What is their general personality, and what personality do you think would mix well with them? These questions, save for the first two, are just guessing, but they will certainly improve your chances rather than a shot in the dark.

Frank was not socialized, was totally hand fed, and is a hyper active, very sensitive (formerly often depressed) special dude. Lola seemed a good match. Because of Frank, I had to decide what seemed to work and try it over several months, since Frank was not going to be able to make friends quickly. And yes, I was prepared to have a second quaker he could not be with. Back to Lola- she was older, calm, confident, and somewhat maternal. Most importantly, she knew she was a bird, and (shocker!) a quaker at that. I was hoping watching another quaker would help Frank, I could hardly imagine both how close they would become, and more surprising still, how much it would help Frank; he is a totally different bird now, and clearly very happy.

Clementine has quite surprisingly become good friends with the ekkies. She has been around many different birds throughout her life, including several other greys, but she never took to any of them and would attack if they got too close. Therefore, I was not planning on allowing her out with any of my parrots, even when she showed such interested in the ekkies, and they seemed to return her long-distance friendship. Chester took an almost immediate liking to her from across the room, which considering he has an even worse attack bird history, is very surprising. After several months of talking to and mimicking each other from their respective cages (and turning the bird room into a real college cafe in the process, seriously) Chester stole over to Clementine's cage one time when I was [practically standing on my head in a very unique and previously unknown yoga position] cleaning his own cage. Needless to say, I was a bit stunned to turn around and find him feeding her through the bars. I also lifted the ban on time out together, so now all three play quite happily on the play gyms and tree! You just never know, do you?

By the way, I do not recommend ever allowing one bird to "corner" another,

as in this picture, even if they are getting along. There should always 

be an escape route. Below the bottom of the frame 

is another perch Clementine could easily reach, 

but I moved her anyway after shooting this, just to be safe.

Tidbits

I suppose you could say Clementine is fitting right in here in this house of opinion. Actually, she is pushing the limits, or just breaking them down, stirring us all up! Several of my parrots talk regularly in context, and while Frank may have the best mastery of the English language, he is by no means alone. My parrots and I have regular conversations, or at least commentaries, and while even mild Miss Claudia has adopted some of my sarcastic streak, we are all generally polite towards one another. Ok, yes, Chester does yell at the little birds more than absolutely necessary, but other than that, it is fairly friendly. Clementine, though, is more the "shake it up" type. I have yet to hear any of the foul language, trash talk, and insults I was told she knew, and for that I am very grateful, and happy since it implies, at least, she has yet to get angry enough for a screaming tirade. However, I do not appreciate the negative peer pressure she was putting on my Mom when I was busy elsewhere, asking her repeatedly if she wanted a cigarette. And I think she even has me beat with her bluntness. When I came into the room after my bath with my hair in a less than perfect wet hair mess I did not think it strictly necessary for her to ask me "What's with your hair??"

Claudia, quite frankly, was shocked.

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Alasdair (English Shepherd) is feeling quite a lot better now after his rough start in his first home. He is starting to gain both weight and muscle mass, so I am hopeful he may actually get to a reasonable size. He is not a year old yet, and is certainly, finally, acting his age, ie, he gets into everything. His toys are everywhere his blankets are everywhere, and the play fighting has left many scars in my clothing- although he is finally responding somewhat to the training for that one. This morning he tried eating the bottle lid along with his pills. A couple of days ago he discovered a tennis ball inside the house (tennis balls are, in my opinion, outside toys only) and caused a very frantic minute that was quite like something out of one of those almost painful physical comedy sitcoms, as the ball, and the large blundering dog, bounced through the house in all the wrong places. I had no idea how much glass was in here, I guess I had just been seeing right through it all.

And here Alasdair had raided the bird area for what was intended to be a new play tube for Yo-yo and the rest of the Aussies. They love playing hide and seek with each other, but I have a feeling he was not invited.

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I was soooo excited last week when I won a recipe contest held by Avian Organics- with the very generous prize being a $100 gift basket from them! Yay!!! My birds love their products, and I love that they are healthy and that I can safely be around them and feed them to my parrots- no peanuts, soy, or wheat, period. My recipe is now on their website, here, and I was thrilled to see Yo-yo's picture in their march newsletter. He is quite proud himself, too, I might add, if a little bashful at the idea. And in case anyone else has a recipe for the Avian Organics fruit powders, they are now offering a $25 store credit for any they choose to put on their website.

Now I just have to wait until it gets here!


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I am so excited by the variety as well as the huge numbers of wildlife, particularly birds, that are quite well established here. Even more amazing, they are seemingly not at all afraid of people, I suppose it has been a long time since anyone has bothered them, or even lived here. I was thrilled one morning to see four flickers feeding right outside the french doors, although I only got a clear picture of one (the video will not load). Oh, and the seeming rubbish behind him is actually leftover building materials (wood and siding bits) holding down plastic tarps to hopefully kill the current plants and give me a bit of an area to garden in. I am leaving most of the yard natural, it already has some lovely grasses, wild flowers, and shrubs, and clearly is serving the "locals" well.

Valentine's Day contest for African Grey girls!

I have talked about Oliver's Garden Bird Toys before, a parrot toy store run by a friend of mine, Susan. Anyone who has looked through Susan's website knows that she is not only very creative (her toys are all handmade and quite original!) but also has an incredible sense of what parrots like. Anyone that has talked to Susan also knows how much fun she is! So naturally, owing to the former knowledge, any contest she holds with her toys as prizes is something I am very interested in. And owing to the latter knowledge, I know that any contest she holds will be unlike any other. So it is with the contest she is currently holding on her Facebook fan page, (you can also enter via the email on her website) in which she, or rather Oliver, her African Grey, is looking for his true love by making his own little black book. Any and all female greys, Congo or timneh, are welcome to enter with their picture, location, and a brief write-up about themselves. As the prize, Susan is making a dowry for Oliver's choice- a drawing will take place on Valentines Day, and the dowry already includes a platform perch, a new toy called Dinner 4-2, and a rescue rope, and Susan has said if she gets more entrants she will add more to the dowry. However, Oliver is looking for 50 girls for his book, and so far he only has 32! Anyone out there with a lonely grey girl to introduce? I know Oliver (and Susan!) would love to hear from you!

Oh my, Miss Clementine!

This post is about two months overdue, but I wanted to wait and see how things settled before posting. I was admittedly apprehensive, as I always am with a new bird, although it has been a while since my last. Really, I do not have hankerings for another bird even when I had far fewer- I wanted the budgies, I wanted a cockatiel after that, and I wanted an ekkie, though I had to wait years for that one. I am really not sure how the rest came to be permanents (ok, I admit I did want a friend for each), I think there must be a secret cue somewhere. The idea of bringing home another bird was not something I was going to do, I like my current mix, why change it? However, things just seemed to lead in this direction, and after taking the plunge, I can say it was actually one of the smoothest additions, and definitely the right choice! So without further ado, I would like to introduce Clementine, the newest member of this unorthodox clan.

Clementine is an African Grey. I would say  Congo African Grey, but quite frankly, after meeting her, I have to give some credence to the rumors of a third population of greys (whether a total subspecies or just distinct group) since she looks so very different from any other African Grey. For one thing, she is smaller than some Timneh greys, for another, her grey coloring seems different, plus her general head and beak is not the same shape as those I have seen, at least. Lastly, her tail is quite short, and her wing feather tips are almost an inch longer. Moving on to her other so-called vital statistics, she is around 65 years old, wild caught obviously, and has lived in 3 other homes besides mine, each for roughly the same amount of time. She is decidedly a she, since she laid 4 eggs in her last home (so over a period of 20 years) with her last egg being just a couple of years ago. She also loves tomatoes and does not approve of the red feathers that started coming in on her legs in the last few years. Tomatoes she eats and/or wears on her head as a not very effective bomb raid helmet, her red leg feathers she pulls. Overall she seems quite healthy, and is out of quarantine.

Clementine is very tame and friendly, and loves head scritches. I am trying to be very careful to limit any petting, even head scritches, since she has well-proven her preference for selecting one person and bonding to them heavily as mate, and thereby defending them from all others. Granted, living alone this may not seems a huge issue, but in general parrots, like people, are happier living in reality, and I just do not see myself making a very good grey husband, so I think boundaries are necessary to set.

Interestingly, as I was not sure if Clementine would not prefer to be kept in her own room away form the other parrots, she has really settled in, at least with the ekkies. In fact, she and Chester are quite close, they took an almost immediate liking to each other, after the first day when Chester gave me my first bite. Although I have never let them near each other out of their cages, they do carry on quite a bit. She starts to say or whistle or sing something, he finishes, and vice versa. Claudia, of course, likes everyone and had no problem with Clementine.

Clementine certainly does love her toys, I have to refill her foot toy bucket daily for all the chipping. She is very active, always up to something, and although her feet are not what I am sure they were in her younger days, she is quite acrobatic. She has probably an average (among pet parrots) affinity for fresh foods, although she did learn to accept my mash, and eats some fresh foods in the larger chopped pieces I give the ekkies. On the other hand, their are some fresh foods she eats that the ekkies will not, like figs (what is up with that? My ekkies also refuse papaya, and yet they really are good eaters otherwise), so that is nice.

Biggest difference with her age? She knows her stuff, and she does her own thing. She is quite confident, but that could easily be personality. But you just get the feeling around her that she knows people, easy-peasy. She has got it covered. If afraid, she does not panic, but takes it in stride and assesses the situation. Overall, though, she is just a fun bird that has had longer to learn to put her challenges and issues behind her.

Oh, she loves head scritches! It is hard to get action photos, 

since if I come over, she wants to dance, or sing, or scitches, hands on, etc-

not forage or play!

Chatty chatty, Miss Personality!

Window thoughts, she does love going outside-

I am working on harness training her, quite easy, actually.

Here you can see her wingtips- 

her wings are not held relaxed back in this photo.