Noise Solutions

Still working on teaching Tank, the Blue Crowned Conure, to be content without making such a racket. He has improved a little but needs distractions prior to his decibel levels escalating. Just when I felt things were getting ever so slightly better...

Charlie, Sun Conure, arrives! Charlie is hilarious. He is active and mischievious and, oh yeah, LOUD! Now, the house has become conure level crazy. Lots of play, and lots of noise. Oh well...

The only thing I can do is wear ear plugs with my wireless headset over them to listen to TV, keep the windows closed so the neighbors aren't annoyed, and keep these guys entertained without rewarding their raucous behavior.

It's a good thing their personalities and their beauty make up for their noise level! If anybody out there lives with one of these Aratinga Conures and has some input as to noise management, please share your ideas with me via email! One thing I have noticed is that the first few days are the worst and then things settle down considerably. The fact that I have arriving guest birds adding to the mix frequently gets things riled up. Everyone screams their hellos and "here I am" calls to the new arrivee.

Ahh Monday

This is Munchkin. He's a regular around here and he fits right in next to my two tiels, BJ and Lacy. For the first time in a while, I have no appointments today and the whole day is free to catch up on chores. I was determined to give Munchie a good soaking. He really enjoys it and the spray mister bottle only satisfies him slightly. This "treatment" definitely takes the wind out of his sails for a couple of hours. He'll quietly preen and get himself together for the rest of the day. Next on the list, to cook for the birds!

The bigger birds get their chance to shower outside in the big cages. Some kitchen sink time is suitable for these small ones.

Charlie Blue and Gold Macaw

This is Charlie. He is staying with me while his mom and dad are vacationing. Charlie is "an only child" and is as sweet as they come. He keeps calling me "mama" which is very endearing. I can tell he misses his family. I do my best to make him happy. He spends time outside in the big cages, although he does NOT like the shower routine out there! Hopefully he'll take a clue from Lucy and Molly that the shower is rather nice on a hot day. His favorite time of day is when he comes up to the rope apparatus in my bedroom in the evening. His usual bedtime is 10pm which is after MY bedtime! But I try to accommodate his nightowl tendencies by allowing him to hang out with me and watch TV.
Here he is eating a nut. Definitely a favorite snack for a macaw! Aren't his feathers beautiful? Macaws make wonderful companions because they love to be handled and they are not excessively active. Although they can be excessively loud. With the right training, this too can be managed. I have three macaws in my home this week (my two and Charlie) and they are really quiet most of the time. The occasional "air horn" blast is difficult to tolerate. I know of many macaws that do well in condos but I wouldn't recommend it! There is one at Canyon Lakes Golf Course that really must get on people's nerves! Her bellowing really carries a long way. What a blessing it is to have good neighbors!

Noisy Noisy Tank

This is Tank of the duo Kiku and Tank. Tank has been staying with me because he has become increasingly noisy at home and instigates many boisterous sessions of screaming. As an experiment, we are trying them separately. Kiku is apparently much quieter by himself and is not appearing to miss Tank. Kiku was the original bird in the home and Tank was added later as a companion. Tank exhibits a more needy personality. He has learned to create a raucous outcry that brings him attention. I have been working on teaching him to entertain himself without needing as much human interaction. This has been a noisy proposition! I have my handy dandy earplugs in my pocket ready to be inserted when he gets going.
I have experimented with caging Ben, my Blue Crown Conure, with Tank. This works fine and they coexist peacefully. Since they won't be staying together, I also cage them separately side by side. The two boys go outside to a shady cage where they both thoroughly enjoy being soaked with the sprayer hose. This makes them quiet, for a while. . . I have put into practice all of my little tricks for quieting a parrot. Foraging, showers, distraction, change of scenery, exercise, and an early-to-bed schedule. Will anything make Tank a quiet species of parrot? Absolutely not. But...I am hopeful that he can learn to be quieter! And I am hopeful that he can re-enter his home and be a sweet entertaining character who is not too demanding. I am also taking notice of what exactly gets him going. One morning he was nice and quiet and I had the audacity to walk through the room with my laundry basket. Off went the alarm and it would not stop. Perhaps Tank is a "sentry parrot" who feels that it is his job to alert the flock to any perceived danger. In my flock, Josey Wales, my Umbrella Cockatoo, is the sentry. Now, THERE'S a loud sentry! I have to place Josey's cage in the interior of the birdroom so he doesn't sound the alarm whenever someone drives by. Today a young buck deer ran up the street and all hell broke loose around here. In the case of such an unusual occurance, they ALL become sentries! Oh boy...

Three of My Own

Here are three of my birds that I adore. Lucy is my Scarlet macaw. She is funny, talkative, animated, and feisty. Molly is my Blue and Gold macaw. She is observant, flirtatious, and always asks politely for a cracker (walnut). Chauncey, my Slender Billed Cockatoo is the most verbose and interactive of all my birds. He has conversations with me and knows exactly when he is getting into mischief. He recently learned how to pick the lock on his cage. I now have to padlock him in. Such a shame because I find
that when a bird is "locked in" they don't get to come out as often. When you can easily open the cage, you can give quick hugs and short spurts of attention. When you have to unlock a padlock... well, sometimes I just don't have the time. My day is filled with caring for all the parrots and it's a full time job. I wanted to feature a few of my own because they are so loved! My flock has learned to relate to each other very well. They have a camaraderie that seems to make them all quite happy. They also have a constant flow of guests arriving and departing that adds to their entertainment. Believe it or not, they remember the regulars and call them by name upon arrival! We all enjoy the different birds with their different personalities as they come for visits. It's an interesting house, albeit, a bit noisy!

Can You Do This?

Not a day goes by when I don't have something to share. This morning when I went to this house to put the birds outside, Tango was waiting like this! He yelled "hello" when I entered. It must have been a comfortable position because he stayed this way for some time! While I'm there, I sing. Whenever there's a macaw around, I usually sing "You say Hello, and I say Goodbye..Hello Hello. I don't know why you say Hello, I say goodbye." Macaws love this! All macaws say "hello" of course. Since I'm only there for an hour, I want to be sure they get some interaction. By singing, I know they are paying attention while I take care of the important tasks, like preparing their foods!

Kilgore Loving His Breakfast

Here's a shot of Kilgore as he digs into his breakfast this morning. It has taken me consistently feeding him breakfast day after day to finally see some success. Today was chunks of papaya, sliced yellow and orange peppers, and my cooked grains on a bed of beet greens. He saw the camera and gave me a distainful look. "Don't bother me, I'm eating." There's that nictitating membrane on the eye again. Makes Kilgore look like he's in some sort of trance. Perhaps he was!

One of my clients practically has a nature preserve for a backyard. He has planted his property with all native plants and the birds and animals love it. A large hen turkey started hanging around a couple of years ago. This Spring she arrived with eleven little babies. It has been fun to watch them grow. The other day, I was there caring for his macaws inside, when the turkeys were just outside the window on the deck. You can see them relaxing on the picnic table and benches. Then, the mama turkey hopped up to the roof of the house! One by one, each baby climbed up on the table and followed mama with a huge leap and flap. The last little chick couldn't make it. He/she kept trying but didn't have enough lift to get off the ground more than a couple of feet. Left behind, it would peep so loudly and constantly that I was very worried a predator would be alerted to it. Can you make it out in the photo? Little Bird Left Behind kept this up for an hour. I wanted to intervene, but knew better. Finally, the mama turkey appeared on the lawn and the family was reunited. I was relieved. I could have never exhibited the tough love that that mother turkey did!

GROOMING AT HIGH SPEED

This is my own Josey Wales. He is a big boy and when he hangs out in my office/bedroom, he loves to stretch and groom his feathers. I tried to capture this on my camera but his actions were so fast that he ended up being a blur. Then, I used my camera to make a short video of his activity but I cannot post it on this blog. Something about must be a gif or a jpeg.

Josey is a magnificent cockatoo. He is loud, outgoing, and yet the biggest "chicken" of the group. He is my alarmist. Anything unusual is cause to set off an alarm. No one can send out an alarm like an Umbrella cockatoo. (Well, maybe Moluccan's are louder...so I can thank my lucky stars that he is ONLY an Umbrella.) The trouble is, that once the alarm call is sounded, the two macaws join in to make sure the entire neighborhood is aware of the threat. This "threat" may be a person walking a dog up the street, or a seed moth flying too close to the cage. When outside, Josey will alert to perceived threats and is usually more accurate. When he is upset, I can usually check and find a hawk flying around, a deer in the hedge, or a hostile Comcast guy working on a pole nearby. The sentry bird is a vital asset to any flock. Aren't I lucky to have one!

SHY VS OUTGOING

This is Bialy and Gnocchi. Bialy is a Maximillian Pionus. They have the most beautiful eyes! The feathers upon close inspection have a beauty themselves. Each iridescent and shimmering. Bialy is extremely shy (to me) and we are slowly getting to know each other.



Gnocchi, on the other hand, is a typical Blue Crown Conure! He has an outgoing personality and is up for any game! I always go at whatever speed is suggested by the bird. Some birds, like Bialy, want to go very slow. Others, jump right into the routine! My goal is to make them feel safe and comfortable while they're here.

Hungry Little Mush Mouths

I recently had to opportunity to hand deliver some of my PSITTACINE CUISINE to two very much loved cockatiels. Their mom heated up a little dish for each bird upon my arrival adding some broccoli buds to the mixture. Boy oh boy, they dug right in! While they had their meal, Sue and I had a delightful salad of our own out on her deck. Of course, the birds were invited too. Their cage was wheeled out and we all enjoyed a beautiful afternoon. A few moments of peace and quiet is considered a rare treat for me! We talked "bird" and marveled in the two very distinct personalities of Abby and Brie. Just like people, birds each develop their own characters. Even though Briesy was the resident bird, when Abby came, Abby ruled the roost. The pecking order is not just a saying. Peace is had once the positions in the flock are determined.

BINTEL LIKES CHAOS

This is Bintel. He has "feather issues" and is staying with me because his real home is having a party weekend. Well, we're having a party here too! Perhaps this would upset him in his own home, but here? He is happy to hear and see the other birds. He comes here with his own comfortable cage and surrounding toys. He has been here before, to be sure. My only problem, if you can call it that, is that he rings (loudly) whenever my phone rings. Even after he is covered for the night! All will be quiet and then, "RING!" I'm ready to install a flashing light on my phone! Actually, I have to laugh. May this be my biggest problem!

GOT ANTS?

I don't know about you, but I am getting ants in the home. They seem to be coming in and finding any little particle of food or drop of water. With parrots around, there is always something on the floor! The safest way to discourage these little soldiers is to use Camicide. This formula is non toxic and works very well. If the ants are interested in the bird cage, just spritz the casters (out of the bird's reach). This product is safe to use in the kitchen and bath as well.

Kilgore Grey

This is Kilgore. He is a mature African Grey (28) that is the only parrot in his home. He leads a very happy life with his mom and dad. They had their trip out of town unexpectedly extended due to circumstances beyond their control. They are concerned that they are leaving Kilgore "too long."
Kilgore, however, is doing so well while he is here that they can rest assured that he is not suffering! Sure, they are missed, as he is. But he is enjoying the company of my grey, Buster, and together they are making a chorus of beeps, whistles, snores, and other endearing sound effects. They take delight in competing on this level. Kilgore is getting his hugs, skritches, and showers. Around here there is lots of action and interaction. He is even beginning to explore different foods!

I like to watch "only birds" as they observe my many parrots. They must have peculiar thoughts on the subject. Wow, another parrot. Or, maybe they have no idea that they, themselves, are parrots! Kilgore will quickly acclimate to being back home, but he will always remember his time spent here. We all have childhood vacations that we recall. This is his vacation and I will miss him when he goes home. As these "characters" come and go, I feel honored to have known each and every one of them.

TANGO WITHOUT A CAGE

This is Tango. He is a wonderful old Greenwing macaw. When his family is away, I go over every morning and put him in his outdoor cage. But when he is brought indoors in the evening, he resides simply on a bird stand. Does he climb down and get into mischief? Well, he climbs down. But, so far, he seems to behave himself pretty good, for a macaw. His favorite mischief is to dump his water cup. You'd think he'd figure out that when he does this, he goes without water! He also thought it was fun to climb down and walk over to unlatch the cage containing two cockatoos in the next room. This was nipped in the bud by installing two padlocks on their cage. Every morning, he's back on his perch stand. Who knows what goes on the rest of the time! Many homes would be chewed into toothpicks if a macaw was allowed to live like this. I suppose Tango just knows not to eat the furniture!

Cockatiel Behavior

This is Munchkin. He is a very smart little guy. He often uses his foot to hold his pellets and foods, but here he is using his foot to hold an eraser. He chews it into bits and pieces. Always be careful that your bird's destructive toys are not being ingested. Most birds just love to shred, crumple, or strip things. I know of many birds that love corks! I'm sure that, in the wild, they would entertain themselves denuding branches and ripping through fruit! My birds love to chew up and spit out pine cones. They sure make a mess but it's worth it! A mess just becomes part of the bargain when you share your home with a parrot!

Barnaby A Big Yellow Nape Amazon

This is Barnaby. He is staying with me while his mom is making a movie! Exciting eh? He is one big boy who is very active and curious.

I captured this close up and, if you look closely, you can see his nictitating membrane! This third eyelid is not often seen but it acts as a windshield washer and protective covering. He had just come up from eating and probably wanted to clean his eyes to see who would be bothering an amazon during mealtime! How rude! Amazons really get into their food.

Barnaby is a fun active talkative guy. He has plenty to say and sing but the funniest moment came when he and another boarder upstairs were exchanging snore whistles like we used to hear in cartoons. A deep rasping snore intake and a shrill high whistle exhale. Sure is difficult to describe a sound! Kilgore, a grey upstairs, would make this sound and Barnaby would respond in kind! Sounded like some heavy duty napping was going on around here.



When Barnaby stands tall, you can
see that he thinks he's pretty special. He really is magnificent. No other species of parrot displays his emotions like an amazon. They exhibit excitement and joy, and anger and fear. The trouble is, often this is done with very similar behaviors! A flared tail and level posture with pinned eyes can mean many things. But, for me, it means to be careful! Even if he is just excited and playful, you don't want to offer a bare finger. Most of the time he would probably be a sweetie, but the other time, he would nail you and laugh about it.