The Diva Comedy: Birds are just as lovable as dogs!

When I was taking my O levels I thought it was a good idea to get a little pet to keep me company while I sat for my big exams ( actually the main reason was to keep me home). I thought long and hard before I decided on a Budgerigar. It was the bird within my budget and had the character of 'someone' I wanted.

I went to get one soon after at Goodwill Bird Trading located at Serangoon North. Goodwill Trading has the cleanest and biggest variety of birds ever! Seriously. Most of the birds are hand fed so are quite used to the human touch. They had Macaws, Budgies, Conures, singing birds and even Toucans! However, I didn't know that I was supposed to find a baby so that it would be tamed easily. Needless to say, Penny, the new green yellow budgie, was 3 months old then and didn't take to being handled by me lightly, she fought and bit like a crocodile! I was traumtised and my fingers had plasters and I didn't get to study much... I read up all about budgies, how to train her how to play with her but she kept rebutting me. Finally, a friend of mine told me to leave her alone, she'll get bored somehow. And so I did. After 3 days of solitude, she got really bored and came out of her cage to sit on the top of it, looking at me suspiciously all the while. The next day she started to jump on my lap. I had a backache and cramp from sitting still for 6 hours! The next day, she actually jumped onto my hand and seemed like we were pals for yonks. That was the beginning of a great relationship with birds.

So far, I've owned 4 budgies, 2 cockatiels, 1 lovebird, 1 quaker and 1 sun conure, the latter 2 belonged to my father really. Sad to say, only the quaker remains. The rest flew away. My last baby was a Lovebird called Birdy. VERY original. Both the cockatiels were called Birdys too. The quaker is named Jacky and the conure, Winnie. My dad also owns a huge cageful of finches. Birds are almost as intelligent as dogs. They are loyal if you rear them from young, they converse with you, they lick your tears when you're sad, and they can usually be trained to talk.

My lovely Birdy III. She's a terror and and sweet little thing. I really miss her so.

I really want an African Grey and another budgie and cockatiel. Check out Youtube.
to have a look at those birdy videos. Here's some of my favourties and a few other clips I happened to view. some are hilarious... to me.. I really dig Chulo the Budgie.

Here's some non bird videos that I found funny:

Choosing the right bird for you: Going to the internet and reading up about avarian breeds and habits is a good starting point already. The next step is to do more research if you aren't too sure about it by now. Some people have the misconception that ALL parrots can talk. NOT TRUE! And don't go rehoming your pet bird or let it free or just giving it away ( if you want to give it away, give to me! Gimme gimme!) just because it refuses or can't learn to talk. African Greys are known to be the most intelligent species but not all can talk, some imitate noises and others just choose to make birdy sounds. In fact, some other birds can learn to talk like parrots. I just learnt that Starlings can actually learn to talk! Listen to WeeWoot he talking Starling at the link below.

Lifespan of a bird; they live longer than you think: A first time buyer needs to know is that not all birds have a short life span. A small bird like a budgie has a life span of about 6 years but I have read about this pet budgie that has lived for almost 30 years. The bigger species like the macaws can live up to the average age of a normal person to almost 100 years, so keeping them is a lifelong responsibility. The bigger the bird, the more responsibility. And its poop is much bigger too, not to mention the noise.

Temperment and Breed: By doing research and reading up on the bird you are interested in, you will be able to judge if it is the right pet for you. Some species require constant attention while others are able to stone for hours. By keeping a pet you have to be able to supply them with fun and food and freedom. Freedom doesn't mean you throw them out of the window and wave! It means that you bring them out of the cage and play with them for AT LEAST an hour everyday. Remember how you felt when you weren't allowed to be let out of the house to play? They feel the same way. Do you want a bird that will be eager to come out of his cage and socialize, or would you prefer a pet that likes to be seen but not touched? Different species exhibit different behaviours, like a sun conure will behave differently from a finch, their voices are louder anyway.

Time commitment and budget: Some birds like hookbills require daily exercise and interaction, will you be able to manage their constant need? In fact, when you want a bird for an interactive companion, you must socialise with them daily if not they will turn on you the next time or will simply fade away. And don't forget the finance, keeping birds even the smaller ones require money. The ones that live longer require a lifetime expenditure, but who cares!? We love them anyway! They;re practically family!

Nutrition and Maintenence: Some birds require specific diets or other special care. Lories, for example, are beautiful medium sized birds admired around the world for their striking colors. They have highly specialized digestive systems, however, which require them to be fed a diet of pollen, nectar, and fruit. This in turn causes them to produce liquid droppings, making it necessary to clean their cages more frequently than those of other species. While there are countless good reasons to buy a pet bird, issues like this are why it is so important for potential owners to learn as much as they can about their favorite species before bringing one home.
http://birds.about.com/od/breedsofbirds/a/choosingabird.htm

Here are some good reading materials:

The Diva Comedy

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Birds are just as lovable as dogs!

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