Macawnutz
Seriously Nutz!
Super Administrator
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
It is with great pleasure that I announce the
Celebirdy for the month of January 2024
@orphansparrow 's Duckie
1. How did you acquire your bird?
I got Duckie from Craigslist from a woman who had no time for him. He was about a year old at the time.
2. What is your bird's name, species, age and sex?
His name is Duckie, he is a standard Green Cheek Conure, age apx. 16 years old, DNA'd male.
3. Does your bird do any special tricks?
Yes! He rolls over on his back when I say "roll over" to get a piece of nut. Sometimes he does it without me prompting him to make it obvious what he wants.
4. What are some of your bird's favorite foods?
He's a great eater. He loves his pellets - we rotate between TOPS and Harrisons. He adores sweet potato and carrots and bell pepper and quinoa.
5. What is the funniest thing your bird has done?
Once, I had a zip-lock bag of sunflower seeds on the table. He saw it and landed on top of the bag. He tried in vain to get to the seeds through the plastic and it wasn't working. He shook his little head around in frustration and said "Come on treat - step up!" Lol!
6. How has your bird enriched your life?
He is an endless source of entertainment. He makes me laugh every day. He is extraordinarily moody and has strong feelings about everything. It makes me feel that I'm in a relationship with a tiny, highly emotional person. And although he is a bit high-strung, he is also very loving.
7. What would you tell people who are considering this species?
I would say to never take bites personally, or it's not gonna work. You have to be able to accept it and ignore it. I'd also say to probably get two. Duckie was an only bird for years, and when I got Paloma, I realized how much fuller they made each other's lives, and that as a human I can't offer him everything he needs. Now that she is gone, I see that he feels her absence keenly.
8. What is the activity and noise level of your bird?
I would say he is medium-high active. We have some moments of relaxation throughout the day, and he winds down a lot in the evening - a couple hours before bedtime. He is loud when he screams, enough that my ears will ring, but it's not very often - a couple of times a day or when he plays with his bell. He talks a lot - knows about 25-30 words in English that he cycles through all day.
9. What are some of your bird's quirks?
He likes to wear bells as hats. He'll walk right underneath a hanging bell and position his head so that the bell sits right on top, and then he just sits there like that.
10. If your bird talks, what is the most surprising word or sentence it has said?
He was once startled by a crow flying outside his window at home. I don't remember ever saying before, but I said "Are you scared?" And he immediately replied, "I'm scared, I'm scared!" It could have been a coincidence but the way he combined "I'm" and "scared" really made me wonder about how intelligent he must be! To this day, if he gets startled by something he'll either say "What's that?" or "I'm scared!"
11. What is your bird’s favorite treat?
Probably walnut or banana, which he rarely gets but goes crazy for.
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