You know, most bird owners out there love to talk about their birdies.  I asked several  birdie owner friends to write me a favorite story about their birds and tell what their bird likes to do.

I want to thank everyone here for writing such cute stories!  These are great!!         

I got Huckie one of those yellow spring toys that looks like a big coil.  Last week I needed to clean it.  When I put it back in the cage, Huckie discovered that he can jump on end of the coil and bungee to the bottom of the cage..... of course this calls for a great deal of screaming and flapping and it is a hoot to watch!  All you have to do now to get him to pounce on one of his toys is to ask him if he is a "playbird" and the man of action that he is, he shows me what he can do!  Also, he loves to sit on his play roost and eat these hot pepper bird treats I got for him.  They look like red and green cheetos and of course from that height you can really toss them a long way across the floor!  He also tries to talk with his mouth full of them and it sounds just like it would if you or I tried to talk while eating a big spoon of something.   It's very funny.  Well, that's the Huckie report for now. OOOOOOOO, he coos......OOOOOO, OOOOOOO  Huckie....What a bird!!

Sharon and the High Poopentate ( aka Huckie )

When Zoey comes out of her cage she goes to her stand for breakfast.  She dines like she is having a ten course meal.  I think she thinks if she takes long enough she can stay out longer....kinda like a kid dragging out bedtime.  She loves visiting with me and supervising me from her stand.  She loves being on a schedule and dislikes it when I don't have her outta the cage for her usual time....which is understandable.  She loves veggies more than fruit, but will eat just about anything I give her.  She is such a toot!!   The kids have taught her how to scream and now Zoey yells when I leave the room.  The bad thing is when the kids are suppose to be sleeping and they AREN'T, I use to sneak up on them and catch them...... now Zoey gives me away by screaming as soon as I leave the room!!!

Kelly and Zoey     

"Apocalypse Now, Spud style! "  :) 

When I first met Spud he had a real attitude.  I really like that about him.  But you know the old saying, " Be careful what you wish for, you might get it" ?  Well, that was written about him.  Don't  get me wrong, I love Spud to death and in fact, I still like his attitude, but it does make him a challenge.  My friend Wee taught me about "laddering" Spud when he misbehaves.  Well, I tried it and it worked like a charm.....for a while  :)  It wasn't long before he figured out that just because I say that really doesn't mean that he HAS to do it.   He would ladder once or twice, but that third time you could forget it!   Believe me, if "Charlie don't surf" then "Spuddie don't ladder!" :)  When he gets tired of something, he leaves no doubt about it.  He looks at you like he's saying, "Ok tough guy! NOW what you gonna do about it?"  Then another friend told me she had the same  problem with her Senegal.  She suggested that instead of pushing my finger up, I should push it back and up so Spud thinks he's going to fall off his makeshift perch.  I tried it and it works like a charm!  The only problem is I can actually see his gears turning trying to think of the next way to foil my attempts at "taming" him.  I now see that it's all one big game...AND HE'S WINNING!!

Another game he plays occurs when I try to put him back in his cage, or "Casa De Spud" as I call it.  He tries everything to keep from going back in there.   When I finally get him back on his "Polly  Perch", ( that's his favorite perch ) he shows his displeasure by swinging his "fruit kabob".   He'll grab it with his beak and swing the heck out of it.  Sometimes it comes back and whacks him and he looks at me like he's saying, ( In his BEST Martin Sheen voice ) "Yeah, that hurt!  But I wanted it to hurt!  While you're out there watching your TV or sitting at that computer getting "soft" I'm in here working out with this thing, getting harder, meaner, and stronger all the time!  I MEANT to do that"  Then when he thinks I'm not looking, he'll grab it with his right foot and hold it as if he's trying to stop it just long enough to regain his faculties...but he'd NEVER let me see that!  I can't help but think that one of these days, HE'S going to be out there watchin MY TV, and sittin at MY computer and I'll be the one in the cage saying, "I love the smell of Nutri-Berries in the morning!!!!" 

Richard and Spud    

" For Birdies Eyes Only "

SSShhhhhh!!!!!  Don't let your "human" know that you are reading this!  I am going to let you in on some secrets that will have you running your household within a matter of weeks after reading this!  SSShhhhhh, don't let them hear you.  If they find this out we will ALL be out of business!!!  Now I want you to listen to me well.  I KNOW what I'm talking about!  I didn't get the name B.A.  from being an angel.  :)  OK, first you have to let them know who's boss.  I have tackled this situation by being as loud and arrogant as my lungs will let me.  :)  If you keep it up, they will let you have anything you want.  But you have to scream at least three times a day for the first few weeks.....then once they get the picture you can cut it back to once a day or so.  Remember, BE LOUD and INSIST that you get what you want.   :)  The second thing you must learn is let them know that there are NO limitations to your access in the household.  You MUST be allowed everywhere.  AND I MEAN EVERYWHERE!  I found out that a good trick is to mock the telephone.  Yes!  Yes!  It works!  Now try real hard and just sound like the phone ringing.  When the human goes into another room ( especially the bathroom  heh heh ) make the ringing noise and LOOK OUT!!!  They will come running every time!  HA! HA!  It's so easy!   Now.....you have to do this every time they leave the room at least three times a week for the first few weeks.  Once they get catch on,  they will take you everywhere. ( especially to the bathroom with them so you can't fool them anymore )  HA!  HA!!!!!  HEY!!  SShhhhhh!!!  If your giggling then they are going to hear you and you're going to blow the whole thing!   Everything I've told you so far is work, work, work so now I'm going to tell you how to have a little fun.  :)  Listen carefully.... If your wings are still intact, I want you to fly to the top of the kitchen cabinets or on top of the china hutch.   Ok, are we all in position???????  Now, CHEW CHEW CHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Just take as big a chunk as you can get out of that wood!  Make the splintering loud enough for your featherless friends to hear.   WHOOOOOO  HOOOOO!  Here they come!!!!  Look at those funny looking wings flapping!  Look at them!!!!!!  HA!!!!  Don't let 'em catch you!  Keep one step ahead of them!   Man this is the life!!!!!!   That's what I call...... ENTERTAINMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Ok Ok Ok   Enough already!  Now give 'em the old sweet and innocent look and nuzzle up to their necks.  There now.  You've got it.  Rub up against their yucky feeling featherless face.  There you go.  Alrighty my friends......your in charge!  Run the household as you see fit.  :)  :)   

Gayla ( who doesn't know I wrote this ) and B.A.

Spanky "Tank Girl" deVries is my Senegal and she has only one goal in life.  That goal is to Rule The  World!!!  So far she has conquered the house!!!  She lets us know when it's time to get up, time to play, time to eat and time for bed.  She is able to mix in enough loving to allow her to manipulate her humans completely.  The first sound Spanky picked up was our bassett hound whining to be let out in the morning.  Spanky usually gets out of her cage before the dog gets let outside because she can perform the whine in a higher pitch!!  She delights in tearing up her toys and her food.  She loves peanuts, but it's not the actual nuts she likes, it's shredding the shells.  Spanky's favorite thing to do is to just be on mom.  We clean house together, walk on the treadmill, play on the computer, dance to music and lay down and watch tv together.  She is a sweetheart and I know one day she'll reach her goal and I hope she takes me with her!!!! 

Valerie and Spanky

I've had BlueBell since she was about 5 months old.  She is 3 years old now.  She eats whatever I eat, which is not always too healthy.  I call her Cannibell because she loves fried chicken.  Bluebell's vocabulary is up to about 15 words now.   She is potty-trained most of the time.  She will "poop" on command, which amazes my friends.  ( I think I need to get new friends! )  Once when BlueBell was outside on her perch, as I watched in horror, a huge hawk came diving down after her.   Right before the hawk reached her, BlueBell let out this blood curdling scream and I swear that hawk stopped in midair!!!!  He flew away and never came near her again!!

Shirley and BlueBell

Bama is a female 3 1/2 year old Indian Ringneck.  I am the second and final owner of this wonderful bird.  The first owner bought her on a whim in Alabama.  She had no clue what she was getting into at the time, but she soon had a crash course in Bama-ology!!!  I guess the breeder didn't tell the woman that Ringnecks are very loud.  Not long after they got back from Alabama, the owner was not coping well with the screaming and biting.  Bama bit that woman once to many times.  The woman had finally gotten mad enough to do something unreal.......She was going to put Bama to sleep.  She should have done some research about the bird before she bought it.  Anyway, a friend alerted me what was going on.  I found out what vet she was going to and met her there.  After several minutes, I convinced the lady to let me work with Bama and maybe I could try to change her "evil ways".  The woman finally agreed with me and I came home with this very frightened bird.  At the time, Bama was only around 3 months old!!!!!   She still hates men, the color red, and the other birds I am owned by.  We learn something new about her every day and I wouldn't give her up for the world!!

Debbie and Bama

Francis is our 6 year old male Umbrella Cockatoo named after St. Francis of Assissi.  I adopted him 18 months ago after a good friend, his last owner, passed away of cancer.  Francis has had a hard life with 3 previous owners, so consequently he came to me with somewhat of an attitude!   He has really turned out to be a precious bird and he keeps everyone in stitches with his talking and singing.  We live on the lake and his cage is near the patio door, so he sees and talks regularly to the different wild birds that fly by saying every morning, "Hi Birds!"  This picture of Francis was taken on the 4th of July when he was entered in the neighborhood pet parade.  I carried him around with his bandana on and a sign in my other hand which read:  "Yankee-Doodle Cocka-tootle" and needless to say he was the hit of the parade!!!  He was so happy and since he only knows one song, we paraded around the block with Francis singing "Jingle Bells" !!

Kat and Francis

*note from Wee - be sure to check our Birdie Recipe page for Francis's favorite birdie bread recipe.