My 💖 Star Parrot: Mexican Red-headed Amazon

Living with parrots is a little like living in a soap opera…

What’s gong on now?

Who squawked?

Who bit who’s toe?

Why is the Macaw yelling outside?

Sometimes the drama is awesome:
“I knocked on your door and Zeus said, ‘Come in!”

They’re cuddling sweetly!

He learned the trick!

A lot of what goes on is hard to catch on my phone because by the time I reach my phone or turn my camera on, the behavior often stops. Of course, all of our parrot’s behaviors can be monsterous (I say that with love) or they can stir my soul. Some of the soul-sirring and heart-melting stories are short and sweet but they make my day-

So, I thought I’d focus once a week or so on a fantastic thing one of my parrots has done to make them a “Star” parrot ⭐!

⭐ Ursulus, My Star!

Ursulus is our (drum-roll for the scientific name, please!) Amazona viridigenalis – known as Red-crowned parrot, Green-cheeked Amazon or Mexican Red-headed Amazon in the US. Ursulus is a character, a very endearing one. On the one hand, he’s only a year and a half old. Lorenza (Yellow-naped Amazon – Amazona auropalliata) and Tikko (Orange-winged Amazon – Amazona amazonica) were both adopted as adults, so we don’t know how old they are. Lorenza has some health issues, diagnosed by one of our avian veterinarians, so she acts a little like a tired, old lady. Tikko is younger, but he acts like an emotionally scarred man whose personal space you have to respect.

Hence, Ursulus doesn’t have a young whipper-snapper to hang out with, because he doesn’t ‘click’ with the young African Capes or Caiques.

My daughter is a Conure girl first and foremost. She likes smaller birds because they aren’t as intimidating as, for example, my Mac’Girls (our two Macaw parrots). Her Conures will sit on her shoulder two to four at a time; they will hang out with her and, as she moves, they surf to the motion. A sight to see!

Ursulus is friendly, learns tricks and is becoming a great talker. He’s approachable, inviting and loving. We have parrots that are like this, like our Caiques and her Conures, but she also wants to connect with a bigger bird. And Ursulus reciprocates the desire for friendship.

Parrots are prone to becoming one-person birds, meaning that they choose a ‘mate’ that is like their ‘best friend.’ They bond with that one person, while also maintaining a connection with the full flock, but the relationship is different. Their one mate is a special relationship. Since I spend a lot of time taking care of my parrots, many of them like me and relate with me. Parrots require meaningful time be dedicated to them, more so than other pets like dogs and cats, in order to connect. Ursulus is my is my star because he is so good at being open with everyone, my husband, myself and -my daughter-.

⭐ He’s A 💖 Star

He is the one medium to big-sized parrot my daughter truly enjoys and plays with more. Animals can be like miraculous healers; they can save our souls, especially when life and people are hard on us. Animals can be confidants, true friends that we can open our hearts to, and therein lies some magical healing.

As such, Ursulus has a large heart and he is good at opening people’s hearts. So, he’s my star this week because my daughter has been developing a connection with him and it warms my soul to see them enjoying each other and doing fun tricks together, or just hanging out.

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Have a questions about parrots?

As the author of “The Parrot Bliss Bond,” I love and welcome questions about having a parrot and creating one of the best experiences of your life!

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What Makes Budgies Such Good Pets?

Budgies Are Great Pets Because…

Because they are so smart!

Because they are hearty!

No – because, in their “Budgy” voice, they can be great talkers!

No, no… it must be there size!

The Perfect First Parrot Pet

When I first hear that it was best to get a smaller parrot, I didn’t understand why. What I now understand is that parrots aren’t like cats and dogs in their care or in how we relate to them. Parrots aren’t nearly as clean as cats and dogs and it seems like they are better at getting themselves into trouble!

A Parrot Is Messy By Nature:

As they eat, they drop half their food and manage to spread plenty far beyond their reach. I often joke and say that Kailani, our Catalina Macaw, is feeding the floor… They also poop -everywhere-. Being accustomed to flying and living up in trees, parrots just poop in nature, never having to see their poop again because it falls to the ground, which they don’t see, care about or perhaps aren’t even aware of! Like other creatures, they do try to keep their nests clean, pooping outside their nest, but otherwise, anywhere goes! And they go often!

A Parrot Requires A Cook:

Cats and dogs are fantastic! You can put a bowl of fresh food and water out daily and be worry-free! Not so with parrots! Parrots require fresh foods, vegetables mostly. This means that carrots, broccoli or string peas should be prepared daily. Sure, that doesn’t sound too bad, but they are finicky. In nature they run into different foods all of the time, so you must vary their diet. Sweet potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage and spinach may be on the menu next time. Unless they are accustomed to eating fresh veggies, they need to be trained to eat them and variety must be offered to keep their pallet from getting bored!

Did that sound crazy or contradictory? Well, they are crazy and contradictory! On the one hand, you have to teach them to eat healthy vegetables, on the other hand they want variety! It’s like a lose-lose situation because they reject foods they aren’t familiar or accustomed to and they reject foods that they see to often. This means you have to get them used to vegetables, be patient, and provide different choices.

Better still, feed baby parrots vegetables (along with their pelleted diet). Baby parrots take to vegetables like ducks to water!

A Parrot Is Super-social, More So Than Your Dog!

Yes, dog’s are a man or woman’s best friend; a loyal companion. Parrots are similar, but they need your company even more than a dog does! Parrots are highly social and often live in big flocks. They don’t just crave companionship, they require it as a par to their health and well-being. A single parrot runs the risk of being a lonely or even depressed parrot; such a parrot needs a dedicated human companion who has a lot of time to dedicate to their parrot or they need another parrot’s company.

In A Nutshell? Parrots Are High-Maintenance!

But Budgerigars are much less-so. They do make a mess, but they are one of the smallest parrots and therefore their poops and their mess are no where near that of a middle or large-sized parrot. Budgies are smart as whips, can develop great talking vocabularies (in their Budgie-voice) and be true companions.

They come in almost all the colors of the rainbow and a cage their size doesn’t take a lot of space. Of course the larger the cage, the better; but then again, a lot of parrot owners have learned to open their parrot’s door in the morning and close it at night, giving them free, safe range of the home during the day. No doubt, after all, your parrot will quickly become a key part of the family.

Now, Let’s Hear What Tony Silva Says About Budgies!

Project Parrot Care: The combined efforts of Tony Silva & ParrotBliss.com; Setting Parrot Breeding & Keeping Practices

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Do Parrots Like To Bathe?

Who Doesn’t Like To Get Clean?

Yes, parrots like to be misted or jump into a tropical kitchen sink-shower!

Parrots need to get clean, just like any other creature. It is important in order to maintain healthy feathers and to keep their skin clean of their dust (parrot dander) – clean skin also helps abate mites.

Giving your parrot a shower is easy. You can either use bottled or boiled water in a mister to spray them with a fine mist. You can also invite them into your shower by offering them a shower perch. Parrots don’t always jump into the water stream, but that’s ok. Keep your bathroom door closed and let your parrot relax and enjoy the moisture in the air.

You may also find your parrot jumping into your kitchen sink to compete with the dishes for the faucet’s water! In this video, Kami, our Harlequin Macaw, jumped right in and drenched herself in the kitchen sink, which she’s really too big for!

What If My Parrot Doesn’t Want To Bathe?

When parrots are enjoying a shower they look blissful, open their wings and close their eyes, soaking in their shower. On the other hand, a parrot that steps away and doesn’t open her wings, doesn’t want a shower!

If your parrot is not accustomed to a shower once or twice a week (you can take your parrot into your bathroom’s moisture daily with no worries), you may have to accustom her to bathing.

Start slowly just by misting her feet and work your way up her body over the next week or two. Your parrot will re-learn to love a natural behavior that helps keep her healthy.

How Does A Parrot Dry Off After A Shower?

Make sure that your parrot isn’t cold or in a draft afterwards.

Frankly, I’ve seen videos of people blow-drying their parrots – and I can’t speak to this.

If you don’t force your parrot to get drenched, then your parrot should be able to monitor how wet and cold they can get. In nature they often bath and ‘air’ dry with no problems because they control when they shower and how wet they get and where they dry off. A parrot shouldn’t need to get drenched weekly; let your parrot show you how much water they want. For example, if you take your parrot into your bathroom to enjoy your shower’s mist a couple times a week, you are doing well. Be sure to mist your parrot too.

My parrots go into my shower’s humidity all of the time. It is relaxing (they always close their eyes) and comfortable to receive the sounds and moisture of the shower. When it comes to misting them, sometimes they walk into the mist and keep their wings open, even after I think they are done. So, I keep going. Other times they step away from the mist, making it clear that it is not a shower day.

As long as you offer a misting several times a week and take them into your humid bathroom a couple times a week, you should be fine. Monitor their feathers and the shine, the pearlescent glow their feathers have. When you see your avian vet for your parrot’s yearly appointment, ask your vet how your parrot’s skin and feathers are doing and if you are giving enough showers based on their condition.

Parrots Share Your Life With You

This is why I say that parrots are companions, not pets. You can share your life and your life activities with your parrot from eating healthy foods to watching TV and sharing your shower with your parrot. No other pet will hold their food and eat by your side as they speak to you, sometimes using English words!

Have a questions about parrots?
As the author of “The Parrot Bliss Bond,” I love and welcome questions about having a parrot and creating one of the best experiences of your life!

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Get my book Parrot Bliss Bond at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0998010065?ref=ppx_pt2_dt_b_prod_image

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Join Parrot Bliss on FB at https://www.facebook.com/ParrotBliss
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WEBSITE
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YOUTUBE
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Meeting My Baby Macaw

They say that once you go big, you don’t go back…

🦜It Applies to Parrots

Once upon a time, my daughter wanted a Budgie, so we got Key Lime. Also known as a parakeet, Budgies weigh around 33 grams and are a couple inches tall. The thing about parrots is that they are addictive, like potato chips. It’s really hard to just have one, two, three…

And You Want A Bigger Potato Chip Too

Last summer we got bought Kailani, our Catlina Macaw; we went BIG. She is beautiful, loving and a part of the family, but she needs a companion. (Darn! We need to buy another parrot!) She needs someone she can bond with, eat with and enjoy her life with, because parrots are parrots. We’re her family, but she needs a companion. So we set out to get a Harlequin Macaw- Kamuela, or Kami for short.

Join us in this video as we drive down to our big event at The Aviary at Cauley Square and meet 🥰 Kami for the first time.

The Aviary At Cauley Square

The Aviary was awesome! My daughter and I like going to exotic bird stores for fun. We like seeing the birds, seeing if there are any new species we’ve never seen and I like getting perches or anything else I need for our feathered-flock. Well, The Aviary has to be the biggest and best exotic bird store we’ve been to.

They had a huge room with cages – yeah, I could upgrade a cage or three…

They had a nursery with available babies, so, so cute!

And a third room filled with toys and food. I wanted to shop, but Kami, at 6 or 7 weeks was the main event and focus.

We loved the vibe. Their birds were healthy and happy; the store was clean, inviting and fun. Oh, best part? Their prices were very reasonable too.

Picking up our new Harlequin Macaw was the best day ever! After we left The Aviary, we went into Cauley Square and sat outside at a 🫖 Tea Garden for lunch. We enjoyed the fabulous 🌴 Miami winter weather, our new baby and a fantastic meal.

Harlequin Macaws: The Best Companions 😗

Harlequin Macaws are said to be the best companions. They are a cross between a Greenwing Macaw and a Blue & Gold Macaw. Greenwings are the second largest parrots, next to Hyacinth Macaws. The cross between them and the Blue & Gold Macaw gives Harlequins the best of both personalities and characteristics.

The breeder said that the Harlequin babies his parrots make tend to be big, like a Hyacinth Macaw (and he pointed to a small Hyacinth in the shop). So far, Kamuela is very sweet and affectionate. He likes being pet and cuddled with. Oh, and he weighs as much as our 1 year-old Catalina.

We are, of course, in love already 💕.

His Character

Well, I don’t know that he’s a he. My fingers are crossed because Kailani is a she and we would like for them to be companions who could also breed.

So, ‘he’ is calm and even-tempered. He is affectionate and recognizes us already. Every day he is more alert and is beginning to engage with the world around him. We got him an all-cloth rubber duckie🦆, which he loves to beak. He and Kailani hear each other and listen more acutely; they ignore the other bird’s sounds. They have also seen each other (they are too young to get to interact) and they really look at one-another 👀. Kami is smart. He quickly recognizes his feeding syringe and has started walking towards it, which is great for training him to come to me.

Our newest flock/family member is off to a great start!

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By Kalyn
Author, The Parrot Bliss Bond, available on Amazon Books & Kindle
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🧰 Make Your Parrot A 🦜 Perch

A Perch – AKA, A Parrot Playground 🦜

🌴 How about some fun for your parrot?

I made this perch for my Catalina Macaw, Kailani; I wanted her to have a place to “hang out” that wasn’t quite as big as her cage, giving everyone in the family room more space.

What The Perch Has

The perch has 5 ‘branches.’ If you start with the branch that Kailani is on now, this is the “Enrichment Branch” meaning that it has a PVC “T” at the end. That means that I can place a small tree branch or a flower stem in here for her to play with or eat – a non-toxic plant.

Next, above her, the “Toy Branch” is made to hold a toy, which shows in the photo. This branch is not parallel to the branch she is on, so that she can step up from one branch to the other. In the middle there is a small, thicker branch. It is the highest point for her, “The High Branch.” To the right of that is another, longer thick branch on the right. This “Thick Branch” offers her another place to perch that has more twine on it and gives her feet a larger place to be, if she likes. Finally, the lower, right-hand branch will be the “Food Branch.” I am in the process of seeing if I can get the PVC to make cup-holders for her food and water.

My goal is for Kailani to have a full-service place to be with us, be happy, be out of her cage — and have space for her future macaw-companion.

🧰 Materials Used

All of my materials came from the home-improvement store with the exception of the umbrella stand.

Materials:

1 1/2″ PVC pipe

1″ PVC pipe

Jute & Natural Rope

PVC pieces:

3 Elbows (2 are 1″, 1 is 1 1/2″)
2 of 1 1/2″ Cross piece (connects 4 pipes)
1 of 1″ “T” piece (left on the side to hold enrichment)
PVC Cement (PVC glue)
1 of 1″ cap

Power Tools Used: Saw and Drill

The Method To My Un-calculated Madness

I didn’t make a diagram ahead of time because I knew what I wanted to include (a place for food, a place for a toy, a place for enrichment) I couldn’t guess the sizing because I had to get the pipe and “feel” how high I wanted the ‘tree’ and how wide I wanted the branches. Some of the plan was pragmatic according to what would or would not work. That is why I haven’t finished the food dishes yet, I’ve got my base working, but I need to go back (for a 4th time!) to the hardware store and get my pieces/see how it will work out.

So, I started by running back and forward between the parts I’d laid out and the garage, where I was cutting. I put the perch together (without glue) to make everything work and fit.

Once I was happy with the design, I drilled holes in the pipes that were meant for Kailani to stand on. I drilled two holes, one at each end, so that I could tie the rope on the pipe and then wrap it, and tie the other end off. I’ve seen videos where people rough up the PVC pipe to have more of a natural wood feel, and they smooth it too, ensuring there are no sharp or rough edges left. However, I those tools are beyond me 🤭 and this was (I am guessing) faster and easier.

I chose PVC over wood because I can easily clean and disinfect the PVC. Of course, the rope may be harder to get clean. I plan on taking it outside, hosing it down and then spraying a disinfectant on the rope. I like the rope because I find that my parrots like biting it, plus my renowned veterinarian, Dr Susan Clubb, recommended rope perches for their feet. She has told me that cement or metal perches can be hard on a parrot’s ‘palm’ (not that their feet have palms, but I mean that palm-like skin on their feet). My Amazon’s feet are scared (I adopted her this way), which is what brought the conversation up, and Dr Clubb says that this skin of theirs does not grow back. So, rope it is!

Finally, once I was happy with everything and the perches had their rope, I glued all the pieces together and, although it dries fast, I let it sit out in the fresh air for a while before letting my feathered monkey-parrot on! Kailani is young, so she took to it right away, whereas Venus, my African Grey, is thinking about. Typical parrot, she’ll need to adjust and then I’m sure she’ll love it!

Timeline

Another great thing about this project is that I already had the umbrella stands, so that made it easy. I made two perches, one for my African Grey – her perch’s tree ‘trunk’ is also 1 1/2″ PVC, but her branches are 3/4″ since she has smaller feet. All together, the two perches have taken me 2 days. Both perches are basically the same and they both still need the food bowls, but since I think I have that figured out, I don’t think finishing these will take more than a couple hours.

If you want to see my video ‘tour’ on the perches, watch this:

That’s Not Your Iced-Tea, Caique!

Caique parrots, man, they are so unique!

They are whimsical, determined and, in this video, thirsty.

Yes, Jack figured out how to drink some iced-tea with Quetzi. They are smart, after all!

While caiques aren’t talkers (or they pick up very little English), they are a wonderful, stout and entertaining parrot. I consider them to be large-medium sized parrots.

They are cuddly, they love to hop and they play on their backs. If you are looking for a parrot to spend a lot of time with, to bond with and to share your tea, your life and your fun with, then a caique may be your new best-friend.

As with all parrots, be sure to give them lots of fresh foods (greens, veggies, whole grains and a few fruits- seeds just as treats). They can live 30 to 40 years when they are provided with a happy, healthy and clean life. Love them and they will love you back ten times over!

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