I have a parrot: Ask me anything!
Some of you know him! He is a white-bellied caique named Flip! Seeing as how birds don't get as much exposure as other animals, I thought it'd be fun to create a space for questions about what life with him is like and hopefully teach you something new about the difficult but fulfilling world of parrot ownership!
@Heather225
He is gorgeous!
@delicatePeace1905
he says thank you!
@Heather225 Nice to meet you Flip! 🦜 Does Flip keep you awake at night Heather?
@Lou73
Thankfully not! Once he's in his cage with the cover on, he'll rest for about 10-12 hours depending on the time of year. He does put up quite a bit of a fuss about going to sleep though lol like a little kid he wants to stay up with his parents
@Heather225 That's good to hear that he doesn't keep you up and wow what a good sleeper when he settles. Very cute that he wants to stay up with his parents! 🤗
Hi @Heather225 I love your parrot!
Do you ever leave something on like the TV or radio or music or podcasts for Flip to listen to when you're not home? I often do that for my cat. I wonder if you did if he'd pick up words or phrases he hears.
@LovingPeacefulHeart
yes! birds need some kind of sounds when they're on their own. i usually run playlists of birds singing. he's emulated the songbirds so he just sounds like a super noisy songbird lol
@LovingPeacefulHeart
he's also kind of into dolphin sounds. no idea why 😂
@Heather225 I love that!! I don't blame him, though. Dolphins are awesome. :)
Try playing playing some other animal noises for him and see if he likes it. That could be fun. :)
<3
@Heather225
He is very handsome, I love his colours :D parrots are so cool
@SleepyShyCat
that bird there (indian ringneck) is one of my favorite parrot species. they have the cutest voices and are just absolute weirdos lol
@Heather225
*googles videos on Indian ringnecks*
@SleepyShyCat
they say "i love you" so sweetly!
@Heather225
Yes! They're so intelligent too
@Heather225
Does your parrot get flight time?
@PetiteSouris
he does not fly! I keep his wings clipped and he has full run of the house so he doesn't need to
his breed likes to hop around (gif not of Flip but I do have hop footage laying around somewhere lol)
@Heather225
Birds are such beautiful colours and Flip is no exception. Thanks for sharing him.
I'd love to have a parrot, because they are so clever. But I don't want to have a parrot, because they are so clever. 🙃
@Clio9876
they are too clever for their own good. this breed has the emotional intelligence of a 2 year old and they go through terrible twos so you really have to have patience. you're basically dealing with a tiny feathered baby lol
AWWW He is sooo cute@Heather225
@Heather225 cute birdie, thank you for sharing
@Heather225 Hi Heather and Flip. Parrots are beautiful! My cousin once had a parrot. It was white.
@WellsFiction
was it a big bird? i wonder if it was a cockatoo!
@Heather225 Most likely! Only seen photos on *** lol.
@Heather225
Your parrot is absolutely beautiful, and I bet a lot of mischievous fun. I have a Goffin's Cockatoo, Umbrella Cockatoo, and a Greenwing/Mix Macaw. I'm still not a "bird" person, but they have all grown on me, and I spoil them. After having cats 20 years, moving to birds after they passed away was a natural progression. I'm sure I bore some people with my parrot stories, but some of the things they do/say are certainly worth mentioning.
@Sventek
Oh you've got the big birds!! I also moved on to birds after a lifetime of cat ownership. Just can't stand the heartache of losing them.
Please share some stories! I love hearing about bird shenanigans. What do yours say?
@Heather225
iBon, the Macaw, has a wider vocabulary. She can ask for things she needs, generally, and tends to lean more towards me and calls me, "Bubba", something she must have picked up from her previous owners. We've had her the longest, a rescue from her previous family. She doesn't seem to care for my daughter or wife, but does talk to them. She only likes when they are animated around her, anything where she can join in the fun.
During COVID, my daughter was still doing Karate, but remote - because that was how it was, and set up a laptop on the couch so she could show the Sensei her moves - and iBon saw this happening, waddled over, climbed the couch, and placed herself in front of the laptop and camera - was also very difficult to move from there because she wanted to be the star of the show. Sensei said that apparently my daughter has become a parrot.
Paco, the Umbrella, has a medium vocabulary, knows his name and can use "I'm Paco" or just "Paco". He's a construction worker bird, and get absolutely excited when he sees an Amazon box, because he can carve out windows, doors (that specifically fit him including his tail feather --- and we add "box complexity") this keeps him engaged, less likely to get bored. He prefers my daughter first, me second, does not seem comfortable around my wife. We've had him a year now as of March. He's 30 years old, according to his foot tag.
Then there is Snowy, who is a Goffin's Cockatoo. He's smaller than the other two, but not in personality. He steps up easily, loves "stealing" things, and absolutely loves my wife. My daughter is second, myself last. He talks, says Hello, and can sing.