living on the edge

[felisdomesticus]

I had Scarlett outside in her cage today--we just roll the whole thing out onto the little porch we have right off of the back door. Anyway, I was scrubbing and mopping the kitchen floor and didn't want her near the fumes. So I took her out of her cage and we spent some time looking through the vegetable garden. Guess what she saw--freshly washed and hanging up outside to dry?



She hopped off of my shoulder and fluttered the few feet over to the newly-built shed. Of course I had to take pictures.



We let her hang out there for awhile. I was totally paranoid and afraid she'd fly away or a vulture would get her. She loved it though. She was singing and whistling and dancing up and down. I think she'll sleep well tonight!

[Stizby]

My birds always enjoy the opportunity to spend time outdoors. I have no doubt that Scarlett had a ball. She's a real beauty, too! I'm sure you are right -- she will sleep well tonight!

[felisdomesticus]

aw thanks I think she's a beauty too! She went willingly into her cage and was very quiet when I put the cover over her cage.

I love her dearly though. I would love to bring another bird into our family but I can't imagine another one with such character.

[ParrotletLover]

Scarlett is beautiful - thank you for sharing those pictures.

[MaryG1959]

she is beautiful! I assume she's clipped?

[Kateykat]

What a pretty girl Miss Scarlett is! Such a rich red colour, I bet she was pleased with her little bit of freedom.
Mojo has been out of his cage all day today and had an absolute blast, in to everything. I hate the idea of birds being locked in their cages 24/7.

[The Outlaw]

When I first got my ekkie hen, I thought there couldn't possibly be any bird anywhere in the entire world that could hold a candle to her. I still think she's stunning and she's a wonderful companion. Five years later, I now have 10 larger parots and just wanted to tell you something I learned along the way.

I realize this sounds totally hypocritical, but its a fact none the less. More is not necessarily better. I was happy when I first brought her home and she was very happy too. We went everywhere together and she still is Miss Lily's favorite companion bird here.

I started adding to my flock within 6 months and acquired 2 more birds in that time frame. One was my Severe and the second was my favorite BG, Margarita. Something changed when I added the two macaws to our home. They were noisier and far more needy. Not clingy needy, but they required more of everything. Mai Tai, my ekkie, was very curious about them all and quite friendly with the little Severe. But I knew she didn't care for the largest bird. I think she was both jealous and irritated by the loudness.

I, however, was totally smitten with the macaws. They simply matched MY personality better. After a while, 2 things happened. I acquired 3 more BG macaws, 2 greys, an Amazon and a Quaker. This really changed the dynamics of the household as well as the noise levels and Mai Tai grew up. Growing up for Ekkie hens is quite a transformation under the BEST of circumstances. This was no longer the best for her.

Mai Tai still lives here and I handle her every day. However, she is certainly aware of her lowered status here. She is no longer the queen. She tolerates them to the degree that she can and they just think she's mean.

If I had it to do again, I would NOT have added the macaws with an ekkie in residence. I think they give her a headache. However, my macaws are the CORRECT birds for me. They match my personalilty and energy levels.

I am currently trying to figure out what is really best for her. She is now 5 years old. It may all work itself out and they will all just blend together. However, if she continues to seem agitated, I may place her elsewhere. I know it seems unfair since she was the first one here, but at this point, its logistical too.

My point is this: if you are really happy with your ekkie but think you'd like another parrot as well, be SURE to consider the best companions for her, too. I think that macaws and cockatoos are poor choices as well as loud conures. Frankly, my older YNA and my greys are ideal housemates for her.

Once you give your heart to a bird you simply can't get it back. Be very careful how you build your flock. In my humble opinion, the Eclectus parrot is the royalty of the parrot world.

[felisdomesticus]

Thanks Outlaw for your input. I have thought about adding acquiring another bird but, being a new owner, I don't think I'd really go through with it until I've had Scarlett for at least a year, though.

In a perfect world, I'd get another Eclectus but the rescue would never adopt a male to me. Do redheads get along or at least tolerate each other? Or is that just asking for trouble?

[The Outlaw]

I only have one but I can tell you something I learned along the way about same sex birds. It doesn't MATTER whether they are same sex or not. They can bond exactly like a breeding pair if they share the same cage and then they start losing their need for human companionship. I had it happen with my two male BGs. I cannot cage them together. Mary had the same problem with her two sister BGs. They build such strong bonds that they can exclude the humans in their world.

I would suggest you instead consider a grey. If you don't have asthma and no other family member does, they make wonderful pets and they don't create the loud noise that ekkies seem to find so distasteful. In fact, my grey, Radar and Mai Tai happily share the same play areas and always have.

Its really about noisy levels and activity. The greys and the ekkies seem to be more high brow. The toos and macaws are very loud and energetic. I compare it to trying to do research in a library when the football team comes in to cram for exams. Its just annoying having all the horseplay. Imagine being a bird trapped in a cage having to endure all the rowdiness all day long. I think you get the picture.

[felisdomesticus]

Originally Posted by The Outlaw

I would suggest you instead consider a grey. If you don't have asthma and no other family member does, they make wonderful pets and they don't create the loud noise that ekkies seem to find so distasteful.

I do have pretty bad asthma but that won't slow me down. I'm also highly allergic to cats and dogs and we have 5 cats and 1 dog here at the moment. (only 2 of the cats are permanent residents) Let's just say I love my Zyrtec-D, my Benadryl allergy/sinus, and my Dyson Animal.

I'll have to do some reading on greys.