Anyone else do this?

[Lisa B]

Since I was a little girl, my birds have always been in or near my room at night when I was sleeping.(now being married, there are obvious reasons ya really dont want african greys in your room at night)
One reason for having the birds near at night is my motherly instinct to keep them safe at night, when they feel most vulnerable. The other is because I always had Cockatiels, and anyone who has them are very famliar with night fright.
With Night fright, it is always reccomended to check your tiels to make sure they are not wounded, or bleeding. Some of the varieties of Tiels have more night fright then others. There is no real rhyme or reason for night fright, witht he exception of the tiels being spooked by either a bug, thier cage mate, or a toy.... :aiwebs_01

When looking for a new home when we were transferred by the Army, I went and bought a baby monitor, because my first fear is that my babies would not be near me at night. Luckily, thier room is right next to mine, but I still hook up the monitor at night when we have the windows open in our room, or the air on.....
There is still that motherly instinct that kicks in each night when I lay in bed, and hear Sydney Cracking his pellets through the monitor**LOL**

George actually woke me up one morning to ask me what that was on the birdroom floor by Sydney's cage. When I told him..he said I was nutz.

SOOOOOOOOOO...does anyone do this at night???
(or is George *right*LMAO)

[Monica]

Well, my birds live in my bedroom, so I am around them... We share the same space as they do not have their own room nor an aviary outside to go to for parts of the year...

Two of my birds are cage-free, which leads to me being occasionally woken up by one of them! Casey enjoys waking me up for a morning scritch, walking over my body (that's under the covers), or wait and sit atop my head for my to wake up. If she's looking for a scritch however, she'll hunt out a finger, or maybe even a hand, peck at it quickly, then bow head down. If that doesn't work to retreive an action, the process is repeated! If I'm just too tired to wake up at that moment I must hide all exposed fingers under the covers! The thing that I am most thankfull about is that she doesn't like to snuggle under covers, or even cuddle in an enclosed spot, she prefers to be at the highest point when just sitting around me (so that's usually ON me!)

[smallonion]

MOnica, I didn't know you had cage free birds. Humph is cage free, but lives in the living room. (Humph sleeps in her cage, though) It must be so nice to be woken up by birds!

[Tiki]

Monica, that is a bit of a worry that Casey goes under the covers when you are still sleeping. It would be so easy to roll over on her accidentally. Please be careful-I know you love your birds and probably are careful. Last Sunday, I was really tired after staying out late. The next day, I dozed off in the afternoon with Manu on my back. He woke me up, thank God I didn't roll over on him. Scared the you know what outta me!

[yehudasf]

BS"D

My psittazen companions sleep within 3 metres of my bed. She (in her opinion) who must be obeyed, Rivka sleeps on my pillow & has done since she was quite ill in her early post-egg period. I don't worry about rolling over on her in my sleep for two reasons: first, she is a large blue & gold with a beak that she is not at all afraid to use; second, she always wants to be right next to my head on the pillow, with the occasional side trip down to the foot of the bed to get on her nighttime wc stand. O'Hara sleeps on a hanging perch at the foot of the bed, enjoying his majesterial view of all & sundry before lights out. BG & Princess go to their night cages, climb up onto their rope rings & settle in. AyatLeila's cage is next to the head of my bed, originally so I could closely monitor her during the courses of treatment necessary to bring her to full health after receiving her from the "breeders".
One of my great pleasures is listening to the psittazen's mandible grinding "I am Content & Feel Safe" concerto in b(eak) sharp pentaphonic sound. Many nights I am treated to a comprehensive review of their vocabularies, as they fluff, & settle down for a sound nights sleep. I am blessed beyond measure, by the presence of my companions.

[Spinnergirl]

Wow, this really a bird crazy, I mean bird lover site !!!

As far as the baby monitor.....I might do something like that if my birds weren't right around the corner from our bedroom, the way it is I "hear to much" esp on a day I wanna sleep in!!

At first I was like...wow this ladys maternal instincts are in really high gear...then I realized I would do this too!!! Good idea :eusa_clap

[Chariclo]

Maia's bedroom (the master closet) is very close, so I don't worry about her too much in the night. However the others are downstairs and at the other end of the house. I don't use a baby monitor - but I do go down several times in the late evening to peek around the corner of the room they are in - just to make sure everyone is okay, so I can understand your motherly instincts Lisa.

There is something to be said about sleeping with birds. It is dangerous for obvious reasons already mentioned, but certainly an experience that I've enjoyed from time to time. I have on occassion taken Maia up to nap with me on a rainy day. You are right yehudasf regarding the comforting sounds of the beak grind. There is a peaceful connection between pet and owner when sharing those presleep moments. Maia does get under the covers and nestles herself in for a bit before climbing up on my pillow as well where she will settle right down keeping guard over me. Before long however I am awakened by her squawks or a hair preening. Still I wouldn't trade those times for anything.

[birdyland]

My Dad sleeps downstairs directly across the house entryway from the bird room. He has an intercom to my room and has used it on occasion to have me go check on the birds. Niki gets nightfrights sometimes, but thankfully hasn't really hurt herself.

Whenever something wakes me up (earthquake, loud noise, storm, car accident in the valley below) I always go check on them and talk to them.

I would use a monitor if the nightfrights were frequent, but I cannot keep a parrot in my bedroom...as I am married too ;-} Also, they would be intolerable if they knew they could wake me up!

[Monica]

The thing that I am most thankfull about is that she doesn't like to snuggle under covers, or even cuddle in an enclosed spot, she prefers to be at the highest point when just sitting around me (so that's usually ON me!)

Tiki, Casey WILL NOT snuggle or even go UNDER a blanket, that is how I can easily hide my hands from her beak! If she didn't hate going under covers, I'd be more afraid myself, as she would FOLLOW my hands under the blanket. When I wake up in the morning and she's not roaming around, though with me, she is usually on my head (tiny nails can be annoying, especially on face), back, or my butt! It depends on if I am laying on my side or my stomach. Since she refuses to go under the blankets, I don't worry much because she can easily walk around without getting trapped. She usually doesn't do this though more than a few times a month. I don't want anyone to think that I actually sleep with her, or even having her go under the blankets, as I don't, and she doesn't!

Noel and Casey live in an area that is 9' x 2' (use to be a closet, though when we moved in, it had no doors or walls to distinguish from the rest of the room). This is where I built their 'gym'. This works for us as Noel is not flighted (well, she can't fly even though her wings are UNclipped), so this extra area provides more room for her to be in (instead of being in or on a cage). Casey enjoys it as she isn't in a cage, and she can roam my room or visit the other birdies. Both Noel and Casey however sleep here, and no where else, unless I put them in a smaller cage at night (which is something I don't normally do).

Michelle, it is nice though to occasionally wake up by Casey! However, sometimes its annoying as well if I just want to sleep in a bit and she's trying to walk all over my face or head with those tiny claws! That or hunting out a hand or finger to demand headscritches when I'm too tired to even open my eyes!

[Cheeky beaks]

OK I confess I do use a monitor. I tried not using one and I was awake listening all night. I have my aviary in the basement and all the birds are in large flight cages. Since I got the monitors I sleep like a log, but the slightest noise thats not normal I'm up and running. I have one in the bedroom and one in the frontroom.
I don't think its wierd just ah motherly after all if my kids were in the basement I'd have one for them. Thats the best excuse I can come up with, in reality I care about them and want to be there if they need me. Joan