Midori
Midori is a Greenwing Macaw and the most vocal of my “kids” her place in my home is a constant source of entertainment (and hard work & dedication).
Midori’s situation was one that is all too common when it comes to large parrots. Someone decides that a parrot would be really cool to have, doesn’t do their homework or have experience with birds- and then after the novelty of having a cute baby parrot who started talking wears off….
Most birds (especially large varieties) need attention. Many large parrots can be compared to having a permanent 3 year old child in the house and need attention, mental stimulation, interaction, and proper diet & exercise. Without all of these conditions being met, that’s where the trouble begins.
A parrot WILL start exhibiting signs of their unhappiness in the form of:
- Screaming
- Biting and aggression
- Feather plucking and chewing/ self mutilation
- Failing health and disease
It’s easy to counteract these undesirables with frustration and anger as obviously a parrot screaming and biting are NOT what you initially thought you “signed up for.” However these are really just a bird’s way of showing you there is a problem that needs to be taken care of. Think about if you locked a three year old child up in a cage all day… they would be throwing tantrums, screaming, crying, and get sick.
Just like so many situations I see all too often, Midori’s home was getting frustrated with her screaming, feather plucking, and aggression. All of a sudden, this cute baby parrot they purchased was a daily headache and quite frankly what bird looks cute with their feathers plucked out and starts looking like a naked chicken?
*Above photo is of Midori giving me a kiss, really she can be quite affectionate*
With attention, proper diet, daily mental stimulation/playtime, and kindness, most parrots will give you many years of love, affection, enjoyment, and entertainment.
Although Midori still shows some forms of aggression towards people she doesn’t know, and still throws water on my head when I change her cage, oh and sometimes screams at household tasks (she HATES the sound of loading/unloading the dishwasher and the vacuum cleaner haha!) She is constantly showing improvement and has most of her feathers back in beautiful show.
Although Parrots can be very rewarding, that reward does not come without hard work and quite a bit of expense. Did you know that domestic parrots should eat a high quality pellet based food AND fresh fruits, veggies, and nuts to keep healthy? And that bags of quality parrot food can cost well over $100? So just because you got your tax return and think you should go “buy” that parrot you’ve always wanted… please remember that they are long term financial, time and emotional commitments and will become a member of your family.
Enjoy some of the funny videos of my Midori 
