Saturday, March 21, 2009

The Parrot Club

I'm lucky enough to have a Parrot Club in this city.
I've been a member since 2006.
I do bring my birds to the meetings; I do take the risk of another bird possibly being sick, but I do want to trust that people won't bring a sick bird to the meeting.
I do find those meetings to be an incredible socializing experience for my parrots; I've been bringing Shade since I first got her and I do think she's a well rounded bird - she doesn't mind car rides (car rides don't equal going to the vet in her head), she doesn't mind when other birds are around and she is not scared of strangers - and I think that bringing her in the club's environment might have helped. It's the only place she's been around lots of "strangers", the club also provides a lot of one on one time with me and I think is a good experience and there is always a chance that a car rid will end with that.

I also use the Parrot Club meetings as opportunities to handle Petey a bit more; in that entirely different setting, she is better behaved with me and will allow me to have her on my hand without trying to bite.

At the last meeting, I had brought Zuri (I have to alternate which bird I bring because beyond having 2, it's a little hectic). She did fairly well, albeit a little nervous in the beginning since we got a smaller room than the usual and everyone was pretty packed together. But overall I do think she liked her experience.

Here's a video of her when she started relaxing a bit.
(The person you hear talking in the back is Mark Hagen, one of two guest speakers that night.)

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