Bird Talk Flyby

Since beginning work on the species profiles for BIRD TALK I've read about various pet birds, and everyday I change my mind about which one I would like for myself. Today, I’m focusing on the Australian parakeets, which has me set on having an aviary someday to house a few of the grass ‘keets. I’m sure my mind will change when I return to work Monday and read about another group of companion birds.

Everyday after work I call my mom and at some point the conversation almost always turns to my newfound interest in pet birds and having one of my own. While I often find my mom at home watching the hummingbirds flit around the trees outside the kitchen window, she recently told me that I have piqued her interest in pet birds. In this same conversation she mentioned several family members who had pet birds that she enjoyed visiting as a child. I began to wonder why I have just begun to have any interaction, experience or knowledge of pet birds.

My entire life I was surrounded by horses, cattle, pigs, lambs, dogs, cats and anything that ran wild around my parents’ land in Texas, but birds were the last animal I would have thought of as a pet. After visiting the bird store last week I was excited to get back, so I took a couple girls from work along with me to make a second trip this week. One of the other interns who came along pointed to the large macaw and asked if I had ever held one. My answer was no and she then elaborated on her brief experience with macaws. Again, I was surprised that many of the people around me, even those without a pet bird, have had many more encounters with birds than I have, making me wonder, where have I been?

I have vacationed to locations where parrots live in the wild, but I never opted to take the bird watching tours. I would briefly admire the birds in passing, but never took the time to learn anything about them or consider them as a pet. My internship keeps me constantly stimulated by the various pet bird species that I continue to learn about and I’m sure my daily conversations with my mom will include my ever-changing choice of pet bird. I’m glad my eyes have been opened to a different avenue of pet ownership.

~Ashley