What has having a bird taught you?

I'll throw this question out and give you my response in a bit.

But it's just that.... what have your birds taught you?

* loving unconditionally :21:
* more patience than I ever thought possible
* it IS possible to be happy even if the house is a "bit" messy :54:
* noise tolerance :30:
* pain tolerance :32:

These are just on top of my head right now.

wow, good question. I have many many birds, and each one has taught me different things.
Overall I'd have to say PATIENCE, oh my goodness, my family is known for not having patience at all, but since I have had my fids, they have taught me a thing or two on how be calm.

the other thing I have realized just recently is just how fragile and quickly your fid can become injured.
Since Num Num was injured a week today, I am very aware of every toy, object, dresser,bed, cage etc....anything they come in contact with is a potential danger.

I've shed many tears this week with Num Num trying to cope with a broken lower jaw, and I realized this week just how much I love him and how much he means to me.

I knew I loved him, but now I realize just how much.

I would also like to add how loving birds are, and can become. gosh they just melt your heart when they give you kisses, or let me stroke their head for hours....their is nothing like it!

That i'm not the center of the universe, it's a much larger ,complicated world than i thought . I'm sure being a parront has expanded my horizons.

Birds have taught me to try to see life through their eyes [ living in a cage].Which has made me very compassionate towards them. Can honestly say they come before anything else in my life.

As I sit back, contemplating the rules and boundaries of life, I’ve come to realize that I had it completely wrong.

Blue has taught me things I never thought possible. Now I’m not going to go out on a limb and say that she’s restored my faith and confidence in humanity, but there are some things that I have learned over the course of the past 2 weeks that have left me scratching my head at the same time I’m scratching hers.

You really can be an ass to someone and they’ll still be your friend. That’s right. You can scream at them and tell them you’re not going to do what they want and they’ll still come back in a few minutes and try it again. Being a habitual ass will buy you some space for a longer period of time. I’m going to try this the next time one of my fiends encroaches on my peace and quiet with a favor. According to Blue, they’ll still call me later.


Biting the hand that feeds you still gets you a free meal.
This concept never made sense to me before but it apparently works for her. In fact, if you bite them initially, they’ll give you MORE food when you stop. So the next time I’m out at dinner with a friend, logic dictates if I lean across the table and chomp into them, they’ll pay for my dinner. 2 chomps and then acting sweet gets you dessert. Interesting theory.

I’ve learned to be competitive.
It seems like every time I yell at the kids for something, she yells too. While it’s nice having backup, the kids don’t speak macaw, so it’s not as effective as being told to clean their room in English. Such a situation has forced me to strengthen my vocal chords and increase my lung capacity so I can get above her. We’re still working on that.

Having multiple personalities is perfectly acceptable.
I’ve sat here and in the space of 30 minutes watched her go from a bird to a raptor, scream like a pterodactyl, chew like a beaver and whisper like a little girl. You can be sweet one minute and a jerk the next. It’s all good and someone will make excuses for your poor behavior and everyone will agree.

I’ve mastered the art of dodging projectiles.
That’s right. I can avoid being hit with flying objects. I’ve had quite a bit of practice dodging flying pellets when I walk into the room. I appreciate her teaching me this valuable skill. If I’m ever in a combat situation, this is going to come in handy. In fact, I’ve had so much practice that I’m considering teaching a class.

Birds are natural contractors
When you walk into the room and discover your bird has taken up every single baseboard, you realize another 15 minutes would have gotten you a free ‘rough in’ for a bay window. I didn’t actually learn this from Blue. This lesson was learned when I was in rescue.

They have more stamina than you.
Threatening to turn them into parrot tacos doesn’t change their position or make them stop screaming. Most of the time, they scream louder. She just doesn’t take me seriously. I think she googled and realized there are NO recipes for parrot tacos on the internet. So the next time someone tells me to stop it or else, technically, I don’t have to.

You can still be sent to bed without dinner as an adult.
This happens when you walk into the room to discover the dinner you just spent an hour and a half preparing is gone. There’s nothing left on your plate but a few crumbs and trace amounts of blue and yellow feathers. Just an FYI, parrot dander is a condiment.

more lessons...

Going to school is optional.
You can be as dumb as you want as long as you have someone taking care of you and making sure you have a place to live. If they try to teach you something you're not interested in learning, just take their clicker.

Using people for personal gain is ok.
That's right! You heard me. It's ok to suck up to someone who has something you want until they give it to you. If they don't want to hand it over, you can just take it. After you have what you're after, you can bite them. Chances are, they'll leave you alone to enjoy your treasure for a while. If you give it back once it's broken, or the shell is empty, it's not considered rude.

Taking a chunk out of someone's coffee table is NOT destroying. It's decorating. Get it straight.

Aside from all that, between parrots and my sons, who are 12 months apart (don't EVER do that!), I've developed a sense of humor.

GinaF, you crack me up. I now log on to parrotforums hoping I can read more snippets from you and Blue, haha!

Patience, as everyone else seems to have already said. I'm not a patient person with things in general, but for my animal (and others too!) I have all the time in the world. My budgie taught me that.

Taught me to check, doublecheck, triplecheck all doors (including room to room doors) and windows for any potential 'escape' and to shout at anyone who thinks they can walk into rooms and close doors etc without thinking. Someone once trapped Merlins foot in a door (he only has one good one!) and my dad almost did it too! (he slammed the door without thinking, but Merlin wasn't on there, but it was a fond perching place).

I'm exhausted, but I'm sure more will come to me soon, I'll check back later.

Love, patience, to laugh like I haven't laughed in years, compassion for all creatures.
Sharing, messiness is liberating. Being small can be powerful.I don't control anything its beyond me.And there's nothing better than true love and trust.

That the phrase "birdbrain" is a compliment.

I've learned how to interact with and win the awesome trust of these special creatures. I've learned about their amazing joy and large personalities and playfulness. I've learned to be more creative. Having a parrot in your life who loves you and trusts you, is a life like no other. ~ Truly blessed.

Mainly patience, persistence, and learning the ability to be okay if the house is a little messy and not all the time clean.

Having my birds has taught me:

- have a wet sponge available at all times
- always know where the cats are
- shut the fridge door very quickly
- ditto the microwave
- have a wet sponge available at all times
- always wear long sleeves
- lift that broom, tote that dustpan
- get used to answering the question 'Who's that in the background?' when on the phone
- learn never *ever* to eat or drink when the birds are at large (they ate the topping off my pizza yesterday! And I was hungry!)
- have a wet sponge available at all times
- get used to finding bright green feathers in all sorts of interesting places
- learn that cheap nasty earrings squash just as easily as good ones but cost a tenth the price
- and they come in bulk
- never *ever* feel for anything on top of the pantry with your bare hand
- oh, and have a wet sponge available at all times

That there is no such thing as a day off.

My amazon has recently taught my mother not to think she can handle any bird......

My parrots have taught me how amazing they can be. On the outside, they are the epitome of unparalleled, wild beauty which reminds me of sunshine, mountains and trees.

Once you get to know them, they are intelligent little clowns full of antics who are loud, messy, nosy and love drama. They want to share your food & drink and rip up important papers from your kid's teacher or your favorite books, lol.

1. patience patience patience
2. to be calm
3. enjoy the happy moments we have together
4. to eat better

and much more

parrots, and birds in general have taught me to be more confident. as a quiet person, i have always connected with animals. owning loud, bratty, and demanding birds has almost forced me out of my shell! every time i am able to handle a different bird, i gain a little confidence. however, that confidence doesn't just stay in the bird room. i have become more talkative, happier, more at ease with people and crowds. i have also learned the importance of dedication and companionship, and what it feels like to be truly needed by an animal. Breeding finches has showed me how amazing it it to see a chicks heartbeat through an egg, and how beautiful it is to see a fragile pink baby grow into a stunning adult bird. My dove has taught me how to be refined and sassy at the same time, and the meaning of quiet friendship. simply put, birds are amazing~

Hmmmm well they taught me:

1. to have patients (I needed that) :54:

2.how much they love their owner

3. how smart they are :22:

4. how much color and joy they have with them

5. and how fragile they are

6. oh and how silly they are

That schedules are my friend