What brought you to ParrotForums?

[GaleriaGila]

Yessssssssssssssssssss... like most, I was surfing the net for solutions... how to change the bird... yes, still, after some 30 years, at the time I joined here. But the magic of this place is that I learned how to LOVE the bird. Yeah, change/alter his behavior when possible, but... mostly, just LOVE him. He didn't ask to be in a cage in America, after thousands of years of evolution prepared him for life in the brutal wilds of Patagonia. So... what brought me here? Lookin' for easy solutions. What KEPT me here? COMMUNITY.

"Lookin fer chilleez brought me here.
Where they at??​

 

[SailBoat]

The Amazona Society of North America was closing down resulting from the loss the single individual that ran it passing over Rain Bow Bridge ,unexpectedly. I had, liked others, search the Web and had found a cross-section of sites, each with its own slant on Parrot Care.
Parrot Forum clearly stood far in above the others in the knowledge base of those members and diversity of Parrots owned.

It had been a good fit as I was also looking for a place to shed the wealth of knowledge that I had obtained from the then leaders in Parrot and Amazon World from Hatching to Passing. The true greats that had inspired me both to learn and then provide what I had learned.

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

I was looking for a parrot forum and stumbled across the Parrot Forum, LOL. So I'm here!

 

[saxguy64]

Sorry in advance, I wrote a book, but it's only fair for me to paint the whole picture...

What brought me here? My own ignorance and arrogance. Sounds odd, I know, but it is what it is. My first "big bird" was Cuckoo, my BFA. I freely admit, I didn't know enough to give him everything he needed and deserved. I took it on faith that his previous owners knew what they were doing, and fed him what they did, which was horrible, and I lost him to likely heart attack and/or fatty liver after quite a few years. I failed my feathered friend. I accept that, and I live with it always.

So, after a few years with no birdie friend, we decided it was time to start looking, but not yet realizing how ignorant I really was. We found a wonderful refuge, less than an hour drive from us. My intention was someone a little smaller, maybe a conure or another cockatiel, since we had tiels years ago, rehomed from brother-in-law, and they lived to 24 and 26 years old. There were none available for adoption at the time, but there was Patches, in all his fuzzy plucked glory. A grand eclectus. Here's where I got the first glimpse of my ignorance. I had never heard of eclectus parrots, and had never even seen pictures, let alone met on in person. Also, he was a long time plucker after a hideous past before coming to the refuge. I had no clue about any of it.

The owner, whom I just met after a chat on the phone, handed him off to me. Looking back, I believe it was largely to watch me and see how I was with birds, and my reaction to one who wasn't considered "perfect." Love!!! OMG, just love. Almost immediately, he reached up with that gorgeous beak and kissed me, full on the lips. ❤️ Okay, now what? We hung out for several hours, and he was the sweetest thing I'd ever met. I had no idea at the moment, but came to realize I had been chosen. Still, I had always wanted a grey, or so I thought, and she had several available. Nope. No connection really with any of them. Not like Patches. So, we talked about ekkie diet a little, and plucking... Time for research. That was okay. The refuge requires a number of visiting hours to make sure it's a good match, so the birds won't quickly wind up being rehomed yet again. So, many weekend visits were in my future.

Now, after the first meeting, I just assumed Patches was a social kind of guy, and was like that with everyone. Nope. My second visit with him, I was warned that he was kinda hormonal and cranky that day, and another potential adoptor who met him got bit. Hard. Armed with that bit of info, I walked over to him, talked to him for a minute, and offered my arm. He stepped up, reached out and kissed me. I thought, okay, there's some kind of connection, and the owner knew he had chosen me. No question. He knew I was coming every Saturday, started bathing himself on Saturday mornings before I came, and did his "happy dance" of excitement when he heard my truck pull in. I credit him for teaching me what being chosen means, feels like, and what a true bond is all about.

Okay, I searched everything I could find about ekkies, and plucking, and diet, and landed here, on this amazing forum. Sooooo much information, and the community, the family really, is what kept me coming back. I lurked, and read everything I could find for months, until I finally felt comfortable enough to bring Patches home. The forum is where I found people who get it. People who put into words what I was beginning to understand with Patches. Chosen. What a concept! My boy quickly became my once in a lifetime, my heart bird. I vowed never to fail him, and give him the best of everything I could.

Unfortunately, his past 18 years of horrible diet, mistreatment, and neglect took its toll, and his health failed after less than a year together. He passed in my arms, in the car on the way to an avian emergency clinic after my regular vet had done what he could. At least, my boy knew how very much he was loved, something he never had in his previous life, right until the end.

Support from the forum community helped me realize for myself, as soon as I was ready, that the enormous hole left in my heart made room for another bird in need. The rest, as they say, is history.

So, thank you, my forum family, for all you've taught me. About birds, and about myself as a parront and human being.

 

[BirdyBee]

Sorry in advance, I wrote a book, but it's only fair for me to paint the whole picture...

What brought me here? My own ignorance and arrogance. Sounds odd, I know, but it is what it is. My first "big bird" was Cuckoo, my BFA. I freely admit, I didn't know enough to give him everything he needed and deserved. I took it on faith that his previous owners knew what they were doing, and fed him what they did, which was horrible, and I lost him to likely heart attack and/or fatty liver after quite a few years. I failed my feathered friend. I accept that, and I live with it always.

So, after a few years with no birdie friend, we decided it was time to start looking, but not yet realizing how ignorant I really was. We found a wonderful refuge, less than an hour drive from us. My intention was someone a little smaller, maybe a conure or another cockatiel, since we had tiels years ago, rehomed from brother-in-law, and they lived to 24 and 26 years old. There were none available for adoption at the time, but there was Patches, in all his fuzzy plucked glory. A grand eclectus. Here's where I got the first glimpse of my ignorance. I had never heard of eclectus parrots, and had never even seen pictures, let alone met on in person. Also, he was a long time plucker after a hideous past before coming to the refuge. I had no clue about any of it.

The owner, whom I just met after a chat on the phone, handed him off to me. Looking back, I believe it was largely to watch me and see how I was with birds, and my reaction to one who wasn't considered "perfect." Love!!! OMG, just love. Almost immediately, he reached up with that gorgeous beak and kissed me, full on the lips. ❤️ Okay, now what? We hung out for several hours, and he was the sweetest thing I'd ever met. I had no idea at the moment, but came to realize I had been chosen. Still, I had always wanted a grey, or so I thought, and she had several available. Nope. No connection really with any of them. Not like Patches. So, we talked about ekkie diet a little, and plucking... Time for research. That was okay. The refuge requires a number of visiting hours to make sure it's a good match, so the birds won't quickly wind up being rehomed yet again. So, many weekend visits were in my future.

Now, after the first meeting, I just assumed Patches was a social kind of guy, and was like that with everyone. Nope. My second visit with him, I was warned that he was kinda hormonal and cranky that day, and another potential adoptor who met him got bit. Hard. Armed with that bit of info, I walked over to him, talked to him for a minute, and offered my arm. He stepped up, reached out and kissed me. I thought, okay, there's some kind of connection, and the owner knew he had chosen me. No question. He knew I was coming every Saturday, started bathing himself on Saturday mornings before I came, and did his "happy dance" of excitement when he heard my truck pull in. I credit him for teaching me what being chosen means, feels like, and what a true bond is all about.

Okay, I searched everything I could find about ekkies, and plucking, and diet, and landed here, on this amazing forum. Sooooo much information, and the community, the family really, is what kept me coming back. I lurked, and read everything I could find for months, until I finally felt comfortable enough to bring Patches home. The forum is where I found people who get it. People who put into words what I was beginning to understand with Patches. Chosen. What a concept! My boy quickly became my once in a lifetime, my heart bird. I vowed never to fail him, and give him the best of everything I could.

Unfortunately, his past 18 years of horrible diet, mistreatment, and neglect took its toll, and his health failed after less than a year together. He passed in my arms, in the car on the way to an avian emergency clinic after my regular vet had done what he could. At least, my boy knew how very much he was loved, something he never had in his previous life, right until the end.

Support from the forum community helped me realize for myself, as soon as I was ready, that the enormous hole left in my heart made room for another bird in need. The rest, as they say, is history.

So, thank you, my forum family, for all you've taught me. About birds, and about myself as a parront and human being.

Patches sounds like an amazing birdie. So sorry you lost him. I didn't know about Cuckoo, sorry to hear about him.

No need to apologize about the long paragraph, I enjoyed reading it.

 

[onamom]

I found Parrot Forums when researching before putting a deposit on my first bird. Once I finally took the plunge I made an account!

 

[Rozalka]

No need to apologize about the long paragraph, I enjoy reading it.

Even me. (Note: I rarely read long posts)

 

[𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆]

I was a new parront, and I was looking for a group of people to help me and give me info!

 

[clark_conure]

Bump! sorry my bad I was trying to read some um Kardashian news and accidently bumped this thread.....my bad

 

[kme3388]

I adopted a parrot, and got in over my head. Then when I was trying to do research. It was conflicting so I wanted to meet others who actually have experience with this type of bird, or have experience with birds in general. Sometimes I feel like the internet just doesn't understand my needs, and google fails me

 

[KatybirdUK]

I found this forum from googling something like "best pellets available in UK."

I noticed how nice you all were. I looked around and found a thread by someone who lost a bird in an accident and nobody gave the OP a hard time, just sympathy.

I have been on some Facebook groups for a few different pets and they're all horrid. There's a budgie one with a moderator who bans anyone who disagrees about cages or diet. If someone's bird flies away they're told off for being careless. It's awful.

You folk seem really nice.

 

[Rozalka]

I found this forum from googling something like "best pellets available in UK."

I noticed how nice you all were. I looked around and found a thread by someone who lost a bird in an accident and nobody gave the OP a hard time, just sympathy.

I have been on some Facebook groups for a few different pets and they're all horrid. There's a budgie one with a moderator who bans anyone who disagrees about cages or diet. If someone's bird flies away they're told off for being careless. It's awful.

You folk seem really nice.

I have similar experience with fb groups and I know how terrible most of them are. You joined the right place and welcome

 

[Terry57]

I found this forum from googling something like "best pellets available in UK."

I noticed how nice you all were. I looked around and found a thread by someone who lost a bird in an accident and nobody gave the OP a hard time, just sympathy.

I have been on some Facebook groups for a few different pets and they're all horrid. There's a budgie one with a moderator who bans anyone who disagrees about cages or diet. If someone's bird flies away they're told off for being careless. It's awful.

You folk seem really nice.

I'm so happy you found us! The members here are some of the most caring people that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, and I'm really glad that it comes through when someone is reading threads.
I'm so glad you decided to join our PF family

 

[𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆]

Welcome welcome! Great community we have here! We’re all like family here, a big, kind parrot-loving family.

 

[BirdyBee]

Yessssssssssssssssssss... like most, I was surfing the net for solutions... how to change the bird... yes, still, after some 30 years, at the time I joined here. But the magic of this place is that I learned how to LOVE the bird. Yeah, change/alter his behavior when possible, but... mostly, just LOVE him. He didn't ask to be in a cage in America, after thousands of years of evolution prepared him for life in the brutal wilds of Patagonia. So... what brought me here? Lookin' for easy solutions. What KEPT me here? COMMUNITY.

View attachment 40953
"Lookin fer chilleez brought me here.
Where they at??​

Look what I found when looking up "parrot forums"

 

[𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆]

Look what I found when looking up "parrot forums"
View attachment 41473

Oh Rickybird, you adorable and outspoken bird

 

[hiriki]

I don't remember what exact health issue brought me here but I know I made an account to ask about symptoms of some kind. In the beginning of my bird journey I was all over pigeon forums about my doves as well as here, helicopter mom-ing about the slightest abnormalities.

To be fair I still disappear for long periods and generally come back because some kind of health issue cropped up and I'm looking for care advice, so not too much has changed.

 

[aussie_wings]

I was a part of Birdtalk forums when they were around, and when I got parrots again, saw that they were no longer up and running, so I found Tailfeathers, and they dissolved here, it seems. The reason for using forums for me was to be able to give and receive information as well as have a social unit, and people to talk to about parrots. (I was the weird bird girl at school.)

 

[Rico_Tiel]

No idea lol, I guess I wanted bird pictures! And I am glad I joined because 1. Birb pics for DAYS! And 2. Really awesome and kind people!

 

[texsize]

I had burdened myself with a project car some years ago.
It ran but had a host of issues and at the time I thought it would be easy to work on.
I was wrong. I started searching the internet for answers and discovered a internet forum dedicated to the specific type of car I was dealing with.
It was a pretty rough Crowd (compared to the parrot forum) but I found out useful information.
It made me wonder if there was a parrot forum.
I don't recall lurking on the parrot forum for long, I joined up right away.
Everyone has been so friendly here (compared to the car forum) it was like a breath of fresh air.