Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!lll-tis!ames!hao!gatech!udel!rochester!PT.CS.CMU.EDU!sei!sei.cmu.edu!ceb From: ceb@sei.cmu.edu (Carolyn Bissell) Newsgroups: rec.birds Subject: Re: Parrot Paranoia--Sorry to disappoint you, but we're bored... Message-ID: <4369@aw.sei.cmu.edu> Date: 26 Feb 88 21:58:15 GMT References: <1988Feb25.145536.3854@utzoo.uucp> Sender: netnews@sei.cmu.edu Reply-To: ceb@du.sei.cmu.edu.UUCP (Carolyn Bissell) Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, SEI, Pgh, Pa Lines: 67 Keywords: parrots > parrot-talk articles? We are just bored of it, as are most others. How in the world can anyone be bored with such fascinating animals! The larger hookbills have a mind easily as intelligent as a 3+ year old human child packaged within a body around a pound in weight. Birds relate to the world around them mainly through sight and sound as we humans; inter- action between our two species can be far more complex than that between us and other animals. I get tired of people who feel the only reason for owning one of these marvelous animals is because it is showy, prestigious/expensive, or simply because it can "talk". My severe macaw (my best friend for over seven years now) is a pretty garbly talker, but then, it never occured to me to encourage him to imitate mindlessly. Rather, I've spent considerable time and energy in establishing our friendship and communication. When he says 'hi there' or 'water' or 'scratch' or 'window' or 'pretty good, huh?' he knows exactly what he means and uses the words accordingly. He'll thank me for a treat usually _before_ he eats it with a kiss and a 'good boy'. He understands over 91 words which I can arrange into new sentences within new circumstances and he'll change his actions accordingly. Likewise, I've made every effort to understand his many macaw words and tones and he is confident that he can expect me to do what he asks. For example, a certain 'aaarrrr' and tone will mean "I think that noise may mean that there's something wrong. What do you think?" If I answer "It's all right", he'll settle back down. But there are 4 variations to this 'aaarrrr', each requiring a different response from me. I may have to _show_ that I'm listening carefully and then say "it's all right" or I may have to get up, and actually look out the appropriate window toward the noise (even if I know what it is but he doesn't) before an "it's all right" will take his mind off it. This is only one example of the incredible depth of personality/intelligence these animals have. It's about time bird fanciers remember that there are many reasons and ways to love these animals. They don't have to be wild for our motives to be pure. To be sure, if I could wave a magic wand and save the habitats of our birds and eliminate the pet industry I would, even if it meant giving up my precious friend, but it's not possible. I would have boycotted the industry if I thought it would have helped, but with the way the rainforests and other necessary environments are being destroyed, it seems the lesser of the two evils to preserve the birds by saving them as pets. Hopefully, more bird pet owners will go to greater effort to breed them and save them from extinction. Perhaps if the dusky sparrow (?) had been kept as a pet, it would still exist now and maybe some day would have been returned to the wild. I'm _not_ saying that pet keeping is the only or best answer! It is just _an_ answer! I am a member of Greenpeace and the National Environmental Defence Council. I'm putting my money where my mouth is. So stop being bored and high minded over people who love their pet birds. Be thankful that the interest is out there. There are many of us who do our best by them. You just don't hear the dumb questions out of us. I rarely encourage anyone to buy a larger hookbill; I emphasize how much time and devotion they require. But I've met many people who give them wonderful homes. And when it comes to the parrots and macaws, in another 20 years ours may be the only homes they have left. Carolyn -- Anneth! what a charming place! You've been to Anneth? Well, yes. But not yet. --The Doctor