Friday, June 16, 2006
Meet Cisco
I thought I'd take today to introduce my "baby." This is Cisco, a sun conure I adopted a little over three years ago.
He's still like a little kid, although in conure terms he's probably the equivalent of a teenager, as I'm told they reach sexual maturity at about 5. Although I tend to refer to Cisco as "he," I'm really not sure of his gender -- most conures can only be sexed surgically or by a blood test.
No, Cisco doesn't talk, although he may yet learn a few words. Some conures do talk, but they are really more known for their personalities. One characteristic of many conures is that they have a reputation for being very loud, but Cisco is exceptionally well-behaved. He's rather shy and prefers staying in his "house," but once he comes out and perches on my shoulder or finger, he doesn't want to leave. And his favorite thing in the world is having his head and neck scratched.
Before Cisco, I had a nanday conure named Max who I lived with for 14 years. Nandays are known as the loudest of conures, and Max did his best to uphold that reputation. But he was very affectionate, and over time he learned to say "good night," "gimme a kiss," and "yes." Every time I came into the living room in the morning or came home, he greeted me with a "Hi Max!" (Well, he didn't hear anyone saying my name, so he didn't learn that.) Also, if I asked Max if he was a good kid, he would always answer yes; if I asked if he was pretty, he said yes; if I asked if he loved the Gators, he would say yes; then when I would ask him if he loved the Seminoles, he would just stare at me like I was crazy. I did NOT teach him that, he was just a very smart bird!
Disclaimer: DO NOT buy a bird on impulse. They can be very demanding, and because they are very intelligent, they can require lots of attention, especially larger parrots such as cockatoos. Without proper mental stimulation, parrots can literally go insane. Many parrots are notorious for chewing up almost anything they find. Also, unlike dogs, who usually like everyone, birds often bond with only one person in a household, or get along only with men or women. If you are considering adopting an avian companion, do your research and find out which birds fit in with your lifestyle, then find a reputable breeder or dealer and let the bird pick you.
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Nice bird. I have often thought about getting one. I don't know how my dog would take it. She would be vying for attention too much, I would think, if we started paying attention to another "occupant" in the house. :-)
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