Meet Milo!

[MoreGooder]

I thought it would be fun to start a thread about an unusual pet I have. Meet Milo. He's a Vosmaer Eclectus Parrot, indigenous to the Solomon Islands region.



Other photos in my TG photo gallery:
http://www.tacticalgamer.com/photopo...0/ppuser/12215

He's starting to lose his baby-ekky beak colorings though; the black stripes on the top half of his beak are slowly peeling off. Eventually, his beak will be orange at the nape and yellow at the tip, just like a piece of candy corn!

If you would like to hear Milo's crazy morning concert, turn up your volumn and listen to this MP3:

Milo's Concert

The above was recorded using my cell phone, so the quality isn't all that great. This is typical for him. Every mornign while I prep for work he sits on the shower curtain rod and gives me a performance. He's so funny. I used to think about what I was going to accomplish at work, plany my day/weekend during this time, but now he occupies my mind with his funny noises. It's a worthy sacrafice in my opinion!

I hope you enjoyed this look at my unusual bird!
MG

[AMosely]

Pretty cool moregooder! I wonder if TG has ever had a post-your-pets thread? I have a dog, two cats and a 2-year old boy.

[CingularDuality]

Cool! Is this your first parrot? I've always wanted a big macaw. When I win the lottery, I'm going to get a Hyacinth Macaw.

[MoreGooder]

No, I had a Severe Macaw years ago. I lost him to a careless mother and her 5 y/o. It was a painfull loss, since he was my pet fot 9 years. It took me another 6 years to get another bird due to many unrelates reasons.

Hyacinths are not a species I would recommend as a first bird. They can remove an ear, finger or nose in a fraction of a second. They are sopposedly very sweet up until they become sexually mature, then hormones make them very unpredictable. That is true for all bird species to some extent, and can vary for individual bird as well. The point is that the size and power of a bird's beak should play a big roll in any bird purchase.

[CingularDuality]

Originally Posted by MoreGooder

No, I had a Severe Macaw years ago. I lost him to a careless mother and her 5 y/o. It was a painfull loss, since he was my pet fot 9 years. It took me another 6 years to get another bird due to many unrelates reasons.

Hyacinths are not a species I would recommend as a first bird. They can remove an ear, finger or nose in a fraction of a second. They are sopposedly very sweet up until they become sexually mature, then hormones make them very unpredictable. That is true for all bird species to some extent, and can vary for individual bird as well. The point is that the size and power of a bird's beak should play a big roll in any bird purchase.

Yeah, I thought I wanted a BIG macaw so that I didn't have to worry about it holding its own against my twenty pound cats. I've always wanted a cat named Tripod anyway...

Actually, I think you're right. Hyacinths are a bit rare, too. I wouldn't want one for my first big bird. I was thinking a Cockatoo would be a good first bird, actually.

[MoreGooder]

Cockatoos:
Downsides: Extremely LOUD, extremely needy, extremely messy. (Toos and African Grays produce a sticky white dust that coats everything in your house, and causes problems with allergies)
Upside: Extremely cuddly. They are practically lap dogs with wings.

Downsides far outweigh upsides for that species.

A good first pet would be a miniature Macaw such as a Severe. They can be loud at times, but are cuddly, fairly good talkers and no messier than any other Macaw.

So far, I am of the biased opinion that the male Ecletus Parrot is the best species for a pet bird. Females have crazy mood swings when fully mature. (hummm.... apparently true for humans too) However, Ekkies have dietary needs that some might find too time consuming. I have to cook for Milo, and he eats about $30 in veggies per month.

[CingularDuality]

You have to cook for a parrot? How do they eat in the wild?

[MoreGooder]

They eat a variety of ingidenous plants, flowers, bugs, a few tree barks and just about anything else that happens to pass by their beak. I can't purchase those foods, so I cook a healthy well-researched diet.

Milo has a peculiar reaction whenever he eats anthing containing corn or a corn-derived product. He taps his toes randomly, and flips his wings. It keeps him awake at night. Took me a few months to figure that out. So, that's another reason I have to cook for him. Most pellets contain corn or corn-derived products.

[stickyjeans69]

my thoughts on another good species of bird. the African grey. argued to be the smartest bird in the world (it very well could be). but talk about ****ing maintenence. if you dont have time for a bird it may not be a good pet, although each bird is different generally they are all high maintenence. i had a cockatoo that died around five years ago and it was a sweet bird. but as SOON as anyone entered the house he would get very loud untill you let him out, as soon as he was on your shoulder or on the couch he seemed to be alright, but cleaning up after him was also alot of work, to my misfortune and more so then mine, his misfortune my mom left the bird alone with the kids (age 3,4&5 at the time) door opens, bird with clipped wings trys to fly away and birds are not our only pet. we have 4 dogs. if you have the time and good judgement/willing to do research birds are an excellent choice. I have not had a bird since that happened as i dont feel the setting is a good one for a bird. maybe in a few more years....

[Acreo Aeneas]

Hehe, sounds like a little kitten in the morning.

[D0ubl3Hel1x]

Originally Posted by CingularDuality

You have to cook for a parrot? How do they eat in the wild?

Where have you been? Parrots have been running cafes and bars in the jungle for years now!