FEATURE
finger. It bled! My fault, after all Billie didn’t know me. Goodbyes were said and we headed for home. Billie’s cage was placed on the backseats of the car, whilst she travelled very well in the front, inside of the travel cage I’d brought with me. Fruit and seeds were her sustenance for our return journey. We reached home at about 6.15 p.m. Billie was fine but Martin was quite tired. Having released Billie into her cage, I went to greet Polly who had been in Keith’s company for the day.
When Polly met Billie As soon as Polly saw Billie, she was transfixed. Having always enjoyed watching parrots on the television, she now shared the room with one! From the beginning, both birds came out of their cages together. I trust Polly, she is a gentle bird unless she perceives a real threat. I covered the open fireplace and the top of both cages. Our new addition was a real “live-wire” and into everything! Billie had been wing-clipped. I could see no reason for this so allowed her feathers to grow out. Should there ever be a confrontation between them, each parrot would need the ability for full flight to make a hasty retreat. Billie once flew onto Polly’s stand base causing Polly to prepare for flight. I removed her instantly. This happened again much more recently. I watched out of the corner of my eye as Billie cautiously climbed the ladder towards Polly. Polly raised her head feathers in a friendly manner but very softly lunged towards Billie, “Back off”, she was saying. Billie flew to my shoulder.
A new routine Within a short time, I bought a much larger cage for Billie, a stand and more toys. Occasionally, she would lose her grip on a perch and fall. Polly would be most concerned.
In the evenings, she too joined us in the lounge. With both cages pushed tightly together, the birds were able to interact with each other and the bars between them added to their confidence. Polly began to mirror much of Billie’s bold behaviour and, as a result, has become much more confident herself. Polly loves a spray bath as much as Billie hates it. She loses all her inhibitions, spreads both wings fully and gets thoroughly wet. Once, I was giving Polly her bath when Billie went and hid behind a large pot in the recess of the room. Only when she felt it was all over, and she was safe, did I see a little head peeping from around the corner. I do not spray Billie any more, I only have to spread my paperwork across the table beside her cage and she will bathe herself enthusiastically in her water dish and soak everything.
There has been no jealousy. Polly was here first, so is first to be fed, to leave her cage and last to be returned. Her routine has remained the same. Once each week I take Billie upstairs to a back room for some quality time on our own. She loves to sit on a perch that is suctioned to the window and watch my neighbours and the wild birds. She understands that windows are a barrier, whereas Polly does not. Billie loves to go into the garden in a smaller cage whenever the weather is
BIRD SCENE 11
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