Pics of my parrot. :) :) :)

[Ladyhawk]

I was given a new digital camera and my initial subject while I learn how to operate it has been my companion of nineteen years, Gabby. He's a double yellowheaded Amazon parrot (Amazona ochrecephala oratrix):

[Magrittes Pipe]

1. As always, Gabby is still beautiful.

Thanks for posting.

[KitchenWitch]

2. Gorgeous bird!

[Reverend_Smitty]

3. What a gorgeous bird!

nice pics!

[Mutley]

4. He's beautiful.

[Call Me Wesley]

5. Great pics!

Nineteen you say? How old do they get?

Gorgeous bird!

[Ladyhawk]

16. The record for an Amazon is 104, I think. Most don't live that long.

Here's a pic of a blue-fronted Amazon who lived to be 102: http://www.amazonasociety.org/TASaskQ.html .

[Sanity Claws]

6. Gabby is learning how to pose

The next time America's Next Top Model comes on, make sure Gabby watches it so he/she can learn all the modeling tricks.
BTW, Gabby has beautiful colors.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

7. He's beautiful, and you're doing a great photog job!

I love the detail of his feathers.

[Ladyhawk]

8. Thanks, everyone. :) The problem is he KNOWS he's beautiful.

He thinks I need to come into his cupboard and lay some eggs. He's been even more hormonal than usual this spring, so I've had to be very careful with him. Many species tend to bond strongly to just one person. This includes Amazons. If anyone else comes into the house, he continuously "displays" aggressively. When he's really wound up, he's liable to even bite me. It's called "misplaced aggression." If no one else is here, he's fine.

Luckily, he's stopped doing the "chicken dance." That's a sign that he's probably given up on Ladyhawk stuffing herself into that tiny cupboard to lay eggs. He'll lose the extra aggression soon. I hope.

[u4ic]

9. Oooh, he's gorgeous, Ladyhawk!

What beautiful pictures!

Does he sing along with you? I've heard of many Amazons who sing.

Check this guy out: http://www.petparrot.com / (Roscoe, under the Pet's Movies. Tony Bennett would be proud!)

[Ladyhawk]

11. He used to sing, but in his old age he's lost some of his vocabulary.

I don't know why, but that happens sometimes. Probably I didn't reinforce him enough. I like and love him regardless, of course, but sometimes I miss things from his old vocabulary. As an older bird, I don't think he's very likely to learn new words unless I really press the issue. It's too much trouble. We just tend to hang out and preen each other.

He still does all of his old tricks except one. I can go months without rehearsing him and he'll remember them just fine the next time I ask him. I think the main reason is incentive. He literally works for peanuts...and sunflower seeds. I usually use shelled sunflower seeds as a reward. Gabby is a very food-oriented pet. You can see teriaki (sp.??) sauce on his beak in the pics. He shared the rice portion of my teriaki chicken.

[u4ic]

13. How old is he?

All the birds I've had never talked, but I loved them all the same.

I'll take a bird over a cat or dog anyday. They're incredible creatures, and wonderful companions.

[Ladyhawk]

15. He's about nineteen. I decided he hatched on April Fool's Day.

I took home in August of 1987. He was only a few months old and still had hand-feeding formula caked on his feathers.

[Ladyhawk]

24. I'm gonna have to check out ol' Roscoe. :) n/t

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

10. Gabby is so beautiful!!!!!!

Thanks so much for these great pcitures! good job working the new camera too


and you totally made my day with this post

[seemunkee]

12. Nice looking bird

Wish our Quaker was that handsome, but she's a plucker.

[ChickMagic]

14. Does he puke seeds on you?

It's sweet but kinda grody. We only have one bird left of
our original 4. Our 3 keetlings have died and we have
Piper the cockatiel left. She's wonderful. And Gabby's
gorgeous!

[Ladyhawk]

17. Occasionally he regurgitates for me. It isn't a common occurrence.

He has to be feeling really spunky. And he eats a large variety of things, so the menu varies. Ew.

When I brought home the bell in this picture, he became infatuated with it. He had a serious case of birdy OCD. He rang it with his foot and fed it constantly for weeks on end. I actually got worried about him and took it away for a couple of days, then figured he'd get tired of it eventually. Lately he hasn't even looked at it.

[In_The_Wind]

18. Gabby is a very handsome parrot!

nice pictures

[spindrifter]

19. Does he talk?

Those are magnificent pix!

[Ladyhawk]

21. Here are some MP3s of Gabby talking.

MP3 of Gabby Burping

MP3 of Gabby Saying Hello

MP3 of Gabby Saying My Name

[pitohui]

20. awwwww

i think my parrot is a little disgusted tho, maybe he's jealous

[Ladyhawk]

22. Maybe. *shrug* :)

Gabby is very interested in the giant eyeball pic that I made intomy desktop pic. He stretches out and touches the pupil with his beak. I'm not sure if it means anything to him or not.

If I could get in even closer, that might be very interesting.

[ronnykmarshall]

23. Great pics!

Gabby's so cool!!

[Floogeldy]

25. Okay. Great. So you're the crazy bird lady up the street.

I get it.