Paquita the Parrotlet

[Pajarita]

Hmmm, I could be wrong but I think that Paquita is a female. For what I know, females can be all green or have just a little bit of soft blue on their heads (like Paquita does) but the blue is never a bright royal blue like males have or have blue remiges and rump (and, as far as I can remember from seeing her just once, Paquita doesn't have the blue rump or the remiges).

[Wolf]

The only blue on Paquita is the pale blue streaks running from the eye towards the back of the head. The blue doesn't make it to the back just on the sides.

[river-7]

Hi; Wolf; Usually the blue runs from the eye to back and some have a complete blue head which are not males and I do know he is nothing but sweetness that needs lots. and lots of pics so we can all see him. He is very tiny. My blue was like him a very tiny little ball of fire and a female and very , very spunky. I hand fed her and she never could make up her mind to like the syringe or the spoon.[ I prefer the syringe.] And 1-day she liked the syringe[ always different.] They wean quickly. When she didn't want syringe or spoon she would just turn her head and flatly refuse to eat, or stop mid stream, She was a hoot.she started to eat veggies, and fruit early as I had her at just 2-1/2 weeks. I had bought her and the breeder was very money hungrey and delivered her to me @ that age. Way too young.I was very lucky that she lived, as she was not feathered up at all .Never heard from the guy after I bought her. But Wolf you will enjoy the little 1-and he will surprise you every-day with something new.And when he is protecting you he would attack a bull moose lol.They are such big parrots in a little body. Wishing his health and learning goe's well for you and I am so glad that he's eating some veggie's and fruit.there is a breeder in USA; that claims mutations, I believe should not eat pellet's. I am not quit sure if it mutations or celestrial parrolets.she is well known in USA; Maybe Pajararita; could chime in. Anyone know how to put a spell checker on new computer=windows-8.good luck with your little ball of fire. River-7

[Wolf]

Yeah, she is quite the protector and yesterday dive bombed my Senegal, who was on my shoulder at the time. Brave and fast but that move isn't too terribly smart as my Senegal has the same type of attitude and is also absolutely fearless in her defense of me, although she seem perfectly willing to accept Paquita as long as Paquita leaves her be.
It will all work out in the long run and I am accustomed to running interference with my birds as Kookooloo, my CAG, does not allow any one including my Lady to touch me while she is on me. It can and does get interesting with these birds all wanting me and all are flighted and will remain so for life, barring injury.
Thank you for the information concerning pellets but I don't use them for any of my birds. I may at some point consider using them, but I don't foresee that occurring until I see them growing on a tree or bush. this is just my preference and has nothing to do with the ongoing debate concerning the health benefits or lack thereof of the pellet themselves.

[Pajarita]

The only blue on Paquita is the pale blue streaks running from the eye towards the back of the head. The blue doesn't make it to the back just on the sides.

Yes, that's what I remembered. Elena and Kelvin always referred to Paquita as a she but, although I take it into account, I don't usually go by what people tell me their bird's gender is because I've gotten sooooo many birds that were thought to be the wrong one so I always approach this subject with an open mind and go by what I can see or, in some instances, a gut feeling - which I am sure it's not any kind of ESP or anything like that but nothing more than very subtle physical differences that my brain registers so unconsciously that I cannot even point out if I wanted to.

[Wolf]

Well, for me it is sort of like this at the moment Paquita is very happy with being a she, although I rarely call her Paquita. I usually call her keeta, which is very close to skeeter, which she is not much larger than so when it it time to acquire her the mate that I promised and she turns out to be a he I will call her Skeeter. And she seems good with that as well. My only possible problem solved.

[Wolf]

And so in the continuing saga of Paquita the Parrotlet : Sunday Aug. 10, 2014

Today Paquita spent close to three hours out of cage time with all of the other birds and the dogs and cats. Well actually not the cats so much as they went to the bedroom and took over the bed and since it was raining for the fourth day in a row, went to sleep.
So I opened the cages after everybody ate breakfast and everyone except mimi, the Amazon climb out and up to the top of their cages. Paquita comes out of her cage and hangs on the front looking about doing her usual buzz, buzz, chitter thing and flies over and lands on my head. I reach up and she jumps onto my hand for some much desired scritches. She just loves this activity and twists and turns to make sure that I get her entire head and neck, but most importantly under her beak, her favorite spot.
While this is going on Kiki, the Senegal flies over also landing on my head. I tell her to get off of my head, so she climbs down to my shoulder, while Paquita does her buzz, buzz, with beak open, and is leaning toward Kiki, with her wings at half mast. Typical aggressive stance. Paquita " Watch it I will bite you, my human"
Kiki " Yeah right, I am so scared" and just ignores Paquita and starts preening.
Paquita " Buzz, buzz, chitter, chitter" She begins chewing on my fingertips " M-m-m, M-m-m good, fingers are M-m-m good!"
Finally Paquita gets tired or bored with chewing on my fingertips and wants more scritches and I gift her with more scratching, it feels better to me than her nibbling my finger anyway. She really gets into this session of scritches and almost falls to sleep.
Cole, 100 pounds of puppy comes waltzing by and stops to watch Paquita enjoy her scritches. Paquita jumps up runs along my arm towards my elbow and Cole, buzzing like a swarm of angry hornets. Lunging at Cole, " Get away, My Human! I'll bite you, I'll eat you! Mine, go away, I kill you!"
Cole just looks at her and saunters away.

Such are the various interactions of Paquita with everyone who dares to approach or even pass by us for the couple of hours. It is just so hilarious to see this tiny one ounce bird try to intimidate everybody.
So anyway she is doing well and really enjoys climbing about on me as I wander about playing with both her and everyone else in turn, I do have to watcher closely for the first minute or two while she threatens each of them before she relaxes and watches as I give them each a little attention with her hanging on. then we give her more scritches and put her back on her cage for a short time. I get to spend a lot of time just setting her down or on her cage. I am trying to just hang out with her and be able to hold and pet each one of them with her out of her cage too. but just like the others right at first she has to be on me even while I am working, playing with another one. So all is well and progressing and everyone seems to be good with each other and happy.

[Pajarita]

LOL - Yes, those little ones are a riot, arent' they? No sense of size, strength, might or anything - they would take on a macaw if it threatened their relationship with their loved one.

And, yes, it's real hard to balance everybody's needs when you have more than a couple of pet birds. I really don't know how other people do it. Right now I have two outside the birdroom and I always need to stretch myself thin to have them both out enough time...

[Wolf]

I hear you on that. since all of mine are in the same room and I let them all out after their breakfast my biggest difficulty is to give them all the one on one time that they want.

[Tman007]

Wolf I hear that. You give one on one time to one and the other get all pissy. If I am spending time with Andy and Amos is on the play gym he has started to just destroy one of the toys on the gym. He doesn't play with it he just bites it and watches the piece of wood block hit the floor and goes after the next, it is funny to watch.