I have Ornithophobia.

[vivianlucille]

It's true. I am terrified of birds. I have been trapped both in my house and in my car because there were just too many birds for me to risk going outside. I have been known to cower in the middle of a parking lot in tears because the birds fly too low and seem to come out of nowhere.

So how did I end up here?

My daughter moved out of the house, my husband doesn't want to start over with a baby and I'm allergic to my dog. So for my husband's birthday I got him a little 7 week old green cheek conure off of Craigslist. I was not told beforehand that this little bird was still being hand fed until I got home that night and realized that the following day I would be alone with him and have to figure out how to feed him. It was terrifying but so rewarding the first time he snuggled up on my chest and went to sleep. He's now just over a year old and still the baby of the family. My spoiled rotten little George.

Then we have what my husband hopes to be breeders, a pair of parakeets and two pair of lovebirds. These birds really do not like human contact. They are happy to chirp and sing and whistle all day long as long as we do not attempt to touch them. I still have a fear of these six so I'm content to sit back and talk to them from a distance. They are so sweet and loving to one another, each with a very distinct personality.

While looking for the lovebirds, I ran across our cockatiel. He was being sold for $20 from some people who "didn't have the time anymore" and I just felt so bad for him. He had been sold and passed around so many times that they didn't know how many owners he had or how old he was. They had him in a cage that may have been suitable for a single parakeet and that's where he was 24/7 with only a single perch. He really touched me deeply and I had to give him something better. It took us weeks to get our sweet JOJO to even come to the door of the cage. He is so scared of people and so untrusting. He's coming around slowly. Now he will yell for me to come freshen his food and water every morning and to open his cage so he can explore the aviary. He still doesn't like to be touched but I can hold and move him with a perch. Sometimes if it's very calm he will sit on my shoulder, but I'm still not allowed to hold him yet. But we are getting there. I do love my sweet JOJO. My heart melts every time I see him playing with a toy which he just started to do last week.

Now the only bird I have ever wanted for myself was a rose breasted cockatoo. I told my husband that aside from JOJO I would only get another bird if it were a baby like George where I could bond early without so much fear. So out of boredom we went to a store one day and through the nursery window I saw her. My sweet little six week old rose breasted cockatoo. It was love at first site. I'm not able to bring her home until she weened and I'm starting to think that may never happen. I've only been waiting for two weeks but it feels like an eternity. We go visit her often and each time we do I fall more and more in love with her. Last time we went she ran over and jumped in my arms running up to rest her beak on my cheek as soon as she saw me. I'm so in love with her I just cried. I can't wait to get my baby home.

And that is it for us and birds. I cannot bring any more home. I don't have time for more without those that have losing attention which I do not want to happen. It's difficult spending a lot of time with them when we have to keep George and JOJO apart but they just don't seem to care for one another. George will try to play and roll balls to JOJO but JOJO doesn't trust any living creatures and runs away crying. It breaks my heart what they did to this poor sweet bird. I could go on for hours talking about my babies, but I'll end it here since I'm sure you're already pretty bored.

Vivian

And yes, I still freak out and run from birds I do not know.

[Pajarita]

Welcome to the forum! Wow, that was quite a story... from fear to love. I hope you have done your research on a GCC and too sharing a human - especially a Galah.

[vivianlucille]

I do know there can be some problems there, but in all reality George does not claim me. My husband says he is a typical little boy and can't be bothered to cuddle and play with mom when dad is there to rough house with. I'm lucky to get a good night from him anymore! My baby has outgrown me I fear. I have no idea if it'll be different when my little rosey gets home but George can see JOJO on my shoulder and he does not care a bit. That's actually the only time I'm comfortable with them out together because George is just too busy to care that there's a bird on me.

[Pajarita]

Is George clipped? Because, if he is, it might be that it's not so much that he doesn't care but that he cannot do anything about Jojo been on your shoulder. But, even if he can fly to your shoulder whenever he wants, I have found that most birds take exception not so much to another bird perching on us (shoulder, head, whatever) but our showing love for said bird which is not likely to happen with Jojo ever as tiels are not really cuddly birds. Also, you have to consider that he is still not sexually developed so his reactions now are not what they will be in a couple of years. That's one of the many things that parrots have that are different from other pets: you can never say that you have all your ducks in a row with them because, when you do, they change .

[vivianlucille]

George is fully flighted and boy is he proud of it!

I do know that with any living creature things can and do happen that we don't expect. People often have other people that they don't like and it's no surprise that birds do also. Maybe I don't stress over the what ifs because I feel like I'm aware of possibilities and I know that I'm doing what I can to prevent them. Not getting my sweet baby rosey would be like deciding not to have another child because your two year old is spoiled rotten and might get jealous. I just couldn't imagine that.

[Wolf]

Really don't ha lot of knowledge about all of these species of parrots although I do have a pair of budgies. But what I did want to say is that I would be very protective of your cockatiel for the reason that he can't defend himself from any of the birds that you have, so it is no wonder that he is afraid of them. Even your budgies can beat him up and would if they had the opportunity to do so.

[vivianlucille]

All of my birds are closely monitored when they are out of their cages. They are always in a room with us with the door closed never left alone. JOJO was scared of everything when we brought him home. He was in a cage alone 24/7 until we got him. No social skills at all. I don't think he fears the other birds because they are birds.

[Wolf]

You are there with them and know much more about their interactions than I do, but I wanted you to know that he can not defend himself from any of your other birds. I also have birds that can't defend themselves from some of my other birds, so it is something that I am intensely aware of and just thought to share. I will say no more about it.

[shiraartain]

Wow, sounds like your house is always busy! Welcome to the forum, and I look forward to hearing more about your birds!

[Pajarita]

Close monitoring is very good and always necessary, even when the birds have been friends for a long time but, if I were you, I would really consider not allowing the too out at the same time as the little ones once it's grown because they have a tendency to 'pluck' little birds out of the air as they fly near them (I know of one that killed a dove that way and they are much larger than a tiel or a GCC)... what the heck, an ounce of prevention and all that, you know.