Hi all! My name is Jan, long-time bird lover and a big fan of parrots! I have four cockatiels and three zebra finches, and can't imagine life without any of them! I bought Genny, my first cockatiel, 15 years ago at a PetsMart while I was in high school and fell in love with the species. Shortly thereafter I learned about the plight of homeless parrots and decided to adopt the rest of Genny's flock mates. I got my finches from a student of mine who didn't have the time to take care of them anymore.
I joined to get to know some large parrot owners because I'd like to adopt an older macaw in the couple of years here. I have never owned a large parrot, but I regularly volunteered at rescue center while in college. I was put in charge of room for "risky" large parrots (somewhat hand tame, but with aggressive/nippy tendencies, a lot of them wild-caught in the 70s-80s). I fell in love with the macaws I worked with, and could see their playful, curious nature through the standoffish exterior most of the birds kept up.
I hope to get answers to some questions I have on big parrot ownership - I'm sure volunteering 10-15 hours a week at a rescue center is a lot different than taking one of these animals into your life. Looking forward to meeting you all, particularly the macaw owners!