I read a lot on here when I was researching my bird, but now I'm actually joining! I'm a first-time parrot mom to a Senegal named Pippin, but my job is as an exotic animal trainer. In the past, I've worked with a chattering lory named Cain (who was a little demon and I adored him), a Moluccan cockatoo named Peaches, a Harris hawk named Harrison, an emu named Julietta, and an Abdim's stork named Rorke. At my current workplace, we have Auger buzzards, a white-backed vulture, a Congo African Grey, blue & gold macaws and green-wing macaws, Naday conures, and sulfur-crested cockatoos. Whoo!
My Senegal is almost 7 months old now, hatched March 1, 2010. I got him at 3 months old, and at his first vet check, he was diagnosed with PBFD, or Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease. For those not familiar, it's a deadly virus that is kind of like the avian version of AIDS. It's almost always fatal in birds under 2 years old. My vet gave him a 10% chance of living. I was devastated, but decided I would just give him the best life possible while he lived. However, when we retested Pippin 3 months after his first diagnosis, he tested NEGATIVE!!!! Somehow, my amazing bird beat the odds! I'm so excited that I get to live the next 20-30 years with this amazing little feathered kid.
Pippin is very active, loves to destroy any of his 'softer' chewable toys (like braided paper, or 'bird kabobs') and is doing really well learning how to socialize with everyone in my apartment complex. He is very jealous of my bearded dragon but loves my boyfriend's collie (he bites him on the nose and the poor dog is terrified of him!) I'm loving parrothood!Can't wait to meet all of you!
Bobbin
OG flies in birdie heaven