All about Buddy

[Yossi]

Buddy, my Red Lored Amazon has been my best pal for about 32 years. I got him when he was 5 and I am his third (but not final, since he should out live me) owner. We believe that he was a wild caught baby as when I got him he was open banded. I had the band removed when I got him and promptly lost it so I've never been able to trace his past with any level of veracity. The guy I bought him from stated he got him just after he was weaned, so it's possible the breeder just preferred open bands since they could be removed/ were easier to deal with (I think they're all unsafe, personally). When I bought Bud he was in a prevue hendrix "parrot cage" (too small for him to have his wings extended) and was eating mostly a seed diet supplemented with people food, mostly peas, apples and corn. I wasn't happy with that either. I felt like I was rescuing him more than purchasing him from a loving owner. To the guy's credit, he really did love Bud and he stayed in touch for years afterward to find out how Bud was doing. His wife hated the bird (it was mutual I think) and forced him to give Bud up.

 

I promptly moved Bud in palatial splendor. A cage with room for him to do a full 360 with his wings out, plenty of toys and different sizes and texture perches. A play pen top and more food dishes than any one parrot could eat out of. It took me 3 months of concentrated effort to not only win him over to me (him going into his first mating season definitely helped there), but to move him from his junk food diet to a good quality pelleted food (I like scenic food, it's what the zoos and other professionals use for it's formulation and was the only one he'd take to.) and we broadened his exposure to "real" food. Bud now enjoys 3 squares a day with the family (he'd eat from our plates if we let him) in addition to his fruit and veggie treats and the constant presence of his pellets.

 

I've been fortunate, with moving him to good food, his weight has not been an issue since. In fact, when change is introduced (work tends to move me every couple of years), he tends to lose weight and I have to try and fatten him up a little. Now with him in his middle years I find he doesn't want to play as much or as rough. Unless it's mating time. :rolleyes: So I have to invent ways to keep him moving. For instance, he only gets his people food on his playpen top of his cage. If he wants breakfast he has to climb out and up to get it. If he wants to crunch his pellets he has to climb back down and in. He's also started enjoying his heated perch more than he used to. With the warmer weather coming on, it's only plugged in at night. Some mornings I find him sleeping on it, others he's just near it. Smart bird.

 

Unlike most Red Lored, Bud is a talker. A very good one. He has a fairly extensive vocabulary and does the best imitation of running water I've heard. He's won first prize in talking bird contests ( a funny story I'll relate one day from one of these) when I took him to bird shows against greys and double yellows! Having clear enunciation in a small amazon is rare, so I'm double lucky with Bud. The thing I love the most is he'll only say good morning in the morning and hello the rest of the day. He gets the difference.

 

He's got the typical amazon birdatude: a 2 year old having a snit fit followed by an intense need to be loved. His cage is in the living room, so he's in the center of daily life. He also has a perch in my home office and has been known to interject words of wisdom during some conference calls. Most of the time you can just barely hear him in the background saying "uh huh" in agreement with whatever anyone says. LOL. He has no food or water in my office and he's smart enough to tell me when he wants to go downstairs. He's also potty trained and when sitting on my shoulder or "helping" me around the house, he'll tell me when he has to go so I can put him on a perch to potty. He constantly tried to drink out of my coffee cup the same time I'm drinking and will try to steal food off your plate if he can reach the table.

 

So that's Bud in a nutshell. Thanks for the warm welcome. Look forward to getting to know you all, feathered and non-feathered.

[Jayd]

What a wonderful life you've given each other. Salsa our zon gets along pretty good with the other bird members of the flock. Is Buddy a one person bird? It's heart warming to hear how well your taking care of his [amazon's] special needs, My self and others will be looking forward to more installment of you and Buddy. Please don't limit yourself on Writing threads and posting in this room; Thanks so much! Jayd

[Guest]

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Edited August 9, 2010 by jacarual

[kittykittykitty]

Thank you for such a wonderful story about Bud. It sounds as if the two of you are the best of frinds. I'll be waiting for more stories.

[Luvparrots]

Wow great post about Buddy. He truly is your pal and a very interesting character. I look forward to hearing more about him and his colorful history.

[JillyBeanz]

Thanks so much for the fabulous Bud tale - he sounds like an absolute gem and clearly interacts so well in daily life. I love the fact that you are trying to "keep him moving" - and the idea about the food bowls being in different places is a great one.

 

I was also picturing him snuggling up to his heated perch - what a cutie! I can't wait to find out more about you and Bud and hope you will keep us updated on his antics. I can't believe it's taken you so long to find us!!!!

[Yossi]

Thanks everyone. If I hadn't been so tired I could have written so much more, so more Bud story installments to come.

[Yossi]

Is Buddy a one person bird?

 

Hi Jayd and flock! At this time, Bud only has myself and our lab as part of his flock. When I first got Bud I had a breeding pair of orange wings, and 3 breeding pair of cockatiels. Job changes and a few other life changes forced me to give up the digs I had that allowed me the room for breeding pairs. I gave them to a breeder I knew at the time who was very good with her birds and had the room. Bud's been a single bird ever since. He's always been insanely jealous of any other birds anyway and would go out of his way to attack any that got near him (since he's bonded with me as mate). I've done some rescues from time to time and I can't let Bud see me handle the rescues. Jealousy thy name is Buddy the green monster!

[Yossi]

I can't believe it's taken you so long to find us!!!!

 

You can thank Mawnee, another new member for pointing me here.

[Jayd]

Thank you so much, Salsa is a little over a year old, she goes into all the other cages and sneaks their food! Whats cut is to see her and the 2 Grey's eat off of the same plate together. Looking forward to more threads.. Jayd

[judygram]

Well thank you Mawnee for guiding you here and you do have a lovely amazon and he sounds like an absolute delight to have and I look forward to hearing more Buddy stories.

[Talon]

What a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing your life with Buddy with us! I look forward to hearing more and seeing pics!

[chezron]

Great post about your life with Buddy! Keep 'em coming!