katana600 Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Once upon a time the stars aligned with a cross country move, the symbolic empty nest of kids in college and one lonely little bird in a barren cage in a big box pet store at Christmas time. As my husband and daughters were in the pet store to buy "stocking stuffers" for the dog and two cats, I was waiting in the car in the cold because it was adoption time and I was absolutely certain I could not take on any more pets. The text messages kept pleading to just come in to the bird section and see dad with this bird. "Nope, won't do it, can't make me." Little did I know the power of this one little parrot to pull me begrudgingly to see a man being lulled into the spell that is Java. I literally dug in my heels and stayed in that car for almost an hour before I got hungry enough to go in to complain that it was time to GO. "All right, she is cute." She was pressed up against the bars clinging to hubby's finger with her little talons and rubbing her head on his finger and cooing. Every fiber of my being was telling my brain, this is a BAD idea, run to the nearest exit. Then, I saw her wings. I can not even speak today about it without crying. It wasn't just a clip, it looked as if she only had a jointed bone. The manager explained that she was vicious. No one could get near the cage and if we wanted her we would have to figure out how to get her out. They left the room, we opened the cage and she scrambled to get into a box to go home with us. That was six years ago and now I can't imagine what took me so long to find her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eshana Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 She's gorgeous! Isn't it funny how so many people on here got there birds for being 'vicious' and they turned out to be sweet as can be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Have to ask how did her wings recover? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcusCAG Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Thank you for posting Java's story and her picture, Dee! She is a gorgeous girl, I can see why she was so irresistible to all of you. But like Greywings asked, how have her feathers fared growing-in since her wretched clip so long ago? I've seen videos online of parrots with more-than-bad clips by people who either have no idea what they're doing or just don't care. I don't understand that. It's like setting a bone or something, there's a proper way to do it and there's no excuse for someone with no experience/knowledge to do something like that and consequently hurt the animal because of it. From your other posts, though, it sounds like Java is flighted again and so I will assume that she is--what's the saying?--"good as rain" now in terms of her wings. I'm so glad she has such a happy family now with you and yours and your Gilbert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdhouse Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 I don't think I've ever seen a live Red Bellied Parrot. She really does look beautiful. I'm so glad to hear she found the life she needed to let her true personality shine. Very glad your family insisted that she deserved a safe & loving home. Great job, great story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted October 12, 2011 Author Share Posted October 12, 2011 Thanks for asking, Java's wings took almost two years to grow feathers. It was the saddest thing to see her lose her grip and fall hard to the floor. She had SUCH a sassy attitude. She would land hard on the floor, then go after anyone near as if they were the ones to have caused it. We used to joke about tiny little quarter-pounder of a bird who had the image of herself as a silverback gorilla on a bad hair day. She remains fully flighted and is the light of our lives. I never gave a thought to her being a "talking" bird but she shows us on very special occasions that she CAN talk, and explicitly clear. She just doesn't choose to do so except three or four times a year. I think Gilbert is going to encourage her talking and she in turn will encourage him to learn to fly. When I think about the propensity she had to bite first and bite again harder, I think she had learned to be vicious in self defense. Now though, she makes me laugh often with her antics and I think every laugh erases a little more of the memories of her early days and bites. Now she will lie on her back in my hand and make cooing and smooching sounds when I scratch her head and neck. If we have company though, I have to keep her under close supervision and most often in her cage because she will relentlessly stalk and harrass any newcomers. You really have to be accepted into the circle of trust for her to show her sweet side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted October 12, 2011 Author Share Posted October 12, 2011 I don't think I've ever seen a live Red Bellied Parrot. She really does look beautiful. I'm so glad to hear she found the life she needed to let her true personality shine. Very glad your family insisted that she deserved a safe & loving home. Great job, great story! Thanks, they are related to the Senegals and from what I gather they are not popular but I don't know if that is because of their reputation or if they are difficult to breed or if it is something else. They are one of the few parrots that you can tell the sex of the adults by the coloring. The males have a bright red underbelly. Java is a typical hen. At first her colors seem subdued, but as you get closer, she has an iridecense and subtle beauty that I find captivating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 I love the story of your little lady Java. She is lucky to have such a loving parront and you are lucky for finding such a spicy imp to make your day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted October 14, 2011 Author Share Posted October 14, 2011 Thanks for sharing our story and being part of our lives. I haven't quite sorted out if we take in unusual and interesting characters through our pets or if... as some of our friends and neighbors suggest... the pets become unique because of the household. LOL. All I know is, we take what we get and just find all the good things about our little charges and try to make their lives as full and engaging as we possibly can. I never knew how much my heart would melt at the sight of one tiny little bird completely trusting and warm in my hand. There is something so endearing about the way she comes to my computer and sits on the mouse pad and nudges my hand trying to get me off the computer so I will scratch her head. Now that we have declared a truce between Java and Gilbert, both of them can be free all day and it has been working out for all of us so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiesmum Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 For some reason i always thought your Java was a quaker? Lovely story Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted October 21, 2011 Author Share Posted October 21, 2011 That Java is the master of disguise. She was our "starter parrot". Little did I know how much I would be intrigued and captivated by this little bird. She looks a little like your Sasha, Delma. I was absolutely bowled over by her sassy attitude and her clever ways. Every day I still find her adorable and delightful. Glad she grew out of her attitude though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiesmum Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Lol i dunno what made me think he was a quaker. Sasha is 6 so she is now a really relaxed natured bird.. I am head over heels about her!!! I just cant believe how lucky i am that i was offered her to re-home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Currently, I have a red bellied, who was also deemed "vicious" and untamed. That was three years ago, but I decided that I was up for the undertaking, and purchased her. Today, she is so loving, and talks and bobs her head to get our attention. Initially, I was leery about buying her, because the breeder indicated that she has bitten several people who took an interest in her. For some reason, I just could resist and had to have her. That was one of the best decisions I have made, she is such a joy to have around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 You know, when we got Java, she was really nippy, even to me. She is the one who inspired me to read all things about parrots. One of the things I read about that fit her to a tee is that they will "test" newcomers to see if they are worthy of being in the flock. They come from some barren terrain in Ethiopia to Tanzania and perhaps that is what made them evolve to be so careful about the fittest and fiercest flock members. The suggestion was to call the bluff and don't back down. It was hardest on our college age daughter. We moved from Texas to Georgia and got a "vicious" attack bird. LOL. She posted often on facebook about her nemesis. But when I trained my daughter to stand tall and not to back down, everything finally changed and now she kisses Java and calls her "baby bird". She is out on her own now, seven hours away and she asks for pictures of baby bird because she misses her now. Shelly, I am so glad for you to come in to this thread. You are the only other person I have know to have a red bellied parrot. That makes me so happy. We didn't have a breeder, we were new, we were green, we were gullible. Not only did I go against everything in my instincts saying not to buy this bird from a big box pet store.... but we paid more than it would have cost to buy an African grey baby! All I knew is, we were going to get the "Chatterbox" helmet system for our motorcycles that year as our Christmas present and I was happy to give that up to get this little girl out of that environment and I have never regretted it. It was actually my husband's idea to forego all our other Christmas presents to provide a home for Java. We gave up one chatterbox for a whole other sort of chatterbox. Now that I think of it, my husband must have really been desperate to find a way to wiggle out of the opportunity to talk with me while we are riding. LOL. And it only took me five years to figure that out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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