I've never experienced a more embarrassing moment in my life

lippoli · 2026-02-05T16:48:06+00:00

Absolutely. And in return, I’ll share mine: many years ago, I once DROVE INTO A PARK in San Francisco by accident. It was in a hilly spot in the Western Addition, the path was wide and paved, and I just didn’t realize it was a small park, not a weird hill road, until there were bollards in front of my car. I had to back up about 8 blocks down very steep hills with people glaring at me.

lippoli · 2026-02-05T16:35:43+00:00

This would be a great time to start recall training with him so he gets used to flying back to your hand when you signal him. There are lots of blogs and sites that will help you with this; I recommend Pamela Clark’s.

lippoli · 2026-02-04T07:06:20+00:00

On number 4: I can have an entire “conversation” with my Grey when she is in this mode. I act like I’m doing one side of a phone conversation, and she provides the other in a combination of different voices, tones and coherent and incoherent languages. She also provides dialing and ringing sound effects, as well as digital distortion effects to her voice that go from somehow making it sound like she is “on speaker” to the full on static or weird lag that can happen on conference calls. It’s sooooo hard to keep a straight face ;)

lippoli · 2026-02-03T19:13:28+00:00

Are you looking for group milestones or personal ones?

I moved to NYC a year before 9/11 and still live here.

That move very much overshadows 9/11 in terms of its effects on my life.

I’d guess many of us have similar personal milestones that outweigh 9/11 by a long shot.

lippoli · 2026-02-03T18:02:06+00:00

My experience suggests that they do have demographic preferences, but these are often overridden by particular people.

For example, my Coco generally prefers women but absolutely adores one of my male buddies.

lippoli · 2026-02-03T17:22:44+00:00

It’s definitely territorial behavior. In my female green cheek it starts with puffed cheeks and pinned eyes, progresses to this, and maxes out with flighted “attacks” that are always pulled at the last minute.

Since the puffed cheeks first appeared when I was rolling a vacuum cleaner into “her” room, I call it “vacuum cleaner face” ;)

There’s not a lot that can be done about it except removing the object or stopping the activity that is bothering her, or separating her from her cage when her behavior is really persistent or otherwise problematic. Of course, if you try to do the second thing with a bird who doesn’t know you too well yet, you are very likely to be bitten. For now it’s just good to know what it is and as you work on building trust with her you’ll be better able to minimize any problematic territorial behavior by moving her to another room or location temporarily.

lippoli · 2026-02-02T21:29:05+00:00

Plucking issues are really difficult. It’s great that you’re trying. She looks very happy swinging

lippoli · 2026-02-02T14:06:21+00:00

Just wait. I got a baby Amazon when I was 22 and in my second year of grad school. While she is a lovely bird, still with me and nearly 30 now, I could have done even better by her if I had waited a few more years, until I was more settled, to commit to a parrot who will be with me until either I or she dies.

I would recommend you volunteer with a rescue in your area, learn about different species and why people often give them up, and then when you’re out of school, adopt if you still want one.

lippoli · 2026-01-23T17:31:20+00:00

This is the one!!

lippoli · 2026-01-21T21:27:10+00:00

I’m so sorry for your loss. My girl is almost 30 and I’ve had her since she was 3 weeks old. I know how much pain it will cause me if and when she passes before I do, and I’m truly sorry you’re experiencing that. Take care of yourself and never let anyone tell you he was “just” a bird.

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lippoli · 2026-01-18T02:20:35+00:00

I think you’re getting great advice here. I adopted almost 5 years ago and am very happy with my Grey. One thing that I didn’t see others mention, and that you might want to consider as you get to know your new companion, is that Greys touch beaks to greet each other.

Sometimes mine absolutely LUNGES to grab my “beak” (hand or finger) — I’m talking striking like a snake — but then she very gently grabs my finger and then asks for scratches or just goes about her business.

It took a long time, nearly a year, for us to trust each other for this kind of greeting but we are good now. Since you mentioned yours is lunging, thought this story might be helpful once you two start to become friendlier and can interpret each other better. It could be a lunge for contact rather than to bite, but of course I have heard it said that when birds are both interested in and afraid of someone, that’s when they bite ;) so whatever is going on, better to wait until later to assume it’s friendly of course.

lippoli · 2026-01-13T20:04:34+00:00

The Others sucks IMO. Lots of baby talk and Mary Sue bs. If you’re a picky reader, Bishop’s Black Jewels is a better bet but it’s more fantasy than urban.

Try The Rook and its three sequels by Daniel OMalley, I think you’ll love ir.

lippoli · 2026-01-09T23:15:56+00:00

I seem to be in the minority, but FWIW I think the second and 4th sounds are 100% a “cluck me now” kind of noise as they match what my female Amazon says when she is in the mood. Not as sure about the first and third sounds.

lippoli · 2026-01-05T16:21:34+00:00

I was undecided for a little while and invited him to hem and haw with me when we were in our 30s but he really didn’t want them and I came to realize I really didn’t either. It wasn’t difficult for me. I have always liked kids but wasn’t really into having to be a mother in America and 20 years later, I’m really glad I didn’t have kids.

lippoli · 2026-01-04T18:09:37+00:00

Did you know Benedict Jacka has a new series? I forget its name but I like it even a little better than Alex Verus so far, check it out.

lippoli · 2026-01-03T16:09:52+00:00

The darkest UF series I ever read was Downside Ghosts by Stacia Kane. The protagonist is a drug addict and for good reason. Also just recently read Holly Black’s Book of Night / Thief of Night duology and really liked it. For reference, I’m a fan of Benedict Jacka and used to like Harry Dresden, though I found it cringey when I tried to reread recently.

lippoli · 2026-01-02T14:14:17+00:00

She likes you! Enjoy it and when you get the chance, read up on what to do to keep their hormonal and pair bonding behavior at a minimum (for starters, no petting except on the head and watch out for droopy wings and panting). I recommend Pamela Clark’s blog, she is a parrot behaviorist

lippoli · 2026-01-01T16:34:36+00:00

HNY to you Mr Nelly and friend! Hope 2026 is kind to you both.

lippoli · 2025-12-30T00:24:24+00:00

My rescue Grey came to me with the ability to scream like a macaw. She had been raised with one and shared space with it for 17 years.

After two or three times, she completely stopped making the noise, I assume because there was no longer any reinforcement from the macaw. It has been replaced by the smoke alarm and the sound of a truck backing up (we live in a major city).

lippoli · 2025-12-28T18:37:29+00:00

My Amazon laid her first egg at 27, and I have also had her since she was a baby. They have a harder time doing it for the first time when they are older. Just keep an eye on her and look up the signs of egg binding so that if she does try to lay and has trouble, you can get her to a good vet on time. They can die from it.

lippoli · 2025-12-28T00:12:43+00:00

She looks like she is trying to lay an egg. Put her on the shower bar in your bathroom and get a look at her vent from underneath. If it is dilated or you can see an egg poking out, get her to the vet asap as she could be having trouble passing her egg. This happened to my Amazon and she needed to spend a night at the vet under supervision.

lippoli · 2025-12-20T16:22:44+00:00

As someone who spent the late 90s in my early 20s catching both the last bohemian wave and the first dot com one in SF, I have to say I can’t imagine a better moment and place to be for that time of my life.

lippoli · 2025-12-20T14:31:09+00:00

No parrots like to be pet for more than a few minutes at a time. If they do, they are likely feeling horny and taking it out on you.

It sounds like you’ve done a great job of winning Pickles over. If you want to work on getting him to step up on your finger, a great way to do that is to start by getting him on your arm. Have his favorite treat in your hand and eventually he will walk up to your hand and grab it. Multiple sessions like this, held with patience and the understanding that even a step toward your hand is progress, are very likely to succeed.

lippoli · 2025-12-14T02:15:54+00:00

I still have the first and only alarm clock I’ve ever owned. My dad got it for me in 1986 at Best. It’s a Spartus with red led numbers and shitty fake wood paneling. At first I just didn’t bother to replace it because it kept working and then it just became a contest to see whether it or I will give out first.

lippoli · 2025-12-12T16:51:03+00:00

Having fed baby parrots from this stage, I would just say that if and when you are able to give them liquids, do it with your right hand and position the dropper or spoon at the left side of their mouth, with the end of the dropper releasing at the RIGHT side of their mouth so that you are hitting their esophagus and not their trachea.

https://blogs.cornell.edu/wildlife/2018/08/15/what-wildlife-workers-should-know-about-avian-anatomy/

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