Joe Wizzard is amazing. He has eighty-six parrots and cockatoos of nearly every variety. He cooks perfectly blended meals for them twice a day. He personally cleans every cage, sometimes twice a day. The food and water in their cages is changed 3 times a day. Joe has cages indoors for sleeping and outside cages for their daily dose of sun. What amazes me about Joe is that he is able to train each parrot and socialize them every day! Joe weighs each bird, takes extensive notes on their condition, checks their poop several times a day, and has every detail recorded on his computer. This information is shared over the Internet with is primary care Avian veterinarian. He does all this and holds down a regular job too!
Mr. Wizzard does it all. He never puts circumstances in his own life before the needs of the birds in his care. Joe Wizzard never fails to accomplish the tasks of the day.
Joe Wizzard doesn’t exit; he is pure fiction. No one can do everything just right where parrots are concerned. It is not just the amount of work involved and the level of dedication that makes it so. We do not have the information at hand to do the job. Science has made strides in the last few decades but they are limited. There is little funding for projects that involve studying psittacines. There is no financial payoff for conducting research on parrots.
So, if there was a Mr. Wizzard, he would not have all the facts that he needed to care for birds. He would make mistakes because of our ignorance, the ignorance of the human race.
How ignorant are we? Most of the research on psychology that has been done is summarized in the book “The Manual of Parrot Behavior.” The study of their physiology can be found in “The BSAVA Manual for Psittacine Birds” and also in “Clinical Avian Medicine.” What strikes you after studying these books is how little we know. Although there is a wealth of information in these scientific tomes the holes in our knowledge are obvious to any discerning reader. There is no cure for PDB, no cure for PDD, no psychiatric drugs developed for psittacines, no successful protocol for feather destructive behavior and so on. Clinical studies have proven that flighted birds who are raised by their parents, for example, do not suffer from many of the functional misbehaviors that we see in captive birds. This study was done on only one species, though. The funding for future studies with other species will probably not appear. Limited funds limit our knowledge. If parrots had landed from outer space we would probably know more about them; the world would want answers.
Another problem is that Joe Wizzard would be a predator. We humans have problems internalizing the needs of prey animals. We find it difficult to understand why a corner spot in a room provides a sense of security to a parrot. We don’t understand the urge to fly away from danger; we are stuck in lives where the danger of losing our jobs and relationships is a daily worry. We live in this and believe it to be a normal way of life. Parrots would choose to fly away from problems at once.
Our preoccupation with survival is foreign to them. They live out their lives in the forests as they have for hundreds of millions of years. Like juvenile delinquent sun worshippers they great the day and squawk at its passing; they live as a community (the palm cockatoo and the eclectus are exceptions) that keeps them safe and gives their lives meaning. The own their world. We must trudge off to work to pay the bills and leave them imprisoned for their safety.
Joe Wizzard would not have time to train eighty-six birds a day. That comes out to over 14 hours in training alone at 10 minutes per bird! We hear clocks ticking in our mind. Time to do this, time to do that, running out of time, I do not have time for you now—these consume us. Birds do not see life that way. They live each moment and milk it for everything they can get.
The bonds of love in our world are weak. Divorce rates are over fifty percent. In their world commitment is understood and honored. There is not a parrot or cockatoo in the world that would not die for its mate and that includes human “mates.”
Because of our limitations our care for our companions will also be limited. We will need to give them less than what they deserve. At times we will need to rush out the door to some urgency that only a human could feel. At times we will be sick or too tired to carry out all the duties that make a parrot’s life a happy one.
What do we do when we are not able to perform all of our duties? That is a good question to ask yourself. Establishing priorities is the practical way to handle this.
For example, when choosing between changing the water and changing the food—water is the clear winner. Bacteria grows amazingly fast in water. Food will get stale and mold will begin to form during the day. Where food is concerned when pressed, you can sprinkle new food over old and change the bowls when you get home. This should not be common practice, though. If you can organize your life better then you will rarely need to cut corners. The corners that you do cut will be well planned when emergencies arise.
One example of a time saver is changing the paper and cleaning the cage at night. This gives you the opportunity to make the morning routine go faster. If the paper looks too soiled in the morning you can quickly change it because you have cleaned the cage well the night before.
If you have so many errands that you get home late then let your bird stay up with you for a while. If they are used to going to bed earlier do not let that be your guide. Social interaction is more important than sleep in this case. Again, this should not be a habit. They do need 10 to 12 hours of sleep regularly. Without proper companionship, though, they will fall into psychosis or neurosis.
Training your bird for 10 minutes a day should not be a problem. If it is then do it 3 or 4 times a week but be as consistent as possible. This is precious time with your bird. You can plan to do it 7 days a week but settle for 3 or 4 days when the world comes knocking at your door taking your time.
Educating yourself about psittacines is important. I cannot stress this enough. Without learning about our winged friends we will certainly make more mistakes. Good Bird Magazine is a great way to do this. It comes out 4 times a year and the articles are some of the best in the field. If you have limited time to study then this is a first choice solution. If you get more time then you should find time to start reading the books on our suggested list. Coming to Beak Speak is a great way to learn, too.
Even with just one bird Joe Wizzard would fall short of the ideal. We will fall short. What is important is that we do so consciously. If we are aware of our failings then we focus on what is most important and see that we do the best that we can under our circumstances. The worst thing that we can do is to say “I will do better tomorrow” when in fact we do not know that we can. This is little more than wishful thinking at times. Be honest with yourself. Plan your time wisely. Be sure to honestly evaluate what you can do and set your priorities based on the real needs of your parrot or cockatoo. Think health and safety first, and social interaction a close second. If at first you do not succeed then reevaluate and plan again.
Joe did everything himself. The truth is that without the assistance of others we will be unable to carry out our daily chores. Even the most dedicated person needs friends and supporters on their side. There are times when we will be need hands and hearts to help us with our flock.
You will never be Joe Wizzard. Face that fact. Do not hide from your shortcomings. Plan for those days when your best intentions are thwarted by circumstances. Knowing the priorities for your bird’s welfare will help you make the right choices. To quote a line from Terms of Endearment, “Hope for the best but plan for the worst.” Make both a best case scenario and a worst case one. You will feel better about yourself and your winged companion will be happier that you did.
Mr. Wizzard does it all. He never puts circumstances in his own life before the needs of the birds in his care. Joe Wizzard never fails to accomplish the tasks of the day.
Joe Wizzard doesn’t exit; he is pure fiction. No one can do everything just right where parrots are concerned. It is not just the amount of work involved and the level of dedication that makes it so. We do not have the information at hand to do the job. Science has made strides in the last few decades but they are limited. There is little funding for projects that involve studying psittacines. There is no financial payoff for conducting research on parrots.
So, if there was a Mr. Wizzard, he would not have all the facts that he needed to care for birds. He would make mistakes because of our ignorance, the ignorance of the human race.
How ignorant are we? Most of the research on psychology that has been done is summarized in the book “The Manual of Parrot Behavior.” The study of their physiology can be found in “The BSAVA Manual for Psittacine Birds” and also in “Clinical Avian Medicine.” What strikes you after studying these books is how little we know. Although there is a wealth of information in these scientific tomes the holes in our knowledge are obvious to any discerning reader. There is no cure for PDB, no cure for PDD, no psychiatric drugs developed for psittacines, no successful protocol for feather destructive behavior and so on. Clinical studies have proven that flighted birds who are raised by their parents, for example, do not suffer from many of the functional misbehaviors that we see in captive birds. This study was done on only one species, though. The funding for future studies with other species will probably not appear. Limited funds limit our knowledge. If parrots had landed from outer space we would probably know more about them; the world would want answers.
Another problem is that Joe Wizzard would be a predator. We humans have problems internalizing the needs of prey animals. We find it difficult to understand why a corner spot in a room provides a sense of security to a parrot. We don’t understand the urge to fly away from danger; we are stuck in lives where the danger of losing our jobs and relationships is a daily worry. We live in this and believe it to be a normal way of life. Parrots would choose to fly away from problems at once.
Our preoccupation with survival is foreign to them. They live out their lives in the forests as they have for hundreds of millions of years. Like juvenile delinquent sun worshippers they great the day and squawk at its passing; they live as a community (the palm cockatoo and the eclectus are exceptions) that keeps them safe and gives their lives meaning. The own their world. We must trudge off to work to pay the bills and leave them imprisoned for their safety.
Joe Wizzard would not have time to train eighty-six birds a day. That comes out to over 14 hours in training alone at 10 minutes per bird! We hear clocks ticking in our mind. Time to do this, time to do that, running out of time, I do not have time for you now—these consume us. Birds do not see life that way. They live each moment and milk it for everything they can get.
The bonds of love in our world are weak. Divorce rates are over fifty percent. In their world commitment is understood and honored. There is not a parrot or cockatoo in the world that would not die for its mate and that includes human “mates.”
Because of our limitations our care for our companions will also be limited. We will need to give them less than what they deserve. At times we will need to rush out the door to some urgency that only a human could feel. At times we will be sick or too tired to carry out all the duties that make a parrot’s life a happy one.
What do we do when we are not able to perform all of our duties? That is a good question to ask yourself. Establishing priorities is the practical way to handle this.
For example, when choosing between changing the water and changing the food—water is the clear winner. Bacteria grows amazingly fast in water. Food will get stale and mold will begin to form during the day. Where food is concerned when pressed, you can sprinkle new food over old and change the bowls when you get home. This should not be common practice, though. If you can organize your life better then you will rarely need to cut corners. The corners that you do cut will be well planned when emergencies arise.
One example of a time saver is changing the paper and cleaning the cage at night. This gives you the opportunity to make the morning routine go faster. If the paper looks too soiled in the morning you can quickly change it because you have cleaned the cage well the night before.
If you have so many errands that you get home late then let your bird stay up with you for a while. If they are used to going to bed earlier do not let that be your guide. Social interaction is more important than sleep in this case. Again, this should not be a habit. They do need 10 to 12 hours of sleep regularly. Without proper companionship, though, they will fall into psychosis or neurosis.
Training your bird for 10 minutes a day should not be a problem. If it is then do it 3 or 4 times a week but be as consistent as possible. This is precious time with your bird. You can plan to do it 7 days a week but settle for 3 or 4 days when the world comes knocking at your door taking your time.
Educating yourself about psittacines is important. I cannot stress this enough. Without learning about our winged friends we will certainly make more mistakes. Good Bird Magazine is a great way to do this. It comes out 4 times a year and the articles are some of the best in the field. If you have limited time to study then this is a first choice solution. If you get more time then you should find time to start reading the books on our suggested list. Coming to Beak Speak is a great way to learn, too.
Even with just one bird Joe Wizzard would fall short of the ideal. We will fall short. What is important is that we do so consciously. If we are aware of our failings then we focus on what is most important and see that we do the best that we can under our circumstances. The worst thing that we can do is to say “I will do better tomorrow” when in fact we do not know that we can. This is little more than wishful thinking at times. Be honest with yourself. Plan your time wisely. Be sure to honestly evaluate what you can do and set your priorities based on the real needs of your parrot or cockatoo. Think health and safety first, and social interaction a close second. If at first you do not succeed then reevaluate and plan again.
Joe did everything himself. The truth is that without the assistance of others we will be unable to carry out our daily chores. Even the most dedicated person needs friends and supporters on their side. There are times when we will be need hands and hearts to help us with our flock.
You will never be Joe Wizzard. Face that fact. Do not hide from your shortcomings. Plan for those days when your best intentions are thwarted by circumstances. Knowing the priorities for your bird’s welfare will help you make the right choices. To quote a line from Terms of Endearment, “Hope for the best but plan for the worst.” Make both a best case scenario and a worst case one. You will feel better about yourself and your winged companion will be happier that you did.
