New Year, New Update | Part 1

Hello, again!

      It has been more than a little while since the last entry, chiefly because of my graduate school duties, but in no small part because of the lack of a Blogger app.  My hope for this new year is that I will remain more "on the ball" with my life, and that includes updating you about Cocoa Bean, our findings about mustache parakeets as a breed, and the latest and greatest in the pet parrot community.
     So, in the last four months (oops) lots has happened!  Holidays, shopping, presents, decorations, thank you notes, finals ......  It's no secret that the end of the year usually ends up in a rush to tie up all loose ends.  Beyond these normal activities, Cocoa Bean has been growing and entertaining me and everyone else around him!  Here is a list of updates, with no particular organization:
     - Cocoa Bean decided that pecans rule, almonds drool.  In the matter of a month, he went from loving almonds to LOVING pecans.  Now, whenever he sees a pecan, he runs to it as quick as possible (which is hilarious to watch) and then proceeds to stomp his feet, turn in circles, and say whatever he thinks will get him the pecan the fastest.  On that note, the current phrase for treats is "hmm?" but we are slowly working towards saying "hiiiiiiii" for treats.  Because it is adorable.  So far, it seems that Cocoa gets so excited by the sight of pecans that he can hardly concentrate to say anything.  Maybe pecans aren't the best training tool ...
     - At four years old, Cocoa is now sexually mature, and he knows it!  The list of girlfriends has now grown to remotes, cell phones (if they aren't a chew toy first), (human) feet, food bowls, and sometimes hands.  If he's on the bed and the blankets form a sort of bowl shape, this usually sends Cocoa into an amorous mood.  On occasion, I have noticed that he will act like he is pushing around something before doing his "thing," as if he was rearranging the nesting material.  Additionally, when he is showing off for one of his girlfriends, he has occasionally started to hold out the tops of his wings, like I have seen some IRNs do.  Maybe this is him learning the moves.
     - For the last month, I was fostering an older cockatiel female, and though she and Cocoa never truly bonded or really interacted, they also didn't not get along, and I consider that a win.  The whole month, they did everything they could not to look at each other.  But now that she is no longer in my house, Cocoa seems lonely.  The vet confirmed that mustache parakeets are indeed social eaters, though I couldn't tell over the last month if Cocoa actually ate more than he usually does.  He did act more protective about his food though, watching very closely if she ever came near his food.  No acts of malice were shown at these times though. 

That's it for tonight's update!  Keep an eye out for another next week!

     One of Cocoa Bean's special treats is to sip on a little bit of orange juice.  To keep him from getting too full of sugar, I make sure that he only gets orange juice about once a week, and I try to space out his other sugary treats in much the same way.  On a very lucky week, he might get part of a mini marshmallow on, say, Monday, and a little bit of orange juice on Thursday.  I try to give him peas, orange slices, carrot sticks, and/or apple slices every day, in addition to a bowl of his favorite pellet, and at most a tablespoon of his "treat mix."  This treat mix is a combination of dried fruit and vegetable pieces, nuts, power treats, and a sprinkling of seeds to encourage him to eat.

     I have noticed that Cocoa only eats when he knows someone is at home with him, which means he must see or hear you.  Otherwise, the silly birdy won't touch his food.  I've been working on ways to get him to eat everything he needs during the day so that he can keep a healthy weight.  It is important to keep an eye on your bird's appetite and eating habits.  One of the telltale signs of a sick bird is a drastic change in their appetite, the appearance of their waste, or in their weight.  

     Here is Cocoa Bean showing off his love for orange juice.  It just so happens that shot glasses are the perfect height for him to drink out of - this is no indication or joke about giving a bird alcohol!  A bird should never be given the "giggle juice!" 

     It is officially molting season for Cocoa Bean!  It seems like he has been losing feathers non-stop for the past eight days.  Luckily, it seems like he has been growing new ones just as fast.  With all this out with the old and in with the new business, Cocoa has been extra dusty and just loooooves to have a bath every day.  I can only imagine that simultaneously losing and growing feathers is a very itchy process.  But by the time full spring hits, Cocoa Bean will be the prettiest of all the beansters.

     In all the holiday excitement, I have neglected to record Cocoa Bean's latest adventures: various car rides from school to home and back, new food discoveries (almonds are actually yummy - who knew?!), a bunch of new people to fuss over him, and officially becoming a "mature" adult mustache parakeet ... (he has chosen one of the TV remotes as his "girlfriend").  It's been a bit hectic, but we are working on getting back on a schedule again.  Stay tuned for more in the next week!  Until then, here's Cocoa Bean in all his stubby-tail glory (he lost his two long tail feathers over the holidays and we are hoping they will come back in soon). 

     This post will be devoted to a reminder/cautionary note about your beloved feathered buddy's diet. Recently JoJo, the Mustache Parakeet star of The Lonely Parrot, was diagnosed with Fatty Liver Disease. It is a disease that can severely limit the duration of a parrot's life, and is caused by an all-seed or seed-dominant diet.
     Parrots need a pellet-dominant diet! The pellets are formulated to contain all the special nutrients and proteins that a parrot needs. Seeds are strictly "treat" foods, and should make up no more than 5% of a pet parrot's diet! Fresh fruits and vegetables should be the secondary component of a bird's diet, after the pellet. Seeds and treats should only be given on occasion as a treat.
     Please protect your bird. Contact an avian veterinarian, and discuss your bird's diet with him/her. A veterinarian can work with you to make it easier on your bird to transition to a pellet diet.

     Good day all!
     Apologies for not posting every week like I had planned, but grad school is no joke! Cocoa Bean has been doing well. We have been trying to teach him new phrases but so far he has just substituted "Cocoa Bean is good!" for his usual "Cocoa Bean is pretty!"
     I had planned to discuss a feature of Cocoa's behavior each week, and the next topic I wished to bring up was poop. The children's book "Everybody Poops" is true, and for birds, it seems a lot less controllable than it is for children. However, it is possible to potty-train birds. I have seen many owners with birds that will wait to 'go' until they are no longer on the owner's shoulder or lap. Further, there are other birds whose owners have trained them to 'go' only when they are outside of the cage.
     I have been trying to train Cocoa Bean not to poop while on my shoulder. So far, he seems to have gotten the concept, but only follows through about half the time. The method of training was less actual training and more that he did not want to get his long, beautiful tail in the grossness.
     I believe that with just a few weeks of consistent rewards for going when he is held over the garbage or a towel at the command "poop!" will lead to a fully potty-trained Cocoa Bean.
     Cheers and here's to our silly feathered friends!

     This post will be the first in a series on the behaviors of Mustache parakeets (or at least on those displayed by Cocoa Bean). 

     I am working on videos that display his vocalizations and his movements. Until then, I will be posting photos of his stiller-behaviors. 

     This is a photo of Cocoa Bean sleeping in what I would call the "typical" position ("typical" because it seems that this form is what is most commonly pictured for a sleeping bird). His beak is tucked back under his wing, and though it's impossible to tell in this photo, he has one foot tucked up close to his body. 

     Often, when snoozing on my shoulder or taking short naps, Cocoa Bean will just bow his head, close his eyes, and fall asleep. He sometimes won't even put one foot up (I think as a conscious choice to keep his stability). 

     Side note: please excuse the state of Cocoa Bean's perch. This photo was taken before his cage was cleaned. Furthermore, it is exceedingly hard to get a photo of this bird asleep - he is such a light sleeper!