Susan Copple, the pet room coordinator at Zamzows, said there are a few things to consider if you have never had a bird and are thinking about getting one. Here are some of her tips:
Whether you're thinking about getting a singing canary or a talking parrot, you'll need to do some research. For instance, male canaries make better warblers. Copple said you can talk to the bird experts at Zamzows. "We'll help you do the research or help you get started."
Bird owners are other good resources and can help you decide what kind of bird to get.
How much time can you spend with your bird? A larger bird like Henry the parrot needs a lot of human interaction. "He would be good with someone who could stay at home all the time," Copple said. "You have to treat larger birds like a child - they want your attention." Smaller breeds can be alone during the day and do just fine. "Little finches basically stay in their cage and do fine with less than five minutes of interaction a day."
If you're thinking of getting a bird because you're allergic to cat dander or dog hair, be aware that you can be allergic to birds, too. "Some have more dander than others," Copple said.
If you get a bird, never take it outside, and keep your bird's wings trimmed. Idaho weather is not good for exotic birds.
You also need to be careful indoors. For instance, if you heat a Teflon-coated skillet, the fumes can poison your bird. Caffeine and avocados also are poisonous to birds.
The Congo African grey parrot can develop a 1,200 word vocabulary, but don't be discouraged if your "talking" bird doesn't talk at first. Until they're about a year old, they're secret talkers, Copple said. "We call them closet talkers."
If you want your cockatiel to talk, look for a chattering young male and keep him in a cage by himself, Copple said.
Never put a mirror in the bird's cage. "They fall in love with the bird in the mirror," Copple said.
You don't have to spend a fortune to get a talking bird, cage, toys, food and all. Parakeets are $19.99. A cockatiel and a cage go for about $200, and a complete setup for a Quaker parakeet ($299.99 for the bird) is about $500.
If you got a wolf-whistle or a pinch on the bottom at work, you'd probably report the perpetrator, who, at the very least, would be fired - or worse. Susan Copple endures such activity daily, and loves it.
"It's an ego-boost," Copple, also known as "The Bird Lady," says with a smile. Copple works at Zamzows as the pet room coordinator and has overseen hundreds of birds over the past 20 years.
Ornery Henry, a 5-month-old Congo African grey parrot, "one of the smartest birds you can get," is her latest charge.
"He'll sneak up behind you and pinch your bottom now and then or play with your hair," she says, laughing. Sometimes he barks like a dog or "rings like a phone. And he talks in both a man's voice and a woman's voice. He'll say 'whatcha doin?' "
Henry arrived at Zamzows when he was about 12 weeks old. As with most of the exotic birds, he was hand-fed and doted on from the beginning by Copple and her staff.
"I make them come out and give hugs and kisses," she said. "They're mad at me if I don't. They all have their own personalities. Some are just cuddlebugs; others are more outgoing."
HOME BIRDIES
At home, Copple has Jack, a cockatiel that didn't know he was a bird. He learned how to talk before he knew how to chirp. He has a 20- to 30-word vocabulary, and when he first tried to woo a lady bird friend, he leaned over and whispered: "whatcha doin, baby - give me a big kiss." Jack likes to sit down and eat popcorn with Susan's husband and to play on the floor with her youngest son, Gavin, 11. "Jack will toss his army men around."
Jack says, "Hey, come here," does the Andy Griffith whistle, the da-da-da-da- CHARGE! and makes up his own songs," Copple said. "He likes to chase the fingers up and down while my children play the piano," she said.
Copple used to have an African grey named Chico who liked to trick family members.
"He would actually call my daughter into the room: 'Katie come here.' She'd come into the room in her walker and then he'd yell, 'Get out of here!' "
Chico had been a trucker's bird and had a bad word vocabulary, Copple said. "We couldn't train the bad words out."
Chico's fate was sealed the day Copple's father-in-law came to visit. He was a member of the clergy, Copple said.
"It didn't go over well. Chico had to go."
Copple found Chico a home where his vocabulary wasn't such an issue.
BIRD FAQS
Copple said parrots and some of the other exotic birds can be lifelong members of any family. While Henry is only a baby now, he could easily live to be 75 to 100 years old. "A lot of birds are left in wills," Copple said.
Contrary to popular belief, birds and dogs - and even cats - can live in harmony under the same roof, Copple said. Especially with the larger birds - the cats actually respect them. "They take one look at their beak "
It boils down to a case of pet personalities. Copple said she once had a golden retriever who would let Jack the cockatiel ride on his back. But the dog she has now, Bruno, another golden retriever - "I wouldn't trust him for a minute. You know, they're like a big squeaky toy."
Copple said exotic birds are no longer imported; they all come from local breeders and they are usually very young - just weeks old - when they first arrive at Zamzows for hand-training and hand-feeding, essential to their development.
When they are old enough, they're ready to go to their new home.
For cockatiels, that can be as early as eight weeks; for bigger birds, like Henry, the process could take twice as long. "The larger the bird, the longer it takes," Copple said.
"We try to match up families, pets and people, but there's always the few that tug at your heart. It's hard to see them go," she said.
'THEY'RE LIKE KIDS'
Copple said the funniest bird she ever had was an African Senegal parrot named Lucy. Lucy was a big tease.
She was about 10 weeks old and went home with a family who had a dog. Lucy and the dog didn't like each other, and Lucy would torment and tease the dog non-stop. "She was basically sticking her tongue out at the dog," Copple said.
It got so bad, the owners had to return Lucy.
The bird came back to the store with her newly honed skills and began taunting and teasing customers.
"She would make kissy noises to get attention, but it was just a ploy. Then she would go after fingers and noses. She was just twisted," Copple said, laughing. Lucy never hurt anyone, "she just had that tormenting, teasing side to her. She was my little girl," Copple said. "She liked to be rocked and would put herself to bed in her seed dish - upside down with her feet in the air. She was just a prankster."
Lucy finally fell in love with a customer and her husband and settled in to her new home.
Copple, who knows each bird that comes in, says they all have a temperament of about a 2- or 3-year old and "if they misbehave, they go on a time out. They look to you as a parent and they think of you as their family."
Only once did she have a bad bird experience. A macaw took an instant dislike to Copple and attacked her, pecking her on top of her head. "He literally dug the beak in and took a little bit of a chunk."
Copple said to be respectful if you go up to a bird. "They don't want you poking your hands into their house," she said. Plus, those beaks can be pretty formidable. "Don't stick your finger in - the larger birds can snap a bone."
Jeanne Huff: 377-6483
