How for 4 years I thought my parrot was male.
The story of me and my parrot started like many. I wanted company, begged by parents for a pet, realized our home was too small to offer a dog comfort, and resorted to have a parrot.
As for how I came to choose Paw out of the many colorful birds dancing for attention? It was because she flew up to me and pooped on my coat. Just kidding, but this definitely caught my attention. She was medium sized, only 6 months old, and one colorful bird.
The owner kept emphasizing that she was a boy, something I didn’t quite take notice of until after I started doing research on the keeping of parrots. I found out that male parrots are 1–2 inches bigger, are more colorful, and can mimic talking more accurately. The difference is not drastic, but males do get sold at a slightly higher price. Paw being the only parrot of her kind in the shop was another reason why we were so easily fooled.
So when did we realize Paw was actually a girl? It was when she was nearly 5 years old. (A side note, lorikeets like Paw average 25–30 years of life, so 5 years for a female is like first period) It all happened very sudden. My mother found an egg in her nest, very dirty, and glued slightly with feathers. Imagine our confusion seeing our claimed boy lay an egg!
From the many years I spent with Paw, I was always learning new things. I looked up ways to entertain her, and she taught me to read what she meant by ruffling her feathers or sticking out her tongue. It’s just like those tragic love stories. I was taught how to love by Paw, yet she is no longer there for me to love. That’s why I’m sharing our story! In hopes of helping more newbie parrot lovers like I was.
I would very much appreciate responses!!! ❤️
