In January 1998, I bought my first parrot, Jericho. Jericho is a beautiful sun conure. He was about 3 months old when I bought him. In September of 1999, I bought Chyna, Jericho's now-bonded mate. Chyna is around the same age as Jericho, maybe a little older.

There are many different species of conures, but suns are definitely the most stunning in color. Suns have bright orange and yellow faces and bellies, and their wings are bright yellow and green. Their long tails are mixed with beautiful deep blues and greens. Sun conures are also one of the loudest of the conures.

Baby Monet

My next parrot was a much larger species of parrot. In July, 2000, a gorgeous blue and gold macaw became the newest member of my family and the love of my life. Blue and gold macaws grow to be about 3 feet in length and anywhere from 900 - 1500 grams in weight. My first feathered baby, who I named "Monet," was 10 weeks old when he came to live with me.

Monet was still being hand-fed, and I desperately wanted to learn how to hand feed parrots, mainly in case Chyna & Jericho ever lay fertile eggs. I learned how to hand feed under the supervision of a man named Brian. Brian owns a local pet shop that specializes in baby birds. I initially learned how to hand feed with a syringe, but I preferred to feed Monet by the method that uses a cup. I think both Monet and myself benefited from using this method. It gave Monet a chance to taste his food, eat at his own pace, and it gave us a great chance to bond.

Monet eating with a spoon

Unweaned babies should never be sold to someone inexperienced with hand feeding. If fed improperly, parrots can actually die. The formula can enter the lungs, causing suffocation or pneumonia. Also, if fed at the incorrect temperature, the formula could burn the crop if too hot, or cause sour crop if served too cold. Hand feeding is a very precise process and should never be attempted by someone who has no experience in this unless under direct supervision of an experienced hand feeder.

Weaning can also be a very difficult and stressful process for the bird. Fortunately, Monet was exceptionally easy to wean, which certainly is not typical. At about 14 weeks of age, he simply started refusing his morning feedings and was happy with his selection of fresh fruits and veggies, pellets, seeds, and nuts. Within another couple of weeks, he began refusing his evening feedings. Soon, he was completely weaned. Weaning is rarely this easy, but Monet is a very independent well-adjusted parrot who has a mind of his own. Monet has his very own web page.

A pair of hyacinths at the Parrot Jungle in Miami, FL

Since Monet came into my life, I have fallen in love with macaws. Dali joined our family in January, 2001. Dali is a camelot macaw, which is a hybrid of a scarlet and a catalina. He was 40 days old when he first came home. Now Monet and Dali are the best of friends. I can't even imagine my life without them. Dali has his very own web page.

Macaws, of course, are the largest of all parrots. Many people are intimidated by their size and strength, but I say, "The bigger the better." Someday, I would love to have a whole house full of macaws. My dream macaw is the Hyacinth macaw. These are the largest of all macaws and they are absolutely breathtaking. Hyacinths are a brilliant cobalt blue with yellow ringed eyes, about 4 feet in length, and approximately 1500-2000 grams in weight. They have a wonderful temperament and make sweet, playful companions. They are also very expensive and can be found for anywhere between $4,000 - $10,000 each. Their species is endangered and in great threat in the wild. Their conservation is a cause that I greatly support.

Besides having their own individual web pages, Monet & Dali also share a web page together.

Click here to view many different movie clips of Monet & Dali.

You can find a lot more information on parrot ownership and parrot rescue at several of my parrot info links. There are many parrot organizations and rescues that I support and believe in their causes. If you are interested in learning more about parrots, helping to support some wonderful organizations, or even finding parrot products, please check out the links by clicking here.