Tag Archives: cockatiel

(This post is for two of Pearl’s greatest fans, Erin Ferguson Young and Jason Young.) The question on the table today is – just how excited DOES Pearl get when I toast up his daily waffle? Even if you discount the very reliable preset daily alarm (approximately 30 minutes of shrieking at escalating volume toContinueContinue reading “The Great Waffle Descent”

There are few things more enticing to a cockatiel than things that crunch. Except maybe for things that shine. If crunchy things also shine, or shiny things also crunch, so much the better.    

If Pearl had to choose a favorite electronic device, it would be my MacBook Pro, hands down. Recently, however, a new contender has risen to the challenge. Which just offers more proof that in any species, the males simply MUST have command of the remote.

Like any discriminating diner, Pearl enjoys baked goods. Sweet, savory, fluffy, crunchy…..carbohydrates are a growing bird’s best friend. Clearly.

Getting a cockatiel fed is a marvel of timing and logistics. For starters, cockatiels are very smart. They recognize patterns quickly, and they can anticipate what is about to unfold. Eagerly. To compound the challenge, cockatiels are anything but subtle. If they want something, there is no reason to hang back. Either you will giveContinueContinue reading “Subtlety is Overrated”

We’ve already covered mutual admiration (this is a state that most frequently occurs when Pearl encounters another cockatiel, or Grandpa, aka the “Tall Tree”). Appreciating the admiration of others is always in a cockatiel’s repertoire. But my little overachiever takes it one step further. He is perfectly capable of admiring himself when no one elseContinueContinue reading “Mutual (Self) Admiration Society”

I never have had any aspirations of running a day spa. Nor am I likely to ever get paid for my services, though they are much in demand these days. My single, (very) satisfied, (frequent) repeat customer is continually teaching me what I need to learn in order to master the art of avian massage.ContinueContinue reading “The Art of the (Avian) Massage”

“Bird Sense: What It’s Like to be a Bird” by Tim Birkhead is the book I have been waiting for since I was seven years old. I am 42 now. So I only had to wait 35 years to get my question answered. Bonus. Even after reading “Bird Sense”, however, it is still challenging toContinueContinue reading “Bird Sense”

Into every avian life difficult choices sometimes fall. Like, for instance, the choice between editing Mommy’s computer document (Mom clearly needs the help and pecking the computer keys is great fun): And the always all-time favorite waffle:

My little feathered dude’s got moves. I suspect he trained Madonna. But unlike most celebrities, Pearl doesn’t suffer from shyness, stage fright, or any of those other all-too-common potential career-enders. And talk about range. He reminds me of the octopus-headed singer lady from the movie “The Fifth Element”. From subterranean to supersonic, Pearl elevates chirpingContinueContinue reading “Strike a Pose”