Winston, the Alexandrine Parrot

I am an escapee. Flew into someone's backyard, so they put me in a small cage with one perch, no toys and they fed me only black oil sunflower seeds. I lived like this for 9 months until my new mom adopted me and took me home.

First thing I did was eat a banana, then grapes, apples, and toast with peanut butter. I believe I am in heaven! My new Mom looked at my leg band and found out I was 5 yrs old. But the breeder ID was not registered anywhere. So I hope I am here to stay. I have 2 new friends, Raven a 13 yr old sun conure and Amadeus a 10 yr old Goffins cockatoo.

Those 2 birds have taught me a lot about stuff. How to make new noises and how to shred and play with all these toys in my big new cage. My mom is so happy that I am happy, at first she was nervous about the kisses I offered, after all my beak is RED and BIG, but she found out I am gentle and don't even know how to bite. Soon I will have some pictures of myself to look at.

January 2007

   Mom figured out how to get my pic uploaded! Maybe she can figure out how to add Raven & Amadeus, too. I have a new big swing near the kitchen, lots of toys are hanging on it and we get lots of attention and treats while mom prepares meals. But once she starts cooking, back to the cages we go. When Raven was a baby in 1994 she jumped into a warm frying pan, she's such a pig when she sees food, so ever since then none of us birds are allowed in the kitchen when she's cooking. But after supper we each get a dish of something, my favorite is potatoe, chicken, carrots, peas, squash, rice, steak....well guess I'm a piggy, too!

   You will never believe this but we found out where Winston came from!! I was at a Christmas party, here in a very small town where I drive a school bus. One of the other drivers and I met and were talking about how many pets we had. She had a macaw, dogs, cats, goat etc. I told her I had 3 parrots, a dog and 3 hens. She asked what kind of parrots, I said Conure, Cockatoo and Alexandrine (winston). Then she told me she used to have an Alexandrine but he escaped his outdoor cage and flew away. Get out! I said, Winston is a runaway. Well, we figured out he is the same bird. He flew 10 miles to the people, I got him from.

   She had also rescued him from a family who didn't want him anymore. She had him for 3 months. So his first name was Duke, then Joey, them Charlie and now he is Winston. I keep him clipped and he's found a home for good! I have been blessed with this gentle sweet bird. He loves kisses and hugs and he even takes showers with me on Amadeus' PVC shower perch.  See ya later.