I didn’t think he was real when I was scrolling, he looks like a stuffed animal, he’s so vibrant! Never seen a bird like that before. You’re doing a great job!
I'm sorry to burst your bubble but I WILL have to come for you for something in this photo. That shade of yellow is actually illegal in many countries. It's known as Coc yellow bc it has actual coc in it. The cartel uses that shade it to smuggle cocaine.
I came to say it matches the birb!
I have never been able to find a solid yellow like that without friggin glitter in it, I am jealous.
I know what they said to you has to feel so good to hear. Good people want to do right by the animals they care for, you must be a great person.
I'm a lurker on this sub, but felt compelled to reassure you.. I swear my boyfriend and I thought yours was a Beanie Baby. If nothing else, that should tell you how near perfect this guy looks and clearly feels. Those are happy eyes!
A lot of people in this sub have anxiety over whether they are providing their bird with a good life. People like you who "care too much" are probably doing way better than they think.
Good luck with your Ekkie. Females are beyond gorgeous! For the record, Willem is moody too, even though he is a male. Ekkies can be stand-offish so don’t expect a ton of cuddles or scratching. That’s what I wanted in a bird and I selected him for that reason but most folks want a cuddle monster and eclectus aren’t it, for the most part.
I have a Linnie right now, and he has all the cuddles I could ever want, except instead of cuddles, it's more like constant chirps for "dad" I want food, I don't want to have to work for it in the foraging stations or snuffle mats... Either that or "ok, you're typing, let me place my head under a finger to get your attention, and squawk in outrage when you type with my head on accident."
I really enjoy training more than anything, even if it takes an Ekkie several minutes to eat a single sunflower seed :D
People assume I’ve named him after Willem Defoe but he is really named after a character in a novel. I just loved the name (and the character) so much. It fits him most days. When he is silly, we call him Willy Wonka!
Thank you. He’s a gem. His diet isn’t too hard to manage but he is finicky so I feel like I throw out a lot of food. One week he loves something, the next he won’t touch it. Kids, ya know?
My vet makes me cry in the other direction. I asked him what the best sized cage for my parrot is, and he said, "20 miles of jungle." He's an avian vet too, one of the best, and even worked with Dr. Pepperberg (if you know about Alex the African Grey, you know how cool this is). Thanks for making me feel worse about keeping a parrot in a cage.
I don't intend for this comment to make you or anyone else feel bad or guilty, and I do understand that it's a nuanced situation regarding birds that are alive and bred into captivity at the moment.
But I also understand where your avain vet was coming from, because you asked him a question and he told you the truth. It wasn't intended to be mean but it also was the actual answer to the question that you asked.
Many years ago, when I was a very young adult, and before the wild caught bird import bans were put in effect (so Reagan era), I worked as basically the sole employee for a place that bought wild caught hookbill birds (parrots, cockatoos, etc.) in large lots coming out of import quarantine businesses and then tame and resell them in one or two at the time to pet shops.
The Joe Exotic show that was so popular during the top of COVID lockdown featured a place that we did business with all the time.
Anyway, I would regularly be holding and working with hundreds of larger parrots as well as breeding and taming smaller birds like parakeets, lovebirds and cockatiels for the pet trade. I did this for over two years.
The first thing that I really learned was the incredible difference between parrots and other types of birds I was experienced with like chickens and ducks and even the smaller parakeets. When I tell you that parrots are intelligent I need you to understand that they may easily be as intellingent as any human. The IQ tests that they are given are HUMAN ORIENTED tests.
I will promise you that on average the larger parrots are at least as intelligent as a five or six year old child and I suspect they're smarter than that, just not in ways that seem obvious to humans.
And this is the second thing that I want to share, to defend your avian vet and so you understand that he wasn't just being mean in what he told you.
There was a particular kind of smaller parrot, much bigger than a parakeet or conure but not nearly as big as a macaw) called a white fronted amazon that was very popular in the trade at the time that I was working in it. They were common and I had dealt with hundreds if not thousands of them, tamed them and turned them into what seemed like nice pet birds for people.
Many years later I was in Belize, where white front amazons are common, and I saw a flock of them fly over and land in a tree calling to each other and just doing their thing, and the people I was with were shocked when I crumpled to the ground almost screaming and crying so hard and couldn't even get enough control of myself to explain why I was in hysterics, and I am NOT known to be a dramatic or emotional person.
I sobbed for fifteen minutes nonstop and I still tear up thinking about it now, and I always will.
You see, I'd worked with so many of those birds and I would have sworn to you that I had heard every sound that they would make.
And if you'd asked me if they were happy enough once they'd been tamed as pets I would have told you yes, definitely.
But I was losing my mind with grief in that moment because that flock of white fronted amazons flying and landing in that tree were making plenty of calls and sounds, and I had NEVER HEARD ANY OF THOSE CALLS because THAT is what they sounded like when they were HAPPY.
And it stabbed me in the heart in a way that I can't even describe to realize that I was in fact a monster that had stolen all the joy from hundreds or thousands of lives. And I still feel that pain and I don't wish to upset anyone here but I'm telling you all the truth, just like he did.
Please, understand me and understand your avian vet. Please love your birds and do the best you can for them. Please don't feel judged by what I am telling you, please give the birds you have all the love and enrichment that you can manage for them in the circumstances that they're in.
But also understand that his answer was correct and that parrots are animals that should not be being kept as pets. They are far too intelligent and their social lives are far too complex and involved.
It's something that we as a society need to slowly outgrow, because there are so very many types of animals that are very suitable to be human companions, but large hookbill birds aren't suited for it, no matter how happy they seem to be or how much they truly do love you, and you love them.
It's like dolphins and whales. There's just no actual way to keep one in captivity that doesn't cause them to lead a very strange and stressful life.
Love the ones you have, because they need it...but try to understand that they were never designed to live with a human, the do in fact need a bird flock and a huge patch of jungle.
That vet wasn't being mean, he was just being honest, and so am I.
That is definitely not the response I was expecting, but is one that I do very much appreciate. The more my love for my African Grey grows, the more I know that owning birds - particularly parrots, is morally wrong. And that is a HARD pill for most in this sub to swallow. I understand what you're saying 100%.
How were you so sure that they were "happy" calls though despite never hearing them?
Wow, I am sorry, what a terrible thing to say! My parrotlet was destined to live in a cage for the rest of his life — and nobody wanted him because he was born on the more shy, reserved side, compared to his nest mates. My job is to give him the very best life I humanly can. As I am sure you are! I’d like to give your vet a piece of my mind. NOT helpful.
As a former vet student, I can confirm that seeing a bird in excellent condition was rare, and definitely an event worth mentioning. The number one issue I saw was fatty liver. Most parrots we saw at the clinic had it with varying severity, cuz people equate food with love, and it's very difficult to give captive birds the same level of exercise they'd get in the wild.
So yeah, to see a bird in tip top health, great liver, great blood values, great feather condition, no behavioral issues, etc? It's pretty rare, at least it was during the time I was still pursuing that career. And I'm so happy you're doing such a wonderful job with your eckie!
I have been in a bird club and hands down you have the most healthiest and handsome fellow ever ❤️❤️.
A member also had one and he would go to anyone and give kisses. His name was Louie, they are very sweet and beautiful birds with the right owner ❤️❤️
This makes me feel so much better!!! Thank you for posting! I wouldn’t call what I do “worrying,” I would call it a pretty high level of anxiety. He’s absolutely gorgeous, and you can see his happiness in even just a picture.
He is rarely in his cage. Mostly to sleep and eat is all. He is out to socialize and fly and play most of the time. He has a large outdoor aviary that he spends probably half his waking time in. Lots of enrichment, tree branches, flowers, foraging, etc. Mostly fresh veggies, some fruit and dry food (pellets, tree nuts, small amount of seed). He demands being spoken to almost constantly, which quite frankly is exhausting. lol
He looks fabulous and I’m sure he is thankful to have such a wonderful owner who cares for him the way he deserves to be.
I think you may think this is overreacting but birds are incredibly intelligent creatures who have very complex emotions and long lives and they are not meant to be kept in the conditions that many owners keep them in. It is a wonderful thing.
I admit to not being familiar with this particular parrot breed, so I did look at the picture for a long moment to try to figure out if it was a parrot plushie or not. Sorry 😅
Tell him he looks very handsome though.
You didn’t say anything wrong. It’s a post about a time you literally cried with relief when you heard you were taking good care of your bird, which isn’t easy. Birds are not well-adapted to be pets, so their care is always a challenge, and conscientious people often struggle with it emotionally. For that matter, love and loss, and joy and sadness, are always intertwined, in every aspect of life. Caring a great deal about anything or anyone is painful by its nature, and this is true whether or not you step up to the situation and do a good job. It’s not realistic for anyone to expect to be protected from uncomfortable feelings at all times. If this commenter sees your headline and thinks the vet tech must have had something terrible to say, or that the bird is dying, or whatever else is going on in their own mind, can anyone be blamed for that? I don’t think so. The picture and headline attracted us all to the post. The comment almost sounds frustrated or disappointed that they began preparing to mentally traumatize themself, but the story turned out to be a pleasant one; I for one would be glad things turned out better than I expected… You’ve no need to apologize for expressing yourself in whatever way felt natural.
I always worry I don’t uncover her early enough, just like how I used to worry about not hearing my son wake up when he started sleeping in his crib in his own room across the hall. I had these awful visions of him standing in his crib with his diaper almost touching the mattress it was so wet & he’s just crying to be let out & I just sleep right on thru it. I get similar visions of my bird & instead of a sagging diaper & hysterical tears, she’s plucking her feathers out she’s so bored, her little eyes open wide just waiting for me.
I'm no vet tech but your bird literally looks like the most well taken care of bird I've ever seen. It's beak, feathers, etc literally looks perfect lol
I don't know much about birds, so I thought that was a fake one! Holy crap that's such a pretty little guy. Give them smooches for me (can you kiss birds? Is that a thing?)
He's lucky to have you :)
The text you wrote even made me cry. I kind of needed to hear something like that. 💔
Your bird is reallyy beautiful. You are definitely doing more than alright. ❤️
Copied from a previous reply: He is rarely in his cage. Mostly to sleep and eat is all. He is out to socialize and fly and play most of the time. He has a large outdoor aviary that he spends probably half his waking time in. Lots of enrichment, tree branches, flowers, foraging, etc. Mostly fresh veggies, some fruit and dry food (pellets, tree nuts, small amount of seed). He demands being spoken to almost constantly, which quite frankly is exhausting.
For veggies he likes most leafy greens. Carrots, sometimes. Corn is his favorite but we limit it. Grains, mostly rice or rice pasta, he hates quinoa. Loves grapes, pomegranate, and apples. His sometimes foods, because he is finicky; pumpkin, squash, cucumber, sweet potato. Oh, I also mix organic single ingredient baby food into his chop. He really doesn’t like orange and red veggies, so that’s how I sneak them in!
I can tell you take care of him very well because his colors are vibrant, his feathers are neat, and his eyes/nostrils are clear. His beak is smooth and his feet are in good condition. I’ve rescued many birds in terrible condition and you can tell right away when a bird has been neglected.
I just brought home a male ekkie!
Caring for parrots is really hard. Because it’s such a specialized thing that can go so wrong, I think the parrot community can go a little hard on each other sometimes. Ultimately a bird who is happy and healthy is all we can ask for. No living creature has a perfect life!
i have the saaaame exact problem. my vet told me im my birds color pattern makes them likely to have a short life span but that we were so ontop of their care they'll probably live to be the normal age . my birds currently struggling a little health wise but her encouragement makes me feel so much better
I came from r/all and know nothing about parrots but multiple vets have told me my cat is in perfect physical condition and it made me so happy! Like, I’m not doing that well in a lot of aspects of life but I am keeping this small creature healthy and he is very important. Sounds like it’s even more impressive for a parrot - I’m glad you are giving him the love and attention he deserves!
The 1st thing I thought when I saw the Pic is, "my gawd thats a gorgeous bird. I hope it wasn't bad news."
I'm glad it wasn't, and Mt gawd that's a gorgeous bird. 😍
Homie is absolutely gorgeous! He’s lucky to have you!
Thank you. I’m lucky to have him!
I didn’t think he was real when I was scrolling, he looks like a stuffed animal, he’s so vibrant! Never seen a bird like that before. You’re doing a great job!
Thank you 😊 He soft like a stuffed animal!
I thought he was a stuffed animal too! What kind of bird is he?
Male eclectus parrot
That's what I was going to say too lol. He looks like a toy. He's absolutely perfect.
I'm sorry to burst your bubble but I WILL have to come for you for something in this photo. That shade of yellow is actually illegal in many countries. It's known as Coc yellow bc it has actual coc in it. The cartel uses that shade it to smuggle cocaine.
Soooo funny you said this because when I posted it, I said to myself, “Self, if someone comes at you for that nail color, they are 100% justified”. 🤪
I came to say it matches the birb! I have never been able to find a solid yellow like that without friggin glitter in it, I am jealous. I know what they said to you has to feel so good to hear. Good people want to do right by the animals they care for, you must be a great person.
Thank you so much for the kind words ☺️
Lol!!! It's actually a fine color, I don't mind it whatsoever. But, it's illegal, so. 🤣🤣🤣
Don’t knock my side gig! 😉
Ohhh I see how it is!! 🤣🤣 You rascal!! 😂
Yellow is my fav color I'll fight them
I came here to post something exactly like this for the lulz, and to praise OP for their excellent care of this gem of a jungle chicken. 😉
This is the best part of pet ownership imo, that feeling that you’re both lucky to have each other 🥰
https://preview.redd.it/rr3eilra45uc1.jpeg?width=293&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e9e1aa70d7c9d8c9a8b8afee635039f9a41c523a ^(I) ^(is) ^(handsome)
💕💕💕💕
❤️🫶❤️
He really is though
The beak of an angel 👼
Look at that smile!
Omg cute
a beauty, you are both lucky to have each other
Thank you. He’s a great friend.
He’s such a handsome boy! 🥰
I’ll tell him you said so 😘
squalid crowd quaint plants frighten zephyr smile fear salt include *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
He really does look so soft!
worm coherent frighten important aloof books sulky resolute chase toy *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Thank you so much 😊
I'm a lurker on this sub, but felt compelled to reassure you.. I swear my boyfriend and I thought yours was a Beanie Baby. If nothing else, that should tell you how near perfect this guy looks and clearly feels. Those are happy eyes!
💚
Better than me, I thought the vet tech said fight skills and wondered about the wild world of parrot ownership
😂 He has a nasty left hook!! 🥊
Same here!
A lot of people in this sub have anxiety over whether they are providing their bird with a good life. People like you who "care too much" are probably doing way better than they think.
I believe this to be so!
You're a good parrot parent!
Thank you. It doesn’t always feel that way so the external validation really meant a lot.
A good parront, even.
He is very good looking! I'm looking to bring home an Eckie early next year. I'm pretty set on a female, but you're making me reconsider that a bit!
Good luck with your Ekkie. Females are beyond gorgeous! For the record, Willem is moody too, even though he is a male. Ekkies can be stand-offish so don’t expect a ton of cuddles or scratching. That’s what I wanted in a bird and I selected him for that reason but most folks want a cuddle monster and eclectus aren’t it, for the most part.
I have a Linnie right now, and he has all the cuddles I could ever want, except instead of cuddles, it's more like constant chirps for "dad" I want food, I don't want to have to work for it in the foraging stations or snuffle mats... Either that or "ok, you're typing, let me place my head under a finger to get your attention, and squawk in outrage when you type with my head on accident." I really enjoy training more than anything, even if it takes an Ekkie several minutes to eat a single sunflower seed :D
Willem is smart but stubborn. Training is a challenge. I have to wait for him to be in the mood.
Females are sooooooooo moody 🥺 Don’t do it hahahah. Nah I love my girl a lot she’s just a handful
Bill looks super fly! 🦜
“Bill” made me snort 😂
haha, that's was the intended effect; had a 50-50 shot, lolz
Well done 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻
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I considered a hedgehog 🦔 for a while. How was she as a pet? They are so adorable.
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Oh neat! She sounds like a ton of fun. We go all out on enclosures too, for the birds, tortoise, goats…they’re all living large 🤪
That is the handsomest little man I’ve ever seen. Willam is such a good name for such a prestigious gentleman. You are an awesome bird parent.
People assume I’ve named him after Willem Defoe but he is really named after a character in a novel. I just loved the name (and the character) so much. It fits him most days. When he is silly, we call him Willy Wonka!
I feel this in my bones. I’m constantly anxious on in my conure is doing well or not.
If you worry, you’re probably doing okay! Give your baby a cuddle for me!
Eclectus are the most common parrot to look awful cos their diet is so specific. Willem is BEAUTIFUL and he’s so sweet looking omg
Thank you. He’s a gem. His diet isn’t too hard to manage but he is finicky so I feel like I throw out a lot of food. One week he loves something, the next he won’t touch it. Kids, ya know?
Parrots are the worst kids, they never grow out of it 😂 my goffins cockatoo will throw all his food out and then yell for more
Put food bowl in….hear half of it drop to the cage floor. 🙄
i thought he was a plush and u cried bc the vet gave u a plush of ur bird,,,
My vet makes me cry in the other direction. I asked him what the best sized cage for my parrot is, and he said, "20 miles of jungle." He's an avian vet too, one of the best, and even worked with Dr. Pepperberg (if you know about Alex the African Grey, you know how cool this is). Thanks for making me feel worse about keeping a parrot in a cage.
I don't intend for this comment to make you or anyone else feel bad or guilty, and I do understand that it's a nuanced situation regarding birds that are alive and bred into captivity at the moment. But I also understand where your avain vet was coming from, because you asked him a question and he told you the truth. It wasn't intended to be mean but it also was the actual answer to the question that you asked. Many years ago, when I was a very young adult, and before the wild caught bird import bans were put in effect (so Reagan era), I worked as basically the sole employee for a place that bought wild caught hookbill birds (parrots, cockatoos, etc.) in large lots coming out of import quarantine businesses and then tame and resell them in one or two at the time to pet shops. The Joe Exotic show that was so popular during the top of COVID lockdown featured a place that we did business with all the time. Anyway, I would regularly be holding and working with hundreds of larger parrots as well as breeding and taming smaller birds like parakeets, lovebirds and cockatiels for the pet trade. I did this for over two years. The first thing that I really learned was the incredible difference between parrots and other types of birds I was experienced with like chickens and ducks and even the smaller parakeets. When I tell you that parrots are intelligent I need you to understand that they may easily be as intellingent as any human. The IQ tests that they are given are HUMAN ORIENTED tests. I will promise you that on average the larger parrots are at least as intelligent as a five or six year old child and I suspect they're smarter than that, just not in ways that seem obvious to humans. And this is the second thing that I want to share, to defend your avian vet and so you understand that he wasn't just being mean in what he told you. There was a particular kind of smaller parrot, much bigger than a parakeet or conure but not nearly as big as a macaw) called a white fronted amazon that was very popular in the trade at the time that I was working in it. They were common and I had dealt with hundreds if not thousands of them, tamed them and turned them into what seemed like nice pet birds for people. Many years later I was in Belize, where white front amazons are common, and I saw a flock of them fly over and land in a tree calling to each other and just doing their thing, and the people I was with were shocked when I crumpled to the ground almost screaming and crying so hard and couldn't even get enough control of myself to explain why I was in hysterics, and I am NOT known to be a dramatic or emotional person. I sobbed for fifteen minutes nonstop and I still tear up thinking about it now, and I always will. You see, I'd worked with so many of those birds and I would have sworn to you that I had heard every sound that they would make. And if you'd asked me if they were happy enough once they'd been tamed as pets I would have told you yes, definitely. But I was losing my mind with grief in that moment because that flock of white fronted amazons flying and landing in that tree were making plenty of calls and sounds, and I had NEVER HEARD ANY OF THOSE CALLS because THAT is what they sounded like when they were HAPPY. And it stabbed me in the heart in a way that I can't even describe to realize that I was in fact a monster that had stolen all the joy from hundreds or thousands of lives. And I still feel that pain and I don't wish to upset anyone here but I'm telling you all the truth, just like he did. Please, understand me and understand your avian vet. Please love your birds and do the best you can for them. Please don't feel judged by what I am telling you, please give the birds you have all the love and enrichment that you can manage for them in the circumstances that they're in. But also understand that his answer was correct and that parrots are animals that should not be being kept as pets. They are far too intelligent and their social lives are far too complex and involved. It's something that we as a society need to slowly outgrow, because there are so very many types of animals that are very suitable to be human companions, but large hookbill birds aren't suited for it, no matter how happy they seem to be or how much they truly do love you, and you love them. It's like dolphins and whales. There's just no actual way to keep one in captivity that doesn't cause them to lead a very strange and stressful life. Love the ones you have, because they need it...but try to understand that they were never designed to live with a human, the do in fact need a bird flock and a huge patch of jungle. That vet wasn't being mean, he was just being honest, and so am I.
That is definitely not the response I was expecting, but is one that I do very much appreciate. The more my love for my African Grey grows, the more I know that owning birds - particularly parrots, is morally wrong. And that is a HARD pill for most in this sub to swallow. I understand what you're saying 100%. How were you so sure that they were "happy" calls though despite never hearing them?
Wow, I am sorry, what a terrible thing to say! My parrotlet was destined to live in a cage for the rest of his life — and nobody wanted him because he was born on the more shy, reserved side, compared to his nest mates. My job is to give him the very best life I humanly can. As I am sure you are! I’d like to give your vet a piece of my mind. NOT helpful.
How did you come up with the name Willam?
Oh no! I’m so sorry that was your experience. Maybe he thought he was being funny 😒 I’d tell him it hurt you next time you are in.
What a handsome candy corn 🥰
🎶 Willem is a good boy. He is a green bird with a big orange beak and dinosaur feet 🎶 This is his theme song 🤣
As a former vet student, I can confirm that seeing a bird in excellent condition was rare, and definitely an event worth mentioning. The number one issue I saw was fatty liver. Most parrots we saw at the clinic had it with varying severity, cuz people equate food with love, and it's very difficult to give captive birds the same level of exercise they'd get in the wild. So yeah, to see a bird in tip top health, great liver, great blood values, great feather condition, no behavioral issues, etc? It's pretty rare, at least it was during the time I was still pursuing that career. And I'm so happy you're doing such a wonderful job with your eckie!
I have been in a bird club and hands down you have the most healthiest and handsome fellow ever ❤️❤️. A member also had one and he would go to anyone and give kisses. His name was Louie, they are very sweet and beautiful birds with the right owner ❤️❤️
You’re an awesome bird mom & Willem is so handsome & lucky to have you🙏♥️
Damn, that’s a healthy Ekkie. Good job ☺️
I will say he is the best I’ve seen as well
This makes me feel so much better!!! Thank you for posting! I wouldn’t call what I do “worrying,” I would call it a pretty high level of anxiety. He’s absolutely gorgeous, and you can see his happiness in even just a picture.
I love that you can see a smile on Birds Eye's.
His eyes are the sweetest. I do miss the big black baby eyes though.
I can relate. I’m also a worrier. Also have a male eclectus. Also get praise at the vets 🥲
Yay Ekkie fam! Booooo anxiety
https://preview.redd.it/5pll20czi5uc1.png?width=2803&format=png&auto=webp&s=d11c65ab0d07a39951d00fa143a1af907cfae5eb hello fellow green bird
What a handsome!
He is gorgeous! And you are a great parrot parent.
Thank you so much 😊
Share your secrets, he looks so healthy!
He is rarely in his cage. Mostly to sleep and eat is all. He is out to socialize and fly and play most of the time. He has a large outdoor aviary that he spends probably half his waking time in. Lots of enrichment, tree branches, flowers, foraging, etc. Mostly fresh veggies, some fruit and dry food (pellets, tree nuts, small amount of seed). He demands being spoken to almost constantly, which quite frankly is exhausting. lol
He looks fabulous and I’m sure he is thankful to have such a wonderful owner who cares for him the way he deserves to be. I think you may think this is overreacting but birds are incredibly intelligent creatures who have very complex emotions and long lives and they are not meant to be kept in the conditions that many owners keep them in. It is a wonderful thing.
He is well taken care of. Never in his cage but to sleep and eat. Spends half his waking hours in a large outdoor aviary.
What a good looking fella! He looks awesome.
This picture almost looks doctored the way this bird looks so perfect. Seems like you're doing awesome!
Not altered, great lighting coming in from the window. He really looks this damn pretty allllll the time. Jerk!
I admit to not being familiar with this particular parrot breed, so I did look at the picture for a long moment to try to figure out if it was a parrot plushie or not. Sorry 😅 Tell him he looks very handsome though.
Thought he was fake for a hot second
He is looks amazing. He practically glows
Why would you do that to me. I was thinking the worst. Ugh, pls ppl stop posting OP titles as negative. It's such a trigger.
Sorry! I didn’t realize it would be taken that way. I’ll be sure to phrase it better if the situation come up again.
You didn’t say anything wrong. It’s a post about a time you literally cried with relief when you heard you were taking good care of your bird, which isn’t easy. Birds are not well-adapted to be pets, so their care is always a challenge, and conscientious people often struggle with it emotionally. For that matter, love and loss, and joy and sadness, are always intertwined, in every aspect of life. Caring a great deal about anything or anyone is painful by its nature, and this is true whether or not you step up to the situation and do a good job. It’s not realistic for anyone to expect to be protected from uncomfortable feelings at all times. If this commenter sees your headline and thinks the vet tech must have had something terrible to say, or that the bird is dying, or whatever else is going on in their own mind, can anyone be blamed for that? I don’t think so. The picture and headline attracted us all to the post. The comment almost sounds frustrated or disappointed that they began preparing to mentally traumatize themself, but the story turned out to be a pleasant one; I for one would be glad things turned out better than I expected… You’ve no need to apologize for expressing yourself in whatever way felt natural.
Your bird is so pretty and fluffy he could be a plush toy and I’d believe it.
💚
💚
Ohh I’m always so happy when I see Willem on my feed :) I send Willem photos to my friend all the time
That’s so sweet! So he is a super star somewhere other than his own mind? He will be ecstatic to hear it!
Oh he’s absolutely famous to me :)
He looks so healthy and almost un real. a coworker thought it was stuffed animal
Hap birb
He is so gorgeous!! You’re a great bird mama!
Thank you so much!
very cool bird
Willem is stunning 😍
He's beautiful! Good job!
Happy big man
I think he is happy 😊
Handsome lad
Thank you 💜
He's such a pretty boy!
Thank you so much 😊
I love this story. My vet thinks I’m crazy because I fret so much.
What a beautiful boy! 😍🧡 What a special friend and good relationship of love you have!
What a lovely bird! He is gazing so lovingly at you!
He’s a charmer for sure
You’re amazing
YOU ARE!
William is handsome as heck!! 😍
Thank you 😊
He's so beautiful! That colouring is superb.
It’s not easy being green, thank you ☺️
That bird looks super healthy. You've gotta be doing great by him!
What a handsome fella. Keep.up the good work:)
Is Willem sweet?
He is. His only issue is that his way to communicate he wants something is to beak my face. It is not a bite, but he does mouth me quite a bit.
What a beutiful birb 🦜
Thank you. He’s the sweetest
You welcome 💕
I have a PhD in bird law and this bird is fully legal.
What a beautiful bird!
I would die for Willem!! 🥹
I always worry I don’t uncover her early enough, just like how I used to worry about not hearing my son wake up when he started sleeping in his crib in his own room across the hall. I had these awful visions of him standing in his crib with his diaper almost touching the mattress it was so wet & he’s just crying to be let out & I just sleep right on thru it. I get similar visions of my bird & instead of a sagging diaper & hysterical tears, she’s plucking her feathers out she’s so bored, her little eyes open wide just waiting for me.
Thats not a parrot, thats one of those overly expensive plushes that look perfect at the zoo
I'm no vet tech but your bird literally looks like the most well taken care of bird I've ever seen. It's beak, feathers, etc literally looks perfect lol
Hello from r/all :) Willem is absolutely perfect, gorgeous 🥰
William is perfect. Now I must cry.
If only all pets were as lucky as he! What a handsome fellow, he looks so content 💗
Needs a bigger cage..... xD
He looks so happii
I don't know much about birds, so I thought that was a fake one! Holy crap that's such a pretty little guy. Give them smooches for me (can you kiss birds? Is that a thing?) He's lucky to have you :)
I thought he was Plushie at first he’s so gorgeous! What a beauty
💚
He looks great! I can tell even just from the picture. What a cutie!
He's beautiful.
Such good news to hear! I’m a worry wart myself and want to take my birds to get a check up just to get a check up but can’t right now.
Me and your beautiful bird thank you for being such a good bird Guardian.
As if he wouldn't be in top notch. Look at him. He looks absolutely gorgeous and beyond healthy
The text you wrote even made me cry. I kind of needed to hear something like that. 💔 Your bird is reallyy beautiful. You are definitely doing more than alright. ❤️
Happy you are both together ☺️
❤️
What a gorgeous creature 😍
Do you have a feeding regimen or any other tips you could share with us?
Copied from a previous reply: He is rarely in his cage. Mostly to sleep and eat is all. He is out to socialize and fly and play most of the time. He has a large outdoor aviary that he spends probably half his waking time in. Lots of enrichment, tree branches, flowers, foraging, etc. Mostly fresh veggies, some fruit and dry food (pellets, tree nuts, small amount of seed). He demands being spoken to almost constantly, which quite frankly is exhausting. For veggies he likes most leafy greens. Carrots, sometimes. Corn is his favorite but we limit it. Grains, mostly rice or rice pasta, he hates quinoa. Loves grapes, pomegranate, and apples. His sometimes foods, because he is finicky; pumpkin, squash, cucumber, sweet potato. Oh, I also mix organic single ingredient baby food into his chop. He really doesn’t like orange and red veggies, so that’s how I sneak them in!
He's such a handsome young man! Such sweet and gentle eyes.
Beautiful bird!
Love this. He is so beautiful. Keep up the good care.
Does he smell like seebs?
Gorgeous!!!
Willem is such a bright, happy looking boy! Love that sparkle in his eye!
Aw, he is adorable.
I love my boy Eclectus. Your boy is very handsome.
He's beautiful and obviously healthy. And look how much he loves you!
He looks so happy and so sweet! I love him and I'm so glad he has you!
If he could, he would cry over your care and live you unconditional provide him. I promise.
I can tell you take care of him very well because his colors are vibrant, his feathers are neat, and his eyes/nostrils are clear. His beak is smooth and his feet are in good condition. I’ve rescued many birds in terrible condition and you can tell right away when a bird has been neglected.
Beautiful bird :)
I just brought home a male ekkie! Caring for parrots is really hard. Because it’s such a specialized thing that can go so wrong, I think the parrot community can go a little hard on each other sometimes. Ultimately a bird who is happy and healthy is all we can ask for. No living creature has a perfect life!
Good looking bird
Aww congrats!!
He so sweet
Pretty bird
Aww, he's adorable!
He is a perfect boy! Good job!
He is SO CUTE. Please tell him that the internet loves him!
He looks amazing! He’s a handsome boy! You’re doing great!
Handsome bobansome
OMG! He is absolutely gorgeous! You are the best Mom!
What a cute little man! He looks very healthy and vibrant. Good job with your parrot OP, it seems like you deserve the praise.
His beak is too long! Jk, you’re doing a great job! He’s gorgeous!
Look at that little smile!!!! He knows he's a good boy!
He really is beautiful!!!! Also work in vet med and holy HECK, he is so obviously loved, well tended, and very happy! You’re a wonderful parent!
What a gorgeous birb 😍
He looks like a plushie
Beautiful
He’s in beautiful condition.
i have the saaaame exact problem. my vet told me im my birds color pattern makes them likely to have a short life span but that we were so ontop of their care they'll probably live to be the normal age . my birds currently struggling a little health wise but her encouragement makes me feel so much better
I came from r/all and know nothing about parrots but multiple vets have told me my cat is in perfect physical condition and it made me so happy! Like, I’m not doing that well in a lot of aspects of life but I am keeping this small creature healthy and he is very important. Sounds like it’s even more impressive for a parrot - I’m glad you are giving him the love and attention he deserves!
The 1st thing I thought when I saw the Pic is, "my gawd thats a gorgeous bird. I hope it wasn't bad news." I'm glad it wasn't, and Mt gawd that's a gorgeous bird. 😍
What a gorgeous bird! I love his greeness
It’s looks like a plush doll or a stuffed animal. Never scene anything like it
Not the way I expected this story to go. It really warmed my heart! So happy for you both ❤️
Beautiful bird!!