Piper is very fond of two phrases:
"Hi Baby"
"Hi Piper"
One evening this spring, I got a rondo of Hi Baby's as she offered repeatedly to regurg a bit of treat for
me. If I didn't pay her enuf attention, she nibbled my ear til I scritched her neck.
Poor Piper has been the recipient of caique hatred since Gaby first set eyes on her. She has a
special little growling rumble that she does when she's on my shoulder & Gaby is nearby...she's
reminding me to be careful. She reads his thoughts...she knows what his intentions are no
matter how innocent he's trying to act. She has lightning reflexes & takes off if he makes a
move towards her.
Papaya the youngster caique whose cage shares the computer room with Piper's cage, was just
fine with her for a long time, but then started top birding it.
He likes to come over by her & she'll leave....so in that respect she's fairly passive.
However, Papaya, the rascal that he is, discovered one day that he could get a "rise" out of
her if he jumped on her cage. So when Papaya comes into the computer room, Piper reacts.
Now by "rise" I mean that fierce puffing of feathers as she tries to look very huge &
threatening. I expect that this is a natural reaction for brown headed parrots to a
threat...or is Piper unique? I have yet to get this pictured as she won't hold the pose long
enuf. She just puffs up all over...her wings lift away from her body & the feathers on either
side of the wings fluffs up as well as every feather on her body. Suddenly her shoulders look
an inch thick. I love it when she does that altho I'm petting her down & removing the reason
(Papaya) for her fierce display.
Piper is not aggressive towards other birds. She climbs up onto the Jardine's
playstand & sits quietly near him. The lovebirds came over & helped themselves to her
strawberry today & she just retreated to her window perch & waited til they left. Even the
canary was there eating her bread crumbs without
any hint from her that she minded.
Piper loves to sit on the table here by the mouse...sometimes on the cement perch that's right
there too, but snoozing is better done flat footed. If I leave the room, she won't let me be
gone for more an a minute or two and she's fluttering after me.
The other day I left her on the tabletop playground & went downstairs for a minute...came back
upstairs to find her at the head of the stairs peering down & waiting for me. Once some months
ago, I went downstairs & to the other end, into the furnace room. I turned around to start out
& heard a "Hi Baby" & there she was coming to me. I wouldn't want her to do this because it's
dangerous, but I was very impressed with her bravery climbing all the way down the stairs &
then coming all thru the basement looking for me.
She is a very quiet personality but very charming if you take the time to get to know her.
In her cage, she sits quietly on a perch or in her furry tunnel. She spends a lot of time on
the floor of her cage. I have to keep the grate in her cage as she would chew up the papers
otherwise....she only poops in one area.
There is just one spot halfway back the far right side next to the side bars that gets pooped
on. It's not a case like our pionus...she poops in one spot because she's a perch potato. I
almost think Piper choses that spot to go to.
She does have a little snippy side...that only shows when I'm in a rush about putting her in
her cage. I have to take a moment to explain to her that I've got to put her in her cage now
because....we have had a few little confrontations about this & she can be angry about being
put in her cage. Her beak is sharp...I think she's bitten me twice when it bled. It always
helps to show her that she has a nice treat waiting to be eaten.
The back view of Piper at bath is included because it was a time of
discovery when I looked at it....Piper has turquoise on the backs of her
feathers...I can see it on a loose feather & apparently when raised & the
light goes thru, the camera can catch it too....
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