Name:
Rico. He also answers to "Ra Ra".Species:
Cherry Headed Conure (Aratinga erythrogenys.)Sex:
Male.Age:
7 years.Favorite Foods:
Rico's Mom, Janet, says that he will eat his pellets and vegetables to please her, but at heart he's a sunflower seed junkie!Favorite Toys:
Rico loves things that he can swing and climb on. His current favorite toy is a large ladder that was handmade for him by his owner's nephew!Favorite Perches:
"Rico likes to perch near wherever I am," says Janet, "but his favorite perch of all has got to be his shower perch. He just loves the mist of the shower! He'd stay in there all day if I would let him."Dislikes:
Rico's biggest pet peeve is getting his nails trimmed. "He's usually really good for trimming his wings" explains Janet, "but when it comes to those toenails, he runs for cover!"Special Talents:
Rico is a good talker with a vocabulary of 15 - 20 words. "You never know what might just pop out of his beak!" Janet says. "We really have to watch what we say around him."Life with Rico:
Janet went on the search for a Cherry Headed Conure after seeing the hit movie "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill", which featured the species."I was so drawn to their beauty and funny personalities." she says. "After doing a little research, I just knew that a Cherry Headed Conure would be the right bird for me."
Janet searched for breeders in her area, but came up empty handed. "I found people that bred every type of conure except for Cherry Heads." she explains. "After about a year, I gave up hope on finding one entirely."
One summer afternoon, her luck turned around. She was browsing an some online classifieds looking for a new sofa when she spotted an ad for a Cherry Headed Conure for sale.
"My heart jumped out of my chest!" she says. "I called the people right away to find out more about it. It turned out that the bird belonged to a young woman who was very pregnant, and feared that she could no longer care for him once her baby was born. After a few hours on the phone and a visit to her house, I met Rico and fell in love with him. He came home with me that night, and I promised him that he'd never have to look for another home again."
Rico has adapted to life with Janet quite well. "He talks and whistles like crazy, plays until he's ready to drop, and climbs on everything." she says. "He's more like a monkey than a bird, really."
Rico's old owner had him on a seed only diet, which Janet has worked diligently to correct. "I make sure that he eats some pellets and veggies every day before I offer him any seed." she says. "It took a while, but I think he's finally starting to realize that if he doesn't eat the nutritious stuff, he won't get any of those sunflower seeds that he loves so much!"
Rico has proven to be a wonderful companion for Janet, and even likes to travel with her on short errands outside of the house. "He's got friends at the bank and the post office" Janet says. "The folks at the bank are used to seeing people with their dogs, so they keep dog biscuits to give out to them. Now they've started keeping peanuts for Rico, too!"
Congratulations, Rico, for being named the first Bird of the Week for September 2008!
Do you think that your bird should be the next "Bird of the Week"? If so, check out these Bird of the Week Submission Guidelines to find out how to enter your feathered friend!
