The Great (Bird) Escape

We inherited Red, our Eastern King Parrot, from Lorna a couple of years ago. She was hand rearing him, but after she booted out her third husband, she realised that she couldn't look after all her birds and animals without assistance. So, we were given Red to raise.

About six months later, Lorna surmised that Red had become a part of our family, so he was at the House that Rocks to stay.His plumage gradually changed from his juvenile green to a resplended red. This process took over eighteen months. By the time Red was mature, he had become a glorious red, green and blue bird, confident in his own beauty, with reactions like a punk and manners like a teenager.

He is also extremely rude. I have no idea where he picked up such bad language. He also whistles, cackles and imitates the cat. He pretends he's a tough guy, afraid of nothing, but the day before yesterday proved otherwise.

Outside on our back verandah, Michael was changing his food bowl. Red saw an opportunity and took off. Although his wings weren't clipped, he only managed to fly into our front pepper tree.  We swung into action. Red was quite happily nibbling on twigs up on the branch, but we knew if another bird approached, he'd take fright and be off. On top of a ladder, we took it in turns to tempt him with a honey seed treat. Ruby the cat did not help the situation by pacing and miaowing through Red's escape attempt.

Eventually, Red decided that being outdoors wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. He flew the short distance onto the front window sill, then launched onto the Christmas wreath that was still on the front door.

With his back to Michael, Red failed to see him coming and soon the recalcitrant parrot was gripped between Michael's two hands. With a bellow of "open his cage", Michael shot down the front steps and deposited Red back through the open door, which was then slammed shut before Red had time to react.

Nursing several scratches and a bite wound, I asked Michael why he didn't just chuck Red into the house through the front door. Michael responded that he wasn't interested in catching the little bastard a second time. Point taken.

Two days later, Red is not grateful to us at all. He is as raucous, loud and rude as ever. In spite of the fact that Red was a giant pain in the arse, we could not have coped with losing him at all. He is not to know this!

Red, the juvenile delinquent...

fully red (with Simon our backpacker) and still a juvenile delinquent!