YES, I CAN FLY! I HAVE
EXCELLENT FLYING SKILLS
GREMIL COMING IN FOR A
LANDING ON HER COMPANION'S SHOULDER
GREMIL GREEN BYRD
IS A GREAT COMPANION AND EXCELLENT FLYER WITH SOME VERY IMPRESSIVE
FLIGHT MANEUVERS.
ALTHOUGH GREM IS A WILD PARROT SHE IS VERY AFFECTIONATE AND STRONGLY
POSSESSIVE OF A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL. SHE MAKES FRIENDS EASILY
IN A SHORT TIME AND IS A CURIOUS PARROT. GREM IS FULLY FLIGHTED;
HER WINGS ARE NEVER CLIPPED. THE MATTER OF WING CLIPPING
IS A SUBJECT OF MUCH DEBATE AMONG PARROT KEEPERS. WE HAVE
CHOSEN NOT TO CLIP THE WINGS OF THE BIRDS UNDER OUR CARE; WE ARE
OF THE MIND SET THAT TO LEAVE THE BIRDS FULLY FLIGHTED IS HEALTHIER
FOR THEM IN THE OVERALL PICTURE OF THE MATTER. WE ARE OF
THE OPINION THAT CLIPPING THE WINGS OF CAPTIVE BIRDS DOES NOT
IN ANYWAY CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR SAFETY OR WELL BEING. IT IS
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HUMAN COMPANION TO ASSURE THAT A COMPANION
BIRD DOES NOT GET LOOSE AND GET INTO HARMS WAY.
COMPANION BIRDS
WILL GET OUT FROM TIME TO TIME; A BIRD WITH CLIPPED WINGS IS AT
GREATER RISK FROM PREDATORS AND IS LESS LIKELY TO SURVIVE UNLESS
IMMEDIATELY RECAPTURED.
YES, GREMIL GREEN
BYRD HAS BEEN OUT FLYING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD; SHE SPENT A
FULL 24 HOURS FLYING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD BEFORE COMING HOME.
GREMIL GOT OUTSIDE AROUND 17;00 HOURS AND WAS IN A TREE
ACROSS THE STREET. IT RAINED ONE OF THOSE NICE SOUTHERN
THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE TEMPERATURE DROPPING TO 58F. THE
NEXT MORNING GREMIL WAS STILL IN THE TREE; SHE WAS PATIENTLY PREENING
HER FEATHERS AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. GREMIL CHOSE TO
REMAIN OUT THE ENTIRE DAY. WHEN SHE WAS CALLED WITH "IN
PLEASE" SHE WOULD RESPOND BY YELLING "OUT". GREMIL
FLEW ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTIGATING THE OTHER BIRDS BUT
RETURNED TO THE HOUSE OFTEN TO CALL TO HER HUMAN COMPANION. ALMOST
24 HOURS TO THE HOUR LATER GREMIL FLEW DOWN TO MY SHOULD AND WE
RETURNED TO THE INSIDE OF THE HOUSE WHERE SHE FELL ASLEEP ON MY
KNEE. GEMIL IS A REMARKABLE BIRD OF WIDE CHARACTER AND IS
AN HONORED FRIEND.
HOW DID GREMIL GET
OUT?
GREMIL IS BONDED
TO HER HUMAN COMPANION AND INSISTENTLY WANTS TO GO WHERE HE GOES.
HER COMPANION WAS EXITING TO THE OUTSIDE TO ROLL UP THE
CAR WINDOWS BEFORE AN ONCOMMING STORM. GREMIL WAS FRIGHTENED
BY THE BROWN INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE AND FLEW TO A TREE IN THE
YARD. (I HAD FORGOTTEN THAT GREMIL HAS AN OBVERSION TO THINGS
THAT WERE BROWN IN COLOR.)
ANOTHER TIME, GREMIL FLEW FROM THE TOP OF HER CAGE, ABOUT 20 FEET
FROM THE DOOR, AND FLEW THOROUGH AN OPENING LESS THAN 5 INCHES
WIDE BY TURNING SIDEWAYS (FULLY SPREAD WINGS IN A VERTICAL POSITION)
AND LANDED ON HER COMPANION'S SHOULDER OUTSIDE. FORTUNATELY THIS
TIME I WAS ABLE TO WALK BACK INTO THE HOUSE WITH HER. GREMIL
HAD BEEN IN MY CARE ONLY 6 MONTHS AT THAT TIME. THE BONDING PROCESS
IS SOMETIMES QUITE SHORT AND THE BOND QUITE STRONG. THE
RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT IS THAT ONE LEARNS TO BECOME VERY VERY
CAREFUL ABOUT OPEN DOORS WHEN THE BIRDS ARE OUT OF THEIR CAGE.
SO IT IS WITH THE NATURE OF THINGS.
