Love African Greys? I do, too. I have a naked lady who is older than dirt and so happy with her life now.
My right shoulder is all scratched up - and now she follows me around the house walking and calling me.
This is a very sad commentary on exploitation of all wild birds. Never buy a wild-caught bird. They never tame down. And if you buy a bird, remember, you must plan for their future. You will not outlive them in most cases and sadly, they go from owner to owner. They are all very destructive, noisy, messy and will eat furniture, moldings, and one of my birds ate through paneling...careful cage placement and things to chew are a must. But they also need YOU; most of all they need their person (actually, it may not be you). And without love and attention, they become mutilators and vicious. They are wonderful and so smart. Bird brains are big and complex.
You can see her naked shoulder. She mutilated herself - her chest is bare, her legs are bare except for a few small feathers, and so is the area of her belly and butt, but she does have a pretty red tail. The plucking results when they are left alone, and she was left alone for weeks at a time in her past life. So please, don't adopt a hookbill if your schedule takes you away from them. They are quite human. As I type this, she is on my shoulder making little holes in my blouse. That's ok - shirts from the thrift store do me just fine. I go through them quite often.
She has taken up a bad habit which is getting off her cage by sliding down the legs and walking around to find me. She is so old she doesn't fly. So apparently, she is fearless and no threat to dogs and cats, whereas Margaret is a valkyrie, and has everyone bamboozled. I have to wear a hat at breakfast. And destructive?
Come back later and I'll show you my sacrificial dining room chairs.
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