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| Name: |
Rainbow
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Age: |
Fourteen years old
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| Gender: |
Male
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Kind: |
Harlequin Macaw
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| Home: |
Monmouth, Illinois, USA
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Meet
Rainbow! With the big beak comes a big personality, one that charmed its
way into my heart the moment I met him. Rainbow was living in the foster home
where I was visiting an African Grey that needed a new family. He greeted me
and my group with a hardy "Hello!" and a wave of a big foot. All the while we
interviewed about the Grey bird, he kept an eye on the proceedings, maybe
hoping they were all about him. Alas, he was left behind when we departed
with the Grey, a bird, it turns out, that had been his flockmate of the past
eight years. When Sheba began asking "Where's Rainbow?" and saying "Come
here, Rainbow", I felt so bad about them being separated, I proposed to my
family that we also adopt the gregarious macaw. With little preparation or
insight into parenting a big bird, this gorgeous creature became my fourth
bird.
It didn't take long to figure out that Rainbow had spent little time being
handled or guided in proper behavior. He had apparently intimidated his
former family, an elderly couple, I was told, and so had ended up spending
years inside his cage, a decision that led to permanent joint damage in his
left wing. Because it is unable to fully extend, Rainbow will never fly which
is why a harness or clipped flight feathers are not necessary when he's
outdoors. Through great patience (and lots of band aids), this big beauty
became a big baby and is now a "velcro bird" as we bird people like to call
our feathered friends who prefer to be ON us rather than just beside us. He
chose me, his mom, as his special person, the only one who is granted the
privilege of handling him without fear of that big beak. While he makes sport
of pestering the husband and the sons (thankfully they continue to find the
humor in this), he seeks me out for kisses, 'scritches' and hugs. Those who
know me and this bird will attest that he and I have a very special bond, one
I feel quite honored to share. Rainbow is proof to me that love and
perseverance can bring a tempestuous spirit (and beak) around for he is now a
trust-worthy friend. My life is all the more colorful with this big bird in it.
View more images of Rainbow!
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Talk about today's pet in Pet Talk!
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