Vasa Parrots as Pets
Vasa Parrots: Info & Species ... Breeding the Vasa Parrot
Vasa Parrot owners are very enthusiastic about their pet birds, whom they deem to be "the best birdie companion around!" They require spacious accommodation and lots of toys.
The lovely photos that Cherie Morales, from Northglenn, Colorado, so kindly provided reflect the fun nature of this parrot .
Vasa owners describe their pets as fun, mischevious and very intelligent.
Kim Waldie describes her pet Vasa "Eve" as very intelligent. Here is her input:
"He's taken apart 3 cages and 2 play stands. Imagine coming home from work to see the cage on in a pile on the floor and your parrot standing on top of it. Eve love puzzle toys.
Vasas are very mechanical in their play. He only chews wood toys during mouting season. Same with talking. I've heard that some vasas talk just as well if not better than greys.
Mine is a horrible talker, but really good at house hold noise, such as a door creaking, microwave, phone, ect. He also has a lot of different songs that he whistles, most of which he makes up. But unless it's around breeding season he doesn't make a sound. I didn't even know that Eve talked and was vocal until he turned 4, than all of a sudden there was a bird making noise.
Eve's not messy at all unless there a food that he doesn't want in his dish. He likes to snuggle at in the evening he loves to run, hop, and literately roll around on you if your lying down on the couch.
Eve's intelligence really started showing it self when I started flight training him. He's not clipped. I don't know about yours but if mine is fully clipped he can still fly just as well but he has a hard time landing.
I found that the more I worked with commands the more I realized just how intelligent they are. I've researched them for the past 6 years even talking to ornithologists first hand who have studied them in the wild, there's a lot of info that you will not find from breeders or book out there. Like for interest current theory suggests that vasas are the genetic link between parrots and raptors. Iknew they hunted small prey in the wild but, this theory explains a lot about vasa behavior.
Eve's current thing is to collect rocks from the potted plants in the house and bring them over to his play stand, I think he's building a rock garden"
Cherie Morales, from Northglenn, Colorado, describes the"Vasa Parrot" as follows:
"These guys are very mechanical so they'll like toys similar to what Greys like.
Murphy LOVES foraging toys. I have one in his cage that contains his bed-time treat. It gives him something good to look for when he goes inside for sleepy time. He loves to hold and chew on things. I go to the thrift stores and get small plastic baby toys like rattles etc for the birds.....one of his favorite toys is a cardboard box. Ripping and making a mess is a job that they are very good at and take very seriously. My bird room was immaculate until the seal colored cockatoo arrived.....oh, they love to fling things, drop them onto your head, and in other ways play target practice with you. Do not underestimate their intelligence."
Breeders / Aviculturists:
- Florida: Phyllis Martin www.faunalink.org - Faunalink Foundation, Plant City, FL
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