Max and Rico are now inseparable - that's
Rico grooming Max in the picture to
the left! It wasn't always like that.
The tale of Rico and Max is one of
a small miracle and many wonderful
people. Here is their story (told
by Shelley Buttler).
 Sometime
after I adopted a Blue and Gold Macaw,
named Mackie, I discovered that he
had a very serious avian ailment called
the Papilloma Virus. The disease is
only contagious to other birds, but
sorely limits the birds that could
come into my home. While reading stories
on the Mickaboo website, I came across
the story of Rico, a Greenwing macaw
also afflicted with the Papilloma
Virus. I felt that Mackie needed a
buddy and here was another bird with
a similar situation. So I contacted
Mickaboo about Rico.
The Macaw Coordinator told me that
she had just been looking into placing
Rico into a life-time sanctuary due
to his illness. So far he had been
in Mickaboo for 18 months, and nobody
that had shown interest in him seemed
to fit Mickaboo’s qualifications.
While I in no way thought I was “qualified”,
I did have my experiences with Mackie
and knew what I had to look for and
was well aware of the risks of taking
in another afflicted bird. I immediately
sent in my adoption papers, took the
first available Basic Bird Care Class,
had my phone screen, home visit, and
in the meantime made arrangements
with Rico’s foster mother, Kelly,
to visit Rico.
 Happy
Rico -- now
I couldn’t wait to see that great
big red bird in person! I walked into
Kelly’s home and she coached me on
how to behave around Rico. I wondered
why. Then she told me his terrible
story.
Rico was brought to her by a friend
who had “purchased” him from “a friend
of a friend, of a friend, and so on.”
He brought Rico to Kelly because he
was very concerned about Rico’s health.
Thank God he did. Kelly was able to
bring Rico into Mickaboo where he
was immediately rushed off to the
vet. Rico was in really bad shape.
He had a tumor on his tongue so big,
he could hardly eat. He had bleeding,
ulcerated tissue hanging from his
vent. He had several infections and was very
close to death. Multiple antibiotics later
and after surgery on his mouth and
vent, and Rico was on his way to recovery…at
least physically.
In addition to Rico’s health issues,
he had been kept in a rabbit cage
so small he couldn’t stretch his wings.
It was filthy and totally unsuitable
for any bird, not just one of the
larger species of macaws. He was terrified
of hands and brooms, and was extremely
fearful of anyone who moved in his
direction too quickly. Kelly told
me that she had allowed Rico’s original
owner (the friend of a friend…) to
come visit him to see how he was.
They entered her home and Rico started
screaming in terror. I don’t remember
how Kelly got them out of her home,
but she never allowed them to come
back. Rico’s name was changed as mention
of his original name would send him
into an immediate panic mode.
 Max
when he first came to Mickaboo
I was finally approved to adopt Rico
and he came to live with me on September
21, 2007. I was so excited! My hope
was that he and Mackie would become
fast friends. Of course there was
quarantine to go through and I wanted
to work with Rico before I introduced
him to his new friend. It was unknown
if Rico could be held. Kelly had given
him the time and space he needed to
heal from his ordeal.
Not long after that wonderful day,
I got a telephone call from Kelly
telling me that another macaw had
come into the Mickaboo system. His
name was Max and he was a Blue and
Gold who was being tested for the
Papilloma Virus. Would I be interested
in this bird if he indeed was diagnosed
positive? Without hesitation, I said
YES!
There were about 2 weeks of total
agony waiting to find out if this
bird too had the disease. I was torn,
because I really didn’t want him (or
any other bird to be tested positive)
but knowing I could help another animal
in need was almost as strong. Max
did indeed test positive for Papilloma
and he made the shuttle through Mickaboo
volunteers to make it to my home.
Max arrived exactly one month and
one day after Rico: October 22, 2007.
I don’t know a lot about Max’s story,
but I do know that he was a breeder
bird that was being given to a family
member. This family member had taken
him to the vet and had decided to
have Max put down if he had Papilloma.
Somehow Mickaboo found out and stepped
in to save his life. Max has other
health issues including a respiratory
problem and hardening of the arteries.
All serious, but all manageable with
proper care.
When Max arrived, his breathing was
not good. He had casings enveloping
most of his tail feathers (at least
towards the tips) much like what you
see on pin-feathers. He was very stressed
but very sweet.
Max after living with
Shelley and Rico
 I
cannot remember now what made these
two birds bond so closely but now
they are inseparable! They spend all
day, every day preening each other,
fussing, playing, eating, etc. Rico
taught Max how to preen one’s feathers
and now is absolutely gorgeous! These
two birds do everything together,
including getting into trouble! I
heard a noise once and came in to
investigate. Here they were, the “Demolition
Duo” sneaking around the floor in
my kitchen! They had taken a nice
chunk out of one of the drawers! When
I caught them, they scurried back
to their cage like two bad children.
They ran up to their cage door as
if to say “we were here the whole
time!”
Rico had surgery in April of 2008
on his vent and I was told to keep
the two birds separated. I couldn’t
even last 1 day of this. Rico would
cry pitifully begging me to allow
his friend to come back to him. I
did and it was the best medicine for
both of them. Neither one of these
two ever wanted anything to do with
Mackie. It’s strange how that happens.
I had all the best intentions when
I enquired about Rico and God brought
Max to us, to Rico. These boys had
a hard life; they had a separate life.
Now they are together in their forever
home where they will stay, together,
until their passing or mine.
I cannot explain the joy that these
birds have brought to my life. They
came to me with illness and fear issues
and have overcome so much. I can now
sweep the floor around Rico without
him going into panic mode. He will
even step up onto the handle without
much coaxing! Max’s breathing has
improved immensely and his fearful
“Stevie Wonder” dance has abated except
under unusual circumstances. As one
person said to me not long ago, “what
are you feeding that glow-in-the-dark
macaw?” Their stunning appearance
belies the fact that they are sick.
Both birds have an incurable illness,
but one would never know it by looking
at them. They have both come to love
and trust me which is the best reward
I can think of. Never have I been
happier than when the two of them
sit side by side raining kisses down
my face. Thank you Mickaboo! You’re
the best!
| 
One day, she returned to the pet shop, from
where he had come, to attend a wing/nail trim clinic. Cocoa
was there and when Peppie saw her, both birds went crazy.
Later that day, back at home, Peppie started freaking out.
Screaming, biting, lunging, and making a strange bird call
noise. The behavior persisted for three weeks. It was clear
to Peppie’s mom that he was distraught at having seen Cocoa
and then being separated from her again.
Mac
According
to Claudia, fellow Mickabooligan, a realtor in the Santa
Cruz Mountains who was recently checking an empty property
found a young Blue and Gold Macaw. The realtor was afraid
that the local shelter would not be able to provide for
the young parrot, since she knew they had been recently
overwhelmed with massive amounts of abandoned animals.
Out of the kindness of her heart, the realtor drove to
the site every day for several weeks to make sure the
macaw had food and water. 
She sounded like a bowling ball in a clothes dryer.
Shelter volunteers usually don't handle the birds
but Gurumina wanted attention and when I opened
up the door to her cage, she stepped out on to
my arm, surprising me both with her weight and
her charm. 
King pigeons are domestic
and can’t survive in the wild. They’re bred to
be eaten as squab and so are big-bodied for maximum
meat yield and white (white feathers are a byproduct
of the pink skin consumers prefer in meat birds).
Bay Area animal shelters get quite a few in (several
a week in SF) because they get away from backyard
breeders or people see them for sale in live food
markets, feel sorry for them, buy them and set
them ‘free’- a gesture most don’t survive (and
that only rewards the breeders). Once free, king
pigeons stand around, not sure what to do or where
to go and are quickly killed by hawks, dogs, cats,
and cars. The few lucky survivors make it to shelters
where adopters are scarce and euthanasia likely.
Pigeons
will interact with you and some like ringing bell
toys or adopting cat toy balls as surrogate eggs.
They don't talk and while they are flashy strutters,
I don't know of any that dance. Pigeons are quiet
with the male courtship cooing/moaning being the
main vocalization. They do coo or trill at you
sometimes but they never scream or yell. While
quiet and mellow, they are still full of opinions
and personality and each is an individual. Like
when adopting any bird, you have to accept them
as a cherished guest in your life and not try
to change them or force them to be something they're
not. Most of my pet pigeons will give me some
quality snuggle time when in the house but prefer
not to be handled when they're outdoors (like
it's our little secret). Louie, who I've had for
almost two years, does not want to come indoors
or be handled ever and I respect that wish. I
leave her be and am content to love her from afar.
Frances, a sick and terrified shelter king I brought
home to nurse a couple months back, surprised
me by becoming completely tame. I've nursed lots
and would have swore he was an aviary-only bird
but he now spends his days outdoors in my backyard
loft but his mornings & evenings in the house
with me, three cats, a dog and three small parrots.
Usually he gets along fine with everybody but
once in awhile he’ll get in the mood to attack
the cats (!) and I have to put him in his crate
for a time-out so they aren’t terrorized. I absolutely
adore hearing Frances pitter-pattering around
the house. He'll do his own thing for a while
(like deciding to take a bath in the dog's water
dish) and then comes looking for me and always
brings me a smile when he comes.
They
say no one ever wished for a smaller aviary so
plan it to be as big as possible. Minimum size
for four birds would be at least six feet long
(horizontal space is most important) by four feet
deep and five feet high and the bigger the better.
They'll spend their time bathing (pigeons love
water), preening, lounging in the sun, eating,
watching the sky, napping, socializing and courting.
Every four to five weeks, couples will lay a pair
of eggs (which should be replaced with fake for
pigeon birth control) and take turns sitting on
them. Pigeons are extremely devoted to their family
and usually (though not always) mate for life.
They adjust well to life in the human world and
make really easy, sweet pets. I highly recommend
them!
As attentive as I am to full-spectrum lighting,
elaborate playstands, a healthy diet, and creative
foraging methods, it had never occurred to me
to give any serious thought to what color to
paint the walls of a bird room. The email question
continued with, “I am open to lot of colors
and want something to brighten the room.” And,
believe it or not, the current light blue in
one room posed a problem when a couple of the
emailer's birds saw it as an “extension of the
sky” and tried to fly into it. I had that problem
with my kitchen skylight, but had never thought
about blue paint as a similar hazard. She finished
with, “Obviously it will be a gloss so I can
clean it easily.” Ok, I was becoming convinced
that ‘what to paint the walls of a bird room’
was a worthy and interesting question. But I
was completely unprepared for the series of
charming suggestions and creative possibilities
that followed.
"We had our bird room done with 'American
Earth' clay wall covering. It's kind of like
stucco, but is a totally natural clay based
material. The color is ground up minerals mixed
in with the clay. We absolutely LOVE it. It
absorbs water and then evaporates it back into
the air later, so we don't worry about overspray
when bathing the conures. It's also fairly sound-dampening,
and if one of the birds were to eat some it'd
be safe. Finally, what I like best, is if a
piece of the wall gets messed up, you just mix
it with some water and smooth it back over!
Birdie
Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
