Abstract
I own a three-year-old Eel ecrus hen named Sheba. I bought her m March, 1995. I was in my vet's office to buy some calcium for my eggla ying Peach-faced Lovebird and Sheba was in the clinic waiting room. I knew I had to have her because for several years I had been in love with Eclectus parrots and wanted one eventually.
Sheba had come from the vet's aviary. Prior to that she was in an aviary in Orange County, California where she was raised with Amazons. I have three other birds: a fiesty 10 year old aforementioned green Peach-faced Lovebird named Peaches; a loud, boisterous three-year-old Sun Conure male named Sonny and a year-old Blue Mountain Lory named Blue who I finished hand feeding. Boy, what a job that was! He didn't want his hand feeding formula, he wanted real food.
Sheba is amazing with all her vocalizations. The vet's assistant used to take her home on weekends where she would keep his Amazons "at attention." He would also "fly" her around the clinic waiting room. She had bonded to him when I got her and had learned from him to say "Hmmrnm" and also to quack like a duck.
I am an accountant by trade and also a professional singer who sings opera and Deutsche lieder. When I practice opera, Sheba tries to sing those high notes (I am a Mezzo) and also lieder. It's very funny. One night I hit a high "B" on the piano and she matched it. She says about 14 words including "hm" or "huh" and when I don't respond she says "haa" loudly and sometimes from the low end of the vocal range to the high end of the
range.
She also repeats vowel sounds like "e" or "a," "hey," "how," "hi," "mama" and "mommy" which she learned from my cleaning lady and says frequently.
Sometimes it is hard for me to understand what she is saying. Also, she laughs like a crazy woman. She loves the tapes from NatureQuest™ of loons, wolves, coyotes, songhirds, frogs, cats, dolphins and areas and tries to imitate them all. She imitates whip-poor-wills, ducks, crows, meadowlarks and wild birds such as mockers, starlings, finches, doves and Cockatiel whistles. She also does the wolf whistle and other assorted whistles and composes little ditties.
Nat:ureQuest™ has tapes of classical music, jazz, hlues and country music as well as contemporary music and Sheba loves them all.
Sheha growls like a cat and when Sonny starts screaming, she either screams or growls at him. She does a rather irritating "rain forest" yell and tries to imitate Sonny's scream or screams when she hears the nature tapes. I try to stop her hy to reasoning with her or giving her dirty looks.
My hirdroom faces the garden and Sheba likes to watch what's going on and screeches at times. She's also very chatty and sometimes starts her repertoire early in the morning.
I work at home and Sheba likes to watch me work on the computer and play with the objects on my desk until I take them away from her. Also, when I am on the phone, I have to close the door of my office because Sheba will start chattering or screeching.
She loves men not women. She's in love with my neighbor and loves to play with his glasses and hat and has to he pried off of him when he comes over. She flutters her wings and when he blows on her she's in ecstasy. When he comes into the birdroorn her eyes dilate. He taught her the "charge" theme. She also loves the men who work for my contractor. They make up to her and whistle at her and she goes on their fingers and loves to he petted.
Sheba also loves the husband of my friend who takes care of my birds when I am away. Last time he took care of her, he would give her her "rub-down" everyday and they would watch TV together.
She's pretty good when clients or friends come over hut women she doesn't hother with much. Once she gets used to the person, she'll allow a little hit of petting or will get on their finger, especially if the person is a male.