The big phenomenon in the climate does bring some worries whether Kermit and Kiki can really handle the change.

Yesterday was just another hot and sunny afternoon. Kiki will just perch on the playstand enjoying her usual day meal while I’m working on project and returning email from my work desk nearby.

About 45 minutes later, I noticed a complete silence in the activity room. Surprisingly, I spotted Kiki tugging in and napping on the crock cup. I tried to capture at that very moment, but apparently the “clicking” sound from the camera had woke Kiki up accidentally. I felt really apologetic for causing the disturbance.

Talking about bird sleep, I’m sure almost all bird owners have noticed that birds are very sensitive to surrounding even they asleep. The slightest sound or movement of the surroundings can alarm and work them up immediately. The interesting part, birds don’t really close both eyes during sleep. I noticed Kermit and Kiki while napping they tend to open their eyes on one side, perhaps to maintain vigilant to watch out for any dangers.

Guess it’s just their natural instincts!

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Last Friday was Kiki’s one year old birthday. Although I wasn’t really sure about Kiki’s actual hatch day, even the breeder who I got Kiki from wasn’t sure too, but I decided to make 27th June as an official date for Kiki’s birthday.

Neither did I throw a party for her nor invite other feathered friends to the celebration, but a simple one.

Kiki was offered a big treat for the day, offered “Junk” foods only for that day just to please Kiki. She’s certainly a happy and lucky parrot!

Not forgetting about Kiki birthday presents. I made two presents for Kiki, sunflower seeds and the whole spray millets sealed in green packets respectively.

I managed to capture a short video on Kiki scavenging for millet from her birthday present. I still pondering why Kiki insisted to enjoying the treats from these tiny hole shred open by her. Why didn’t she just tear up the green packet and opened up everything? It’s always hard to understand a bird’s mind.

Kiki was really enjoying herself throughout the day. Especially Kiki enjoyed the spray millet alot, because I rarely offer the spray millet as a whole. She’s toally delighted. To her millet are everything, it’s like french fries so “addictive”.

After the main course (which is the seeds and millets treats), it’s time for some healthy salad. I prepared some alfafa sprouts, diced carrots, grapes, corn cob and sweet peas in her salad bowl, but she always goes for the sweet peas and leaving the rest untouched. But it’s didn’t really matter, since she’s the boss of the day!

Happy Birthday Kiki! We are really happy to have you for the past twelve months. You bring us fun and laughters! Days are never boring with your presence!

Love you always.

For past few days when replacing the Kiki’s cage linings, I noticed quite a number of feathers (mainly primary and secondary) lying at the bottom of the cage. The feathers are complete with no sign of any plucking and picking. Kiki seems to be going through a serious feather molting process, definitely a tough period for Kiki.

Furthermore, many of Kiki’s flight feathers were fully regrown. She definitely in for another grooming session to have her flight feathers trimmed.

By the way this coming Friday will be her one year birthday. Three more days to the big day, I’m still deciding what treat I’m going to prepare for her. Everyone in the family is truly excited, especially my mum.

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Last night, I was updating the “About” section, suprisingly I notice I’ve taught 16 tricks and commands in total. Till date, she’s able to perform each and every tricks and commands with no problems at all (although at certain occassion there might be hiccups here and there, but minor mistakes can easily be fine tuned).

I do hope her enthusiasm in learning tricks never ends!

Last Evening, I caught “her” on tape, doing “that thing” to a face towel. “She” has been doing that so frequently, partly due to maturity and triggered into breeding behavior. High sexual drive and simply hard to stop for “her” from doing it, I guess. “She” just one horny freak!

Till now we still assume “her” as a female and still calling her Kiki, although should be time to rename “her” to boyish name. We are so used to calling “her” Kiki. I’m also sure that “she” is already conditioned to the name, Kiki for so long. Changing to a new name, will just make “her” more uncomfortable.

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She still challenging herself in setting a record of shortest time to free herself. Not only is a challenge for her , but also a challenge for me and my mum, because we have to be extra careful to ensure the cage is fully secured with an additional lock/cable tie before leaving the home for work.

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Kiki’s attempt to lift open the cage door

I happened to capture another a short clip of Kiki, my lovebird wiping her beak after a water bath earlier on. It’s really funny to see her doing it.

All parrots do this. It’s a normal behavior and a natural thing to do, usually happens after eating and bathing. Wiping their beaks on the perch will help them wipe off foreign objects (like food) that stick on their beaks. They also do that to wipe off excess water when their beaks are wet.

I had read before an article highlighting that wiping of beaks can be an indication to mark territory for some parrots. It usually happens when parrots are introduced to new faces and new bird in their area.

Never knew that such simple action of beak wiping can interpret so much meanings.

By the way, did you notice something at the end of the video clip, when Kermit, my Senegal Parrot in the background?

He doesn’t seem happy at all, because the food bowl on the play-stand belongs to Kermit. Furthermore, Kiki is happily rewarding herself with the premium seed mixes on the play-stand. You can’t blame him for giving the stare. Poor thing!

What a deliberately “hijacking” of the food bowl by Kiki. That’s really daring stint from her. However, indeed an adventure for a hot sunny afternoon!

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The frequency of water bath taken by Kiki has seems to gradually increase from one to twice daily. It’s a natural instinct, that Kiki will dunk herself into the water bowl once in the morning and the other time in the late afternoon. I have to change her water bowl frequently, couple of times a day, to ensure she has clean water all time.

I happen to capture Kiki bathing in action during the late afternoon after her “tea-break” treats to premium seed mixes.

Kiki initially was water bathing in the water bowl at Kermit’s play-stand. Soon after she was chased off by Kermit, and she gladly returned back to her own ceramic water bowl continuing her water bath.

I’m sure the water bath helps to cool down the rising heat. Kiki must have enjoyed it.

I can strongly feel how much Kiki appreciates her roosting box that was erected for her two months ago. Basically it’s made out of a plastic container (widely available at any tupperware store, even a used ice-cream tub is suitable), with a cut-out at the top lid as entrance.

I’m planning constructing one for Kermit. Of course, this round it won’t be made of a plastic container, because of the vast different in physical size between Kiki and Kermit. Most probably, I will need to customize a roosting box that is with a dimension of 9-10inch square base and 15inch in height. The following dimension should be sufficient enough for Kermit to move without much limitation. More research has to be done, before commencing the DIY Roosting Box project.

Many might wonder: What’s the different between a roosting box and a nesting box? What’s the need of furnishing the cage with a roosting box?

The difference between a roosting box and a nesting box, is that the roosting box appears to have a bigger entrance. The bigger entrance will allow sufficient daytime within the roosting box, thus this will reduce the possibility of triggering breeding behavior of the parrots.

Next, there are so much benefits of having a roosting box. A roosting box provide a place for parrots where they can withdraw and hide whenever they feel threatened. This gives parrots a sense of security and does build up their confidence in a way. It’s a one-stop in providing shelter, warmth cozy spot for parrots during cold weather. It can be an ideal solution to “block off” disturbance and noise from the household environments, thus I guess it perfect way to ensure our parrots, doing in busy households, have uninterrupted sleep throughout the night.

I’ve ever come across with an article written by a well-known ornithologist indicating that providing a roosting box in the cage is one effective method in combating excessive vocalization. Parrots will not make any loud vocalization or scream excessively whenever they are inside the box. I totally agree with this fact. Kiki seems to be rather quiet most of the time.

Since there are so many advantages, why not let our feathered pals have a roosting box of their own. I believe they will gladly appreciate it, rather than politely rejecting it.

A recent footage of Kiki doing some actions might prove that my assumption might be wrong all while. Below is the footage that was taken this morning before Kiki’s breakfast. Just to warn you, this footage might not be suitable for minors!

Kiki has been rubbing her vent or maybe I should use HIS vent on HIS preening toys lately, and has been very frequently too. If I’m wrong, Kiki might be already triggered in breeding mode. Does that means it’s time to get a girlfriend for him?