#health wise i’m terrified there’s something like legitimately wrong w me. i mean mental wise too

[stinkrascal]

[system-of-a-feather]

I hope your hiatus goes well! As for a more interesting ask tho, if you could have any bird in the world be your pet(with no limitations, like u could fulfill all their needs and everything), what kind of bird would you choose?

(TW, animal welfare; animal neglect, animal SH, infodump; Putting that out there because uh, I went on a tangent cause I am passionate; Short caps)

Man that is such a controversial topic for me XD Because I’m very firm in the sense that raptors and sort shouldn’t be in captivity beyond conservation purposes (and falconry for conservation) and if they are, they should be given maximum range - and for parrots that are in mass bred in environments not suited for them and its a large issue that we’ve kind of dug a whole into, so parrots shouldn’t be pets, but if you have to they should be companions with almost the entire time out of the cage so like XD

I have a reactive response to birds as pets but the theoretical “could fufill all their needs and everything” does cover some of that - though I also would still have to sit and question if the dynamic between a human and a wild bird could ever simultaneously exist with having all their needs fufilled so I’m sitting here rubbing my chin as a overly complicate an otherwise relatively simple question.

In leu of the honor of the original question and what I get the intent to be (aka, if there was ABSOLUTELY no issues and it was 100% possible to maintain both a human-bird bond with said animal while having their full life) it would probably be a toss up between a Harpy Eagle, Barn Owl, Secretary Bird, and California Condor.... maybe a penguin or cormorant if I had a really nice water bed. OR A RAVEN SINCE THEY BRING SHINIES BACK. It really would be a different answer to who you ask in the system though. I probably would go uh.... I actually really don’t know. I might actually go Snowy Owl..? Maybe? Aesthetically I’d go Secretary Bird but personality wise I’d like a Raven hmmm

I really can’t put a finger on a favorite bird. Raven I feel would probably be the easiest to both have a fully wild and free relationship with but also an individual bond that would be enjoyable, but I dunno. Its really hard of a question to answer

As for the more technical - I would probably take the question and warp it to the alternative loop hole question of - hey, you are saying I could provide for an animal’s needs entirely?

I would take in the honest to god most torn up - feather plucking - self mutilating - anxious depressed bird; probably a cockatoo breed, and take it in.

I actually have a habit of trying to take in really anxious, sad, or mistreated cockatiels in and trying to bring them up and let them behaviorally adjust to people and other birds a lot and its actually a dream goal to help parrots get a renewal on life since some live just as long as we do, but often are much much much more neglected throughout their entire life as dependents.

Like I can go on and on about it, but a lot of the longer living birds (cockatoos, african greys, etc) can be bred for money, bought for aesthetic, and treated poorly, abandoned or put for adoption and bounce from home to home to home that was not prepared for them and getting so many behavioral issues and “bird mental health” issues as I put simply and some really just dont get the chance to have a happy life. Some have a good owner until they are 30, then their owner dies and their owner’s family doesn’t want to care for them so they are sold or abandoned or put up for adoption and after living a great life are put into the cycles others do so like

One of my dreams if I ever get the money would be to legitimately have an Aviary and / or be a part of a parrot rehabilitation and rescue center XD I was actually up front with my fiance when I started dating that my future with caring for birds and adopting / fostering ones in need is something he would have to accept as my package / baggage or I will not under any circumstances proceed with a relationship XD

AND IM RANTING SO AT THE ANON THAT SAID RANT GO AHEAD I WISH I GOT THIS DONE FOR YOU BECAUSE I HAVEN’T FOUND A TOPIC TO RANT ABOUT FOR YOU AND HERE I AM RANTING ON THE WRONG ANON

But like, since I’m part ways on this tangent, lemme share one of my princesses that I’ve been caring for. (Quick photo below the keep reading)

[cue Riku gushing about their bird]

We got her from a previous owner that really couldn’t care for her and named her “Crash” because she kept crashing every time she flew (which is btw very dangerous - even if I noticed she seemed to learn how to “crash safely) and I really didn’t find the name cute cause it clearly was an issue - so I renamed her to Avery Rose - Avery being like Ivory + Avian and Rose cause I like Rose; but she also was REALLY terrified of hands and people and if a hand was within like 2 feet of her she’d panic - fly (or try to) and crash - and if you got her she’d bite like, right through your hand. I figure (vet wasn’t sure and didn’t want to do unnecessary invasive procedures to be sure) that she either has some joint / motor issue that makes it hard to fly or she has poor vision that makes her anxious. 

She also would pluck a lot out of stress and anxiety and isolation and stuff cause cockatiels are social birds and they need a lot of stimulus form their owner and/or other birds. She ALSO really didn’t get along with other birds either and would pretty much kinda avoid them. Even until today she kinda seems to miss the social cues of the other birds or not meld in since like, most birds get excited when small treats or “cookies” are brought over and they start pacing and heading to the food dishes, but she just kinda like.... waits or shows no interest XD

She’s a really unique personality. But anyways, my mom took her in originally and uh... as a typically kind of neglectful mom does, just kinda found her “too difficult” and just gave up on her, and I saw that and was like OH HELL NAH JUST CAUSE SHES REALLY ANXIOUS, SOCIALLY ABNORMAL, BITES HARD AND CRASHES DOES NOT MEAN YOU GET TO ABANDON HER so despite technically not signing up for it I was like “Mom she’s mine and I am taking over her care what you are doing is kind of cruel” 

And like, one of the flock members we have is the son of my first cockatiel who I helped raise (aside from his parents who primarily raised him) and socialized as he is now a bit of my personal emotional support birb, but with insistent help from me and I’m guessing bird support from a slightly younger and annoying boy birb that really liked her, she actually managed to learn out to fly REALLY well (like my boy, my son here literally like, kept doing small loops around and following her around until she got it and literally repetitively flew up and down to help her figure out how to land it melted my heart) and she actually really likes me specifically holding her and coddling her or hugging her, which I think might be because it might give her security.

She still plucks as it is one of those things that can follow a bird for life (though its getting better) and she is still anxious and really odd in social behaviors to the other birds, but she really seems to function in a happy life and she has a bird partner and a human mother and unlike before she can fly like any other bird and crashes rarely ever and like

She’s one of the things that I am most proud of seeing and lights up my world and I am SO god damn proud of her and she has LOWKEY been an inspiration for my recovery sometimes cause GOD do I love her XD

Her and her partner / “my boy / son” are the two birds that follow me to and from college and they seem to actually like car trips now? XD But they are my roommates and I love them immensely ;w;

Anon: What bird would you have if you could have any of them and treat them perfectly to their need

Me: DID YOU ASK ABOUT BIRD WELFARE, TECHNICALITIES AND PROBLEMS WITH BIRDS AS PETS (other than typically domesticated ones), MY DREAMS ABOUT SAVING ALL BIRDS IN THE WORLD AND THE STORY OF ONE OF MY BABY GIRLS AND HER MENTAL HEALTH JOURNEY?!

I apologize I do this sometimes :v I hope you enjoy my infodump / ramble

-Riku (Host)