The Lure of Cuteness

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Mar 5, 1999

I went to our local bird store yesterday to buy some bird toy parts. As usual, I meandered through the back where all the parrots were kept. I saw the usual larger birds, a macaw, an umbrella and a moloccan cockatoo, a couple of senegals, and a lesser sulfur cockatoo. The last bird stole my heart.

I inquired about its price, and although I knew the $800 was a bit much for us right now, I also knew that through the magic of credit cards, I could probably manage it. Still, something held me back.

I thought of my birds at home. LittleHawk, the cute pacific parrotlet who taught me about the magic of these wonderful birds, Braynon, my baby blue head pionus, and Sam, the older white cap who loved cuddling as much as any bird, all came to mind. I thought of how I often lamented that I wish I had more time to spend with my birds. With regret, I realized that I shouldn't buy the cute little cockatoo, no matter what my heart said.

The lure of the cute bird happens to all of us at one time or another. Perhaps you own a bird that doesn't talk. Then, one day at a bird mart or a pet store, you see the cutest bird that is just talking up a storm. Suddenly, you have to have this bird. Price, size, nothing matters because this bird is cute. Or, you've always wanted a macaw. Your cute little birds, perhaps a pionus, or a conure, pale in comparison to your perfect bird. You see a baby macaw, the price is right, do you buy?

Maybe you do and maybe you don't. Bird envy happens to all of us. Luckily for myself, I went home and played with my two pionus and their cute antics won my heart over again. I didn't not love my boys, Sam and Braynon. In fact, I sing their praises every day. My pionus are quiet, playful, adorable birds. (For further information, see http://www.birdsnways.com/. Their March issue of Winged Wisdom contains my article on pionus) For a moment, I was blinded by the cute lesser sulfur cockatoo.

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