So while I was trying to figure out what to write about, my girlfriend had given me the idea to write about my extremely exotic and very interesting pets. I have two birds. One is a hyacinth macaw and the other is a cockatoo. The macaw is the big blue one pictured enough, his name is Opus, and the cockatoo is a smaller white one named Sushi. The topic of this blog will be about Opus.

Opus is a species of parrot that is currently the largest in size of all parrots. Because of this, he needs a big cage and a lot of food. His size prevents him from flying indoors, so instead, he climbs using his beak and feet. Other than this, he exhibits some otherworldly traits. For one, he has a bone in his tongue and no saliva, so when he licks me out of affection it just feels like someone poking me with their finger. This trait is beneficial however, the bone in his tongue lets him pierce the skin of various types of fruits in the wild.

Another one of his weird traits is when his feathers come in contact with water they change color under light. The colors range from the dark blue that he is naturally, and can turn teal, green, or even purple depending on the angle and light from which you are looking at him.

Opus is a great pet and I highly recommend birds as pets. Different species of birds are very different, however. Smaller birds have different problems and traits. Opus is great to play with, he does fetch and will even play tug of war with his massive beak. From what my father told me, his biting force is great enough to break bones and his beak is very hard so his grip on things like old rags or wood makes him a serious tug of war opponent.

Opus, like many parrots, can speak. Opus not only speaks but he understands what many words mean. Currently, his vocabulary includes “Oops” when he drops something, “Mhhhhhh” to express food and something that tastes good, “Go get it”, and he can even say hello, and “Who is that?” One time somebody tried to break in and Opus repeating “Who is that?” in his strange voice scared the intruder away.

Opus has many flaws however and most of the time I do envy other people because he can be burdensome. He barks, often. He can be louder than a dog and is very stubborn. Getting him back into his cage is always an hour endeavor and he craves affection. Worst of all, he is extremely destructive. His powerful beak has broken his cage lock multiple times already and due to his clumsiness coupled with his climbing skills and curiosity, he has knocked over fragile things like vases and broken them.

Despite all of this, I love him. He has way more personality and cognitive ability than most pets and his downsides are reminiscent of the problems new parents would have with a baby. In conclusion, get a bird, it might change your life for the better!