Dream Species a Perfect Nightmare?
Everyone has a dream bird species. Typically it’s a rare species like a hyacinth macaw or a black palm cockatoo, but it doesn’t have to be! What a lot of people don’t think about is the behavioral concerns that come along with their dream bird species.
I’m going to have a hyacinth for the example because I think that’s a pretty universal dream for lots of bird people. A hyacinth is a macaw. So, they can be loud, they are destructive, they are annoying, they can still pluck, they can still be aggressive.
Just because it is a dream bird to own doesn’t mean they will be a dream to care for. A high price tag doesn’t mean immune to the same concerns. A black palm cockatoo is still a cockatoo, and cockatoos are loud!
For me, when I first started with birds in elementary school, I wanted a Moluccan cockatoo as my first parrot. Imagine a first grader having a Moluccan cockatoo as their first bird with a family with no bird experience. My first Moluccan that I got when I was a freshman in college who passed away had no behavioral issues with me. She didn’t care for others, tolerated them at best, but was quiet, gentle, not very messy. When I got Alfred, my current moluccan cockatoo, complete 180. So my dream species fit with one bird, but Alfie is a VERY typical cockatoo with less desirable behaviors.
Even desirable species and dream species do get rehomed and even end up in rescues. From my experiences, it was because the person had a dream and didn’t think about the species characteristics and how it fits into their life. I also hear people say, for example “I would never have a cockatoo, but I would have a black palm” which doesn’t make sense cause it’s a cockatoo still!!
Having a dream bird for any reason is something we all have in common. But when realistically adding to your home and flock, look past the dream to be sure your environment is right for your next bird. Sometimes we have to put our dreams to the side for the welfare of the animal, and the quality of care we can give them