Happy Happy Hatchday to Birdylands Tiki!!!!!

Awww Leigh... thank you!!!

My little girl is 12 today. I have had her since I was 16 years old. I cannot imagine growing up, or life now, without her.

Happy happy hatchday Tiki Girl, and also happy 60th birthday to my father today, her birthday buddy, who gave Tiki to me, and had enough faith in a 16 year old Dana, to do so.

I think I'll go get some special "store bought" toys for her on my lunchbreak, as I usually make her things or use grasshopper refillables, and I'll have to bake up a special cake when I get home, before we go out to dinner for Dad.

Happy Hatchday Tiki!

Wow thats some story! I never knew that! Big kisses on the cheek patch to Tiki!

Happy Hatchday to Tiki

Big hugs to all 3 of you. You are so lucky. Tiki is lovely - I always enjoy your siggie - can you post some more?

I love that story

Woo Hoo! Happy Hatch Day!

Happy, happy day Sweet Tiki! Ruby and I love you! You are the best of birds! Your story is so wonderful! Don't you just love those brave dads! Mine got me a horse at 13 when neither one of us knew 1 thing about them! Boy did we learn! ha! Enjoy the celebrations!

Here's the story ... of a bird named Tiki!

We were out of dog food, so it didn't surprise me when I got a call from my dad after school to come get the bag of food from my Dad's office as he said he would be working late and I needed to get it so I could feed the dog. So, I drove down to the office, a few miles away.

I went inside, got the keys from Dad.... and opened the back of the van. No dog food, but instead, the prettiest little tail-less 5 month old Scarlet Macaw I had ever seen. I shrieked with excitement, as soon as I picked my jaw off the floor. My dad, standing behind me, grinning from ear to ear, points with a bandaged hand and tells me to pick her up cautiously. See... he had taken a baby who had never ever seen the outside world, and brought her with him in a van.... on top of a milk crate (I know! OMG!).... so when he went to get her out, she was scared and bit right through his hand to the bone. I picked her up, and the rest is history; we have been inseparable since.

I have been obsessed with birds my entire life. Specifically, Scarlet Macaws, since age three when I saw my first one. I have taken in unwanteds my entire life; rehabbed, rehomed....everything from hummers, to budgies and tiels, to a conure. I never gave up my obsession, so by the time I was 16, and my dad stumbled across a local breeder and charmed the owner into letting him do business with her closed aviary, he decided I could finally have my baby scarlet that I always wanted.

He didn't think much further ahead that day! We had no cage, no food, no toys. She slept on the edge of my bed that night, and I didn't sleep a wink. We picked up a used cage a day or two later and I fed her a diet of seeds, pellets, and some fruits and veggies. That's what we used to do. There was never a doubt what her name would be since a visit to Disney's Tiki room when I was 5.

Since then, we really grew up together. I stayed local for school, my husband is birdie approved, and she has the most wonderful presence and personality. I feed an all fresh diet, and she rewards me every day with her humor, loyalty, personality, intelligence, and interaction. Happy Birthday Tiki-girl... almost a teenager now!