Posted by Patti on July 27, 2002 at 12:48:32:
I am new to the forum. My red belly, Gypsy, is really the best pet. Right now as I am at the computer I can hear him calling. "Birdie" I am not sure if he thinks that is my name because when he is not aware I am home he calls Daddy for my husband to come and get him. It is great coming home as I pull in the dirve and get out of the car I hear Birdie, Birdie from the upstairs window.
He really lives up to what I have seen online about red bellies being acrobatic. He loves to be around us. Now he is whistling loudly because I have not lept up to take him out when he first called. He even imitates the way the budgie chirps to get our attention.
He was hand raised but we were told by the shop that he was most likely a female. And of course he can say very clearly "That's a good Gyspy girl." We used this line to praise him while we were teaching him the up up command. Well imagine my surprise when sometime later (maybe two years) online I come across an article on red bellies telling about them being dimorphic as adults. The article also shows common photos demonstrating the obvious differences for the male and female. If I didn't know better I would have thought that Gypsy posed for the photo for the male.
If I have one word of advice it is to be careful of the toys. I bought several to take him home with. One was a series of rope rings. They were fine but the ring at the top to attach it to the cage was round about the size of quarter or less. I thought nothing of it. This is where luck or fate or someting was on my side as I was just going out. I thought I'll just check on the birds before I go out. I came into the bedroom where his cage was to see him struggling somehow he had managed to get his head into the ring and between it and the rope his head was stuck. Luckily again he must have just done it as he wasn't too upset yet and he let me and my husband hold him to get his head out. Even now I would not have believed his head would fit in that ring. His head looks way too big. Now we make sure that the small oval rings are on the toys or we change them.
Patti
