AvianAvenue.com
Title
Avian Avenue : Hand fed baby birds and information
Description
If you imagine an elderly woman feeding pigeons from a park bench, think again. Twenty-three year old Jill Bernards breeds and hand raises Macaws, Amazons, Cockatoos and other exotics.
I had the privilege of meeting some of these remarkable creatures. I didn't know what to expect as I rang the doorbell that morning. I suppose I expected a scene out of Ace Ventura Pet Detective, but was relieved and slightly disappointed to learn that most of Jill's more than forty birds reside at a nearby ranch owned by her parents.
As we sat down to talk, I was greeted by the demure "hello" from Coke-a-moe, a five year old Senegal. I thought for a moment of interviewing him but instead addressed my questions to Jill. Here among her flock of feathered friends, this soft-spoken young woman came alive. Her passion for these "little people" was readily apparent as she gently preened the feathers of Lancelot, a Sulfur-crested Cockatoo whom she raised from the egg. "Hello Lancelot, is all she can say," remarked Jill about the affectionate Cockatoo. "[Birds] are social animals... and to have them talk to you in your own language is really cool." Jill's close friend, who owns an African Grey, agreed. "There's no pet that can compare."
