The Parrot Who Owns Me: The Story of a Relationship
Jul 2001 · Villard
4.8star
5 reviewsreport
Ebook
256
Pages
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Eligible
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About this ebook
“Birds are my passion,” says Joanna Burger, “but parrots are my weakness.” Fifteen years ago, when se adopted a neglected, orphaned thirty-six year old parrot named Tiko, she entered on of the most complex relationships of her life.
Sullen and hostile when he entered Dr. Burger’s home, Tiko gradually warmed as she carefully persuaded him of her good intentions. Eventually he courted her, building nests inside household furniture during mating season and trying to coax her into them. He nursed her vigilantly through a bout with Lyme disease, regularly preening each strand of hair on the pillow as she slept. For a while he even fought her husband for her attentions, but eventually theirs became a relationship of deep mutual trust.
The Parrot Who Owns Me is also the story of the science of birds, and of parrots in particular (America’s third most commonly owned pet, after cats and dogs). Woven into the narrative are insights and fascinating revelations from Joanna Burger’s work — not only about parrots, but about what it means to be human.
By turns delightful, hilarious, touching, and enlightening, The Parrot Who Owns Me introduces us to an unforgettable bird and his human companion, whose friendships tells us much about ourselves.
Sullen and hostile when he entered Dr. Burger’s home, Tiko gradually warmed as she carefully persuaded him of her good intentions. Eventually he courted her, building nests inside household furniture during mating season and trying to coax her into them. He nursed her vigilantly through a bout with Lyme disease, regularly preening each strand of hair on the pillow as she slept. For a while he even fought her husband for her attentions, but eventually theirs became a relationship of deep mutual trust.
The Parrot Who Owns Me is also the story of the science of birds, and of parrots in particular (America’s third most commonly owned pet, after cats and dogs). Woven into the narrative are insights and fascinating revelations from Joanna Burger’s work — not only about parrots, but about what it means to be human.
By turns delightful, hilarious, touching, and enlightening, The Parrot Who Owns Me introduces us to an unforgettable bird and his human companion, whose friendships tells us much about ourselves.
Ratings and reviews
4.8
5 reviews
Thomas
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March 4, 2020
Very good story about "keeping" a (relatively) large bird. There is great insight to be had about how the bird relates to it's keeper. (But the story drags a little in the process.) Overall, this book is a "must read" for anyone considering being adopted by a Parrot. Seriously, "must read," before you make the commitment.
Arianne Saunders
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June 5, 2017
Must read for pet bird owners. So many of my own experiences mirrored hers (the bird ones, not the adventure ones) and it was nice to read someone else's bird stories.
A Google user
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Sweet story.
About the author
Joanna Burger, a distinguished professor of Biology at Rutgers, has authored two academic books on bird behavior, and has written five books for lay readers, two of which she co-authored with her husband, Muchal Gochfeld, a professor of environmental and community medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. They live in Somerset, New Jersey.
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