Why Does Bo Dangle?

Ten or more years ago when a member of my bird club discovered her African Gray parrots had hatched out a chick, and then become scared of something and mutilated the baby, she thought she would have to have the wee baby put down. How could a parrot survive without feet? In the years since then, I have known many birds, parrots especially, who lead meaningful lives in spite of disabilities and special needs. Mickaboo is a non-profit organization that takes in companion birds when they are in need, and some of the parrots have special needs.

Thankfully, the vet told her that the parrot would be fine with a few adjustments: A smaller cage, carpet to stand on, shelves instead of perches. She took the bird back home and cared for her for a few more years until the woman passed away. That’s when the bird club stepped in and rehomed all of the birds at the house, a turtle, two Pekingese dogs, and several plants. It was a large operation.

Bo in her cage before we adopted her. This is the first time we saw her.

Mike and I were part of the evacuation and were the only ones interested in the footless African Gray (CAG) and another special needs bird, a blind CAG. Being folks who love paronomasia, ( What Is a Pun?) wedecided to name her Bo Dangles. We ook them both home and set them up as comfortably as we could.

Bo Dangles in her cage with a shelf and towel

Bo has always had a shelf to lay on or stand on. Her leg stumps are beautifully healed and allow her to stand on them with her beak used to hang on to something if needed. When we first saw her, she was dangling from the top of her very small cage. We’ve always given Bo a large cage, because she doesn’t know she’s differently abeled and gets around using her stumps and beak to climb and hold on. She has fallen a number of times, but she has cardboard boxes in the bottom of the cage to land on.

Practicing her CAG stare.

I do love this little girl and enjoy her comic timing. She has learned to say things I say a lot and sounds enough like me that Mike will answer. She makes the sound of water being poured. She asks for apples and “corny” at times. She learned to say “derp” while our son still lived at home. Her understanding of the word is so interesting. If I shut down the office, which is the room where the parrots sleep, and then have to go back because I forgot something, she will call me a derp. When the other parrots are making a lot of noise as we shut down at night, she will say, “Alright, knock it off!” and often the will obey.

Bo Dangles

She learned her name because we never knew what hers originally was. She and the blind bird also learned his name. Bo knows that I love it when she dangles, so every morning after I say good morning to her, she will dangle while I am still in the room. I make a big deal about her doing so.

This parrot has always been a biter. While most of the articles I found on chick mutilation by parrots say that the parents are trying to force the chicks out so they can raise another clutch. But that doesn’t seem to have been the case with her. Her parents were frightened of something and misplaced their aggression toward their chick. That possibly is why Bo is so bitey.

Her first cage with us, now outside as Maynard’s sun cage.

When we first got her, she took an opportunity snap at Mike while he was adjusting something in her cage. Bo only managed to pinch his hand, but she tumbled off her shelf. She said “Uh-oh!” as she fell, then looked up at him and said, “I’m sorry”. How could you not love her?

Blind Io came from the same place as Bo.

So why does Bo dangle? Her stumps are not meant to support her weight, even though it’s small for a gray, and dangling gets some relief to her legs and thighs. I think it also stretches her back and gives her spine and neck a different angle for a while. That’s only a guess but it seems a good explanation. Beside the fact that she loves the attention she gets when she does it.

Thanks for reading, I’ll be back on Sunday.