Last updated on:
7/27/01
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   Hello. On January 6 th 2001 Emily's page mysteriously disappeared so we are in the unfortunate position of redoing her page fully. Much of her page has been on here since 1996 and it is hard to remember exactly what was here! I am adding as I remember and making some changes. 
So please bear with us and come back often! 

I am afraid the greatest casualty is the list of what she says. She says about 350 - 400 words and phrases. Several things are apparently different words to her, although they are the same to us. 
'Oh' can be said in understanding , in suprise, in disgust etc. 
She also changes the order of words and adds or drops some words. She might say- Peanut? I want peanut- You want peanut? Want peanut! I am peanut and I LOVE peanut.
In my room
She came to us as a gift at Christmas time in 1990 when she was about 8 months old. Her eyes were still dark and changed colors to a straw yellow over the next few months. She used to sleep wrapped up in a blankie in a basket on top of her room when she was a baby. She still likes to snuggle in a blankie but gets too hot after awhile and comes out. Her wings had been quite badly mangled and did not grow in for several years. I did not realize that they had finally grown in until the day she let herself out, caught a breeze and flew in circles around the house for three days until she figured out how to land low enough for me to climb up to her. Poor little thing was SO happy to see me- and I her !

   She did not talk for two years. Not a word. She did a beautiful clear wolf whistle when she came and that was it. She was extremely shy and terrified of everyone for a long long time. I took care of her basic grooming and wrapped her up for secure snuggles and scratch sessions , but basically left her alone while she learned to trust me. The turning point was when I was confined to bed for almost six months with an illness. I spent a LOT of time on the couch by her room (a huge cage) and she was allowed to sit out whenever she wanted. She becalmed concerned about me and when I was asleep she would come out and climb across the back of the couch to my head where she would preen my hair and snuggle with me until I woke up.  Over the next few years she became completely comfortable with me and now will allow me to do absolutely anything with her. She has developed a sense of humor and fun and loves to play .   We have almost forgotten what a hand shy  timid bird she was. Now she trusts me so much that when I give her new toys- if I put my hand on the toy and tell her to get it she will not be afraid of it. (That took *years* of trust so don't try it with your bird until you have a strong bond!)
She is still deathly afraid of hammers and brooms a suddenly appearing stick (hey I understand THAT one!) and the feather duster (looks like a BIG MAD bird). 
My travel room
Her favorite toys are raffia (vegetable dyed paper rope) both twisted and untwisted, "I can't believe it's not butter" spray bottles, washed without a lid stuck upside down into her drawbridge door, and HER wiffle ball. HER ball- and DON'T forget it! She also loves to chew on wood and has spent time the last few years sneaking back to the edge of her t-stand and demolishing the side trim. She is not a destructive bird, although if I leave her without  new toys for tooo long she will try out what is around.
She is also pretty good at being quiet when we are sleeping, unless she is hungry when she will make progressively louder and more obnoxious noises until someone feeds her.

She does several tricks, hand shakes, some words on command (mainly peanut) dead bird, over,up,fly,kisses and laying on her back. I hold her to clip her toenails . She is very good about it but HATES to have it done and lets me know by making the clipper noise VERY LOUDLY the whole time I am doing it. She can also turn the bathroom light switch 'off', and we are working on 'on'.

She imitates all the birds she has ever been around (oh BOY can she!) but takes a special pleasure in imitating poor old Lucy's trills and clucks and squeaks. Usually in a sarcastic tone-sometimes OVER Lucy. She also loves to play the head bob game- she will do it once or twice to get we people started, and then will sit back and laugh while we keep at it trying to get her to do it again. She has us trained.
   She likes to wander around the house exploring, but we have to limit that due to the obvious dangers. She does have access to the living room most of the time and will often climb down and visit.
Hungry?
Emily's favorite food is peanuts. She also likes popcorn any warm drink bananas oranges apples carrots celery corn etc. She has a staple diet of those with a seed/pellet/etc mix that she has access to at all times. She crunches through cuttlebones and calcium blocks as fast as she gets them! She also LOVES to shred apple branches, fresh from the tree , leaves and all. They usually come from my mother, and she sometimes leaves little apples still on the branches and Emily *really likes that.
   She likes to hang upside down from her ceiling and attack her bell and plastic keys and other toys, shrieking and laughing with delight. She also TWANGS the bars of her room. Sometimes she is irritated or bored, but sometimes it seems to be just because she enjoys the sound, 
unlike the rest of us.

Emily is also a evil evvil bird with the little birds. She will lop off a toe if given even a slight chance.
She is jealous and makes that very clear! If someone small (bird) flies to her, now if I yell she will leave it alone, if I am *quick to remove it.Three of the birds we have now are toe casualties. She is not sorry. She will often chastise herself as she does a forbidden thing. Just now she tried to grab a clean towel to chew it (or to climb down it- both forbidden) and when I said "Eh-ehhh!" She turned and said " BAD! Stop! You know better! ". She knows.
Emily and Posy
This is all I have time for right now. Check back soon as I will add more as I think of it!
Please check the links below for some great info about greys. The internet is the perfect place to find out about birds before you get them. The *very best place for new gray owners is the gray list. 
QZanny and Emily

Lucy's page
Budgie's page
Cats
Our Index
CAGTAG list homepage
(excellent site)
Bird Talk Magazine
Up at six search
General pet mailing list list
Alex
Basic Info about Greys
Simon a CAG
(excellent pic and some sound files)


Emily Says:
Are you allright? Awwwwww Biiiird Yeeeeees ?  One Two Three Four Five  How are you? 
Are you a good bird?  I'm a goood bird  I looove you  No bite! Bad Bird! Baad baaaaaad bird!
Hello?  Hi WHAT do you think you're doing?  What? You want peanut?   I want peanut
I loove peanut   I AM peanut   Howard's dead I want drink   Poppy! Shut the door
(name) you know better !   Hey! Stop that !   Mama  Posy  SeesEEEEE Hungry ? 
Y'want out?  I want out  Out!Out!Out!  TickleTickleTickle! OoooOoooo! hee hee hee
ho ho ho  ha ha ha Scratch?  Ohhhhh  Brush your hair Y'want bath? Is that good?
{psychotic laugh}  You wan' go bed?  I want go bed  G'night! Emily   Lucy
{sarcastic imitation of Lucy's happy noises}   wolf whistle  Here  HerehereHERE!
{duct tape}  {smoke alarm}   {microwave}  {light switch}  {ANY loud obnoxious sound}
{whip poor will}   {monotone single note}   {kiss noises} {smoothie noise}  {tick}
tick-toc  {fingernail clippers}  {knocking on door}  hith hith hith {LOUD cluck of annoyance}
Wooooo!!   C'mon
Emily gives a kiss
(Emily gives a short kiss)
-and MUCH more!
I don't know what it is, but it is no more !

I'm ready for my close up ,...

I can fly I can fly I can flyyyyyy
 

         

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The Grey Parrots Ring
is owned by 
QZanny and Emily
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Grey Parrot logos copyright 1998 by Corinna Engemann

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*****QZ INC. AFFILIATES " Because We Can "*****

  Yes , these ARE Em's lovely feet .

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