Don't worry, Henry's doing just fine.
You now can view Henry's video album at:
and 85 grams soaking wet.
While not rare (I got Henry from a pet store) you may not find Half Moons to be as commonly available as some other types of conures. They nest in hollow termite mounds in the wild and aren't prolific breeders in captivity. But they make great pets--intelligent and playful-- and bond deeply with their owners.
Henry is definitely male. Or female. Without DNA or blood analysis, I can't be sure. I've heard that males typically have a larger orange 'head band' which Henry certainly does, so my assumption is that he's a male. Henry thrives on attention. He simply will not be ignored. I think the parrot must be the ultimate interactive pet-- not only listening, but understanding. And what other animal is capable of speaking to you with your own inflection?
Like all birds, he's extremely aware of his surroundings. As a former dog and cat owner, it was striking to me how he simply never 'shuts down'. Even asleep, part of his brain is always alert and ready to deal with issues of survival. While awake, the amount of visual processing that goes on inside his little head is astounding. I can only imagine what and how he sees. Outdoors (safely in his cage, of course) while not obviously scanning the sky, he can detect and lock onto the silohuette of a red tailed hawk soaring so high overhead that appears to me only as a tiny speck, all the while emitting a low warning "grrr.. grrr.." as long as the threat is in view. And he's capable of detecting that same threat moving closer to the horizon, almost invisible in the background, through gaps in the branches of large trees.
It's no surprise that current research should cause us to reconsider the connotations that 'bird brain' implies. Examples of the parrot's intellect and language skill make frequent news items. Clearly, the bird brain is a product of millions of years of refinement. After all, current thinking leads us to believe that dinosaurs never really became extinct-- they just evolved into birds.
but not shy around new people. Lucky for me, I'm his favorite person.
Devoted chewer of cardboard whenever he's not molting. Henry molts once a year, usually starting in July (his prickly period) and finishing by late September. Rises and sets with the sun.
