Gender Reveal, and 10 Fun Facts About Bertie

We got the results back from Bert’s blood test, so it’s gender reveal day! And I’m sharing some cute and fun facts about owning a pet bird.

Today I am so excited to be sharing some updates on Bertie, my little pineapple conure and constant companion.

If you don’t already know about this new pet of mine, be sure to read my post from last week: 50, A Feathered Friend, and All the Feels so you can catch up!

Before I get into the really fun stuff I just want to take a minute to thank all of you who read that post. It was very personal and a rare, kinda scary departure for me to open up like that on this site!

Usually I try to stick to recipes because I know that’s mostly why people come here, but so many of you showered me with support, encouragement, understanding, and love that it really was wonderful and I feel like maybe you enjoyed this little peek into my personal life!

I honestly can’t thank you enough for all the kind words here and on my social media posts. You have made a terribly difficult chapter in my life feel a lot less so and that has truly been a gift.

Now, onto Bert!

We got the DNA test back and the doctor tells us that…

I’m so happy. I honestly really wanted Bert to be a girl, especially since we had kinda already chosen the she/her pronouns and it would have been hard to readjust to that!

And since we are here I figured this would also be a fun opportunity to share some fun facts about Bertie, my little puff ball and snuggle bug. So here goes!

1) Bertie is a pineapple green-cheeked conure

Conures are a sub-species of parrot. They are small (her body is only about 4 inches long, not counting her tail feathers, and she only weighs 52 grams which is about the weight of a large chicken egg) and colorful, and their natural habitat is in the tropics.

But they make great pets!

The “pineapple” part references her particular pattern of coloration.

Conures typically have a life span of about 15 to 20 years.

2) She can turn her head almost all the way around

Like an owl!

It doesn’t spin but she can go all the way around to the left and see directly behind herself, then again all the way to the right!

3) Under her wings it’s blue

When Bert’s wings are closed they just look green, but when she stretches them out you can see the most beautiful turquoise blue feathers underneath.

I’m working on getting a photo for you but most birds don’t really like having their wings touched so I try to respect that (never try to force a bird or you could damage their trust!).

Hopefully I can snap a quick pic sometime soon!

4) Highly intelligent

Many species of birds are extremely intelligent and Bertie is no exception!

She may even learn to speak and understand human speech at some point. (Sometimes we joke that if my name is “Merp” then I’m all she talks about!)

Most experts will tell you that parrots have a similar level of cognition to a typical 3-year old child.

They can be trained in all sorts of ways and Bertie is already starting to learn how to step up and perch on our fingers on command, to present the top of her beak for a kiss, and even to mimic the sound of a kiss! Mmm-whah! Xxxxx!

5) She loves cuddles and pets

Bertie and I spend on average around 2 hours per day just snuggling. In the morning, I enjoy a cup of coffee and Bert enjoys a long cuddle sesh. Then we do it again in the late afternoon after I’m done work, sometimes with a little cocktail.

Just kidding the cocktail is only for me! Birds should not drink alcohol.

Bertie especially loves to have her head, neck, and beak area rubbed and scratched. She looks like she’s in total ecstasy when she gets this and she’ll sit for a long time for it!

Sometimes she even sticks her little tongue out the side of her beak to lick us, and that’s really cute.

6) She can sometimes be moody

When we first got Bert, we were all so excited to have each other, and even she was extremely snuggly and tolerant of all sorts of nonsense from us.

But then she got overstimulated and didn’t want quite so much closeness all the time. That’s understandable! Who could blame her?

She went through a little phase where she would nip or bite to tell us she wanted some space.

This is the most reliable way a bird knows to communicate a “no thank you,” because birds’ body language can be very subtle and you really have to tune in to understand it. Sometimes it’s as little as a slight lean or even just the way her feathers look.

(If she’s really smooth she’s probably feeling nervous, whereas if she’s puffed out she’s more relaxed. But smooth head plus puffed out neck could mean she’s really aggravated.)

Once you get their cues, and once you’ve built a solid trust bond by responding consistently to their needs and wants, that behavior can be curbed and we have been successful in that for the most part. We’ve really started paying closer attention and the biting phase lasted about 2 1/2 weeks for us.

7) Bertie spends a lot of time eating

It takes a long time for a little bird like Bert to break down her food! I’d say she probably spends a good 3 hours a day just nibbling away.

Her little tummy can only hold about 1 tablespoon of food per day. But I offer her more and freshen it up every 24 hours.

She also loves dried figs and prunes, sunflower seeds, and pistachios, as well as millet.

These foods are reserved for training rewards and treats, since they’re higher in sugar and fat and not what’s best for her health!

8) She likes to take showers

While I’m making her salad and washing up, Bertie loves to get wet. Most birds do! And they will bathe around once a day, sometimes more, sometimes less depending on their mood.

I’ve balanced a pizza pan at the edge of the kitchen sink so she can hop on and splash around. It’s one of the best parts of her day and she looks so cute when she’s wet!

9) She has 4 toes on each foot

There are 2 that face forward and 2 that face back, and she can gather them into a little fist and grasp things with them.

When she walks, they turn inward. So cute!

And when she’s feeling content she’ll often tuck one up under her tummy feathers and just stand on one foot.

Her feet are also super warm & toasty and they feel so good on your shoulder!

10) Bertie spends most of the day outside her cage

Pet birds need lots of attention and what’s known as “enrichment.” <–This just means fun and interaction.

Enrichment can be in the form of petting, talking to and cooing to your bird, training, simple little puzzles, or just walking around doing things with them so they can enjoy watching you.

Sometimes when I’m filming a recipe video she wants to come down off my shoulder and investigate, so you may see her make an appearance from time to time!

She also really enjoys car rides and I’m trying to teach her what “bye-byes” means. I think she’s getting it! She gets excited when she hears that and bobs her head!

This is all lots of fun but Bert is a poop machine. She goes about every 10 to 30 minutes, no exaggeration.

Everything comes out of the same opening, eggs, poop, pee, and the white stuff known “urates.” This opening is referred to as the “vent” or “cloaca.”

I keep a pack of bleach-free, unscented disinfecting wipes in every room and try to wipe it up as soon as it happens. These work really well on both solid surfaces (like our hardwood floors) and soft fabric surfaces like upholstery and rugs.

But she’s learning what “poop” means and hopefully at some point I can get her trained either to wear a bird diaper or to only go in her cage.

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I hope you enjoyed reading these fun facts about Bert, and about pet birds in general! I know I have really loved learning more about parrots and what it’s like to have a small one here in my home.

Hit me up with any questions you may have in the comments section below! I’m happy to share my knowledge if you are thinking about getting a pet bird of your own.