PUBLIC CHANNEL | B21

[soft_focus]

Umnnnnnhhh....

...What kinds of names do you give birds?

I have....a small one, that's a sparrow...and.... [There is a brief pause.] ...Now I have a really big one, that they called a 'Scarlet Eagle'.

The sparrow likes to sit in my hair, but the eagle can't sit on me, unless I'm laying down. She's too heavy.

People keep asking me what their names are though, and I've never named something before....

Comments

[espigeon]

That's one of the short versions of "grandmother", the mother of a parent. It also sometimes just gets applied to older women who're nurturing even if they haven't had kids at all, but only if they don't mind.

[soft_focus]

Oh.

.... [Well.] ...I don't think she's old.

[espigeon]

Fair enough! Besides if you named her Grandma it'd be basically saying she's part of your family, and it may be too soon for that. Eagles are more work than a cat, even, uh, even though I heard this one was less reactive and more tolerant than I think of with wild birds.

[soft_focus]

Umnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn....

[Yes About That.

She's currently trying to shove her beak through her hair.] Hey-!! Not now-!

[CHIRP OF PROTEST.]

Um- The store person said she's supposed to carry mail, so...maybe that's why?

Hey, no more hair-!

[Continued Protest.]

[espigeon]

[swishswishswish he's laughing, but from a bird body that's nearly silent, shaking his tail.]

Oh dear. She'd have to be pretty smart for that! Is she bored? Lonely? Do you have eagle toys?

[soft_focus]

Um, I was going to ask Ginko, because we have lots of things for 'enrichment' for the other animals...so there's probably something there...

[There is now Sparrow Cheeping as well.]

...I know she doesn't think the sparrow is a toy though.... ...I think she's a little afraid of her, actually...

[To be fair, it's a MOVING DEAD THING.]

[espigeon]

Oh good. Yeah. I know parrots like destroying things and pigeons like throwing stuff around and building nests, and I think with like falconry birds they like hunting. But this is a magic bird and she might want totally unrelated things.

Maybe with time it'll help. Don't let them bully each other! Little birds will go and swarm big predators sometimes.

[soft_focus]

Yeah!! I'm trying to make sure they know they have to get along... [As she says it, she's currently stroking one, and then the other, and then the other...

Both are a little ruffled, but things will...Pass. For now.]

I think normal sparrows don't like her either though, so I don't think she can swarm the eagle at least.... [Which is sad, but a relief all the same. She sort of hopes they can be friends somehow, because it must be rather lonely for the tiny one.]

[espigeon]

Hmm, well, try and give them some time apart, too! Sometimes being forced to spend too much time with someone you already don't like just makes it worse. Don't try to force them to be best friends.

[soft_focus]

[Um, A Problem With That.]

...........................I can't make the sparrow leave me.

...Ever.

[espigeon]

[Delicately:]

Yikes.

The eagle will probably appreciate the chance to go stretch her wings and get a good perch in less confined environs, though. As a sort of bird myself, you get a little antsy when you're too long somewhere that you'd hit things if you flapped.

[soft_focus]

Oh!

............She already gets that part. [So they're all good then.] I always let her outside to fly when she wants to go outside.

...Mostly she's only inside to sleep, or get warm...

[espigeon]

So she's living with you, huh?

Remember to turn out the lights when it's time to sleep, birds are usually pretty firm on that point.

[soft_focus]

[There is a rather awkward pause.]

....................Why would someone leave lights on to sleep?

[Again, it appears they have unintentionally decided This Is Fine.]

[espigeon]

It's more that birds need a pretty regular day-night schedule.

So is she house trained? Because I can see this going really badly.

[Most birds aren't - they have bowel control, they just don't have the same instinct to not soil the den/use a box that cats and dogs do.]

[soft_focus]

Mnh...I don't think so?

...She's always outside when that happens-and I don't think she likes using the floors anyway...

...I put lots of paper things around where she sleeps just in case though.

[espigeon]

Hmmmm. There's ways to try and train for it? I've known people with parrots that learned to go into trash cans. If she poops on you just, uh, express mild disgust and 'punish' her by avoiding her until you're cleaned off, and if she's as smart as those she'll realize you don't like it.

Maybe Ginko can give you tips, this is about the end of my knowledge.

[soft_focus]

She could poop on me!? [WHY WOULD SHE AIM ABOVE HER ANYWAY THAT'S TERRIBLE-]

....I'm going to ask how I'm supposed to 'punish' her then, because she's as strong as me I think... [It's hard to say, confiscate a toy or something and express Sheer Punishment when you can easily be bowled back over and more or less overpowered.]

[espigeon]

Yup. Doesn't it like zap out behind her instead of dropping? Be careful.

[When falconry birds do this it's called 'slicing'. With falcons it just drops down. With eagles and hawks they shoot it out.

She'll also vomit up the fur and bones of what she eats, and get sick if fed too many meals without those. Birds of prey are glamorous.]

Well it's like with dogs, maybe? Training them's supposed to work better if you focus more on rewarding good behavior and punishment is, like, stopping a good thing.

[soft_focus]

I don't watch her p- [WAIT, ZAP!?!] It's electric too?? [She whispers with disbelief. She's sort of eyeing the Eagle with a bit of fear now, much to said eagle's confusion.

At least she had an inkling about vomiting, what with feeding an Enormous Relative, but-]

....Mnh.... ...so.... ...treats for doing the right thing then...

I have to ask what meats make good treats, since otherwise it's just extra food...

[espigeon]

No, no! Figure of speech, sorry. Sometimes, people apply electric words for something moving very fast, because electricity is.

Yeah. You'll have to figure out yourself what else she likes. Maybe she'll go and behave more, then.

[soft_focus]

I hope so... I think she knows I need the radio now though...

[Wrong, she is Biding Her Time.]