Dearth takes four birds under her wing
IMAGE / Taylor Dearth
A beautiful African grey parrot, Abbie enjoys many different human foods. Abbie is a rescue parrot who belongs to senior Taylor Dearth.
Senior Taylor Dearth is a proud owner of four pets. But her pets are not furry, they have feathers.
She owns an African grey parrot named Abbie, a cockatiel named Sonny, and two parakeets named Cracker and Cheese.
She appreciates her unique pets and interacts with them often.
Dearth’s favorites of the four birds are Sonny and Abbie, and she enjoys spending time with them.
“Sonny and Abbie always laugh at my jokes,” Dearth said.
Dearth also knows that having four birds can be a hassle.
“They’re loud, and they wake me up at 7 a.m.,” Dearth said. “They’re also very messy.”
Dearth has to make sure their cages are clean, vacuum the floor daily, and pick up their feathers.
Having so many birds can also be expensive and can come with extra responsibilities.
They’re loud, and they wake me up at 7 a.m.
— Taylor Dearth, senior
Feeding them the right diet is a big part of being a bird owner. Domestic birds usually eat nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruit.
Sonny and Abbie’s favorite snacks are grapes and apples, but oddly enough Abbie also enjoys eating turkey. Abbie enjoys eating a lot of human foods, like spaghetti.
Dearth and her family rescued Abbie from an abusive home.
When Abbie was abused she plucked out the feathers around her chest, and the feathers haven’t grown back.
Birds are known to pluck out their own feathers when they are stressed or depressed.
Even though her name is now Abbie, Dearth said things weren’t always that way.
“Abbie says Taco Bell all the time because her name was Taco before,” Dearth said.
Dearth gives her birds a lot of freedom and lets them out of their cages daily. All of her birds have their wings clipped so that they are unable to injure themselves by flying into walls or windows.
Contrary to popular belief, clipping a bird’s wings doesn’t hurt the animal. Feathers grow back the same as hair does, giving the bird the ability to fly again in the future.
Even though having four birds can be overwhelming, Dearth wouldn’t trade them for the world.
Dearth believes she has a special bond with each and every one of them.
“I had them for five years, and I feel connected to them,” Dearth said.
Birthday: February 11, 2000
Extracurricular activities: National Honor Society
Hobbies: Henna art
Plans after high school: Attend college to...
Birthday: February 7, 2000
Extracurricular activities: Tennis, dance, and float building.
Hobbies: Eating, reading, and drawing.
Plans after...
