One of my favorite birds is the bright and lively parakeet. They are active and playful, and come in a  variety of beautiful colors. Though much quieter than larger parrots, they can  become good talkers.

Originally from Australia, parakeets were  taken to England in the 1800s and became very  popular. This beautiful little fellow belongs to my mom. After Mom lost her little companion dog, she found the house very quiet. She considered getting a new dog, but her area has coyote problems, and she was no longer comfortable walking a dog. In July I wrote a post titled, The Coyotes Are Back, after I spotted a coyote through Mom’s living room window.

Years ago Mom owned a parakeet and I thought she might enjoy another. At first she said no, but eventually warmed to the idea and one afternoon we took a trip to the pet store where Mom chose Gilligan.

. It has been amazing, and a joy to watch Mom and Gilligan form a bond. When Mom leaves the room Gilligan strains his neck and practically falls off of his perch looking for her. When Mom eats, Gilligan goes to his food dish and also eats. The funniest thing is after lunch, he starts chirping until Mom takes her nap and then Gilligan takes his as well. He certainly has her trained. He signals Mom when he wants out of his cage, and from there he flies to the top of the china cabinet. Mom reaches up to him with a wooden perch and uses the command words, Step Up, which is a command bird owners use to teach their pets to step onto a perch.  I visited Mom today and took these photos. You can see him perching on a picture frame, and the top of the china cabinet. He is becoming quite tame and will sit on Mom’s finger. Recently he sat happily on her shoulder while she walked around the house.

He really is a beautiful little fellow and lives up to the title Companion Bird.