The Sun Conure
Living in a domestic zoo can be an exciting experience,
especially when a Sun Conure is added to the menagerie. The
bird’s vibrant orange breast, bright yellow wings, and red
cheek patches make her by far the prettiest bird we own.
Besides being beautiful, a Sun Conure is also a talented
entertainer. Ours is no exception. She hangs upside down
from one foot, she sleeps on her back, she plays dead, she
crawls down our clothing and to eat our T-Shirts and
buttons, she even feeds the dog! Every morning when she
receives her dish of vegetables, she waits until our Golden
Retriever puppy is paying attention, and then she pitches
carrots and peas to the floor in front of her. She literally
keeps us in stitches!
She is also a particularly affectionate bird. She loves to
give kisses and preen hair—even the puppy’s! Her all time
favorite pastime is to be caressed—under her wings, her
feet, her tail—literally everywhere! All of this affection,
however, is only poured out upon one individual in our home:
My husband. She tolerates the rest of us if he’s not around,
but the change that comes over her when he gets home from
school is beautiful to see.
If this little piece of joy has one tiny negative traits, it
is definitely her voice! Many of the smaller members of the
parrot family make beautiful, quiet sounds, and she can too.
But her specialty is a window-rattle, ear piercing:
SQUAWK!!!!! She squawks when she’s hungry. She squawks when
she’s bored. She squawks when she wants attention. She
squawks when she wants to be left alone. She squawks when
the other birds chirp. But mostly, she squawks when she
can’t see my husband!
The other day, my boys and I gathered the birds for story
time. All of our feathered friends enjoy this ritual, for
besides sharing stories and prayers, we also share crackers!
But for some reason Squawky wasn’t happy. She refused her
cracker and squawked until she finally flew away. Because her
wings are clipped, she soon crashed; but this didn’t deter
her in the least! She proceeded to march purposefully across
the floor—directly to my husband’s feet. We all thought she
would climb his pant leg, but she didn’t. As soon as she had
rubbed her head against his slipper, she marched back and
climbed onto my shoulder to position herself where she could
see my husband. Then she squawked for her cracker!
Spoiled? Definitely! But shouldn’t we all be the same?
Shouldn’t being with our Master become the goal of each and
every person? Shouldn’t our number 1 ambition be to seek His
face? Shouldn’t we, too, “squawk” when something blocks our
view of our Lord and Savior?
The next time something seems to be standing between you and
Jesus, remember Squawky. Fly. Walk. Squawk. Do whatever you
have to do to get your eyes fixed back on Jesus!
“Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.”
(1 Chron 16:11, Ps. 105:4)
Lyn Chaffart