Ok, this is all still just so amazing to us that we have to share the real life story of our spokes-bird, Tiki, the blue front Amazon. We'll start at the beginning, and I'll wait while you grab a box of tissues...you might need them.

It all started just about 10 years ago. Before our children, my husband and I (newly married) were young, and well, sometimes stupid. We were living with my husbands mother to save up money for a house. We had just a cat (my husbands from before our marriage, named Ziggy) and a blue fronted Amazon named Tiki, that we'd bought from a local pet store. He was just about 2 years old when we got him.

Tiki was a real ham. A real life "big bird trapped in a little bird body" kind of bird. He had spunk and attitude, and the typical Amazon "all for show" philosophy. He allowed me to snuggle him and hold, touch, pet him, but no other could. We loved every minute with him, and I adored how he'd tell me that he loved his 'Mama' before bed each night. For Tiki, was a Mama's boy, by all deffinitions of the word.

Tiki had an outdoor aviary that he just loved to spend time in on warm days, with me sitting nearby. Everyone in our neighborhood knew him, and would often ask me "How is Tiki doing?" Well, one warm sunny day, Tiki was playing in his outdoor enclosure, while I sun bathed nearby on a lawn chair. It wasn't hot, but it was fairly warm, so I checked the status of his water dish to ensure he had enough. Sure enough, it was near empty, so I took it inside to fill, and came right back out. I was in the house for less than 3 minutes. When I came back outside, my day quickly took a turn for the worse.

The door to Tiki's enclosure was wide open, swinging to and fro in the gentle breeze. I began to panic. I ran around the neighborhood calling him, searching trees, and talking to neighbors. Many came out to aide in our search. We looked high and low for days. Not a trace of him anywhere. I made posters, talked to local vet clinics, handed out photos of him to everyone I knew, and didn't know. By the time a year had passed, I knew in my heart I'd never see him again. He was gone forever, and I'd just have to go on without him. My whole world had revolved around this little bird. Now it came to a screaching hault.

Well, years go by, and children entered our lives and kept us on our toes. We never forgot Tiki, but we had moved on, at least, with our lives. We had simply come to terms that we would never again own another bird, because none could replace the love we'd lost. But, once you have loved a little feathered one, even if they are lost, that need to love another will someday come back to you. For us, it took nearly 9 years.

Fast forwarding to the present day...I had become a frequent shopper at our newest pet store. I like them because they work more like a rescue/adoption center than a pet store. Just about 90% of the animals there are there on 'consignment' awaiting new homes, rather than purchased from backyard breeders, or mass suppliers. Plus, the animals are allowed time out of the cages! Ferrets and rabbits and chinchillas get time to roam! People can come in and TOUCH them, and play with them! I REALLY like that. And because of it, they have gained my loyal patronage, as well as the word of mouth I spread about them.

Well, anyway, while visiting there, I was befriended by a large yellow nape Amazon, who everyone thought unapproachable. (He was green and gold and his name was Lambo! How cute is that? We LOVE the Packers!) Anyway, I visited with him nearly everyday for three weeks, all the while talking to hubby about possibly bringing home another bird.

Well, I started looking. And I'll tell you, it wasn't easy. The only thing I was certain of, was that we wanted to rescue a bird that really needed us, rather than buy one. I finally came across a bird rescue not too far from our home, and gave her a call. She told me about several amazons she had, as well as other birds, too. I was pretty sure this was where I wanted to start my search, but I certainly wasn't prepared to bring anyone home that day.

Well, I filled up the tank and headed out on an hour and a half drive (each way) to see who was there. I wasn't prepared for what happened next. I don't think anyone ever could have been.

Arriving at her home, I see a slightly mean amazon, as well as several other parrots. A macaw, a cockatoo, some 'teils, doves, budgies, and some smaller parrots (parrolets maybe?), and a couple cages I thought empty upon first glance.

When I entered the bird room, I was immediately drawn to a blue front that looked so much like Tiki. She told me his name was Tico, but I thought differently. She watched as I played with him, and easily touched him, and even got him to step up for me with ease.

As I handled him, the lady looked puzzled, as he was an "unpredictable biter", but I just had to know. Was this the baby we lost so long ago? I said nothing to her of our lost bird, but insisted that "Tico" come home with me. She agreed, and sent us home with his cage, toys, and food.

How would I tell my husband? Would he believe it? Then I remembered we still had pictures of our Tiki bird, and the original pet store we'd gotten him from would be able to ID him by his band number. I called him to let my husband know I was on my way home. I started crying and told him "I have someone who wants to see you". He was confused, but said alright. The drive home took ages less than the way there had. And I still hadn't thought out exactly HOW to tell him!

When I got home, I carried everything in and told hubby to sit down. I blurted out the whole thing, and started crying all over again. I ran for our box of photos and dug frantically through more than 9 years of memories. At last....there it was. Taking Tiki out we held the photo next to him. It had to be him! Same markings, same color pattern....but was it really him? It was still early, so we called the pet store and asked if they could look up our sale for his band number. I told the lady the whole story, and she was so excited for us, that she agreed to look it up (even though they don't normally do that kind of thing). An hour later, she called me back. The band numbers matched! Now, we both cried! We'd found our baby!

After getting him settled and spending a few hours more just holding him and spoiling him with tastey treats, I promised him he would never have to leave again.

From what we have since pieced together, this is what we THINK happened to him. When I went in to fill his water, someone took him from his oudoor flight cage. At the time, he was so good, he would step up for just about anyone, though he would not allow anyone other than me to pet or cuddle him. I believe this person was money motivated, and sold him to a nearby pet store for cash. Sometime later, that pet store went out of business and Tiki ended up in a parrot rescue. He had started saying his name, but was misunderstood (as Amazon speach is not always the clearest), and was thought to be saying "Tico" instead of Tiki. He was unhandlable by this point, and they were not able to adopt him out. When the rescue closed years later, Tiki and several other birds ended up in the rescue where I'd finally found him. His journey back to me took almost 10 years, but he still remembered me the day I walked in to that rescue.

Tiki's story is true. We'd gotten him before the age of microchipping pets, and if the pet store where we'd originally purchased him wouldn't have been so nice, we might never have really known (even though we knew it in our hearts anyway!) that it was truely him. I made a HUGE deal out his return. He goes EVERYWHERE with me now! Park, stores (that allow him, and the list is growing!), drive-thrus...you name it. Everyone in town knows Tiki!

Shortly after his return to us (and by the way, he IS now microchipped!) I was contacted by a young lady with a problem. She had been referred to me by our vet. She was getting married, and her fiance was severely allergic to her birds. She didn't want them to go into a shelter situation, or be split up, so she asked me if I could take them and either keep them or try to find them a good home together. I remembered how I'd found Tiki and the lovely lady bird rescuer that cried with me that day, and I agreed.

In his honor, The Tiki Room was born not long after. We've seen many feathered ones come and go, some stay still, and yet others will never leave. We cherish each and every moment with these fantastic creatures, and strive to educate others on the proper care, feeding, and respect these wonderful feathered ones truely deserve.

And here is the bird himself! He's the biggest camera ham I know! :)