|
Published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, South Jersey
Commentary, on October 29, 1999. As drive begins to become dreary, parrots add color By Sidney B. Kurtz Driving on Route 70 through Driving on Route 70 through Cherry Hill just about every day,. I've become intimately acquainted with all of the physical details along the way; Every manhole, each bump and dip, every filled pothole becomes a landmark. So familiar am I with this oft-used route that I sometimes arrive at my favorite restaurant for oatmeal, toast and jelly unable to recall how I got there. Then just at the right moment, when things get monotonous, along comes a new kid on the block - a shiny young face to brighten the morning ride - a fresh landmark. I had passed it before getting a clear look at it. But I pulled onto the shoulder and peered across the weed-filled median. There it was, a painting of a large bird - a parrot, of all things - in living color on the window of a vacant storefront. I drove on. But the next morning, while breakfast-bound, I took another look. The parrot had company, a sign above the window -Hanna's Parrots. A parrot store? On Route 70? This I had to see. I returned that day and walked into the now-lighted store. It was a world you don't expect to see on the Route 70 raceway. Half the store was taken up by a 10-by-20-foot area framed with a plastic enclosure topped with a wooden rail. The floor in-side the space was covered with a deep layer of wood shavings. Branches with plastic and metal chains hanging down gave it the appearance of a zoo playground. But all of this detail I noticed later. The parrots were the main attraction as soon as I entered. Large parrots, small parrots, noisy parrots, beautiful parrots, multicolored parrots, climbing up and down, some holding on with strong beaks while others sat regally on the branches and railing. A few of the smaller birds played with each other on the shavings-covered floor. Three larger parrots lay on their backs, like dogs, enjoying having their chests and necks massaged by a petite young lady equally as stunning as her "babies." Her name, of course, was Hanna. She and her husband, Steve, operate this parrot paradise. Hanna and Steve Nguyen are from Vietnam, but both have been in this country since they were children. The couple met while working at an Atlantic City casino, she in the promotion department and he as a waiter. Steve collected parrots as a hobby for eight years before deciding to open a business. The Nguyens' parrots range in age from six weeks to seven months - an ideal age to buy one, they said, before the birds, like humans, get too set in their ways. Parrots can live to be 60 to 100 years old, so if you have a desire to spend a lifetime with a bird, purchase it when you are young. The Nguyens say parrots are generally easy to care for, with one big plus - they require no regular shots. Although most parrot varieties have foreign names, any found in this country probably were bred in the United States because the capture and importation of the birds is now illegal. Every bird is registered and banded, attesting to its being American born and raised. The lowest-priced parrot at Hanna's was a conure, a green bird with a black head. It was about the size of a pigeon but much prettier. It sells for $395. Hanna allowed me to hold one, but only after I washed my hands. The most expensive type of bird, costing up to $1,995, was the pink malaacan cockatoo. Originally found in South America and Australia, these birds, too, are now bred in this country. Hanna waited patiently for the inevitable question: "Can they talk?" She explained that all parrots have the ability, some more than others, but that the African grey excels in learning words and phrases. A close second in talking ability are the parrots of Amazon heritage, although it is difficult to select a particular kind because each parrot family is composed of many varieties with individual personalities and intelligence. Among the color-splashed parrots I saw in addition to a pink cockatoo was a green-winged macaw, which is said to have a bite equal to 600 pounds of pressure; an Amazon lilac crown; and a military macaw, which sported a uniform of blue and green feathers, a golden breast and a red head. Relegated to a cage because of temper tantrums was a white cockatoo, its umbrella of head feathers raised in defiance as I went over for a closer look. Also in cages were finches and other birds for those who like their winged pets a bit smaller. Hanna's Parrots is nestled between a florist shop and a kosher meat market. The birds, I'm told, are nondenominational. It was a pleasant and very enlightening visit to another of the unexpected stops that can be found throughout South Jersey. Sidney B. Kurtz is the author of a family memoir, The Jewish Rectangle: An American Adventure. He lives in Pennsauken. |