am often asked if my parrots bite, if they make messes and if they are noisy. The answer to these questions is that any one of these things is possible when it comes to parrot ownership.

In light of this, our Red Fronted macaw, Ace, acts as ambassador for our local children's summer reading program. He is the best socially adjusted parrot we have and seems to enjoy visiting with the children. He is funny and intelligent. He does tricks for them and blushes with pleasure when they applaud him. Yes, Red Fronts do blush. That's just one of the many things that make him unique.

The children are curious and ask questions about him and parrots in general. Sometimes parents accompany the children, and they have questions as well. This is a perfect opportunity to lay to rest some of the misconceptions about parrots and the challenges in keeping them as pets.

I am always honest when I tell them having a parrot for a pet is not for everyone, but the rewards are great for those who are willing to devote the time and patience to them. One question that almost always comes up is how I deal with the messes they make. I explain that actually parrots are personally very clean and spend a lot of time preening themselves.

I explain to the children that part of the reason for the mess is that parrots instinctively reseed the jungle. They eat only portions of their food and drop the rest intentionally, so that they are guaranteed a food source for the coming year. If they were in the wild, there wouldn't be a mess. Captive parrots make messes because we confine them indoors to a small area.