Klusoe, A Mustache Parakeet
The photo to the left is a very young Klusoe. Actually, I raised him from much younger than that. The lady across the street in Los Angeles (when I lived there) had an aviary with beautiful "Mustache Parakeets," relatives to the "Ringneck Parakeets."

With all of the constant contact with me and with other people from the time I brought Klusoe home to the time he was about eight months old (old enough for personality to mold) it became clear that he would not "socialize." I spoke with a number of owners of these birds, and they agreed that this is not a "domestic" type of bird. It appears that these birds don't tend to "socialize." They don't get warm and fuzzy like cockatoos, cockatiels, or even amazons, age doesn't matter here. He did learn to talk, though!

My care of Klusoe (or Kluzee as he was often referred) began when the only feathers were promising little spikes all over his prehistoric looking tiny featherless body. I couldn't help naming him after my favorite Bristish Detective, Clouseau-Peter Sellers, from the "Pink Pather" movies.

I found a fantastic home for Kluzee in the Hills of Simi Valley. A woman and her husband who devoted their lives to birds of all kinds, giving them an absolutely wonderful home and environment. On their acreage were hills and streams, and it was like being in another part of the world. I met two of their birds by the names of Jack and Jill while I was there. When the lady called their names, here coming running over hill and dale two giant, loping Emus! You could hear the pounding of their feet before you actually see them. Touching them was a thrill, though they aren't real friendly to humans/strangers. I can certainly understand why.

*** As a footnote, I would like to add that many people have written me to tell me that Klusoe's personality is not the norm for these beautiful birds, that they are in fact loving and friendly companions. I have to believe that my little Klusoe was a rarity in his disposition. Perhaps Klusoe needed to be an only bird and not one of four birds. I don't know, but I am corrected by generalizing all Mustache Parakeets in this way.