
Seagull flying overhead at South Beach Marco Island.
This column is the opinion of a 3 year old African Grey Parrot named “Simba” who has an extremely high intelligence level. While he does not possess a degree from any college or university, he does have a strong opinion of himself and feels that he is the best candidate to answer the complex questions of today’s discerning pets…and the humans they own…
Dear Simba,
I was walking South Beach on Marco the other day. And saw a very intriguing site. A fisherman was catching bait fish and the girl who was with him was actually feeding a few of the fish to the seagulls and egrets by hand! When I asked her if she was nervous about doing that she responded, “Not at all. It takes them about 15 to 20 minutes to realize that I’m the one with the goods but eventually they trust that I won’t hurt them.” We proceeded to talk about birds in the wild and how they “forage” for food, their bond with each other, etc. She seemed to know a lot of information on different species.
What I’m curious about is if once you hand feed these beach birds do they always come looking to be hand fed? I see people feeding the birds on the beach all the time. Sometimes they even attack the food while the person is swimming in the Gulf. I would venture to say that a bag of potato chips can’t be good for them. And doesn’t it disrupt the balance of nature?
Signed, Avian Curiosity
Dear Curious,
Haha!!! There is only one girl on Marco Island whom I know who can feed seagulls and egrets by hand and who has that kind of knowledge of birds! My human/Administrative Assistant! Hmmm…I must have a talk with her. While she’s supposed to be working for me, she’s off at the beach soaking up the sun! But that’s another column to write!
Anyway, to answer your “curiosity” in as

Osprey at Tigertail Beach.
And to answer your last question…Yes! Potato chips are very bad for birds! Although I tend to be very fond of them.
Fondly, Simba
Simba is owned by Christina Giordano. If you have any questions you would like Simba to answer, please email them to: AskSimba@angelsofflightproductions.com
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