Daniel Kopulos is a lifelong naturalist who has gotten sick of the way pet shops do business. His new store, Uptown Birds in Manhattan sells exotic birds only to the people who can withstand his exhaustive review process. Because these birds can live for 60 and sometimes 80 years, they aren't the right fit for the casual hobbyist. Birds make for complex pets, and in the right situation can make for very rewarding companions — but picking your breed and matching it to your lifestyle is crucial. He subjects potential buyers to weeks of interviews, which can get very personal — and in some cases he will even make house calls to make sure the human is a suitable match. Although these birds can fetch him up to $10,000 a pop, Daniel rejects people all the time. He looks at bird/human relationships as a delicate and rare thing, and wishes more pet shops would take this kind of care in matching their animals to prospective owners.
Bryant Park Project
Very interesting. should really be the model for most pet adoptions
Okay, this has nothing to do with the actual blog, but I was horrified when Bill & Allison announced the winner of Rock of Love. Yes, I realize the show is just another VH1 Celereality, but I did invest 3 months in it. I was more than a little bitter to have your hosts just state the ending. Can't be too upset though. Maybe she'll dump him on national television like Jess did during season 1.
This piece makes me miss my beloved cockatiel, Murphy, all over again! I loved her, and she loved me. She laid eggs for me. She was only happy when her feet were somehow attached to my body. She used to sit on me and puff out her feathers and sharpen her beak and be utterly adorable. She was lovely and smart and amazing.
Murphy disappeared mysteriously one day about 10 years ago. I try not to think too hard about what happened to her, because it probably wasn't good. Now I'm sad all over again.
This is so heartening. I have a cockatiel that I have had since she was a hatchling. Birds are intimate and joyful pets, but sensitive and high-maintenance ones. They are not like fish--to be left in the cage and admired for beauty.
I worked in an upscale pet store in North Chicago. One elderly widow would buy collections of birds to ease his loneliness. They were kept in squalor. He will die, and they will be mean from neglect, and will live in even worse conditions.
Thank you for this story. It is rare, and should be a model, rather than a curiosity.
I think this is such a great idea. He should have an internetsite to help people find the right bird for them (or not).
I'd love to e-mail him to get advice. I know I wouldn't want a parrot (unacceptable screeching...just being honest) but maybe there is another less vocal bird type for me.
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