(upbeat music)
- Most people think
that owning a parrot is
a walk in the park, but
the truth is they're very,
very complex creatures in every way.
They're long-lived;
they can noisy;
they can be destructive;
they have special needs;
they challenge you.
Can you say bark like a dog for me please?
(parrot barking)
People buy them sometimes for the wrong reasons,
or they buy on impulse;
and when there's a problem, they call me.
(upbeat music)
My name is Glenn Sorino,
and I've been working
with birds professionally for 20 years.
New York City has always been my backyard.
I had parakeets growing up as a kid.
And I was fascinated.
Everything about them appealed to me.
Eventually, I started to research parrots.
Read everything I could get my hands on.
Spoke to other bird owners,
went to bird club meetings
and even took a job at a bird store
that opened up a lot of doors for me.
People started calling me.
"Glenn, I'm having a problem, can you help me?
"I thought I had a male parrot
"but after 20 years it just laid an egg."
Hello, you name it and the calls started coming in.
People started flocking to me.
If I can use that term.
One thing led to another, and eventually I became
the go-to guy, and it developed into a business.
On a day to day basis, I provide a variety of services.
I'm there whenever they need me.
Basically, 24/7.
Every day is something new.
Every day is a challenge.
Each bird has a different behavior.
They're like people:
they have likes, dislikes;
they have special needs in the way of diet,
lighting, environment.
The larger species can live a human lifespan.
Owning a bird is literally like having
a 5-year-old child that never grows up.
If you can imagine that.
Bird owners often have problems with aggression,
health issues, plucking, egg laying issues,
mimicking sounds that become incessant.
(birds chirping)
I have one client who was feeding her bird waffles
with maple syrup and pasta with vodka sauce.
So we had to change the diet,
and we had to change it fast.
Every situation presents a challenge.
My role is to try to help them through all of that.
If you understand how a bird thinks,
if you understand what a bird is telling you
in the way the pupils dilate,
the way they fan their tail,
you can figure out what they're trying to tell you.
I can tell if they're being cautious at first,
and I approach them very gently.
Again, I speak their language, and I don't think
there's anyone else who really does what I do.
You're looking really good aren't you.
OK, OK Frankie.
Want to come out?
I believe that I do have a unique role
in the bird world. (upbeat music)
I feel the work
that I do is very rewarding to me.
I love birds.
I help clients solve problems,
and when they call me up
and tell me that everything is great,
that I really helped them,
it makes me feel like I'm
really making a difference in the world.
And I love a happy ending,
and nothing makes me feel better
than knowing that I did a good deed.