Joshua Grey A Cagebound Bird

Joshua is a Congo African Grey. He is not even two years old yet. He has had a rough beginning. Although he was handfed, fledged and weaned to a great diet, his first home became quickly unstable. The woman who adopted him and loved him was suddenly diagnosed with cancer and quickly succumbed to the disease. Joshua's life was totally sent into a tailspin.

The once tame and lovable bird became fearful, anxious, and cagebound. Luckily he found his way back to Rodies, his original launching point. Sarah Rodenburg knew this little guy would take some calm, patient, and consistent attention.
This would be difficult if not impossible in a store environment. Sarah entrusted me with Joshua.

I brought him home today and decided to keep him out of the cage for as long as possible. Once in a cage, he panics when asked to come out.

I turned him into a "birdy burrito" by wrapping him in a grey towel. Grey being a soothing color for a grey! I spent the entire afternoon rubbing the flat top of his head firmly. This put him into a calm state. Pressure on the top of the head is comforting.

Then, the towel started to move off. The induced coma allowed me to continue to massage him. I offered him an almond which was actively pursued.

Eventually, he was left on the bed to get his bearings. When he panicked and started his growling again, I simply wrapped him up and started over. Patience.

I will go slow and gain his trust and build his confidence. He will learn to enjoy the human touch again. When I finally placed him in a cage next to my bed, I left the door open. I walked back into the room and he had climbed out and up to the Jumbo Atom hanging next to the cage. Perhaps he's tired of being in a cage.

Matilda, The Happy Camper

Matilda is one happy grey. It is always such a delight to have her here. She is the grey that whistles so many tunes! Take Me Out To The Ballgame, Bridge On The River Kwai, Happy Birthday, and many many more. You gotta love it! Here she is seen happily spending time on the Atom in my bedroom/office. She had a good shower (not her favorite activity) and then watched me while I was on the computer. She seemed interested in Molly, the barn owl. Have you been tuned in to the live cam of Molly and her family? It is so interesting to watch this new mom deal with her four owlets (soon to be five). Go to

www.ustream.tv/theowlbox Have fun.

Wildlife In Walnut Creek

With Springtime comes lots of fantastic wildlife visiting our gardens. This beautiful fox spent a long time in one of my client's yards in Walnut Creek. What I thought would be a much feared predator didn't seem to affect the local wild turkey flock. They watched the fox and, if she got too close, they would hop up onto the roof. Once the fox moved away, they would come down to forage for themselves. I sent to photo to Gary Bogue who identified this gorgeous creature as a red fox because of her long legs and reddish color. Which reminds me, have you tuned into the Mother Goose Live Cam? She is nesting on the Contra Costa Times building and her eggs are due to hatch today or soon. Check it out.

Flight Plans

This is Lola, a gold capped conure, and Griffin, a greencheek conure. They are much loved and fully flighted. While mom and dad are away, they are staying in my small bird room where they can be out of the cage much of the day. The challenge comes when it is time to go back to the cage. I've gotten the routine down now. If I can cajole Lola (the tamer of the two) to come down to me, I can tempt her with some seed to go into the cage. Then, voila! Griffin wants to be wherever Lola is. Whatever works! They get plenty of exercise and seem a little quieter when they're allowed the freedom of the room. The price of beauty with a gold cap conure is the noise factor. But they are both loaded with personality.

Urge to Nest Anywhere

Here's an example of the urge two tiny greencheek conures had to nest. They would disappear into the drawer...so cute. But, behold, they went to town to adapt the drawer to their liking. Freedom to explore nest cavities can lead to destruction and aggressive territory protection.

Poof!

Recently I was up visiting with Minna, a lovely little Congo African Grey. While her mom and I discussed parrot behavior and psychology, Minna enjoyed being the center of attention. Her stand was positioned in a sunbeam that streamed in from an overhead skylight. We marveled at the cloud of powder that appeared all around Minna anytime she ruffled her feathers or skritched her own chin. Until you see this happen in a sunbeam, you can not appreciate how powdery a grey parrot is! All the more reason to offer frequent showers to a parrot, whether they like it or not.

Springtime

Big or small, the outdoors on a lovely sunny day is enjoyable. I wish I had more outdoor cages but for now I just rotate. This activity definitely enjoyed by all. Here is Tweeters looking quite small in a 6' x 8' cage! But she can migrate all around on the branches and make the most of the space.

Daycare In The Sunshine

This is Pierre. She has been through a recent move and has taken it out on her feathers. Change is scary to a parrot. She spends her weekdays here with me and seems quite comfortable. She has plenty of distractions with all the other parrots to watch. Today she is getting some lovely sunshine. It must feel so good! A full spectrum light works wonders during the dark days of winter...but the real thing is so much better!

Cuddle Only Syndrome

It is so easy to fall into a cuddle only syndrome. We love it, the parrot loves it, what's not to love?

However, when we only cuddle our bird, they receive a different message than we think we're sending.

Imagine them in the wild. Do you think they sit around and cuddle? No. They stay close to each other to signify a mate bond, and four eyes are better than two. They preen each other and feed each other to strengthen this bond.

Then they go to work. Looking for a nesting site, defending each other and their nest, and producing young. Being together is serious business and has a serious purpose.

When your bird cuddles with you, he/she will perceive you as his/her mate. (You're not going to be very good at this job.) However, he/she will take on the job wholeheartedly and get very frustrated during the process. Imagine the stress of it! You're not behaving the way a mate should.

The wild instincts are surfacing like crazy but the reality of the situation is feudal. Often the interlopers that happen into the space are driven off with a bite. Many times the perceived mate gets the bite as an attempt to make that person "fly away".

It is so much better to establish the relationship as a parent/teacher. This doesn't have to be extensive trick training and long sessions of clicker or target training. (Although if you have the time, go for it!) Establishing a teacher role can happen with tiny baby steps every time you use a cue and a praise. "Step Up" "Step Down" "Come Here" "Water?" "Want a bite?" etc. A verbal cue followed with some animated praise "Good Bird!" goes a long way to build the bird's self esteem and makes you a teaching influence. Many parrot owners stop using verbal cues because their bird steps up anyway... that's not the point. Your aim is to have a bird that feels good about doing as he or she is told and thus see you in a different light. Develop lots and lots of phrases throughout the parrot's life to cue your bird. "Want a shower?" "Good Bird!"

Your bird will be relieved to not have the job of being your mate.

Ungluing A Parrot

This is Tweeters! She is a "Velcro Bird". She immediately attaches herself to a human anytime that she is out of her cage.

I knew there was a problem when the car pulled into the driveway and it took "mom" ten minutes to detach this little bird from her body. Tweets had moved to the back and entangled herself in her nest, mom's hair. ( I don't recommend driving with a loose bird in the car.)

I have been working with Tweeters to encourage her to stay put on a play gym. I am also attempting to teach her to play and entertain herself. Is it working? Well, she ends up on me much of the time. She supervises the clean up duties in the small bird room and, when I work on the computer, she is instructed to stay on the Atom.

PJ Looking For A Forever Home

This photo was taken yesterday when the birds were put outside to enjoy the sun. PJ, this sweet little girl goffins, really made use of her time outdoors. She is an active and interested little bird. Many birds would just find a spot in the sun and sit...not PJ. She traveled all around the 6 x 8 foot enclosure. PJ is looking for a permanent home. She is talkative and will engage you in conversation. She is active and needs lots to do. A cage in the active area of the house and perhaps one in the quiet area would be best. She is a very sweet bird. Are you a Goffins kind of person?

Birdy Day Care Service

This is Pierre! She, yes she, is a daycare parrot. She arrives each weekday morning and goes home with her dad each evening. During the day, while dad is at work, she enjoys the company of the other parrots and the many accoutrements of a parrot centric household. Today she got to spend some time outside in one of the large flight cages. The sunshine was good for her feathers and her mood. Each day she adapts a little more to the goings on around here. She's a sweetie and is beginning to thrive.

Being an "only bird" makes her a perfect candidate for daycare. She gets the best of both worlds.

Busy Day Saying Goodbye

Yesterday was a busy day. I had to say goodbye to Rico, the greenwing macaw that had been staying here for a couple of months while his mom got settled in a new place. Rico was a fixture with my macaw girls and he always entertained me.

The day zipped along at a lightning pace so I didn't have time to feel the emptiness.

Then I met the couple that commanded the top position on the list of prospective homes for Ruby, Rubicon, Aruba....

Rubicon did the final picking and immediately took to Jason and climbed onto his lap. Claudia will have to work her way into Rubicon's life. When Jason isn't around, she can establish a loving caring rapport with this truly incredible parrot. I am very happy about the adoption.

But then I had to say goodbye to Artie! He/She (I still think he's a boy.) was picked up by his adoring parents. I was won over by his endearing personality and long struggle to overcome a rough beginning. Such a great little bird. Boy was he happy to see his daddy though!

Now THAT's a Shower!

Ruby, now determined to be a male, is carrying the name Aruba now. His previous owners had shortened Aruba to Ruby thinking he was a she for the last 28 years. That happens a lot! I've been calling him Rubicon and now Ruba but it will be up to his new parents to pick the one they like. Tomorrow he meets the top of the list, my prime choice for his new home.

It's very difficult to match the right people to the right bird. There are lots of things to take into consideration. This bird has easily become part of this home flock. It has been quite satisfying to watch him come out of his shell. The larger cage, learning to play with toys, playing on the hanging ropes, and then taking a shower...all baby steps.

As you can see by this photo, he has finally begun to really take a shower! I trimmed his wings with a gentle baby clip because he was quite the flyer for such a heavy bird! Then to soothe his ruffled feathers, he was placed in a warm shower. He was stationary and stoic for a minute and suddenly he came alive and did the amazon version of a shower. Wings unfolded over his head and every feather got drenched.

What a fun exhibition of pure joy. I will miss this guy and his daily progress towards becoming a playful and talkative companion parrot.

Feather Challenged Goffins Thriving

PJ, top, and Artie, below are both doing so well! PJ is eating collard greens! She was nervously pacing and getting a little bit agitated (I was preparing breakfasts) so I handed her a piece of fresh collards. She grabbed it and immediately started to nibble! I was impressed. It doesn't take much.

Artie is watching her and has begun to slowly imitate some of her antics. Artie will never get as wild and crazy as little PJ but will definitely benefit from the influence.
These little goffins are great companions as they seem to enjoy having conversations with you. I love having them here.

Me? Do that? No Way!

This is my slender billed cockatoo, Chauncey. He has a much shorter beak after his recent beak trim. I need to keep it in check because it grows very fast and gets very long. The lower photo is his favorite dvd, Polly Vision. I keep hoping if he watches how the wild cockatoos forage on the ground, he will try it. I'd even plant some wheat grass and sprinkle it with meal worms if it would help. It's not easy to replicate the wild habitat!