Very Cool Play Area



Paul Engineering the Pulley System

  During the winter, play areas were lacking in the living room. I would wheel up a small playgym and open the cage door to allow a parrot some out-of-cage time or, just let them play on top of the cage. This just wasn't good enough.  And yet, I didn't want a clumsy stand with a huge platform that is always dirty and in the way.  When some magnificent manzanita came my way... I thought out loud how great it would be to have a suspended play area that I could pull up and down as needed.  Paul, my son and fabricator of all things, gave it some thought and voila!  I now have exactly what I imagined! 
Obviously the whole apparatus is quite "scary" and I plan to let the parrots just take it in for a while before placing one of them on it. Baby steps are always best.





The Pulley Gym in the Up Position




The Pulley Gym in the Down Position

This amazing structure is suspended on covered stainless steel cable and can be lowered or raised easily with its pulley system. 

Knuckles and Big Bird Video

I am just learning how to take video using my phone and then upload it to You Tube so that I can share it with you.  Here is a short video showing how Knuckles and Big Bird get to have time daily to get out and visit each other.  I generally don't recommend that two birds cage together.  They may bond too closely, if you know what I mean...  These two cage next to each other and have time to allopreen to take care of those pesky neck quills.  Watch out for the loud squawk in the middle of this one.  Cannot be avoided in the Macaw Room!  Hearing protection required when visiting there!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O-jVg_EXA4

Brrrr

This cold snap has changed our routine around here.  Most days, if it gets to 60 degrees or higher, the parrots get some outside time.  However, with the temps plummeting, they are resigned to remaining indoors.  What to do with a lively parrot that has cabin fever?  A long warm shower, of course!  I have a dedicated bird shower and a hot water heater that can be easily set to any temperature.  I set the water to 105 and rotate the parrots to the shower.  They love it!  Afterwards, the house gets quiet.  I don't use a hair dryer afterwards because that can dry them too much.  Also, the ceramic heat element in most hair dryers has Teflon on it.  Certainly don't want to blow them with Teflon!  I just turn the furnace up a little bit and allow them to preen and dry on their own time schedule.  Lucy, seen here, takes a long time to dry out!  She loves to get soaking wet! 

A New Member of the Flock

This is Sara!  She's a lovely little Lilac Crown Amazon.  Her parents found me and have entrusted me with her care while they are away for a few months.  She is a beloved and spoiled little girl and the light of their lives.  I have had her in the house for a few days and have taken my time to allow her to get the lay of the land.  She was in a small cage and wasn't comfortable with a lot of toys around her so I set up a slightly larger cage and then opened the doors to both and inserted enticing food in the new cage.  She looked at it but wasn't too sure about transferring over.  Then Aaron, one of my clients, arrived. He is tall just like Sara's daddy.  He spoke gently to Sara from the opposite side of the new cage and Sara moved over to be close to him!  Thank you Aaron!  Now Sara is happy ensconced in her new and bigger cage.  I can allow her out more and more each day as I observe her tendency to stay on it and the neighboring play gym. When a new bird comes in, I take my time to learn the bird's character and build rapport.  To hurry may result in anxiety and then the relationship becomes scary.  Sara is now stepping up comfortably and we are off to a great start!  You should hear her try to sing in competition with Simon, Aaron's amazon!  They are quite a duet!

Mirror Mirror On The Wall

Sunny Handsome Boy




Echo in love with the image!



 Sunny is a very handsome male cockatiel who is visiting.  He comes complete with a cage and playstand equipped with many mirrors.  He is accustomed to being out of the cage most of the time and, around here, that is encouraged.  The cockatiel room is outfitted with lots of hanging ropes and perches and the birds enjoy being free to fly about and visit each other's cages.  Well, Echo, one of my little guys, has decided that there is no more handsome bird than himself! He found the makeup mirror situated on top of the playstand and is mesmerized by the image.  He won't move away from it.  I, typically do not provide mirrors for my birds.  I find they inhibit movement and therefore limit the exercising.  But, oh boy, what a treat to have Sunny visiting with his mirrors and seed diet.  They stop by to visit Sunny and share in his blissful existence.   

Kiku and Ben Reunited Again

Ben loves it when Kiku comes to board.  Kiku and Ben spend lots of time together and Kiku preens Ben's pin feathers like the pro he is. 

Bringing Out The Best In Our Birds

     Our parrot's behavior can usually be traced back to their wild instincts.  Seeing the world through their eyes is essential to managing their actions, both good and bad. 

Recently someone contacted me because their macaw had bitten the owner.  It didn't take long to determine what was going on.  In an attempt to keep him busy and "happy" they allowed him to "play" in a drawer. 

It certainly occupied his time and he was delighted to hunker down and make the drawer his home sweet home.  However, in his eyes, he wasn't playing.  Not one little bit. 

Our parrots are inherently wild creatures whether we can cuddle them or not.  This bird got down to business.  After all, in the wild they have an agenda.  Find a mate, find a nesting space, and defend both with everything in their power.

One of our biggest mistakes when sharing our space with a parrot is creating the wrong type of bond.  We don't make good mates. Knowing this, we cannot allow our parrots to see us this way.  We must cultivate a teacher relationship with our birds. If they don't see us as their teachers, they will try to manage us. 

We need to keep them busy with less aggravating activities such as foraging for food and figuring out challenging puzzles.  Getting into a box is the type of activity that promotes a sexual drive. Sometimes even shredding cardboard can spark this.  So you have to see their world as they see it and be creative to avoid sending them into a nesting frenzy.

A Laugh A Day

Day in and day out, there is a mess on the floor and waters that look like mud.  What makes it all worthwhile?

The laughter and antics that occur, of course!  Every day these guys crack me up. 

A comment made here or there by an observant parrot, a funny position that a parrot manages to get into when he thinks no one is watching, a group bouncy dance that takes place when I sing, etc. etc. etc. 

Chauncey, seen here, was manipulating a strand of Paulie Rope and it wrapped against his face.  He liked it.  He held this position for quite some time as if to play hide and seek.  He loves to place himself amidst his toys.  Abundantly funny parrot!

Parrots are one of the most difficult animals to care for day after day and year after year.  But their intelligence and engaging personalities easily win over their loving slaves. 

With Greys, You're Never Alone

Greys may not be the most colorful or striking parrots. However, I think they are the best for companionship!  I was sweeping the floor the other day and, after accumulating a large pile of detritus in the middle of the floor, I swept it into the dustpan.  Behind me a voice called out, "Good Job!"  It was Apollo and he seemed to be complimenting me for a job well done.  Thank you Apollo!  Apollo is also reciting a phone number.  No one can figure out why he has begun to do this.  It is as clear as day...803-5057.  Although he does jumble them around a little bit.  Where did he get this?  Who knows?

Buster is seen here playing or chewing on a small rawhide bone.  I've been sorting and organizing the boxes and drawers of bird toy parts and other abundant supplies.  I had forgotten how much the small dog toys were enjoyed! Tell me...does everyone's home have closets and drawers full of bird toys?  This one does. 

 

Joshua, too, contributes to the dialog around here.  He is very active and loves to hang upside down and swing.  Life certainly isn't dull with an African Grey Parrot in the house.  Three of them are a real kick.



Favorite Activities

Every bird has a favorite pastime.  For Apollo, it's chewing and attacking cardboard!  I always have some sort of comfort toy waiting for an incoming bird.
 
They usually contain wood blocks, cardboard, leather, plastic, and a treat cup with a hidden almond or pistachio.  That combination covers just about every bird's idea of something irresistible.

I use either skewers or simply string the items on Paulie Rope. Apollo didn't take long to sink his teeth into the cardboard.  Today I will easily replace it with more.  One must keep these guys busy!

How big can a little bird get?

Yesterday I stopped by to groom two little greencheek conures.  Baily and Dude seem to know when I'm coming. They act totally out of character and become quite agitated and uncooperative.  They have their own room completely outfitted for their enjoyment.  Their mom had the task of cajoling them one at a time to come down from their cage top and get toweled.  (Not their favorite scenario!)  You should have seen how puffed up and fluffle headed they became!  They acted like little lions trying to be big and bad.  Of course, it all ended well and I was able to trim their little "fishhook" nails. They then headed straight to their window where they watch me through the screen as I left.  Even there they puffed up and acted macho.  Two tough little characters!

Ben and his flock of balls.

Ben is spending some time downstairs in the general population.  He is usually too loud to keep in the living room because he sounds the alarm whenever someone drives into the driveway.  People that enter my home think that it's a crazy noisy place. But truly, after they leave, it really does get quiet again.  This is a typical trait with some parrots. Who needs an alarm? The joyful announcing of a new flock member arriving, hooray!  The decibel levels can be a bit overwhelming in the home environment.  Their noise is meant to permeate the forests.

Ben is seen here with his new passion, a herd of golf practice balls!  Kiku went home, Marley is gone, Thumper is gone, and Ben needed something to occupy his time.  Kiku taught him to enjoy the little wiffle balls.  I find that if I give him a lot of them, he doesn't obsess as much.  He has fun herding them on his shelf.  I even broke down and installed a temporary mirror to keep him from feeling lonely.  He does love his mirror.  His past was all about a mirror, a bell, and very little movement.  Now he gets around quite well.  So the mirror won't stay more than a couple of days.  In fact, Charlie, the sun conure arrived today so maybe he won't need the mirror for company!

A Small But Mighty Supervisor

Somtimes it's not the size that matters!  Felix here is a little peachfront conure.  However, she considers herself a large and intimidating fixture when it comes to messing with her area. 

She is fast to defend her cage.  I would let her climb out while I tended to her needs.  She watched and kept me in my place.  We came to terms with the rapport and no issues developed. 

She is the smallest of her family flock, but that doesn't put her in her place!  Luckily for me, she is easily managed with good stick skills!  Very cooperative when asked.  Good girl Felix!