Inara

Awww...very sweet.

Tough lesson learned, and an excellent reminder that birds F L Y. HRH Inara's former people used to take her outside without a harness because, like you, they thought that since she had never shown an interest in flying and only "flew downward," that she was perfectly fine to trot out upon their shoulders. Imagine my dismay when they told me that. Not to mention, we live in a state that has tons of falcons and hawks that can and will snatch a bird from a human's arm or shoulder. Even seasoned bird people can make mistakes, but this is one that should never be made. Good post, and am so glad that it all worked out well for you!

This is a great thread to direct the new, "Should I get a grey," people to. I give a link to Parrot Confidential to everyone who knows me that indicates to me that they want to have a parrot, too. All of my birds have been either rescued (my wild caught 'zon and CAG that lived with me from the 1970s through the 90s) or rehomed (my beloved Inara). Knowing that less that 30 miles up the road from me are nearly 800 exotic birds either awaiting homes or unable to be rehomed, at the Gabriel Foundation, just breaks my heart. Not to mention the number on Craigs List every week. While I am a believer in assisting our companions to live with us through behavior shaping (ours and theirs), I am also a strong, strong advocate for unconditional positive acceptance of our feathered companions as birds, period. If a companion enjoys more structured interaction and it amuses them and strengthens our bonds in our lives together, wonderful. If they don't, then that should be respected. Always.

Love this story! Peanut is one smarty, that's for sure. They *do* know so much in so many ways that we may never be capable of understanding in our own language limits. Peanut is a doll !

Love this thread. Music is so powerful for many creatures, and certainly our feathered companions. HRH Inara's favorite song is "Walk Like an Egyptian," by the Bangles. She sings the "Wallllk" part and still sings it whenever I or anyone else is walking around. Sometimes she sings it to herself as she does this head bobbing walk along her perch. She also loves "Harvest Moon," by Neil Young, and any Bob Seeger. It is especially wonderful that Maalik responded so sweetly to your singing. Melts my heart!

How wonderful this is going to be. And as for the time involved. My husband and I always figure 3x whatever we've originally estimated when it comes to "house hours." haha

Sophie sure does know the rhythm of life with Sean, doesn't she? Sophie *is* smart!!

What devastating, sad news. My heart goes out to you and your family.

Agreed. Time, predictability, and dependability. With a large sprinkle of love, and a huge dollop of patience. Dee, you have created the perfect recipe for Miss GG to turn from laddette to lady. I do get a tickle out of her modern day Liza Dolittle language and antics. It is hard for me to imagine *anyone* calling *you* of all people a lady of the night. She is such a loveable stinker. One can only imagine what kinds of things she has been exposed to in her little life. Of course she was delighted to have her LuLu safely home again, as are we.

Very cool! I love that you colored it with food coloring. Your guy seems to appreciate his own, personal play space.

Hi Loco, you can also look on youtube for some of Barbara's videos, and/or visit her website. As Talon pointed out, our companions' drives to fly to us and be with us are very strong. HRH Inara will hang out happily on her perches for varying lengths of time, but is most happy when flying from them to me and now from them to my husband also. That being said, the time when she is most likely to simply want to perch on them for extended periods of time are after she has eaten her breakfast (full tummy); has completed several exercise flights from perch to perch to me and back etc. (burned off physical energy); and then lastly after she has finished her daily shower/misting (feathers wet and cool and stimulated for preening time). So for her: Full tummy + physical energy burned off + a signal that it is preening time = longer time hanging out quietly on one of her perches. Thus, leaving me a short window of coffee sipping time while I (truly) bask in time just watching Inara do what she does best -- being a magical bird. All this being said, I love it that she flies to seek me out and likes to hang out with me up close and personal. Because we have a routine where she spends time in her cage each day while I conduct chores, work, etc. we have a rhythm and then when she is out of her cage, she has my mostly undivided attention and I hers. So that might be something for you to think about, as luvparrots suggested. Establish a rhythm now that will allow Felony time to learn to self entertain and also have some private time to him/herself daily, for us that means in-cage time (which Inara actually seeks out and enjoys). As she has become more and more accustomed to her daily rhythm, I have begun leaving her cage door open when I am within line of sight of both her and our Rhodesian Ridgeback and she has the freedom to hang out outside of her cage if she likes. She generally, once ready to go home to her cage, prefers to putter around inside of it rather than avail herself of the open door. You and Felony will continue to do great, and so much of living with these fine companions (as you already know from your sweet years with Oprah) is feeling our way as they feel theirs each unique to our and their personalities, temperament, age, etc.

Wednesday morning, my Joe left for an overnight business trip, hence he was gone all day and overnight. No good night tickles for HRH Inara, and no good morning whistles and laptop perching. On Thursday morning, a dear friend of mine arrived from out of state to visit and spend the night. She visits once a year, and last year's visit was just before HRH came to live with us so the two of them had not met yet. All was typical at first. HRH being unusually (for her) quiet during the first few hours of my friend's visit, which is normal for HRH around strangers. Then HRH toward early evening started whistling, "If I Only Had a Brain," which is her flock call for Joe. No answer. Then she looked at our visitor and said quite pointedly, "You get up. You get going!! Get Joe!" My visitor was quite taken aback 1) at the clarity of Inara's speech (since she had been so quiet up to that point) and 2) at the direct orders given. It was clear that when assessing the situation HRH had concluded that: Her favorite (besides me) flock member, Joe, left and did not return to the nest even after dark. An interloper showed up in his place The interloper was tolerated for a period of time not to exceed another sundown The interloper must leave! The interloper must go back to her own flock, find our Joe, and send him back to his rightful flock! Upon Joe's return late last night, HRH was delighted and then quite forgiving of The Interloper, gracing her this morning with a flight from perch to the Interloper's arm to see if her coffee and accommodations were acceptable. And peace will guide the planet, and love will rule the stars.... Inara's Human

So glad to know that Gracie is responding so well. Looking forward to more updates

YAY!!!! This post just made my day! Your sweet Isaac is rocking and rolling, and so are you. I agree, what a greyt Dad you are! Not to say that others who have birds who pluck are not good caretakers. I'm simply applauding your unflagging troubleshooting until you hit on something that worked for your special guy. You'll have some great suggestions for any of us to whom this happens in the future. Thanks, especially for sharing the ups and downs of your feelings while you and Isaac were working on this. {{{HUGS}}} to you both. (Yes, I'm a hugger, and proud of it!)

Hi Loco, It is reasonable to expect to be able to shape your companion's behavior to an extent using gentle, positive methods. They are extremely smart and competent creatures, and in the wild their parents and flock members would let them know what is acceptable behavior and what is not in order to mesh with and get along with the flock. In our case, the flock is "human." Talon is correct, Greys are not domestic animals like dogs, cows, etc. Many are still only one to two generations away from the wild. Also, being prey animals rather than predators, their sense of being in the world is much different, therefore you need to ensure that any training methods you use are not ones that will reinforce your bird seeing you as a predator. Training should never be harsh, and works best when it is a natural part of your interactions. My personal recommendation is anything by Barbara Heidenreich. It is a long, incremental process but worth it to enhance the bond between you and your bird, and also to help your bird and you find a great middle ground where you both can live well together for a long, long time. Starting young is a wonderful opportunity for you both as you start with very basic things that have to do more with simply living harmoniously together. Many people are also fine with not bothering to do any behavior shaping, and they and their birds live very happily that way also. I'm personally an advocate for learning things with your bird, early to decrease the potential of later issues that can end in rehoming. Oh, and as for the shirts? I have tons of bird shirts, and I just think of them as a "fashion statement." :D

Each companion we have in life touches us in some way. Some embed themselves in our lives, some in our hearts, and some deeply into our very souls. Cricket and you touched souls, and that is a love that spans from this universe into the next. It is still so very soon, since Cricket's death. Your tears are a lovely testament to the depth of your bond.

What an excitng time for you! Am looking forward to photos and watching you and Maggie May grow together.

How very cool! Love this, and oh how yor birdies will too!

HRH Inara is three years old and very active about twice a day for acouple of hours each time. She just now finished her morning routine: breakfast, chatting with me, flying, shower, and climbing up high atop a wood and vine screen near her cage. She is now in her cage contentedly grinding her beak. It is usual for her to now preen, then roost quietly for a couple of hourrs. After that, she will forage around for her nuts and nutriberries that are in foraging toys. She will chew on her three favorite toys: wooden shoes, birdie bagels, and a block and knot toy. Then she will snooze a bit and by that time it is supper time. Her evening routine after supper is the same as her morning routine, only without the shower. She is busy when she is active, but her personality is very laid back. No drama, no biting, and funny and fun loving as all get out. She is very talkative, and asks for what she wants like, "I want to go out there with you," or "I want to get a shower." She appears to thrive with her routine and the rhythm of our home. Her cage for the spring and summer is placed near a floor to ceiling bank of windows that face a meadow and woods, so she has lots of visual entertainment all day watching the other birds and wildlife. Good thread. Personality and temperament are such individual things, aren't they?

Yes, with each successive return, Miss GG does learn that you will always come back. She's getting quite the list of tick marks under the "yes they really are my humans" column. So glad that it's a little fluff and some chewing, and not a cage full of feathers. Inch by inch, bit by bit, one little feather left alone at a time. Dee, I was amazed and awed at your courage rescuing that little kitty in traffic! What a kind soul you are, and Miss GG knows that. Certainly she will be delighted when you arrive home to "Stink Eye Wednesday." I'd like to think it will be tail fluff/shake and chirp for a moment or two in delight, and then the stink eye.

Poet is just gorgeous! I, too, loved the half asleep photo (well, and all the others, also!). Can't wait to hear updates as she continues to settle in and train you

Yay! Can't wait for photos. Greys are much more resilient that the myths that surround them. Sounds like Felony is off to a great start and has already "stolen" your heart.

HRH Inara is female. I am female. My spouse is male. HRH and I are very solidly bonded. She on occasion will choose to go with Joe if I'm not in the room, but normally just says hello to him, chats with him, and will whistle for him (he has his own, individual call that she uses). I explained to him that she "likes him as a friend," hahah :D

Hahaha! Perhaps Nicky is in the Parrot Witness Protection Program and had a near slip up.

Oh what a smart little cookie she is! Banging the forgotten water dish was so clever. I agee with Ray, she has you wrapped around her little talons. Don't you just love that little almost hypnotized face with the half closed eyes?! HRH will do that when I lightly stroke her cheeks and over her ears. . .with a chopstick. Yes, a chopstick. Don't ask, long story and I don't want to highjack your thread. Suffice it to say I and she now refer to it as her "precious." So lovely that Miss GG allows you to hypnotize her with your fingers, cage bars between or not. I think that is so wonderful, and shows a great amount of trust, even though she still remains hypervigilant. Be safe on your big truck journey. Having Dave be home, and you come back will be yet another tick mark on Miss GG's internal "is this really my home and my humans?" list. I so love, f rom afar, this wild little girl.