ZoesDad

Yes, our birds can not only see the red/green/blue colours with which we are all familiar, but they can also perceive UV light. Have you ever watched an episode of CSI in which one of the characters flashes a UV light on some portion of a crime scene and it lights up with all sorts of normally imperceptible details? Greys are able to see such details in sunshine! I have often wondered if the scalloped edges of their feathers light up in a similar way when viewed through their remarkable eyes. When I take Zoe out in full sunshine, I vaguely perceive a bluish irridescent tint to her chest feathers which would probably be much more conspicuous to another bird.

Lots of great advice above. Have you tried offering warm, soft foods like boiled sweet potato/yam, roasted squash,boiled egg, boiled broccoli, bits of cooked chicken? Handfeeding the above might also help the two of you bond faster.

Wow! I've read that these little ones are intellectually on par with dolphins and great apes. What a story. Please post some pics when you get the chance and do take your bird's advice while on the job!

What a cute little dinosaur!

Hi Toni, I have a TAG and am very satisfied with her. At one time, I also was unsure as to which species of AG would be best for me. Without a doubt, you will hear and read a lot of different opinions but, if I may, I'd suggest that you just meet different birds until you naturally connect with one and try not to think about it too much! I don't think that there's much of a difference between the two other than appearance. Hope this helps.

Hi dblhelix, Thanks for the link. I've been looking for palm oil and/or nut retailers for a while now!

Hi Estream, that's hilarious!

Hi Percysmom!

Thanks Beccy, will do! Talon, just wait till you see her outside for the first time. All your effort will be worth it!

Talon, I hope it works out!

Hi Beccy, I'm not sure what the baby squeeks you refer to sound like but Zoe does sometimes squeek to herself in between quacks and whistles. This typically occurs shortly after I put her back into her cage after a play session. Re. the other behaviour you mentioned, I don't remember how old your Grey baby is but once they pass weaning age (12-15 weeks) it's a good idea to encourage independence in them by providing opportunities for self-directed play and alone time. I find that Zoe can spend hours happily stripping bark off her apple tree twigs, or getting nuts out of her bird puzzle, or tearing apart toilet paper roles. She is now used to being taken out at certain times and doesn't make a peep for attention at any other time. Hope this helps.

Hey all, After reading all the harness accolades , I went out and bought one earlier today! In fact, I just came back in from taking Zoe out into the backyard. She chose to stay perched on my shoulder but, I think, enjoyed the sun. I have to say, it's amazing how incredible she looked in natural daylight! My full spectrum lighting doesn't even come close to the sun. Thanks all for letting me know about this product. Putting it on for the first time was a bit unpleasant for her (she bit my finger twice)but once it was on and adjusted to her size, she just chewed on the metal parts until I took her out. (I let her see and play with it for about 10 minutes before trying to put it on her.) Outside, she went back to making her two note happy whistles (and never once tried to bite me)so I think she may have actually had fun! Her universe just got a lot bigger! What a great product!

I'm sure that would be VERY disappointing, especially if you've been visiting with your Grey baby regulary! I think the only thing that might help, aside from getting your own bird after all, is visiting the new clutch and getting to know the youngster that will, one day, be yours.

OK Afenismom. Try to move the cages together early in the day so that Afeni gets a chance to see the other cage, and Phoenix, for a while before it gets dark. I'm crossing my fingers for you all!!

Hi again Afenismom, Another thought--you purchased Afeni from a pet store, do you know how long she was living there, if she was hand-raised, and if there were other birds near her? If she was not adequately handled by people at the store and spent much of her early life there, she may have learned to associate more with other birds than with humans. This would be all the more reason why you should put both birds in the same room. Does Afeni contact call when separated from Phoenix? Does she prefer to be more with Phoenix or with "her human". Regarding the squabble over perch real estate, I think that's just normal bird behaviour. From your description of their time together, they seem to be turning into real buddies. Could it be that Afeni is upset at, from her perspective, being inexplicably separated from her friend?

Hi Afenismom, Wow, this is a tough call to make. Is Afeni plucking because, alone in her cage, she feels isolated from her flock member Phoenix or is she plucking because she feels jealous? Have you ever seen her pluck at any time when she wasn't alone? I can only tell you what I would try in your situation. I would go ahead and move the birds into the same room for several reasons: 1) Afeni may be unhappy about being suddenly isolated from her flock mate. Remember that, in her natural environment, she eats, sleeps, and poops among other birds and that, especially at her age, she instinctively needs such contact to feel like she's part of a flock. (AGs instinctively want to live in social groups and would be stressed out if ever alone.) 2) At the very least, seeing the other bird may keep her entertained and less focused on self mutilation. (Idle minds can be the devil's workshop in birds too.) 3)Under the circumstances, this solution seems like a good place to start. If the plucking continues, you can always try moving them apart again. Re. jealousy issues, to my knowledge, the only thing that you can do is spend more time with Afeni in the presence of Phoenix. If Afeni is primarily bonded to you, then maybe another family member can deal with Phoenix when the birds are together. Come to think of it, this might be another good thing to try if you choose to move the birds into the same room. Seeing her human parent ignore the rival bird may be very satisfying to Afeni. (Parrots are selfish.) One more thought, if you do move the cages together, try giving Afeni a perch that is higher than any of those given to Phoenix. Hopefully, the other forum members can give you some more suggestions. Please keep us updated.

Hi afenismom, I had a thought based on all the info posted. Your bird is 8 months old and has been living with you for 5 months. I'm assuming that you got her from a breeder and that she was raised with other birds. I think that at her age, she'd still remember the environment in which she spent her early life. Now, add to the mix the fact that, in nature, CAGs are probably not socially independednt flock members until about 1 year of age and the fact that you have another bird that your CAG can probably hear but never see and I think you may have the potential for a frustrated and confused bird. Could it be that she's wondering why the other bird is not interacting with her or where the other bird is or why she can't be part of the flock? As far as she knows, there could be a few other birds some distance away from her. I'm not saying that this is the problem, but it seems odd to me that the plucking behaviour started soon after the arrival of the second bird. What would happen if you allowed both birds to live in seperate cages next to each other and you spent your time equally with both of them? Just a suggestion. I'm sorry to have heard of this problem and I hope your bird recovers!

Hi Meghan and welcome to the forum. I think Judygram hit the nail on the head! Read as much about these birds as you can. Also, be aware that you'll likely need the support of others in caring for a bird of this type. I think they require a certain stability in their lives which may be difficult for you to provide at 15. Just one opinion.

Hi Snowman, I think you'd do best to get some advice from an avian behaviourist as your bird might have a psychological problem called pica. I know that this may sound crazy but birds don't normally eat wood. Your bird's behaviour is very unusual. Pica, in humans, invlolves the injestion of inappropriate items such as cigarette butts, bottle caps, pennies, etc. and can be quite dangerous. Have a look at this link. It'll take you to a scientific publication that discusses the dire effects of wood injestion (pine shavings) on poultry. The potential for harm is great. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0005-2086(197005)14%3A2%3C268%3APOTGIT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-J Try removing wood from your bird's environment and sustituting it with other materials like PVC pipe in the meantime. Re. behaviourists in your area try Googling. Some offer consults over the phone for reasonable rates. Another thing you could do is Google the American Veterinary Association for a list of certified avian Vets and then find a behaviourist through one of them. Let us know how things turn out. Sorry to hear about this problem.

Hi beccy, Though Zoe is completely weaned, I still like to hand feed her goodies at my own meal times. I think mushing up your bird's food is a good idea (they seem to love soft foods). You may also want to try warming it up a little (to about 98F) for some extra encouragement.

Just one more point to add- If your bird is still a baby, what you understand to be biting could actually be beaking. This is the name given to the behaviour in which young birds, still unaware of their beak strength, grip and squeeze everything they encounter for the sake of exploration. Apparently, they have many pressure sensitive nerves in their beaks that they love to test on different objects. It's simply part of a developmental phase a kin to that seen in human infants when they grip and squeeze everything with their hands. If this is, in fact, what's going on, try to offer your bird something else to beak on (like a toy or branch)whenever he tries to clamp down on you. Whenever he does get you, try not to make a big deal of it. Just tell him "no" and redirect him to an appropriate chewing object. Zoe went through this phase, and is still partially in it, but she's a lot more gentle with her beak now.

The only thing I do now to freshen the air is use an air cleaner and open windows! If you have carpets, you might also try dusting a layer of baking soda over them prior to vacuuming. (The baking soda is non-scented, harmless, and odour absorptive. Just let it sit on the carpets for about 20 minutes before vacuuming.)

Hey Beccy, Zoe has only recently begun to contact call every morning upon seeing me. I always return her vocalizations to let her know that I can both see and hear her. I have also established a predictable morning routine with her that I think she understands and that works for me too. She seems to settle down within 5-10 minutes afterwards. I think that you should pick out a routine of your own and have your bird get used to it through repetition. Once he is able to predict what will happen, he should be able to calm himself down and be more independent. The trick, I believe, is to do the same thing, in the same way, every morning and to establish the routine early on in the bird's life with you (when he is most impressionable). Hope this helps.

Thanks folks. Caspersmum, I'd love to help Zoe with her pronunciation but, under the present circumstances, would have to get myself possessed to do so!

Hello Amy. I hope you enjoy it here.