chezron

Thank you for watching.

Hi Grey fans. I finally posted a video of Brutus on YouTube. Here is the address: Let me know how you like it.

Quinton, I do not think you can make a generalization like, "never pick up a fluffed-up grey." I look more at my bird's eyes and how he sets his beak to determine his mood. My grey seems to get taller and tenser when he is in a bad mood. At night, he generally gets VERY fluffed up, and kind of settled looking, like gravity is weighing him down, and that is the very BEST time to handle him as he is EXTREMELY docile.

We bought a "bird backpack" that has a screen in the front, so Brutus can see out. Brutus likes to go to the outdoor coffee shop with us on game day and watch all the activity. Because of this he is no longer as afraid of dogs and children now. We invite people, children especially, to come over and talk to him. He must feel like a king with everyone calling him by name! I would strongly advise you NOT to take your bird out without some kind of cage because of hawks and other unforeseen dangers. I have heard several heart-rending stories of parrots becoming a hawk's lunch while riding around on a shoulder. Also, a gust of wind, or loud noise could be enough to send the bird flying into a dangerous situation, let alone, unscrupulous people who might think your bird has resale value. This is just my "two cents" however. It is really fun to take them out though. I also look at it as an educational opportunity because most people know next to nothing about pet parrots.

Yeah Louie!

That's exactly right luv parrots! I DO dip my head quickly to dislodge him and I do say, "That's not nice!" My husband thinks I should be much more stern. I guess the problem is not so much him landing on my head as when he CRASHES into my head!

I wish my gray even remotely liked showers. At best, he tolerates them, and this is only possible in the confinement of a cage. Consider yourself lucky!

Congratulate your Mom for a job well done! You are lucky to have such a conscientious caretaker!

Hi all. My teenager in feathers is trying my patience lately. When he gets tired and cranky or frustrated by my lack of attention, he will fly at my head full speed and hit me, sometimes quite hard. I worry about him hurting himself doing this. I sometimes wear a bike helmet for those times when I know he will be prone to acting out because he won't hit me then. Can you imagine? I look like one of those special kids on the short school bus. It is really interesting when someone rings the doorbell and I forget... Expectedly, my question, how do I make him stop?

We are buying a new house and would like to set up various places on the ceiling to hang chain, toys, and/or atoms. We have a chandelier in our old house (with no electricity) that works great for entertainment. Brutus loves to fly at great speed and land on the chain. We have filled the cups where the light bulbs used to be with toys, and have hung toys from the chandelier arms. In our new house there are no chandeliers to repurpose, so I thought we could find a beam in the ceiling and screw in eye bolts at various places, so we can attach toys, chains, atoms, etc. What has worked for you?

So funny! Marcus sounds like brutus!

Hilarious spinning video Elvenking! My bird's wings are not clipped.

Please accept my condolences for your loss of Linus. It must have been very difficult for you.

So funny! Thanks for capturing Murphy on a video for us to watch.

Awww! Sweet stories! I am glad he made your decision for you.

Brittany, Why isn't the wooden ledge Pepper is standing still intact? Brutus has gnawed almost all the wooden ledges, molding, and cabinetry that he can reach. I wish Brutus was more like Pepper-more talk and less chewing!

The funny thing is he HATES the spray bottle. The only way I can give him a shower is to put him in a small cage and move it into the shower, where he JUST tolerates the process.

This is a picture of Brutus attempting to bathe in his water dish. It is totally funny watching him flail around. He never seems to understand that he does not fit!

Birds ARE a huge commitment! Because they are so intelligent, they require more attention than a cat or a dog. They are also potentially destructive. You and your husband need to know that going in because if your house is a shrine to cleanliness and aesthetic beauty, that will change once you get a free-flying parrot. That being said, I believe the trade off is totally worth it.

I see other grey owners have birds with acrobatic tendencies as well. Sometimes Brutus will just fly from molding to molding and it does remind me of---well---Spiderman. He does this other thing that amazes me too, he somehow hangs on and is able to roll 360 vertically, like a top. Does that make sense?

Dan, your experience is, regretfully, the same as mine. Oh well! How do you get your charges to leave areas you do not want them to be? What are YOUR techniques?

Hi All, We are moving soon. I was wondering if you had any ideas or suggestions for types of furniture or materials that are a little less enticing to an African Grey's destructive tendencies? Presently, we have a large selection of rotating toys distributed in various play areas around our great room, but he gets bored, and only furniture, molding, window blinds, and painting frames seem to interest him anymore. Any decorating or bird entertainment ideas you have will be appreciated.

Does your grey do this? This is the funniest thing---he hangs from the door molding. Sometimes he does it in hopes that I will pick him up from his precarious position, and other times, he just does it to see if he can. P2240003.pdf

brrr! Glad to hear everyone got through it!

Soo different than our grey. He seems to have no concept that he has food on his face. Sometimes it is completely comical just HOW MUCH food is on his beak! I bet your grey will be eating all kinds of mushy stuff soon! Fingers crossed!