Mistyparrot

No he is not angry. They are just messy eaters! One of the joys of living with a Grey:D What do you feed him on? Steve n Misty

You need to make a note of any letters or numbers on this ring so in the event of Jaq'O going AWOL you can prove his identity. Just saying he is grey with a red tail won't be much help! If you can, try to find if you bird is registered anywhere so you can have them link the registration with your address. I would still have him microchipped as a backup. If he does get lost or even stolen it can happen that some thieves will cut the ring off! Greys are very conscious of their personal space and they don't like to be touched by people or parrots they are not confident about and even then they will let you know when they want a little petting. Just like humans Greys have moods so you need to respect his feelings. There will be times when he just wants to be left in peace! and times when he wants to play and interact with you . They usually tolerate beak touching better than other areas. The next favoured part is the back of the neck but this needs more trust as it is a more vulnerable area. With Misty I can touch his beak at any time but if I try to tickle the back of his neck without is permission he will move away. He tells me he is in the mood by saying either "Your all right" or "Tickel tickle". Because Misty was was clipped when I got him which he clearly hated and even now he very much dislikes having his wings touched so I respect that. All these things come with time and patience. Keep on as you are but watch for his body language and do not push yourselves on him. Steve n Misty

Welcome and well done "ilovemygrey " Thank you for giving this poor Grey a new chance for happiness. All the others have already given you great advice so all I will say is have an avian vet give Jaq'O a health check once he has settled and have him microchipped. Thank you again and please keep us updated on Jaq'O's progress. Steve n Misty

Just whistle a little tune! But also do what Dave n Judy suggest. Greys have contact calls in the wild. Most birds do. These are like names given by their parents. After seven years Misty and I still exchange his contact call when we are in hearing range but out of sight. I am convinced my picking up his call when he came to my home helped us bond. At that time he was no longer a baby like yours but the same principle applies. Steve N Misty

I think you talk a lot of good sense Nancy. Steve n Misty

I think the best thing is to go to a parrot sanctuary and then your husband may find a more mature parrot that likes him from the start. If you get a baby, because you are the main care giver it might bond to you more. As for how well your Grey gets on with another only a trial will tell but many of our members here have parrots that mostly at least tolerate each other. Budgies are very easygoing birds in my experience and I know of Greys and Budgies that get on very well. Is there any reason you have not included another Grey on your list? Steve n Misty

It seems that Audubon propagated the myth that birds can't smell by performing a flawed test on turkey vultures. He tried to entice them with the smell of meat so rotten that even they thought it distasteful! Here is a link to a more detailed article: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1200/is_8_168/ai_n15393211/ Steve n Misty (who still smells good:))

I will have mine in a cookie! Steve n Misty

Dave. Egg! Steve n Misty

Of course birds can smell but different birds have senses of smell that are tuned to their natural niche. There is research that suggests that pigeons use smell as well as magnetic fields to help navigate. I am sure that my Grey Misty has a sense of smell but I don't think it is that sensitive. Likewise he definitely has a sense of taste and can taste sweet and probably other tastes as well but parrots are not at all sensitive to the hot taste of chilli peppers. In fact parrots and other birds help propagate peppers in the wild. Parrots and humans have more than 100million years of evolutionary divergence so it would be surprising if their smell and taste senses were not different from humans and other mammals. Steve and Misty (Who smells very good!)

Now that would be a treat to hear. A rapping parrot! Steve n Misty

LOL. You are dead right. That is the way that they learn the use of new words. I always try to respond appropriately to Misty when I understand the context of his speech. If I just stood back and thought "how cute" there would be no reinforcement. It is much like one would respond to a child. I am grateful he has yet to learn "Why?" Anyone who has brought up children knows how exhausting that can be! "What cha doin" is bad enough!:rolleyes: Steve n Misty

I am very lucky with Misty. He has the most melodious of whistles and his talking voice sounds just like me. He rarely imitates other noises like phones or microwaves but when he does he is neither loud or persistent. If I unexpectedly touch his wings he will let out a blood chilling screech but I avoid doing that obviously. I think Greys as pets have a reputation for being relatively quiet compared to other large parrots, Toos and Macaws, Steve n Misty

Gorgeous! At what age do his wings grow? I am assuming he is a Pegasoi

Aisia , All the others have given good advice. My only comment is be careful what you wish for because you might just get it! Steve n Misty

Misty has discovered the use of "NOW" as an imperative. I first noticed it when was he told me its "It's bed time" ( he means me I think, so I will turn off the TV and he can get some peace!) I ignored him and on about the third time of telling me he said "It's bed time NOW!" He also uses it with "Come here NOW" and "Can i come out Now!" and also "Stoppit NOW" (He uses "Stoppit" when he wants a taste of my food) In all instances the "NOW" is only invoked if he thinks I am not taking proper notice! As Chezron said he never uses a word like "Orange" or "bye bye" in those contexts. Every day he blows my mind a little more! Steve n Misty

Me to! I must confess I have rather taken all those good folk for granted for all the work they do to make this such a greyt place for all us Grey parrot lovers. Steve n Misty

My Misty is very close to me and loves tickles and scratches from me but sometimes he simply does not want to be touched like that. You have to respect their feelings. Steve n Misty

It is good that he he loved by everyone. He is still young and I am sure he will become more accepting in time. I think if you continue letting your wife pick him up off the floor in your presence he will come to trust her more when you are not there. DJ is fortunate to have such a loving family. Steve n Misty

How does your wife and maid feel about DJ? Is DJ sensing any animosity ? No parrot will trust someone if they sense dislike or fear. Steve n Misty

LOL! Kind of ironic a Quaker swearing at a Pentacostal ! Steve n Misty

A the other have said It should make no difference and besides I don't think there is such a thing as to much out of cage time. Greys thrive on a stimulating environment. Just talk to Momo about what is going on as you might a small intelligent child and let him hear you speak with other family members and he will more than likely surprise you with what he learns and understands. Steve n Misty

Great news. Steve n Misty

Be warned! Greys cannot be relied upon to keep secrets! I have even heard of a case where one exposed a cheating spouse. This lead to a divorce and a homeless parrot! Steve n Misty

Those who say Greys do not understand what they are talking about simply have no idea! Steve N Misty