pearllyn

When we came back in today, Alfie said hello in her best Queen Elizabeth accent!!:laugh: No idea where that came from - she's done it another couple of times since - we were helpless!!

Excellent pic of snowy UK - and that Canada post is great!! Thanks to you both! We're mostly melted here now, but it's still lying a couple of miles in land. The temp was hovering between 0 and 2 degrees today.

This is an intersting one! It would be nice to see it live! Thanks Bernie.

What an awful situation to be in. Goodness I pray this story has a happy ending for you. Your plan sounds like a sensible one. Figuring out how to get him back is a moot point if it's not Sinbad! I'm not sure if helping this guy to find a grey of his own is relevant - he was quick to offer this one for sale. As for the police, if you are going down that road, like Ecodweeb said, call them in front of him and do not leave until they arrive! Or else that bird would just get whipped away and hidden somewhere. Maybe the threat of police would be enough. Good luck.

I've often thought about clicker training with Alfie, having used it with the dogs and horses with great success. The doubt in my mind is how effective will it be with a bird who can mimic the sound? Your timing has to be spot on, and what use would it be if the brid your were teaching was praising himself with a click for behaviour you don't want? It would confuse me, if not the bird!!:laugh: I've been meaning to ask for ages so will watch this thread with interest! Thanks for starting it Julie - I hope you get the results you're after with the clicker training!

It might be a stupid question! I've read a few threads lately about people who have rescued their grey from less than ideal circumstances, and are now having trouble with, say, the men in the house. Can anyone tell me why a bird as intelligent as an African Grey, if they have been mistreated by, say, their previous male owner, would then generalise all men to be evil? Will they not realise that the next man to take them in (who happens to be loving and gentle) is not the same as the last (evil) man? Or will they just be suspicious of all men until proven otherwise?

Hi Kayleigh and welcome! Well done you for taking in an older bird. It might not be an easy task, but I'm sure with patience, love and a little more patience, he'll come around! Good luck with him. Lyn & ALfie.

Aahhh! Bless! He is sleepy this morning! Thats a great idea Paulo so you can keep an eye on him when you are not there!

My goodness what beautiful colouring! How sad that there are so few of them. Thanks for sharing.

Congratulations on the progress Christina! I love the top pic, he is just so cute keeking out of the door like that - you'll have him eating out of your hand (so to speak) in no time!

Wow! He sure is a beauty! That's such a shame you have to leave him there. Maybe if these birds get alot of out time, they won't need a walk in cage! Alfie is hardly ever in hers!

Haha! What an excellent idea! When I first read you were taking 19 birds on holiday with you, I thought - you're brave!!! Looking forward to seeing the pics!!

kittykittykitty wrote: Lol Kitty, well said. I feel the same way - sometimes I prefer animals to humans! (Eeek! Did I say that out loud?) What I meant was I prefer animals to some humans! I think I'll stop there! Sooooo you all enjoyed the book ay? !!! :laugh:

Great video Paulo. What a beautiful Grey! He is stunning! Thanks for sharing!

It's just lovely isn't it? I've read it 4 times since I found it yesterday and cried everytime! What a baby!

Hi Paulo! Nice to have you here! You will find lots of really helpful information here. Looking forward to seeing some pics of your baby! Dave007 wrote: A man of many talents Dave!!? Do you speak Portuguese or did you use a translator!!?<br><br>Post edited by: pearllyn, at: 2010/01/12 22:02

JillyBeanz wrote: Cheeky!!! You're only 50 miles away you know!!!

JillyBeanz wrote: Cheeky!!! You're only 50 miles away you know!!!

My breeder also told me that leaving a bird unclipped is important to it's physical development - underdeveloped muscles can cause breathing problems later on.

Hello Mrs Bridenstine, Sorry I can't help you there - no idea! Hope these three learn to get along tho - they sound like little characters. Lyn & Alfie

{Feel-good-0002006E} Lol - that says more about men than women Bernie!! Funny tho!<br><br>Post edited by: pearllyn, at: 2010/01/12 19:56

Supernova wrote: Lol - now there is no snow it's muddy! Now I am going to moan about that!

luvparrots wrote: Haha Janet that's excellent!

{Feel-good-0002006E}

I agree with JillyBeanz absolutely! I'm not what I would call an experienced owner, but I have had a few experiences (make sense?) Alfie has never been clipped. When we first brought her home, she was 12 weeks and flying within the week. The first thing I did was walk around with her on my hand and show her all the windows and mirrors, let her get close enough to them so she could touch them with her beak. we have 5 windows in the space where she lives. When she did start to fly around she never flew into the same window twice! These birds are very intelligent and can learn very quickly! I must stress that when she flew into the window, she did not hurt herself, maybe her pride a little! She was still very young and had not yet the skill or strength to fly fast and do damage. When Alfie was around a year she chewed her left wing feathers so badly she lost the power of flight completely, she could crash to the ground somewhat gracefully, but couldn't get any lift. When she realised she was flightless, I can honestly say she became very quiet and withdrawn - almost depressed. Looking at it from a birds point of view it's a no brainer - these birds were born to fly. There are some who free fly their birds, but personally speaking, I would never risk it! Even the most well trained bird who is absolutely bonded with their owner can get a fright out in the open - game over! Just ask anyone who has ever lost a bird through free flying if they would ever try it again. Alfie has an Aviator Harness and enjoys coming out for walks with the dogs in the summer! And out in the open can have a good fly around. She also does a lot of flying in the house and it's just awesome to watch her!