BaxtersMom

I got my grey as an adult and after a couple weeks of him settling in I would start whistling the Andy Griffith tune to him and he started bobbing his head:woohoo: At first it was just a few head bobs and then a few more.:lol: Now sometimes when I am whistling to him or he is in a real good mood he will bob that head up and down real fast and now he throwing one leg up like wave hello but will just leave the leg up in the air. It is the funniest thing. :laugh: I think it is just happiness on his part. It's a good thing I think;)

Hi Andy and Sam. It sounds like you guys are having a blast together. I know what you mean about copying the bird sounds. I hear they mimick our sounds but I find myself mimicking his:laugh: :silly:

Olivia is nice. It sounds so regal and elegant:)

Hi, welcome to the forum. When I brought my grey home (he was an adult) he used to grab my fingers and try to crack my fingernails, too. I think he is just getting to know you. At first my grey would do it kind of hard and I would have to tell him to stop in a stern voice because it was scary. He would literally try and pull or split my nail with his beak. Now he still does it but he is gentle with me (most of the time) He is fascinated with my nails for some reason:woohoo: He still grabs my fingers and will put his beak against my hands, fingers, nails and he will also use his tongue softly. I am not totally certain but I think it is a greeting from him. I don't know about the scratching but would keep an eye on it.

Great post Talon, I myself (as you know;) ) have gotten too involved and taken things too personally. It can be so easy to misinterpret things others say or have a strong reaction to something said. We may not always agree on things that are said but I myself will try in the future to be as respectful to other members as I hope they will be to me. It is good to know that we have Administrators and Moderators that get involved quickly and help get things straightened out when misunderstandings or issues get out of control. So a big thanks to all of you putting so much time and dedication to making this community work:) because I really do enjoy it here.

Great question Carolyn, I have been wondering the same thing. What is their reaction going to be? I am even wondering where am I going to even put my tree this year???? I have 3 cages in the front room where my tree has always been set up:unsure: which are now taking up my Christmas tree spot:laugh:

That was so wonderful to read. Thanks for sharing your story. Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside and warms my heart! Anyone who adopts or rescues an older bird with the right intentions is in for more love they could ever expect to have. {Love-000200BF} I'm so glad you guys have eachother.

Hello Jake and Lyndsey Red. Welcome to the forum. This is a great place to learn all about greys. How long have you had her? You said she was 3. Have you had her since she was a baby. I can't wait to see her pics.

When Baxter bites I tell him sternly "no bite" or "be nice" He understands it too. Sometimes he will bite down lightly on my finger and then start to put more pressure like "how much can she take,haha" and when I say no bite or be nice he eases up on the pressure. When he doesn't let up I say it more sternly;) He hasn't bit me in a long time but I have learned his eyes and body language. I don't mess with him when he's in a cranky mood. I'll come back and try later and that works for both of it seems. So many times I put my hand out to him and he runs backwards. It's aggrevating. He spends most of his time on top of the cage and if I want him to step up for me I have to get on a chair to be taller than he is:P and then he will do it without running because he knows hes trapped. But If I'm not taller, he's not coming;) Another trick I learned about biting I got from a book. They called it earthquake, when they are on your hand or fingers. Baxter my grey doesn't need this but I have a new eclectus that can be pretty nippy if he gets the chance. The book said (and it works great for me) that if you see they are about ready to bite and they are on your hand to give your wrist a slight turn or rocking motion, just enough to get them a little off balance so they will have to regain their balance and the thought of biting passes at that moment because they are concentrating on something else. This has worked wonderfully for me and Tigger and has prevented many many bites.:silly: Because of this I don't even have to scold him or say no bite. I act like it never happened because it didn't. It got prevented:) After getting bit by Tigger I have put him in his cage for a time out and he lets out little crying noises, but let back out in 5 to 15 minutes. I haven't done it enough to know if it works on him because I started the earthquake thing. I have noticed that what works for one of my birds does not always mean it will work on the other one. Each bird is different. Just have to find what works but I think there are many knowledgable members and surely someone will tell you something that works good for you.

Oh, I am so sorry about your birds beak. But I must say both of you are handling it remarkably well and sounds like everything will be okay in the long run. Whew! I don't have any advice for you but wanted to thank you for posting it because I have seen birds with broken beaks and had no idea that they grew back. What a relief.

Congradulations on Petie and welcome to the forum.

Thanks for all the compliments on Tigger. He is settling in pretty good. He was nipping at biting the first 3 or 4 days but does love to be picked up. It's funny he would be perched on my finger and look down and see my thumb. Once he spotted that thumb it was over! He would go down and bite (hard) it at first. I could see that mind working, too, LOL. Now he will still spot my thumb and will reach down but only put his beak on it gently. He's a pretty good bird. I'm still figuring him out though. He's totally different from the others. He kind of lures me in to him. It's wierd.

Thank you. I just wish I could have shared the video:(

It's only a 4 second video and just a few MBs. It should go through. I still have problems with this website getting kicked off and can't get things done like I want to all the time:( but I think it has something to do with my computer. I love Tiggers color, too. In good lighting his feathers are shiney irridescent and so neat looking. The candy corn beak is what I fell in love with though;) He talks so good, didn't know just how good when I got him, not that it was important but he talks. Last night he said "They call him Tigger" clear as can be. I thought was pretty neat. He was nipping at biting at first but that has stopped. He really is a sweetheart and so curious. He is so funny!<br><br>Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2008/09/15 19:09

This was suppose to be a video but can't get it to go through:( Will have to be a photo instead. Hope it comes through. This is Tigger my male Eclectus. I've only had him for about 2 weeks now. I heard they were suppose to be quiet birds but he can let out very loud noises.:woohoo: And he talks all day long. He's around 4 years old. Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2008/09/15 18:49<br><br>Post edited by: BaxtersMom, at: 2008/09/15 18:51

Hi Jamricka, Welcome to the forum. I started off getting an African Grey that I love dearly. Then I added a Nanday Conure and an Eclectus. I really like having different types of birds because they are all so different from each other.

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like you have quite a flock Good to have you here.

Mine hated a bath at first. The bird store I buy my food and accessories from had the bird bath spray bottle and I think it was mostly if not all Aloe juice. I think it was about $3.50 a bottle. I didn't know about it untill she told me. Anyway, I started misting him with it. He didn't like it much, I don't think he likes it much now either but he stays on my hand and lets me do it and I eventually got to where I can soak him to the skin now. I hear other people let them take baths in the bath tub or sinks. (Put something down for them so they don't slip and get more scared) They even have a shower thing that you put on the shower wall, it's a perch with suction cups. I haven't tried that yet but I want to. I would say how ever you do it just go a little slow with him at first so he can get used to it.

Congradulations. I am so excited for you. I took on a 12 year old grey a few months ago. He wasn't handled much, didn't play with toys, can't fly because he was cage bound but he had a very sweet disposition despite all that. It took a few days for him to settle in and I got bit a few times because I was so anxious:laugh: but we are best friends now and I haven't gotten bit by him in a long long time. He settled in really easy and with each passing week there was major progress. I'm sure you guys will bond in no time with ease. Baxter let me know what a good pace was for him to get used to all the new stuff and I'm sure yours will too. I have now taught my grey Baxter to play with toys and he lets me pet him all over pretty much. I've only had him since July 13 08 and I'd say after a month he was fully settled and comfortable with me in his new home. The first month he was edgy but friendly and curious and so so willing to do new things right from the start. I think it's great you are giving taking in an older bird and you will rewarded so much for it. I can't wait untill you bring him home and give him the luxious new cage. I'm sure he will love it. Does he have a name yet?

Hi Tony and welcome to the forum and congradulations on your new grey. I am owned by a Congo African Grey, a Nanday Conure and an Eclectus. I love all of them but there is something special about a grey;)

Hi and welcome to the forum. Good luck on finding your grey! Let us know when it happens:)

Congradulations on the new arrival. It's great they get along already!

Judy I can't tell hubby he was a good sport about the picture because he doesn't know it's up and I'm not tellin :whistle:

Happy HatchDay Mika!!! Carolyn, I just love the kitchen stand. I remember you talking about it. It turned out great! I bet it will get lots of use:laugh: Mika is a very handsome young man;)

Baxter still likes to practice flying but he has only initated flying solo about 3 times from his cage or to his cage. He doesn't seem all that interested in learning control or even flying in general. He does however still love for me to hold him and flap his wings like he is really going places and we do this daily. I help him out and guide him to the couch or to his cage and kind of go with the flow:) He still always hangs on to one of my fingers for safety though which is fine with me.