Gryphon

another

Action shot:

Trying again. Here's the box before we opened it.

Hmm. I'll try to post pics later! The legos were a big hit. He's been playing with them non-stop. He likes to dismember the lego people. :laugh:

Gryphon must have been good this year! [file]

Soup!

I love Gryphon's changeable moods. We have that in common. I love when he gives me The Eye. There's so much going on in that little brain. Plus his seriousness cracks me up. I love the way he rubs his face against my cheeks to show affection. I also love his little grunts and huffs and sighs when we are rubbing faces. He's still so new in my life that I feel like I find something else to love about him daily. :kiss:

Left!

We've already had one power outage this winter. I was worried so we got a room at the Holiday Inn but when we came back to get food and toys the power came back on (after 4 hours). So Gryph didn't actually get to hang there. They also didn't charge us which was nice! I've thought about investing in those vent free gas logs as an alternate heat source, but then I worry about what the logs are made of or sprayed with. I worry about a lot. Maybe I was a grey in a past life.

I've seen plucking in birds other than greys and it was related to hormones. Females plucking a brood patch and not stopping or males getting so frustrated they pluck. It usually stops when the hormones tone down, but like you said some are obsessive. I do know how you feel though. There's a general perception that any plucked bird is suffering and not being well cared for. My parrotlet was almost completely naked and I used to be afraid people would think she was abused!

Holy moley he's so cute!

Elena, words can't convey how sad and sorry I am. You are in my thoughts.

Baxter is such a cool guy. I'm a fan.

Someone once told me to think of a parrot eating chicken as like a person eating cow: both mammals, but not closely related. We're vegetarian, but if someone came over with a chicken bone I would a) think they're a little weird to carry a chicken bone around with them and b) see if Gryph likes to eat it.

I totally understand where you are coming from. Gryph's previous owner couldn't give him the time and attention he needed because of unforeseen life changes and it really hurt her to part with him. I'm just sorry anyone has to go through it and grateful that I haven't. It sounds to me like you are doing everything right in terms of finding a good home for your bird and I can tell you that, in similar circumstances, Gryphon adapted very quickly, loves us both, and is a happy little dude.

Have you considered taking him to her house yourself? Gryph's owner did this and I think he felt more at ease having her bring him in and put him on his cage in my house. Dave's advice about sending him with the cage he has now is excellent. It was a major security blanket those first weeks! Gryphon made the transition really well. No plucking or visible distress of any kind.

Gryphon is a re-homed bird. We got him in October and it has been remarkably easy. You will get bitten at first most likely, but you'll learn the body language pretty quickly. I haven't been bitten since day 2. I think you are very right that it all depends on the bird. Chongo may be perfect for you, but he may also have the kind of issues that a more experienced owner could handle. It's all about your comfort level with the bird. Good luck!

P.S. It might help to spritz him with aloe juice and water, maybe put a little in his drinking water too. He'll probably keep scratching his head because it feels good, but you'll keep his skin healthy.

I don't know about mites, but thought I'd let you know that Gryphon does this too. I think feathers are itchy by design. Since parrots preen each other in the wild, 9 times out of 10, I'd suspect you just have an itchy bird!

I know those jitters of which you speak! When we adopted Gryphon back in October, bedtime was a worry. He was used to putting himself to bed around 9 PM which I feared was too late, having read so much about sleep deprivation. To make a long story short: I tried to gradually move bedtime to an earlier hour, about half an hour at a time. After a month of this, I gave up. He still puts himself to bed at 9 PM! I keep an eye on him for signs that he might not be getting enough sleep, but so far he's been fine. Good luck and congrats on your baby!

My husband and I just started trying this with Gryphon. He's 19mo and, while it is too early to say if he's learning labels, he is definitely highly entertained by the whole thing. We feel a little foolish and tend to crack up once in a while. Gryphon laughs with us. Or at us. We've started with just one object, a plastic key that he loves. Let me know how it goes!

Gryphon will not go in his cage, either at night or during the day when I'm at work. He has no problem pooping on ME unfortunately. :sick:

Looks like they are having a blast Casper! We hung our second net in the living room and Gryphon's been all over it. We hung three corners and left one hanging down. My husband says it is G's chair because he sits in it to watch the tv. Dan, maybe if you convince your wife it is furniture... I can't believe how fast they get around on those things. Grey acrobatic skills amaze me!

I have some on my walls right now. I'm looking at it.

Sorry, my email was replying to Talon. One day I'll get wise and quote what I'm replying too!