DavidH

She, Shanti is also a large CAG. It's a bit of a tight squeeze, but I have the perch up on the second level and he's fine. I have previously compared it to a big guy fitting into a small sports car. Guys love sports car, so they don't mind at all A bigger design would be too cumbersome on the back, unless the human carrier were the big broad-shouldered athletic guy. I would NOT use the adventure pack for taking the bird somewhere and keeping him overnight or longer. Not designed for that. It's just for travel and outdoor fun.

Storm, The Adventure Pack comes with two plastic bowls for food and water, as well as two perches. I guess the two-perch idea is for significantly smaller birds. Shanti will eat from his bowl -- no problem. When we're walking he clings to the cage, but at rest he perches, preens and eats. Today I took him out to a picnic table overlooking a big field. He got to see his first horse and great blue heron. Water is not going to work for the bowl because it will spill when the backpack is on your back. However, I'm not planning on going on 10-hour hikes or anything, so when we rest the second plastic bowl is fine.

Bird Can 'Read' Human Gaze ScienceDaily (Apr. 4, 2009) — We all know that people sometimes change their behavior when someone is looking their way. Now, a new study reported online on April 2nd in Current Biology shows that jackdaws—birds related to crows and ravens with eyes that appear similar to human eyes—can do the same. "Jackdaws seem to recognize the eye's role in visual perception, or at the very least they are extremely sensitive to the way that human eyes are oriented," said Auguste von Bayern, formerly of the University of Cambridge and now at the University of Oxford. When presented with a preferred food, hand-raised jackdaws took significantly longer to retrieve the reward when a person was directing his eyes towards the food than when he was looking away, according to the research team led by Nathan Emery of the University of Cambridge and Queen Mary University of London. The birds hesitated only when the person in question was unfamiliar and thus potentially threatening. In addition, the birds were able to interpret human communicative gestures, such as gaze alternation and pointing, to help them find hidden food, they found. The birds were unsuccessful in using static cues, including eye gaze or head orientation, in that context. Unlike most birds, jackdaws' eyes have a dark pupil surrounded by a silvery white iris. The researchers said they believe jackdaws are probably sensitive to human eyes because, as in humans, eyes are an important means of communication for them. The hand-raised birds examined in the study may be even better than wild jackdaws at attending to human gaze and responding to the gestures of the people who have raised them. The findings are particularly notable given that most other species investigated so far, including our closest relatives the chimpanzee and "man's best friend," the dog, are not particularly sensitive to eye orientation and eye gaze, von Bayern said. Rather, she continued, chimps and dogs seem to rely on other cues such as head or body orientation in determining the looking direction of others and do not appear to appreciate the eyes as the visual organs. The results suggest that birds may deserve more respect for their mental abilities. "We may have underestimated the psychological realms of birds," von Bayern said. "Jackdaws, amongst many other birds, form pair bonds for life and need to closely coordinate and collaborate with their partner, which requires an efficient way of communicating and sensitivity to their partner's perspective."

Shanti is only 10 months old, so I don't know what he'll be like at 2 years. But I'll tell you a story that I learned about human children, and I'll bet you a dollar to a dime that it applies to Greys too. When my daughters were infants I read a lot of books and talked to a lot of parents about child development. I remember one time sitting in my boss's office and telling her how worried I was about the impending "terrible twos." Her son by then was about 30. She told me, "Don't pay attention to any of the horror stories about the twos or puberty or adolescence or whatever. If you take the attitude that every age is wonderful in it's own way, you'll never go wrong." That was a Zen moment for me. I knew she was right and I knew I would live my life by her sage advice. Worked out grrrreyt. (She also told me to listen very carefully to everything the pre-school teacher told me about my kids because I would be hearing the exact same thing from every other teacher for the next 12 years or so. Also turned out to be true in spades.)

This is for people who wanted to see how the Adventure Pack looks on someone (gives you a better idea of the size). I've taken Shanti out in it three days in a row now. He seems to be loving it.

Hi HappyinGreece, So sorry about Alex. I don't really know enough about CAGS vs. TAGS to have any advice, but I would like to comment on imported birds. Wild bird import has been banned in Europe since July 1 2007. That of course includes AGs and Amazons. Here's an article on the ban: http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/import-ban.html#cr They are also banned in the USA. So if you're running into dealers with recently imported birds, the authorities would love to know about it, and you will be protecting many endangered species.

Shanti is 10 months.

Hi Lovethatgrey, I post them first on PhotoBucket.com 1. First, get a free Photobucket account 2. Then upload photos from your camera or computer. 3. Cut and paste the IMG code (below each photo) into your Grey Forum post. It's explained in more detail here: http://www.greyforums.net/faqs/how-do-i-post-photos.html

Hi Luvparrots and Gryphon, Yes, the outing was greyt! I decided to take him to Lake Casitas instead of the slightly longer trip to the beach. My short-term goal is to get him acclimated to going out without feeling anxious or threatened. I figure if we have short pleasant outings the first few times, he'll be psyched for longer trips later. This was his first trip in the car since the day the vet toweled him and only his second car trip ever, so I was especially cautious. I let him ride shotgun and didn't cover him. The only thing that spooked him for a second was when I closed the car door. Got to remember not to slam it. It was a cloudy day today and a bit cool for Southern California in April, but he seemed fine with the weather. I kept talking to him the whole time. Obviously, everyone who saw me is certain I'm a complete lunatic, but who cares? We had lots of fun. The Adventure Pack is really awesome, although for a large Grey like Shanti it's a tight z. Kind of like a big professional athlete squeezing into a little sports car. Still, Shanti and I are thrilled with it. So far I give it a grade of T for transformative!

Trying to post two photos. Hoping it works.

Yes, you can roll the shades up or down on all sides, plus you have the sun roof. Very smart design. Someone will eventually build a better one, but in the meantime Adventure Pack 1.0 is fantastic. (Made in China, BTW)

I will post pics soon.

Well, the Adventure Pack arrived today. Luckily for me, my wife is a wizard with putting those things together (it's not hard; I'm just a mechanical moron). So within a half hour Shanti was in it and exploring the house, yard and surrounding for the first time ever. It was wonderful! He was a little nervous, but not at all psycho. Wanted cuddling afterwards for reassurance. Tomorrow we are off to the beach for sure. The best thing about the Adventure Pack: It really is light and feels extremely comfortable on my 62-year-old back. Two talons up!

If you're curious about the gender, Cabo, you can get them DNA-tested (the only way to know for sure) for under $20 each: http://www.avianbiotech.com/

Thanks, Dave.

I found one broken raggedy feather the other day. First time I've found one with a quill. WOndering how and why that happened.

No, I'm not discouraged. On the contrary, I can't wait to get the Adventure Pack. Worse comes to worst, I'll make some adjustments on the backpack cover like you did. The reason I didn't buy it sooner (besides the price tag) is that I was worried Shanti might reject it. He was very timid about everything the first couple of months, but his confidence and curiosity are growing by the day, so now I'm sure he's going to love it too. Thanks for all your help!<br><br>Post edited by: DavidH, at: 2009/03/30 01:56

Link for the alternative velcro version is here. You have to scroll down the page to see it: http://www.parrot-and-conure-world.com/adventure-pack-cage.html

They do offer an alternative cover with velcro instead of snaps for $38, but then you can't use it as a backpack. I suppose I could trade them the unused snap one for the velcro (hasn't arrived yet), I'll probably just try the backpack and see how it goes.

I got a note from the seller about the canvas after purchasing the Adventure Pack. Here it is: "IMPORTANT *** IMPORTANT *** IMPORTANT Canvas Cover Assembly Instructions: When fitting the canvas cover to the cage, it is NECESSARY TO UNZIP AND UNSNAP all the closures as well as removing the canvas dome piece. Once all these parts are either unzipped or unsnapped, it is easy to pull on the canvas over the cage and zip it up. Occasionally snaps are difficult to unfasten. Changing the angle you are pulling from will often make the snap easy to undo. Gently pull next to the snap: Straining on any fabric with snaps increases the likelihood that you will damage the fabric. We will not be responsible nor replace damaged canvases or broken zippers. All snaps and zippers have been personally inspected by our personnel before they are packed. Step-by-step instructions: We found it best to start with the back bottom part of the canvas, scooting the cage into the bottom. Then keep gently working the canvas over the top and down at the bottom at the same time. Once the canvas is on, but not zipped, you can adjust it so that it is even. Slowly and gently pull the zipper up, pulling the canvas together at the same time. This is 100% cotton and will stretch out eventually, but is very tight for now. Take great care as you go around the corners, that you pull the canvas together so that the zipper does not separate. (You will likely only be able to zip it using one zipper from one side to the other, stopping just above the “bump” where the tray is on the opposite side from where you began, until the canvas stretches out. We have attached a picture via Email.) When fitting the canvas over the cage, make sure the front door of the cage is facing out the zippered door so you can get the bird in and out without removing the canvas cover."

I work from home now, my kids are grown up, our cat died, and I often feel lonely throughout the day. Thinking of a companion bird, I did a lot of research on parrots in general and greys in particular. I've written a lot about this on my blog (see link below). Once I made up my mind to get a Grey, my daughter and I drove down to Los Angeles to see one at a pet store owned by the breeder. I walked in, and in the instant I inquired about the Grey, I heard the sharp loud ring of a telephone. I looked up, saw Shanti standing on top of a small cage behind the cash register, and asked in astonishment, "Was that him?" The sales clerk said, "Yes," and I replied, "That's fantastic. I'll take him." Crazy, I know, but it's all worked out greyt! Shanti enriches my life every single day.

Here's where I bought mine, Carol: http://www.parrot-and-conure-world.com/adventure-pack-cage.html It weighs under 10 pounds. I'm expecting it Fed Ex on Monday. Lovethatgrey, How did you have to refine it for Emma?

Great video, Carol. Congratulations on finding what you wanted and needed!

Well, after hearing about it here and thinking for a few days I went ahead and bought the adventure backpack for Shanti. You can see it here: http://www.parrot-and-conure-world.com/adventure-pack-cage.html I would love to hear people's experiences with this item. I'm thinking I should introduce Shanti very slowly, little by little with lots of rewards. But I'm sure people who have bought it have some good hands-on tips for me. Thanks in advance, David

Not a Grey but just as great: