SamsDad

I'm sure this is completely normal. Sam uses a woman's voice for some things - previous owner's wife(?) and he uses a deeper gravely voice with the words I'm teaching him. Sometimes when he mumbling his voice is deep and gravely. Sam is 14 months old and is not a real clear talker yet. I think they practice with the sounds first until they learn how to reproduce the human voice. Sams voice is often gurgley. Don't worry, just enjoy his sounds and wait for that day when you hear "Babys" first words! I really enjoy when I hear Sam try a word or sound I've been using. Just beware, that these bird are great at getting certain words almost the first time. These are usually the words you DON'T want them to learn and repeat, so be careful what you say when you smash your finger or stub your toe! :ohmy: Tom

Tarah, NICE! Harley sounds like he's settling in quite well. These are VERY good signs. The fact he is interested in you is a BIG step and quite impressive since he's so new to you. You are doing the right thing by trying things and watching how he reacts. When you get a chance please post a picture of Harley and be sure to keep us up to date on your progress. Tom

Hahaha, I just realized something about Pepper's post. Not being able to play with the laptop keys, nor the TV remote, etc. Maybe the makers of Parrot toys are missing a great oppotunity here. Just think of all the toys our bird would love to play with. Phones, glasses, pads of paper, TV remotes, computer keyboards, watches, belt buckles, shoe laces, window trim ear rings, wedding rings.... Tom

Hi, welcome to the forum. This is a question that is difficult to answer. Every bird is different and so is every owner. First off, give Harley time to get to know you and trust you. Regurgitating can mean a couple things. If you are lucky he's telling you he likes you. He still doesn't know you so nervousness can take over quickly causing him to try to bite. You'll get mixed messages from him because he's not sure who you are or what you are up to. The other thing is, his hormones could be raging a bit and the breeding urge could be having him regurgitate easily. I had an Amazon once that when he went into birdie "heat" he'd regurgitate to me anytime I got close or touched him. A bird with hormones raging can be a frustrated moody bird. The offering of the head for a scratch only to bite is a typical Grey "test" and you took the bait! Try not to react when he strikes. Just stay calm pull your hand back just out of range but don't take it away completely. Talk nicely to him. See if he offers his head again. Watch his eyes you can usually see a determined look or that "sparkle" just before they strike. If he gets you acting scared, he'll be more likely to keep striking. My previous Grey loved playing this game with my daughter. It took her time to learn to control her fear and to not react dramically. He'd still test her when she came over but she learned to call his bluff and he'd let her scratch him. He eventually learned the work "scraaatch?" from her and would ask her for one. My wife was another story. She never trusted the bird and would screech when bit and get all upset. Greys LOVE DRAMA!!! So what did my bird learn to do? He liked to taunt her. He'd even climb down off his cage and go after her feet. He'd lunge, she'd jump back and screech, and he'd charge her again until I intervened. To him it became great fun! To her, not much fun. Try doing the scratch through the bars. Don't stick you finger through, 'cause if he clamps down you are REALLY trapped! See if he'll come over close. If you just get one single stroke and stop before he strikes you'll be making progress. Each time may get a little longer. Since Harley is 8 and his former owner didn't handle him much you may be in for a bit of a wait before he'll let you hold him. Don't worry, just be patient. Talk to him, sit near his cage, place his cage in a spot where he can watch you. I call it "seducing". You want him to start to crave attention from you. Greys are social creatures and they usually WANT attention from you. You just have to learn to flirt. Find a treat he likes and give it to him. At first it may be just dropping a grape or a nut in his bowl, or handing it to him through the bars. Don't worry if he grabs it and throws it down. Just do it every day. Again, seduce him. If he likes the treat and takes it from your fingers then next time delay giving it to him for a few seconds. Show it to him, and talk about it in an upbeat, excited voice. If he gets a little excited go ahead and give it to him. If not give it to him anyway. You want him to associate good actions with you. Look for little cues he may be giving you. With my current Grey "Sam" I couldn't get him to step up on my hand. Then one evening I'd been talking to him while passing through the livingroom a few times. He was hanging out on the top of his cage and I saw him climb down onto the open cage door. He leaned out stetching his neck way out toward me acting like he want to fly over to me. I caught the hin, walked over and raised my finger saying "step-up" and bingo he did it! He didn;t stay long but his cue to be picked up was coming down onto the door. After a while he decided I was ok and now I can pick him up from anywhere. Remember, be patient - this could take days, weeks or even a couple months. If you develop a good relationship with Harley, he'll reward you for many, many, years to come, so this time is well spent. Be calm, positive and predicable. Establish a routine. A few minutes saying nice things to him while you change his food and water is a good way to start. When the time comes that you feel he's bonding with you, you can take the next step and see if you can handle him. It was very slow going with my first Grey, Nelson. Maybe even several months before I even tried. I had to start by using a dowel to get him to step up on. I used the "step up" command/cue and lightly pushed the side of the dowel against the lower part of his chest with a slight upward motion above his legs. This slight gentle pressure is just enough that he'll either step back, stand his ground, or take a step up. Don't keep pushing, Just try a few times and take a break, then try again. If it doesn't work just ry again the next day. The "step-up" command/cue will help Harley understand over time what you are expecting him to do. When Nelson finally stepped on the dowel I just sat there praising him and returned him to his cage after a couple minutes. Babysteps... you need to take babysteps. Keep the end of the dowel tilted slightly up. The bird's instict will have him move to the highest point. After Nelson learned to accept the dowel I slowly lowered the tip so that my hand and arm was the high end. It took a few tries but he ended up side stepping onto my arm. We just sat and talked for a while then I set him back in his cage to decompress. It was hard work for both of us. Beware!!! if the bird starts heading up your arm, raise your arm up so your hand is higher and that should stop it. Otherwise intercept the bird with the dowel and make him step up or block him with your other hand. Better to be bit on the hand than on the face. Sorry for the long post. I hope this helps you a bit. I'm sure others will add their tips and suggestion. It all takes patience and time and TRUST! Harley needs to learn to trust you. - Tom

I owned a Timneh for 20 years and now own a Congo - although just for 2 weeks. So far the two seem VERY similar. I was curious to see how the two types compared and its been pretty amazing so far. My Congo is just a bigger - and louder - version of my Timneh. I'm sure others out there might have more experience with both birds. Tom

I'm sorry Dave, I just can't help myself. My only chance is coming here to gather with other sick twisted bird owners. Uh,ohhh... I'm feeling that irresistable urge to scratch Sam's neck. Poor poor Sam. PLEASE! Some one stop me before I scratch again!!! :ohmy: Tom

Great story Dave, I mean Pepper! I'd offer Pepper sanctuary in my home but any bird that comes here gets tortured in similar ways. For gosh sakes, Sam is being torured right now with TWO bowls of fresh food cause I couldn't fit all the stuff in one bowl. I even banished Sam to the front porch all morning where there was sunshine and a cool spring breeze. Unspeakable things.... Horrible unspeakable things. :evil: Tom

Hahaha. I can see Emma saying - I'll have 5 of thoses, 10 of these, oh, yeah and a bag of those. Woouldn't you just love to turn her lose in the bulk nut section? PAPARTY!!!! :woohoo: That's a great looking carrier! Who sells those? I've been looking for a decent way to transport Sam and one of those would be perfect. Tom

Nice pic of Bogie. It's neat seeing a red factor Timneh. Can't say I've ever seen one before. He looks quite good but I'll be curious to see if the vet suggests a beak trimming. The fact he was tolerating you putting your hand in the cage is a good sign as fearful Grey's can be quite defensive when in their cage. These guys are very smart and I'm of the belief that with compassion and patience, progress can be made in forming a bond between you two. These are social birds and I think they have a great need for companionship as many animals do. By being predictable, kind, tolerant and gentle even abused animals can be brought out their shells. Some learned behavior mayu never change after all these years but he's bound to improve. Just go slow. Thanks for sharing the pictures and his story. Tom

Ashlen, Thanks! I wish I could find another picture I have of Nelson with one of the other cats. He actually bonded with this cat and loved hanging out with him. He was an extremely mellow cat and his dish was in a corner near Nelson's cage. When we fed the cat - his name was "Flash" - Nelson would climb down, walk over and beg for the cat to feed him. The way he'd do this is to lower his wings, tremble and start making little soft grunting noises while holding his beak near the Flash's mouth. I used to call this his baby bird routine. He'd sometimes preen the cat while he was resting too. It was about a cute as it gets. Flash would hang out by the sliding glass door basking in the sun and I'd see Nelson over there next to him doing the same. When I saw these things I just knew they both felt, life was good. It'll be great to hear stories of your new flock member. Tom

Welcome to the forum. I found this forum about three weeks ago and within a short time realized it is an excellent forum. There's tons of information and many great people willing to share ideas and stories. There's bound to be stuff here to help you with Magic. I believe, if you have some patience, and are willing to put some time in with Magic, progress can be made. Tom

Welcome! Timnehs are a lot of Grey packed into a small package. My last Grey was a Timneh and he was a great bird, smart and full of personality. We've always had cats and it was funny watching my little Timneh, Nelson dominate the kitties. He was fearless and was the "boss" of the house. The couple times we brought a new cat into the house there'd be a moment where Nelson would be allowed off his cage onto the floor (always supervised of course) to meet the new kitty. The cat would see him and get the "oh goodie a bird" look and come over to check him out. When they got close and the bird didn't try to fly away they'd sit there and stare looking confused. When the bird started coming AT them, head down with determination to show them who's boss - the cat would back up way up with eyes like saucers. I SWEAR I could see smoke coming out of the cat's ears because this was soooooo wrong! Needless to say, the cats learned to not bother Nelson. He would even sometimes go over to their bowls and eat "dinner" with them - another sight to see! Infact you CAN see the sight 'cause I took a picture! <br><br>Post edited by: SamsDad, at: 2009/04/25 06:54

I can only imagine your excitement. I only had to wait a couple days before picking up Sam my 14 month old hand fed Congo. I've only had Sam 2 weeks and I'm still getting to know him but so far he's quite a gentle bird. He will grab my finger and squeeze when he's excited or nervous but he hasn't even tried to bite me and there's a few times I've pushed him a bit to see how'd he react. I know some day I'll probably get bit but I expect it will be because I'm not paying attention to the warning signs. I've been trying him on my shoulder and he's been well behaved. A few times he's gotten excited and beaked my ear but they've been light pinches that don't hurt. He's fine if I'm moving around and doing things but if I let him just sit there he'll start demanding that I scratch. The worst thing he does is to bend down grab a fold of shirt and punch a hole in it, then when I bring my hand up to stop him he puts his head down for a scratch. I'm working on breaking him of that by watching for him starting to grab the shirt. I'll quickly reach up and lift his beak up and say "no, don't bite" and ignore the request for a scratch. He'll look at me again then bend his head down again and THAT'S when he gets a scratch - whenhe asks nicely. He's smart and is learning - besides I taken to wearing an old shirt while we explore this whole shoulder thing. Now Nelson, my last Grey was a imported bird who with a lot of work because a great cuddly bird. He could be moody though and when he was being bratty, he could bite. For quite a while he took to biting me when it was time to go back into his cage for bedtime. These could be anything from a pinch to a skin-breaking BITE. It was a long, tough, time until this became less of a problem. Out of his cage he was sweet as could be. Sometimes greys can get nippy when they reach sexual maturity. When the hormones are peaking they can get easily frustrated and can bite. Nelson never seemed to go through that phase in the 20 years I had him. Time will tell with Sam. One important thing to remember about Greys is that they are SMART! They try to manipulate you, and you in turn must learn to manipulate them! I think even a well adjusted bird might a nip or a pinch just to see if it works. If it does they'll use it more. :evil: That's why I'm trying to "nip" Sam's shirt chewing in the bud. Tom

Welcome! I'm fairly new here too and I've found it to be a great forum. Please explain a little more about Bogie and how he's tempermental - in the African Grey forum. Maybe we can offer some ideas. Tom

Great pics! I really like the one with the blurry flapping wings. I tried giving Sam a shower because I saw the poor guy trying to take a bath in his water dish. He really didn't like the shower but I moved him through the water a few times to get him washed off. He survived. Nelson never did get used to showers - he'd suck his feathers down tight and stand like a stone bird, just blinking his eyes. He was much more tolerant of the shower if the water just misted on him by splashing off my hand. I know he felt good after because I'd spend some time with him in the warm bathroom as he dried. He'd preen and preen.... Thanks for sharing. Tom

Oh yeah, Azzie reminded me. Nelson LOVED fresh local supersweet corn on the cob. I'd give him a chunk and had to return a while later to wipe off his beak because it was always such a mess - completely covered with corn debris! Hahaha, it was quite a sight! I'd joke that the darned bird was eating half his body weight in corn at one sitting! Tom

Great question! My last bird Nelson's favorite treats were unsalted peanuts in the shell. And pizza crust!!!! That silly bird could spot a pizza box from a great distance and he'd go nuts dancing, begging and pacing. He also loved cheese, cheddar, american and peperjack. Grapes, he LOVED grapes - he'd slurp all the juice out of them until they were just a skin and liked apples too. If I was drinking milk, he'd grab the glass and pull it to him. He'd slurp up milk and I had to "cut him off" before he drank too much. "Hi, my name is Nelson and I'm a milkaholic". I guess its good I didn't drink milk that often. Beyond that, he loved food especially if we were having it for dinner. I always fixed him a small portions. The list goes on and on. What interestinf is when I got him from the petstore ALL he would eat was Sunflower seeds - NOTHING else! After 9 days of owning Sam, or uhhhhh, Sam owning me, I've biscovered he likes unsalted peanuts in the shell, apples and red bell pepper. His previous owner said he didn't like veggies but I'm finding that to be untrue. He just gobbled up some pasta we had for dinner, and a few days ago he enjoyed his first piece of pizza crust. I'm still learning with him. Tom

Cute picture! Gil's in heaven and he's giving you the look that melts hearts. I have to laugh about your comment of him staying there all day. My Sam is the same way at evening lap time. I scratch and scratch and scratch and.... I find myself wondering just how long he's want me to keep doing it - the likely answer frightens me! Tom

Britt, From the sounds of your last post you guys are actually doing quite well. It already appears you've made progress. Sometimes things will progress with sudden leaps and bounds, and other times it will feel it is taking forever. I think the biggest thing you've done right is to have Sam join the flock's activities. I think over time you'll see that baby steps can add up into big changes, but it can take time. If he's trying to get your attention, you are on your way - sounds like he WANTS to be part of your family/flock. NICE! Losing the oven mit is awesome! Many many years ago when I was a new bird owner I'd use gloves for clipping and trimming. I quickly realized the gloves just made it worse because they terrified my bird. I swtiched to using a towel for quite some time but even that bothered me. It left Nelson a wreck after I was done. One day I decided to risk using just my hands with him ON the towel on my lap, and sure enough he was much better. He nipped a bit but mostly would grab the clippers and push them away or he would chew on the towel a bit. I kept calm and I think this reassured him and he mostly just protested with some soft growls. Because of the lower stress he was back to normal in minutes especially if we finished up with a scratch and some more soft talk. I bet not using your oven mitt will help build trust. Just don't be surprised if now and then he give you a nip or a bite. I think giving a little blood now and then is part of grey ownership :ohmy: With time come familiarity for both you and Sam, he'll learn to read you and you him. You'll still be faced with ups and downs. As for grey body language - one big one is how they are holding thier feathers. When relaxed thier neck feathers will be slightly puffed out when startled or axious, they suck thier feather's down tight. They'll actually look tense. This isn't a hard and fast rule because they can pull thier feather's in while excited too but usually they get more animated. You'll find greys have quite expressive eyes too. My last bird Nelson would click his beak as a warning when he was getting annoyed. My new bird Sam clucks when nervous or when a stranger gets too close. He'll also grab the bottom of his beak with a foot and kinda beak his toenails when he's a little apprehensive. I chuckle because it reminds me of a person chewing thier fingernails when under stress. He's not really chewing, just being figety with his foot. SWo each brids cues are a little different. You guys are doing exaclty as you should - in my opinion (free and worth evey penny you paid for it). You are trying things out, trying to get to know Sam, and are trying to build trust. Sounds like he's in good hands! Remember, babysteps are good. Good luck and enjoy all Sam has to offer. Tom

My last TAG Nelson rarely played with toys. He did like to chew those rope knots, and he LOVED shredding paper. Stick a empty toilet paper roll in his bars and he'd chew and chew and chew till it was little teeny, weeny shreds. In the past couple years before he passed, I purchased a toy that you can fill with a treat roll. It had slots in the sides so he had to work at it to get to his yummy treats. He'd spend a LOT of time working the toy. Same goes with hard nuts like walnuts. I'd slightly crack the nut to get him started then let him go to town. Of course this couldn't be a daily event or he'd end up weighing 10lbs! Other than that, he too was content just being with me. I got a simple playstand and would take him into the room with me. He like being in the kitchen when I was preparing things because he'd get to "taste". I moved him away when it was time to fire up the stove - didn't need him getting cooked too by accident! He was often my "TV watching buddy" sitting next to my chair in his stand (when I wasn't holding him). He'd just preen, rest, and keep an eye on us, and watch TV. I think he just liked being with the flock. If we were lounging he was happy to lounge too. If he seems happy and content he's doing well. Baxtersmom's suggestion is great too. If nothing else, you playing with toys around him could be quality time together for you two.

Welcome to the wonderful world of grey ownership! Just remember, the ongoing, never-ending question in this long relationship will be: Who owns who? :unsure: Please excuse the long post but I want to offer you some encouragement and hope as well as offer some insight to that little feathered toddler you have there. Sinbad is feeling you out, to see what makes you tick. These birds are constantly exploring their world and right now he needs to figure you out too. The good news is, he has shown you his potential to be affectionate and loving. He's new to you and his world has changed. His change in behavior could be just as simple as he overloaded on all the new attention just like a toddler who's spent the weekend at the grandparents house and is now back home to a regular bedtime. :evil: The best thing to fall back on is patience. He's looking at the world through bird eye's and his new flock's instincts can conflict with, his causing frustration. Give him a little space but keep interacting with him. He's a social animal that WANTS to be part of his new flock. Dave gave some great tips for you to use. The one about using a 12" perch is a great one to start the handling process with a nippy bird. If you use it, try to use the cue "Step Up" and place the tick infront of him with easy upward motion under the lower part of his chest just like you would with a finger and say "Step Up". If he stikes at the stick just repeat the attempt calmly again. If he apears to be getting too upset, stop, talk nicely to him and give him some time. Leave the situation on positive terms because you want him to learn you are consistant, predictable and can be trusted. Another thing to try is watch for HIS cues. I'm a few days ahead of you with my new bird Sam. I've had him 10 days and our first couple we a little like yours. The night I got him home he would bend hid head down and let me scratch him but the next day it was "DON'T - TOUCH - ME". I backed off and just came over to talk to him, then I'd walk away for a little while. I'd come back and say nice things to him getting closer - but still out of range, then would walk away. I was basically seducing him with some positive attention AND I was gaining his trust. It wasn't long before he was getting excited when he saw me from across the room. His body language was clear - "HI, HELLO, HERE I AM, TALK TO ME, HEY, COME HERE PUUUUULLLLEEEEASE. When I got closer he was a little apprehensive and would move to the back of his cagetop. No big deal, I just talked and praised him. After a little while, I tried picking him up again with the "STEP UP" cue but he'd grab my finger hold it for a second and squeeze if I didn't remove it. I decided to back off until he calmed down but I still talked to him before leaving as to leave the encounter on a positive note. After a while I decided to try the perch trick. A couple tries and he was up! Since birds instictively want to move to the highest point I kept the perch end slightly elevated and held him a little away from me to make him more comfortable. I just praised him and talked to him for a short time then set him back down on the cage only to repeat the perch - "STEP UP" lift again. More praise and a return to the cage. About the third or forth time I had him on the perch and decided to lay my index finger along to top of the end I was holding, then slowly lowered the end of the perch until it was a slight incline toward my hand. He shifted his position side stepping toward my hand and tentatively reached out with his foot to place it on my finger. A few seconds later and he was on my hand and I sloooooly remove the perch from below with my other hand, praised and talked to him and returned him to his cage. Then is was Sam's turn to train me! I noticed the next day he was coming down onto the open door to his cage where he'd stand and act like he wanted to fly over to me. Thank goodness I caught the cue and I calmly walked over held my finger up and said "STEP UP" He lifted his foot, and on my finger he went! Again more praise but it wasn't long before he kinda realized what he'd done, and he leaned over to lightly grab my thumb. I let him do it to see what he'd do and he did his squeeze thing to the point where it started to hurt. I didn't want to re-enforce the behavior by placing him back on his cage when he did it, so I lifted my other hand up, and calmly toward him to distract him. It worked, he let go of my thumb to watch the other hand, so I lowered it, praised him again and while he attention was on me talking to him, said "Ok, time to back to your cage", then set him down saying "STEP DOWN". I didn't want him to learn that squeezing my finger until it hurt was a control cue - like - I'll bite you and you'll put me down". That was the routine for the next few days. When he wanted to be picked up, he'd go to the top of his door and act like he was going to fly to me, that was his cue to me, I'd go over, offer my finger saying "STEP UP" and praise when he did it. In less than a week we'd learned to trust each other and I can pick him up from anywhere and just about anytime. He prefers to ride around on my shoulder rather than my hand so I tired it out. My first aqttempt was with the understanding that I might end up with some new holes in my ears to hang toys from :woohoo: but instead I was given my first preening including my eyelashes! We were now buddies! Since you are new I'd hold off on shoulder riding until you know how to read him well. Some bird learn to ear nip for control and that can REALLY hurt! As for him wanting to play with things you don't want him to - hahahaha.... top a well adjusted, curious grey, the WHOLE WORLD is FULL of toys! Again, like a toddler in the house, you'd have to bird proof the area where he's hanging out. Try hiding the mic cord, clear the desk and have a few toys around for him to play with. Keep in mind that keyboard YOU are playing with will look like more fun. Its a blast to pop the keys off - same with the TV remote, phone buttons, pens pencils etc. Lastly the in and out of the cage is going to take some work. He may calm down as he gets to know you and it may not be an issue. My last grey Nelson started biting HARD when it was time to go back in the cage for bedtime. He even got to the point if I said "Ok, time to back to your cage" it was time to BITE! Even with many years of experience this was a tough one to deal with. For a while I'd show him one of his favorite treats - a peanut - and would set him in the cage and drop it in his dish. It wans't long before he's see the peanut - know what it meant - and he would bite me. Even giving him the peanit to chew on as we headed to the cage did work long. He'd crunch it up in anger then bite me. The times he didn't bite he'd jump off my hand to the floor and he'd run. For a while I was out of ideas and my only option seemed to be returning him to the top of his cage and leaving him alone for a while. He's usually put himself to bed but if he saw me coming he'd scramble to the door. Bedtime was quite a game. After a few weeks of this I thought of something new. I could alway calm him down by cupping my hand over his and holding him close. This is what I'd learned to do when clipping him wings or his toenails. Sure enough, If I'd place my other hand over him, finger cupped over his head, I could place him back in the cage. He's still try a halfhearted nip as I removed my hand but it avoided bloodshed (mine of course). After a while this seemed to break the cycle and he was much more willing to go back in his cage. We were back in our routine of him going to bed and saying "night night" as I covered his cage. I guess my message here is, you'll have to be clever and alway be on guard to NOT re-enforce negative behavior. You and Sinbad will learn each other's cues and will develope a relationship that will last for many many years. Be aware though that like others have posted above there'll be those times when your bird will just be going through the "terrible twos" and there's "twerp" in every bird, but through a stable relationship their cute side will alway return. Uh, ohhh... my little "toddler" have just decided I've spent long enough at the computer and I'll either have to type with one hand and scratch with the other or go play. I'm getting kissie noises now so play it is. Good luck, and let us know how it goes. Tom

It was very rare for Nelson to talk when strangers were in the house - especially if they were near his cage and paying attention to him. My best bet was to get them to move away and ignore him for a while. Then sometimes I could get him to respond to my cues. Easy ones were calling the kitties or asking him what a baby bird says. Those were two he loved responding to. Even then it was pretty hit and miss. Tom

Beth, Congraulations on baby's first words! I think we all wait for those moments with great anticipation! Even after many years and many words it can still be great when they learn something new. My last bird Nelson waited 18 years before learning to say "BYE!" to me as I left for work each morning. Once he started, he never missed a beat. All I had to do was to go to the door holding my lunchbox and he'd say "BYE!" and I'd say "Bye Nelson" back. It was awesome. Now I'm back to the begining with my new bird Sam. He just over a year old and is just starting to talk. I've only had him 10 days and I just realized yesterday that he enjoys practicing talking while I'm cleaning his cage. He sits on top and mutters quietly which starts me offering words. He then mutters back and I can hear him trying the words I'm saying! This is going to be a fun tradition if he keeps it up. It'll be like birdie Kindergarden. Exciting times! Enjoy! Tom

Come back Sid, tell us some more - we won't bite reeeeally we won't. We might nip and screeeech and huff and puff cause we like DRAMA too!!! Dave brought up a very good point. These bird have not been domesticated like out cats and dogs so having the same expectations about thier behavior can lead to frustrations. What IS amazing to me is, despite thier still-wild genetics, is how well they can adapt to our world if we just learn to read thier behavior properly. When was the last time your dog walked over, lowered his head and said "Scraaaatch??" or looked staight in your eye and whispered "I love you". These feathered creatures have an amazing ability to show cognitive understanding, problem solving skills and genuine emotions - all using a brain the size of a peanut! Tom

Tycos_mom, Great story! And your change in tactics to deal with the problem is the kind of creative solution we must often come up with to "modify" unpleasant behavior. Nothing drastic was needed, just a small amount of pellets in the dish helped avoid the behavior. I feel that as we gain experience we learn that what seems like terrible or frustrating behavior, can often be modified or even accepted as part of the animals personality. My story above about Nelson reflected behavior that really wasn't a big deal in the big picture. Yes, there were times it bugged me, but I'll tell you, when Nelson passed away that was one of the many noises I missed in my house. To others, Go easy on Sid. Expressing a frustration with a behavior is ok. We've ALL been there at some level, at some time in our lives with pets. It doesn't mean we are unfit pet owners. Some suggestions or constuctive encouragement might help Sid get past this problem. Giving our pets all the attention they want, whenever they want isn't always practical either. There is behavior I discourage in all my pets, and there are times I can't stop for a pet, yet they are all happy, healthy well adjusted pets. One example is I have trained our cats that the kitchen counters are off limits. I just don't like the idea of hearing a cat covering his "deposit" in his catbox, then jumping to the cournter where we fix our food so see if there's anything yummy sitting around. I never punish or spank, just a command like "get down" and I lift them to the floor. By practicing this consistently they've pretty much all stopped visiting the counter and if I hear one jump up, all I have to so is say "get down" in a firm voice - even from the other room - and they jump down. Despite having some household rules, both my wife and I have commented that our pets probably feel like they've died and gone to kitty/birdie heaven with the home we've given them! Uh, ohhhh... speaking of wanting attention. I gotta go, someone just sssssslllllliiiiiiid down the leg of his cage to the floor and is over beneath my chair "clucking" to be picked up! Tom