katana600

I am so sorry for you and your little one. We lived in Dubai a few years ago and while I have heard there is a new avian vet, someone once recommended checking with a falconry to see if they have a vet who sees their birds. Call everyone you can think of since your weekend is starting it will be a harder time finding someone to help. Bless you in your time of need.

Yes! He is pleased. The look in his avatar is his smile face. LOL. He just gets excited and comes running out of his cage when I come into the room to the call of his bell. What is really funny is when he does or says something humorous, the family will laugh and he will laugh with gusto. I do want to give him anything he asks for especially for that "cute" factor. He has a sense of humor that I really appreciate. I feel like I won the lottery or something. I just enjoy his little mind and antics, even when he has attitude, I can't help myself from adoring him. He is learning to whistle the William Tell Overture. He will mix up a few notes but it is getting close, I will try to record him. When I go to the basement to sew, he will whistle portions, I will whistle back and he will finish. He and Java go back and forth whistling parts to each other too. They are so much fun and keep me smiling.

About a week ago I posted about being a servant to our pets with the dogs ringing a bell when they want to go outside. I was talking about it to visiting friends. Gilbert has a bell and generally rings it for an alarm if anyone but me approaches his cage. He has two types of bells, one is the long narrow kind and that is his alarm. Then he has a cluster of five larger bells on a chain hanging in his cage in the center of his boing. He has pretty much ignored them for a couple of months. When the dogs go out he always tells them "C'mon Bud" or he might ask if they want to go outside. When they come in, they get a little tidbit and he will ask if they want a cracker because he knows the routine. Well, I find this very coincidental, but two days ago Gilbert rang his bell cluster on his way to the outside of his cage and called out to me "How about a cracker?" Of course I laughed and gave him a little cracker. Now he is doing it four or five times a day. He rings the bell, calls out asking for a cracker then scampers out to the door of his cage to wait for me to fetch him one. He seems so happy to have picked up on this little game and I am happy to see him happy, so round and round we go. LOL. It just seems like he heard me talking about the dogs and the bell because we have been doing that for seven years and Gilbert has been here a couple of months yet before I spoke of it in front of him, he noticed the dogs getting a "cracker" but had not connected his bell to his cracker.

Our little red-bellied parrot from the Senegal family was considered wild and was biting and clipped when we got her. I found her much more agreeable when her wings grew back. When she started to fly and was really a handful, I would set aside time at night just before bedtime for her to be out and then if I couldn't approach her to get her back into her cage, I could turn off the light and then she would let me come right over and pick her up. It might work for yours, but it might not. Mostly if you could take him into a semi-lighted quiet room at night where he could fly and you could talk with him or spend some time quietly reading or other activity, maybe he would warm up and come to you. We used our night time routine to give Java an almond every day and she associates that treat with bed time and still asks for it five years later.

You can ramble any day, I love to read about Lollie. She sure is advanced. I love the bedtime routine. Gilbert asks to go to bed about eight every night too. I like that you use a roost cage too, we have gotten away from it after a remodel work in their sleep area, it is time to get back to it. Thanks for the reminder. She seems really outgoing and it is a big deal for her to take to her playstand right away. We have been working a couple of months on it and Gil is to the point of accepting it but gymnastics are a long time into the future. You have a really special girl, I think Judy is right, you have a little feathered prodigy.

He is still a baby and is already catching on, I think you have a lot ahead to keep you being a proud mama. Seeing you happy makes him happy and it just keeps going round and round. Three weeks is a pretty good start, he will be moonwalking soon at that rate. LOL.

He is beautiful. He is cooperative to show off his bright red tailfeathers. He has a look in his eye that he is about to get into mischief too. Time sure flies from the baby stages to his final bright tail feathers and the color change of his eyes. You have been really good to keep us updated with pictures and stories along the way. Your life with Isaac is an inspiration. Thanks!

Oh goodness he is an active little one. I loved it when he went after the tail of the macaw. They were too cute together. He is full of energy. It seems like a long long time before they can come home, but it is sure worth the wait.

It is amazing how much they change week by week at this stage. I am so glad you can spend time with him and be buddies before he comes home with you. These really are precious moments.

I will be watching to see what happens. We have not been introduced to palm nuts, but it is a curiosity for me.

Time for a celebration and happy dance. Happy bird day to Neo. Can you think of life before Neo? It does seem like a short time to have him with you but if you are anything like me, I can not begin to imagine what it was like before we had a little grey friend in the house.

Awww. I am partial to Kilaya since our first parrot is Java, the red bellied relative of the Senegal family. We have had her almost five years now and she has gone through a nippy phase but is now just as sweet as can be. With you love of birds and your family support, Kilaya has come to a capable loving home. Congratulations. I believe under your care this little bird will be sleek, relaxed and happy before we can blink an eye. Thank you for bringing this little one into your life and changing the future for all of you.

Congratulations. Annie is lovely. I could see the one little reddish feather on her shoulder. That is like her little beauty mark. I am happy that you found each other. It is a big decision regarding bringing home a baby or a rehome of an older bird. We have done both and there are rewards and pitfalls for each. I think it comes down to learning and loving the one you are with. We are just a couple of months in with our first older bird and he is helping us learn lots of new things. We have been lucky enough to stay in contact with Gilbert's previous home and discover some of the things he likes... or not, which has been helpful in the transition. Hopefully you and Annie will settle in and she will be the love of your life and vice versa. Love that you came to join us. We are all learning from each other all the time. Thanks for coming.

I got all teary at the bravery of Paul and Morgan to work together and for Morgan to step up so he could get to mom. That is just awesome. So sorry to hear you have been held back for a bit, but happy to know you are going to be healing in the bird room. You have such a beautiful flock and family all working together. It takes a lot of work to keep them all happy. One thing about having surgery is that everyone might look around and see all the things you do that seem "effortless" to the others. Best of health to you!

Yes, the avatar is Gilbert from his first days at our home. After seeing some of the macro photos, I will start reading the book on our camera to take some new pictures. I learned something from Gilbert again yesterday. My daughter has a college friend in town and we had been out of the house a bit. When we came back in, I gave Gil his daily almond treat and he seemed eager to come out and see me. He put his head down for a scratch, as usual, he put his foot out for a step up as usual. Then, he grabbed my finger and bit me hard! I must say, no matter how many times I have been bitten by various creatures, it never fails to shock and awe. What I learned is that Gilbert has very very subtle changes that should have been my cues. I just saw what I wanted to see with his usual head scratch positioning and foot lift. What I neglected to see was the very very slight quivering of his new chest feathers. There are only a few of the bigger feathers and would be easy to miss, but that is a tiny "tell" that he is scared or nervous. The other thing is when he lifts his foot, he bites his toenail really quick, then waves his foot some more. So, what I saw as a step up, was him trying not to bite off a toenail, apparently. This time, I did scold him and tell him it was not nice and closed his door, which was exactly what he wanted anyway. I let Java come out and where I would usually take her in my room for her snuggles so he would not see her getting "his" attentions, I let him see that she was nice and not biting me and she was having a good interaction. He came to his door and asked to come out. Of course I forgave him and after Java was back in her cage, I offered for him to come out and it was as if nothing had happened a mere five minutes ago when he tried to remove my index finger at the first joint. Over time we are going to learn more about each other and I am confident he will have less to be scared about and I will learn his subtle body language better and have less opportunity for these wicked bites. I keep reminding myself he has not been with me long enough to have a history and predictability. A bite here or there isn't going to put him on my bad list, we have a lifetime ahead of us to learn. Another thing I learned this week is that he loves the cinnamon graham goldfish crackers, so they have become our special treat for when he is the best boy. Forgiving and moving on from the "learning experiences" and rewarding the things I would like to see more often I think is the way to go to give Gilbert the opportunity to live up to his best potential. I still think he is just the most awesome little guy and he keeps us laughing with his antics to help soothe the little mishaps much quicker.

I have a friend in Houston who has several birds and if I recall she has a hawkhead. I will email to see if she still has him and if she has anything to add to the conversation. I am pretty sure when she showed me pictures of her birds, he was a favorite.

Java came into our home at four months of age, banded. On her first vet visit, the vet said it would be better for her to remove it due to some irritation on her leg. This vet had never met me before, so I could obstenibly have had a stolen bird, and had its band removed easily enough. I was incredulous that the band is not required by state law and gave the vet credit for knowing the law since she went to school in our state and had worked here for three decades. Seriously though, if it is that easy to take off a band, how much security does it provide? It is kind like the idea a locked door is only keeping out the honest people. I do know that when our breeder crossed state lines they were required to have their babies banded as proof they were bred in captivity since the band is closed it has to be slipped onto the baby bird just hatched. We then got Gilbert and he has been rehomed more than once and has no leg band. I don't think much about it, that is just what we have and if something comes up in the future, I will surely be able to think of a way to cope with it at the time.

Wow! I thought it was awesome to see little hairs around our parrot's nostrils (nares?) but to see Rorschack's eyelashes in your shot is unreal. The cat's eye looks like it should be blown up for a poster, it is very artistic. The droplets on the fushia are beautiful. I love what you have done with all these pictures. Thanks for posting them for us to enjoy. I may have to get out my macro lens and play a little this week after your inspiring post.

I am so happy that Gracie is feeling a little more chipper. That had to be a big scare. We got our first parrot and she was clipped already. She would fall straight to the floor and it took almost two years before she would molt and get her flight feathers. In that time she was nippy and confrontational, she seemed fearless. She would get on the floor and chase the dogs and the cats. What I learned about clipping from her is that when her wings grew in, she was a different bird. She is able to avoid the other ground dwelling pets and we have much less likelihood of her getting hurt accidentally. Also, while her wings were coming in we considered her flightless and got a little lax about opening and closing the front door to let the dogs out. It seemed like an instant between straight crashing to the floor and being able to glide, then fly. We are in a house of all adults and whoever opens the bird cage is responsible for letting everyone else know we have a bird in flight. We put her behind one closed door prior to opening our front door and it becomes second nature to always look for the bird before opening an outside door. Every home has to make choices regarding clipping and guardianship, but sometimes new bird homes think clipping is keeping our bird safe when in reality, it may not be the case. We have one flighted bird and one unflighted due to plucking. The difference in confidence, biting and playful interaction has my vote for non clipping.

In thinking about Gilbert, an update is due. He has been here a couple of months now. He is still a little roguish ragamuffin. He had plucked his chest to the down and had pulled many wing and tail feathers. His chest has regrown nicely and it looks like he is wearing a vest rather than rumbling around in his fluffy little underwear. LOL. He has not had any evidence of plucking since he has been here and he has a week of really good gains and then will have a few quiet days where he just seems to want to withdraw. Generally, I can point to a change in our home that has disrupted him. Our other parrot Java is in a cage in the same room and they have talked to each other from the beginning and Java has picked up quiet a few of Gilbert's favorite phrases. Java is a red bellied hen, almost five years old and she has been with us since she was four months. I can get either of them out of the cage and have the door open for the other one and there seems to be no aggression although I keep those windows of opportunity short and make sure both of them are happy and relaxed. I have not tried to intentionally introduce them, I am going to make sure each of them feels secure and allow the introduction to happen naturally when both of them are on their best terms. For now, I will take one or the other to another area of the house for the one-on-one long term play and they are getting along well for the guarded interactions. For more than a week now, Gilbert has continued to say he is sorry, over and over every time the house is real quiet. It is a little sad, but I am not playing into it for him. He also has been laughing a lot so it seems he is just finding his way just like we are with him. He has gone from trying to bite everyone to permitting anyone to bring him an almond or a goldfish cracker but doesn't allow anyone else to scratch his head. They are all patiently waiting for him to give his permission. He is endearing himself daily.

I have had experience with two Congo and one Timneh. I am afraid I can't help you much with the decision though. It would be no different than trying to choose which of my daughters might be my favorite. I do have to say I thought I wanted a Congo and I loved his light colored feathers and bright red tail. After losing him and then his brother, I had the opportunity to rehome Gilbert. There was something tugging at my heart to get another Congo and I wondered if I would feel as if Gilbert was not my first choice or if I would regret getting a Timneh or whatnot. That only lasted a day or so of overthinking. Now that Gil is here with me, Timneh Shimneh, I couldn't tell one from the other. He is just Gilbert and he is wonderful. When the timing is right, when you find your bird, you most likely will not care and the debate you are having with yourself will fade away with the love you have for the one you are with. LOL.

Oh, that is just so sweet, thank you for asking. Gilbert has had a trip to the dentist. I am having a mouth guard adjusted every week and they keep asking about Gilbert and asked me to bring him along. I decided that a couple of hours in the car in his backpack would be a healthy outing for him and a bit of a test for bigger and better things. He did GREAT. He came right out of the backpack to me happily. He wasn't willing to talk as he was taking in the new sights. He did some whistling and hooting to their delight. Then, the dentist asked him if he could look at his teeth and Gilbert tilted back his head, opened wide and laughed heartily. It was amazing and everyone was laughing and asking for more. They said Gilbert should be an entertainer. He was really a good boy. He was confident and happily stayed in his backpack at the front desk making happy noises for the receptionist and then when he heard me talking as I was coming back down the hallway he was whooping and got really happy and excited. He was a big hit and they asked if he can come with me every week.

Hope you both are able to successfully defend your eggs and hatchlings from predators. I thought getting poison ivy from chasing my little dogs out of the woods was my biggest concern today. I neglected to consider the snakes, ewwww.

You sure have your hands full. When all the driving, visiting and caring are taken care of, Dorian needs a piece of your day too. When your dad comes home again, you will have plenty of time to catch up on the forum. Just know we are all sending our love and caring your way while you have trials in your life. Until then, often in my head on a long stressful day, I hear a beautiful voice singing "just breathe" and sometimes that is all that you need to be doing. Take time for a rest any time you can find a few minutes. I am sure sorry your dad is having a rough go and I am sure you are a bright spot in his life. See you around soon. Love and hugs to you, Dee

Gilbert has been with us a relatively short time. When I prepared to take him as a rehomed bird, I was honestly prepared for all his traits and stress plucking. I was prepared to wait a year to see his personality emerge. He really has surprised us all. He is special just for being Gilbert and I like to think of him as my boy. He is extraordinarily bright, as all our greys are. I couldn't put my finger on one thing that makes him so special, I will take all the good with the rough times and keep coming back for more. I just love looking at his little face and how he will let me scratch his head before bedtime.