bran

i have shared this with quite a few African Grey owners, including some of my relatives that I got into the "African Grey" parronthood. They all live by this site. I actually made a copy and laminated it, and kept it on my coffee table so I could have easy access until i got the hang of his body language! It has helped me calm down and not question everything... Grey's are a totally different animal when it comes to the parrot world. They require different strategies, and more patience. Start with bonding, get to know your grey's personality. Granted there are alot of similar traits, but grey's like kids have their own personality! Then take your journey from there! Good Luck, and dont hesitate to ask if you need anything!

Welcome Welcome Welcome, and congratulations getting the animal that will change your life!! Grey's are alot of work, but it pays off every single day! there are very good suggestions on this site, and I wont overwhelm you... here are a couple sites that I have found helpful!! http://www.itsagreysworld.com/fun/bodylang.htm http://www.parrotnation.com (look for the video that Patricia does on "chop" and how she prepares nothing but fresh fruits and vegetables) Hopefully these can be added to your arsenal of parrot knowledge! and again, welcome to the forum!

Hey there! I was interested in possibly starting a african grey/parrot group locally? Anyone in the area? It would be nice to get together and trade owner secrets, and tips!! Just let me know. thanks brandon

the perch that we made is almost like the ones in the pictures!! Sometimes you have to be the MacGuyver of the bird world (if you dont want to go broke) lol!! The only thing that we did differently was using colored vet tape it gives them something better to grip http://www.sitstay.com/dog/supplies/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&productId=39106 I would offer a little advice, get a couple different colors... Dexter does NOT like pink... and will not go near it. Keep an eye on it, when it starts to show signs of an mold or mildew, just remove the tape and start again. Works Great!!

Dexter has been to the washington coast with us... and just about anywhere that we can stay that allows animals. I bought an icrate that is designed for dogs, slipped in some perches, one of his favorite swings, some removable food dishes, and put a rope perch on the top (so he would have somewhere soft and larger to perch on when out of his cage)... and off we go!! He loves being out in the outdoors, and seeing all the new things. I was a little nervous about him getting motion sickness, but he's a champion, and really doesn't notice the car rides. Such a great boy! I love all the other stories as well... nice to know that we are not the only ones to keep our flock together!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtUZ2NU4N-E

I AM EXTREMELY JEALOUS!! Getting Dexter "later in his life" he really doesnt like physical affection... in fact he won't even let me scratch his head. I think escentially he tolerates me, because I am so patient and am waiting for the day he wants me to give him a little scratch. However I think your story is great!! I know alot of people that would love to have that close of a bond with their fid. Congrats!!

I can feel and understand everyone's frustrations with those kind of sites. In any avenue there is always some "yay-hoo" who is going to try and make a fast buck. I believe in Karma, and hope it comes to bite some of these people in the a$$! I will say the route I have gone with a couple of these ads on craigslist, and ebay classifieds, I have put their ads on my facebook, or emailed them to my friends that I know are looking to ad birds to their flocks. Since I rescued Dexter from his previous landlords I know how rewarding it can be to both owner, and feathered friend. Two of them got excellent birds out of what I like to refer as CL Animal Brokers hands, and got them into great forever homes. Just do your research on who you refer, there are some ads that I wont even touch (ie. can't even spell the name of the bird correctly etc.). Maybe you can help someone find the right bird for them...? Just a thought. :-)

awesome!! Looks just like my TAG!!

THAT is Awesome and made my night!! Thanks for sharing!

Welcome to the forum Stacy!! You're posts just made me smile. Good Luck!

Hi Kim... Welcome to the Forum. I am new here too, and I can tell you that the people are extremely kind, and non-judgemental about questions, nor opinions!! So please feel free to be comfortable discussing anything, and asking all the questions that you want. The best way to learn is to ask. I got Dexter last may and he was 12... I was not new to parrots, but NEW to Grey's. Even though I have done research on Grey's for the past twenty years. Anywho... I found this website http://www.itsagreysworld.com/fun/bodylang.htm , I actually printed it out, laminated it, and kept it on my coffee table. You know, one does want "quick reference" lol, for those moments when you just have no idea what the hell you have gotten yourself into. (haha) As for the previous owner, I can understand the fear of getting hurt... but Greys arent good being around ears... trust me, Dexter can pop out an earing quicker than anything i have ever seen. Also Grey's tend to have a dominance issue with riding around on owners shoulders too often (this could lead to agression) Dexters favorite toy is a rope bell thing I got at a local grocery store for $2.99 so I bought them out, so he has one in every cage, and I have backups. I have learned that alternating toys and rearranging perches keeps my little man on his toes. Trust me nothing is worse than an unhappy bored Grey. http://www.goodbirdinc.com/help-success.html is another website I found incredibly helpful! also... I will throw this in, Patricia Sund that writes http://www.parrotnation.com is extremely knowledgable and has become somewhat of a personal idol for me, and she might have some things in her blog that might help you out too!! Good Luck!! Remember, parrots are amazing, and it takes amazing people to help them stay that way!

I have a California Cage 23x32x63... we got Dexter a new cage, because the old California Cage he was in was showing some signs of rust. It is powder coated, and could use another layer. However it is nearly impossible to find a powder coating facility that will do cages, let alone for something under $500. I dont want to cage to go to waste... is there a parrot safe paint i can use?? Has anyone done this method?? Or is the cage just a scrap? It's not a rush because his new condo cage is great... but it would be nice to have another cage when we decide to add to our flock.

hey there Elvenking... just wanted you to be aware of some research and a lesson learned. I have had my full specturm bulbs in the living room, and one in the lamp closest to his cage. Well it has turned him into a hormonal demon... of course a combination of things, the lamp probably triggered the beginning of the symptoms. Just thought you would like to learn from my little experiment!

after yet more and more research, I have limited the full spectrum lamp near his cage to a minimum. I have taken the "Heidi Fleiss toy" out of the cage, and he seems to not be soooo territorial. Let's hope that this works, and my lieel hormonal boy can get back to his normal self. Live and learn... Thanks everyone for your responses!! Nice to be part of a forum that doesn't have such cliqueish uppedy people!

okay... Update. Dexter went after me again, this time drawing blood... and puffed up like a sumo wrestler. I was reading an article about hormones and behavior. This actually blew me away, because I thought to myself... this is my TAG! However, can Timneh's have such hormonal shifts at 12? Its cold dark and winter in Seattle, don't breeding behaviors happen during spring?? I recently bought him a toy a few weeks ago, and I did notice that's when his behavior started shifting (also this is when he bit my partner for the first time). He started cuddling with it, and I have never seen him act this way with ANYTHING... friends joked "oh he has a new girlfriend" the voice in my head said "I hope this doesnt cause some weird breeding behavior". So is this a possibility? I have chosen to give him space today, and see how it goes...

try Ebay Classifieds... that's where I got Dexter. I also know a couple friends in the Florida area, and I will forward this to them, and let's see what a phone/email tree can do. fingers crossed for you!

What a way to wake up this am!! Now before I go into this rather interesting and somewhat comical story, I have to foreshadow... and tell you about Dexter. I had wanted an African Grey for twenty years, and actually had a subscription to Bird Talk from the time I was twelve. Through the years I had my share of smaller birds, and even a Mexican Red Amazon, but never had the funds or the opportunity to find that perfect Grey. Fast forward to Seattle Washington, a relationship where I wasn't portrayed as a crazy "bird person", time, funds and most important the maturity to make a lifetime commitment to a Grey. Doing my research for weeks, looking for the perfect opportunity, I found Dexter on Ebay classifieds "Timneh African Grey for forever home". I did research about adopting an older bird and basically stayed up in antiscipation (yep like a kid on xmas am)... and fell in love with him when we finally met. Twelve years old... gives kisses, and seemed to be full of personality. Can you spell SOLD? I was actually expecting a little more of a transition with Dexter, but he basically took over the house, and became the clown that loves to make people laugh. Woo-Hoo! We have traveled with him in his travel cage (which he LOVES), and we have had to get used to his "own" personality, and the things he likes. Dexter isnt that physically affectionate and gets a little "goosey" sounding when I go to pick him up or anything that involves the hand. He is very nervous when he is on his cage and you approach (even slowly and with warning) and I actually think he may have been struck by a previous owner with how he cowers. Okay, thanks for reading this far... This am I was awoken by my partner who said "dexter bit my lip" I of course was shocked, and still half asleep. Now until this point Dexter had bit him a couple times, but nothing major. I said "you can't take it personally" and "he's still a bird, and doesnt have the ability to put his little claw in the air and say, leave me alone, so that's his way of communicating". I got up, and saw that he was had been recovered and NO morning treat, as I uncovered him, he was "canoodling" with his foraging toy (he swings it back and forth and lets it pet his neck) My partner then said "I dont think it's fair that he has never bitten you" (yes in a year he has never struck me, nor bitten me). "I responded with "well it's because I am an alpha personality"... Spoke too soon! BAM Dexter bit into me like a cow in an Amazon river and he was a piranha. I tried to stick my distance going right in to the breast bone to get him to step up, but there was this look in his eye, and I knew I just needed to give him a do-over and calm down. So I waited until he calmed down, and tried it again. He gave the saddest little squeak and you could feel the "I'm sorry" oozing out from his little body, all morning he has been rather somber, and doing his ususal playing just very quietly. I chalk it up to a bad morning, and The HoneyMoon is Over. Just remember new grey owners, don't get cocky... and remember, if your beloved little fid doesn't take a bite out of crime, but takes a bite out of you, don't take it personally... they are just communicating the only way that they know how. [/b]

When I went to get Dexter they told me his name was "Twix" or "Twixie"... don't get me wrong I love the candy bar, but I just couldn't have my handsome Timneh be called "Twixie". On the way home we thought of a few, I asked him what he thought about Dexter, I got a response. I think it was close enough to "twixie"... so I called him "Twixie Dexter" for a couple weeks, and then just switched to Dexter. Great Transition... and boom, now he likes to use his name frequently!

Dexter does a sound like the "test" mode of a smoke detector "BEEEEEEEPPPPPP". Ear piercing... and difficult to ignore, but hey we love out birds!

http://parrotnation.com/2010/09/23/angels-rest/ reading your story reminded me of this amazing place. So Sorry for your loss! When the time is right you will know when it's time and if it's ever time to get a new parrot.

I had this same problem and question. I live in Seattle and the winter's here are gloomy and dark. I actually called my avian vet, and he said that I didnt need to have any sort of light. I "explained" that my TAG had been sleeping a little more often, and the natural lighting in my house was a little "meh". He actually kind of laughed at me and said "you must be a new parrot owner", I then replied "I am not new, and I lived in Colorado with 300 days of sunshine, and amazing UV natural lighting, so seasonal issues were never an issue". I said I had found a bird light that has a stand and a special uv bulb, he said if I had a light too close to the cage or clamped on, it would eventually cause cataracts. So i have found different opinions, and I thought that an avian vet would have the answer, now I am kind of wondering. So that being said... when you find out for sure, please let me know! P.S. I did get some full spectrum light bulbs for my living room in table lamps etc. Figured it would be better, since they see in a different spectrum than we do.

Hi there, I was recently looking through an article in Bird Talk Magazine, and they were talking about getting ultra-violet lamps in the winter time. I live in Seattle, and it is the beginning of the "peak" of winter time. The Sun comes up abou 8:30 am and goes down about 4:00pm... so that really doesnt leave alot of time for sun. I am curious, is that enough for my TAG Dexter? I am wanting to make sure that he get enough Vitamin D during the winter season. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! thanks bran