JeffNOK

Please let us know more about your situation and what has brought you to this forum.

My thoughts are with you. They say greys are relatively quite but we ALL know what they are capable of vocally. I live in a condo and share walls with neighbors, so I cringe when Gracie lets out her dinosaur wail. Good luck on your math final.

I haven't been able to sleep-in since I brought Gracie home. I'm sure as much as you wanted those extra Zzzzzs you had to smile knowing Cricket wanted her "Ray". Do your fids let you nap on the couch near them? I am always amazed how Gracie lets me nap on the couch near her and tries to be quiet. Once she sees my eyes open, however, all bets are off and the chatter beings.

They can be little stinkers can't they? Gracie knows when she is being "bad" and says with pride " Gracie is a stinker!". It's hard to get angry.

Can't wait to hear the next chapter be it here or in a new thread. Your new grey looks very beautiful. I also think of that poor little Goffin. I have no experiencer with Toos, but I am praying for both your new fid and that little Too.

Our family name is Wetterman. So far Gracie hasn't said many three syllable words, so I'm not sure if she will say Wetterman soon or not. She does know many people's first names. She even calls the dog by both his first and middle name--he is Barkleah James. I guess she heard me call the dog by his first and middle name and she picked it right up. It is funny, when one of Gracie's "friends" visits, she demands a kiss. She comes to them and reaches her beak out and says, "Gracie wanna kiss. No bite!" After she gets her kiss she seems satisfactorily greeted.

Let the fun begin!

Such a cute little voice! I certainly understood him. I remember when my Cag Gracie was about 10 months old I would often post videos of her and ask people what, if anything, they understood. Then at about 14 months she just started talking up a storm. It is only a matter of time. Prepare to be amazed.

So glad to know things are improving. Prayers are with you and your cousin.

Beautiful grey. I'm just curious why you decided recently that he is a boy and not a girl as you first imagined.

I also have the same type kizzybird has. Gracie really likes it and it allows her to stretch her wings and see what is going on. We spent two hours at the local park yesterday and Gracie was happy in that cage.

Misty reminds me so much of my CAG Gracie. You have a wonderful grey. Thanks for posting.

Greys can indeed love many people. They may bond especially strongly with one person, but that doesn't mean they won't warm up to the whole family in time. The advice given so far is good. Take time, don't rush things, and let your bird make the first moves. It is never a good idea to force the issue or to give unwanted advances. I think things will improve quickly when everyone takes a step back.

You have my prayers for sure! Ironically I have a friend who had a cat named Luigi who disappeared for three weeks but found his way home. I pray that there is something lucky in that name and you will be reunited soon. Don't lose hope.

Gracie and I were house sitting for my parents and taking care of their dog this past weekend. On Sunday I began to collect my things and take them to the car. When I went back in the house my mother was laughing so hard she was in tears. I asked what was so funny, and she said, "When you began loading the car, Gracie looked at me and said, 'Gracie go bye bye in car. Go to Gracie's house. I'll be back. Bye bye!" Then my mother said, "You know, when you first started talking about getting a parrot, I was skeptical. I thought, how can someone love and bond with a bird? But now I really get it. Gracie is such an absolute delight! She makes me laugh. She makes me smile. She flirts and jokes and becomes the center of attention no matter what is going on. I'm so glad Gracie is part of our family." I think this is a true testament to how wonderful our greys are. Until Gracie came along, my parents could not imagine loving a bird. Let me say emphatically, Gracie is very much loved. And I want to add that she loves many people. She is not a "one person bird". When people she knows visit her, she gets so excited and does her best to engage them. No fear--no aggression. It's like she knows they are her flock--even when she only sees them once or twice a month. She knows and remembers.

I'm confused as well. I was advised to get "full spectrum" lighting--which I did. It wasn't bird specific though. Now I wonder if it is right or not.

Training is such an interesting topic. I know when I have had dogs, there was a clear "training" goal: sit, stay, "potty training". With Gracie it has been different. She was always good about step up and step-down from the beginning. The only other issue was with nips/bites. She did go through a stage where this occurred. At first I tried to just ignore the bite. This is common advice, and it may work for many parrots. With Gracie I realized that I needed to react to the bites by making her aware that I was unhappy about them. When she nipped I was very clear, and said with a serious tone, "No bite." This actually worked very well. Even now, Gracie will say "No bite...Gracie loves Daddy. No bite."--and she doesn't bite. She hasn't lied or "sucker punched" me....yet. Maybe I'm lucky, but I think Gracie just needed to learn that nipping was not acceptable. I never really had to give her a "time out" back in the cage--but that might be necessary for some. With Gracie--just a stern tone worked well enough. Otherwise, she really is almost perfect in her behavior. If she is doing something she shouldn't I just have her step up and remove her from the situation. Now obviously she is a young bird. She is just 20 months and about to enter her terrible twos. Then there is adulthood and all those hormones-.That will be another challenge--but for now I have to say we have almost no issues. I may be back here asking for advice as she moves through those milestones, but right now I am counting my blessings.

Happy Hatchday Nilah--you are a gorgeous girl! I hope you have the best day a little Amazon ever had!

It is an interesting discussion about letting the bird choose you. I must admit, Gracie didn't choose me. I chose her before I met her. I was on this forum for a many months before I even met a breeder. Everyone said "Let the grey choose you." I was determined to do just that. I was going to be chosen. Well, when I found my breeder, I didn't follow that advice at all. I was told there was a chick and also a few eggs about ready to hatch. For some reason a little voice inside me said "reserve that baby chick sight unseen". I listened to that voice. In the weeks to come, I would meet three little chicks (the two eggs indeed hatched). Two were gregarious and loved cuddles and seemed to gravitate to people. One was independent and gave little attention to anyone. Lots of visitors came and went. They all Oooed and Ahhed over the two love muffins. Nobody paid much attention to the little solitary soul who nipped at people when they tried to pet her and flew off when given a chance. One lady even commented on the independent one saying "She is a grumpy one, isn't she?" Well, that grumpy little independent grey that chose nobody was the same little girl that I reserved sight unseen. Gracie didn't pick me, but I am sooooo glad I listened to that little voice that told me to choose her even before I met her.. I am not suggesting that others do as I did, but I feel like the luckiest grey parront around. Had I met all three chicks prior to reserving Gracie, I may have been tempted to choose one of the cuddly greys that just soaked up human attention. I often questioned myself. I spent a few weeks with all three grey babies before the other two were reserved. I could have changed my mind, but I couldn't deny that voice in my head that told me to pick Gracie. Looking back now 15 months since I brought Gracie home , I'm just thankful that she is mine. She is still independent--but we belong together heart and soul.

Wonderful video and wonderful posts. I have always been attracted to Amazons. I know that when they love you, they really let you know it.

Welcome! So, you went looking for a Pionus and ended up with a grey! Quite different species of parrot. Both fantastic, but very distinct. I'm mean, let's face it, pionus are on many lists as a good first bird--Greys on the other hand...not on those lists!! I ignored those lists and got a grey as my first bird and have never regretted it. I'm glad you are here because this is definitely the place to learn about life with a grey. I'm guessing you feel a bit taken by surprise, but the fact that your little "guy" chose you--probably starts you off on the right foot. I think things happen for a reason, and this may be a "meant to be" situation. Good luck and keep us posted. Greys really are amazing. You are in for a wonderful adventure!

Ceiling fans should remain OFF. You are in charge of a precious being. There is just no sense in taking these kinds of risks.

EllieMae: You seem so disheartened. I know I would feel the same way. I wish I had some good advice for you aside from what has been said. I do believe that this is not an impossible or insurmountable situation. On the one hand, this is still early days--especially in terms of a relationship with an African Grey. I believe that you can establish a positive relationship with Sassy with lots of continued love and patience. On the other hand, because it is still early, the trauma of going to a new home might be less severe to her than if she stayed longer in your home. As I recall, she is a mature bird. She may be hormonal right now and her behavior towards you may be more extreme due to this. I know there are others here with similar experiences that can offer more concrete advice. I wish all the best.

I am fortunate that Gracie seems to have a big heart and likes other people (although I didn't like HOW MUCH she seemed to like my father after I was a way a few days.) I went to the funeral of my grandmother this Saturday. I didn't want to be away overnight, so I drove four hours to my destination in the early morning and returned that evening. Two of my friends (Pam and Marie) took shifts spending time with Gracie. From their reports, everyone had a great time--lots of play and chatter and engagement all around. After I got home, Gracie kept saying "Marie come see Gracie", and "Gracie want Pammy." I don't like to think about what will happen when I am not here anymore. I'm 46, so hopefully I've got some good decades left (my grandmother was 91). But if and when that day comes, I believe Gracie has been socialized well enough to open her heart to a new parront.

You know Dan that's interesting about the number of syllables they learn as they get older. So far although Gracie speaks in phrases, all the actual words are either one or two syllables (unless you count smarty pants as one word.) I have been trying to teach Gracie how to say "African Grey Parrot"--but she just says "Grey Parrot" She hasn't said "African"...I wonder if that is because it has three syllables.