JeffNOK

It looks like a beautiful day to be out with the birds. I'm going to start taking my CAG out more when it cools down a bit! 104 degrees today but days in the 70s and 80s are just around the corner.

She is a cutie. Hope to hear more about her and see more pics and vids.

I'm happy to hear that you are feeling better about Sunny. Hope things keep going in the right direction.

Looks very happy and healthy. I hope you are really enjoying this new experience and adventure.

Sounds like all is going well so far. Kenzie is a nice name. My female CAG is also a little bit on the small side--but a big eater. We all look forward to hearing more and seeing little Kenzie in photos.

Darwin looks great! Excellent set up! Another spoiled fid in the making! Welcome.

Thanks for sharing the story and the pictures. He's looks like a happy healthy guy. Can't wait to find out his name.

That was my dilemma. I always want to reinforce things, but if I stopped because she told me too, then I would never have gotten her to bed!. It was bedtime and I need her to comply at certain times. i try her give her as many choices as possible, but I don't want her to dictate to me. It's a delicate balance.

I think another grey worth mentioning is Cosmo from "Conversations With Cosmo". A few months ago they published some interesting research using Cosmo as the subject. It showed that Greys use language differently depending on social situations. They documented Cosmos when alone and speaking, Cosmo when being interacted with directly one on one, and Cosmo when two other people were interacting and Cosmo was sort on the outside. It was amazing how Cosmo used language differently in each situation.

Gracie has been talking a lot more recently. I was overjoyed the other day when she started saying "Daddy". Now she uses that as a contact call when I leave the room. It is so heartwarming when she calls "Daddy, Daddy". Sadly, she is learning backtalk, too. Last week I was off work for our school break. Gracie and I stayed up later than usual. I guess she got used to that. On Sunday night at around 9:00 I tried to put Gracie to bed. She did not want to go back in her cage. She ran from me, flew from me, even tried to nip me! As I persisted she said, "Stop". Now she only hears me say stop when she is chewing something she shouldn't or about to toss her food bowl. At first I wasn't sure I heard her right, and I just continued to ask her to step up. She ran from me again and said "STOP!". Well, I didn't stop and she finally stepped up, but I'm sure she knew well and good what she was saying. Oh....she is barely a year old and already full of sass, speaking her mind and defying "Daddy". It's so hard to be mad and proud at the same time. Gracie was using real verbal communication of her feelings. It just wasn't what I wanted to hear. I was almost tempted to actually "stop", in order to let her know that when she uses words she gets results, but I think that would have opened a huge can of worms that I would be dealing with forever.

Thank you for your post. I only have a Grey--barely a year old, so it is hard for me to make comparissons with Amazons or other parrots. I do already get a sense that I am of great importance to her and that I am her world. I wonder how life will be with her in the years to come. I have no intention of ever letting her go, but I am 45 and she may well outlive me. I pray that if that occurs she will be able to move on when the time comes.

Very nic pics! Alfie is a handsome little guy.

Before I brought my CAG Gracie home I was advised by some people on the forum to only put a couple of toys in the cage to start out. It sounds like you have much more than that. It may be overwhelming. I would suggest removing some and see if that helps. You also might show Maverick how to play with his toys. When I get a new toy for Gracie I usually interact with it in front of her. She tends to accept and play with the toys more quickly that way.

Don't worry. Feathers can come out all sorts of ways. She may have banged them up moving around her cage. I've found some feathers like that here and there and Gracie my CAG does not pluck.

Katana..Thank you so much for that. You know before I got Gracie I had only had a budgie as a child/teen, and I wasn't a very good parront after the novelty wore off. As an adult I really wanted a grey but had read over and over how "high maintenence" they were. That's why I joined this forum a full year before I got my grey. The thing I learned here was that the key to life with a grey was to give them lots of attention and love and to give them choices and not force issues. I also learned that keeping them flighted would help them psychologically. That is what I have done, and Gracie is just a joy. I almost want to say she is downright easy to live with. She is quite independent and not a cuddler, but she shows her love in so many other ways. She is always happy and never a grump (at least so far). She loves her toys, loves to fly, enjoys her baths, is a good eater, never gives me issues when I need to put her back in her cage, travels well, and accepts my friends and family. She also likes to sing and whistle and chatter and bark and "talk"--but is never very noisy. I live in a condo with shared walls and my neighbors don't even know she's there. I know that she trusts me which is so great. She knows I would never hurt her or get frustrated with her. As far as her coloring, I also noticed that when she was younger the top of her head seemed almost white. It is different now for sure. The last video was taken after a bath, so her feathers do look a little darker. Anyway--Thanks for your thoughts.

When I want my place to smell nice, I get some oranges, lemons, and limes and boil the peels on the stove. It freshens the air without danger to your bird.

I waited to go to bed so I could read that Maverick made it home and is doing well. Glad it went well on his first night with you!

Absolutely wonderful pic. A echo the sentiments expressed above by other members.

I think maybe it's hard to hear because I filmed it from about 8 feet away. I was using the zoom and sitting on the couch next to a portable air conditioner. If I get too close with a camera Gracie clams up. I tend to hear "doggie", but she might be trying to say Gracie or some version of "baby" . It isn't as clear on this video, but she says "Hi baby" all the time these days. Sometimes very clearly and sometimes not.

Very interesting study. I think we will see more and more research with parrots and other birds in the near future. It seems that scientists are just starting to realize the depth of avian intelligence and are jumping into the field with enthusiasm.

I'm excited for you and Maverick. Can't wait to follow your updates.

I do enjoy the growth day by day. She is just such a great little friend, and I am very blessed to have her.

I am posting a video of Gracie that I took today and wanted some feedback. Gracie is one year old and two weeks. She is working on sounds and words and this short video kind of represents 80% of her repertoire. The sounds you will hear include her "wolf whistle", blowing kisses (right at the beginniing of the video) and dog barking--slightly later. As far as words, the water gets a bit murky. I think at the beginning of the video you can clearly hear her say "Step up" a few times. As her proud Daddy I hear her say other things too, but I would like the opinion of some unbiased third parties. 1. Hi baby--I hear her say this at the beginning after a few "step ups" and then more clearly later. After she says it I repeat "Hi baby" to her. Do any of you hear this? 2. Barkley (the name of my parents' dog). After Gracie barks I hear her say "Barkley". Now...she doesn't do her "Ls" that well, so it sounds like "Bark-eEE" 3. Doggie--I hear her say this under her breath several times at the beginning. Is it just me? At one point I hear "pretty doggie" but it isn't clear. 4. Randomness: She often babbles in humanlike sounds but I have no clue what she is saying. Any ideas? Thanks for your thoughts. http://s1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee371/JeffNOK/?action=view&current=chat001.mp4

My CAG Gracie is still a baby (One year old and two weeks). I do see some cognitive ability in her. She has only met my parents' Toy Fox Terrier a few times, but she knows his name and barks just like him. She definately associates his name with his bark. When I say "Barkley" she repeats "Barkley--growl..ruff ruff ruff." I never do the bark--she adds it herself. I think she knows who Barkley is and what sound he makes. It isn't random, and it wasn't trained. As far as mirrors, I'm not sure what she thinks. There is a mirror near her cage and she often is attracted to it. Whenever she is looking in the mirror, I always say, "That's Gracie in the mirror. Then I go to the mirror so she can see me and my reflection. Then I point at my reflection and say "That's daddy in the mirror". If she doesn't get it fully now, I think she will one day.

He certainly looks happy! I'm so glad that my CAG enjoys her baths too! After a bath she just seems so refreshed, and that's when she is the most vocal and talks and practices her sounds and words.