JeffNOK

Happy happy Happy hatchday--to Ana Grey!! Time flies I'm sure....many more to come.

I am praying and asking friends to pray that Brutus will be found safe and sound. My heart goes out to you big time.

Very articulate birds! Funny conversation.

Nilah's feelings are unmistakable!

I cover Gracie. I think she likes her private time when ready to sleep.

I agree the survey is incomplete. It was designed to collect some data from the forum and look for possible correlations between and among factors to see if anything interesting emerges. Number 13 about one's domestic situation is there to get an idea about how many people the bird lives in the home with, and if that correlates with any of the other responses. The questions I posted were simply ones I was interested in. It is a rookie effort, but it's fun to try something new and as more responses come in I will share what I find.

Hi. Thanks for taking an interest in the survey. I think it would be best to take the survey for each bird in question (past or present). Also I agree that some of the questions should have an "unknown" option that don't. I will see if I can fix it. In the mean time you can skip any questions that don't offer an answer option that best fits your situation.

From your post, it seems like you have a wonderful relationship with your grey. Welcome and keep us posted.

Hello all! I have created a survey about companion greys that I hope might provide some information about our birds and what factors may or may not affect issues like aggression, plucking, speaking, phobic behavior, affection, and bonding etc. If you have the time, please take the survey and let's see what we can learn. This forum is a great place to share information and possibly contribute to what is known about African Greys. Thanks! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CompanionGreys

I think our forum would be a great place do some research. It would be interesting to collect some data about factors that may or may not impact talking, aggression, plucking, etc.... As for the clipping and talking...again I don't know. My CAG is fully flighted as are many of the other more talkative greys here. It would very interesting to look into these things as a forum and see if we can contribute to what is known about companion greys. Your Greycie sounds like she is having a ball in life. She is clearly a very happy bird!

[quote I also have another theory that Greys that are caged more talk more out of sheer boredom. Talking is a bit of a mystery. It seems most greys will talk, but it is hard to know when they will start and how much they will use human language. My CAG said a few words at 10 months, but didn't really start talking a lot until 14 months. Your cage theory might be true in some cases, but in the case of my grey, she is only in her cage when she sleeps. Otherwise she is out of the cage 14-16 hours a day, yet she is a prolific talker. I am sure your Greycie will start when she is ready, but I'm sure she is a joy regardless.

I'm so glad you and Opi decided to join us. Welcome and keep sharing! The picture is great. Opi is a beautiful grey.

Love it Love it love it

Oh No! I voted too late. I did love the picture of the garden and your land. Very beautiful.

Great News! I hope that your new addition brings joy you and your family. Best wishes!

I will pray for you in this endeavor. Keep us posted!

Hello and welcome! I would love to know how you perceive life with a parrot as compared to life with a mynah. I have always been interested in all birds, and really have no idea what a mynah is like. Have you noticed differences? similarities?

Wow! Things seem to be going swimmingly. You really must have a special touch with birds. It sounds like Lulu has a whole new lease on life. I agree that CALM seems to do wonders for parrots. I love the pics of Louie and Lulu together. I think Amazons are fantastic. I will probably never share life with one, but I am glad I can peek into your experience and gain joy from it.

I am praying and hoping for the best! Keep us posted.

Gracie used to go in her travel cage willingly and happily, but she resists now. What I do is I put the travel cage in the bathroom. Then I have her step up and we go to the bathroom together. The bathroom is too small for her to fly off an navigate well, so she goes in the travel cage easily.

Thank you for the update. I hope in time you will be able to only smile when you think of Scarlet. I hope you will continue to stay with is in the forum and share your joys with us as well as your tragedy. I hope in some sense you know how much we all truly feel your loss, and wish you and your family the very best of all things.

I have really enjoyed catching up on this thread. I admit, due to its length, I wasn't sure I could take it all in. What struck me is the beauty of the journey. When I read the early posts and compare them to the later ones, I feel like I have traveled many miles with Katana and Gil Girl. I can't help but think you should take some time and write a book. There are so few resources for grey owners in different circumstances. I think you could inspire and inform many who may want take the step of rehoming a troubled parrot. There just isn't much out there that speaks so deeply and comprehensively about the daily walk. In fact I think many of us who have the inclination to write should take the time and chronicle our lives with our fids. Before I found this forum I looked for books that covered topics about life with a grey. I didn't find much beyond the typical books that cover the basics of African Grey care. There are a few, but FAR too few. Thank you for this thread and thank you for being a great example of devotion to a bird that clearly deserves it.

That is indeed impressive. Four months is really young to be mimicking sounds so well. I bet you will have a real chatterbox on your hands in a years time! Thanks for posting.

I usually take Gracie to a big busy park near the river where people jog, bike. walk dogs and have picnics. She hasn't picked up any sounds from nature except dog barks. When she hears a bark she barks back. I think because the park is so busy, the bird sounds are distilled and muffled in all the activity. She does notice the birds and comments "There's birdies," but she doesn't mimic them...yet.

They say Greys are not the best singers, but some of the most fun I have is singing with Gracie and teaching her songs. Her voice is not what you would call "beautiful" but she hits the notes and knows the words (although sometimes she makes up her own lyrics). I understand about being "over it" in Japan. The culture is quite different and I had my moments of frustration at times, but all in all it was a great experience. I think if you decided to return to the US you could bring your grey, but of course there are procedures to follow. I think I went to Fukui once. It is pretty rural too, like Ishikawa. If you ever travel to Ishikawa, I recommend going up the Noto Hanto peninsula and drive the road from Wajima to Monzen--or take a bus. The views are breathtaking with tall sheer cliffs rising next to the sea.