neoow

That's great news! Glad to hear she's settling down ok!

There is the possibility that he bonded to someone else in your family over time as well. They can sometimes change who their 'favourite' person is. Alfie favours my housemate. He's fine with me but he will actively seek my housemate out when he's in the room, he will check on what my housemate is doing, he learns words and phrases really quickly from my housemate but ignores most of what I say etc. I think you're doing the right things - just by backing off and letting him come to you is probably the best bet right now. He will get over his grump and interact with you more as time goes on. they can be a little change adverse at times so it may be the changes in routine and the fact you were gone for a while has put him in a bad mood. But he will come round- just give him time and keep doing what you're doing. If he goes to bite (or does bite) just back off and leave him be. He will soon let you know when you are worthy of giving him scritches again! 😂

Great to see you back! I love hearing about Inara's antics! It's amazing how much you continue to learn about birds, no matter how many years you have spent with them. Alfie continues to regularly surprise me and we've been living together for 16 years!

I do feel for you Peggy. It's sometimes really difficult to know what to do because there are so many conflicting opinions about how to raise birds! I am always learning about Alfie and how to improve things for him at home and I've had him for 16 years! When I got him the internet wasn't as big and accessible as it is now so I relied on books- but these were usually difficult to find and sometimes had conflicting opinions. Trying to find a knowledgeable vet was also difficult as birds aren't as widely kept as dogs/cats etc. Thankfully things have come on a long way but I have made many mistakes along the way myself. So I understand where you're coming from and I can tell it's coming from a good place. The flight feathers should grow back eventually and Dixie will soon be up to airborne mischief again.

Just take a step back and let her come to you in her own time. Keep talking to her and going about your daily business but don't try and get her to step up or offer head scritches unless she looks interested and seeks you out. Keep offering her tasty foods as a bribe - still saving the best treats as rewards for good/desirable behaviours. But again, just allow her to come to you to get the treat. If she looks like she's going to bite or if she does end up biting just quietly back away until you're at a distance where she's comfortable. Things need to progress at her pace so do be careful not to force her into anything she's not comfortable with. She's still figuring things out and finding her own way. She'll come round - but it'll be in her own time. Just keep giving her the time and space she needs to adapt and learn about her new environment and family. There are many arguments for and against wing clipping and the debate can get a little heated at times. I try not to judge too harshly either way. Alfie was clipped when he was very young but I allowed him to grow out his flight feathers because it gives him to the freedom to get around easier. I also figured if he ever did get out of the house I would want him to have the skill and confidence to fly away from threats rather than stay in harms way like a sitting duck. I made sure to show him where the windows are in the house by taking him up to them and tapping on them and letting him touch them with his beak. Some people place pillows and soft furnishings around the home to help if a bird does have an accident and bumps into something- at least then they have a soft landing. I have also seen people put stickers on or hang decorations around windows so it's obvious that it's not an open space to fly through. I have no doubt that you did what you thought was the right thing for Dixie and you were worried about her injuring herself. I'm sure she'll come round again soon - she just needs to get used to the changes. If she was already fully flighted and able to fly when you got her (which it sounds like she was) I personally would recommend letting her flight feathers grow out and letting her learn how to get around your house safely- and maybe look into having some pillows or soft things to hand for her to land on- just in case! There is the possibility that if she is kept clipped that she could get stressed about the fact she's no longer able to fly and this may potentially lead to behaviour issues such as plucking. They are sensitive little souls! When she trusts you enough to let you pick her up and hold her then it may be worth showing her other areas of the house so she can see them before trying to fly in them... obviously making sure that she is comfortable being with you and moving away from the cage. It may also be worth letting her explore smaller sections of your home by keeping some doors closed when she's out so she can get used to navigating around each area. Once she's happy and confident then let her explore the next room/area of your house (in her own time).

They are amazing animals. They know what moods we are in and can easily reflect that.

I think they can sometimes be used as a way of identifying the breeder? Alfie's leg band had some letters and numbers on it but I was never told the significance when I got him. I actually had the leg band removed a few years back because it was too difficult to read to be of any use and it kept running on his leg and it looked like it was getting sore. Alfie kept tinkering with it as well so I figured it was best to have it removed and get him microchipped. I'm not sure how easy it is to trace the bands though. I guess it depends on breeders keeping their records up to date and storing them somewhere that is searchable by others? Not sure if there is any kind of directory for that kind of thing? Anyhoo - congrats on your third grey! And of course you know the drill by now - photos and introductions when he's good and ready for it please. 😁 Edited to add- photos and updates on your other two greys would be awesome too... don't want them to feel like they're being left out! 😂

Take a look at Joanna Berger, M.Sc.🦜 (@JoannaBergerMSc): https://twitter.com/JoannaBergerMSc It might be worth speaking to and maybe booking a consultation with Joanna Berger. I follow her on twitter and she offers good advice on parrot behaviour. She can run consultations via a skype video call. Whilst I haven't had a consultation with her myself I have seen other peoples comments and videos about successful consultations with her for their parrots. She can also be emailed at animalbehaviorconsultancy@gmail.com

Sorry to hear that Jambit is having a rough time with her foot! I'm afraid I can't really offer much advice. I think if you still have concerns and it doesn't look like it's getting better I would take her back to an avian vet to have it checked out again.

I think you can upload videos to this forum? I've not tried it myself. Alternatively you could upload to youtube or another video/file sharing site and post the link. I have had Alfie for coming up on 16 years and I had him since he was 11 weeks old. I am still learning new things about him on a regular basis. They forever keep you on your toes and surprise you in new ways all the time! I wouldn't say you were doing anything wrong as such - as you are trying to introduce Dixie to her new home and allow her to integrate with the family. She will happily do this with time- it might just take her a little longer to get fully settled and comfortable with the changes first. Keep working with her and it will soon feel like she has always been a big part of your family!

Hi Peggy and welcome to the fourms! Thank you for taking in a rescue grey! First of all, these birds operated in what we call "grey time". This is the time it takes for an individual bird to accept changes in their environment- be it a new food, new toys, new people, new cage etc etc. Every bird is different and will accept changes at their own pace. Trying to force the issue will cause a fear response and will damage the relationship with your bird. So it is absolutely critical to observe the birds responses and start learning a bit about their body language. Body language in grey's is quite subtle at times and sometimes we don't always notice it. A bird can be trying to tell us a lot through their body language and we totally miss it, so the last resort is a bite to get their message across. Your bird has just had a massive change to their lifestyle. Did you know or interact with your bird at all before bringing her home? If not then absolutely everything in her life has been tipped upside down and she is probably still adjusting to changes. New home, new flock, new environment, new routines... it's a LOT to take in! She will need some time and space to adjust to all these changes. But she will get there and she will accept you as part of her flock. At two years old, she is still a very young bird so I have no doubt that given enough time you will build a wonderful bond with her. Do you know what her favourite treat is? If not, try offering her lots of different foods and treats until you find one or two she REALLY likes. So for example, if she really likes almonds, do not feed them as part of her daily diet- keep them as rewards. You can then use that favourite treat as a reward for good behaviour - this is positive reinforcement. So if she steps up, she gets a piece of almond (not a whole one - save whole ones for REALLY good work). Do not move away from the cage at this point- just get her stepping up regularly. Always let her go back to her cage or a perch if she wants to at this point. You can then start rewarding her for staying on your hand. Again, use a piece of almond not a whole one. If she's still comfortable and content on your hand for a few more moments, she gets another piece. If she's still doing really well and making no attempt to leave, maybe go ahead and give her a whole piece. Again, always give her the option of getting back to her cage. As she is clipped and maybe unable to fly then always give her the option to retreat back to her cage, as she doesn't have a flight option. Keep talking to her whilst she is on your hand - make it sound like a good thing and sound excited about it. Tell her about all the places she will be able to go with you if she stays on your hand rather than going back to the cage. Make it a fun and positive experience for her. Once she has mastered this (and it may take some time) then SLOWLY start moving her a little further away from her cage. Reward her for staying calm. If she bites, do not take it personally (even when it hurts!) and just calmly return her to her cage and back off. Keep using pieces of whatever her favourite treat is. Only reward with a whole treat occasionally. This helps to keep the bird motivated to work towards the big treat. Or if she has a couple of favourite treats, find out which she likes better and use that as the special treat. Keep these training sessions short to begin with. She might not have had much structured training so it might take her a little while to figure out what's going on. Get her to repeat the behaviour successfully a few times then stop. You can slowly extend this if she is willing- but as soon as she shows sign of boredom (or goes for a bite) then back off and let her return to where she is comfortable (a perch or her cage) Do keep us updated with any progress. We would also love to see photos of her if you are able to.

It's so cute hearing them practice. I rarely know what Alfie is trying to say until he comes out and says it. But he rarely talks when I'm in the room with him, so I have to listen in when he's practicing to see if I can pick out what he's learning! Since getting an Amazon echo he has been practicing more regularly. He picked up 'Alexa' within a month or so and says it often with gusto. So Alexa works as a little spy, as she will record what he mumbles at her afterwards. I can then play back the recordings and see if he's coming up with new words. 😂 I've also done a couple of remote training courses at home recently. Alfie was listening in as I was in the same room as him. He started mumbling along with the instructor at one point and had picked up the different accent (the training course was based in Manchester). So all his mumbles that day had a slight Mancunian twang to it. It was very amusing!

Alfie was out of the cage and I decided to have a super quick harness session. I'm really limiting the time spent with the harness at the moment because we've never done much structured training. I've identified a treat he likes (cedar nuts) so I am now only giving these to him when we are doing anything with the harness. He has other treats he likes but cedar nuts seem to be his absolute favourite at the moment- he will never refuse one. So this seems the ideal treat to use as a training motivator. He was out of the cage and sitting on his shelf and I took the harness out and showed him three cedar nuts. He seemed interested. First, I asked him to touch the harness (exactly as I have been doing through the cage bars for the last few days) and when he did that I praised him and gave him a nut. This is the first time approaching the harness training out of the cage. I decided to be a little bolder and I made a big loop with the harness then showed him the treat. He had to put his beak through the loop to get the treat. He did this perfectly with no fuss and no grabbing the harness. I let him finish his treat then tried this one more time. Again, perfect response. He put his beak through the large loop and took the treat. I stopped it there, gave him lots of praise and let him eat his nut. Whilst this might seem like a tiny step, I am happy with it. I'm aware that I might be overly cautious with keeping the training so short but I don't want to jump in and push too hard so that he backs off and is wary of the harness. Over time I may try and slowly increase how many times I ask him to repeat the behaviours to extend the training. If anyone has any pointers or tips I'd welcome them.

I'll post updates as and when I have them. It's likely to be slow progress and I also value my fingers. 😂 He is doing well with touching the harness to get a treat. This is being done through cage bars at the moment so he can't grab it and run away with it. I've found some landyards which are the same colour and similar thickness to the harness so I think I'll buy a couple of those to use with training so it doesn't matter too much if he puts holes through them. I'm planning on making a big loop and working on getting him to take a treat by putting his beak through the loop and then eventually more of his head- waiting for him to be comfortable before progressing. Then it will be a case of making the loop smaller each time. The back and wings are gong to be a challenge, as he doesn't like them to be touched that often. So this will again be broken down into smaller steps with lots of praise and rewards. Sounds simple when I write it down. I'm sure Ill have setbacks and challenges as I've never done much structured training with Alfie and he typically rules the roost (entirely my fault). So this is going to be an adventure for both of us!

Are you specifically after a male? Was just curious why if so. Are you thinking of trying to breed them? I've often thought about getting a second bird but never really had a preference for male or female. I'm not even sure Alfie is definitely a male as I've never had him DNA tested. He could be an Alfina or Alfette for all I know. 😂

I ordered an aviator harness for Alfie and it was delivered today. He will be 16 years old this month and has never been harness trained. He also doesn't particularly like his back and wings being touched. So why the heck did I buy a harness? I'm hoping that if I take it super slow and steady then I might be able to slowly convince him that the harness is a good thing. Then perhaps I'll be able to take him out on walks. I'm willing to put the time and effort in but I also understand that I may never be able to convince him. I started training today. I showed him the packaging and acted excited about it. I took the harness out and rolled it around in my hands telling him what it was and how much fun he could have outside if he wants to wear it some day. I then allowed him to take a closer look. I let him 'touch' the harness with his beak (but not bite it). Every time he touched it gently he got a cedar nut. I did this a few times. Then I backed off. This is how I'm planning on starting- just showing it to him and letting him know how fun it will be. I'm also planning on maybe getting some ribbon or other material which I don't mind being destroyed to work on getting closer to him, and resting it on his back and wings (eventually). I can also make loops with it and try and train him to get his head through it without biting it. (thinking of using a similar coloured material to the harness). Obviously this is thinking ahead a lot. I plan to work to Alfie's 'grey time'. One little step at a time. He may reject it and I may have to eventually give up if he is uncomfortable with the idea. But I think it's worth a try. And actually having some focused training time isn't a bad thing either. I'm planning on posting updates here though they will undoubtedly be few and far between. I don't expect this to be a quick process at all! Wish us luck!

That's great news! I hope you stick around to tell us about your new arrival! (and post lots of photos, of course!)

My experience with Alfie is that he will learn whatever he wants to learn. 😂 He DOES talk but he prefers noises and whistles more- always has. He always prefers male voices so tends to pick up phrases said by males more often than females. He does seem to be practicing his talking more these days though and he'll be 16 years old mid April. I often hear him muttering away to himself in different voices- but only when I'm out of the way. I have no idea what he's trying to say. He loves any loud obnoxious noises and will learn those as soon as he hears them... and repeat them often with gusto!

I have just seen this thread for the first time. I'm glad you and your flock are still doing so well!

I have often thought about getting another bird (possibly another grey) in my household and I have looked at these cages as well. My major concern is that they could bite each other through the central divide. If I were to get another bird, I would want them in separate cages to begin with. Then I might consider one of these cages if they did get on. My biggest stopper for not getting another bird is 'what if they don't get on'? My attention is already divided between my two cats and Alfie. If I added another bird to the mix which needed to be kept separate from Alfie because they hated each other then that wouldn't work for my household - I just don't have the space provided (or the time) to be able to juggle the requirements of two birds if they can't be in the same room together. My advice for these types of questions is always 'plan for the worst case scenario'. If you can handle that, then you're probably safe to go for it. If there are any doubts then I would reconsider.

Sorry, for delayed responses, things have been a little quiet round here of late. So I have a few things that I've picked up from your posts so far: The house move probably would have been stressful, especially as grey's can be quite change adverse. He might still be stressing about all the changes around him and getting used to his environment. Grey's operate on something we call "grey time". This is the time that grey's take to adapt to changes or new things in their life. Grey time isn't a set period of time. For example, this could be the length of time it takes for a grey to accept a new toy in his/her cage. It could take hours, days, weeks or even months... depends on the bird. Your grey has been uprooted from an environment they were very familiar with and placed in a new one. So it may take some time for your bird to settle down. The screaming and banging on the cage just shouldn't happen. Frightening a bird like that will have detrimental affects on their trust. I don't really have anything else to say about that other than try and prevent it from happening. This can be easier said than done if family members aren't on board with learning how to treat birds... but it really needs to stop. You also mention the introduction of dogs a few years back so Timmy has less time out of his cage. This will have a detrimental affect on your relationship with him as well. He probably feels frustrated and probably has a lot of pent up energy... so this also could be contributing to the change in behaviour. I went through similar with Alfie. I was working full time and trying to study towards a degree in my spare time and I struggled to give Alfie the attention he needed for a while. Our relationship suffered because Alfie didn't trust me like he used to and would often nip or bite in frustration when he was out, meaning I was scared to handle him. I had to make a fair amount of changes to my lifestyle and his environment before i started getting our relationship back on track. Trying to get him to go back in his cage was a nightmare, because he didn't want to go back in. He wasn't having enough time out of the cage so I understand why he would get frustrated. Now, I don't have any problems. He has a lot more time out of the cage so he sometimes takes himself back into his cage or he will climb back in when I take him back to it. You might need to take a few steps back and maybe try doing some basic step up training with him. Get some of his favourite treats and reward him regularly when he lets you handle him without biting. Are there ways for you to give him more exercise time outside of his cage? Can you section off your house at all so the dogs have part of it and Timmy gets another part to play in? I have to do this as I have two indoor cats. When Alfie comes out the cats get the upstairs part of the house and Alfie gets downstairs.

It's difficult to know what to do for the best and it's easy to fall into the trap of trying to work out all the 'what ifs'. As soon as Sukei was taken from the wild, there was no going back. And sure, he's been through a lot to get where he is now but it could have been a whole heap worse. He is in a good home with a family that loves him dearly and who moved mountains to get him home with them... where others may have simply given up and left him where he was because it was too inconvenient for them to fight the battles you had to fight. He doesn't know any different. His life (other than he early part) has always been with you, your family, & your environment. He is in the best place he could be with his background and I think you should be proud of everything you overcame to get him there.

I've been in my house for 5 years now and I desperately need to redecorate. I moved in with everything as was so all of the rooms need some TLC now. My only worry is paint fumes and fumes from new carpets. I am planning on decorating my hall first and there is one door between the living room where Alfie lives and the hall. If I close the door and crack open the windows in the living room, will Alfie be ok or will the paint fumes still cause issues? I'm also planning on having new carpets fitted so I'm cautious about any fumes that might give off too. I can't leave him in the outside aviary as its too cold. He might be able to go in his travel cage and stay with my parents for a day or two, but he would be stuck in his cage as they don't know how to handle him so wouldn't let him out.

So far he's managed to turn the lights off on two occasions. Alexa took a wild guess at what Alfie might have been muttering about and decided he said 'lights off'. Alfie has also managed to trigger a news update and a couple of random phrases which Alexa responded too... mostly with confusion or to say she didn't understand.

I got an Amazon Echo and some Philips Hue lights for Christmas. Seeing as Alfie doesn't pick up on many words, I didn't think he'd pick up on the name 'Alexa' very easily. Oh how wrong I was. Less than a month later, my housemate heard Alexa responding to Alfie today. I check the history and listened to the recordings the Echo had picked up and Alfie is just repeatedly saying 'Alexa' and practicing it in both mine and my housemates voices! 😂 I'm waiting for him to start changing the lights and music! (I have turned off the option for ordering by voice, so I don't get any surprises sent out!)