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Haha oh I do hope not! No he was absolutely fine. He was understandably tired when we got home (as was I!) and had a big dinner and lots to drink and he hadn't had much during the day. But he was absolutely fine the next day and up to his normal levels of mischief!

The only downside to taking him to the event last weekend...? He's been practicing what sounds an awful lot like some macaw noises/screeches.... 🤣

Woo! Congratulations! It sounds wonderful! I'm sure it will be a lot of work to get everyone moved in and settled but it sounds like it'll be a great change for you and your flock! Alfie has moved twice with me too - he's pretty boisterous for a grey though and seems to handle change pretty well, even major ones like moving house or moving cage. He's lived in three different houses and four different cages over his lifetime.

On Sunday Alfie and I went on a bit of an adventure! We went to a parrot/owner meetup in aid of the World Parrot Trust. It was just under a 2 hour drive each way and it's the first time I've done something like this with him as well as the furthest I've taken him in the car. There were loads of people (and their parrots) and I wasn't sure how he would take to it. His travel cage is heavy and bulky so I bought a trolley to pull him along in. He was a bit worried when we were moving around but settled really well when we stopped. Loads of people came up to say hello to him and give him some attention. He was a little wary of some people but pretty calm about the whole thing overall. I really enjoyed the day too and I think I'll see if there are other events I can take him to in the future, now that I know he won't completely freak out about it. 20230813_153218.mp4 Free flight macaws- this was fascinating to watch! The house/location we were at- the event was all outside on the grounds and thankfully the weather (mostly) held out! 20230813_154523.mp4 This was as the day was winding down- there were lots more people and birds than this there! 20230813_155306.mp4 Alfie's new wheels! This blue and gold macaw is Rio and he took a liking to all the ladies. He landed on me a few times - I was holding a hot chocolate drink that he tried to steal. The next time he landed on me I moved the hot chocolate out of reach so he grabbed my thumb in annoyance. He landed on my back at one point and played with my hair. Then he landed on my arm again later and pinched me a few times. It reminded me of why I don't have nor want a macaw- the strength in their beaks is unreal. He was relatively gentle but it still left bruises! All in all it was a great day out and I was super proud of how well Alfie coped, especially seeing as he's never done anything like this before. He had so much to deal with - the car journey, a new location, his new wheels that we've never used before, so many people and parrots and a few dogs around. Some loud music at times. He took it all in his stride and didn't freak out or panic at all. We were both super tired when we got home!

Grey's are such contrary little buggers at times! 🤣 I too have been on the receiving end of a bite from Alfie after he has stepped up nicely. And it confused me too as I always give him the option of refusing the step up and don't pursue him if he refuses, I always back off. But every so often Alfie will willingly step up and just grab my hand/wrist seemingly out of nowhere. It doesn't happen often at all. But I usually just try not to react, set him down somewhere and ignore him for a few mins. When Alfie spooks, he typically takes off in flight instead of biting. It does mean there's been a couple of times when I've been smacked by a wing unexpectedly! How old is Vim? It could be boundary testing depending on her age or because she's more settled. They do have a toddler attitude about most things! Or it could be hormonal. Alfie is very distant from me at the moment. He'll fly over to see what I'm up to but he is absolutely not interested in head scratches right now. A couple of months back and he was like a velcro bird- always flying to sit with me for some head scritches. Now if I try to offer head scritches he ignores me or shakes his head if I go to touch him. I know full well if I tried to persist, I'd get bitten. They can change, even month to month in what they'll tolerate/like. And they do figure out how to push your buttons as well, just like a child would. And other times it can be as simple as something spooked them or something they don't like happened nearby so they take it out on you! I sometimes find the trickiest part is not letting it hurt my feelings! Especially when you can't figure out the trigger.

Thanks for the update - glad you are doing ok and have adapted. Must be a relief knowing he has settled in well and is happy.

I'm in! 🙂 Thanks Kevin!

Thanks for all that you do/have done to keep this place going Kevin. It's very much appreciated.

Very thoughtful indeed! Alfie didn't get me anything for mothers day... or my birthday... mind you, as I'm the only human in this household I'd have to go and buy it for myself on his behalf... which sort of defeats the object really!! 😂 Hope you enjoyed your flowers and had a lovely mothers day! Well I guess that confirmed your place in the household pecking order!! 😂

I only have one African Grey- Alfie and he is 20 years old now. I have long thought about bringing a second bird home but like others have said, there is absolutely no guarantee that they will like or even tolerate each other. I know that if they had to have separate out-of-cage time because they don't get on then I wouldn't be able to give them both the time and attention they need. I always think that this is a 'plan for the worst and hope for the best' kind of situation. Are you in the position where you have enough time, space and energy to keep two birds separately if they really dislike each other to the point that they can't be out at the same time?

Sounds like a great idea! I've done similar in the past with some grey owners I met on twitter. Two of us were from the UK, one in America (CA) and one in Japan. It was mostly the human's chatting away but all of our birds were around too. Alfie wasn't overly interested about being on the call, he was mostly flying around getting up to no good. And if he did opt to join in then he mostly just wanted to chew the tablet I was using. 😂

Hello and welcome to the forums! There is SO much information here which has been shared over the years so I recommend having a deep dive into some of our older posts. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. There are still a few of us around who would be willing to help where we can. Have you looked around local rescues as well? I know you want a younger bird but there are so many birds who are looking for a home these days and you may find some younger birds in the mix too.

I really feel for you. I know it wasn't an easy decision to make and I can only imagine how hard it is to keep being reminded that he's not around. I am sure he will settle in to his new home soon enough and make lots of new friends. At the end of the day you had to do what was right for you and for Snickers and those are the toughest decisions to make.

Happiest of hatchdays to you, Nilah! Loving that play area- looks like great fun!

I have no doubt how hard that decision must have been but I'm glad you have such an amazing sanctuary that you know and trust for him to go to. Years ago I was trying to make the decision about whether or not I was the right human for Alfie. Life had taken over and my free time was limited so I wasn't giving Alfie all of the time and attention he deserved. I agonised over the options of whether to rehome or not and it was awful to have gotten to that point in the first place. Thankfully it all worked out- I made changes and dropped some commitments plus I moved house and had a better space that worked for the both of us. I'm also very lucky in that Alfie is a resilient little guy and has been pretty quick to adapt to changes over the years. We all just want to do what's best for our birds at the end of the day and sometimes that comes with some heart-breaking decisions! I'm sure Snickers will adapt to his new environment and at least you know exactly where he's going and what level of care he will receive. It'll obviously take time for you to get used tot he idea of him going there and adapting to not having him around and I really feel for you for having to make that decision/change.

I got Alfie when I was 17 (20 years ago!) and I still worry that he could potentially outlive me. I don't currently have anyone that would willingly take him on. My sister has always been terrified of him. I hoped my nephew might take an interest and therefore be a candidate when he's older (and no longer living at home!) but I'm not sure he's particularly interested in animals. He's only 9 atm so that may change I guess. I'd much prefer to know where Alfie was going to end up- e.g with someone I know and trust. But I may have to rely on a sanctuary or a rescue and trust that they can do right by him instead. Euthanasia isn't on my radar as an option for Alfie. I understand why others may consider it so there's no judgement there.

Oh gosh, I'm so sorry to read this. 😕 I hope the police are involved and I really hope you get him back home as soon as possible.

Haha oh Greycie, you do make me chuckle!

Inara did check in a while back

As Greytness already mentioned- it is molting season! The white dander/floofy feahers are normal, especially after a big preening session. Alfie often sits on my knee and covers me in dust and floofs as he preens himself. Feather barbering or plucking would result in broken or damaged feathers and in the worst cases sometimes a bit of blood if they pluck a feather that's still growing in. You would start to notice bald patches appearing over time too.

Hello and a belated welcome to the forums! There are still a small handful of us around who check in regularly. It's great that you managed to find some previous posts/information about Timmy here! This place is such a great place for information and help but like you say, forums in general are all a bit slow these days. I personally much prefer this format than the likes of facebook groups that I lurk in. However life does often take over and I find it difficult to be as active as I used to be.

I'm pretty sure that's his go to response for everything I do!! 😂

20230101_204231.mp4 Alfie showing off his wave. Excuse the pine nut crumbs on the blanket- we'd been practicing colours shortly before this!

All looks good to me!

Have just donated via paypal. Thanks for all that you do, Kevin.