Timbersmom

I've came to the conclusion that Timber never fledged. His clip has mostly grown out, yet he shows no interest in flying except when startled. He flies to the ground and waits for me to come pick him up. He doesn't drop like a rock and lands OK when that happens. I guess I'll have to look into "flight" lessons. He is finally accepting my husband and stepped on his arm the other day for the first time.

Haaaa to the sofa replacement! You will have to take him to the store with you to see which sofa he thinks is "unappealing." Then he would probably trick you into buying the one he most wants to destroy. They are too smart for their own good (and ours)

Yikes! I can barely get Timber to the vet by himself. I can't imagine taking three at one time! You go girl...

Haaaa funny about "it's for you" Baileyspapa

LOL! Yes and amen to TheNewThing advice. Some toys that seem totally innocent will never be accepted by a grey. That is one of the things that I have found to be so strange about Timber. Things I'm sure he will like, he doesn't (ever). Things I am not sure about he often will take to. That's part of the wonderful world of parronthood. As to the bath, some birds like to be sprayed, some don't. I was fortunate in that the previous owner told me Timber likes to be sprayed, and he does. I do this almost daily with a spray bottle and nursery water (aloe in the winter when the house is dry). A full bath is different and they only do that when they feel like it. As Dan said, you just need to offer water in a pan. I use a heavy glass baking dish that won't tip when he stands on the edge of it. If she is interested she will get to it, if not just keep putting it out there at times. When Timber is ready for the pan, I can tell because he will start messing around in his water bowl. This probably happens 3-4 times a month.

LOL, love that Felix!

It is really early days yet in grey time. They just aren't like any other species I have dealt with. Most have only two speeds when it comes to trust and interaction, slow and slower. You are doing all the right things, just be patient and give her time. On the other hand, you need to speed up your reaction time. When she lowers her head for a scratch, be ready to move as soon as you see any movement from her. Good luck and God bless!

Hello and welcome Dean! Keep us posted on how things are going, ask any questions you may have, and enjoy these first days with your new companion.

Really cool pics! Thanks for sharing.

No, this is the first time I've seen that one.

I brought Timber home in a cat carrier with a towel in the bottom. Not ideal, but it did the job. Now he has a pack-o-bird. As it turns out, he doesn't seem to like it any better than the cat carrier!

Hello and welcome! Your Dolly sounds a lot like my Timber. He was five when I rehomed him last year (June, 2012). He had not been abused so much as neglected in a busy household. The feather fluffing can mean different things. Timber usually does that when he is relaxed, but it can have other meanings. The toughest thing for me was putting all the body language together to understand what I was seeing. Like Dolly, Timber would act like he wanted a scratch, but then would bite. In his case, I found that he really did want to be scratched, but couldn't bring himself to trust me initially. I started by scratching his head when he was inside the cage (carefully and with the bars between us). He was more receptive right before time to go to sleep. We've progressed to now, and he will sit on my arm, drop his beak on my stomach and let me scratch to my heart's content. With most greys, it is a matter of giving them time to deem you trustworthy. Feel free to ask specific questions and people here are glad to share their experiences.

Yes, beautiful birds! Thanks for sharing

Timber whistles and clicks when he is the center of attention and wants to be interactive, so that sounds like totally normal, engaged behavior to me. When I'm coming into the room from upstairs, like first thing in the morning, I always whistle and talk so Timber knows it is me. This may not be necessary and he may know my footfalls by now, but it has became a habit from when I didn't want to startle him.

Hello and welcome to you and your new companion. What is his name? Post some pics when you get a chance, we love them. It sounds like your bird is coming right along. It took my 3 months to get my rehomed grey comfortable with stepping up, so you are making good progress. Like Dan said, let him set the pace in your relationship. It takes time to build trust

LOL! Truth there...

I don't have any experience with this Danny. I'm sure someone will come along to help!

Happy birthday Greycie! What a fun video!

It will be a blessing to be able to call if you have any questions or forgot to ask anything after you bring Coco home. Excited for you

I did enjoy! Thanks for posting Jeff

Haaaaa... I'll bet "panic in the shower" wasn't funny while it was happening! I can just see Timber chiseling footholds up my bare legs... That's the kind of thing you can have a good laugh about when it is over though Timber won't do tofu either. I can't say that I blame him! He is always game for a bit of chicken, pork chop, roast beef, or just about any meat I've tried though.

I don't know Nancy, watch Sterling's video. Looks like Greycie likes it! I don't know about Timber, since I haven't gotten up the nerve to try.

I know! I cried for 15 minutes. My boss thought I was having some type of medical crisis

OK, this isn't a joke but these are funny. If you aren't easily offended and have ever been the victim of misdirected autocorrect... check these out. I was in tears. I'm betting some of these were deliberate for comedy value, but they are funny! http://funkypickens.com/25-funny-auto-correct-fails/ I'm going to get some pringles...

I saw the video on the other thread, forgot about this one! Greycie must be so much fun. You'll probably get a lot of "bird envy" from those of us who can't have that kind of contact with our fids!