Sarasota

Yay, Nancy! So glad to hear you and Sunny are doing better!

Katana...you amaze me with your patience with Gilbert. And your dedication to making his life better...well, it's just admirable!

Great post! Words to live by. I fear my poor kids suffer from lack of socialization (and hence some of their fearful behavior). I live alone...and pretty far from my family and friends. Oddly enough, most of my friends are not bird people and the parrots freak them out. So there's not too much socializing outside of our immediate flock (2 parrots, 2 toucans, 2 dogs and a bunch of homing pigeons). The last time my friend came over I begged her to give the birds some almonds. She was so freaked out she shrieked and screamed and scared the birds. Sigh. So much for socialization.

Well, you sound like you are doing an amazing job. The hard part is not taking it personal...and being tough enough to not force a behavior...and hence making biting reinforcing! It's difficult to explain to non-bird people. Humans are tactile - we want to put our hands on everything. Dogs are great for this. Parrots, for the most part, nope. I find it difficult to curb my own behavior at times - I continue to offer treats even after they are rejected. "You want a grape? Really? You sure? It's a good grape! C'mon..you love grapes!!!"

When my wild caught TAG first came home I couldn't handle him at all and he was completely untrained. His old cage allowed him to step out on a ledge...mine didn't work. While I waited for a new cage he stayed in the old one. I taught him to follow a target stick from the outside of the cage. When we got the new cage, he simply followed the target stick in and out. Now, he's trained to get on a rope perch so I can move him around (he's also fully flighted). He doesn't like wood to step up on (he actually yells, "Burt! Step Up! NOOO! - so I have an idea he had an aversive experience with a wood stick and stepping up), so the rope works well. Good luck! I hope to hear more about you and your progress!

You mean, like this??

ABA has given my wild caught TAG a new life. No one wanted him because he is a "hands off" bird. I'm happy to say he's got a full life, plays with toys, forages, suns himself in my aviary, has a buddy, etc. Non-parrot friends don't understand when I tell them "If he ever decides to step up, it will be HIS choice, not mine."

I just love reading about your happy flock! Sounds like bedlam sometimes, but always entertaining. I have a gap on top of my kitchen cabinets. It looks great but.....and I mentioned this to the contractor at the time (who gave me a "Lady, are you crazy???" look)....the toucans think it's a GREAT place to hide. I actually have a step stool there so I can get them down at night. Silly kids!

I bought the Get a Grip net. It was feared, then ignored. Just like the java table top perch. The birds would rather hang around on a $10 boing! If found this on Amazon. It's a lot of money..but it is 100 feet of rope - that is a tons of toys! http://www.amazon.com/Koch-5322445-100-Feet-Cotton-Twisted/dp/B00775PQEQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1346871316&sr=8-3&keywords=3%2F4%22+cotton+Rope

Too funny. I have to sneak in with the camera. And I found out the Flip Video is a no no. Sondheim is not a fan of iPhones, iPads or white cameras. Black video cameras are OK. Go figure!

Most of the members have already hit the nai on the head...so I'm just adding to the voices. I find it best to let my parrots work out their differences. They understand each other's body language much better than i do - and they are equals. When it comes to an unfair competition - like a hookbill beak vs. a toucan beak...I keep them separated.

This was posted on The Gabriel Foundation's FB page today. It's really moving (get out your hankies). It demonstrates how one builds trust with a bird - and the trials and tribulations of living with a parrot. Beautiful. http://www.thegabrielfoundation.org/documents/NewMackenzie_akaMackietheMiracleUmbrellaCockatoo.pdf

Perfect! He should also drop a special treat in the cage. Something the bird really loves...and only let your husband give the treat. This may sound daunting - but building trust can take months. Or years. It's a slow process, and always done at the bird's pace. I'm going to post a great essay on trust and bonding....

I have a Roomba floor cleaner. You should hear the birds chattering away when it's on! Good luck at the vet today...everything crossed!

I'm so happy that you have Darwin and things turned out well. It was very tragic reading your Zulu post! XOXO

She's simply beautiful!!!

I've had a breeder Grey try to take me out, and a Cooper's Hawk. But nothing terrified me more than a barn owl (yes, not a typo) that came after me screaming.

I am keeping my fingers crossed. Hang in there!

Well said! And very frustrating. There's just not enough grant money to get a researcher up in the canopy to study Grey behavior. There's a lot more ground study, but that's mostly based on foraging...and we need the juicy stuff! If it's any consolation at all - toucans are MUCH more difficult to deal with when they are hormonal. True, the smaller ones can't clamp down like a parrot (Tocos, watch out!), but they are close relatives of woodpeckers. They will hammer the heck out of your wrists..and the dogs' eyeballs (if they can get to them).

Congrats! The first steps to a recall are the best!!

What a cutie! I agree. I wish my TAG would get that excited about bathing!

Beth, I'm getting excited reading your post! You are doing a wonderful job preparing for Jake. And it sounds like he'll have a nice, big "flock" to hang out with! I'm looking forward to tons of pix.

Best thing to do is call your vet and ask. Also, just check and see what the bird has been eating a lot of. When my birds get moist fruit like papaya, their poop is a little runnier.

Well, I think you and your aviary looks great! My little monkey loves to get in my hair and bite my ears. I do my best to avoid him when he lands in my hair, but unfortunately for me....it's now a wonderful game for him. I go brain dead when someone aims a camera at me. I feel ya!

It looks amazing!