i need advice on my bird :(:(

[kayleightommy]

hello there im in need of help here, i brought my African Grey at 8 years old yesterday off this male owner, he had about 3 African greys but had pushed this one to the corner, whenever a male goes by him he makes a squarking sound, but when a woman goes by him hes okay, he doesnt bite at all, but my dad and boyfriend are not alowed by the cage and they want to mingle with him too as they like african greys, also because his last owner never paid any attention to him and didnt give him much care he doesnt talk, do you think theres any hope for him to not squark at men and also get talking? pleaseeee help me lol thank you guys

[ecodweeb]

Hi there.

 

My advise is simple and to the point: the bird does not trust males for whatever reason. It's going to take a lot of bite-taking, treats, and sweet talking to get this guy to come around if he comes around at all.

 

I'd not force him to step onto their hands or submit for petting -- try to coax that from him. Find his i'll do anything treat and only let the boys give it to him. Have the boys sit by the cage and talk to him, even read a news article aloud to him.

 

Also out of cage time would be important, if he gets on the floor have one of the men pick him up and put him back on the cage.

 

A firm "no bite" or "bad parrot" is all that is necessary when they latch down on a thumb (and he probably will, make no mistake, these are cleaver and crafty critters).

 

It's not impossible but it's not something I'd expect to happen in the next 3 months either. 6-8 month goal would be to have him stepping up on command on a male's hand, and it's going to be slow progress to get there.

 

You can do it with persistence. Good luck! Karma to you for taking in an adult parrot.

[Greywings]

I would suggest a slow and gentle approach, all his surroundings and people are new to him. Take it slowly and have them just spend a little time on the way by his cage saying hello, or what a nice bird he is, perhaps leaving a little treat in his food dish. Eventually he will realize they are not a threat just members of his new flock. If they can sit and read to him or sing they all seem fascinated with children's books and the bright colored pictures.

[pearllyn]

Hi Kayleigh and welcome!

Well done you for taking in an older bird. It might not be an easy task, but I'm sure with patience, love and a little more patience, he'll come around!

Good luck with him.

 

Lyn & ALfie.

[kayleightommy]

awwww thanx for that guys, that information was really helpful, il let you know how it goes anyway thanx again

[Dave007]

"""""but had pushed this one to the corner,"""""

 

One thing you should start doing is putting the bird amongst others so that he'll get used to everything that's going on. That'll take some time. Many birds develop different types of problems when they're left alone away from people. Greys need visible interaction with others all the time.