Another step closer!

[Muse]

Peck is now recalling. He's been flying to me and landing on my head. Not the best experience for either of us. I hold my arm out but he still doesn't trust me quite enough. The other night he looked SO close to stepping up on my arm. I have been trying to spend as much time as I can near him. So I thought, well, why not try to see if he'd land on the stick?

 

The other day, we were all in the kitchen. Now that he steps up on the stick, he goes all over the house with me. Megan was flying from the play stand to daddy, and Peck kept acting like he wanted to fly to me. So I held out the stick and called, and sure enough, he took flight and landed on the stick. I praised him and gave him jackpot (getting to stick his beak in the pine nut container and help himself) and put him back on the stand. Then we tried again. That time, he declined jackpot and acted like he wanted to do it again! He seems to enjoy flying across the room to me and he's not doing it to get a treat.

 

Today he was recalling so I got him on video, and made a short movie. Here it is:

 

I am so proud of this boy! He's only been with us since April 11. He is just such an amazing little guy.

[Inara]

Mr. Peck is just moving along at light speed, isn't he? What a beautiful video! You can see his joy in flying, and can hear your own joy in sharing that experience with him. He's comes such a long way in such a short time. You two were just meant to find one another! HRH Inara will often ask for "tickles" (her word for scritches and kisses combined) rather than a food reward. I agree it really is nice when our companions do things because they want to and enjoy it. Although, that being said, food is a great motivator. Heck, you should see what *I* will do for a brownie!

[Ray P]

Great video.

When you are the reward and not food, that`s when you know the two of you are real companions.

Edited June 20, 2014 by Ray P

[Luvparrots]

Oh love the video. I can never get enough of a bird in flight. Priceless. Looking forward to your progress with Peck.

[SullysMom]

Great video! He looks awesome!

[chezron]

Great job Peck and Mama!

[birdhouse]

Awesome! Peck is a sweetheart! I think you both lucked out!

 

Another possible trick w/the stick... Maybe try holding the stick like the handle bars of a bike. It's more stable. But also gets a fid used to the fisted pick up position. Also can try pasting a gob of bribery (peanut butter?) on your wrist. It might trick him into walking off the stick & onto you that much sooner. But you guys are doing so well, it looks like it's just a matter of time.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

I LOVED Ray's post. I have never rewarded with food or treats. If they want to be with you, they will. We always practiced flight with two family members. One to send off... the other to receive. Of course, Sophie loved and trusted two family members to do this. A stick is just fine for the beginning. Nancy

[Muse]

Awesome! Peck is a sweetheart! I think you both lucked out!

 

Another possible trick w/the stick... Maybe try holding the stick like the handle bars of a bike. It's more stable. But also gets a fid used to the fisted pick up position. Also can try pasting a gob of bribery (peanut butter?) on your wrist. It might trick him into walking off the stick & onto you that much sooner. But you guys are doing so well, it looks like it's just a matter of time.

 

I tried that with the stick. Maybe it has something to do with him being caught as a young bird, but he seems to not trust my hands. He always lands on the end of the stick away from my hands. I suspect he may be afraid I am going to reach out and grab him. But he's coming along. I was just searching for an email and ran across one I'd sent to Matt Smith from Project Perry - who introduced us to Peck's family so that we could adopt him - and that was back in April and in it I said he did not try to fly. HA! That didn't last long. His last owner said he could, but would only do so when spooked. Now he follows me from room to room. He also flies up the top of the fridge. He does not get in to anything, just sits there patiently waiting for me to get the stick and ask him to step up to bring him back down.

 

Slowly, I am getting closer and closer to him. So far no bites and I think he's learning to trust more and more. He's really a pretty awesome little guy.

[Muse]

Some day he will step up onto my hand. I have a feeling once he does there will be no looking back. At first he didn't want to come out of the cage. Then he didn't want to leave the safety of the cage. As he gets more used to us, he is now flying around the house. He did a great wing-tuck to fly through a small gap in the curtains to get into the dining room the other day. I can't wait to see him when he reaches his full wild Grey potential!

[Timbersmom]

Timber still won't step up on my hand, only my forearm. I'm not sure what happened, but am convinced he had a bad experience with hands before he came to me.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Muse... if you look how little time you have had Peck... I know you know, he is growing in leaps and bounds! He was meant to be a " fantastic bird", and now he has the opportunity. Nancy

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Timbersmom... Forearms are just fine! If Timber likes the forearm... that is great. My kids think I have a " germ phobia". I don't touch doors if I can open with my forearm. I do more with my forearms if I can. Sophie steps up to me any which way, but actually, she steps up on my wrist. Once stepup wasn't important anymore to us, I always put her on my wrist. Less contact with my fingers is better.My hands are always dry and peeling, as I wash way too much. I guess Sophie sensed that as she started to step up on my wrist and I really never noticed! Nancy

[Timbersmom]

I have no quarrel with the forearm step-up either. It just caused me problems when I first got him, had no experience, and everything I saw (like youtube) was them stepping up on hands. I thought I was doing something wrong! Thankfully, I know better now

[birdhouse]

I tried that with the stick. Maybe it has something to do with him being caught as a young bird, but he seems to not trust my hands. He always lands on the end of the stick away from my hands. I suspect he may be afraid I am going to reach out and grab him.

 

In hindsight, I do not know why I thought that was a good way to describe what I what I was trying to say. Think we should just put that down to a blonde moment & move one.

 

I only meant that holding the stick fist down w/the free end away from you might make it more stable & eventually become a comfortable position for whenever Peck screws up the confidence to step up onto your wrist. It also hides those scary &/or vulnerable fingers a little more.

 

To me, it also feels more like offering a perch vs wielding something threatening. Like I said, Phenix is completely traumatized by sticks. So I'm maybe over sensitive, or at least hyper-aware. Now that it can't jinx you or anything, I admit I was holding my breath when you mentioned he was originally being stick-shy. I'm so glad he's coming along like he has because that's a really difficult thing to live with.

[Muse]

In hindsight, I do not know why I thought that was a good way to describe what I what I was trying to say. Think we should just put that down to a blonde moment & move one.

 

I only meant that holding the stick fist down w/the free end away from you might make it more stable & eventually become a comfortable position for whenever Peck screws up the confidence to step up onto your wrist. It also hides those scary &/or vulnerable fingers a little more.

 

To me, it also feels more like offering a perch vs wielding something threatening. Like I said, Phenix is completely traumatized by sticks. So I'm maybe over sensitive, or at least hyper-aware. Now that it can't jinx you or anything, I admit I was holding my breath when you mentioned he was originally being stick-shy. I'm so glad he's coming along like he has because that's a really difficult thing to live with.

 

Tonight I actually moved the stick VERY close to my chest. He was maybe FOUR INCHES from my shoulder and sitting calmly. I looked at him and smiled and said "Do you realize how close you are to being on my shoulder, Little Man?" (my nickname for him - My Little Man) I cannot believe how quickly he's getting used to me.

[Muse]

Amen, Nancy! He amazes me more each day!

[Inara]

My wild caught (and much traumatized) Amazon, Elliot never ever did step to my hand or my arm without stepping onto his stick (an old small tree twig) first. He had been so abused by humans that hands were just permanently off limits for him. He did, after much time together, happily move up the stick to my arm then my shoulder. But to retrieve him from his tree (or a high curtain rod upon which he loved to perch) his stick was the only way for nearly 20 years. I was just thrilled he wanted to have anything to do with any human after all he'd been through.

 

In fact, because my first birds were way pre-internet days, I didn't know a thing about "step up" or other bird type commands. I hung out with falconers, was used to handling raptors all the way up to the size of gyr falcons, so just used instinct, love, calmness, patience and lots of positive reinforcement for relationship building. Lestat, my wild caught CAG eventually moved from the stick to my hand to loving just hanging out upon my shoulder. To me, it's (imho) no big deal whether or not a bird ever steps up or not. It's wonderful that Mr. Peck is comfortable with stepping to a stick -- it shows he doe want to hang out with you and wants to get closer. I'm a bettin' woman and I'm betting that he will indeed be scootching closer and closer and upon you in no time.

 

Love reading about his progress --- he's got his little (trimmed) talons wrapped around your heart

[Muse]

My wild caught (and much traumatized) Amazon, Elliot never ever did step to my hand or my arm without stepping onto his stick (an old small tree twig) first. He had been so abused by humans that hands were just permanently off limits for him. He did, after much time together, happily move up the stick to my arm then my shoulder. But to retrieve him from his tree (or a high curtain rod upon which he loved to perch) his stick was the only way for nearly 20 years. I was just thrilled he wanted to have anything to do with any human after all he'd been through.

 

In fact, because my first birds were way pre-internet days, I didn't know a thing about "step up" or other bird type commands. I hung out with falconers, was used to handling raptors all the way up to the size of gyr falcons, so just used instinct, love, calmness, patience and lots of positive reinforcement for relationship building. Lestat, my wild caught CAG eventually moved from the stick to my hand to loving just hanging out upon my shoulder. To me, it's (imho) no big deal whether or not a bird ever steps up or not. It's wonderful that Mr. Peck is comfortable with stepping to a stick -- it shows he doe want to hang out with you and wants to get closer. I'm a bettin' woman and I'm betting that he will indeed be scootching closer and closer and upon you in no time.

 

Love reading about his progress --- he's got his little (trimmed) talons wrapped around your heart

 

Oh, he surely does. It seems like I love him more each day. He now hangs in the kitchen with me a lot. He will stay on the stand for long periods of time, but then will want to fly to me. If I don't offer the stick, he lands on my head. I let him stay there for a while the other day however he started gently tugging the hair, and got more and more 'enthusiastic' with it until it hurt. I asked him nicely to step on the stick, and he did with no problems - except taking some hairs with him. I wish he'd pick on the grey hairs and leave the brown alone, lol.

[Muse]

This was another quickie upload. I plan on editing some of the flights into a mini-movie. He's really enjoying the fly-time. He does most of it in the kitchen but there are times he's out in their bedroom and he will lap the room a couple times. He's really changed. His former mom said he never flew unless he was spooked. I am so glad he's now found his wings. Makes life a bit more work, but I don't care! He's a happy bird.

 

[Timbersmom]

He looks like a happy bird! Enjoyed the video.

[Dave007]

This was another quickie upload. I plan on editing some of the flights into a mini-movie. He's really enjoying the fly-time. He does most of it in the kitchen but there are times he's out in their bedroom and he will lap the room a couple times. He's really changed. His former mom said he never flew unless he was spooked. I am so glad he's now found his wings. Makes life a bit more work, but I don't care! He's a happy bird.

 

 

NOW, your next step is to have little pieces of his favorite nuts in your hand. Every time he flies over, give him a piece. Then, take him back to the perch. Next, go back to your original place that you're standing in and go thru the whole process again. As time goes by, You'll see him fly over pretty quickly knowing there's a nut waiting for him. THEN one day substitute your arm for that perch. He'll fly over for the nut. Wanna train him to go back to his stand? Just have another person near his stand and have the person repeat what you're doing----back and forth, back and forth. That's one of the common obedience training methods that's done in flight training. Soon, you'll be eliminating the stick all together.

[Muse]

NOW, your next step is to have little pieces of his favorite nuts in your hand. Every time he flies over, give him a piece. Then, take him back to the perch. Next, go back to your original place that you're standing in and go thru the whole process again. As time goes by, You'll see him fly over pretty quickly knowing there's a nut waiting for him. THEN one day substitute your arm for that perch. He'll fly over for the nut. Wanna train him to go back to his stand? Just have another person near his stand and have the person repeat what you're doing----back and forth, back and forth. That's one of the common obedience training methods that's done in flight training. Soon, you'll be eliminating the stick all together.

 

Odd thing is, when he is in the mood to play the "flying" game, he's usually refusing nuts - even PINE nuts. (Strange bird, I know!). It's like he's so focused on getting to me that he doesn't want to be bothered by food. I really think he wants to ride around on my head, and we are working on that. Part of the problem is his foot, I believe. He doesn't perch as well because of his misshapen toes and then uses his beak to grab hair to stabilize himself. My sister said I need to fashion a hat with a stick perch on top.

 

I really feel like he's hesitant about the arm because he senses fear in me. And I will admit, I do fear him landing and then taking a chunk out of my arm. We both need to work on trusting each other and that comes slowly. He used to chase my hands around the cage lunging wildly and striking the cage. I couldn't move the cage or add toys without dodging an attack. He doesn't do that any more. I have actually stroked his tail and his head outside the cage and he's not even so much as moved towards me. Does he understand that he's helping me learn to trust? I like to think so.

 

Maybe it helps having Megan recalling. I know he usually goes for my head when he sees her flying up to perch on daddy's head. He watches them SO intently when they are interacting. I think he wants that kind of relationship with me but isn't sure how to get to that point. We will, of that I am sure. It's just going to take time, love and patience. But it will be SO worth it. I know he's bonding with me. He wants to follow me everywhere. I was so elated when he finally stepped up, even if it was on a stick, because it meant I could take him all over the house with me! And that allows us to spend even more time together, which is helping with our relationship.

 

These birds are so amazingly complex and intelligent. I suspect someday science will discover even they have greatly underestimated them. But most Grey owners already know that.

[Inara]

L O V E D the video. Mr. Peck is really reclaiming his dignity and prowess as a bird. It is so heartwarming to see!

 

Nice logo for your new venture, by the way. Am off to visit the site.

[Muse]

L O V E D the video. Mr. Peck is really reclaiming his dignity and prowess as a bird. It is so heartwarming to see!

 

Nice logo for your new venture, by the way. Am off to visit the site.

 

Thank you so much! Unfortunately his "prowess" cost me a hair clip today. I had (OF COURSE) my very favorite clip in my hair, it's clear plastic and kind of lacy looking. He landed on my head and I heard a "snap" and the sound of plastic hitting the floor. *sigh* I let him stay up there and he preened my hair for a bit. He does real good at first, but then gets kind of intense and pulls rather hard. Then he started on my bangs, which meant pulling the hair just at the edge of my forehead. Ouchie. I stayed perfectly still, but when he tugged too hard, I'd let out a shrill "yipe". It only took a couple of times of me letting out the noise for him to realize he was hurting me and he got very gentle. He rode around on my head for a couple of minutes. I am so proud of him.

 

He did give me a little bite when I took him back, but I think it was more a grab because he was losing balance on the stick so I wasn't too hard on him. I did show him the blood and say "Now look what you did to mommy. That hurt." He got me right on the skin that stretches between thumb and forefinger. It doesn't hurt but boy did it bleed like crazy!

 

He's been such a good boy, though. Tonight we had out time in the kitchen again, and he kept flying up to the basket on the fridge and peering down at me. I was taking stuff out of and putting stuff in to the dehydrator - which is next to the fridge in the opposite corner as the play stand. I guess he felt he needed to be closer to me. It's nice to see him want to follow me and be near me.

 

 

His beak is open because he was whistling calls back and forth with me. The little flirt.