? about falling

[ajlinva]

Well, Bingo has been home a week now and he is just wonderful! I have enjoyed him so much - no bites and bends down his head all of the time for a neck scratch. He will grab my lip for a kiss, but I try to avoid that - someone else must have let him kiss in the mouth. He is just amazing and each day just seems to be getting more and more relaxed. I am so lucky to have found such a wonderful friend. Also found out that he is 8 and not 10 (not that it makes any difference). About the only thing is when I take him out of the cage and he goes to my shoulder when I am walking, I feel that he is so unsteady and I am afraid he is going to fall off - so I walk around looking like - well I don't know, but I know its not pretty! I have tried several times to keep him on my hand and put my other hand on his back until we get to where we are going - sometime he lets me and then the next time he doesn't like it. His wings are trimed and when he takes off and goes to the floor it worries me that he might hurt himself. Thanks for any advise!

[madisimmons]

I'm by far no expert but I do know they can hurt their feathers when they go to the floor with clipped wings. My Sammie has done it on more than one occasion but I think its because she didn't "fledge" (I think that's what it's called)another words she never got to fly and she has bad balance.

 

Sammie will eventually pull out the feather that was damaged. She is missing most of her tail feathers and a few wing feathers from doing this.

 

I basically lowered her cage and removed her playstand from the top of her cage. I even close her cage door so she can't sit on the door. I built her a playstand I can put on the floor or on my desk. Less distance to fall or fly to the floor is my way of thinking.

[BMustee]

First, if your grey is dropping like a rock then they clip was not don't right...a parrot should be able to glide to the floor at a 45 degree angle. Greys are heavy body birds, so their clip should be below the covert feathers, not at them, especially if the bird was not able to learn how to fully fly. I would be more worried about the keel bone than the feathers. A keel bone break is a nasty injury for a parrot.

 

Here is how you should have your greys clipped.

 

If your grey's clip is close to the picture above then he should be fine. Give him a little time to get used to the way you walk and he will be able to perch on you with the best of them.

[madisimmons]

You can also change the way you hold your arm and make him stay on your fingers. Keep telling him to step up to the other hand until you get him to stay on your fingers. Keep your hand elevated higher thank your elbow almost completely vertical. You can face the bird towards you and hold her feet still with your thumb as well. (tip from the vet "This also makes them feel more stable/balanced")

 

Good luck

[Acappella]

Madisimmons' advise works with Dorian, who has a terrible sense of balance when he's perched on me. He doesn't like me holding both feet with my thumb but will let me trap one at a time to keep him stable. I've heard this called the Egyption pose. Birds don't like to climb down and by keeping your upper arm tight against the body, bent straight up at the elbow and hand/fingers held parallel to the floor, down is the only way to go. I still have to walk around very slowly, but I hope as he feels more confidant I'll get back to walking like a normal human! Sounds like you're having a great time getting to know Bingo. Enjoy!

[ajlinva]

Thank you all so much! He is just wonderful and full of himself - already knows that I am wrapped all around his little talon.

[Christina]

I noticed that one thing that Finnigan does not do, is hold on very tightly when she is perched on my shoulder. She seems to slip and slide quite a bit if I make any sudden movements. I started telling her to "hold on" if I was going to bend over or move to one side, anything that might throw her off balance. It didn't take long and now all I say is "hold on" and she grips her little toes tighter. I don't know why she won't hold on tight the whole time, but she won't. It didn't take much time to catch on to the "hold on" command though. I know that doesn't help with sudden stops, but if they learn to scrunch those toes, they seem to get better at it instead of slipping off and fluttering to the floor as much.

[madisimmons]

Christina wrote:

I noticed that one thing that Finnigan does not do, is hold on very tightly when she is perched on my shoulder. She seems to slip and slide quite a bit if I make any sudden movements. I started telling her to "hold on" if I was going to bend over or move to one side, anything that might throw her off balance. It didn't take long and now all I say is "hold on" and she grips her little toes tighter. I don't know why she won't hold on tight the whole time, but she won't. It didn't take much time to catch on to the "hold on" command though. I know that doesn't help with sudden stops, but if they learn to scrunch those toes, they seem to get better at it instead of slipping off and fluttering to the floor as much.

 

 

I have these visions of getting my eye gouged out.. I don't let Sammie hang out on my shoulder. Wish I was braver, but I'm not:lol:

 

I hear conflicting stories about to or not to let them on your shoulders.. hmmm

[Laurie]

Klaus is a shoulder bird. I tried my darndest to fight it when we first got him, but he won. He wore me down. I know what you mean about them not feeling real secure up there when you're walking around. I walk and move very carefully when I have Klaus on me.

I like Christina's idea of training them to understand "Hold on" when you're about to move or bend. I'll have to try it!

[BMustee]

Elmo knows the "Hold on" and "Here we go" commands and holds on tighter when I say it. He's good with reading my body when we are walking, but when we go for a car ride (he rides on my shoulder sometimes) he will slip when I turn, slow down, or accelerate. He caught on to those verbal cues very fast.

 

As for the eye injuring, read the tread "worst injuries ever" for a good reason not to let your grey on your head.

[ajlinva]

Thanks for all of the advise - am working on them all and I can feel him hold a little tighter when I say "hold on". Also, the thumb on his feet works real well too! Don't know what I would do without you guys!!