Pumpkin seems terrified of the birds outside ..

[tatdmommy]

In our front yard we have a tree that has nests in it of blue jays and some other little birds. In our backyard there is more trees with nests in them. Also in the graveyard behind our house there are very, very tall trees that crows seem to nest in, I know this only because the crows go CRAZY and chase this huge falcon around. I think the falcon raids their nests. It's a very loud chase with many crows. They all hang out on our power lines in the backyard too.

 

I went out into the front yard the other day and a huge falcon was sitting on my lawn next to the tree where the nests are. He looked at me and gave me a wtf look and took off.

 

In our office is where Pumpkins cage is. The tree in the front yard is about 7-10 feet away. If I open the window she can hear them tweeting. Well she gets worked up and makes this obnoxious high pitched scream. The same scream she does if I leave the room. If she is on my shoulder and does it my ear rings that is how loud it is.

 

She seems to be terrified they are going to get her. I took her outside in her travel cage and we sat out there and the whole time she made the loud scream and climbed all over the cage in what appeared to be a nervous fashion. She also is freaked out if the blinds in any room that she is in are open. I have to keep them almost closed. She can still see the shadows of the birds as they fly by and over the houses.

 

It almost seems like she is trying to talk to them yet pees her pants if they look at her. I don't know if she can sense the falcons outside or what.

 

Has anyone had any experience with this? How can I possibly get her use to all the drama that goes on outside the house?

[LindaMary]

I can just report my own experience with Maxi, who also gets very nervous when crows are around. We have a big wetland behind our house which the crows use as a gathering place sometimes, and there are usually a couple of crows hanging about the neighborhood at any given time. Seagulls, too, in our neighborhood. She really dislikes them and gets very nervous if I have her outisde in her travel cage when they are cawing. Result : I usually bring her inside if they are around - after all, outside time is supposed to be pleasant for her, not frightening! I don't know whether it's an instinctive fear - crows are omnivores of course and will steal baby birds from nests, and they do have crow species in Africa - but in any case there's something about crows Max really doesn't like. She also has Extremely Sharp Vision and can spot a hawk VERY far away (or high up, as the case may be.) Quite a few times when we are outside I have noticed she is fixated on something in the sky, and when I really look hard I will notice there's a hawk circling so high up it's just a speck in the sky - but she's watching its every move. Again - I just bring her inside.

 

I'd suggest you follow Pumpkin's lead: she's shown you she doesn't want to look out that window - it's too scary. So just keep the blinds down, or maybe put a heavy curtian over it. Is her cage at least against a wall on at least one side, so she can feel secure? There are skylights in Maxi's room,and she is just as cautious about hawks she sees through those windows as when she's outside.

 

Keep us posted, and good luck.

[tatdmommy]

Her cage is backed up to a wall. The wall and her cage face this window. I am turning on and leaving on the radio to try to drown out some of the tweets we hear all day long. It seems to help a little.

 

A few minutes ago she was chirping while on her play top. I had the blind completely closed. So I opened it, it's a wood type blind that has slats. So they are open not pulled all the way up. I also turned on the radio. She has stopped the loud ear piercing noise for the moment.

 

Thanks LindaMary.

[LindaMary]

I should add that Maxi doesn't seem to mind all birds - just crows and predators and seagulls. She copies the cardinals and robins, for example. I don't think she's too impressed with my severe macaw's screeching, tho (we've just had him about 3 weeks) - but then neither am I!:pinch: :whistle: :pinch: