Behavior Trends

[dazdncnfusd]

Heya all. As I've mentioned, I'm trying to become involved with, and gain the trust of our TAG, Jake. I got a new pic with the cage door open today B) :

 

 

He's all puffy in the pic. My, how big and tough...:laugh:

 

Anyway, I have a question about behavior trends. When trying to gain the trust of a Grey, does the position you are interacting FROM make a huge difference? What I mean is, does it matter if I am standing, which puts me above him, or sitting, where I am below him. I have seen this in cats, where if you tower over a strange cat, they are far less likely to come to you, but if you get more on their level, it helps.

 

Also, are there any indicators I should look for as a signal that he's ready to interact with me? Or, and prolly more importantly, are there any indicators that should tell me NOT to try to interact with him?

 

Like I said, I know almost nothing about birds, but I want to learn.

[Caspersmum]

Hi. Your'e on the right lines with the height thing, but it's a bit different for birds. Although some people disagree, there's general consensus that a bird will think it's dominant to you if it's head is above yours. You could try varying the heights of the perches in your bird's cage to see if this alters his attitude towards you. It certainly works for me - I make sure Caspers play stand is lower than me, and his cargo net, while huge is also quite low down. When I want him to step up, I stand so that I'm higher than he is - and if I try to get him to step up from below he'll usually try to bite me!

 

As for the indicators, body language is REALLY important in parrots - and the differences can be very subtle. There are some good web sites on body language - you can google it. But it's often a matter of trial and error - getting to know your own individual bird - I find that Casper's eyes give away what sort of mood he's in - when I first got him, he'd put his head down for a head scratch, then savage my fingers, until I worked out what his eyes looked like when he was being 'good' and what he looked like when he was 'evil'! Unfortunately (as you seem to have realised) it can be a very painful example of trial and error.

 

I hope this helps get you started

 

Julia

[Guest Monique]

What CaspersMum says about height is true - most difference of opinion. If I were gaining his trust, though, I would do it from under him (in case it is true) so he learns that you are not trying to dominate over him, but that you are trustworthy and safe. I would sit by him without always making eye contact. I would feed him seeds or treats by hand (if he will let you or work towards that first before stepping up if needed). Feed him something every day or twice a day by hand when he will let you do that. Speak softly and quietly. Read to him. Don't move like a "crazy person" around him. Treat him as you would a wild animal that you are trying to tame and win over his trust with patience.

 

As far as body posture the thing about African Greys is ... well ... they lie. Our old bird would say in her SWEETEST voice. Come here... give me a kiss... I love you. And the unsuspecting stranger would ... and get the BIGGEST NASTIEST bite!!! But, if you hear him growling that is a sign of unhappiness, eye pinning (where the pupils suddently get small and then big) often times precede a bite, speech, or other activity. So if he is eye pinning or growling I would not push it. Also, if he is physically moving away from you. I hope this helps!!!

[dazdncnfusd]

Thanks for the answers so far. It sounds like I'm on track, for the most part. I have been sitting in the floor, chatting with him for a while when I come home from work. I open his cage door, and just sit there, a few feet back, and talk. Oh, and fear not, he is more than happy to take food from my hand. :laugh: I just want to avoid having him bite the hand that feeds him....literally. He was feeling frisky today, and actually climbed on top of his cage. He then let my wife offer a hand, and cuddled and played with her for a bit. She set him on my shoulder a couple of times, and it went without incident. I discovered today that he LOVES grapes, but is not all that fond of blueberries. We put a grape in his food dish, and he even ate the skin. Then, he started rubbing the juice on his perch, and licking it. I also took some advice, and got some of the cat balls with the bell in them. He seemed to like that as well, and actively played with me for a bit, after I suspended it from a chain in his cage. I would tap the ball at him, and he would tap it back. When I would stop, he'd tap it a few times to get me to continue. Then, he got bored, I suppose, and started shaking the ball, making the bell ring.

 

All in all, he seems to be doing a lot better than when we got him. He spent a lot of time alone before, and was in a bedroom, away from people. Here, he's in the kitchen, and can see most of what happens in the day to day at the house. Like I said before, we're living here until we can move, and when we do, he'll be getting a huge quality of life upgrade.

 

Thanks again all, and take care!

 

Jay

[Guest Monique]

Sounds like it's going better for you, Jay! I like the game you made up to play with your bird. We love hearing stories so keep them coming!