phil
Hatchling
Posts: 1 
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Post by phil on Sept 2, 2014 23:12:15 GMT -5
Hello all! So I recently bought an 8 month old Quaker Parrot on Sunday from a pet store. The first two days I kept him in his cage so he can get used to his new environment and become comfortable in his new cage. I left the door open to give him more freedom and didn't do much else with him except for reaching my hand in and petting him while saying ""Good bird." Today I decided to take him out and bond with him, but for some reason when I reach my hand in for him to step up he moves away and doesn't want to get on my finger. Yet if I grab him (and he squawks quietly and tries to hold on to the cage when I do) out and place him on my finger, he stays and will step up on my other finger when I tell him to. He'll stay on my finger and let me pet him some but once I stop and he finds a chance to run, he flies away and actually runs away from me when I try to pick him up again, squawking every time I grab him. What my question is, am I doing anything wrong or is it just natural for him to want to fly away every time I try to bond with him? Is there anything else I should be doing to make him feel more comfortable around me this way we could bond? He doesn't eat anything I hand to him, whether it be seeds, millet, or treats.
Also, every time he's on my finger he likes to run up my arm to my shoulder. Should I allow him to climb to my shoulder and stay there? Or would it be more effective to keep him on my finger as much as possible?
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Post by biteybird on Sept 3, 2014 3:53:09 GMT -5
Try to be patient. You don't know if he's had bad experiences with people's hands in the pet store. He might be carrying some 'baggage' from other humans. Did the store owners say whether he's ever been out of a cage? He may have spent his whole 8 months in there. Maybe let him choose to come to you rather than trying to grab him? I don't think you're doing anything wrong necessarily, it's just that you don't know what experiences he's had so far and he might need time to relax and get used to your presence. I reckon letting him sit on your shoulder should be fine. I'd encourage it if it means he wants to spend time with you.
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Post by easttex on Sept 3, 2014 6:09:15 GMT -5
I agree he needs more time to get to know you. He's a little scared of you right now and you will have to court him for a while. Parrots don't like radical change right off the bat, and you've made a big one in his life. It will take him time to see that it is one for the better. Continue to spend time with him, near his open cage, doing things like reading, or playing with bird toys, or just talking to him. Let him decide when he is ready to come out and let his cage be his sanctuary for now. I would not allow him on my shoulder yet. A scared bird wants to get to the highest elevation, but it can be difficult to get them off. You stand a fair chance of getting bit, further harming your bond. Save that for when you know and trust each other a bit more. Good luck with him! You're definitely doing the right thing asking questions.  |
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Post by Sharyn and Mr P on Sept 3, 2014 7:09:50 GMT -5
I agree with Easttex as far as not letting him sit on your shoulder. That should be a privilege he earns, not something he automatically does. I adopted my quaker when he was 3 so he had other human interaction for sure. One thing I read that seemed to work great with him was something called "the pause". (It might've been called something pause, I can't remember the exact name). Basically, you take your hand and get it as close to them, slowly, as you can, watching their body language. If it looks like they are about to run away (or in my bird's case, lunge), you STOP moving your hand until they are comfortable again. This lets them know that you respect their body language and will hopefully prevent them from biting later on down the road because you are ignoring their body language. It's hard to remember at first, that these guys are smart and have very real feelings, they are not dogs that you have to show who is boss. I do not buy into the alpha parrot theory at all, for the most part, especially at first, they are warning you that they are uncomfortable by running away. Disrespect the body language, and you will wind up with a parrot that bites, because that is the only way he can get his point across. Talk to him, sing to him, place his cage near you, spend as much time interacting with him in a non threatening way. EAT IN FRONT OF HIM (fruits, veggies, stuff that is good for him). Make yummy lip smacking noises and tell him how good what you are eating is. See if you can coax him into coming to you for a bite of food. The fact that he won't take treats from you yet means he doesnt consider you a flock member and doesnt trust you. Taking food from your hand and eating it (rather than dropping it) is significant. Something else I read (and practice), your parrot should WANT to participate, as in eat with you, come to you, step up willingly..keep that in mind when you are interacting and don't force him, chase him, etc. Giving them the chance to participate works! Trust me on this. When I first got my quaker I couldnt put my hand in his cage without him attacking me. Now, I put my hand in his cage and he RUNS to it to step up, from whatever part of the cage he's in. I NEVER chase him around his cage, rather I rest my hand on his front most perch and let him decided to "participate" by stepping up. If he doesnt come to my hand to step up, I close the cage door and leave him alone. 9 times out of 10 he can't wait to come over to me and step up. Somedays he is not in the mood to be social, so I respect that and leave him alone. He does not bite me when I put my hand in his cage anymore, because he understands I am not going to force to do something he doesnt want to do. Quakers are really smart and really food oriented. Be his buddy, keep offering him treats, respect his boundries and show him you understand his body language and you will have a wonderful friend for life There are some really good books out there on quakers too, read up so you can understand why he is acting the way he is and what he is telling you from his body language. I am thinking of one book in particular but I'll be darned if I can remember the name of it, it's excellent. I'll look it up and get back to you if you are interested. (lol speaking of which, I didnt mean to write one here, sorry!) |
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Post by msdani1981 on Sept 3, 2014 10:06:33 GMT -5
You've gotten some EXCELLENT advice. Great post, Sharyn! Biteybird and Easttex gave really sound advice, too. I really can't add anything, except to say again to try to be patient. Your baby is stressed and probably literally thinks you're going to eat him...birds are prey animals. The book Sharyn referred to is called "Guide to the Quaker Parrot" by Mattie Sue Athan. She also wrote a fabulous book called "Guide to the Well Behaved Parrot", which I highly recommend. Welcome to the forum! |
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Post by Sharyn and Mr P on Sept 3, 2014 12:16:37 GMT -5
LOL thanks, Dani, sucks to get old, that was exactly the book I was thinking of.
One thing that shed a whole lot of light on Mr P's behavior when I first got him, was the whole "front porch" concept.
That explains so much about what they think when you put your hand into their cage and which is why I rest my hand on Mr P's "living room" perch and leave the bedroom perch alone.
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Post by cnyguy on Sept 3, 2014 20:30:36 GMT -5
You have received a lot of good advice and there's not much I could add to it. Patience is usually rewarded-- take things at the pace that your Quaker is comfortable with. Sitting by the cage and talking softly to your parrot is a great way to help him get to know you and get comfortable with you. When you'd like your parrot to come out, it often works well to just leave the door open and let him decide if and when he wants to. Providing a hanging perch on the outside of the cage, just under the door, will give him a safe and comfortable place to stand. Sometimes that's the first step for a parrot before exploring beyond his cage.
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