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Post by heatherg on Apr 23, 2023 1:11:57 GMT -5
I have a 10 yr old blue Quaker named Willow. He wasn’t handled much until he came to me 2 1/2 yrs ago. Now he is a very friendly cuddly bird, but he’s afraid of a lot of things and remains a bit timid. It seems like he gets more outgoing as time passes.
I’m wondering if keeping him in the same room with a bigger (Meyers) parrot might be intimidating to him? I know he can talk but he doesn’t do it often. I’m wondering if he would be less bashful if he were an only bird or if he was mainly housed in my bedroom. But I also don’t want Jasper to be lonely.
Do you think being caged near a bigger bird is scary to small parrots? He doesn’t SEEM to be scared of Jasper although he alarm calls me when Jasper opens her cage and goes on an adventure.
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Post by cnyguy on Apr 23, 2023 19:15:59 GMT -5
I suppose it depends on the parrots. Some are likely to be afraid of another parrot, especially a bigger one, but I think most parrots probably wouldn't be. Ralph certainly never showed any signs of fear when Scooter the CAG was with us. He sees bigger birds outside too, like mourning doves and blue jays, and they don't bother him either. It really doesn't sound to me like Willow is fearful of Jasper. I suspect that the alarm calls when Jasper lets himself out to go exploring might be Willow's way of alerting you to it so you can keep Jasper out of trouble.
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Post by heatherg on Apr 23, 2023 22:44:38 GMT -5
I think that’s probably true. Lucy used to alarm when Oscar greencheek had adventures.
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Post by cnyguy on Apr 24, 2023 19:26:40 GMT -5
I was thinking back to when Ralph was in the pet store, trying to recall if there were any large parrots in the bird room. As I recall, there were only other small parrots-- three conures, some cockatiels and a few budgies. So Scooter was really the only large parrot that Ralph has ever seen. When I've shopped at a local pet store that sells and boards parrots, there has always been a variety of parrots, from little budgies and parrotlets to a hyacinth macaw. From what I observed, one parrot of any size hardly pays any attention to any of the others. Circumstances might be different with two parrots of different sizes in the same household. As I said, Ralph was never intimidated by Scooter, even when he landed on top of her cage and she snapped at him. He just squawked at her as I had him step up so I could get him off her cage quickly.
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Post by heatherg on Apr 24, 2023 21:57:27 GMT -5
Willow is just so scared of lots of things. I wondered if he was afraid of jasper even though I don’t usually think they’re very interested in each other. Hmm.
Willow was very cuddly today but much after 7 pm he just wants to hide his head and doze.
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Post by cnyguy on Apr 25, 2023 19:23:59 GMT -5
I think that Willow is just naturally a little timid, it's just part of his personality. Nothing to worry about, but it should always be kept in mind to help him be less fearful and avoid stress. You seem to be doing a good job of that already.
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Post by heatherg on Apr 26, 2023 1:58:38 GMT -5
I try. I don’t take him to really busy places, and we stay away from loud and angry people.
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Post by cnyguy on Apr 26, 2023 19:40:29 GMT -5
That works for me to reduce stress or anxiety too, especially avoiding loud or angry people.  And you follow the recommended way to introduce new objects to parrots too, to let the parrot (in your case, Willow) get used to them gradually. That helps too. |
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Post by heatherg on Apr 27, 2023 18:45:14 GMT -5
We’ve answered the question: are Quaker parrots afraid of bigger birds: today.
Jasper went on an adventure this afternoon and chose to perch on the branch on the side of Willows cage. I was sleeping off a migraine. Willow did not yell or otherwise indicate any problems. Radio silence from the living room
I found Jasper perched next to Willow’s cage after about two hours of close personal supervision. I didn’t suspect anything but came to get Willow and was surprised to see Jasper RIGHT THERE. Willow is now not a happy bird. He wants to be held IN MY HAND pressed up against my cheek and I am not sure how to satisfy him. He’s ignoring his avicake which has not happened before.
Anyway Willow is now back in his cage destroying a hanging toy.
Hopefully he will deal. It’s his (early) bedtime. We’ll see tomorrow.
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Post by heatherg on May 1, 2023 12:14:49 GMT -5
I upset willow by grabbing the WRONG BALL when he wanted to play.
There are two balls in his basket. One he likes, and a new one that’s SCARY.
I reached in and grabbed the wrong one to offer to Willow and he flopped like a chicken.
I think I’m forgiven now, but it’s quite silly. What’s the difference?
Maybe it’s like a little kid and their teddy bear.
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Post by cnyguy on May 1, 2023 19:16:07 GMT -5
I'm sure you'll never make that mistake again. |
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Post by heatherg on May 4, 2023 22:31:54 GMT -5
No, I don’t touch the scary ball now.
I find Willow is ok with littler birds. It was 70 so we sat outside for a while today. As usual, I was soon swamped by little birds. This happens a lot probably because I am quiet. Willow just sat quietly with me watching the sparrows until they started landing in the picnic table with us. Then we went back inside. (Didn’t want to have him around any outside birds.)
I’ll get a Chewy order in a day or two filled with AVICAKES and dried fruit as well as the zupreem that Jasper prefers to expensive Harrison’s coarse pepper pellets. I’m going to try giving the pepper pellets to Willow for a treat. Maybe I’ll have to smash them with a hammer.
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Post by cnyguy on May 5, 2023 19:34:58 GMT -5
I guess that Ralph has become accustomed to the bigger birds he can see from the window. Sometimes a blue jay will sit on the balcony railing and we have mourning doves nesting on top of the air conditioner's wall sleeve again this year, so he sees them often.
It's nice that you could take Willow outside for a while and it is smart to keep some distance between him and the wild birds. I can't really take Ralph onto the grounds here since there's too much activity out there, with people walking dogs, cars and trucks constantly going by, the trash collectors and lawn maintenance people coming around. I used to take George the YCA out onto the balcony in good weather but I don't do that with Ralph. My downstairs neighbors are out on their balcony for a smoke about every fifteen minutes and the smoke drifts right up to our balcony. The woman next to her complained about the smoke so now my genius neighbor sprays air freshener before she lights up. Brilliant.
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Post by heatherg on May 5, 2023 23:10:10 GMT -5
Air freshener. Yuck.
There’s a small courtyard behind my apartment but it sure didn’t seem like those birds were around until we came. They were in a different part of the yard. And then suddenly little birds overflying my head and landing on the small table.
I would think Quakers and blue jays are about the same size? As well as Quakers and mourning doves. Robins are a bit smaller. But blue jays are aggressive birds. I wouldn’t know whether to bet on the blue jay or the Quaker, honestly.
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Post by cnyguy on May 6, 2023 22:39:53 GMT -5
The blue jays and mourning doves are both a lot bigger than an average QP. The female dove nesting on top of the air conditioner is much smaller than the male, and she is twice Ralph's size. The blue jays do tend to intimidate the other birds. Ralph doesn't mind them as long as they stay on the other side of the window.
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And you follow the recommended way to introduce new objects to parrots too, to let the parrot (in your case, Willow) get used to them gradually. That helps too.