Blanco update

The little bird seems to be doing great! (I think of him as the "little" bird even though he outweighs scooter by 30%).

He's been quite forgiving about the medication. Bill grabs him and he squeaks bloody murder, but as soon as he's let go, he's back on the shoulder adoring him. I'm trying to keep my mitts off him for the first month or two as much as I can stand. I stole Scotty, Blanco is going to be his. And Blanco really seems to like him.

He's starting to play with his toys a little. I did make a huge tactical error in getting him one of those treat sticks. He LOVES that. I fear that's most of his food intake, however. I've tried treats like that with the other two, but they turn up their beaks. He lit up the minute he saw it. I move it around the cage every day, and his first order of business is to find it. I think when it is gone, there won't be another until some special occasion.

He is super cuddly once he gets started. Bottomless pit for head rubs.

I caught him "singing" the other day, I think. At first I thought there was a rusty hinge somewhere, then in sounded more like a wheezing bellows. About the time I figured out where it was coming from, it turned into a sort of whistle-y song-y thing. Is that normal? Or is he imitating something from his past life? At any rate, I took it to be a cheerful thing.

I think my subconscious is still getting over looking out the window and seeing him out there. Last night I dreamed a couple of quaker parrots wound up on the front stoop of the new house. One was neon geen and the other bright safety orange. I couldn't decide what to do about finding an owner because they are illegal here. Woke up going, "huh?"

Watch out for treat sticks! Stryder gets one twice a year when my mom gets the birds treats at Christmas time. It's his main food consumption for a day or two!

He is probably singing an old ditty from his prior life - most likely he's very out of tune .

The squeaky mad verbalizations while being medicated is normal for tiels - all fuss, then love immediately thereafter Such drama queens!

Glad he's settling in well so far!

Cockatiels really aren't known for their grudges.

zazanomore wrote:

Cockatiels really aren't known for their grudges.

You have no idea how happy I was when I read this...

LOL

All they want is love!

One time at the Vets, he got scared and we had to towel him. He bit me that ONCE and afterwards he was all cuddles and kisses

Ha, ha!

He is singing, because he is happy! Some of them are very vocal, when they show they feelings.
Mickey make weird noices, when we give her new toy to shred

Pretty_Poe wrote:

zazanomore wrote:

Cockatiels really aren't known for their grudges.

You have no idea how happy I was when I read this...

They spaz on you sometime for what seems like no reason, but they don't really mean anything by it. It's really quite funny when they do it.

Mine also likes immediate response to his vocal or physical noises. I say physical noises because one of his favorites is to hit his beak on the cage bars and then you are to touch your fingernails to a table a few times to answer. He does a lot of whistles (Happy Birthday and wolf whistles) but since I can not whistle much anymore I just tweet tweet back and he seems satisfied.