Check out the new resident of Paradise!

UPDATE! He came out of the cage on his own tonight! He would NOT step up on my finger at all, he bites hard! I tried using a perch for him to step up and he flew off the cage, but could not stay up, landing on the floor. When I went over to get him he stepped right up onto my hand! He then allowed for a series of step ups from hand to hand, so he knows how, he seems to be just cage bound or cage defensive. He is still uncertain about me but at least there has been some headway.

He seems almost bipolar, one minute he is fine and taking treats from me no problem, the next he is lunging at me and trying to take off my finger. I haven't yet figured out what triggers the lunge.

Roger, Congratulations!
You have no idea how I'm happy for you!!!
The best idea, that I'm writing this. I told you, that one day you will find your "Lucky", remember?
Don't worry, that he acts like bipolar, he needs time to trust you. The best, that he is not running from you!!! Like Roz said, for me, he seems tamed in some way.

I'm so glad, you followed your dreams and that your wife agreed.

And yes, he's cute! Thanks for pictures!

Best from us!
Margaret and Monsters!

p.s. What Merlin thinks about new company? (after time Lucky treats Chico like his sister)

I am so jealous!

Margaret wrote:

What Merlin thinks about new company? (after time Lucky treats Chico like his sister)

Thanks Margaret! Don't know how Merlin is as yet, as the new guy (really need to find him a name) is still in quarantine in another part of the house. They can hear each other and have been answering each other's calls, but that is about it so far! I won't know how Merlin will react until November, seems so far away! But at least it gives me time to socialize the Red Bellied.

zazanomore wrote:

I am so jealous!

Thanks Alyssa, I am just happy to be joining the rest of you multi-bird homes. It was kind of a fluke that I found him. I regularly look at birds for sale on Kijiji, having found nothing worth pursuing. I just happened to check the shelter website for the fun of it, and there he was! Seemed like a sign to me, so in I dove!

RogerP wrote:

UPDATE! He came out of the cage on his own tonight! He would NOT step up on my finger at all, he bites hard! I tried using a perch for him to step up and he flew off the cage, but could not stay up, landing on the floor. When I went over to get him he stepped right up onto my hand! He then allowed for a series of step ups from hand to hand, so he knows how, he seems to be just cage bound or cage defensive. He is still uncertain about me but at least there has been some headway.

HAPPY!!!

RogerP wrote:

He seems almost bipolar, one minute he is fine and taking treats from me no problem, the next he is lunging at me and trying to take off my finger. I haven't yet figured out what triggers the lunge.

I'm beginning to think this might be an african thing. I never had problems with my first grey, but the grey I have from my friend is this way. She also had this behavior from her senegal. Seems they're less "readable" (to humans at least) so it seems they're bipolar.

Those of you with african species - what do you think/observe?

neither my sengal or grey is like that, but i have an amazon exactly like that...can't trust him for a minute


dusty

Scotty is VERY hard to read IMO. Scooter is an open book in comparison. But that's partly because with that big Cape beak, he always looks like he's smiling. Scotty tends to seem bipolar to Bill, and Bill gets bitten. I think I can see when he goes from playful to genuinely aggressive, but he never bites me even when he crabs at me, so I may just be imagining it. The only obvious body language he has is that when I pick him up if he's feeling affectionate he fluffs up like a stuffed toy and his eyes get all soft.

Oh WOW!!! He's gorgeous:o)

Okay people I have decided on a name. Henceforth my new fid will be know as......Arthur!

I went through many ideas, including trying some African ideas, but eventually decided to stay with same theme (Merlin, Arthur, knights of the round table). Once quarantine is over I hope my Merlin is a good mentor to my Arthur!

Just avoid Mordred and Morganas!

Welcome to paradise Arthur, take it easy on Roger,LOL

Arthur is perfect, I love it!



I am still not satisfied with the pictures you have shared. More, more, more! Shove a camera in his face, he will be alright!!!!

I will do my best Julsie! I will try to get my wife to take some pictures as it is harder to take them myself.

We spent about an hour on the couch last night, with him sitting on my hand or chest or shoulder. He seems not too bad once I get him off the cage. I can open his wing for inspection, touch under his wing, his chest, his back, all no problem really. He will step up from anywhere but on his cage. There I get attacked. I have tried to get him to climb up on a perch from the cage and this causes him to fly off the cage. From there we're fine again.

How do I break this cycle? I know it will likely just take time, but I am wondering if anyone has any techniques or suggestions to facilitate this. Arthur must have been left in his cage too much before coming to me.

ScooterNScotty wrote:

Just avoid Mordred and Morganas!

Shouldn't be a problem, Deb. If I bring another bird into the house I will likely need a new home .

we might be able to rehome you roger, but bring the birds...lol


dusty

I'd use bribes and go slow with getting him to step up from the cage. Scotty is like that with Bill to an extent, although not as bad as it sounds Arthur is. What's in the cage? You might try temporarily removing anything he's too cozy with and rearranging it. When Scooter went though his last angry phase, I did remove some of his "nesty" things and it did help. Now everything is back to normal including the stuff I had removed and all is well.

Maybe you can train the "fly somewhere other than cage" behavior with treats? If you could command him off the cage, onto a nearby surface, sort of the opposite of flight recall, you'd have some working space.

It's worth a try Deb, I'll see what I can accomplish. As for the cage, it contains three perches, one natural, one cement, and one rope. Three toys, to hanging from the roof (basically ignored) and one set of willow balls that he is in the process of destroying. I get the feeling that he did not have much for toys before, he doesn't play very much. I tried putting a towel through the roof above the highest perch to give him somewhere to cuddle at night, but he does not seem to use that perch very much, so I took it out. Nothing really "nesty" in there right now. The reaction is almost a passive aggressive thing. He will run away from my hand if given the chance, and will only "bite" if he has nowhere to go.

honestly the same thing happened with marty but once he trusts you he will be an awesome bird. try to let him come to you after a week marty decided he wanted to be pet and thats when we started to bond it takes a long time to build trust with any bird but if the bird is territorial then its worse lol xD youll get bit youll bleed but eventually youll be able to pick him up and he'll be happy about it! dont get discouraged!!!

Thanks Coral.

Arthur has a vet appointment on Saturday afternoon, so we'll find out if he is as healthy as he appears to be. Bonus! The initial exam for Arthur will be covered by the shelter! After what they do for the dogs and cats (fixing, microchipping, vet exam, insurance for six months, one year pet licensing), I am glad to get something other than just Arthur himself.

For cage bound/cage territorial birds, I notice if I leave the cage door open more often than it's closed they seem to get over the territoriality. Maybe their territory expands when I do this? Dunno.

I do understand this is not necessarily practical for some people.

I have been trying that for the last few days, when I am with him letting him in and out as he pleases. He seems to be becoming more outgoing at least, no less passive aggressive though.

Tonight he has taken to "lifting off" whenever the mood strikes him. I am talking to him and giving him treats while he is out of the cage, but not trying to pick him up while on it. However, if he takes off he will land on my hand, or if he lands somewhere else, I will pick him up and he is fine, letting me cuddle, skritches, sitting on my hand and shoulder, the lot. We're not there yet but we are getting somewhere.

So, I have a question, this being the first time I have had to deal with quarantining. Arthur has his vet appointment on Saturday. If the vet gives him a clean bill of health, I continue the quarantine anyway, correct? Just in case something hasn't arisen yet?

Not that I need the two to see each other yet (I am paranoid about Merlin freaking out and being a complete jerk with Arthur), but I was just wondering what the correct procedure is.

What a cutie!! I don't think I'd ever seen one of those before. Merlin and Arthur... so perfect Congrats Roger!!

Thanks Lyz, I think SnS and I are the only regulars here that have Poi's of any kind. I find it surprising that we don't really have anyone here with a Senegal, as they seem to be the most popular Poi's.

Update, Arthur finally stepped up off the cage for me once tonight. I think he was distracted and didn't realize what I was doing. However, soon after doing this he took off and ended up somewhere I had to grab him to get him back. Two steps forward and one back. Oh well ....