Tips For a Nervous Rescue Grey?

[britmon]

Thank you all for all of your advice! I guess it's just the extra-cautious-excited bird mom in me makes me want to be prepared for the worst. Seeing her so scared of me with blood everywhere on her first night here really took a toll on me as well as her. There has already been a decrease in her nail biting, she is taking treats from my hand, she even let me touch her beak earlier, and , as I am typing this, she is climbing down off her cage for the first time to check everything else out! Small steps are all I can ever ask for, especially from such a scary background. As someone who has seen so many rescues gone bad, I am so determined to make this one go as perfectly as possible. One good thing to come from her neglect: she has a good handful of her flight feathers back, I predict that she will be able to achieve some lift after her next molt! I will DEFINITELY need more help when that time comes due to my sheer lack of experience regarding that. You all are wonderful! Thank you

EDIT: To be clear, this means no training yet! Just making a happy healthy birdy.

[liz]

She is on the move. It won't be long now. If she comes to you call her up but don't touch her with hands. I am so excited for you. Myrtle learned so fast. She flies under the ceiling fans after a wing tip touched one. She knows not to land on things hanging down such as a fly strip. She can fly sideways if someone is blocking a doorway. Can you tell I am excited for you?

[britmon]

I'm super excited too!! She keeps improving every day, I can't wait to see how wonderful and confident she will be with her wings back! Here's a cute little birdy butt in the foraging box I set up for her on top of her cage

[liz]

That is sooooo cute. They just love cardboard boxes. Rambo screamed the first time I gave him one. Scared me half to death. When I replaced it with another that still had it's sides he screamed again but this time made cute giggles and noises.

I put a piece of plywood on the top of both cages. One is a play patteo and the other is for food tray and night perches.

No matter how long they are with you, each day will bring a surprise. My daughter brought me a breakfast biscuit this morning. When I didn't open it to share with Myrtle she just helped herself and tore her way in.

Everyday is something new they teach me.