New Parront as of this morning! Seeking Advice

[Turbid]

I'm a new parront to a beautiful 4 year old Senegal and I just picked her up today! Her first day I fear was a little traumatizing (to both of us) and I guess I'm looking for reassurance!

She went back into her cage this morning after getting her out of the carrier - it all went very well! Later on she and I were hanging out and I was talking to her with my hand near the cage and avoiding eye contact and such and she let me put my hand in to pet her for nearly 30 minutes! I helped scratch some pin feathers and we both enjoyed it a lot. A little later she stepped-up with no pressure at all and I thought "wow this is pretty special!" And then she hopped off of my finger after 10 seconds and fluttered her wings a few times and pulled out a flight feather in process - I got pretty scared too and I let her to her self for a little after making sure she wasn't bleeding. I went and got a new sandy perch for her (she didn't have one when we got her) and I came back a couple of hours later and put it into her cage pretty quickly without giving her much time to feel it out. After I did, she began climbing all around her cage and yelling for about 5-10 minutes before eating an almond and then returning back to yelling. I gave her some more head scratches (which I'm amazed that she wanted after I traumatized her!) and now she seems pretty okay. Ever since then she's been dangling from the roof of her cage and bopping her head and whining like a puppy (her previous parent had a dog that they say she learned it from).

Anyway I guess I'm just wondering if adding the sandy perch was too much too soon? Is anything I did like a huge no-no? I'm worried about my baby! Any help or advice would be so greatly appreciated.

Also worth noting, that one almond she had was her first food today. She hadn't tried to eat the food in her dish, so I gave her the almond as a Hail Mary!

Thanks all

Edit: the flight feather hung on for an hour or so before she preened herself and took it out by herself.

[Harpmaker]

Welcome to the forum! Kudos to you for adopting an adult bird!

It may be that you pushed your new friend to far by adding to her cage. Some birds are afraid of new toys, and they need to see them at a distance first, and have the item brought closer over a period of days before they accept it.

Moving is a traumatic experience for everyone, and your Sennie needs to feel secure in her new home. Having the cage against a wall, or having towel covering the back of the cage is sometimes helpful, as she only has to worry about predators coming from 3 sides instead of 4.

Spend the first weeks with your bird just bonding. Sit near the cage and read out loud, talk, or sing. Birdproof a room and let her come out if she wants to.

This is barely a start, but there are so many things to consider with a new bird it is easy to be overwhelmed. I am sure other members will come on soon to add to what I have said. Most important is don't rush.

[Wolf]

Take the new perch out and either provide a picture of it or find a link to one like it on line so we can see it. Some of these perches are bad for your birds feet. It is likely that you have scared her with the new perch which is why I said to take it back out.
What are you giving her to eat? Many new and inexperienced will only feed pellets or seeds to their new bird, but their nutritional needs are much more complex than this. We are still in the act of learning what our parrots need in their diet, and many of the feed companies are lagging even further behind that.
Our parrots can be very understanding as well as forgiving and by their actions turn our mistakes into a good thing, such as sticking our hands into their cages while they are still new and we have not yet earned their trust.

[Turbid]

I'm feeding her what she came to me eating -- a seed mix from a cheap pet store.

I took out the perch -- it's a Cozy Corner medium sized sandy perch. Color is Blue. Purchased from a local bird rescue. She's still screeching quite a bit this morning.. I just want muh baby to be happy and also not getting me kicked out of my housing! Some of her calls are sweet and charming but every 3rd or 4th one is a grating screech.

I just feel so rotten for her and the folks we are likely affecting!

Edit: she has not at all attempted to bite, despite reaching in to do things and rub her head etc

[Turbid]

She's also making a noise that sounds like she's grinding her beak. Hm any experience with this?

[Wolf]

In all likelihood the loud screeches/ screams are contact calls and in this case is probably because she want your company, like be on you company. The beak grinding is good and it usually means a contented or happy bird.
I don't use this perch, I use one that has a textured surface but also has two sides of it non textured. The real drawback to the Cozy Corner perch is that it is completely round as well as appearing to be the same diameter for its entire length. The reason that this is a drawback and potentially bad for her feet is that no matter how she perches on it the pressure point is always on the same place on her feet. To get an idea of what this means try standing on a ladder for an hour. I know that makes me sound like I am being petty, but really I am not. Bumblefoot is not a joking matter for a bird and it is painful for them. You will find that all forums are filled with advice on little things more often than big or major things and it is because it is the little things that left unchanged become the big things, so it is the little things that will get you most of the time. Hopefully with right actions you will be able to keep little things little.
I don't know what your schedule is like, so I don't know how much time you have for your bird and its upkeep. But probably diet is where you will spend most of your time until you get it down. Seeds are good for your bird but not all of the time. Pellets are getting better, but still have a long way to go. Neither of them eliminate the need to feed your bird fresh foods. I cook for my birds so I am going to let you know how I feed my birds and then let you do some research on your own so that you can figure out what and how you are going to feed your bird.
My birds are up at sunrise and I like to give them a fresh, raw vegetable, a leafy green and a fruit. About an hour later I feed them breakfast which is a cooked mix of whole grains, mixed vegetables and cooked white beans and lentils. They eat these foods all day long and then about 6 pm I give them their ration of seeds which I remove when they go to bed for the night.
Right now two things that will help you the most are knowing your birds body language
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww15eii.htm
and knowing things in your house which are toxic and non toxic to your bird
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=12521
the second link has a list beginning on the second page of toxic and non toxic items that you should be aware of.

[Turbid]

Thank you very much for the advice -
I got the advice for the cozy corner by the owner of a local bird rescue. She said its her favorite for a sleeping perch up high in the cage. We will see how it works and if she likes it eventually - for now it is out of the cage and out of sight.
As for the food, we were told also to keep her on her old schedule and food for a little while until things settle down. I have a big bag of Roudybush pellets which I will begin giving her Once she's settled. And yes we have plenty of time to cook for her! Thank you for the advice on specific things to make - it will be helpful and I will make sure to check that link.
And we are totally on the same page regarding harmful and toxic objects and chemicals. We are using all stainless steel cookwear and we don't use candles or strong smelling anything.

This morning she has been eating some seeds and we have given her about 5 almonds in the shell which she seems to love!

We will see how the next couple of nights and mornings go because it seems that those are the times where she really wants to scream. I've heard her normal calling before... Birdy can get loud!

Thanks again for all of the great feedback and advice yall

[Wolf]

I would put the perch about 3 feet away from her where she can see it, she can't get over being afraid of it if she can't see it.
first thing in the morning and just before going to sleep are the normal times that they flock call.

[Turbid]

Great to know
Is it normal for a Senegal to scream loud and coarsely when she calls the flock? Or is it "typically" more of a chatter and maybe gentler?

[Wolf]

Actually it is pretty normal and they will do it whenever they are alone, but mostly in the morning and evening. Parrots were never designed to be alone and in the wild they are never alone from the time they are born until the time of their death. The flock is their greatest defense against predators, followed by the ability to fly.
You can help to reduce the volume of this contact calling by answering the bird every time that it calls and by answering with a whistle, a simple two note whistle seems to be the most preferred by most parrots. If you give a two note whistle in response to their calls , they will normally pick up on this and start using it to call for you. Most people that hear a bird whistle are not bothered by it although they are bothered by the normal calls.