The bad thing about Pionuses?

[Wayne361]

As said....the guys a douche bag who threw an adult temper tantrum due to a loss of sale. My advice is to tell everyone you know to avoid the breeder. Hurt his business....then he will think twice before spouting off. He got in your head because he wanted to be an idiot about the loss of the sale. Dont overthink.
What makes a good bird verse a "bad bird" is how YOU go about socializing said bird.

Wayne

[Elaihr]

As said....the guys a douche bag who threw an adult temper tantrum due to a loss of sale. My advice is to tell everyone you know to avoid the breeder. Hurt his business....then he will think twice before spouting off. He got in your head because he wanted to be an idiot about the loss of the sale. Dont overthink.
What makes a good bird verse a "bad bird" is how YOU go about socializing said bird.

Wayne

Thank you for the reassurance! I'm kind of sad he behaved that way because I was actually about to suggest to him that I could help him look around for other people interested in getting a bird, but yeah, with that response, I don't feel much like it anymore :/

I'm also glad to see a response from a Pionus owner who also claims her/his parrots aren't problematic. Even more time has passed and Penny is still just as lovely as before. Regarding the biting, she's not a biter either. Sometimes she decides to go to sleep in the wrong place (I want her to sleep in her cage), and then she's usually a bit grumpy and nibbles my fingers a bit when I take her down from wherever she's sitting, but it's not a hard bite so I don't really mind. Jesus, if I go to sleep on the couch and my fiancée tells me to get up and come to bed, I get grumpy too!

[cml]

I'm also glad to see a response from a Pionus owner who also claims her/his parrots aren't problematic. Even more time has passed and Penny is still just as lovely as before. Regarding the biting, she's not a biter either. Sometimes she decides to go to sleep in the wrong place (I want her to sleep in her cage), and then she's usually a bit grumpy and nibbles my fingers a bit when I take her down from wherever she's sitting, but it's not a hard bite so I don't really mind. Jesus, if I go to sleep on the couch and my fiancée tells me to get up and come to bed, I get grumpy too!

Leroy is the sweetest bird ever. He isnt as cuddly as Stitch, but he will never bite and is very considerate.

We do have some issues with his beak growing a little too fast, but after ruling out any diseases through lots of vet visits and lab tests, as well as carefully going through his diet, it's been put down to genetics by our very competent avian vet. It's not a big problem, we just have to go to the vet a bit more often than usual for a beak trim.

Regarding the beaking, you really should do something about that before it turns into biting. I would suggest that you start from scratch and work with targeting, and then re-do step up training. Make stepping up something positive, and keep her distracted with the targeting stick as to avoid her nibbling on your fingers when stepping up.

Also, you need to make sure that you make going into the cage a positive experience. You do NOT want to make it seem like a punishment. Michael uses food management to make sure the cage is a great place, as do I, but I also always give them half a sunflower seed for going into the cage. They always go into it eagerly, and can also fly there on command.
Well in the cage, make sure its a fun place with lots of perches, toys and stuff to do - but I am sure you know that already.

[Elaihr]

I'm also glad to see a response from a Pionus owner who also claims her/his parrots aren't problematic. Even more time has passed and Penny is still just as lovely as before. Regarding the biting, she's not a biter either. Sometimes she decides to go to sleep in the wrong place (I want her to sleep in her cage), and then she's usually a bit grumpy and nibbles my fingers a bit when I take her down from wherever she's sitting, but it's not a hard bite so I don't really mind. Jesus, if I go to sleep on the couch and my fiancée tells me to get up and come to bed, I get grumpy too!

Leroy is the sweetest bird ever. He isnt as cuddly as Stitch, but he will never bite and is very considerate.

We do have some issues with his beak growing a little too fast, but after ruling out any diseases through lots of vet visits and lab tests, as well as carefully going through his diet, it's been put down to genetics by our very competent avian vet. It's not a big problem, we just have to go to the vet a bit more often than usual for a beak trim.

Regarding the beaking, you really should do something about that before it turns into biting. I would suggest that you start from scratch and work with targeting, and then re-do step up training. Make stepping up something positive, and keep her distracted with the targeting stick as to avoid her nibbling on your fingers when stepping up.

Also, you need to make sure that you make going into the cage a positive experience. You do NOT want to make it seem like a punishment. Michael uses food management to make sure the cage is a great place, as do I, but I also always give them half a sunflower seed for going into the cage. They always go into it eagerly, and can also fly there on command.
Well in the cage, make sure its a fun place with lots of perches, toys and stuff to do - but I am sure you know that already.

Yeah, this is the weird thing. She normally never bites, it's only when she's half asleep and is being woken up. I suppose this could also be prevented by putting her back into the cage earlier, before she decides to go to sleep. She never nibbles during the day, and she seems to really like her cage. Just, not when she's already half asleep. I do think it won't hurt to re-train the step up training anyway though, as her previous owner didn't give her any real cue except from sticking her hand in front of her. And if Penny didn't feel like it, her previous owner would just leave her be. She told me she was afraid of birds before getting Penny, so that might possibly have something to do with her never asking anything from Penny, whatsoever. She's never been "trained" as such, but I do have the ambition to start training her, and I've already started with step up on cue (the word "step up" but in Swedish), and targeting. She's starting to get a grasp of it, she's perhaps not the most motivated parrot around as she's never had to work for treats before (she was given them regularly but she didn't have to do anything to get them), but we're moving forward on that part too

[Wayne361]

I'm also glad to see a response from a Pionus owner who also claims her/his parrots aren't problematic. Even more time has passed and Penny is still just as lovely as before. Regarding the biting, she's not a biter either. Sometimes she decides to go to sleep in the wrong place (I want her to sleep in her cage), and then she's usually a bit grumpy and nibbles my fingers a bit when I take her down from wherever she's sitting, but it's not a hard bite so I don't really mind. Jesus, if I go to sleep on the couch and my fiancée tells me to get up and come to bed, I get grumpy too!

Leroy is the sweetest bird ever. He isnt as cuddly as Stitch, but he will never bite and is very considerate.

We do have some issues with his beak growing a little too fast, but after ruling out any diseases through lots of vet visits and lab tests, as well as carefully going through his diet, it's been put down to genetics by our very competent avian vet. It's not a big problem, we just have to go to the vet a bit more often than usual for a beak trim.

Regarding the beaking, you really should do something about that before it turns into biting. I would suggest that you start from scratch and work with targeting, and then re-do step up training. Make stepping up something positive, and keep her distracted with the targeting stick as to avoid her nibbling on your fingers when stepping up.

Also, you need to make sure that you make going into the cage a positive experience. You do NOT want to make it seem like a punishment. Michael uses food management to make sure the cage is a great place, as do I, but I also always give them half a sunflower seed for going into the cage. They always go into it eagerly, and can also fly there on command.
Well in the cage, make sure its a fun place with lots of perches, toys and stuff to do - but I am sure you know that already.

For the beak have u introduced a cuddle bone? My used to have a very sharp, dagger like beak. Once I got him a cuddle bone this is no longer an issue.

Wayne

[Yarrow]

I think you are wrong and mistaken about Pionuses. Both our two birds are equally curious, energetically playful and inquisitive. If it's quiet I know they are out "exploring", and trying to find ways around my parrot proofing. When I check on them, I'm always greeted with a "Haha-HA-ha .
I think it's a matter of how you train, handle and keep them. My birds are out together everyday, and love playing together.

Regarding tricks, that's definetely down to training from your part. How many tricks can your sennie do ?

Thanks, I've actually been on the forum for a while I just don't bother to post very often.

As I said, that's the impression that I got from reading about pionus from other owners. Maybe they just don't encourage their birds to actually do anything.

My sennie can do about 11 tricks (assuming that you don't count simple stuff like flight recall and directed flight as tricks.)

[Pajarita]

No, it's not because all the other pionus owners out there did not try, I think it's because CML's perspective is from having two youngish birds of very similar temperament, an amazon and a pionus. When you have had different species (like a Senegal or a cockatoo, for example), and you compare pies to them, you realize the difference. Mind you, I am not putting down amazons or pies! I think they are fabulous birds! But, compared to other species, they both tend to be independent, not cuddly, not interested in tricks, and a bit of perch potatoes. Of course, this is generalizing and it's entirely possible that CML's birds are not like that due to their own individual personalities but, based on my personal experience (11 zons and 2 pies) and as far as generalizations go, it holds true.

[Maltee]

Ha, I got a pionus for similar reasons. Did my research, and almost everything said "quiet, sweet-tempered, calm, doesn't bite often..." Well, I DO hear that a lot from other pionus owners, so I don't know what happened to mine. I feel like I got a male Amazon inside of a pionus body. My pionus loves my husband, and absolutely hates me. The best I can usually expect from her is indifference. She becomes very possessive of my husband when he is home, and attacks me if I come close to him. She also developed a screaming problem, which has gradually gotten better through work with her. The aggression problem though, is very frustrating to me. I can usually handle biting when it's a matter of not wanting to go back in their cage, but these personal attacks really frustrate me and shake my confidence. Progress with her has been extremely slow, and I'm hoping it's mostly because of spring hormones and that she'll get better once that's over.

I guess my point is to be prepared for anything. Everyone makes it sound like pionuses are easy, sweet feathered angels, but that's not necessarily true. It is extremely important to continue basic training with her to establish a good relationship, to help when trouble possibly comes. Any parrot has the potential for behavior problems. Don't count on the fact that she's sweet now and expect it to continue forever. That was my mistake, and now I don't have an established training relationship of trust to help me.

[Danish]

I have a Pionus a Maxamillian one to be exact. She does not bite me at all and has never, however she does bite other people, my husband has endured a few nasty gashes lets say He has spent a huge amount of time though and she probably 85% of the time will be fine with him but she gets in a mood sometimes and then turns on him. She will puff up like a balloon and goes all defensive and will lunge at him. She is highly motivated by food though and if he offers her favourite treat she tends to love him again ( in that short of time span lol ). She does have a scream and will do it occasionally but it's mostly when we are doing something without her or the vacuum, black garbage bags (not sure why) and if we leave the house. She is quite loving she loves her head scratched and to sit with me and follows me around the house. I think the generalizations are always a bit odd, as each bird has their own personality .... all birds want attention, all birds can be loud, all birds can be loving and kind. I've found after all these years they are more loyal than a dog and somewhat distant like a cat... and with any pet it's what you give to their life and what they give back to you ( love ) that is the motivating factor.

[Pajarita]

I think the generalizations are always a bit odd, as each bird has their own personality .... all birds want attention, all birds can be loud, all birds can be loving and kind. I've found after all these years they are more loyal than a dog and somewhat distant like a cat... and with any pet it's what you give to their life and what they give back to you ( love ) that is the motivating factor.

It is most definitely true that parrots have individual personalities and that, like humans and all other animals, they are a product of both nature and nurture. But generalizations are also true. All parrots (not birds, passerines get stressed out if subjected to human attention) want attention but a cockatoo will need much, much more attention than an amazon. All can be loud but a GCC scream is nothing compared to the honking of an unhappy U2. All can be loving and kind but sunnies are nippy brats compared to a well-adjusted gray. And you are 100% correct in that you receive what you give (this concept is my motto) but, unfortunately for parrot keepers, the end results are not consistent because, sometimes, their beginnings (parents, breeders, shipment, etc) were so traumatic that the poor things can never quite 'get over' them...

People hate generalizations when it comes to animal species or breeds. They take them as unfair blanket statements and they are! Up to a point. The reason for them is that species (as well as breeds as in dogs, cats, horses, etc) evolved (or were genetically engineered by man) to be a certain way and, in truth, slight individual differences aside, 99.99% of members of that particular species or breed will have physical as well as psychological similarities. And it's these similarities that make up the different profiles that help people choose the right animal for them because anybody knows (or should know) that, for example, if you work all day long, you can't have a cockatoo or a Jack Russell terrier. You can have a couple of conures, tiels, quakers, etc and you might get away with an older amazon (although I would not recommend having any single parrot all alone, all day long) and a cocker spaniel or a shih-Tzu, though. Generalizations are very, very useful to us and helpful to the animals -but only if people heed them, of course.