Jardines?

[GlassOnion]

I really want to gather more info on these guys, anyone who has had experience with then, please tell me what they're like!

[pchela]

I think there are only two of us on here that have Jardine's. Could be wrong. What do you want to know?

My guy is not typical from what I've read about Jardine's. He's a very needy velcro bird. He can't be out without being on a person. He's sweet, not nippy at all and pretty calm. All of these things are opposite of what I've read about them. He's not quite a year old yet so his personality may change.

[GlassOnion]

Well I am drawn to the caiques and the amazons and the capes. But caiques are too too high energy, amazons are loud and I like the capes for their cuddliness but I like playful birds like the caiques. I wanted to know how Jardines are in terms of playfulness, charm and cuddliness. Pchela your guy definitely sounds a bit unusual, is he playful?

[lotus15]

I nearly got a Jardine's rather than a Cape but ultimately decided against it because they seem to be a bit more nippy and have a bit more attitude than I was ready to handle. I've only met a few-- 4 or 5-- but they all confirmed that for me.

[pchela]

When mine plays, he's very cute. He wraps his wings around a toy and wrestles with it and sometimes will fall off of the surface he's on with it. In his cage, he'll hang upside down and flap his wings and play with something or just walk around upside down. Also, he sometimes gets on the floor and goes into toe attacking mode. He's really funny to watch. But, he's not playful nearly as often as I think most Jardine's are. Again, he's young, so maybe more Jardinish traits will come through with time. I got to pick between him and his brother... he was much more calm and not nippy at all. His brother flew straight to us and wanted to play but he also wanted to bite so I went with the calmer one. I'd be willing to bet that the other one is a way more typical Jardine's now. Mine is fun and he's very sweet (loves to sit on your lap and have head scritches) but I fostered a caique for awhile and he was way more playful (but also way too much to handle!)

In my opinion, if you can handle the much talked about attitude of Jardine's, you'd be happy with one. I do not think mine is a good one to base typical behavior on. Even though they all will be different, mine doesn't seem to have any of the common Jardine's traits.

If you like playful, cuddly and interactive, have you looked at Timneh Greys? I know Greys have a reputation for being neurotic and more calm, but all of the Timnehs I raised and the one I currently live with have been extremely playful and really funny but also love to cuddle and have scratches. Mine is actually more playful than the Jardine's. She dances and walks around with a hilarious bounce that makes me laugh every time. She just has a lot of personality.

[GlassOnion]

Pchela, you make things more complicated!! Hahaha!
I have actually thought over the timneh, but I read that they are not as playful as conures or amazons in general with some exceptions here and there. Also the dust would be an issue for me, I already cough on my tiel's dander!

[pchela]

Sorry...

Well, to add to that, a Timneh is not as dusty as a Congo or a Tiel for that matter, but they are still dusty. The Jardine's is not dusty at all that I can tell.

Go look at Jardine's! The only way to know for sure is to meet some, but I think you'll be pleased if you can handle some attitude!

[sherillynn]

I just got a Jardine's two days ago from a former patient of mine that had passed away. I am no expert on them at all and to be honest, I had never seen one until I went and got Punkin. I was pleasantly surprised that after less than 24 hours she wanted to be up on my hand and was very sweet and affectionate. She doesn't talk but makes all sorts of different sounds. (At least so far.)

I am still on a learning curve with Punkin but so far I've been very pleased with her. I'd love to hear from anyone else with a Jardine's as they seem to be a little more rare than my macaw and ecclectus.

[pirategene]

Hi
Jardine African Parrot, PionusGulielmi, (William after his son)is a fairly newly discovered bird, c. 1849 by Sir William Jardine who brought back "Congo Jack" to the UK.
There are three kinds of Jardines. They are talkers, whistlers, and will imitate other bird's noises. They are very easy to handle and get along well with other birds in the house. I would love to have one...I'd name him "Congo Willy". Keep us posted on how Punkin is doing. (must be named after a green pumpkin!!)
good luck
pirategene and tambo

[KrazyFarm]

I've had my female lesser Jardine's for a little over a year and a half (she's nearly two years old.)

She's pretty much the typical Jardine's - playful, clownish, intelligent, etc - but she is not nippy by any means. She isn't one for skirting around issues, though: if she isn't comfortable with something someone is doing to her, she does let them know, first by backing away, then by lunging. No one has ever pushed her further than that, and so she has never bitten anyone. She is "beaky", especially during play, but she doesn't "play bite". It wasn't always this way, though - as a baby, she was a bit nippy and seemed "unpredictable" in when and in what situations she would nip (and sometimes, bite.) I attributed it to her age and lack of appropriate socialization, but the behavior disappeared in a week or so, without training or behavior modification, when I changed her diet from ZuPreem to a soy-free diet.

She is very, very intelligent. She says many words and phrases (along with many whistles and the nearly-unbearably adorable Jardine's squeaky noises), mostly in the appropriate context (ie, "where's breakfast?" first thing in the morning, "good night!" when I cover the cage, "what's that?" when I have something in my hand, and so on) and she knows over a dozen "tricks". She's fully flighted, and knows many cues directly related to flight, as well. She learns very quickly!

She's a very confident bird, and is typical in that she is pretty content to entertain herself with independant play when I'm unable to provide her with one-on-one interactions, though she does have multiple cages and play gyms loaded with toys at her disposal, and she does forage exclusively for her meals. I keep her fairly busy, and I have a feeling that it's contributed a great deal to her "well-roundedness" and general good behavior.

I've met several other Jardine's of all ages, and have only found unsocialized birds, or birds who were not weaned properly, to be nippy. I've noticed that they, as a whole, are sensitive babies, and can develop fearful or aggressive behavior as if they're not handled gently and with care as babies (though I largely believe this to be true for most, if not all, birds, especially the African species.)

Jardine's are fantastic birds for folks who want a parrot but don't have the ability to allow hours of one on one interaction or a lot of out of cage time, or who live in close proximity to others. As a whole, they're relatively quiet, funny, intelligent, easy-going, adaptable birds. There are always exceptions, of course, but generally speaking, they're the "ideal parrot", if such a thing exists.

It's easy to correct nippy, or even aggressive behavior, if you're patient and know what you're doing, but it's difficult (if not impossible) to change a bird's temperament or personality. Personally, I would choose a nippy Jardine's baby over a non-nippy but shy bird of just about any other species!