Help! My parrot is terrified

[Ursibear]

Hello everyone!
I've just adopted a red bellied parrot that wasn't getting along with the other birds of a friend of mine.
His name is Sisu. He was very friendly with me, climbed up on my shoulder and napped my ear, and chattered all the time....
But today when i picked him up to bring him to his new home, he bit me. A lot. (and damn, it hurts!) and now he won't let me touch him he gets terrified everytime he hears my voice and he completely freaks out if i come close to his cage.
Can anyone help me understand what happened? and how do i make him happy and playful again?
I need help i love the little guy, i took him in because he was so unhappy....

[liz]

Welcome to the forum.

No matter what conditions he was in you took him away from what he knew. As far as he knows you birdnapped him and put him in a strange place. The fact that he came to you before is a good sign.

Is he flighted? Unflighted birds are scared because they are handicapped.

Open the cage door and let him come out when he wants to. Put him in a central area and go through your normal day. Talk to him and call him by name as you go by but don't look directly at him.

Never never grab him. If he does not come out of his cage so you can change food and water, stay below his eye level with palms down and don't look at him when your hands are in there.

He will realize that you are not going to harm him and then bond to you because you are the one taking care of him. If there are other members in your family have them do the same with equal time to get him socialized.

I know this won't be easy. I have been through this with Myrtle. She was skinny, dirty and shivered with fear. She would come to me and climb to my shoulder for help long before I could touch her with my hands.

[marie83]

Give him time to settle in, this may be a day or a few weeks.
He has just been taken away from everything he knows, just let him watch you for a while. No need to handle him until he feels more secure.
Sit outside the cage and just talk to him, offer him little treats so he learns you mean no harm.
Even when he has settled dont try to rush things, trust takes time to build.
Be sure to ignore any bites otherwise you risk making them a problem.
Personally i wouldn't let him out until he has been with you a day or 2 and you have time to wait til he goes back to the cage by himself, if you end up having to force him back in because you need to go somewhere then that could make him more frightened.

Keep us updated on his progress

[liz]

I rescued 2 male cockatiels from a breeder who was so over stocked that these two had learned to sleep hanging on the side of the cage. They had never been handled and were so wild the breeder said they could never be taimed.

I put them in a cage and left the door open. Of course they came out and flew all over the house. When they were tired they landed on the floor. They need help and knew it. I offered my finger and each one stepped up to get back to the cage.

Myrtle was terrified of everything. She had been clipped but had the instinct to fly. When she landed on the floor she came running to me and climbed to my shoulder so I could help her back to her cage. (at this time I could not touch her with my hands)

I know I do everything different than the others but it works for us.

[Ursibear]

Thank you guys for your answers
I tried to give him grapes, which he always liked before i took him here, and all he does is flinging them away
I left one between the cage bars and when i turned away he took a bite, but as soon as i moved he threw it too. I guess it will take some time with him, the poor little guy.
My friend has a gardening store and as part of the decoration he has Koi carps and a big cage with lots of birds in, mostly parakeets and australian parakeets, and Sisu came two weeks ago, from the house of a customer.
All he was doing was sitting on the floor of the cage looking down, and hiding inside a plant pot whenever any of the other birds flew over him. That's when my friend asked me if i could take care of him, and since Sisu has always been so chatty and nice every time i sat down in the cage with him, i thought it would be a good idea... But i don't know he hasn't so much as chirped since he came to my home.
I guess the ride over scared him. But then again he was already stressed when i picked him up this morning. That's when he bit me.
I'll try and respect his space for a few days and see how it goes.... thank you again for the tips

[Ursibear]

Oh yes... I forgot to say:
It looks like his wings haven't been clipped but as far as i've seen the last two weeks, he can't fly. He can only do something that falls between gliding and falling like a stone
I don't think he has ever been taken out of the cage.

[marie83]

Oh yes... I forgot to say:
It looks like his wings haven't been clipped but as far as i've seen the last two weeks, he can't fly. He can only do something that falls between gliding and falling like a stone
I don't think he has ever been taken out of the cage.

Such a shame Harlie my 'tiel is the same, never clipped but pitiful at flying because she was never able to fly before she came here. Bit by bit she is getting stronger and improving every day but I don't think she will ever be good at it. When we first got her she would basicly flap and crash, she couldn't turn in flight and couldn't land normally either without crashing. She was actually quite terrifying to see and I really thought she would kill herself

These days she doesn't hit the windows and walls, she can turn but only in wide circles and if she misses her landing she will land elsewhere or do another circuit of the room, if she gets tired before she finishes her circle she will lower herself gently to the floor and await rescue lol.

If his wings aren't clipped he will learn fast and will slowly gain strength and precision.

[cml]

Leroy was a bad flier as well, he was an aviary bird before, but it wasnt a big aviary and he crashed feet first into the net for his landings there I think, because thats what he tried to do with the walls here when he first came here. He couldnt land anywhere, wasnt able to fly well at all. Its been 8 months now though, and its miles and miles better. He can land anywhere with pretty good precision, he doesnt crash into things and he can do sharp turns mid-air . So they can definatly learn!

Give your new friend time to settle in, just hang out close to him, for example by sitting at whatever distance is the limit (until he freaks out) reading a book for a couple of hours. Just hang out with him, let him grow accustomed to your presence. That you visited him and that he was nice there counts for nothing now, he's in a new environment and needs to acclimatize and cool down. I am sure it will go well !

[liz]

You have had Sisu for less than 24 hours? That little bird is doing good. More likely than not tomarrow morning it will chirp when it sees you. Not that it will want touched but will remember you were nice from the day before.

[GreenWing]

Sisu needs time to get used to his new surroundings. He is scared, who wouldn't be? For now, give him space, play some relaxing music, and offer treats. Sunflower seeds make excellent treats. Aim to make Sisu as comfortable as possible.