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How to Teach Parrot to Break Open Large Nuts

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How to Teach Parrot to Break Open Large Nuts

Postby Michael » Sat Sep 11, 2010 8:30 pm

How to Teach Parrot to Break Open Large Nuts

This article is about how I taught my parrots to crack open nuts like almonds and walnuts. I was surprised that they didn't originally know how to but with some assistance on my part they got it all figured out. Giving your parrots nuts in the shell is a fantastic foraging opportunity that will keep them busy for long periods at a time.

PS I know we're having a discussion about whether or not certain nuts are safe to feed our flock so take this as a conceptual discussion rather than pertaining to a specific type of nut.

PPS For those of you who follow all my blogs/videos, the photo and video included are repeats of previously posted ones and not brand new. They illustrate the concept in the video so I'm just using them again.
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Re: How to Teach Parrot to Break Open Large Nuts

Postby TheNzJessie » Sat Sep 11, 2010 8:48 pm

adorable michael, i noticed that truman was putting all of his weight on his left leg. he must be healing up well, unless this video was taken before the injury

and also on the trained parrot website under common birds under lories and lorikeets i would add, red collar lorikeet, scaly lorikeet and musk lorikeet, all these species are common all over the world. but fetch a higher price in the USA Canada and th UK
Qwil-:budgie:
Jango-:rainbow:
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:)
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Re: How to Teach Parrot to Break Open Large Nuts

Postby Giantmoa » Sat Sep 11, 2010 10:42 pm

funny, my gcc with her teeny-tiny beak will open an almond without my ever teaching her anything... and then she discards the nut uneaten. she just enjoys chipping away at the shell, I guess, or does not realize that almonds are food...
it does seem as if this behavior would be inherent to a bird with a cape's beak-size! makes you wonder how much parrots learn as young birds living among a flock
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Re: How to Teach Parrot to Break Open Large Nuts

Postby ginger » Sun Sep 12, 2010 3:02 am

Loved this video! I have 5 Senegals and 3 African Greys. One Grey and one Senegal crack the nut open into two pieces and after dropping the shell halves, consume the meat of the nut by holding it in their foot while taking small bites. I'm pretty sure that the Grey learned this behavior from the Senegal. When the Grey was a baby, he was located next to the Senegal. He picked up many of that bird's habits, body movement, sounds, etc. I really do think that cracking the nut shell is a learned behavior that the birds pick up from each other, if they have the ability to be around other birds that exhibit this behavior.
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