Isis Redbelly

[Pajarita]

Isis continues to do well. She has settled into a routine and seems very content with her life. She is the first one to come out of her cage in the am and 'shares' this out of cage time with the GCC/peach fronted pair. She used to bully poor Pablo (wild caught, male, unaged handicapped male) but Codee (female GCC and his mate), little fearless thing that she is, would rush to defend and protect him and she stopped. She eats her gloop very well (loves it so much I have to cover the bowl in the morning when I prepare the food because she steals from it all the time) although still few raw veggies and fruits and no leafy greens whatsoever but that's OK, she hasn't been here a year yet and these things take time with some of them. She takes two baths a week, both in large SS bowls that I put on top of the kitchen table for her. She used to do it in the large dogs water bowl on the floor but, somehow (and don't ask me how because I don't know), I managed to make her do it on top of the table (my dogs are very mild-mannered and usually go to sleep right after they go out, have their breakfast and water but still...). She has her schedule down pat and goes back into her cage on her own exactly two hours after she comes out (once in the am and another in the pm). She continues to prefer my husband for shoulder perching but she has started doing it with me as well as perching on my head so I guess I have gone up a notch or two in her esteem.

[Pajarita]

It's now a year since she came to us and she is doing really great! She has become very affectionate, gives kisses and puts her head down as soon as she hears the phrase "Pica Pica" (she also asks for scritches by flying to perch right in front of your face and scratching her own head with her foot), steps up and down on the first request, follows me around the house flying from room to room and up and down the stairs, has found her favorite chewing spots (and got me in trouble because she chew the frame off a picture in my husband's study ), is beginning to talk (she now says "Nite nite") and (HALLELUYAH!) she has started to eat her leafy greens BUT never the one I put in her cage, the little stinker only wants the ones she can steal off the canaries cages

[Wolf]

Which of you are her favorite now? She does seem to be doing very well, I expected as much but it is always great to hear it as well.

[Pajarita]

I don't know who her very favorite is. It used to be my husband hands down but she is now behaving pretty much the same with both of us even though she spends more time with me than she does with Robert -the other important factor been that I am the one who is ALWAYS there, always at the same time, with the same routines and 100% consistent in my interactions with her while Robert would sometimes travel for days and days (he worked 8 days in a row last week) and is never consistent. So, I would say that, although she might like/love both of us the same right now, she would miss me much more than she would ever miss him.

[Wolf]

I was curious to know if that had changed as you had said that Robert was her favorite before.

[shiraartain]

Glad to hear of her progress! She seems to be a very spiritual bird based on her vocalizations

She seems absolutely delightful, I'm very happy to hear she's settled so well.

[Pajarita]

I was curious to know if that had changed as you had said that Robert was her favorite before.

It has changed and I think the progression toward me will continue. I have found that parrots are not only very smart but also quite pragmatic in their devotion so, even when one doesn't fall in love with you (or another bird) at first sight, they can ALWAYS be wooed them into loving the one who loves them if enough time and effort is put into it.

[Pajarita]

In July, it was a year that Isis had come to live with us and, today, her previous owner came to visit her. He was worried that she would not remember him or that she would bite him but, of course she did remember and, of course, she didn't bite him. Well, she did nipped him twice and, once, she made a screechy sound that she had never made before and which was, obviously, her way of telling him she did not like what he was doing so I explained that he was antagonizing her and that she was no longer used to that, that, in this house, they decide what, when and how and I simply do what they want and not the other way around. But, all in all, the visit went very well. She stepped down to his shoulder when I put her there, she asked him for scritches, she played with the toy he brought for her (not the kind that I would buy but she did like it and he meant well).

I also touched the subject of her possibly going back to him when I move back home -to which he was very enthusiastic!- but I warned him that, for this to happen, he would have to have the kind of lifestyle that would allow for the kind of life she has had here. And he agreed (he is a nice guy and obviously loves her).

At almost the end of two hours, she flew back to her cage, climbed down and got back inside and promptly went to sleep (her noon nap had been interrupted and I guess the excitement of seeing him again had tired her out ).

A good visit all around!

[Wolf]

Sounds good to me.

[seagoatdeb]

I think red belly hens are just gorgeous. When I look at the feathers on the belly of mine every feather has more than one color. orange with green on the tip, or grey with orange, or green with grey just so lovely. her cheeks have a little orange wash. She has some bright blue high on her rump and the most brilliant green and orange on the bottom. Her feathers just glisten in the sun. I cant believe anyone would ever say drab for such gorgeous birds.