Re-Introducing myself

[Tsubakie]

Hi Everyone, It's been a long month and a half since my grey passed. Things are better and after several tests, DNA, microscopic (all negative) and discussions, my vet and I worked on a timeline that I would be able to bring home my new parrot. I had planned on bringing him home after Christmas but delayed it (after Bailey died) and until the vet completed testing and the waiting period had passed. My co-worker, who I purchased him from, happily held onto him for me during this time. A big thank you and hugs goes out to her.
So without further ado, I would like to introduce my new family member, Peanut!
He is a male, 15 year old bare-eyed cockatoo and is also a rescued parrot. My co-worker rescued him from a unfavorable home. He is surprisingly fully feathered, very shy, very cautious of new things and people and a sweet bird. She did a wonderful job getting him to come out of his shell, to not be completely panicked and frightful with new things. We are going to be starting from ground zero with training.
The move went perfect and very smooth. He settled in immediately and within minutes he was taking food from me (that's a huge thing for him) He is eating and drinking perfectly and seems very comfortable. He's preening, flip his wings when comfortable and will fall asleep when I'm sitting beside him. I've been keeping the previous owner updated with his progress (I've only had him since Monday) and she is pleasantly surprised. He is eating things he never did before, comfortably taking food from me (and very gentle it's not a grab and run away) and is extremely interested in what I have and what I'm doing. He's started doing his 'cockatoo' strut when he comes over to the side of the cage i'm standing by. On Tuesday he started to call for me when I left the room to make sure I was still in ear shot and I'm absolutely in love <3 We played a bit yesterday, getting excited, clapping hands and he started coo-ing at me. I find he gets a little grouchy when it's time for bed haha. Right now we are working on taking food, being comfortable around me and I'm introducing chew toys (he needs to learn how to play and chew) In the next week or two, we'll begin clicker/target training. Once he master's target training outside the cage and then inside the cage then we'll move onto step ups. I did notice that while he's interacting with me, he lifts his foot waaaay up as if he's ready or asking to step up so I'm very much encouraging him to do it. I don't think his rehab will be difficult, but do think it'll take some time. I haven't been this happy in weeks.

[Wolf]

No intent to rain on your parade here but I would take the first month of this relationship and concentrate on just bonding with the bird. I would use the time to study this birds body language and assess its diet and find out its favorite foods and just build the relationship and then start training. This is just me and how I normally proceed.
I don't have any cockatoos, so I can't say for certain but with many other species of parrots the lifted foot out in front of the body is a defensive posture, Which I would in most cases take to mean slow down some, things are going a little too fast for the birds comfort. This may not be what it means with a cockatoo, but I can't say.
In all other respects it appears to me that you are doing wonderfully together and I am looking forward to both pictures and stories of your adventures together.

[Michael]

I think you have a good plan in mind. And while I think Wolf would be right if this was a baby, being an adult you can jump to training as soon as you want. You don't want to wait and learn the body language. Body language isvrelative to context. Rescue birds are even more likely to have body language that is unusual. And you don't want to be learning that "oh, that body language means you are going to bite like crazy" cause you stuck your hand in a hornets nest. If you jump straight on the training, then original body language wont matter and the bird will learn to cooperate. You will learn body language and bond on the go while training. I would stick to the plan.

[Pajarita]

First of all, congrats, congrats, congrats on your new friend and thank you so very much for adopting instead of buying! I think that this new bird will finish healing the wound the loss of your gray left so it's a great move for both of you!

But I am afraid that I disagree with Michael on this because, in my personal opinion, body language does matter -a lot- and cockatoos are completely different from grays so I think it would be advisable to wait a bit and get to know each other better (he needs to get to know you as much as you need to get to know him). I try to show my birds as much consideration and respect as I would a human being so allowing them their 'honeymoon period' to get used to me is one of my basic steps when taking in a new one. All my birds came from somewhere else so all of them were already adults but birds are individuals and even when one has experience with one species, it doesn't mean the new bird is going to react exactly the same way as the one we already know so I think that giving the whole thing a bit of time is best for the long term relationship. Besides, I am sure he already knows the basics like Step up and step down so it's not as if I am saying you need to be completely hands-off...

[liz]

I agree with Wolf and Pajarita that a foot in the air is a way of saying back off, as a rule. I saw an exception to the rule. Curley was a cockatiel who came with Rambo. When Curley had something to say he would hold his left foot up with a straight toe sticking up.
I know the previous owner and have seen her hold her hand up like that when she was trying to make a point.
When I rescued Myrtle she was holding her foot up and telling me to back off. At the time I did not know what it meant so I wiggled my finger and said tickle tickle then tickled the bottom of her foot. She liked it and now even asks for a tickle. Rambo has watched and is now taking tickles.