Newbie to birds and loving it!

[Melisa]

Hey everyone!

I just recently bought a budgie for my father-in-law for Christmas and whoa to him as he doesn't want it after all. He used to love watching finches outside his house and I thought a bird would be a great companion for him as he's 75. He likes the idea of someone else taking care of it, which I don't mind at all.

I have also obtained two weeks ago a Cherry Head Conure whom we believe to be about 5 years old. Oh dear, what did I get myself into? He bites. Ouch! And hard! I have welts on my hands. I've tried teaching him "no bite" and he does sometimes back off, but still... He loves to get up on my shoulder and hang out with me and if I eat something he will walk from my shoulder toward my mouth and try to take the food right out of my mouth! He's so funny. The only problem is that when I am ready to take him back to his cage he puts his beak down firmly onto my shoulder and will not allow my hand to go underneath him to have him step up. He just keeps going backwards on my shoulder until he's almost falling off. The only way so far to get him off my shoulder is if I use a perch stick or my son, who is taller than me, happens to be around and the bird will go to his shoulder just because that particular "perch" happens to be taller than his mother. Hmmm.

I am absolutely thrilled to have stumbled upon your website. I have been scouring the site and absorbing so much information. I just started my conure's training today and with great success. I appreciate the fact that this information has come to me via the web for free as I didn't have the money to purchase other methods that are sold online. God bless you! I was almost at my wits end with my parrot wondering if I had made a mistake in taking the bird because of his biting habits. I now have hope and am thankful as he's such an amazing creature with such intelligence in his shiny gray eyes. Again, thank you!

[pennyandrocky]

hi, welcome. please do not let your bird eat out of your mouth it could make him sick. i also see no flight, if you lived with a person who wouldn't let you walk would you bite them?

[newatthistx]

Hi....congrats on being a new bird person......

birds who are forced into new situations and surroundings sometime just take time to grow acoustume to their new place and people....just give him time so he can learn to trust you......

And as far as "not flighted" goes........that is a VERY personal choice and if that's what works for your household than so-be-it, don't let anybody make you feel bad for that decision....I currently have 6 birds and up until 3 weeks ago they were
NOT FLIGHTED for the last 2 years......because that is what worked best for our hosehold and let me tell you that all of my birds were/are VERY VERY happy and content.....AND I'm not sure I will continue to let the rest of their flight feathers grow back in....it really at this point is a "wait and see" trail run.......but when my birds were clipped it was a VERY light clip so they still had the ability to fly, just not throughout the entire house (my birds are never caged and we live in a "open concept" house where a bird could fly into a boiling pot of water or hot frying pan at any time)....they could /can fly from cage-to-cage-to-playgym-to-cage-and back and had much freedom that way.......

I also feel that when you bring a new bird into the house it is fine to have them lightly clipped to help with the new bonding period between bird and parent.....

Just give your new baby time to adjust and trust.....good luck

[Fiona&Tweety]

Hi I am a newbie too. It is fantastic getting to know our feathered friends.
A lovely new dimention to the tapestry of life. Hope the biting settles down with time.
Good luck and have fun.
Fiona & Tweety.

[pennyandrocky]

i've had flighted birds for 18 years.never had one fly into boiling pot,frying pan,window,or toilet.i'm just giving my opinion since i've had 1 that did not know how to fly since he was caged 24/7,and 2 that were clipped. they all bit alot before gaining flight back.it is a personal choice my cousin has 2 clipped birds and they seem perfectly happy but she would have 4 if 2 hadn't been ripped apart by her dogs since they couldn't fly away.

[GlassOnion]

Flighted birds are so much happier and healthier, and they learn where the windows are very quickly. If you have other pets, don't clip it. It has no way of escape if it lands on the floor.

[pennyandrocky]

thank you glassonion, i would also add children to that.my son started taking my bluefront into his room when he was 3,with the door open, to play cars and army men.when the bird was done playing he flew back to his stand.if he was clipped he would have had to bite my 3yr old child to get away from him.