Tool Use in Parrots

[CheekyandMalolo]

Where abouts in Melbourne are you??

[Mum2rory]

I am in Berwick (the south-east) and you? I saw that you got your birds from a breeder, were they local, cos whnever I look up "breeders" all I get are ones up north (QLD)

[CheekyandMalolo]

oh wow, I'm in Upper FTG, very close!! Our GCC's breeder is in Pyalong, about 1.30hrs away from Pakky

[Mum2rory]

We are very close, almost neighbours, well maybe not!!!!. I saw that ad in the Trading Post but thought it would take longer to get there. So you highly recommend her? I am thinking (and only thinking, that i would love a GCC) but i have only recently got a young tiel, so want to wait. I went to passion for pets in carrum Downs to "checkem out", their so-called hand-reared ones, they werent too friendly but OMG, the sun conures wouldnt leave me or my son alone, they jumped on us, walked all over us, very hard to put down but they are so expensive compared to a breeder. They are also a lot louder than GCC , arent they? I want a bird that will fit in with the tiel so dont want a big bird, so thought a conure would be the one. Do all your birds get on with each other?Lynne

[Mum2rory]

Sorry to be a pain, but seeing as you are reasonably close, I was wondering if you know of an avian vet? Also googled it and none really come up for this area. I want one fairly close cos if its an emergency, dont want to have to drive for ages with a sick/injured stressed out bird (and mum)

[CheekyandMalolo]

I'd highly recommend them, my Aunt and Uncle also bought two sunnies and a BF Amazon from them late last year and all great birds. They've glassed in their porch and that's where they hand rear the birds. We've had a few issues with biting but nothing much after the first few weeks of getting to know them.

Knox Bird Vet Clinic is our local bird vet, (03 9764 9000) they're just off Stud Rd in Wantirna from memory, very nice building, they don't seem to be too inclined to take the birds out the back to take blood and such, they're good at talking you thru things and such. They should only be around 30-45 minutes from you, not sure what they have when it comes to emergencies tho.

[Saerphe]

So... getting back on topic here...

Has anyone observed tool use in their parrots at home?

[AmazonServant]

I hope my bird never learns to use her feathers to preen herself like that, otherwise I and my head scratches will become obsolete!

[CheekyandMalolo]

So... getting back on topic here...

Has anyone observed tool use in their parrots at home?

I may just be the queen of going off-topic, sorry

The most I've seen in the way of tool use is my little Tiel Mali. She quite happily asks any inanimate object in the cage (food dish, mineral bell, end of perch, door latch)for a scritch on the neck, then gets angry at it when it won't comply, gives it a belting and then find a way to make it scritch her. She's quite funny with it too, she'll scritch her own neck on it a few times and the just put her head down waiting for it to get the point (she does the same for our fingers).
She also has a bell toy that she hits to make it swing, then puts her neck in just the right spot that as it comes past it grazes her feathers and somewhat scritches them. Clever little thing.

[PapayaTheConure]

People who feed the wild cockies are EVIL!! They come and shred the window archetraves and the decking and ravish the fruit trees. We have a flock of about 150 in our valley and dad's considering buying an air rifle to keep them away. They're PESTS!

You have a cockatiel yourself so how could you call the wild evil. They are just trying to feed themselves. They may be pests but for an owner of a cockatiel I would expect you to use a word other than evil.

-Papaya