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So You Want a Cape Parrot? Review of Cape Parrots as Pets

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Re: So You Want a Cape Parrot? Review of Cape Parrots as Pets

Postby Michael » Thu Dec 13, 2012 9:26 pm

Much of what you said is true except that the yellowwood dwelling Cape Parrots are not the kind any of us own. We all have the Brown Necked or Grey Headed subspecies, Poicephalus robustus fuscicollis and Poicephalus robustus suahelicus. There is much hype about the nominate P. r. r. because it is critically endangered, however, there is next to nothing about the more populous Cape Parrots of central and west Africa. Their diet and lifestyles are quite different but barely studied. Thus when I say that when you buy a Cape Parrot, you're all on your own, that's really how it is.
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Re: So You Want a Cape Parrot? Review of Cape Parrots as Pets

Postby CaitlinRice413 » Thu Dec 13, 2012 10:58 pm

:?
Last edited by CaitlinRice413 on Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: So You Want a Cape Parrot? Review of Cape Parrots as Pets

Postby friend2parrots » Fri Dec 14, 2012 8:24 am

caitlin, even though I don't own any species even remotely related to a cape parrot i still read your post - and i found it REALLY educational and informative! i absolutely agree with you that observations of birds inthe wild can give us great clues as to how to care for them in our homes. a lot of the more "theoretical" points that you made in your post were really helpful for me to read, and it reminded me big time that i need to start looking around for more items i can put in my birds diet that are natural to their environment and that I need to do some real research on how my species actually goes about its day in the wild - something i've never really set aside time for, because its so easy to just get swept into managing the birds daily lives the way we have always done.

so thanks for posting this, and I hope you will share info you find about the illigers macaw with the forum, as I will be eager to read it! :)
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Re: So You Want a Cape Parrot? Review of Cape Parrots as Pets

Postby Peacockjp » Mon Feb 04, 2013 9:36 pm

Well - -- When I decided -- to get a new bird -- other than my little Parrotlets - or the Linnies -- I looked like crazy - through everything - I'm a natural researcher- so - after - maybe 10,000 articles - I decided that I wanted a Senegal- and Got a young one - And she has made a wonderful pet - I have been thinking again - And the idea of a Cape has crossed my mind - So - Michael =-I do want to thank you - for your time and effort and your input -- on Capes - And have decided - that The Cape isn't a good idea for me right now.

Good Luck with everything -

Jim

James Peacock
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Re: So You Want a Cape Parrot? Review of Cape Parrots as Pets

Postby Michael » Mon Feb 04, 2013 10:11 pm

Thanks. I love to hear it when people make a well informed decision! It's not that I'm against anyone getting a Cape Parrot, but only as long as it's a very difficult challenge that they intentionally seek. It's all for the best of bird and owner alike. Truman is not at all what I expected but luckily I'm in the position to deal with it but it is my obligation to warn others now that I know.
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Re: So You Want a Cape Parrot? Review of Cape Parrots as Pets

Postby marie83 » Tue Feb 05, 2013 5:39 am

Michael, if you could go back in time knowing what you know know about either capes or senegals would you have made a different decision about which species to get?

I'm not suggesting for a single second that you might regret getting either of them, but I know for sure that as much as I love my GCC now and I wouldn't swap him or change the past for the world, that there were times that I wondered if I had made the right choice of species. He is a wonderful bird now he has had training and socialisation but there were certainly days in the past where I thought we were never going to get over the issues we were having.
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Re: So You Want a Cape Parrot? Review of Cape Parrots as Pets

Postby gryffynda » Sat May 07, 2016 9:54 am

I recognize all the behaviors you are describing -- Baby Bird has these qualities, as well. Despite that, however, I'd have to say she is a well-behaved bird and quite sweet in her funny way. She usually steps up from inside the cage (kind of lazy!). She has come a long way from the bitey naughty bird she was when younger. She accepts grooming pretty well, is well socialized with humans, and can be quite calm and content at times. Some things will never change, such as how much she and my conure hate each other, and I work around that by having completely separate out times. She can be stealthy about getting into the worst possible situations (finding a safety pin and chewing it up, flying into bad spots, etc.), but she is monitored almost constantly when out and about. I don't really train my birds per se, except using positive reinforcement in day-to-day interactions (nobirdie comes out of her cage until she is quiet; quiet, good, talking birds get treats, etc.). Overall, I'd say she is a great bird.
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Re: So You Want a Cape Parrot? Review of Cape Parrots as Pets

Postby Pajarita » Sun May 08, 2016 11:26 am

Yes, correcting/training in day to day interaction is what I do also and it has worked very well with all my parrots for many years. But I think that you might be able to get them to accept one another, Gryffynda. It takes planning, time and work but I think that, in most cases, it can be done. I have finally gotten my female Senegal to accept the GCC whom she spent years hating (she would fly like a bat out of hell into the room where the GCC is kept -the canary room- just to perch on her cage so she could try to bite her through the bars). I had not had the time to do it before (three very old, very sick dogs that required most of my attention and energy) and, although it took months and months, Zoey Senegal has accepted to share her shoulder rides with Codee GCC and today, for the first time, I put Codee down about 10 inches away from Zoey while I was doing the canary cages (I was keeping her on me all the time so as to avoid any attack from Zoey) and there was no problem.
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Re: So You Want a Cape Parrot? Review of Cape Parrots as Pets

Postby Navre » Sun May 08, 2016 11:56 am

Species generalizations seem to be correct about 75% of the time. That's enough for the information to be valuable, but it's still wrong enough that there will be tons of people who come out of the woodwork to say how their birds are different.

(I'm still waiting on a calm, serene cockatoo, though.)
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Re: So You Want a Cape Parrot? Review of Cape Parrots as Pets

Postby Wolf » Sun May 08, 2016 7:38 pm

Or one could turn it the other way and say that personality differences are about 75% accurate as well but really it takes a melding of both of them to get to the 80 % accuracy range. There is not going to be a description of a parrot, generally speaking that will do any better than 75 to 80% and that is just due to the differences in their personalities and intelligence as well as the environment that they are accustomed to living in. By this I meant to say that the same bird will be different based soley on the differences in their environment.
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