by Wolf » Thu Aug 04, 2016 8:12 am
This is a very normal situation. Don't look the bird directly in the eye or full face on as this is the way that a predator looks at them when they are going to attack them. It only scares the bird more.
Greys require a lot of time and one on one interaction, so I would begin by spending up to 4 or 5 hours each day or as much time as you can just hanging out in the same room as the bird, talking to it in soothing tones and except for going over and dropping the occasional treat in its food dish I would remain at distance from the cage until the bird begins to relax and not be afraid. If you have chosen a name for your bird use it every time that you speak to him The obvious reason for this is so that he will learn his name, but it is so much more than this as the parrots parents give their babies a name when they hatch that they will use for that bird for its entire life, just the same as we do with our babies. A parrots name is very important to it.
Almost every predator on this planet has their eyes in the front of their head, while most prey animals have their eyes on the sides, there are some exceptions to this, but generally this is how it is. A predator looks straight on at the bird with both eyes when it is looking to attack the bird, so when you do this or look the bird in the eye you scare the bird as it thinks that you are looking at it as your next meal. For this reason you should observe the bird from the corners of your eyes and/ or with short glances. This will help to calm the bird.
Use a calm, soothing tone of voice when speaking to your new bird, this will help to calm it and help it to relax. Parrots are flock animals so they are highly social creatures and they derive much of their sense of security and well being from the presence of their flock. With this young of a Grey you are not only its flock but you have taken on the role of its parents and as such it will come to depend on you to teach it everything that it is going to need to know to survive in a human environment including what foods to eat.
The bird is going to call for it parent(s), in this situation it is calling for the people that it knew and trusted, but you are now in that role so take the time to answer the bird whenever it screams and calls for you. This does not mean to rush over to the cage, it means to answer the birds calling to you.
Signs that the bird is beginning to relax in your presence are not moving away from you when you approach the cage or standing on one foot as well as some vocalisations other than the screaming.
There is no way of knowing how long this will take, it depends on both you and the bird, but it is likely to take a few days before the bird begins to relax and look forward to your presence. Except for food and water try to remain out of the birds cage for the first few days, it is better to have a dirtier cage for a few days than it is to scare the bird more.
Once your bird begins to accept you and begins to relax in your presence then you can start by slowly approaching the cage, moving towards it when the bird relaxes and taking a step back away when the bird get nervous, until you reach the cage. During this time you should be speaking to the bird with lots of praise in a soothing tone and using its name often and then offer the bird something like a nut for a treat, almonds work well for me. Offer this treat through the bars of the cage and at the perch that he is on. He will either come over for the treat or not if you will hold it there to give him the chance to come to get it. If he does not come for the treat place it in his food dish and leave come back later and try again. This should only take about 3 or 4 minutes and only do it 3 to 4 times a day. It is very important to leave the treat for the bird.
It is not unusual for the initial period of acclimating to its new environment to take up to 30 days of more.