Trained Parrot BlogParrot Wizard Online Parrot Toy StoreThe Parrot Forum

I really need help!

Chat about general parrot care and parrot owner lifestyle. Bird psychology, activities, trimming, clipping, breeding etc.

I really need help!

Postby Saman7 » Fri Jan 13, 2017 5:21 pm

Im not sure if this is such a bad thing but i think it is. About 4 weeks ago i got an african grey, he's about 10 years old and tamed by his last owner, he was a bit shy to begin with but he's settling in now. Just an hour ago i went downstairs to turn the lights off and he starts freaking out. He would keep his wings slightly raised and randomly and quickly move his head. After a while he started hissing. I gave him some treats to try and calm him but nothing worked. I also noticed, when im about to leave the room he freaks out and when im going to turn the lights off he puts his head up against the cage and flaps his wings. Please reply even if you have the faintest idea of what is going on!
Saman7
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 5
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Parrots
Flight: Yes

Re: I really need help!

Postby liz » Sat Jan 14, 2017 6:28 am

You have only had him 4 weeks. If he was a child you adopted you would be concerned that his past is scaring his present. Even if he belonged to a friend and you have seen him a lot it is the same. You moved him into a new world that is different than he was used to.

I have had Rainbow since 2000. He has been a joy and came in with the attitude they he had to teach me and the house full of critters how to treat "this pretty bird". There was no adjustment needed. He came from a quiet home and into kaos and loved every bit of it.

He has always been excited about anything new. He traveled well from NC to FL. I put his cage that holds his stuff in front of a window. I thought he must really love that window because he was always on top of the cage looking out and never left the room. Because he was always game for what was going on I did not think about what was outside that window. He thought the outside world had changed overnight and I put him in a strange house. This went on for a year before I thought of it. I took him out of that room and gave him a place setting at the table. We ate together and I was always in his sight. He came out of it but I really feel guilty that I did not see what was going on and let him be so scared for so long.

They wing flapping is what baby birds do when they are begging. He is begging you not to leave him.
User avatar
liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: I really need help!

Postby Wolf » Sat Jan 14, 2017 7:10 am

Greys are very sensitive birds and this one is still very new to both you and its new home. Off hand I would have to agree with Liz that (s)he is begging you to not leave , but there is so much more than this that could be going on. Even with you leaving to turn the lights off the hissing seems to be unusual as going by my Greys actions hissing appears to be motivated by fear of something or extreme dislike towards something.

There is really very little information concerning the birds location in relationship to the rest of the home and the birds ability to see and interact with you and any other living animal human or otherwise in the home. There is also no mention of things in the room that the bird may show an aversion or dislike of when you are there to see what is going on, or any information as to how much time the bird receives daily for interaction with you.

Please try to give us more information concerning your Grey, its current environment and its schedules and routines.
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal
African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: I really need help!

Postby Pajarita » Sat Jan 14, 2017 11:59 am

Yes, I am also very concerned about this behavior. It's not a 'normal' behavior and it's indicative of something wrong (it's high anxiety that is causing it). Grays are not easy birds. They are extremely high strung - changes are very upsetting to them and losing their human is nearly catastrophic so this could be the result of a combination of things, one of them being that 4 weeks is nothing to them in terms of getting used to anything. Also, are you, by any chance, turning off the lights when it's already completely dark outside? Because that's not good for them...
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: I really need help!

Postby Saman7 » Tue Jan 24, 2017 4:42 pm

Hi all,
Sorry for the late reply, jemjem has stopped hissing since that night but he still does flap his wings when i leave. I think i need to spend more time with him if hes getting lonely but im genuinely not sure if he likes me being around. Sometimes his body shakes when i go near him and he has bitten me once (it hurt lol). With his routine, i dont really have one, in the mornings i wake him up and he stretches a bit and i feed him. I feed him again around lunch and dinner and whenever i can, i go and sit next him, and he sits on his perch lower down next to me. I dont really know how to properly take care of him or if this reply will be of any use, im just glad someone replied.
Saman7
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 5
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Parrots
Flight: Yes

Re: I really need help!

Postby liz » Wed Jan 25, 2017 7:04 am

It sounds like you need more time for him. He needs out of cage time.
When I am busy and one of them want attention they will just hang on me and go along with my day. They feel close and I still get my work done.
Other time which would be considered quality is to eat with him. In a flock eating is social and eating together forms bonds.
User avatar
liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: I really need help!

Postby Loriusgarrulus » Wed Jan 25, 2017 7:10 am

I usually find they will all eat a nice apple.
I sit and eat an apple and bite bits off to pass to them.
Growing Old Disgracefully
User avatar
Loriusgarrulus
Conure
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 180
Location: Cheshire. United Kingdom
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: Yellow backed chattering lory: Kanga
Blackheaded caique: Tupi
Yellow thighed caique: Karo
Flight: Yes

Re: I really need help!

Postby Wolf » Wed Jan 25, 2017 8:48 am

It can take quite some time to win a Greys trust or they might love you right from the first time that they ever see you and there is no way of knowing until it does or does not happen. I think that most Greys will come to trust you in time as long as you are patient and take the time to talk and listen to it. The listening to the bird is important for a good relationship with any parrot, but it is even more so with a Grey, in my opinion. There are occasions when a Grey will refuse to accept anyone at least that is what I have read. I do know that my Grey loved me at first sight but she would not accept any of the people that had her just prior to her coming to live with me.

That is really about all that I know for sure about the bird accepting someone, it is their choice and not ours, but if they decide to accept you then they are extremely loyal and not only will they want to be with and near you all of the time, they are likely to also be very protective of you.
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal
African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: I really need help!

Postby Pajarita » Thu Jan 26, 2017 1:00 pm

Well, for starters, if you have to wake him up in the morning, you are not keeping him at a solar schedule and, at his age, he could be overly hormonal, especially if he is not eating a lot of produce daily. Grays are not easy birds to keep. They are highly intelligent, very picky eaters, they don't bond with other birds and require an inordinate amount of our time because, even though they are only cuddly during hormonal times, they need us there for them for hours and hours and hours during the day. Mine are happy just perching on my shoulder and looking on everything I do with just a head, cheek or chin scratch every now and then. It's only during breeding season that they want more touching but even then we need to be careful and only touch their heads.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes

Re: I really need help!

Postby Saman7 » Mon Jan 30, 2017 3:24 pm

Hi all,
Thank you for the replies, they were all very helpful. Yes i do sit with jem jem to eat and he seens to enjoy it as he comes down on his lower perch to sit with me. Also i don't physically wake him up, he's allready awoke by the time i wake up.
Hes been very relaxed recently and allows me to stroke him every so often.
So the last question i have is how do you know if their happy. Jem jem normally whistles and talks when no one is in the room with him, he still does if you are but at a lesser rate. But other than that how do you know if hes happy. He does preening and will stand on one leg showing hes relaxed but sometimes he just stares at you and stands there. Is that normal? Is he happy?
Saman7
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 5
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Parrots
Flight: Yes

Next

Return to General Parrot Care

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests

cron
Parrot ForumArticles IndexTraining Step UpParrot Training BlogPoicephalus Parrot InformationParrot Wizard Store