Hey yall -
Thank you in advance for any input on my overly-verbose post.
I have had a few GCC over many, many (too many years. We had Peggy Sue for 1.5 years before she moved with my daughter in 2018. I bought PS's sibling Pina from the same owner. Peggy Sue was 4 months old when I bought her, and she and Pina are now about 2. From day 1, Peggy Sue was so easy to handle/train/play and snuggle with. Unfortunately I believe poor Pina didn't have much human interaction when young. She was in a room with about 4 other parrots (separate cages) of different varieties, and there are many other pets (mammals, reptiles, fish) that the owner divides her time amongst.
I have only had Pina about a month, but she seems petrified. Of me, of our house, of her new life. I thought I was bettering her life, taking her from a room packed with cages and aquariums. Now she lives in a much bigger cage in a large sunroom where I spend 75% of my day, and outside is a balcony where I put her cage for several hours (here in Austin TX, we have enjoyed 60+ degree weather almost every day since Pina came home with us!) Pina also was fed a strictly, single-type pellet diet before. Now she gets Lafeber in addition to every day having a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, always repeating her faves. I also have a huge bag of bird toys that accumulated over the years that I rotate in to see what she prefers; she only had a couple of toys before. While all those things may make her happier in some sense, I still believe she misses her former home.
I think Pina is lonely for other birds. She was next to a cage of parakeets and she sounds off just like them all the time. And that is the other thing - beside of trying most desperately to get as far away from me as she can anytime I get near the cage, Pina squawks all the time. Sometimes it seems she won't stop, and just when it has been a couple of days without the endless squawking, it begins again. Same squawk, same extremely high volume. My other GCCs chatted in varied tones and volumes, but they never kept the same mood/alarm going all the time like poor Pina. And her consistent body language when I am near is bending over, slighting holding out her wings, facing the other direction; I recognize this as most GCCs wanting to take off, but for her it is constant (when I am around) and she always faces the direction opposite me. Please understand - I don't really care about her rejection or the squawking; but I HATE it that Pina seems so unhappy. I am here to find out how to make her happy. Btw, I have been doing things like daily hanging out very near her cage without looking directly at her or attempting to interact, so she gets used to me being present without trying to "get" her. I also eat a little something when I feed her, so we eat together like a flock would. Other suggestions would be most helpful.
Do I simply need to give Pina time? I can give her decades if necessary. But I read that some birds never warm up - this I can accept but in reality, is the problem that my flock-lover is lonely for other birds? Would she be happier back with her former bird friends? I would tell the former-owner to keep the money only if she kept the bird here with her pals (she is a neighbor who I see somewhat regularly, and I don't think would try to resell Pina as that really isn't a business for her).
Or should I get another GCC to keep Pina company? I understand that they probably will become bonded and subsequently have no interest in me . . . that would be twice as sad to me as Pina not having interest in me, but still less sad than my Pina feeling lonesome for the rest of her life. I would rather the 2 birds be happy without me, and for me find pet-companionship in another animal.
Or is there a chance - my sincerest hope - that she will warm up to me? Is there a way to tell?