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Rainbow, Myrtle & Cockatiels

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

Re: Rainbow, Myrtle & Cockatiels

Postby liz » Thu Sep 19, 2019 5:55 am

Rainbow climbed the drawers in my kitchen to climb on top of the counter. When I caught him I said "You know you are not allowed up there. Get down." He started working on his way down. I did have to help him but was amazed that he understood what I said though I had never said it before.

This little green bird has a lot more going on that I did not know about. He does not share his wisdom. I wish I could read his little mind.
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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: Rainbow, Myrtle & Cockatiels

Postby Pajarita » Thu Sep 19, 2019 8:45 am

Yes, they do learn lots of commands but, sometimes, it's just coincidence. What I am trying to say is that one cannot be sure of what they learned or not unless the action is repeated consistently.
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: Rainbow, Myrtle & Cockatiels

Postby liz » Sat Sep 21, 2019 6:33 am

I have noticed that the flock lets my three handicapped bird (one wing, one leg and one eye) go to the food tray first to find where they want to eat. After they start eating then the rest of the flock goes to the feeding tray. Compassion?
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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: Rainbow, Myrtle & Cockatiels

Postby Pajarita » Sat Sep 21, 2019 12:46 pm

It might be. Usually, in the wild, where resources are always limited, the question is between compassion for the other or one's surival so the strongest would eat as much as possible and, if the weaker doesn't get enough is just the old 'survival of the fittest' axiom at work - which sounds terribly cold-hearted to us but, in reality, is the mechanism that nature uses to keep the species strong and healthy. But, in captivity, where food resources are always rich and constant (and even in the wild, under limited circumstances), there have been many behaviors that one cannot but consider purely altruistic - even between different species. Cockatiels are intensely flock oriented so I would not be suprised if, given the fact that they know there will be plenty to eat every day, the stronger members kind of watch out for the weaker ones just so as to keep the flock whole. I love cockatiels! They are so sweet!
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: Rainbow, Myrtle & Cockatiels

Postby liz » Sun Sep 22, 2019 5:54 am

Though I love all critters, to me the Cockatiel is the closest in personality to dogs. They are loving and sweet. They try to communicate and love any attention that they get within their reason. Jackie and Phoenix are my busy birds right now. They want long conversations. Andy and Tammy stand behind them taking it all in. I expect Andy, with all his problems and what I have put him through, to be the next one to go beyond the regular tweeter.

When I am down I go to the cockatiel room and sit on the floor. I always get cheered up. Even though they do not want touched they have no aversion to walking on me and telling me "things".

Of the Amazons Myrtle makes the most physical contact. She likes to hang on me or sit on my shoulder. Rainbow gives me the most joy though. She gets in the box on the kitchen floor and makes the cutest sounds. I don't know what or who she is talking to but since she is not using English I guess it is not me. The cute little sounds coming from her step stool box are so calming.
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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: Rainbow, Myrtle & Cockatiels

Postby Pajarita » Sun Sep 22, 2019 8:48 am

Hmmm, no, I would not say that tiels are the closest to a dog in terms of personality. Dogs all love to be touched all over and tiels do not like that. I would not say that any bird is similar to a dog but, if I had to choose one species of parrot, it would be the caique.
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: Rainbow, Myrtle & Cockatiels

Postby liz » Tue Sep 24, 2019 6:48 am

Andy does not open his blind eye. I guess this is best to keep it from getting infected. He is quite capable of flying but does not have depth perception so he flies into things. He is now a pedestrian like Phoenix and gets around the same way. I have ladders every where so they can go where they want without flying.

Jackie is just starting to accept him again. She tolerates him sitting beside her. For a while she would not go near 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: Rainbow, Myrtle & Cockatiels

Postby Pajarita » Tue Sep 24, 2019 8:59 am

Ohhh, poor Andy! That must have been a big infection... I have been working on a feral kitten with a real bad eye infection for two weeks now... oral antibiotic twice a day, cleaning the eyes and putting ointment twice a day (at the beginning, I did it three times a day). I did not think I was going to be able to save her right eye because although both were bad, the right eye was much, much worse. The third eyelid had not only grown over the eye, it was so swollen that she couldn't even close it with red ballons of flesh sticking out from between the lids... it was real bad. But, this morning, I could actually see the eye! There is still some red something swollen in there but the eye is now visible and, for what I could see, it looks normal so there is hope for it, thankfully!
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: Rainbow, Myrtle & Cockatiels

Postby liz » Thu Sep 26, 2019 4:06 am

Andy's eye was caused by a sinus infection. By the time it showed it was already raging.

His depth perception is so bad that he flies into things. Hence becoming a pedestrian like Phoenix.
It was easy to help Impy. All I did was let his wings grow back. (I can't believe someone trimmed the wings of a crippled Cockatiel. He was just a fat lump of feathers when I got 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: Rainbow, Myrtle & Cockatiels

Postby Pajarita » Thu Sep 26, 2019 9:03 am

Usually, sinus infections in birds are a symptom of a vit A deficiency -did the vet explain that to you? But as you are now giving them a multivitamin/mineral supplement, they should be OK. Vt A is another reason why celery is not good as a leafy green for birds - they need to eat the dark green ones because those are the ones with betacarotene, celery is low in it.
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

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