CaitlinBird

New member
May 9, 2013
72
Media
1
0
Parrots
Achilles my blind Cockatiel, she is four years old.

a Moluccan Cockatoo that it's over 30 years old.
After fostering Jojo the Moluccan Cockatoo for a month this Summer he has finally stepped up and liked it!

This Summer I wanted to train a bird for Florida Parrot Rescue. I asked my foster coordinator if they had any "difficult" birds that may be hard to adopt out or are at risk for permanent sanctuary placement, someone who needs a little rehabbing. Jojo was that bird. He is an older Moluccan Cockatoo that is somewhere in his 30's. He was described as being shy. When I went to see him and observe how he was interacted with "shy" translated into being fearful of stepping up onto hands, perches, showing fearful body language when someone walked by, and frantically flying into a person's arms if a stick was brandished at him. Not pretty.

I agreed to foster Jojo and for the first day and a half he was so frightened the only way I could walk past his cage was to lower myself to the ground, place my hands and knees on the ground and crawl past his cage! Poor guy!

Well all that is ancient history! Thanks largely to target training he no longer cowers when someone picks up a stick and I can even open his cage to put the stick in without any averse effects.

This morning Jojo and I started training as usual and then took a half hour break and then resumed. As usual I targeted him to the perch I was holding and after doing a few reps I moved the target farther back along the perch to see if he would step up. HE DID! He got a big jackpot for that and when he was finished I targeted him off the perch, reinforced, and asked him to go back onto the perch again and he did so! We did this several more times and ended the session before he I asked him to go much farther, I wanted him to be comfortable and to end the session on a good note!

I wish I had photos! It's hard when your hands are full with a perch, target and food! Acccck! Still, progress is progress and worth celebrating!
:52:
 
Last edited:
OP
CaitlinBird

CaitlinBird

New member
May 9, 2013
72
Media
1
0
Parrots
Achilles my blind Cockatiel, she is four years old.

a Moluccan Cockatoo that it's over 30 years old.
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #3
Thank you Cockatielgirl! This morning's training went even better! When Jojo saw the perch he stepped onto it without needing to follow the target! He just ran up to it and stepped up! He did have problems when I started moving the stick but as always we'll be using baby steps to get over that! Achilles was the same way with stepping up but was WORSE as she would fall off and hurt herself in a frantic craze which is explained better in my blog.

After the official training sesh I open jojo's cage so he can crawl out and do some hopping on top of his cage. I sat down to check out the forum and his cage happens to be in the perfect distance for him to reach out and crawl onto the couch if he wants to. Well he scooted down his cage bars, reached out to grab the couch and started lightly chewing. I interpreted that as "I want to come on the couch" and moved his cage closer to which he happily climbed onto the couch, crawled over my body, and shoved his face into my shoulder begging for head scritches! I have photos and video as proof!

Give me a minute to upload these...

Jojo has put himself back in his cage and is currently grinding his beak in an expression of contentment, apparently too exhausted from the morning's "work". Hehe, oh I'm a happy foster mom!
 

henpecked

Active member
Dec 12, 2010
4,858
Media
3
18
NC/FLA
Parrots
Jake YNA 1970,Kia Panama amazon1975, both i removed from nest and left siblings, Forever Home to,Stacie (YN hen),Mickie (RLA male),Blinkie (YNA hen),Kong (Panama hen),Rescue Zons;Nitro,Echo,Rocky,Rub
Good job !!! Thanks for helping out an older fella, maybe one day he can find a good home and be a happy bird again.
 
OP
CaitlinBird

CaitlinBird

New member
May 9, 2013
72
Media
1
0
Parrots
Achilles my blind Cockatiel, she is four years old.

a Moluccan Cockatoo that it's over 30 years old.
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
So third time trying to record is the charm! The video quality is crappy but that's a webcam for you! I need to learn to carry my camera on me at all times for stuff like this!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A6lhvJo09k]Jojo's First Couch Cuddles! - YouTube[/ame]


Jojo discovering another cockatoo!
9323074302_5bc84dcd54_c.jpg


Please let me touch you!
9322853538_3d4ee5ba95_c.jpg



Studying
9320060871_9760fc6111_c.jpg


Checking out the forums!
9322855570_244dde9a8d_c.jpg
 

chippy

New member
Feb 16, 2013
337
0
Parrots
2 Indian Ringnecks, Tiki (DH's) and Pippin (mine), 1 lovebird, Gemma (DD's) and 1 in birdy Heaven... RIP, Wilbur.
That's awesome!!! and he's SOOO gorgeous! Thank you for being there for him, on behalf of bird lovers everywhere!:D
 

Most Reactions

Latest posts

Top