Latest on Miss Rosetta Stone

Betrisher

Well-known member
Jun 3, 2013
4,253
177
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Parrots
Dominic: Galah(RIP: 1981-2018); The Lovies: Four Blue Masked Lovebirds; Barney and Madge (The Beaks): Alexandrines; Miss Rosetta Stone: Little Corella
Well! What an interesting few weeks we've had!

When Rosetta first arrived and turned out to be so, SO hyperactive and unpredictable, I couldn't imagine us keeping her. She was violent and dangerous and caused not a few nasty injuries (including scratches to people's eyes and taking a hunk out of poor hubby's ear - and yeah, I do mean 'a hunk' about 5mm x 5mm). Every time she came out of her cage, it was like preparing for battle. I'd put on layers of clothing and organise the furniture so that I could protect myself from her. It was extremely wearing, having to try and predict what she would go for next.

But!

Once I finally twigged that she probably only hit puberty last year and is, this year, going through her first breeding season, things sort of fell into place. I made drastic changes in her cage arrangement, sleeping times and what she was allowed to do (ie. not allowed to dive into my t-shirt and roll over and over, not allowed to have boxes large enough to climb into etc). Also, I discovered that she's been fairly heavily clipped in the past and is currently moulting out the clipped feathers. I believe she's only just now learning to fly and that would explain her erratic landing on people with claws deployed and beak at the ready. So much has fallen into place and I feel much more equipped to help her than I did when I thought she was just crazy.

I began giving her short, frequent 'training' sessions instead of lengthy out-of-cage periods. That way, I could bear her attacks knowing they would only go on for ten minutes and I could put her away when she bit purposefully. (She no longer does that, btw).

So the first thing I did was to teach 'Setta how to target. What a good idea that was! Even at her worst, 'Setta is greedy for treats and will do *any*thing to get one. This meant that I could target her off me when she went on a biting spree. I could also target her back in her cage when it was time for a rest. That was a godsend, because my sensitive red-head's skin can only take so much, y'know?

The people who owned her had told me she was 'cuddly and affectionate'. They related how she liked to crawl inside their clothing and make 'sweet noises', rubbing herself against them and 'beaking' them with her bill. They called this 'kissing'. I don't think they knew how close they had come to the real definition of what 'Setta was actually doing! They played along and rubbed her under the wings, rolling her over on her back and encouraging her to nestle into confined spaces.

They also told me that she liked to hang upside-down from their hands and to sit on the backs of their necks and 'fly' on the spot. What? When she did those things on me, I bled pints! 'Setta had absolutely no idea how and where it was OK to clutch a-hold of a person. She'd had no training at all (at least, not that I could see) in which she knew her limits. So, I decided the people who'd had her got a nasty shock when she reached puberty and decided they could no longer cope with her. And that's why they wrote 'need gone ASAP' in their ad.

I won't say 'Setta's behaviour is anywhere near where I want it yet, but we're rubbing along just fine, she and I. For the first ten minutes or so, she likes to fly, so we do that just to let her iron out her kinks. She needs a *lot* of practice and gets exceedingly puffed-out after only a short period of flight. I'm working on building up her stamina.

Next, we spend some time just playing, hurling balls around the floor and trying to learn 'fetch'. It's a bit hard when she hurls everything I hand to her - I have to be quick enough to catch the object in my hand and reward her, but that only happens occasionally at the moment. We'll get there, though.

Next, we reinforce our target training. I'm trying to give 'Setta opportunities to fly upward and downward, so I target her to the top of the bookshelf and then down to the table and from there to the floor. Her downward landing skills are not even there yet, so that's what we're concentrating on for now. I've got folded towels for her to land on so she won't hurt herself. If she ever got out again, I would want her to know exactly how to fly down and perch confidently! Finally, we spend a bit of time just chatting. She'll sit for a minute or so at a time now and I'm trying to increase that period by shovelling treats into her and having animated conversations with her about my work.

I found out quite by accident that 'Setta loves opera! I often sing 'Libiamo' from 'La Traviata' to the Beaks (in a chicken voice). I just happened to do it one day in front of 'Setta and she stopped dead, cocked her head on one side and began to cackle along with me! I have hopes that eventually she might learn to sing a few bars as the Beaks did. (Sadly, they've lost it since we moved house. :( ) I don't know whether it's the great beauty of my vocal efforts that cause 'Sett to stop dead (I doubt it) or something about the tune she just likes. Whatever. It's nice to know she fits in with the household's taste in music. ;)

So today I felt confident to let 'Setta out to play while I cleaned her cage thoroughly. It was a bit taxing as she's still not confident enough to play alone and constantly comes back to me for reassurance and to sort of 'reset' her mojo. So there I was, scrubbing and cleaning with a maniac bird hanging off my plait screeching her little lungs out. It was nice, though, because I could get the work done as well as tend to 'Setta's playtime needs. That's quite different to when she first got here!

Eventually, I needed to refill her feeder, so I got the drum of pellets and opened it in front of 'Setta, thinking she could have a little nom nom for being a good girl. Hah! The stupid things y'do, eh? The little hound DOVE into to the feed drum and stuck her head right into it, hurling pellets left and right, making a massive mess all over the floor! She actually burrowed into the stuff, staining all her lovely white dress green and red and yellow with pellet-dust! So I'm trying to gather her up and get her outta there, only, she's rolling over and over, trying to coat herself thickly in pellets. Honestly, I don't know why I thought that was a good idea, but I was nearly sick from laughing. This bird has a personality as big as all outdoors and I love her to bits!

Just before it was time to go home, 'Setta got hold of her new ball (baby's toy, woven plastic with a big bead inside it) and laboriously dragged it behind her by one toenail as she clambered up my leg. Arriving on my arm, she took the ball in her bill and presented it to me! Is that not the most gorgeous thing?

She's sleeping now, the little sweetheart. I've mopped up the scratches and applied antiseptic cream and all's well with 'Setta and me. :eek:
 

HannahandSunny

Well-known member
Parrot of the Month šŸ†
Jan 13, 2019
547
638
Australia
Parrots
Cockatiels. Percy & Gizmo

Forever in my heart. Sunny the Corella
Well! What an interesting few weeks we've had!

When Rosetta first arrived and turned out to be so, SO hyperactive and unpredictable, I couldn't imagine us keeping her. She was violent and dangerous and caused not a few nasty injuries (including scratches to people's eyes and taking a hunk out of poor hubby's ear - and yeah, I do mean 'a hunk' about 5mm x 5mm). Every time she came out of her cage, it was like preparing for battle. I'd put on layers of clothing and organise the furniture so that I could protect myself from her. It was extremely wearing, having to try and predict what she would go for next.

But!

Once I finally twigged that she probably only hit puberty last year and is, this year, going through her first breeding season, things sort of fell into place. I made drastic changes in her cage arrangement, sleeping times and what she was allowed to do (ie. not allowed to dive into my t-shirt and roll over and over, not allowed to have boxes large enough to climb into etc). Also, I discovered that she's been fairly heavily clipped in the past and is currently moulting out the clipped feathers. I believe she's only just now learning to fly and that would explain her erratic landing on people with claws deployed and beak at the ready. So much has fallen into place and I feel much more equipped to help her than I did when I thought she was just crazy.

I began giving her short, frequent 'training' sessions instead of lengthy out-of-cage periods. That way, I could bear her attacks knowing they would only go on for ten minutes and I could put her away when she bit purposefully. (She no longer does that, btw).

So the first thing I did was to teach 'Setta how to target. What a good idea that was! Even at her worst, 'Setta is greedy for treats and will do *any*thing to get one. This meant that I could target her off me when she went on a biting spree. I could also target her back in her cage when it was time for a rest. That was a godsend, because my sensitive red-head's skin can only take so much, y'know?

The people who owned her had told me she was 'cuddly and affectionate'. They related how she liked to crawl inside their clothing and make 'sweet noises', rubbing herself against them and 'beaking' them with her bill. They called this 'kissing'. I don't think they knew how close they had come to the real definition of what 'Setta was actually doing! They played along and rubbed her under the wings, rolling her over on her back and encouraging her to nestle into confined spaces.

They also told me that she liked to hang upside-down from their hands and to sit on the backs of their necks and 'fly' on the spot. What? When she did those things on me, I bled pints! 'Setta had absolutely no idea how and where it was OK to clutch a-hold of a person. She'd had no training at all (at least, not that I could see) in which she knew her limits. So, I decided the people who'd had her got a nasty shock when she reached puberty and decided they could no longer cope with her. And that's why they wrote 'need gone ASAP' in their ad.

I won't say 'Setta's behaviour is anywhere near where I want it yet, but we're rubbing along just fine, she and I. For the first ten minutes or so, she likes to fly, so we do that just to let her iron out her kinks. She needs a *lot* of practice and gets exceedingly puffed-out after only a short period of flight. I'm working on building up her stamina.

Next, we spend some time just playing, hurling balls around the floor and trying to learn 'fetch'. It's a bit hard when she hurls everything I hand to her - I have to be quick enough to catch the object in my hand and reward her, but that only happens occasionally at the moment. We'll get there, though.

Next, we reinforce our target training. I'm trying to give 'Setta opportunities to fly upward and downward, so I target her to the top of the bookshelf and then down to the table and from there to the floor. Her downward landing skills are not even there yet, so that's what we're concentrating on for now. I've got folded towels for her to land on so she won't hurt herself. If she ever got out again, I would want her to know exactly how to fly down and perch confidently! Finally, we spend a bit of time just chatting. She'll sit for a minute or so at a time now and I'm trying to increase that period by shovelling treats into her and having animated conversations with her about my work.

I found out quite by accident that 'Setta loves opera! I often sing 'Libiamo' from 'La Traviata' to the Beaks (in a chicken voice). I just happened to do it one day in front of 'Setta and she stopped dead, cocked her head on one side and began to cackle along with me! I have hopes that eventually she might learn to sing a few bars as the Beaks did. (Sadly, they've lost it since we moved house. :( ) I don't know whether it's the great beauty of my vocal efforts that cause 'Sett to stop dead (I doubt it) or something about the tune she just likes. Whatever. It's nice to know she fits in with the household's taste in music. ;)

So today I felt confident to let 'Setta out to play while I cleaned her cage thoroughly. It was a bit taxing as she's still not confident enough to play alone and constantly comes back to me for reassurance and to sort of 'reset' her mojo. So there I was, scrubbing and cleaning with a maniac bird hanging off my plait screeching her little lungs out. It was nice, though, because I could get the work done as well as tend to 'Setta's playtime needs. That's quite different to when she first got here!

Eventually, I needed to refill her feeder, so I got the drum of pellets and opened it in front of 'Setta, thinking she could have a little nom nom for being a good girl. Hah! The stupid things y'do, eh? The little hound DOVE into to the feed drum and stuck her head right into it, hurling pellets left and right, making a massive mess all over the floor! She actually burrowed into the stuff, staining all her lovely white dress green and red and yellow with pellet-dust! So I'm trying to gather her up and get her outta there, only, she's rolling over and over, trying to coat herself thickly in pellets. Honestly, I don't know why I thought that was a good idea, but I was nearly sick from laughing. This bird has a personality as big as all outdoors and I love her to bits!

Just before it was time to go home, 'Setta got hold of her new ball (baby's toy, woven plastic with a big bead inside it) and laboriously dragged it behind her by one toenail as she clambered up my leg. Arriving on my arm, she took the ball in her bill and presented it to me! Is that not the most gorgeous thing?

She's sleeping now, the little sweetheart. I've mopped up the scratches and applied antiseptic cream and all's well with 'Setta and me. :eek:


Wow Rosetta sounds like she has so much personality! She must keep you on your toes! Iā€™m glad things are falling into place with her now and sheā€™s settling down.
Sunny does that..cling on the back of my neck and fly on the spot :eek: if heā€™s digging into my skin I get him off but if heā€™s attached to my hair I donā€™t mind so much. He gets very excited. Heā€™s also very clingy at the moment, always flying on my head or shoulders if I walk away from him, rubs against my face as though to say ā€˜donā€™t leave meā€™

That hilarious that ā€˜Setta dive bombed into her pellets! What a cheeky Corella.. Sunny and ā€˜Setta would definitely get along well, can you imagine the mischief :p
Have you any photos of her?
 
Last edited:

noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
8,145
472
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB! SHE IS LUCKY!!! So glad you are stubborn!
 

GaleriaGila

Well-known member
Parrot of the Month šŸ†
May 14, 2016
15,045
8,742
Cleveland area
Parrots
The Rickeybird, 38-year-old Patagonian Conure
Absolutely, positively HEARTWARMING!

The Rb is a "difficult" bird, too, but... hey... it's a calling!
 
OP
Betrisher

Betrisher

Well-known member
Jun 3, 2013
4,253
177
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Parrots
Dominic: Galah(RIP: 1981-2018); The Lovies: Four Blue Masked Lovebirds; Barney and Madge (The Beaks): Alexandrines; Miss Rosetta Stone: Little Corella
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
Hannah, when 'Setta first arrived, she would get a death-grip on a piece of my flesh and just *hang* from it. I don't mind so much when it's a piece of my forearm, but when she hangs off of the soft flesh *under* my arm? Hoboy! THAT'S challenging! Today, she was sitting on my knee and lost her footing, almost falling to the floor. As 'luck' would have it, she managed to grab hold of the corresponding soft flesh inside my thigh.

There are no words...
 

LeaKP

Well-known member
Aug 11, 2014
3,146
Media
4
2,453
South Africa
Parrots
Congo African Grey
I loved your post about 'Setta. I love the tough cases; once you earn that love it can't be shaken. I'm so excited for the future for you all!! Please keep on posting.
 

Scott

Supporting Member
Aug 21, 2010
32,673
9,789
San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
Parrots
Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
Seems like Rosetta is 500% cockatoo! Kudos, Trish, for perseverance and allowing this pint-sized bundle of energy to wind through your heart!
 

Siobhan

New member
Apr 19, 2015
685
6
Illinois
Parrots
Clyde, Quaker; Freddie, tiel; Rocky, umbrella cockatoo.
Hubby built Rocky a T stand that he can hold and Rocky does the flying-in-place thing on that, flapping his wings, raising his crest, sending newspaper and 'too dust flying every which way. He can't fly for real due to an old injury he came with, a broken wing that healed badly, but he can flutter to the floor if necessary and he loves to pretend fly on his T stand. You're doing a great job with Rosetta and have displayed far more stubborn patience than most people have ever heard of. She certainly found a soft place to land with you!
 

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