Oscar asked to step up this morning. Here is our visit

I've had oscar a few days. This is the second time he has initiated being held himself by saying STEPUP and walking towards me. He is still a little clumsy. He's missing a toe chewed off (by father) as an infant. He seems unsure but is gentle. I'm used to my poi and want to make sure I am communicating and holding him right. He is between five and six months of age

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9axC0M3_Ys]Oscar still getting used to me at six months - YouTube[/ame]

Thoughts?

Great vid there

Thank you. He has asked to step up again several times today and is now enjoying walking around with me and playing with toys together. For a bird that came from an abusive situation, between all the love I've shown him and seeing how loving and trusting my Senegal and I are together, he's come very far. He gives me a one wing salute every time he sees me now . I'm so glad. I was afraid he'd take a lot of work.


Surely watching the cuddliest, calmest senegal in the world has helped. (his tail feathers are damaged from his former soaking habit. It's on the mend)

http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n88/111olbap/?action=view&current=SAM_0526.mp4
My grey Oscar is more trusting every day. He even layed on me with his wings flat out here. He learned step up in less than five minutes and does it EVERY time now. I am amazed by this birds ability for trust, learning, and just general intelligence. Absolutely a wonderful animal. I hate calling parrots animals. They are more like people without hands and strange faces to me.

Ocnoob, keep up the good work with Oscar.

However, I will give you the standard warning against shoulder parrots. My buddy Gandalf was my best friend in the world, but one day he bit me on the lip...hard...with no warning whatsoever. All I can think is that he was mad we were leaving the window and going back to the cage. I still have a small scar to remember him by.

Please remember that little bird, however sweet he may be...does not have a conscience.

Stereo vision and depth perception are not over-rated.

Keep up the good work

Abused!? And only 6 months old?! Poor baby! What an amazing person you are to have rescued this handsome boy!! He looks very comfortable with you!!!

It is so cute to see the baby movements with Oscar. I have not had a baby parrot in the house since 2002. With Diego (my last baby) it took me three weeks before he bonded to me. He was co parent raised so he was some what wild when I took him home. It did not help the trauma he went though with airport security when I flew home with him. (they made me take him out of his carrier and walk though the metal detector while holding him. He crawled into my shirt and got his head stuck in my bra).

For me a relationship with a parrot is like no other. Its a relationship you work for and keep working for. It is always changing and always a challenge. This is why I love the parrot.

Oscar is lucky to find you. I am sure you paid a buttload of money for him but he is worth it I am sure. Are you going to vet him to make sure he is healthy and so that he can pass his well bird check up? Yes, they will draw blood but it is necessary and if they are good at it the parrot will not even care. (Mihijo fell asleep during his exam because the vet kept rubbing his head)

I too am home every day so I can give my baby RFM the attention that he will need as a baby. For now I am preparing the computer room to be the quarantine room for him. He will live in my computer room for 90 days in Mihijo's cage.

Please keep us updated on Oscar's progress..he is comfortable with you but I noticed he does not like his head touched. Is this normal for greys? I don't remember if this is a grey thing. I know that Eclectus do not like their heads touched.

Noblemacaw

Good job! Talking at 6 months is awesome too! Ida is around 8 months and hasn't said a word yet.

noblemacaw said:

He crawled into my shirt and got his head stuck in my bra).

As a man I am lucky not to have this potential issue

For me a relationship with a parrot is like no other. Its a relationship you work for and keep working for. It is always changing and always a challenge. This is why I love the parrot.

You've never met my senegal. He won't let you not have a relationship with him. He comes to me and brings toys and talks and asks to cuddle and play a dozen times a day and he just will not leave you alone

Oscar is lucky to find you. I am sure you paid a buttload of money for him but he is worth it I am sure. Are you going to vet him to make sure he is healthy and so that he can pass his well bird check up? Yes, they will draw blood but it is necessary and if they are good at it the parrot will not even care. (Mihijo fell asleep during his exam because the vet kept rubbing his head)

I am putting those funds together. I did not have the money for oscar. I 'rainy day fund' purchased him. Hope to make it to the vet in <30 days.

I too am home every day so I can give my baby RFM the attention that he will need as a baby. For now I am preparing the computer room to be the quarantine room for him. He will live in my computer room for 90 days in Mihijo's cage.

I'm home every day as well on disability currently

Please keep us updated on Oscar's progress..he is comfortable with you but I noticed he does not like his head touched. Is this normal for greys? I don't remember if this is a grey thing. I know that Eclectus do not like their heads touched.

I noticed its that he likes to be petted WITH the feathers. I was used to my poi who wants it against the feathers . We figured that one out.
Noblemacaw

Click to expand...

nofearengineer said:

Ocnoob, keep up the good work with Oscar.

However, I will give you the standard warning against shoulder parrots. My buddy Gandalf was my best friend in the world, but one day he bit me on the lip...hard...with no warning whatsoever. All I can think is that he was mad we were leaving the window and going back to the cage. I still have a small scar to remember him by.

Please remember that little bird, however sweet he may be...does not have a conscience.

Stereo vision and depth perception are not over-rated.

Click to expand...

I beak locked with him after 30 seconds in the pet shop to try to calm his fear. He was terrified where he was. He looked like the young kid surrounded by lifers in jail (he's on the floor surrounded by elevated cages with huge umbrella cockatoos and macaws.

You're talking to a former bushwhacker kid and pet store worker who's been bitten (and held onto) by a 70lb plus boa constrictor while working at a pet shop. Not trying to say 'hey look I'm tough'. I just don't fear animals. Maybe stupid of me.

I was also once attacked by a 10" tropical centipede which crawled up my shorts while on vacation, and, well, you figure out the rest. THAT hurt. Bad. After that, I fear none of god's creatures.

Also I respectfully disagree about a conscience.. Despite a very strong sense of spite, malice, and revenge, birds have a very heavy conscience and do reel remorse. My senegal is especially sorry when he injures someone and will spend a long time making kissy noises and cuddling you . I've kept many an animal. Fish and reptiles have no conscience. Rats have some concept of one as do cats, and dogs have a very strong one. Humans vary .
Sure, he's bitten hard by accident before, but I make him know it hurt, and he does apologize, and then gently mouthes the spot as if to say 'sorry I hurt you here'

A trick I've picked up over the years- an animal with a conscience- ie, anything above a cat, will not attempt to injure you while you have your eyes closed. Not sure why. I've befriended squirrels and raccoons this way. You can put your face right up to almost any bird with your eyes closed and it will respectfully choose not to approach you. Animals seem to work on a very simple system of showing respect in certain ways to one another.

Next time you're close to some squirrels or seagulls eating, watch them for a while, make eye contact with one, then close your eyes and bow. The animal will likely return the gesture. You will then notice it behaving much more comfortably and looking at you less, as you have explained you are no threat. I know I sound nuts but go try it some time.

Many animals want our friendship. Why is it so easy to call a squirrel over and have it trust you enough to take food from your hand? I don't see pigeons mouth feeding sparrows. Humans and animals as well as different kinds of animals are able to forge relationships with eachother where I feel enough trust exists that you have a reasonable margin of safety.

If oscar bit me, could he, say, tear my lip open? Yes. I'm willing to take the risk though.

Oh and with all that being said, I still maintain that the most painful of all bites I have had from wasp to large boa to bird to dog is a full force bite from an extremely disgruntled hamster.

http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n88/111olbap/?action=view&current=SAM_0526.mp4

Oscar comes along every day. Here he is a day later. Today he was all over me. I also learned an important lesson: Senegals don't get close to cameras because they don't know what they are. A Congo grey grabs it and tries to rip it open to see what's inside. My lens is scratched now. Hehe. Not really hehe... but it was a very different expereince.

I know others may not agree with the risks I take to MY safety (not to theirs) such as putting my face up to a large beaked parrot I've only known a short while. However, this was the technique of my friend I met long ago who I call the bird whisperer. She can turn any shrieker and biter into a purring kissing sleep on your chest teddy bear in a day. Her belief, and mine is that if you show a parrot absolutely no fear and unconditional love and support, it will return it. Even a stranger. And approaching to a reasonable distance with closed eyes as well as doing the two bird waves, one arm and then two up at the elbows goes a long way to establish a relationship before even touching the bird. The birds at petshops want to come out and hang out with me all the time because I approach them as people with respect and introduce myself. I know I sound crazy but I swear they are much more intelligent than science has so far proven and they are good judges of character.