Long overdue update on Bonny formaly known as Pirate

This is a long overdue update for Bonny.

I took Pirate to the vet the first week I got him, vet said he was in good health, and I insisted on blood work and DNA. The blood work came back great, and the DNA came bale Female. So Pirate got renamed Bonny.

Her new cage showed up and it really is a massive cage (prevue empire cage). She loves it, I was a little worried at first when I got her because she didn't seem to have the coordination or agility that I am a accustomed too in a parrot. Over time that improved and now she bolts across her cage.

I was also worried because she was losing so many feathers, never getting bald, but i have a large stack of them now. Anyway that stopped so all is good.

It took her a while but she is now eating all types of fruits and vegetables. With grapes as her top favorite, or what every I am currently eating.

Bonny did not know step-up, so that was the first thing I worked on. But had to start by introducing a stick very slowly. There were a few backslides when she tried to jump off and missed her perch and blamed the stick for it. But it got to the point that she would step up on the stick with out any problems. Next it was stepping up onto my hand. So I knew she was ok with stepping up on my hand, she would do it when she got her self in trouble and needed help. But I just could not get her to step up on her stand or cage. I realized that she was just complaining about doing it and not scared to do it, so I pushed the issue and she realized she could not scare me away. Now I have no problem picking her up from inside her cage or any other location.

I have done target training with her, she loves it (she will do anything to get a treat). But she is still scared of most of the house, she has gotten to the point that she will hang with my wife and I on the couch with out any problems but all the other rooms scare her. She ends up getting down from her location, climbs my leg and sits on my shoulder until I take her down.

It has gotten to the point that I can scratch most places on her body, and can manipulate her wings. But she expects her reward afterwords, she does seem to start to like getting her head scratched, and does seem to find it comforting, but its still not natural for her.

She still screams mom and dad, in Turkish, if I leave the room and she can't see me. She wants to be around me but not really interact with me yet.

I am finding her to be an amazing bird, just a massive goof ball, watching her attack a toy, then get mad when the toy "attacks" her back is a joy to watch. The happy sounds she makes bring a smile to our faces, and my wife has commented multiple times how great it is to hear her happy sounds when she comes home from work.

And now for what you really wanted.






You can see the original cage in the background of the second photo, and the new cage in the background of the last photo.

Edit: I forgot.

So Bonny taught my wife a trick, so Bonny runs over grabs my wife's hand and pulls it down so that Bonny can step up, Bonny then runs over grabs the other hand to do it again. So now Bonny has stopped stepping up and just wants to pinch her fingers and hand (not very hard), even the hand she is on (Bonny does not do this to me). So what should you do to stop them from pinching the hand that they are currently standing on?

As she gets more comfortable with you, the phobic behaviors should improve.

I tend to carry them around the room and show them things, just to show them it's nothing to be afraid of. And in time, they just aren't anymore.

As for the pinching behaviors, just two fingers on the beak before she latches on, and a firm NO! I don't want to play that game, thank you. Then distract her with some other game she likes to play.

Be consistent. Let her know it hurts, and you don't like it. And just physically prevent her from doing it before she starts... anticipate stuff like that and be pro-active when handling them.

Kyleigh was a bit timid when we moved into our new home. She is 15 weeks (we moved last week) and we got all new everything pretty much. I walked through the house and we played on the couch, held conversations by items she was timid on, and did target training at a distance from other items. Then we shortened that distance. It took a few days, but now the house is her aviary and she loves it.

Keep it up. Patience, patience.

StephenAndKyleigh said:

Kyleigh was a bit timid when we moved into our new home. She is 15 weeks (we moved last week) and we got all new everything pretty much. I walked through the house and we played on the couch, held conversations by items she was timid on, and did target training at a distance from other items. Then we shortened that distance. It took a few days, but now the house is her aviary and she loves it.

Keep it up. Patience, patience.

Click to expand...

You explained this way better than I did.

EXACTLY... YOU INTRODUCE THEM TO THINGS... AND THEN THEY NO LONGER FREAK THEM OUT. AND AS AN ADDED BONUS, THEY ARE LESS INCLINED TO FREAK OUT AROUND NEW OBJECTS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE SPOOK THEM...

She is so pretty! Sounds like she is doing great with you so far.

Thanks for the ideas, while I had been introducing her to new objects, I had not thought to go around the outside of the room and let her lick everything. I will give that a go and see how she does. I am really amazed at how much progress we have made, I have to keep telling my self that it's only been 5 months now.