Most effective macaw bluff I've Ever Seen

So tonight Tusk attempted on sheer guts and CAG audacity to try and prevent Maggie from doing something she wanted to do.

I'm keeping an eye on them cuz this is looking like it could get ugly...

(Pretty much any second now.)

So Tusk does his typical "We shall not be moved" stance.

I am expecting Maggie to just call his bluff and run him off... BUT OH NO! IT GET'S BETTER THAN THAT...

Maggie has this look on her face that is difficult to describe. Determined. NOT playing. Calm, and yet very angry, both at the same time. Didn't make a single aggressive move. She just looks at Tusk eyes pinning, and says a single word - one that she knows IN CONTEXT.

"CRACKER?!"

Cracker is Maggie's word for food. Anything edible is CRACKER. (In this case it meant "MEAT!" More specifically, African Gray meat.) The context was not lost on Tusk, and he immediately "got the gist" and backed down...

That was another one of those, you had to see it to believe it moments.

Maggie never lost her cool, charged, or lunged. Just eye pinning and "Cracker!"

You have to give it to Tusk for being smart enough to know Maggie wasn't playing around....

LOL !!! Id admire you for being able to let those situations play out Is Maggie your GW ? Its funny my female GW's main word is "Cracker" too.

Yep. Maggie is my GW.

I was in a position to do something about it. I kinda left out one important little detail...

Tusk was sitting on my lap at the time. (Lila was on my shoulder.) Maggie climbed the stairs and wanted "her spot" back. Tusk was doing the I've got the high ground and I intend to keep it routine. Maggie was on the floor, wanting off the floor... "Really?! You're gonna pull that number on me?!"

After the word "cracker" Tusk instantly lifted his foot in the air. Didn't take his eyes off of her for a second, but wanted to be picked up, as in NOW PLEASE!

One on my hand. One on my shoulder. One on my lap.

The one on my hand was not especially pleased... It was "his turn."

You have a gift. You need to write more parrot stories. I totally enjoyed that.

That was a funny one Mark . Poor Tusk! African Grey meat lol. (Tastes like chicken?)

Haha! Glad he got the point before he got the beak lol

Thanks for the giggles! Very clever birds, I'm glad Tusk backed down before he became Maggie's 'cracker'.

I had my foot in position to push Maggie away if need be.

And if she started up my leg, Tusk would either immediately step up, or would find himself on the floor, and out of harms way. Sorry dude, not taking chances on a vet bill tonight...

Be mad all you want, but you're safe. Now come up on my arm.

MBS gives you a different approach and a different mind set I guess.

It's very rare for me to only handle one at once... that's more of a laundry day luxury.

LOL! Tusk, he's such a character. Love your flock stories.

Great story, kind of inspired me to consider another parrot down the road to join my CAG.