Mel makes a breakthrough!

[SilverSage]

Mel, the Blue Headed Pionus we have taken in did something awesome tonight.

I have been getting her out (using a perch) and putting her on the tree stand in our livingroom when things are calm. So far she had made it pretty clear she doesnt like hands in her cage, which I believe is largely due to her owner forcing her to "step up" when she was frightened, and then holding her toe to keep her on his hand. Well tonight I put her on the tree and gave her a cracker. She ruffled her feathers at me and I asked her "Scritches?" and she bowed her head and leaned forward, glad for the scritches. She has been doing this more and more lately.



I moved over to sit with my husband and talk to him, but within a few minutes we heard a rustle of feathers and....

She flew across the room and landed on my shoulder! I was a bit nervous because she has bitten me before, and she was by my face, but decided to remain calm and talk to her. She gave me that signature Pionus "oi? oi?" sound, climbed across my chest, onto my husband's chest, over his shoulder, and onto the back of the couch, and again repeated "oi? oi?"



We gave lots of scritches and treats, and she stepped up for both several times, and we just hung out for a while. I finally put her back in her cage (using the dowel, since she has just started "liking" hands and I dont want her to think hands mean cage - we will work on that later). I told her goodnight, turned off the light, and as I went to close the curtain to that room I heard her, in a cartoon like voice say "Good morning." =D

 

[EAI]

Awe, congratulations! I can feel your happiness, she sure is going to be a brave little girl in no time!

I also really like how the lighting and flash in the first picture makes it look she has a spotlight on her, how angelic looking :3

 

[RavensGryf]

Nice! That's a good feeling when they come around.

I'm curious what the oi? oi? sound is ... I don't recall either Raven or the other Bronze Winged I had making a noise that sounds like that... Oh wait! I just sat and thought about it for a minute. Maybe it sounds a little different between each Pi species? Sometimes he makes sort of a little donkey type noise. I guess it's a happy sound? He does it when he's NOT on me lol!

 

[SilverSage]

EAI, that is just because my phone thinks it is dark in my livingroom

I think it sounds almost like a cartoon pig sounds. All 3 of my Pionus make it, I bet if you or I were to visit each other's houses, we would hear the familiar sound, and simply not type it out in the same way. It could almost sounds like a cartoon pig crossed with a kitten? Or perhaps yours does not make the noise. It is the noise all of mine make most often.

 

[RavensGryf]

I think I know what sound you're talking about . I think all Pi's must do it, though I don't know what it means.

The worst sound he makes and I hate to say it's the most frequent sound he makes, is his version of the 'human cough'. He does it really high pitched. It would be hilarious if it wasn't so irritating. Sometimes it's regular speed coughing, then short fast staccato coughs, then followed by a long drawn out wheezing cough... I swear I don't do that, it's funny how he does though lol. He even 'coughs' at Griffin all the time. It cracks me up!

 

[SilverSage]

hhhmm, that doesnt sound familiar... I may have to take a video to compare Honestly, as weird as it is, with the exception of one white capped Pionus chick, I own every Pionus I have ever met and that chick was silent when we were together.

 

[RavensGryf]

hhhmm, that doesnt sound familiar... I may have to take a video to compare Honestly, as weird as it is, with the exception of one white capped Pionus chick, I own every Pionus I have ever met and that chick was silent when we were together.

I'm not saying the 'coughing' is that sound we were talking about, I'm just saying it's his most frequent sound lol. He's mimicking, but he's really bad at it haha.

I would love to get more videos of everyone, but it's hard because they stop what they're doing when they hear my phone and see me focus on them.

 

[EAI]

hhhmm, that doesnt sound familiar... I may have to take a video to compare Honestly, as weird as it is, with the exception of one white capped Pionus chick, I own every Pionus I have ever met and that chick was silent when we were together.

I would love to get more videos of everyone, but it's hard because they stop what they're doing when they hear my phone and see me focus on them.

Tell me about it, none of my birds really like cameras except for Izyy. She loved technology, Iphones were a close 2nd to my laptop. Instead of posing she would jump on it and try to chew the buttons. I have a few butt picture because of that !

 

[4dugnlee]

Aww...that's great! Congrats.

 

[Selestine]

What awesome news! And what a pretty girl.. I don't think I've seen a picture before of a blue headed pionus. Such gorgeous colors.

 

[Terry57]

That is fantastic progress! Mel is so beautiful, and is looking so content.

Talliu, my BHP, also makes that noise you're talking about, but I haven't heard Pisces, the WCP make it yet. Talli also imitates my cough, but luckily it is low pitched and is just funny rather than irritating. The funny thing is that when I cough, Xan, my Alex, screams GOD BLESS YOU!. He doesn`t do that when Talli does it so that`s good..lol.

 

[SilverSage]

Haha, that is too cute! Mel doesn't imitate anything she learned from me yet, or from Bill, her owner, but when I called him last nightie sounded like he is close to telling me to keep her.

 

[Terry57]

I will keep my fingers crossed for you She sounds like such a great girl!

 

[SilverSage]

Thanks. She truly is, and I feel like moving her again, especially when she has come farther in a few weeks with me than she ever did with him, would be bad for her.

 

[Terry57]

I do too, and I just hope he realizes that as well and makes the right decision for her.

 

[SilverSage]

I think the hard thing for him is that he knows we disagree on a lot of things, such as diet, harnesses, shoulders, stepping up, sleep time, schedule, wing clipping... The list goes on and on, and honestly I have to bite my tongue when I talk to him, but I am hopping that over all he realizes that she has demonstrated feeling safer here than she ever did for him, and much more quickly. He is going through such a hard time right now though that I think it will be a long time before he fully accepts that he will not be getting any of his birds back. The thing that concerns me is that I know he loves his cockatoos best, but Mel is much more likely to be acceptable to a living situation. I fear he will realize she is his only chance, and want her back. I am counting on his good sense and knowledge of how well she is doing here to keep him from doing that, but in the mean time I am struggling not to become too attached.

 

[SilverSage]

More progress!
First, Mel had not had a bath since she came to live with Bill. He claimed she had been with him "at least six months" but he couldn't remember why she came to him, or anything about why she was surrendered, he just knew she had not been bathed since coming to him. I tried getting her to bathe in a dish, but to no avail. I prefer not to spray new birds because it can be stressful for them, but she NEEDED a bath. So I misted her. She went NUTS! She loved it Used a full 12 oz. on her, and she wiggled and sang and flapped, and got mad every time I tried to stop. She now looks MUCH better.

Second, we have developed a night time routine where she goes on the parrot stand, and flies back and forth between us on the couch and the tree. She LOVES flying. She has good skills, but for "at least six months" has had no chance to fly, as she was always caged and so she is not very strong yet and has to take breaks. Between flights, she runs around on the tree like crazy when she is by us, she gets scritches from both of us, and some treats. She has even begun "practicing" some words when she is with us, though we are not sure what she is saying.

 

[EAI]

That great to hear! Congratulations again on all your accomplishments with her!
I can see why you might be getting attached, glad she's having a great time there.

Any chance we could see her her before/after shower pics ?

 

[SilverSage]

Maybe next time