Need Advice

[questionare]

Hi Guys,

I live in the middle east, and wild-caught greys are a normal business here. I bought a wild-caught African grey, (10+ months old) before one month, and it is semi-tame already.

Once I bought it, it was growling at me once I am near the his cage, I spent some time, and the growl went, it eats from my hand, steps-up, I can scratch his head. I already taught him 6 tricks (target, turn around, shake, step-up, fetch, wave), and also changed him from all seed diet, to Harrisons High-Potency.

The advise I am seeking is I still feel the bird is not 100% comfortable with me, I still feel he is suspicious, since if I put him on the ground, he will go to his cage quickly, however, if opened his cage, he will climb up, and if I call him, he will come to my hand. But I still feel he is wary of me.

I provide him with toys every period of time, and he loves playing in them, and destroying them.

I spend time with him, and he spend most of his time in our living room.

What more I can do to make him trusting me? I started petting him on the back, and progressed a little, but seems he don't like it.

 

[thekarens]

Just keep doing what you're doing. Greys are naturally suspicious.

FWIW none of the greys I've known were crazy about their back being petted.

 

[Kiwibird]

Sounds like you are already well on your way to earning your birds trust Sometimes, they just take time. In regards to being on the ground or other lower points, it is natural for a parrot to want to climb up. As prey animals, they are 'safest' when they are high up. It is instinctual for them to seek the highest point possible.

Since wild caught's have been illegal here since the 1990's, not many people in the US/UK have experience with wild caught parrots. I grew up with one, she is tame, but the wild has never fully left her (even after 40 years in the same home with loving owners). They tend to be less dependent on humans. If you want a highly social bird, a wild one will require quite a bit more work to achieve that than a captive-bred bird who was raised by humans. Just keep it up with daily interactions with him and trust building activities. I am not sure if your cultural traditions would allow, but many people include their birds at dinner (giving them small amounts of bird safe human foods) and bringing them in the shower with them. If not, you can also always have him with you while you watch TV, spend time with your family, and you can harness train him so he can come outside on walks or around town too. Including them in your daily routine (safe activities, not cooking or cleaning with chemicals or anything potentially harmful) is HUGE for them, and strengthens their bond with you. Remember, these are flock animals, and you and your family are now his flock. Make him feel welcome in your flock

 

[questionare]

Thanks guy for the valuable feedback.

I almost include him with the family most of the time, I built a stand for him and put it in our living room, he always see the kids.

I will include him through our meals, although he throws the food (except seeds) from my hand

He is; as I already seed, on Harrison's pellets, seeds only through training, and I provide him fresh veggies every other day.

I already bought an AVIATOR harness, but I think it needs more time to get him used to it, I need to be able to pet him on his wings before starting harness training.

Thanks again, and if you have more advises, please let me know

 

[Birdman666]

Just keep doing what you're doing. Greys are naturally suspicious.

FWIW none of the greys I've known were crazy about their back being petted.

What she said.

CAGS are not big on the touchie feelie stuff. From what you described, for a wild caught bird he is doing really well with you.

 

[questionare]

Thanks,

What I was trying to achieve is to make him comfortable with being touched all over for harness training, and to make him lay on his back on my hand

 

[Birdman666]

The touch training I use is to take two of those bamboo BBQ skewers, (I've also used popsicle sticks for this) and just gently touched the bird all over with it... then, when he accepts it, gradually work your fingers down the stick until you are touching with your fingers.

They lying on the back trick, depends on the bird, and there are several different ways of doing it, depending on how calm the bird is, and whether or not he has a propensity to bite.

One way to do it is to hold the bird close to your chest perched on your arm.

Put a hand on his back and gently lean forward with your body, so that the bird is leaning backwards with you. Tip him back up as you come up. Do this tipping thing 3-5 times.

The next time you bend over flip him all the way over to the palm of your hand. Then come up, and see how comfortable he is in that position. Then gradually remove your finger from his feet until he is lying in the palm of your hand.

In some cases it's as easy as bending over 3-4 times. In other cases, they panic. So that depends on the bird...

 

[questionare]

Thanks Birdman666 for the advise, I will start with it.

However, I didn't clearly understand what you mean by Tip him back up?

 

[Birdman666]

You lean over, he goes on his back.

You lean up, he goes upright again.

He moves with you with your chest right there, and a firm grip on your fingers with his feet, and your hand on his back to support him...

This is done to get him comfortable with the idea of going over on his back without panicking. Once he does that, then you lay him down in the palm of your hand.

 

[questionare]

Thanks birdman,

I started training him as you advised, at the beginning he was uncomfortable, however, we progressed, now I can lean for 20 seconds while he grips on my hand and I support him from behind I use clicker through training

I will continue till I can lay him on my hand

Thanks

 

[questionare]

UPDATE:

I can now hold him while he is on his back supported by my hand, and holding on my other hand by his fingers.

The issue is now if I try to remove my hand (which he holds by his fingers), he tries to get up, and catches my hand by his hand, so I turn him up.

How shall I proceed, so he can allow my to pull my hand?

Thanks,

 

[Birdman666]

I've always just kept doing it until he accepted me pulling my hand out.

That's one of those, individual bird things...