New little hawkhead parrot

[BirdyMomma]

Wow!!! Congratulations!! What a magnificent little Birdy!

I have been in love with Hawk Heads, ever since the first time I saw one!! Mav is GORGEOUS!!! I love that last photo. The light in his eyes...

 

[95talongirl]

Thanks!

He has been getting less and less nippy.... and my fingers are very thankful! He was hanging out with me for quite some time while I downloaded and edited through some photos.

I also tried to introduce him to water. LOL... that was interesting. He also was not amused by his reflection. I really should have got that on camera. haha!

Here's him trying to look at "big and bad"

 

[jasper19]

wow those are really sharp looking birds! congrats hope you can control the nipping with time.

 

[Allee]

Marybeth, Maverick is a real beauty! I've never met a hawk head in person but occasionally Terry57's Darwin will let me hear her beautiful voice over the phone. Incredible parrots.

 

[thekarens]

Still gorgeous!

 

[95talongirl]

It's been almost a month since this little guy came home! He seems ot have adjusted pretty good; he eats almost anything I offer, which is good. I did try to give him some banana, and he was not so sure about that one. :dance4: But that's ok, Mopar doesn't like to not share his absolute favorite food.

He is a very, very, very active bird. Even more so now, which I kind of expected. I had him out with me last night on the computer and he would climb up one arm, around the back of my neck, down the other arm, across my neck in front, and back up the other arm. He did this a few times before finding a sleeve to chew on. Made me laugh! He is also vocalizing more, and has some of the weirdest sounds I've ever heard. Never a dull moment, that's for sure! He still likes to test me with the biting. However, it's different, now. I haven't had blood drawn in a few weeks. If he's upset with something, he will clamp down, but not as hard as before. I will then set him on his cage, or away from me, until he calms back down (without immediately leaving). Then ask him to step up, again. Perhaps that is helping? Maybe, maybe not.

He now lets me roll him onto his back, too. He also like to play with fingers. This one, I know I have to be careful with. So far when he's playing, he's never gotten too aggressive, so I'm letting it fly. If he starts to get more clamping force, I will gently grab his beak and move it. He backs off some, then.

He still weighs around 247 grams, so that's good. He can fly very well, even clipped. Unlike Mopar. I guess the 100+ gram weight difference helps in that respect.

We finished his course of antibiotics. He still have sneezing episodes, but no discharge, and no difference in behavior. Some of the gurgling noises and wheezing he had during his first week has subsided. So I think he'll be ok. But I am monitoring him, and may call the vet just to make sure. I have read that some of these upper respiratory infections can take over a month to fully clear their system. I also may be mistaking the "hissing" type noise he makes when he is upset for wheezing? Do any of your hawkheads make a hissing type noise? I guess it's not really a hiss, but IDK how to describe it. I've noticed it when he puffs up and is angry, like at the camera.

So, there's a quick little recap of Maverick's first month here! It's a lot of learning, that's for sure. And here I thought I'd be ok, after owning one earlier this year. What a difference between a healthy bird and a sick bird. (lol... as dumb as that sounds)

 

[Terry57]

Maverick just gets more beautiful all the time. Darwin does make a hissing noise when she feels threatened, it is kind of like a fast, deep exhale. Is he making that high pitched shriek that penetrates your ears like an ice pick? That is the only sound Darwin makes that really hurts. I love her growling, she sounds like a little dinosaur.
I am glad that Maverick is on the road to recovery

 

[95talongirl]

Thanks! Yes, that sounds like the noise! And you are right, they are very dinosaur-like noises! My boyfriend likes to call him the Velociraptor. haha!

LOL, he sure does make that ear-piercing screetch! It seems, for him its in the morning, and later afternoon. He is also picking up some of Mopar's kissy noises and other sound effects. He tries to say "hello", too. In that very cute hawkhead voice.

Few more pics:



Mopar, for fun:

 

[Terry57]

Mopar is gorgeous too!
Don't you love how the HH moves? I find it to be very dinosaur like as well, with the slow creep, then the super fast jerking..lol. Definitely like a raptor! Those pics are awesome

I swear, I think they have the sweetest voice of anyone

 

[RavensGryf]

Beautiful birds Marybeth! Good to hear the 'little one' is getting better

 

[95talongirl]

LOL! YUP!!

Here's some not to good videos, but capturing the slow creep.

 

[Phlox]

Oh that bird is a stinker...I can just tell!

 

[95talongirl]

oh, yes he is!

Here's a few more shots from his favorite device: iphone. lol...

 

[thekarens]

He's so gorgeous!

 

[jasper19]

That really is a good looking bird....

 

[95talongirl]

Thanks! .

He is unlike any parrot I have ever had experience with.

 

[EnglishMuffin]

Their colouring is so interesting! You're right he is very prehistoric. Handsome boy. And I love the slow creep, haha!

 

[95talongirl]

LOL, yeah, the really slow creep is hilarious!!

So last night, we introduced him to the harness, which we put on wrong. LOL! Now I understand the frustration around these... I mean first the bird has to accept this, and then the person has to sit there and futz around trying to figure out how it even goes on. :lol: He did well, though! I didn't even get a hiss. Which was exciting, as I really want to be able to take him outside. He is WAY to good of a flier to not have harnessed outdoors. Speaking on which, He likes to fly to me from across the room. He even landed on my head the other day. Goofball.

 

[95talongirl]

More of letting him get used to the harness.

 

[95talongirl]

Oh look who was a good boy, and let me get the harness on all the way today! (BTW, the practicing on the stuffed toy - helped immensely!)





I just love the way their feathers look in the sunlight!