Bella update

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Bella 7-18-18 by wes mcfaden, on Flickr

Bella is doing very well. She will have been our flock 3 years this coming December. As you can see from the photo her feathers are growing in (again) and she is still learning new things to say all the time.

Bella has been spending a lot more time with my wife mostly for scratches. This still makes my wife uncomfortable because she is afraid of getting bitten. I think the worst think that would happen is getting pooped on but she remains intimidated by the beak.:11:

She has been regurgitating recently. I have not seen this behavior since the first couple of weeks we had her. I am thinking we could be seeing the beginnings of puberty but I am not sure. If so it lets me gauge her age a little more closely than I have been able to. When I got her I was told she was 7 months old but the CAV I took her to did not agree.

The biggest problem I (still) have is that she gets so scared of anything new. She chewed through her favorite perch and I can’t put anything new in there without her freaking out. I can leave them next to her cage till the cows come home but she will not accept it inside the cage. I have tried mounting the perch so it’s on the outside of the cage and it’s still no dice.

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[Billdore]

Very awesome. Timneh is also afraid of perches. She likes those rope ones so when they wear out I get a new one pretty much the same. I see little tiny bits of progress with my new perches after a year or more she is less scared of them but not enough to put em in her house. Its a tough one, Bellas look is funny can't quuite pin what shes thinking maybe what the heck are these things on my Dads head and should i grab em. Lol

 

[LeaKP]

Greys are shy by nature they are the antithesis to macaws and cockatoos! Encouraging regular times of foraging and independent play helps a great deal. When any of my greys have started the “Inwant to feed you” head bob, I placed them down on their cage, playstand, whatever and walked away for a bit. Helps calm those moments. Sometimes it needs to be done quite a bit to curb the behavior.


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[ChristaNL]

She is a goodlooking grey indeed. Obviously a bit camera-shy (cant blame her).
Nice to meet you both



The greys here can sometime make a big deal out of nothing- change a little bit and they will throw tantrums etc.etc.-
on the other hand: if I change everything around (as far as possible) they will step in the cage afterwards and just explore ...
(I always let them watch what I am doing)


I know- with a plucker it is a gamble, it could throw things way out of wack - but it paid off here.


Getting them used to change is important too.
(or so I keep telling myself)

 

[Caitnah]

Sorry I cannot offer any advice but to agree about the strange behavior towards perches. My CAG is 25 years old and doesn't fear perches.

HOWEVER, when he is leery about something, he will lunge at it aggressively. If I try to pick him up with a dowel rod, watch out! Also, he has a perch that is attached to the inside of his door. When the door is closed, it makes a "T" with his main perch. He sits on that all the time. Yet, if he is on his main perch and I close the his door, he gets aggressive towards the perch.
I believe because it is coming AT him.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Wow..almost three years already?? Where does the time go??
Ms Bella looks like a different birdie Wes from your first picture you posted. Absolutely gorgeous
Yep...new things can/do freak 'em out!



Jim

 

[texsize]

Very awesome. Timneh is also afraid of perches. She likes those rope ones so when they wear out I get a new one pretty much the same. I see little tiny bits of progress with my new perches after a year or more she is less scared of them but not enough to put em in her house. Its a tough one, Bellas look is funny can't quuite pin what shes thinking maybe what the heck are these things on my Dads head and should i grab em. Lol

Bella learned quickly to leave my Bluetooth headphones alone, Bingo on the other hand goes after them every time. I have to take them off before handing him or we are both in danger of damage

 

[Scott]

Are you sure that is the same bird, Wes?!


You have done wonders with her, congrats for her physical makeover. As far as the skittishness is concerned... typical Grey. As LeakP and others have stated, they are night/day different from toos and other species. Part of why we love them so much, they are so emotionally vulnerable.

 

[Inger]

The look on her face is priceless and at risk of being rather crass, it screams to me “Did you just fart, buddy?!?!” [emoji23]


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[GaleriaGila]

Too funny, yeah. She's making the rock guitarist solo face, like "I smell something bad"!

Beautiful transformation.