Ekkie seems content but won’t come out

Jupiter1914

New member
Jul 12, 2022
11
19
Parrots
Eclectus parrot named Kirby
My ekkie Kirby is a 3-4 month old male. We very recently got him from a breeder who hand fed him but didn’t hand tame or gotten him used to human interaction. So we already knew that this was gonna take time. The first few days seemed like we were already making progress. He was climbing his cage,eating good,already mumbling, and stepping up. But the past 2 days have seemed very- uneventful? I’ve been very careful with him . Giving him all the space he needs, and never pushing to hard to get him to do something. And I always back off if he seems uncomfortable.but I feel like I may be spoiling him by letting him stay in his cage. He never seems to want to come out even when I bribe him with treats. I know he loves the top of his cage and would usually get there on his own, but now he just sits inside on his perch slightly fluffed up just looking at me and sometimes even dozing off. I try to wake him up a bit more by doing some target training to stimulate him a bit..but he gives up pretty quickly. Also he never seems to want to leave his dowel perch. We’ve bought him a variety of natural different sized perches and he never wants to stand on them no matter how much we try. We know the one he’s standing on is not the best for his feet so we want to change that. I know it’s still early but I really want to know if I’m doing anything wrong or if I have to do anything better. At I being too chill? Or not chill enough? I never want him to feel pressured but at the same time I want him to start exploring more and getting out. Any advice and thoughts are greatly appreciated.
 

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chris-md

Well-known member
Feb 6, 2010
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Maryland - USA
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Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
Such a cutie!

They often go through ups and downs during the acclimation process. Sounds like your doing the right thing, letting him set the pace. Keep doing what you’re doing. Time is the primary tool in your bag of tricks.

Doesn’t mean you don’t have other tools, however! You might try using food to lure him out a bit, see how food motivated he is. Perhaps start clicker training, the first couple days of which require nothing of him but to eat a bunch of treats for nothing.
 
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Jupiter1914

Jupiter1914

New member
Jul 12, 2022
11
19
Parrots
Eclectus parrot named Kirby
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  • #3
Such a cutie!

They often go through ups and downs during the acclimation process. Sounds like your doing the right thing, letting him set the pace. Keep doing what you’re doing. Time is the primary tool in your bag of tricks.

Doesn’t mean you don’t have other tools, however! You might try using food to lure him out a bit, see how food motivated he is. Perhaps start clicker training, the first couple days of which require nothing of him but to eat a bunch of treats for nothing.
Thank you for the motivation! I definitely needed it as I was starting to get discouraged. I will most certainly keep it up. I have also been trying clicker training which seems to get him moving around a bit more,but not out of his cage yet. But I will keep trying more to see how motivated he is. Thanks again!
 

Cottonoid

Supporting Member
Parrot of the Month 🏆
Feb 20, 2022
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10,896
Welcome to the forums! I haven't had a baby bird, but I commend you for coming to ask questions - it's nerve-wracking to have a new companion that we don't know "normal" yet!

His little expression in your profile pic is so cute :)
 
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Jupiter1914

Jupiter1914

New member
Jul 12, 2022
11
19
Parrots
Eclectus parrot named Kirby
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
Welcome to the forums! I haven't had a baby bird, but I commend you for coming to ask questions - it's nerve-wracking to have a new companion that we don't know "normal" yet!

His little expression in your profile pic is so cute :)
Thank you! He certainly is especially adorable! And it does get kinda uneasy because he doesn’t really give much signs for me to read so it’s difficult to really know what he wants. But I feel that after a month or two, he should start to express a bit more! Thanks for welcoming me!
 

kme3388

Well-known member
Sep 17, 2021
1,059
3,248
Minnesota, USA
Parrots
Eclectus Parrot: Nico (male)
Jenday Conure: Kiwi (female)
Hi there, and welcome. I do not have a baby Ekkie. I do have an adult one though. When comparing my Ekkie to other parrots I've interacted with my Ekkie isn't as interactive. He prefers to just relax on his perch, or on my shoulder. He really isn't into training. Here's a video that kind of goes over the struggles that some bird trainers ran into with an Ekkie
 

HeatherG

Well-known member
Apr 25, 2020
3,893
6,966
This reminds me of Willow Quaker. It seems like he WANTS me to pick him up or step him up from inside his cage, with a hand towel over my hand. Otherwise he runs right over to say hi but now will not come out onto his cage door to step up.

I don’t get it. I got new treats that Willow LIKES and everything. And if he doesn’t feel like coming out I give him the treat for coming to the front of his cage just to show him I like him. Willow loves to be petted and wants certainly an hour of petting time a day.
 
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Jupiter1914

Jupiter1914

New member
Jul 12, 2022
11
19
Parrots
Eclectus parrot named Kirby
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #8
Hi there, and welcome. I do not have a baby Ekkie. I do have an adult one though. When comparing my Ekkie to other parrots I've interacted with my Ekkie isn't as interactive. He prefers to just relax on his perch, or on my shoulder. He really isn't into training. Here's a video that kind of goes over the struggles that some bird trainers ran into with an Ekkie
Hello! Thanks so much for the video! I will look at it.
 

kme3388

Well-known member
Sep 17, 2021
1,059
3,248
Minnesota, USA
Parrots
Eclectus Parrot: Nico (male)
Jenday Conure: Kiwi (female)
Hello! Thanks so much for the video! I will look at it.
I just kind of wanted to give you the heads up that Ekkies aren't the most playful bird you are ever going to come across. Nico can do tricks but it's not anything that is consistent. He would rather just watch what people are doing. Ekkie's are calmer birds to this aspect.

Please do reading on Ekkie hormones. Especially sense you have a male. Ekkie males tend to regurgitate a lot. They also try to mate with anything, and everything as they mature. These are very hard behaviors to break. Please don't hesistate to ask questions as your Ekkie gets older. There are a lot of experienced Ekkie owners on here. They are really great resources!
 

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