Long bill Coralla questions

[graciebird]

Gracie has been in my home for about a week. She never bites me but never wants me to hold her. I worked with her for awhile before she came home ( about 7 months) she always wanted to hold her and talk to her. Now she does want me around but would rather stay in/ on her cage. She does let me pet and scratch her head but thats about it. Ive been trying to get her to step up with her favorite treats but its not helping too much. I know she'll get there. i know she will... when she's ready to do so. I do have one small problem. Getting her in her cage at night for bed. she naps in to cage during the day but as soon as bed time comes around she wont let me get her off the top of her cage. thanks for reading and looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

[Jayyj]

This all sounds very familiar! Alice was always very friendly to me when I went to visit her, but after the first night in the cage she was very reluctant to come back out unless it was to sit on top. It has gradually got better: just the occasional step onto my shoulder during the first week, then a little more regular, now if she hasn't seen me for a while she wants contact right away, and she splits her time 50/50 between the couch where I generally sit and the cage. I also put a couple of low perches on the outside of the cage that give her somewhere she can climb down to if she wants to be near me on her own terms, and she uses them a lot, and I'm hoping soon she'll be confident enough to get to the couch and back without me picking her up. I think if you let her set her own pace you'll start to see improvements soon enough, she just needs time to acclimatize to her new environment.

I'm not sure what to suggest in terms of getting her down from the top at bedtime. In my case she doesn't do the step up command (yet) but if I put my forefinger behind her feet and my thumb in front whatever she's doing she'll automatically lift up her feet so that she's standing on my hand. I don't think she particularly likes this tactic so I save it for when I absolutely have to pick her up - and I'd be very nervous of pulling that trick on a bird that might bite, but Alice is a *****cat in that respect. She also hates bedtime, but she usually saves her tantrum to when the cage is shut up with her on the inside. I try to keep her off the cage top for the last hour or so of the evening, and put a sheet over the top a little before bedtime.

 

[jlockhart29]

I have a common Little Corella female. I have had her since weaned so I never had your problem bit have owned and been around enough birds that she will be fine. It's the new environment not you ithat has caused the change. Just don't rush. Corella's are pretty rare as pets hear. In fact she is the only one I have ever seen so I can't compare but she is not what in would call a cuddle bug. Not in the sense of say a U2. That said she sticks to me like glue. On my shoulder or arm. Try roasted almonds for a treat. She is flighted and is she only way to get her in cage. She knows when she steps up for the sliver she is going up but she just can't help herself!!lol