What does bird happiness look like?

[tacocaTEclectus]

My eclectus is a new baby (coming up on 7 months old) and I’ve only had him a few weeks. My question is: how do we know if they are happy? He’s got pretty much the best diet he can have, tons of different varieties of foods, toys that are rotated out so they are always new, he’s out of his cage several hours a day and even spends time on a 6x12 screened in porch with organic container fruit trees in a subtropical climate with natural sun light. All he does is sit and stare. He doesn’t really play. He tolerates interaction but isn’t thrilled about it (he loves target training, though). He makes almost no noise unless the vacuum is going. He looks absolutely miserable. I took him to the vet, the CAV says he is perfect for his age and his diet is ideal. No parasites, no infections, and a good body weight. Physically all is well. But how do I know if I’m hitting the high points mentally? He’s just so stoic. He just sits and watches. Inside his cage, outside his cage, we call him Batman. He just sits and stares.

 

[saxguy64]

Ahhh, not to worry. Pretty common for ekkies to be "stoic." Many don't care to be handled much or at all. So much to consider. He's still very much a baby, so he's learning things all the time. The staring/gazing, he's watching, and learning you, your mannerisms, his surroundings, the schedule, all of it. I guarantee. It's what they do. Also, it's only been a few weeks. Being standoffish is perfectly normal. Try to think I'm his terms. He's been removed from his home, life, familiar surroundings, everything he knows, and he's a baby. That's scary for him. He'll get there.

Ekkie body language is much more subtle than a lot of others, like amazons for instance. In my somewhat limited experience, it's all about the eyes. They watch everything, and study intently. I've often said, they see YOU. Not what you look like, but you on a much higher level. They seem to have a knack for seeing you right down to your soul, and that's an amazing thing. So, watch those beautiful eyes. Notice what they do, how they react, and how closely he's watching you. You'll have a feel for his moods before you know it

 

[wrench13]

Happy parrots play with toys, and by play I mean destroy. HOWEVER that behavior is not innate, it is something that has to be taught. So you need to play with them yourself making all sorts of happy sounds, squeals of delight, etc and let him see you doing it. THis could take weeks/months, but is essential, since playing with toys also keeps his beak in trim and sharp.

 

[Henderbird]

You could perhaps teach him that
“hey these toys are fun and exciting and why don’t you try them?”
I think some birds really just blossom into different personalities and some are just naturally stoic and pacified while others are not so much.
You also may have to find different types of toys that he may like and be inclined to play with!
This may mean a lot of money down the drain because you just may be throwing away (or maybe recycling) toys that your eclectus is just not fond of.
But try and try again! Because your parrot will end up liking something at some point!

 

[Laurasea]

I think as mentioned above, some is being new to your home.
My Phoebe was a big lurker and sideline observer at first. Then bam she was in the middle of everything and took top quaker spot.

 

[kme3388]

My ekkie doesn't play with toys. He is clicker trained, and will do tricks for treats. My ekkie is very calm, and just likes to sit on my shoulder and observe what I'm doing. My conure on the other hand constantly moves, or is chewing. Ekkie's tend to be a lot more calm. Nico isn't into exploring. He doesn't especially care to be patted, or touched. He snuggles close to my ear when he sits on my shoulder though. Sometimes he'll fall asleep.

It took months for me to build a relationship with my ekkie. Now I can pull out his wings, and check them (Nico feather plucks). When I installed a heated perch I checked his birdie feet to make sure they didn't get burnt. All of this will come with time, and patience. Parrots/birds in general tend to take more time to come out of their shell. Don't be too hard on yourself. Your ekkie will come out of his shell with time.

Sounds is how I am able to determine if Nico is upset, or happy. Honking is a sign of happiness. Nico's full out scream is him demanding something (he'll crouch down, and flutter his wings). When he is scared he'll start saying his name over, and over again until I am there. He will turn his head side to side while honking when he is very excited (this happens when he gets his birdie bread).

 

[tacocaTEclectus]

My ekkie doesn't play with toys. He is clicker trained, and will do tricks for treats. My ekkie is very calm, and just likes to sit on my shoulder and observe what I'm doing. My conure on the other hand constantly moves, or is chewing. Ekkie's tend to be a lot more calm. Nico isn't into exploring. He doesn't especially care to be patted, or touched. He snuggles close to my ear when he sits on my shoulder though. Sometimes he'll fall asleep.

It took months for me to build a relationship with my ekkie. Now I can pull out his wings, and check them (Nico feather plucks). When I installed a heated perch I checked his birdie feet to make sure they didn't get burnt. All of this will come with time, and patience. Parrots/birds in general tend to take more time to come out of their shell. Don't be too hard on yourself. Your ekkie will come out of his shell with time.

Sounds is how I am able to determine if Nico is upset, or happy. Honking is a sign of happiness. Nico's full out scream is him demanding something (he'll crouch down, and flutter his wings). When he is scared he'll start saying his name over, and over again until I am there. He will turn his head side to side while honking when he is very excited (this happens when he gets his birdie bread).

This is so incredibly helpful. Thank you. Taco got a SquawkBox yesterday and found a toy he is really drawn to. But he just very placidly chews on it. Almost no motion, just his little beaky grinding. The only think he also plays with is pine cones and he does the same thing. He stands completely still and munches them. He’s not big on shoulders but he enjoys sitting on my knee while I read and he just hangs out and stares at me

 

[Zoruace]

This is so incredibly helpful. Thank you. Taco got a SquawkBox yesterday and found a toy he is really drawn to. But he just very placidly chews on it. Almost no motion, just his little beaky grinding. The only think he also plays with is pine cones and he does the same thing. He stands completely still and munches them. He’s not big on shoulders but he enjoys sitting on my knee while I read and he just hangs out and stares at me

That gorgeous big yawn!

 

[cytherian]

We have two adults who took very little time to get acquainted with new owners. They were 6 and 7 respectively. The baby they had some years later was hand fed and nurtured by her owner (a very good friend of mine). At about 5 months I was introduced. He did step up to my hand but remained very rigid and statue like. When I came to see him a couple of months later, he wouldn't go near me. He was extremely paranoid and afraid of humans, except for his owner (now bonded). In time he was less afraid, but he wouldn't step up to my hand. I moved in with my friend, we became housemates, and so I would be seeing the "baby" every day. It took about 8 months later before he'd step up to my hand. And even after the first time, with a successful "time together" moment of about 10 minutes, later attempts would fail. He'd just stare at my hand and not step up.

This little guy is a talker. Pretty impressive vocabulary. And in the beginning I could actually talk with him if I wasn't standing near his cage. It took about a year before he'd be calm and collected enough to talk while I'm standing directly in front of his cage. Over a year after having moved in, he will now periodically step up to my hand when I reach into his cage. Compared to his owner, he is still a little "cautious" with me. But it's a night-and-day difference from a year ago! He does get easily spooked. You can't make sudden movements or loud noises near him or he freaks out.

What has also helped is that I periodically give him little treats like small banana chunks, sunflower seeds, and popcorn. He also gotten accustomed to me putting his food dish on the floor of his cage. He's so comfortable now, he will sometimes try to escape through the door. Earlier on, he'd stay still like a statue if I put a hand into his cage.

Another bonding step forward--I started making toys for him that are hung on the inside of the cage. He'll have fun with them, chewing and tearing them up... and then I'll put them back together and hang them up again. So, it took quite a while but these little steps forward built up confidence in him that I'm friendly and trustworthy. I still can't pet him when he's perched on me. His owner can cuddle with him, pressing her cheek on his back, kissing him, etc. No way could I do that with him at this point.

When your bird is staring at you and paying attention, talk. Ekkies are incredibly good with memory. They hear you. Your words will become familiar. And you may be surprised at some point to hear those words spoken back to you! It's especially important to do at a young age. When they get older, they tend to get set in their ways. The two adults we have simply don't talk any longer. Once in a great while, you might hear them mutter a word or two, but it's brief and rare. The juvenile? He's Mr. Chatterbox!

 

[Talaya]

My Lil boy is a similar age his favourite things are the softer ‘toys’ like a cactus natural kebab, or knots tied in leather strips. I have even made toys out of paper straws, tying them together then stuffing the ends with pine nuts and almond strips. He still has his hour or two of stoic everyday, and watches me A lot .I know cause when I look at him he shouts out lol.. but the rest of the time he loves climbing hemp ropes and rope-swings (one vertical one horizontal) and chews these softer Toys. One of his favourite is a sea grass mat with small willow and bamboo balls and tubes tied onto it, he loves to chew at them, he gets great satisfaction at getting them off the mat.
initially all he would do was hang out on my knee or head, but now several months later he is a shoulder surfer and reguarly has a nap in the afternoon on me.
Stick with it, I bet you’ve made progress since your first post X