Congo African Grey Parrot

I am resistant to change.  It is my nature.  I try not to pass that trait along to my parrots, but I have to work really hard to avoid it.   I wish I had a dollar for every time I said: “Boy, I should’ve  done this sooner.”   A lot of my hesitation has stemmed from my concerns about how the birds might respond to certain changes.  I’ve worried about moving because the birds are happy where we are.  I worried about starting a new job because they had become accustomed to my scheduling at the old one.  I worried about moving them into that bigger, better cage because they seemed content in the one they are in.  A parrot needs the stability of routine and a schedule.  True.  But they also need to be adaptable enough to be able to handle the changes that come with life.

A parrot in the wild that cannot adapt, will not survive.  Food sources and nesting availability are always a challenge , but it is especially true now that natural habitats are so threatened.   Wild parrots have to learn to make do with what is available to them and improvise where necessary. A captive parrot’s happiness in our homes depends on their ability to adapt to our changing lives and schedules.  It is our job as their caregivers to make them comfortable with and accepting of change.

Senegal Parrot

If you had a baby, would your parrot be overcome with jealousy?  If you buy a house, would he be able to handle the new surroundings?   If you were no longer here, would your parrot be able to transition into a new family without too much trauma?  These are all typical life situations that could throw your unprepared parrot into a tailspin.  Adapting your parrot to change will build a confidence in him that will help him overcome the hurdles that OUR lives throw at him.

My parrots have moved with me several times without incident.  They have all had their cages upgraded.  My schedule has recently changed and now I am back from work at 7pm or 11pm, either time is fine with them as long as I make the necessary preparations.  They are fed twice a day: when we get up in the morning and then again after I get home from work.  Their main out of cage time is either before or after I work.  This has become their routine.  They are surprisingly resilient creatures and I always feel silly at having worried so much.

Rose Breasted Cockatoo

One of the main things I do to keep them open to change is to keep them well socialized.  They are all handled by a number of different people and are not afraid of strangers.  I make sure they get time away from their cage and play areas to experience and be comfortable with new surroundings.  I like to take them out with me whenever possible.  Linus, my umbrella cockatoo, LIVES for these moments, as it is his desire to be the center of attention at all times.  Even my shy goffins cockatoo, Theo, enjoys the change of scenery.

Mitred Conure

Since life seems to love throwing curves at us, and since our parrots are subjected to these changes, everyone will benefit if they are confident and experienced enough to roll with the punches.  Make sure your parrot has the tools it needs to be happy no matter what or where.

Harlequin Macaw

My name is Jeanne Harrington. I am 45 years old. I have owned and raised parrots since I was 20. I have also raised, bred and trained dogs since I was 18.

As for the dogs, I raised and bred Labs for 10 years and trained them for hunting and obedience. I currently own, breed, train and show three different types of terriers. I am working on training a dog for therapy/assistance. Currently I own a kennel of my own and I work for another. I have 15 dogs and I work with another 22 dogs. I also care for 4 live stock guardian dogs.

Now, for the birds. I currently own two blue front amazons, a blue & gold macaw and a parakeet. I live with a total of 11 birds all together. I feed and care for all the birds here.

The list of birds is one amazon that lives with my mother, a parakeet, mitred conure, yellowed collar mini macaw, male eclectus, yellow nape amazon. The macaws are blue & gold, blue throat, harlequin, greenwing and hyacinth.

The other bird is one you may have heard of here on bird tricks, his name is Storm. He is a blue front amazon that is 35 years old.

There is so much I could say about each bird, but, let’s save that for later.

Harlequin Macaw

I have worked in three different locations caring for and hand feeding birds. I have worked with problem birds and sick birds. Luckily most of the illness I have dealt with has been environmentally caused and I was able to correct it with time.

Living with all these birds and dogs is constantly entertaining and challenging. Most of the birds have and have had problems that have been worked on and some that need a lot of work yet to come.

Due to an illness I was disabled about 9 years ago. I have not worked a “regular” job since. My life has totally gone to the dogs and birds! When I got sick all of my animals suffered along with me. As does any person, my life is constantly adjusting to what is going on.

I was incapable of taking care of my animals for quite some time. My own birds suffered tremendously. The youngest of my own birds is a 12 year old blue front amazon named Petrie. Then there is Niko, he is my blue & gold macaw he is about 18, and then the old man Storm. All three have problems and all 3 are getting help, finally.

With the help of computers and friends I could never replace I am once again on a path of success, along with the inevitable set-backs with my birds and those I care for. I hope we all can learn from these new experiences. And I hope we have a great time doing it.

Thank you for listening and learning along with me.

If anyone would have told me 5 years ago that today I would have amazing but totally unique companionships with 3 different birds, I would have quickly let them know that they were crazy! But the fact is, it is very true and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So. Who am I and how did I get here? My name is Liz. I am 23 years old, living in Raleigh, NC. I am a senior in college with a job, friends, a boyfriend, and just a generally busy life. So where do my parrots fit in? Well, that’s one reason why I am here- to talk about that. I currently have a 3 ½ year old male sun conure (Skittle) , 2 ½ year old female blue and gold macaw (Charlie), and a 10 year old female congo African grey (Roxanne) that I have adopted in the past few months.

The main focus of my writing here will be about Roxanne. You see, I hand-fed and trained my conure and macaw from when both were just over 2 months old. My bonds with Skittle and Charlie are strong, they are some of my best friends! They are by no means perfect angels, but in each of those bonds I have a trust and companionship that comparably, is just non-existent with Roxanne.

When Roxanne came into my home, I realized that on rare occasions she had been outside of her cage for very short periods of time. Roxanne had rarely been handled and by her vocabulary of “OW that hurt!” or “Don’t bite me!” she had no plans of being handled either.

I found this very puzzling since Skittle and Charlie always want to be around the humans of the house playing, cuddling, just whatever to have human interaction. But Roxanne, she is content sitting on one side of her cage all day and not being bothered and is quick to those blood-drawing bites if you have anything BUT the same notion.

So. Here I am living the typical busy life meanwhile trying to maintain and keep the two birds I am bonded with content, as well as, trying to develop a relationship with a 10 year old grouchy bird! What can I do to simultaneously continue fortifying the relationship I have with my bonded birds and grow the relationship I have with Roxanne? These are just 2 of many simple things that I have noticed that help both of those needs along.

1. Give me some LOVE!

Blue and Gold Macaw

Charlie and Skittle love human interaction. First thing in the morning or whenever I get home, they are ready to jump out and into my arms. Roxanne, not so much. If the first thing I do is head straight for Roxanne, she shakes and puffs up larger than a blowfish . As soon as I open her cage door, she poses for a strike. I have found if I go onto to Skittle and Charlie first, give them both a few minutes playing and loving each within sight of Roxanne and then approach Roxanne, she is much more inclined to step-up onto my hand.

I will keep her on my hand for maybe a ¼ of the time I was with my other 2, give her a sunflower seed, and put her back into her cage to reward her for not biting me. I also don’t keep her out as long because the longer she is out, the more nervous she gets. I am definitely taking it slow with her for now.

2. Calling in back-up!

Sun Conure

I could not imagine living in a multi-parrot home by myself. The feeding, clean-up, entertainment, and time spent is never-ending. I am sure that there are many out there that succeed quite nicely on their own, but I can admit that I don’t think I could do it right now. I have 4 other family members that I presently live with that enjoy being around the birds. Each of them have some kind of relationship with either Charlie or Skittle.

My boyfriend that does not live here happens to have a great relationship with both of them. So far Roxanne is the most responsive with me. Having others in the home that are able to give time towards Skittle and Charlie not only help them by socializing them, but help Roxanne so she can spend time with me while I earn her trust. With Roxanne seeing the others interact with Charlie and Skittle, it encourages her that us humans are not out to scare or hurt her! I strongly believe that having frequent and different human interaction is not only vital in keeping your own sanity, but it’s also good for the well-being of the bird.

I look forward to writing again and tracking Roxanne’s progress in her new home!