I couldn’t decide which title to go with.

I know I’m behind a post for this past week. I have a good excuse though,  I just got home from visiting Dave and Jamie at the circus in Coney Island, NY where they have been stationed for the summer. It was so much fun. This was my first time out to see the show. It was strange to see my friends in this bizarre setting, and stranger still that they fit in so well.

The show was GREAT. I have decided I like a 1-ring circus better than a 3-ring because it is so much less overwhelming an experience and I think you see much more cool stuff that way. I watched the show three times and I still hadn’t gotten enough of it by the time I left.

I worked in entertainment most of my life and have seen a lot of strange things happen in backstage areas, but nowhere else will you walk back there to find an elephant standing around casually wagging its trunk back and forth right next to a guy juggling items that were moving too fast to identify. There was a guy warming up before his act in such a way that would’ve dislocated my joints, and everyone was wearing costumes that were so bedazzled that they probably weighed more than the people wearing them. Then there’s Stevie the clown who takes spiky hair to a new level. It’s all part of a typical day in the circus.

Of particular interest to me was watching the trainers interact with their animals, not all of whom were part of the show.  The care and attention they received was an all day/everyday thing with no small detail being overlooked. The animals and their enclosures were kept in pristine condition and it was heartwarming to catch a trainer talking baby talk to their animals when they thought no one was watching.
Of course, I was paying a lot of attention to how the birds were faring, and they all looked in great health and spirits. If I’m going to be honest, I was expecting to see some wear and tear on the flock (and on the Womachs), but I didn’t. They all looked and acted much like they did before they had left on tour. Jamie and Dave have done a spectacular job in raising the birds to be able to handle their lifestyle which always includes a lot of travel. The birds are well adjusted and therefore open to change and new experiences. And, man, do they look beautiful flying across the ring during the show.

So, you’re probably wondering where recall training fits into this post. Unfortunately, in order to explain, I have to throw Jamie under the bus for a second.  Following the final show on the first day I arrived, Jamie was carrying the macaws, Comet and Tusa, from their backstage cages to the aviaries for the night when Comet broke loose from her grip. I remember my jaw hitting the ground as I watched Comet fly ahead of us and bank to the right and out of sight. Jamie yelled to Dave, who was at the aviaries, that Comet was loose and he somehow managed to be on top of the aviary in the time it took us to round the corner to see Comet circling back and landing in his hand. These accidents happen to trainers too. If it weren’t for the excellent recall skills trained into these birds, Comet might be gone.  I think Jamie will forgive me for bringing this out into the open in the hopes that it will serve as a lesson for others.  Hopefully she’s forgiven everyone for all the teasing she received following the incident.   Got to have a sense of humor around here!

When I first came to live in Orlando, the first month was spent sharing Jamie and Dave’s house with their 11 birds and my flock of 5.  I tried my best to integrate into their lifestyle and could only hope for cooperation from my flock. It was easier for them to make many of the changes because they were the out of their element in someone else’s home.
When the Womachs are not working, their birds follow a natural daylight schedule, going to bed at sunset and rising with it in the morning. Most of their birds were out in the aviaries and mine occupied the bird room which is situated right off of their bedroom. The first sounds they heard in the morning were the raspy chattering of my quaker and the cockatiel’s good morning songs which, according to Dave, began promptly at 6:31am. Every day. For a month. Turns out that this was the exact time of sunrise during this time of year, changing by a minute or two as the season progressed.
This is a great schedule for a bird. Natural as can be. However, by about day 15, I’m pretty sure Dave wanted to start putting the quaker in the dryer overnight to get some sleep in the morning, and I was thinking about keeping the cockatiels in an underground cave somewhere because I could hear them clearly all the way upstairs. I love hearing my birds greet the new day, but could they greet it a little later?  Say around 9:30 or 10?

After Jamie and Dave left for the tour, I settled into my own routine here at the house. This includes beginning to cover the bird’s cages at night as I had when I lived in Austin. I work varied hours, sometimes not returning home from work until after 11pm. On the days that extend so far into the evening, I need to be certain that I am not awakened at the crack of dawn. I have found that covering the cages is the best way to ensure that I get enough sleep.
However, my selfish need for sleep is not the only reason that I cover the cages. Many years ago I discovered that the solution to a behavioral problem with one of my cockatiels was in ensuring it a peaceful, secure night’s sleep, which came once I began covering the cage at night. The unwanted behaviors simply stopped following this change. I began covering the cage of my daughter’s umbrella cockatoo, and found her to appear more rested as well.  I have covered all my bird’s cages since this time. I know that it offers security to some of the birds and it adds a little more darkness to the morning to allow a good night’s sleep for us all.

Q: My friend says that I shouldn’t get a mirror for my cockatiel because he will become infatuated with the “bird in the mirror” and want nothing to do with me.  Is this true?
Sharon M., Waterford, WI

A:  In a word, no. Cockatiels do love their own reflections and will spend a lot of  time staring at and singing to “the bird in the mirror”. Mine do, and I have never experienced my relationship suffering with any of my birds because of mirrors.

It is a bit difficult to understand a bird’s relationship to its reflection. There is really nothing in nature, besides water, that is so highly reflective that a bird could see itself. It would have to be a very still day for a bird to be able to recognize its reflection in a pond, and I have never read that anyone has observed this behavior in a wild bird. So why are so many enamored with their reflections in captivity?

It has been the subject of scientific study whether a bird recognizes the image in the mirror as itself.  Scientists believe that dolphins do recognize themselves and suspect that birds do as well. I know my umbrella cockatoo, Linus, recognizes his own reflection simply by the fact that he doesn’t try to attack it. However, my quaker gets aggressive when anything refective goes into his cage, including stainless steel bowls. Theo, my goffins cockatoo, sleeps cuddles up next to her stainless steel mirror, and lately I have watched her holding a corner in her foot and manipulating the image behind her. Very clever.

We may never have the answers to the questions this topic brings to mind. The bottom line is that if it makes your bird happy and there are no unwanted behaviors resulting from it, there’s no reason to disallow this form of entertainment.

Be very sure to select mirrors that are appropriate for your bird’s size. For the small birds, budgies and cockatiels, try Hall Of Mirrors. It’s a three sided mirror that gives multi images and is safe for their bite pressure.  My cockatiels love it so much I had to order another so they each had their own.  For any bird larger, conures on up to macaws, only use stainless steel mirrors for safety reasons.  NEVER use glass of any kind in your bird’s cage.  This includes hand-held and compact mirrors.

Q:  I was forced to board my parrot at the vet for two weeks when I had to fly out of town because my mother become ill.  Now my bird wants nothing to do with me, and has actually bitten me twice, which is not like her at all. What can I do to fix our relationship?

A:  One of the first things I teach my birds is an understanding of the words “I’m sorry”.  Accidents happen, toes get closed in cage doors, beaks get bonked with elbows. When I issue a heartfelt apology, all is forgiven. Sometimes, though, we commit such a sin in the eyes of our parrots that all the “I’m sorry”s, special treats and extra scritches in the world won’t make a difference. Usually, these things are done inadvertently by us, or out of necessity, as in your case.  Sometimes we have no clue that we did anything wrong at all.
Try to understand that you are you bird’s best friend, in some cases, only friend.  They look to you for their daily care and companionship. Imagine what it must seem like to your bird to be suddenly dumped in a strange place. Looking at this from a bird’s perspective, it’s a little unreasonable for us to expect that all of them will just accept what must seem like abuse.
Different birds handle their anger in different ways.  Some will turn their backs on you, which is a bird’s way of refusing to acknowledge your presence, some will take favor in a different person, some will bite.
If you had found out that your best friend had stolen money from you, you’d feel angry and betrayed, right?  Isn’t your hurt magnified by the fact that this was your best friend whom you trusted implicitly? If we lived in a society that accepted biting as reasonable retaliation in these circumstances, as birds do, wouldn’t you take a chunk out of your friend’s arm?  I would.

Since we can’t explain our misdeeds to a parrot, there is one way, and one way only, to fix this problem: by earning back the trust of your parrot through your actions. It’s not as hard as it might sound. You have already done this once when you first brought her home.

STARTING OVER

Take your relationship with your bird to the beginning, right back to the very first day you brought her home, and start over. When you’re done reading this post, write an outline of your first day with your bird way back when. Begin with a paragraph about how you felt.  Were you excited?  What were your hopes for this new relationship?  Were you looking for a constant companion for you or existing bird? What were your expectations?  Did you hope she would talk, learn tricks, accompany you on outings?
Write another paragraph about how the bird reacted to coming to your home?  Was she frightened?  Standoff-ish?  Was she a little slow to accept new things?
Finally make a list of all the special considerations you made to ensure her comfort. Did you speak more softly? Keep the household calm and quiet at first? Move more slowly around her to keep from frightening her?  Make sure she got lots of sleep?
Since you had created a great relationship with your bird, you have to assume you did things to her liking the first time around. Do it again.

It’s pretty simple isn’t it?  This time you even have the advantage of not being a total stranger. Usually the bird will come around pretty quickly, if you put in the effort. As things become familiar and comfortable again, she will begin the let go of her grudges.
I will say, though, that the more clever birds know when you are “sucking up” and will use it to their advantage. This is one area of a bird’s intelligence that we continually under-estimate. You will want to recognize signs of this and know where to draw the line. You are not trying to buy her love by spoiling her.  You are simply re-establishing what you once had. There’s a big difference.
Take a look at the paragraph you wrote about your expectations with this bird. Did you accomplish them?  If not, this is a second chance to change any bad habits or start training the new behaviors and tricks you had once imagined.

Photo by www. picturesofcats.org

Bird lovers tend to be animal lovers in general, so it makes sense that we would have other pets.  However, dogs and cats, as well as other animals, can pose a great threat to your parrot.
Many or my pets have grown up in the company of birds. In several cases, the birds were there first and the cats entered a household that was already geared towards birds.  This helped to set the stage for what was expected of my cats, but in no way alleviated any dangers.  A cat is a cat, and even those accustomed to birds will act on instinct sometimes.
I regret that I have woken up on two separate occasions to find “presents” from my cats beside me in bed. One was a mouse, the other a sparrow.  Both were quite dead. The same cat that brought me the sparrow would show no interest in the family birds, but after he gifted me that morning, I knew that those instincts were there. It was a strange situation. The cockatiels would land on top of him while he was sleeping and he would barely open an eye in response. The worst thing he would ever do to them was stand on their tails as they walking past. I knew, however, that the cat was a capable birder and kept on guard whenever they were together. (The cat was terrified of Linus, my umbrella cockatoo, who would chase him all over the house, often catching him.  There is a sparrow in heaven who is smiling at this fact.)

Photo by www.picturesofcats.org

Several years ago, Linus became ill with a highly contagious disease.  Because he and Theo, my goffins cockatoo, were housed in the same room, I sent her to live with a nearby friend for a couple of weeks. I was horrified when he sent me a picture of little Theo asleep cuddled up to his great dane. There are times when the two most unlikely animals can become the best of friends.  But it is risky.
Mammals, ourselves included, carry gram negative bacteria in our mouths. It can be deadly to a bird, who doesn’t carry that type of bacteria in its body.  Claws can also have this and other bacterias present. Should your bird be bitten or scratched by any mammal, an urgent trip to the vet is necessary, even if it appears minor. We should not let our birds have contact with other pet’s toys for this same reason.
Sometimes an injury inflicted by your pet may not even be visible. Injuries or broken bones my occur without leaving a mark of evidence. Blood is not always present. Linus squeezed several parakeets to death in a former home and the only evidence of trauma to the birds was that they were dead.  This is yet another good reason to keep large and small birds separated when not supervised.

Photo of bird dog by www.lolcats.com

Cats traditionally are bird hunters. With domestic cats, often it is not done out of hunger, but in the fulfillment of an instinctual need, or sometimes just for fun.  There are breeds of dogs (such as retrievers, spaniels, and pointers) that have been bred as birders and the instinct to hunt birds is very strong in them even if it is not utilized.  It is literally impossible for us to say we fully know our pets. While it might be true that certain behaviors are or are not likely in an individual animal, we do not share their instincts and cannot fully understand them. Always be careful, and very watchful should your pets share a common play area.

Q:  My wife and I have a eight month old baby and a 7 year old african grey. My grey clearly dislikes the baby and acts aggressively when they are in the same room together. Why?
-Ben G., Santa Ana, CA

A:  Every bird will certainly notice the squirmy new baby you have brought home, but their reaction to them will vary from bird to bird. There are a few different ways of looking at it from a bird’s perspective:
The INTERESTED bird:
A new baby brings a lot of new sights, sounds and smells.  Many birds will welcome the changes and enjoy the opportunity to experience these new things right alongside the family. If things were getting dull for the bird, the days sure aren’t boring now. Your bird is wonderfully inquisitive and secure.  He is happy to go with the flow.
The DISGUSTED bird:
The very same things that the interested bird loves, the disgusted bird will find fault with.  He may be the bird that liked things just fine as they were, and is a bit intolerant of change. He may continually voice his opinions about his dislike of the new situation and may grow to be unable to accept the changes or the child.
The JEALOUS bird:
Just about any bird has the potential to become jealous, and african greys can be a bit more sensitive than some other species of parrot. Is your bird’s jealousy justifiable? Has he been put on the back burner to watch the new baby get all the attention?  If this is the case, then it is understandable that he is angry. He might turn his back to you, scream, bite or just simply not wish to be your friend anymore. All the while, he is growing more and more resentful of the new baby because none of these feelings existed before it arrived, so surely it is the baby’s fault.

I don’t think anyone bringing home their first baby is really fully aware of the huge and awesome responsibility they have taken on. I know I was clueless. A new baby can take up every spare second and ounce of energy you have, leaving little for the parrot who was once the center attention. I’m not saying this to make anyone feel bad. It’s just a fact of life. Things are never the same once the baby comes, but it can be particularly hard on a bird that is used to being the baby, or is insecure or unadaptable to begin with.

Here are some tips on how to make the arrival of a new baby an easier experience for your bird:

• When you are about five months pregnant, start talking to your bird about the changes that are coming. He won’t have any idea what you are saying, but will know that you are trying to communicate something to him and his attention will be piqued.
• Buy a stuffed animal that will represent the baby for a time. Let him watch you put together the crib and place the stuffed animal in it. Carry the stuffed animal around with you like you would a baby. Put it in the baby swing in the living room.  Pretend to burp it etc., all in view of the parrot. Watch his reactions to the stuffed animal. It is during this time that he will learn that sharing you does not have to be a negative thing, as long as you continue to make him feel like he is important.  He will make the connection when the real baby moves in.
• After you bring the baby home, try not to let him get lost in all the excitement. Make it a point to deliver a favorite snack to him with enthusiasm while he is in the cage. And when the baby goes down for a nap or the night, try to make this a special bonding time for you and your parrot. Small efforts in this area will go a long way. Short times out of the cage may be enough at the beginning, while everyone is making the adjustment.  Perhaps 5 or 10 minutes out of cage, several times a day, will keep him feeling like he’s still a part of the family for the time being.
• I don’t recommend that you send the parrot away for boarding just before you bring the new baby home. Imagine how awful it would feel to be sent away only to return to find your home is forever changed. In the future, you may find that boarding your bird is problematic as he may believe that something unwanted awaits him when he is to arrive back home. Give him the opportunity to handle this experience gracefully. If he he does well, boarding can be a consideration for future babies.
• DO NOT try to introduce your parrot to the new baby. Your parrot can seriously injure an infant before you can react to stop it. Even a small child can receive a terrible bite just for the crime of being a child.  It is NOT worth the risk.

Be watchful of your bird’s feelings and reactions and make the necessary adjustments to your schedule to fit him in. If you don’t handle this with finesse, it could result in having to make the decision to rehome him when he is unable to cope with the changes and becomes difficult to live with. I think it’s safe to say that a single bird suffers the most. Birds that have established companionship with other birds has them to fall back on.  This  doesn’t mean your relationship with the bird won’t suffer if he feels you have done him wrong. Your bird, who has been your faithful friend, deserves your best.  Always.
Birds and babies can live happily ever after. Children who grow up with animals and birds have a deeper understand and love for nature. It’s a wonderful experience to dearly love something that is completely different than yourself. There are stories out there about parrots saving the lives of toddlers in trouble in very creative ways. Children and parrots do not have to be like oil and water, and as long as the conscientious owner puts forth the effort and sends the right messages they can have a beautiful, profound relationship .