http://binghamton.craigslist.org/pet/1255437584.html

This came across my Craigslist this morning and so many of these things are so sad, and yet so true at the same time.

( A RESCUERS ANSWERING MACHINE: )

if any one has AIM or yahoo IM and wants to chat about birds or any thing else my AIM is animalgirl3134 and my yahoo is aurora3134

Turning in circles and cheek scratching? Far too easy. I decided that we've built up enough trust to try tackling a far more challenging (and dangerous!) behavior. ...head scritches.

I took this video earlier today.



Yesterday we worked on simply getting my finger close, while he refrained from raising his beak towards me. Today we started working on me touching him briefly. We've actually progressed past the point in that video already... and he's letting me gently ruffle a few feathers, for only a second. He doesn't like being touched yet, but associate it with a primary reinforcer often enough (a high value food item) and head scritches can become a reinforcer in and of itself over time.

That's the theory and the goal, at least. If we pull this off, I see trying a proper 'step-up' on the horizon.

Happy 4th, everyone.

I need to find a supplier in Canada as getting stuff across the line I end up paying more for broker fees than on the actual product.

For anyone unsure of what I'm taking about they are a pellet made by Goldenfeast. My boys love em but unfortunately the local supplier (Avian Basics) is taking a break and now I have no idea where to score them in Canada.

Thanks in advance for any leads! I'm also hoping to find places that people have done business with before.

George is adjusting to being in the living room with the big birds. He's now sharing the room with Lily (scarlet macaw) and Pokey (umbrella 'too). They each have their own cage. For the most part it's been ok. Unfortunately, Pokey feels it's his honour bound duty to protect Lily and attacks any bird he can. We have not allowed George and Pokey out at the same time. Pokey is slowly learning he cannot climb on George's cage and try to attack him. Pokey is getting a lot of time outs right now but it's working.

( Read more )

Subtitle: Meet my new foster bird. :)

Just over six years ago (7/7/03!), after several weeks of research and telling myself it was a bad idea, I bought a three month old sun conure from Petsmart. He was an adorable sweet baby parrot, loved everyone in the universe, utterly malleable -- you could do ANYTHING with him and he wouldn't protest.

It took me, the newbie parrot owner, all of six months to teach him to scream for attention, to bite the living crap out of me rather than step up, and to attack strangers.

Six years later, he doesn't scream, he happily steps up, but his violence towards unfamiliar people is still there, though it's getting better. (We had friends in town and one of them got to PET HIM, and Tea didn't freak out at all, and we nearly fell over in shock.)

Could I have managed the same feat with an adult bird? Most likely, but not as easily.

( Why you don't want a baby parrot. )

( Williams the Green Pear )

Sun conure!

( Bowser, so far he hasn't stolen any princesses )

I got the results from the feathers I dropped in a mailbox Monday. Jasper is officially a MALE. So, yes to dealing with what could become a hormonal male YNA, but no to egg-binding! Also, new icon.



( Another picture and Questions )

In another Mickaboo success story, Ocean the masked lovebird was adopted yesterday. Yay, Ocean! I'll miss his big cheepy opinions, but I'm glad he's got a permanent home now. It's thanks to him, and other lovebirds I've come to know in this comm, that I changed my attitude about them. They used to be "cute, but not a bird I ever want in my life." Then Mickaboo was desperate for foster homes for lovebirds, and, well, tiny blue cuteness came to be fostered. Now? Well, I'm not sobbing in regret that I missed my chance to adopt Ocean, and I don't think I'd ever choose a lovebird for a flock addition, but boy, am I fond of them, and I'll miss him and his huge personality in a tiny package.

And I already have a new foster in quarantine--she actually arrived before Ocean was adopted. You might have seen me commenting about her in other entries, but if not, the icon should be a giveaway. She's Matcha the nanday conure, formerly a stray in San Jose, who is doofy and quirky and adorable and beak-gentle and way into chewing on things and loves to mumble quietly while I talk to her and thinks sitting on shoulders is wonderful... Falling in love yet? :) Of course, she's also a nanday, so she's LOUD when she chooses to be. I'm actually not quite sure if the household will be able to handle her loudness once she's out of quarantine. (Read: Not sure I'll be able to handle it, since the plan is to move her in here with Mori, Gojira, the budgies, and the tiels, and it's also where my computer is so I spend a lot of time here, and it's a small room and I think I need to invest in earplugs.) But that's the beauty of fostering; if it doesn't work out, Mickaboo will find somewhere else for her to go. Someday in my life, years down the road, I kind of do want to have a nanday in my flock. Matcha's not going to be that nanday for many "wrong time" reasons, but boy is she great "practice" for deciding if I really can handle nanday-loud. Plus, in opening my home to her, I got her out of that San Jose shelter (with much thanks to ltdead who did transport detail) and into the Mickaboo system. Fostering's kind of awesome like that. :)

Duck is demonstrating his mastery of 'Do you have fleas?' (scratch his cheek) and 'turn in a circle.' He also throws out a few un-cued begging behaviors. The wing-lift is the newest trick we're working on, still not on cue. At all.

Duck is up for adoption! If you like small, intelligent, high-energy, extremely adorable birds that you may never, ever be able to touch without risk to life and limb. Ya know, just let me know if that's your thing. ;)

as most of you know i have gotten a lovebird whom i call stormy. well he and i are bonding very nicely where he will even come out of the cage to me and get on my arm and play on my shoulders and chest and in my hair. he is still terrified of my hands and i have no idea why, i am truly wondering if some one miss handled him when he was a baby. he is no longer biting my hands when i pick him up and he will even sit on my finger and let me scratch his chin but i have to catch him first he will not come to my hands i can get my hand with in about 4 inches of him then he runs away.and some times he will take food from my hand. i guess that is progress. it use to be that i could not even get my hand near him with my hands, and if i had to catch him he would bite the hell out of me. if any one has any suggestions i would love to hear from you.

I'm sure no one cares (haha)
but i have to output this anxiety somewhere!!!!
( (>.<;) )

and just to make this post less-lame...
some photos of the lovebirds


( this way guys! )

****** EDITED TO ADD ******

THE RESULT!!!

YESSSS!!!! XD

My Quaker parrot is very fearful of quite a lot of things, such as towels, water (for bathing not drinking), children, and left hands. I don't dare try to take her into the shower. She bites when she's spooked. She refuses to "step up" unless she's gotten herself somewhere she can't figure out.

She's four years old and I am probably her fourth owner. She's very attached to me and will have nothing to do with my husband if I'm around. On a positive note, I've discovered she loves my singing, although I'm sure no one else does.

I'd like to be able to take her out in a travel cage once in awhile, but nothing doing right now. I wonder if this fearfulness is a trait of Quakers or perhaps just her personality, or maybe it'll just take a really long time for her to trust us.

Check it out!

"Lucky is an educational children’s book that gently awakens children to the plight of captive birds and birds captured in the wild. Based on a true story, Lucky tells the story of a parrot who is captured in the wild and eventually regains his freedom with the help of a young Indonesian boy."


**During the month of July, all proceeds from the sale of the book go to the Sanctuary!!!


If you have a child in your life or know someone who does, please consider getting the book for them! Or for yourself!!!
Lastly, please consider passing this info. along to everyone you know and ask them to do the same. Use your message boards, social networking sites, etc... to help spread the word!**

Thanks so much! The parrots could really use your support this summer!

Project Perry

Stormys beak is peeling around the very tip is this normal? he is eating fine and acting normal otherwise.

OH HAI, ( Come and see muh shower pics! )

I've been shopping around for an air purifier for Garuda and me, and I strongly recommend this site to anyone in the same situation:

http://www.air-purifier-power.com/

The guy who runs the site has severe chemical sensitivity and other health issues, so clean air is vitally important to him. He created the site after much trial and error with air purifiers, and it's a wonderful thing.

He has a detailed review of just about everything on the market that's worth buying. He also does a great job explaining and demystifying air purifier technology, so you can understand what specific features do.

Note that his rating list is based on how much performance you get for the money, so more expensive units are not necessarily rated higher. The IQ Air HealthPro ($800) and Rabbit Air MinusA2 ($450-$500) come in first and second, but some more modestly priced units are not far behind.