My new Timneh "aggressively preens"

[Guest]

Hi Maggie,

I have my first parrot, a Timneh I got in July. I had been considering getting a parrot who needed a new home for several months and saw an add for an "aggressive" african grey who "could be used as breeder."

Turns out that the owner had her since 2mo. age and said that the bird had "always hated her." So the owner put her in the backyard with another Timneh and left her there, feeding only seeds and NEVER allowing her out. This woman was pretty loud and chatty; I don't think she ever calmed down enough for the Grey. Oh and she separated her from her plucked mate the day I bought her! I didn't know this until after I brought her home!!!

Well, we've been doing pretty well I think. She is NOT aggressive, just overly fearful of hands and people. She does not bite. She lives in a new 30"x24"x38" cage next to a window. In the mornings I open the screenless window so it's like being outside. She seems to like this. Around noon I roll her cage over to her climbing tree and she now scrambles out like a pro. She spends the rest of the day in or out as she pleases. She eats Harrison's High Potency and LOVES it. We're trying very hard to work on the veggies!

However, she has been preening very rough and aggressively since I got her. There were a few weeks initially when this got better, but shortly after the new cage arrived it got worse again. I can hear her snapping the calamus on the feather as she goes over and she will preen, or "prune" as I call it, like the repeatively and wildly. I've watched wild birds my whole life and this doesn't look like healthy preening to me. Some of her breast feathers are turning brown, i.e. damaged? She loses several down feathers per day.

She is flighted and the room is parrot proofed for her. She mostly flies when startled but also flies for the fun of it now. She usually wags her tail when I pick her up from the floor afterwards. She has just this week started steppingn up on command from her playtop cage top! I'm so proud of her. Now she goes back in her cage in the evening when I turn on the lights and say, "go home." She prefers to do things on her own and not be handled. I allow her this. She does like my company as she will scoot across her tree to the branch overhanging me on the couch or will follow me around her cage top. She just won't let me touch her. I do blow on her some and she likes that.

One thing that may be unusual is that I live alone in a studio apartment and I'm disabled. It's me, my cat, and my bird together in one room all day long. She does seem happier when visitors come, not that she wants their attention, I think it's just the flock-thing. She's more active. I wonder if the feather damaging has anything to do with this. However, seh seems to do it almost always when I talk on the phone, and sometimes when I talk to my visiting mother, who she doesn't like.

Help !! Thank you!!

Alison

[Maggie-]

[allie]

Ahhh, Maggie Thanks so much! You made such an observant remark about needing a good preening model! I never thought of that!! This poor bird was bought by an animal "collector" that basically abandoned her when she got bitten the first few times. Her mate was a "plucked chicken" who was all she ever had. Poor girl.

I need moral support even though I think she's doing very well considering. I feel like a mother with a colicky baby. I have found that if I step in with a beloved foot-toy she will stop the abusive behavior, but I was wondering if this could promote the behavior in the end, as you pointed out. What do you think? I have started turning my back on her when she does it---more to calm me than to calm her!

I'm trying to notice when it happens. It's difficult to say, but she definitely does it when I talk on the phone, and when visitors (anyone other than my father whom she adores!) come over and chat with me. She isn't bonded to me by any means, though. Sometimes I think she does it if she finds me looking straight at her too much or even if I talk to her too long. However, other times she really seems to calm down and enjoy it if i sit near her cage and speak softly to her. Often I pick up my cat ("kitty" to her and she DOES know who I'm talking about) and we sit next to her and I just pet him and speak sweetly. She'll scoot over close to us and stare at us intently or play with her toys then.

I am so happy to relate that she has started stepping up onto my hand on command from the top of her play top cage. This was a big issue for us for a while and now that she started doing this after my week long absence (out of state trip) I think she may have realized that she appreciates me! I'm still just trying to calm down and not smother her with attention. We ARE in the same room together all day and she may just want some space sometimes? I do allow her at least an hour of pure quiet time per day while I rest or get on the internet. I don't use a wheelchair in the room, but I bet she is picking up on some odd vibes, in that I am sometimes sick in bed or usually am dealing with a bit of pain. I am up-beat around her just because she makes me so happy!

She is amazing and has already surprised my father and I by greeting him just the other day when he came over. She said, to our shock, "Hi Pop!" when he walked in the door. AMAZING!

Now I just want to be able to give her affection but she has only dipped her head a bit for me to blow on it when she allows me to hold her, rarely. Can't touch her, but I just enjoy having her around and she seems to prefer my company too, following me around on the ledge of her playtop or along the branches of her climbing tree. LOVE this bird!

Thanks! Any help or tips are much appreciated!
Allie

[Maggie-]

Hi Allie,

She is beautiful!

You are doing really well with her. I suggest that you work first at getting her to feel closer to you when she is in her cage. This is the most secure place for her and will be easier for her to reach out. Sometimes, instead of sitting with the cat, sit there alone and talk to her. Sit right beside the cage. Use that treat that you have chosen for reward and reward her while telling her how sweet she is. When she comes closer to the cage bars near you, see if you can gently rub the top of her head. But first, I would concentrate on just giving her treats that make her want to come up closer to you.

It sounds like she really wants to be close to you. That may be why she overly preens when you are on the phone. She wants the attention.

You are making all of the right moves!!! Congrats! Does she have lots of foot toys in the cage?

Mag-

[allie]

Thanks Maggie. She has tons of foot toys, mostly things I have discovered around the house or made that are safe. She loves bits of pecan and sweetgum branches cut in wafers or "logs" with leather strings tied through! Somewhere I read that using a large food crock in the cage as a toy bowl is a good idea, and indeed it is! I keep it full of various items (large beads, popcicle sticks, almonds, etc) and change it everyday so that she likes to go right over in the morning after her breakfast and see what's there. She pulls them out, chews them, examines them, and then usually drops them below the 1" grate at the bottom of the cage in no time! I know I was making her nervous by retrieving them constantly for her so I just stopped that completely unless she really is giving me a sign that she wants me to. I wish she could pick her foot toys back up after dropping them somehow. She loves them; her little eye's pin-point as she examines and you could drop a book and she wouldn't even look up!

The other thing is that she loves to throw them at me or just drop them once before she takes them back when I'm interacting with her. I usually say "uh-oh" after she drops them because of the loud noise, and now I can say that after disturbing loud noises in the house and she's ok with it. Often she'll take them right away, though, from my hands.

She does spend about half the day out of her cage, either on top where I place thick newspaper and spread toys and chewables and food about randomly, or in her climbing tree where I hide foods and treats for forage. She'll interact with me in these places too sometimes, to take a treat or a toy.

The only time I tried to touch her head she bit the **** out of my finger right away; this was in the beginning before she educated me. I haven't tried it again since, but when I'm ready and think she's ready, I'll do it through the cage bars as you suggest. That makes a lot of sense.

Thanks so much for the support.

[Maggie-]

Allie,

This is a LUCKY bird! Look how her life is turning out...and the love she is getting. I guarantee you that your relationship will BLOSSOM over the next few months!

I'm here for you!
Maggie-

[allie]

Maggie, I'm getting a bit concerned about the "pruning," as I call the obsessive preening! I found a covert feather this morning in her cage. I usually find lots of down feathers, but this is the first large feather. It's not just that, she won't stop violently preening! I'm trying not to share my anxiety about the issue with her because I know that will only make it worse. What I'm doing is experimenting to try to find the cause:

She started right away this morning, as soon as I uncovered her. Sometimes I try to ignore her or I go out on the balcony and tell her Mom is leaving. I look through the window and she has stopped! That makes me feel bad! She is sittting very still or doing a contact call. I come back in and stay far away and she starts again.

As I mentioned earlier, she always does it when I'm on the phone or talking to guests and visitors. However sometimes she does it when I sit near her and talk to her too!? Sometimes she does it when she's out on her tree and has been sitting still for a long time (It's very hard teaching her to forage and play).

What stops it? Well, if I leave the apartment. Sometimes, if I bring a foot-toy and sit and "play" with a toy of my own beside her quietly. That seems to be the best solution, but I can't do this all day long! Sometimes when I'm on the couch and she's above me on her tree I can reach up and give her a foot-toy and that breaks the cycle and then she'll go on to do some foraging after she drops the toy. She does very well on her cage top for short periods of time because she feels secure up there; she forages on the newspaper for toys and food and plays dunking games in her water bowl!

I think my main issues are: it's a one bird home and she used to live in a large flock with a mate; it's very quiet up here most of the day; I'm in here with her all day long in the same room; she was neglected and doesn't know how to entertain herself by herself.

What to do? Should I just ignore the "pruning"? Should I continue to present foot toys to her to stop it? Should I sit with her everytime she starts (or try too)? Should I spend parts of the day far away from her cage (this is a studio apartment) to give her space. Is she feeling crowded by me since she used to live outside?

Oh, do I need advice. I'm scared the preening could be going down the slippery slope to picking!

Sorry for so many questions! I want US to adjust well to each other.
Allie and Luna

[Maggie]

Allie,

First, please realize that birds DO preen. They preen when they are feeling relaxed and social. This relates to when you are near, so it is normal for her to preen in your presence. A big loose feather probably means it was time for it to come out. The FALL is a period when lots of birds "molt" or lose lots of feathers that are replaced with new ones. Please make sure you do not confuse the two.

It probably would help if you tried to forget about the aggressive preening for now. The more you focus, the more she will and she may feel something is wrong, making things worse. Unless she is "actually hurting herself," such as pulling out blood feathers, or picking and breaking skin, relax and do not worry about it.

You can teach her to play by doing it yourself. Find a toy and play with it outside of cage. Hold it up and knock at it with you nose....laugh, giggle, get excited. Keep doing this until she gets curious and when you put a toy in the cage, encourage her to do the same. You can teach her to do these things.

You do not have to move to another room. Use your day naturally, and she will adjust.

You guys are doing VERY WELL!!!

GREY'T Hugs,
Miss Mag-

[allie]

Thanks Maggie,

I feel pretty silly, like an over-anxious Munchausen mother! You really are providing an invaluable service here. I had a feeling that I needed to hear the message you just gave me. Hearing it from someone with your experience and love of Greys makes all the difference. I'll let her preen away! And, thanks, I was confused and thinking molt was only in the spring. I needed that reminder too! Well, if she molts, I hope her feathers come in more beautiful than before since those last feathers were generated on an all seed diet.

Today, I sat in front of her and prepared her fresh veggies and fruits for the next few days. That stopped her obsessive preening. She climbed down to her door perch and watched curiously as I peeled apples, chopped carrots, and nibbled on the celery. She actually chopped up an apple piece by herself! Maybe next she will eat it. That was a nice activity for us both to do together!

Oh, you mentioned that birds preen when relaxed and together. She has started preening when she is on my hand. So that's a good thing? I'm so bird dumb! But I am listening to all of Ms. Hollander's and your lectures so there's hope!

Poor girl, her mother needs to relax. I'll remember that and think more in terms of fun time and down time.

Alison and Luna

[Maggie-]

Allie,

Again, you and Luna are doing an awsome job! Keep it up!

If it would help, you need to also get my book: African Grey Parrots: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual. You can get it thru most pet stores, Amazon or an autographed copy from the Grey Place section of this site. It has all kinds of HOW TO advice to help you feel more secure. It is written by Maggie Wright and published by Barron's.

Have a GREY'T day!
Miss Mag-

[allie]

Thanks Maggie, I've absorbed every book I can on the topic. Have read 3 books specific to African Grey's, but not yours, I don't think. Just read The Essential African Grey. I'll get yours too. I'm a reader and the more I read/learn the better I feel about things.

I'm also trying to be a bird. I've always been very good at working with cats and dogs and horses other animals, but birds are entirely new to me. I realize I need to understand their behavior and what it means to be a bird. For example, today, i just sat by Luna's cage with the door open, and we both looked out our huge upstairs window. I thought, this is bird-like: a "pair of Greys" sitting quietly at midmorning looking down on the world below. I didn't react to her preening at all, even when she did it in response to my talking on the phone or loud noises. I just looked out the window with her and read my book, and spoke softly to her.

I also made a toy in front of her. I've found this to be one of our best shared activities. I have a basket of items to make toys out of, opened her cage door, she came out on the door perch and watched while I made it, then reached eagerly for it so that when I hung it in her cage she went nuts destroying it and didn't do any obsessive preening when my visitor came over minutes later.

Allie


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[Maggie-]

Wow! You are handling things beautifully!!!

One of the first things you need to do in learning to be a bird is to first learn about the wild nature of Greys. My book focuses on that issue and brings humans from there. It is a VERY popular Grey book.

First, realize birds are PREY animals....very different from dogs & cats. Then realize ALL bird species are different from each other. Focus heavily on comprehending the first chapter. Then rest of the book gives GREY'T how-to advice in all aspects of daily care. I recommend it because I know how helpful it is. I was one of the many without info like this and had to learn the hard way.

Take advantage of the path cut and worn by others.

GREY'T Day!
Maggie-