Interacting with a shy bird in a quiet home

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Maggie Wright

Moderator: merlin

Interacting with a shy bird in a quiet home

Postby allie » Fri Nov 17, 2006 10:16 pm

Maggie,

As I begin to feel better, I still am looking for ways to interact with Luna and keep her active and happy. I don't know how much you've worked with unsocialized Greys, but I know a lot of her timidity is just not knowing how to act around humans in and in a house. She's not scared of me anymore I don't think.

Her cage door is staying open all day now with her climbing tree pulled close for her to access as she wants. Her climbing tree would be the envy of any parrot it's over 5 feet tall and a real pecan tree with even more branches attached and toys and a swing, but she is still frightened of the swing. Both are by my bed so I can reach her and offer treats and toys, but she mainly spends her time resting and preening in her cage. The only way I'm engaging her now is by offering food, which brings her scooting or climbing to me quickly. I can't make and offer toys as much as we used to just because of my health. What other ways can we interact or play? As, I said in other posts, we do talk, but only when she initiates it. I talk to her all day long, but she only wants to really get into it in the morning. I've tried a bit of tug-o-war with toys, but she gives up right away. Like I said, she's still timid. She does do better when there are more people around visiting and more (quiet) activity in the room, understandably being a flock animal. I feel bad for having her in an only-bird, single home.

I want her to get more excercise, but my home is so quiet with just me in bed all day and the kitty sleeping all day. She only chooses to fly a few days per week at most. I do have the radio on news and music. I do cartoons or "world music" videos on TV for her (I think she prefers that to cartoons), but she's mostly quiet and still during the day. Any ideas for games or ways to make her play more on her tree? She used to play with toys on it, but now she just runs out to forage and returns to her cage after she's found all the treats!

Alison and Luna
The bird that lives with me is smarter than me!
allie
 
Posts: 74
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 10:48 pm
Location: Southern USA

Postby Maggie » Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:23 am

Allie,

Greys can become more sedate as they get older and the place is quiet. Mine are more sedate.

You may want to try more talking games. She is very smart. Try teaching her words and phrases. Teach her command phrases, such as "want tree" or "want apple," and so on. You may want to put some of her food in foraging things, such as wrapping a nut in paper and she has to go after it.

You know she will do anything for a TREAT (your food). Make sure that what you are giving is in bits so you can give it more often. You know you can use that to teach her things. Give her the treat reward when she does something like talk to you.

Does she copy the cat? If so, ask "What does the cat say?" the MOMENT she makes a meow. Then reward with a treat. Do it EVERY time she does it and she will get into that. Then you can do a doggy and so on. Shake your body and say shake your body. When she does, get excited and reward. But you have to keep on asking and working with her.

Getting excited and rewarding are the keys for teaching. You may want to get some children games that teach animaL SOUNDS AND OTHER WORDS. She will be afraid at first but more open to it once YOU play with the games a lot and get excited.

Hoping these ideas help. Does anyone else have ideas???? Please pitch in!

GREY'T Blessings,
Maggie-
Maggie
 

Postby allie » Sun Nov 19, 2006 12:17 am

Excellent, Maggie! Thanks so much. You just reinforced one thing she does. She barks like a dog, and since i find it so humorous I wanted her to do it a lot so I started ringing a bell and telling her "Gooooood girl, Dog." Every time she did it. She "Woofs" for attention all the time now.

I'm glad you pointed out how much communication can be used. She is a quick learner and finally repeated "Itchy-Scratchy" to me the other day, as I say it every time she scratches her head :lol: . I need to get more animated with her.

I logged in today to tell you that I DID discover one new way of keeping her entertained and interacting with her while I'm sick. XM satelitte radio! It was awesome today. I quit being careful and keeping the volume down; I cranked it up (not loud enough to hurt her ears of course) and she got real freaky looking, but I said , "Luna, this is GOOD noise." since she knows the meaning of both of those words. I also said, "Happy" which she knows. I sang along and bobbed my head and whistled to the music and would change the stations a lot to see which music she seemed to prefer.

She started whistling and i couldn't tell if she was scared or excited because she was doing her contact call over and over. But then she started wagging her tail, then she started stretching her wings this way and that, and then doing the wings over the head and whistling away. It was a hoot! She really reacted to Stevie Wonder. I'm so happy that she enjoyed it! I'll apply everything you said to this venture too. Thanks so much for your support. It makes me feel better even to hear that your birds are more sedate as they age. I've also learned that on rainy days, she just isn't gonna be a bubbly bird. She is such a joy to learn with.

Alison and Luna
The bird that lives with me is smarter than me!
allie
 
Posts: 74
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 10:48 pm
Location: Southern USA

Postby Maggie » Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:36 am

Allie,

What a time you guys are having!!! Another tune that Greys LOVE to whistle is the Andy Griffith Show tune.

Keep up the GREY'T work!!! You can also work with her on learning things. I taught my guys to count.

"how many?"

"bong, bong, bong, bong."

"FOUR!!!"

"Very good!"

You can also find small objects like a piece of paper and wood and teach her to identify them. When she tries successfully, reward her...and let her play with the object identified. That's what Dr. Pepperberg does.

This is a GREY'T time to do these things!
Mag-
Maggie
 


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