Activities/Fun stuff with bird

[MrSquak]

Hey everybody... our little alexandrine is doing great! He's getting bigger and really getting to show us more of his personality. He loves to come out and spend time with us, and before he'd just try and press up really close to either me or my fiance but now he's getting more active and wants to climb around, especially sit on a shoulder. He's getting so curious, just wants to explore everything and he's started vocalizing some too. Can't quite say "hello" but he's starting to get the sounds!

Anybody have any advice for fun stuff we can do with our bird? What kinds of toys can we use outside the cage to play with him? Any good activities he might enjoy?

 

[merlinsmom13]

Merlins current favorite is a ping pong ball. He loves the sound it makes when it hits the floor. Just try different things & find out what he likes. Congrats

 

[roxynoodle]

My conure really likes her play gym. It has a lot of toys, different types of perches including a rope to go from one end to the other. I also drilled holes into the main wood support and I tie shoelaces and leather lace through those for her to undo. It also has a swing. I think really active birds love play gyms with different things to do. And I can put foot toys on the base for her as well.

You could also play "tourist" and take him to different rooms and show him the views through the windows. Take him into the bathroom while you shower and let him sit on the shower curtain rod or door, and if he wants to join you in the shower, let him. Birds also seem to like to watch our grooming activities like shaving, brushing teeth, etc. You may also find he likes bathing in the sink, either with or without running water.

You can also watch youtube videos of other birds. Mine all like that. There is also a show on TV called Petkeeping on the Hallmark channel. There are always a ton of parrots and other critters on it, and my conure LOVES it.

 

[MrSquak]

Good ideas! Thanks for your tips!

We have this toy my fiance got me a long time ago that is a toy parrot on a branch that when you talk it repeats it back to you. He's fascinated by it but sometimes goes after and bites it while it's moving and making noise. It's really cute and adorable but I wonder if he's having fun or if it's stressing him out.

Of course I'm looking for fun stuff we BOTH like, do you think that toy parrot scares him?

 

[roxynoodle]

That's hard to say if the toy scares him. I guess you will need to go by his body language, but my conure sometimes beats the heck out of her toys and yells at them. She is having fun when she does it, but she does like to boss. If it looks like he is fearful, then I would say it scares him. My conure can definitely look kind of angry when she is beating on or yelling at a toy, but she is a very bossy conure. And two minutes later she might be kissing that same toy and telling it, "I love you." So you will need to keep observing I guess until you can tell.

 

[antoinette]

So many different things to amuse a bird with and it costs nothing. Find anything lying around and use it. Below are odds and ends, which Mishka spends hours playing with outside his cage.

BTW what is your bird's name....
Perhaps get him a little truck, to sit on, then at a later stage, begin pulling the truck.
Mishka loves his truck, when coming out his cage, he walks directly to the truck and begins squeaking LoL asking me to pull him.

Many things scare a bird, even new toys in the beginning. Sit with him, playing with them yourself, having fun, soon he WILL join in I PROMISE YOU