Advice please! Perch potatoes need help!

[IvyDawn]

Ok so I have two parrots now. I have a maxi pionus and a Nanday conure.
A little backstory.
The conure I got over 11 yrs ago. When I got her she was extremely quiet and loving. She would play a little on her own in her cage, but she never warmed up to the parrot play area I built her, or the manzinata tree I had for her. Every time is put her on one of them, she would scream and stay in the same spot waiting to be picked up again. I got her to the point that she would sit on it with out screaming, but she would just stay in one spot. I had her for about 3 yrs, and gave her up to a friend when I had to move because of my divorce at the time. After a little over 8 yrs, she is back with me again as my friend came up with a situation where she could no longer keep her as well.
The pionus, I got about 10yrs ago maybe a little longer. She has always been a quiet bird, and I know that pi's are usually not super active I wasn't too worried about the fact that she isn't as active as most birds. She likes to come out and hang out on her cage, but has never been excited about the bird tree or play thing either. For the most part she is a sweet bird and likes attention, she will step up, ride on a shoulder, and enjoys head pets. We have started really trying to encourage her to fly, as I feel it would be beneficial for her. She has always been a little on the nervous side, but is mostly fine with things..

I would really like to see my birds playing and feeling safe in their surroundings. Anyone have any ideas on things I could do to encourage them to enjoy life out of their cages?
Also my conure seems to have a poor gripping abilities, I am pretty sure the last few years, she has mostly been left alone in her cage. When she is left alone she will pretty much just sit around or go to her favorite spot to sleep. Any ideas on that?
I just want my girls here to live long happy lives, and am trying to make things better for them.

 

[SilverSage]

First I would suggest a full vet workup including blood tests just to be sure there is nothing medical keeping your birds down. Then, new toys, new treats, lots of time with you, and TRAINING. Don't just assume your birds will learn to be active on their own, they need you to interact with them. Teach them tricks, get their brains chugging Harness train them and take them outside to explore.

 

[Birdman666]

Stimulation and interaction. Play with them. Play with them, and their toys.

Switch toys and perches around on them. Hide food treats in things and make them search for them.

Play music and dance. Play games with them.

Or as Bob Marley would say "Lively up yourself."

 

[SilverSage]

Exactly. You may have to start with something completely obvious. For my Pionus I literally had to start by placing their food dish on the ground because they had no concept of "I should look for my food." I had to gradually increase difficulty. I played with their toys, I let Flick (my GCC) play with their toys, eat their food, I ate their food, etc. I found their FAVORITE food, sunflower seeds, and I used to to get them out onto the top of their cage. Eventually food was in a new place every day, and food was a different mixture every day (a far cry from the birds just eating brown pellets who didnt even know how to eat seeds! I am not even kidding!) You can read some of my old posts if you want to know the kids of issues we had. We worked on target training, and I switched things out often. I played music for them sometimes, I played the Bird Sitter DVD for them (that was actually one of the first things they took an interest in), and I sang to them. Mine are not "tame" so interaction was limited to what was safe. It took MONTHS before they started destroying toys, but it was well worth it! Now they will try almost anything I give them, they greet me when I walk by them, they target around their cage, take treats from my hand, forage, and play with the toys theya re give

 

[Birdman666]

Yeah, one of the fun parts of having parrots around, is when they are active like mine THEY DON'T LET YOU NOT PLAY...

 

[IvyDawn]

My pi wouldn't try the fruits or veggies I gave her forever, but we have been working on that with both birds. The conure Chloe, she is having a hard time. My friend was feeding her a small bird seed and pellet mixture, and so now she is frustrated with me because I have been pulling the seed dishes in the morning and only giving the birds fresh veggies, fruits, and some cooked things too. I give them small bowls of seed at night before bed, because I don't want them to starve. They are getting the idea, and trying more things everyday. Chloe really likes the cooked foods, bread, wild rice, noodles and things.
Buddy the Pionus likes mostly the green veggies, but is starting to try more things.
Like I said I just want them to be happy and healthy. I feel a little guilty for being so complacent with my Pi for all these years. These birds are so sweet, and I love them so much. I need to do better by them, and help them live better.

 

[SilverSage]

The life they have been living is not ideal, but it is WONDERFUL that you are taking it up a notch now Don't be discouraged, keep working through it, be patient, and ask lots of questions

 

[amiatree]

Play with them! I watch TV with a bowl of popcorn on my lap and our 2 Senegal Parrots like eating out of my bowl!
Our issue is that I adopted these 2 in April, they are 6 & 7 years old and they did not learn to talk.
One has about 3 words and some gibberish.
Any ideas on how to get them to talk more or are they truly too old to learn speech?
Help!!

 

[Mango121913]

Yeah, one of the fun parts of having parrots around, is when they are active like mine THEY DON'T LET YOU NOT PLAY...

Soooooooo true!!
Providing they're healthy, they will see what they are missing!