Behaviour Change / separation anxiety?

[Talaya]

Hi all just looking for some advice.
my boy is an Eclectus and has always played happily in his cage with is toys Since a baby. He is now a year old. Last week there was an overnight change in his behaviour and he started just behaving and being good, that said it’s back to being a bit mouthy Lol. He also virtually stopped being cage aggressive, over his stuff.
anyway I’ve read the post by Bonitabird59 and the link that Cottonoid provided.

Solo has started making 1 or 2 single shouts if I leave the room (never used to) but today has gone to full 7-8 shouts like an alarm call.
once we get up, he stops playing with his toys, and sits and stares at me from a perch in his cage. When he’s out, he will go off and forage in all the places I hide things then go and watch the garden. He usually pops over once to give me a few seconds preening then fall asleep Until I put him away for his lunc.
I train every few days. He is not cuddly, I couldn’t cuddle him if I wanted to lol. I can’t even scritch his head. He’s a touch me at your own risk bird. So the training I’ve done is more for veterinary treatment, I can hold a toe to have The nail trimmed, and place a fleece over him and pick him up for about 10 seconds. I can also run my thumb down his breast bone to feel his condition, but .. it’s touching and hes happy to tell me don’t… So I usually just use the scales. I was hoping to get a harness on him, but though I trained to get him to put his head through, I can’t touch him to lift his wings to get it On/off. He then had a bit of a scare in it and let’s say I don’t have a complete one anymore!
When I leave the room he flies to My shoulder and comes with me to watch.. One day I was in another room, he hasn’t been in; he flew all around the hall and 3 corners to find me and sit on my head and preen me as usual.
his cage is in the lounge, we usually have one meal together.
I think it might be separation anxiety, as opposed to a partner obsession, but I don’t know what has brought it on, we are not doing anything different. Can anyone offer any advice ?

 

[wrench13]

Training. One of the very best way to tighten the bond with your parrot. Once you get the idea of training across, that it means learning new stuff, ost parrots respond well or even fantstically. If he is a hands off bird, like most ekkies, why not train with some tricks? Easy ones that dont require props, like spinning in place, shake hands, even try some vocal tricks if he is inclined.

Harness training can be the single hardest thing to train a parrot to accept. It took me a whole year (!) of every day work to get Salty to the point where he pretty much puts it on himself - head thru the loop, pick up wings and we are done. BUt it took a lot of work and I re-enforce putting it on a few times a week. SO worth it. Some parrots don't bat an eye at putting one on, rarely. With parrots that do not like being touched it is going be a long term goal. They have to be OK not only with the actual wearing of one (and not chew on it constantly) but OK with the manhandling of the wings a little bit. Put trying that onto the training schedule!

 

[Talaya]

Training. One of the very best way to tighten the bond with your parrot. Once you get the idea of training across, that it means learning new stuff, ost parrots respond well or even fantstically. If he is a hands off bird, like most ekkies, why not train with some tricks? Easy ones that dont require props, like spinning in place, shake hands, even try some vocal tricks if he is inclined.

Harness training can be the single hardest thing to train a parrot to accept. It took me a whole year (!) of every day work to get Salty to the point where he pretty much puts it on himself - head thru the loop, pick up wings and we are done. BUt it took a lot of work and I re-enforce putting it on a few times a week. SO worth it. Some parrots don't bat an eye at putting one on, rarely. With parrots that do not like being touched it is going be a long term goal. They have to be OK not only with the actual wearing of one (and not chew on it constantly) but OK with the manhandling of the wings a little bit. Put trying that onto the training schedule!

Thanks Wrench , I missed off, he will go to where I tap, especially if he knows I have treats.. he seems to like this one and can’t run fast enough to get there (or fly) .. useful when you need to move him !
Ive just started trying to get him to spin, but he doesn’t want to face away lol. he just twist his head round .
I might revisit the harness at a later date but at £35 a pop I can’t have another one in the bin after a couple of month.(we had to cut it off him)