First Eclectus! Some questions

[laa06c]

Hey all! I received my first ever baby Eclectus (now 3 1/2 months) two weeks ago and she is finally settled into her new home and bonding with me. She is eating well, attempting to "talk", loves to shower with me and be with me and is playing around her cage and getting bolder and more comfortable.
I just had a few small questions to other experienced Eckie owners...
1) I notice when I hold her or cuddle with her, she wants to constantly put her head in my mouth, chew my lips, etc which is cute and all but sometimes hurts . I'm not sure if I should let her do this and encourage it (I know it's just "beaking" and babies do a lot with their beaks) or if I should make her stop. She makes adorable little cooing sounds when she does it like she's thoroughly enjoying herself so I don't really want to make her stop!
2) I noticed the past few days both in her cage and out, she will slide her feet against the floor for a few times (almost like a cat swiping in a litter box) like she's trying to kick up dust or something... don't know how else to describe it. Anyway, is that normal? and what does it mean?
3) Sometimes if she is on her play stand, on my shoulder, etc she will randomly take off flying (wings are partially clipped) for no apparent reason in an absolutely aimless direction. Nothing will startle her, she just does it at random. Is this her just testing her new flight?
4) I have been her primary caregiver and work from home so i'm with her a lot more than my bf (who is home only at night) so she is not used to him and has been trying to lunge and bite at him when he attempts to touch her, go near her, pick her up, etc. We've tried taking it slow and having her on me sitting next to him and giving her treats, etc. I guess this will just take time but any tips?
That's all I can think of for now, thank you guys!!!!

 

[DexMom]

I'm pretty new to the ekkie game, as my Dexter has been with us under a year. The only thing I can comment on is the mouth game. For us, I started to discourage it because it became a pain in the butt when every time he was on my shoulder, he was trying to get into my mouth. Also, you know how they show each other affection, right? Unless you eventually want her to start regurgitating into your mouth, you might want to nip that behavior in the bud.

Welcome to the board and being owned by an ekkie! What it your pretty girl's name? Please share pictures when you can!

 

[Uglow]

your situation is the exact mirror of mine.
My wife was the "stranger" to our boy, working out of the house and coming in in the evening. He didn't trust her hardly at all. We fixed it very easily and quickly by doing training sessions with him. I do them almost every day and my wife does them about twice a week. On weekends she showers him and trains him. He chooses to hang with her at night now.
As for the mouth thing, there's also harmful bacteria in your mouth that you don't want your bird to get into.
I don't know about the foot behavior. There are several folks here who have females and that may or may not be a gender exclusive behavior...or maybe your gal just has her own thing going. But maybe check the pads of here feet to make sure she isn't developing any sores.

 

[wrench13]

Re: The bf, have him sit next to cage when he comes home, talk quietly to the bird, and with you out of the room have him offer the birds favorite treats. The idea is to establish that the bf is not gonna hurt her and to associate him with good stuff. Progress from there at her pace, which could be days weeks or months.. he should reward her when any positive response is given, so moving twords him in the cage or maybe offer and give head scratches, or maybe just staying put by him while he is by the side of the cage. Pine nuts are a almost universally loved treat and can be broken in half so she is not stuffed to the nostrils. Good luck and let us know how things progress.

 

[Keatz]

In regards to the foot sliding, my eclectus does that occasionally. Sometimes, I will let him sleep on the mantle. He will scratch the spot he wants to settle on like a dog scratching an area of the carpet where it wants to settle. I figure he's just getting comfy.
As for her bonding, I think it's quite common in parrots for them to bond with one person. It may have something to do with their upbringing; it's good to socialise them early. My pet cockatoo bonded with me and hated everyone else. Sometimes, parrots will only like one gender. My mother's galah likes men and dislikes women.

 

[camo]

Hi,

Firstly we absolutely must have pictures.

Here are some suggestions regarding your questions (which you may already be doing)

Regarding your questions, my biggest concerns with her interacting with you mouth would be health wise for her (the risk of gram negative bacteria, it's in mammal saliva, including us, and can be a health risk for birds), but also having just had my girl go through some hormonal behaviour, she could do a lot of damage to a lip (I personally do not allow my boy or girl to interact with my face, although occasionally I will get a cheek bump).

Regarding question 4, it's probably best your bf gets to interact with her without your presence as well, otherwise he just becomes the unwelcome third wheel. He should have the best treats to offer, and should bring her out of the cage, feed her, etc (all the positive stuff, assuming she allows it, the getting her out of the cage part, may come later).

As suggested training is important, it helps form bonds and rules, not marathon sessions, but regular sessions.

Not sure about 2, but my guys each have quirky little things they do, as suggested just look for any health issues.

With question 3, do you mean she actually takes flight, or just flaps her wings?

Cheers,

Cameron

 

[Anansi]

Hello, and welcome to Parrot Forums!

You've received some excellent advice, so I'm mainly just cosigning what you've already read.

I'd definitely discourage any beaking of your mouth for all of the reasons already stated. Gram negative bacteria is very much a potential threat, as avians have no defenses against it. Not to mention that some behaviors that are cute at 3.5 months become considerably less so at 3.5 years. Best to nip the behavior in the bud from now.

I'll give my ekkies kisses, but only on my terms. They have been trained to understand the boundaries of what is acceptable. No open-mouthed scenarios, here. Lol!

I've never seen the foot sliding behavior in either my male or female ekkie. Might just be an individual quirk, but as Uglow mentioned it would be a good idea to check the pads of her feet for any sores.

She's around the point where she'd still be in the process of fledging, so randomly taking flight is normal for her. She's probably been clipped too soon, as a bird should be allowed enough time to fully develop her flying skills before clipping her wings. Allowing them to fully fledge is good for their development.

This would be a good time to work on her recall and target training. Then you'd have more control over her flights.

And you should definitely leave the room at times to allow your boyfriend bonding time with your ekkie. You are the chosen favorite, so anytime that you're around the bird will view your boyfriend as a bit of a nuisance at best, and a rival or even potential threat at worst.

But if you leave the room and allow for one on one bonding sessions between her and your bf, things could turn around. You'd still be the favorite, but she could learn to tolerate or even love him as well. (Even if only as a distant second!)

Shameless bribery is key to this process! He should often give her her favorite treat, and he should be the only one who gives it to her.

Training sessions are also great bonding tools. You can both alternate who gets to train her. But you, of course, must be out of the room whenever he is the one doing the training session.

And always reward her good behavior. Oh! And if she crosses the line and nips or bites him, you should be the one (if at all feasible depending on how far away you are at the time) to put him on timeout. And conversely, he should be the "good guy" who rescues her from said timeout a few minutes later. Just take every opportunity to forge the association in her mind between your boyfriend and good things happening.

And finally, I'd like to add my voice to the chorus of those requesting pics!

 

[laa06c]

Thanks everyone !!! Great advice. I will upload pics soon!

 

[coopedup]

Avidly following this forum, I get my baby girl in early June. I have been reading online and attending any local club meetings to expand my network so I can get good advice (admittedly a bit nervous about a baby but couldnt find a female rescue near me). I have TONS of questions, are there any good books to read that would be a comprehensive source for information so that I can ask more directed/detailed questions and not pepper the group with basic stuff?

 

[Scott]

Ekkies are the "dentist" of the parrot kingdom! They are so fascinated with our mouths, which as you know are loaded with harmful substances. Everything else is typical for her age and species. Socialization and familiarity will be key with your bf. Still, they have favorites of both gender and person, so be patient!