Frankie my New Alexandrine

[Dkat333]

Hi Everyone,

I have been reading through all the pages etc. But still am concerned about the progress we've (not) made.
I got an Alexandrine 4 weeks ago, was 16ish weeks old when we got him. He seemed super calm and comfortable when we met him.

Once him he was terrified we gave him space, pellets, vegies, water and millet (to bribe him a little). I have 3 full days off a week (only work half days the rest) where I sit near his cage, watch TV, do puzzles and read. He can also see me when I'm in the kitchen.
I play music for him etc. I chat and hang out with my 2 cockatiels who I inherited and aren't really hand tame in front of him. Open his cage and let him come out for exercise sometimes he doesn't leave, just sits as far back in the cage as possible. He usually looks the other way if we come to close.
He does 'step up' when I put my hand in front of him , but he looks scared to death. So I'm doing all these things to let him adjust, but it feels like he isn't settling in at all and is still terrified.

Id love advise or suggestions on anything else I could do?? I am desperately trying my hardest for him to see I mean nothing but good.

 

[Jottlebot]

Hello and welcome!

Alexandrines are lovely birds I'm so glad you have chosen to add one to your family. It sounds like you're doing everything right. The only thing I would stop doing is asking Frankie to step up. I'd wait until he is happy and wants to be with you.

Is he clipped? Hopefully not, Alexandrines react badly when clipped and might show the level of fear you're describing.

Also how does he behave when you're next to his cage talking and chatting etc? If he hides or goes away from you, you're going too fast. You need to do the same, but from a little further away. You don't mention whether you feed him from your hand? I would use this a lot. Go from dropping a treat in his bowl and leaving, then don't leave, then stay right next to the bowl, then hold in your fingers above the bowl, finally get him to move around the cage for the treat from your fingers. Don't give the treat you use for anything else and don't put it in his food. He needs to be more comfortable and interested in your presence next to the cage first.

Do you know Frankie's gender? Females tend to be more fearful in new situations than males. However, Frankie's had a huge shock and is just taking his time to adjust.

 

[Dkat333]

Thanks Jottlebot,

We got him with his wings already clipped, the guy we got him from like to walk outside with him. His choice I guess. However a few times he tries to fly out the front door (closed glass door). I'm scared he just wants to get outside and escape from us.
We think it's a boy, just going off what we where told. Have attached pics, hope they load.

No we don't feed from hand, if Frankie would let us get that close it would be awesome.
Might stop feeding him his super special foods in the cage now, and use them as his treats to slowly work on feeding from hand. He does go straight to the food bowls when I do put food into them in the cage, sometimes he waits til I'm across the room but does go to them.
We feed him morning and night a mixture of vegies to see what he likes, he has shown so far no interest in fruits. LOVES his seed mix and demolishes that when he does get it (usually on his play stand to promote leaving the cage).

He is scared of us near his cage or just near him in general. Unless he gets lost trying to get back to his cage and will step up to go home.

Thanks

 

[Jottlebot]

Wow! He does look young! He could very well be a boy, people say that a flatter head is a boy, but this really isn't reliable. You'll have to wait until he gets a ring or have him DNA tested to be sure.

I'd start by putting a treat in an empty food bowl in his cage. Do it every now and then and whenever you pass the cage. Walk away and let him eat it in piece, then walk away and look at him while he eats it, then start to take a step closer and closer to him while he eats it. Each stage might take a day or a few days. Go at his pace. Make sure he's comfortable where he is before you move onto the next one. You should be able to stand right by his cage while he eats in the end. Then start holding the treat just above his cage and he'll take it from your hands. When he starts to go to his bowl when you start to approach the cage you'll know he's ready to get a treat from your fingers from a different place in his cage.andt's just a case of noticing his body language and not getting closer than he's comfortable with. The first thing will probably be shaking or freezing and then almost leaning away from you and looking at you, but as if he's trying not to! If he moves away you've got too close. If you have to go near him to change water etc and he's scared I would suggest you don't talk to him or look him in the eye.

I'm not surprised he's clipped, from what you've said it sounds right. Please never rely on clipped wings to stop birds flying away though! It happens all the time! Harnessing or caging is the only safe way to have a bird outside.

 

[Dkat333]

Thanks again jottlebot. Ive been doing the food treat bribe. So far so good. He goes to food straight away inside and outside the cage while I stand close by. Baby steps.

I have another concern. He does this weird kind of pacing thing in his cage and moves his head side to side up and down the cage. What is this behaviour?? I usually open the cage to let him out but he doesn't always want to come out. It makes me sad to watch. Somtimes I cover a small section of his cage to help. Its a bit worrying.

Thanks Again

 

[Jottlebot]

I think I know the movement you mean. Does he almost hold his head all the way back and do a sort of snakey figure of 8 movement with his head and neck?

My McCoy does it before bed, he has a bit of a strut about before he nests on his perch for the night doing it upside down around his perch! He will do it if he's had a fright too. It's nothing to worry about.

I think it is something to do with dominance and/or checking the area for dangers, because of when he does it. I've seen footage recently of a blue and gold macaw doing the same thing.

If it's the same thing I would just let him get on with it. I have thought about training it as a command, "dance" or something, but because I think it is linked to him being a bit unsettled I haven't done anything with it.

 

[TanShadow201]

dont worry, in time he will coze up to you. Alexandrine are very independent bird, they will do what they want and when they want. Myne comes out of her cage on her own in the morning and takes a nice walk around the apartment checking weather everything is in place. Then she finds a nice place to sit and watch or gets on top of her cage perch and grooms herself. When she gets hungry she will take the food out of my hand or go back inside her cage to eat. she does filps inside her cage. She dosen't likes to be touched nor likes to get bath, if i bring a bowl of water she screeches and flys away & if i forche her she gives a nasty bite, even though she always bites. Yet she is comfertable in the house, around me and my family, she likes to destroy everything she picks, especially newspaper, charger cords, headphones, my laundry, weak perches, plants, twigs and branches and her chew toys & many more.