Looking for some advice on my new boy

[SolKale]

Hi friends! I'm new to the forums and recently took in a 3 year old Senegal Koda after losing my conure.

To my understanding, Koda had a home previously with an older lady. She got on in years and Koda did not like her son who was left to care for him, so he turned him over to an exotics store near me.

I was told he stepped up for his previous owner, but he has not allowed me to touch him besides his head. He allows me to scratch his head forever through the bars of his cage, but only for a moment if my hand is inside his cage. He does not shy away from me when I approach, though, and sits on the side of his cage closest to me while I work at my desk. I've purchased a clicker and I'm looking into figuring out his favorite treats to try and coax him out. He's not totally terrified of me, for sure, but not trusting enough to allow a lot of handling yet, or to come out of his cage.

I suppose I'm looking for some advice from other Senegal owners on where to start. I did some research on Senegals before taking him home, so I was prepared for his uncertainty with change. I've got all the patience in the world to work with him, just looking for some thoughts based on his current behavior.

 

[Laurasea]

Welcome!! Thank you for taking a rehomed parrot!! You have my respect for that! I have one quaker rehomed, and I plan for any future Parrots to be re-home birds as well. General advice is go slow, they've been through a lot. I've had my girl for four months and she has changed a ton it that time, she went through a brief screaming constantly and biting fase, but is now so very sweet, no screaming. So glad you joined, others will come along with good advice for u!

 

[Terry57]

Hello & welcome to you & Koda!
I'm not sure how long you have had Koda, but it sounds as if he is making progress already. The fact that he doesn't appear to be scared of you and will let you scratch his head is a fantastic start, and I bet he will be stepping up soon.
There is some wonderful info in this thread:

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html

I'm also very sorry for the loss of your conure.

 

[Sandy19]

Senegals are usually one person birds and Im sure he was used to his previous owner. My senegal is attached to me and took a while to warm up to my husband. It's good that he lets you pet his head. Just do what you've been doing and let him go at his own pace. Leave his cage open while you work at your desk and quietly just sit there eating sunflower seeds or pine nuts or grapes. He'll eventually become interested to come check it out. When he comes over dont make a big deal out if if, just give him a tiny piece and allow him to be on his way. He'll eventually warm up when he figires out you're the only one he has. Senegals are users lol.

 

[JamesC]

I've had two rescued Senegals. The first was terrified and it took close to a year of constant slow and gentle to turn her around into the sweetest and most gentle bird I have ever known. My current bird took to me right away from the moment I met him. He can be a bit of a bad bird at times, especially towards my two Blue Crowns. He is very strong willed and hard to train. But he is mostly a good fellow.

From my experience with Kelly as she started to warm up to me, it sounds like Koda has taken an interest in you. And you are making the right moves so far. The biggest is to never push Koda to do what you want at this stage. When Kelly got to the point where she trusted me enough to not eat her if I got close, I would put my hand near her but not touch. A few weeks of that then I'd put it on the perch next to her. More time of that and I would lightly touch her foot with a finger. Each session ended with a couple of treats and softly praising her. Eventually she let me touch other parts of her body and finally got to her head. The first time she let me scratch her head and she felt how good it was I thought the feathers were going to explode off her body the way she puffed up so much. It was a full out POOF! I don't think she ever was given any real attention in her life up til then.

Kelly was a "damaged" bird when I adopted her, so the process took such a long time with her. But it sounds like Koda does not have any real fear, just uncertainty about what his situation is after his life changed a couple of times in quick order. I would be very hopeful that he will come around and learn to trust and build a good relationship with you much faster than it took with Kelly and me.

Keep us posted!

 

[SolKale]

Thank you Laurasea! I hadn't planned to have another so soon after Kale, but something about Koda told me it was time. He deserves someone that isn't gonna let him go, I believe. I'm so glad your little girl is doing well!

Hi Terry! I've only had Koda since Saturday. Thank you for your kind words about my little conure. He was very special to me and it was very sudden. I gave that thread a look and I think it'll be helpful. I've started trying to build the association between clicker and treats and he already seems to associate clicker in my hand with oh, Mom's got something, so I think I'm on the right track lol

Thank you Sandy! Yeah he's definitely a glutton. He did come out of his cage for a bit yesterday! I was tapping away at my computer and I look over and he's wandered out on top of his cage and it took sooo much not to go over there

Thank you JamesC! I'm going to try progressively getting my hand closer with Koda I think. I can put my hand in his cage and he doesn't shy away too bad. He does shake a little though, so I try not to move too much. I wonder if he's worried I'm going to just yank him out? He need not with that big beak of his lol

 

[EllenD]

Welcome to the community, and thank you for taking in Koda! I have had my Senegal Kane for about years now, and he definitely has a much different personality than any other species of parrot I've owned or interacted with before. They really do tend to be one-person birds, and they also seem to be a lot more timid than other species as well...Even Kane, who I got when he was 13 weeks-old and was hand-raised/hand-fed, was very timid at first...It was like he attached to me right away and slept in my hoodie during the 9-hour drive home from his breeder's house, so he was used to people and wanted to be held by someone (just a little tiny baby), but he wasn't thrilled about me at first. It took him a few months until he interacted with me like my other birds do, where i could handle him however I wanted to, where he'd fly to me when I called him, etc. So if you've only had Koda since Saturday I'd say you're doing very, very well...

It's a marathon, not a sprint...That's what you have to remember, though I'm glad you've got patience and time...I'm going to assume from Koda's personality and interest in you and what you're doing already that he was probably a hand-raised baby bird, and that his original owner, the elderly woman, probably handled him regularly and was "his person", meaning he was bonded closely to her...So now that she's gone, he has to start-over and again learn to give his trust to someone else...And it will happen, it's all about time, patience, and spending as much time as you can near him...

Passive-Interaction is as importance as direct-interaction, meaning that just having his cage in the "main room" of your house, meaning the room you spend most of your time in when you're home, is going to be a huge deal..Usually this is the living room, TV room, Den, etc. So even when you're simply watching TV, reading, on the computer, playing video games, eating your meals, etc., just having him in the same room as you is going to make a huge difference in making him comfortable with you. A lot of times people will put their new bird's cages in a spare bedroom or back room they designate as being "the bird room", and this not only doesn't help in the bonding/socializing process, but it also tends to cause the bird a lot of anxiety and insecurity, because they can hear people are home and out in the living room doing whatever, but they can't see them...And after-all, they are "flock" animals, and you're his "flock" now. So just having him in the same room with you will help tremendously...

****Regarding His Cage****

What you need to understand about Koda's cage is that it is the only familiar place he has right now, even if it's a brand new cage, it's now his "territory", and his "safe space"...and if it's the same cage he was in before coming to your home, then it's an even bigger deal...So a lot of the time they do become quite nervous and even upset and aggressive whenever you put your hands, face, etc. inside of their "territory", even once they've bonded with you and love you to death and allow you to handle them! Both Kane and my Quaker Parrot Lita are both extremely territorial about their cages, and I brought both of them home as hand-raised babies who were 13 weeks-old and 9 weeks-old, respectively. Kane just turned 2 and Lita is now 3 and a half, and I can handle both of them however I want to, they both fly to me when I call them, the both take naps on my chest, etc., but whenever I put my hands into their cages, even to feed them or give them water, they both get very defensive about it...So even to this day, whenever I open up either of their cages to let them out, as they are all out of their cages any time that I'm home, I have to just open-up their cages and let them both come out on their own, which they both do immediately...And there is a huge difference in the way that they act in and right on the outside of their cages...With Lita, the Quaker, I will open her cage and she'll immediately come to the open door and sit on it, and from there I have her step-up on my hand and she's fine, but only once she's on the open door...With Kane, the Senegal, he doesn't like me to give him my hand until he's climbed up on top of this cage to the perch that I added on to the front-outside top of his cage (it's over his door on the outside of his cage)...

So that's his routine, I open his cage door, he comes right out, climbs to the top of his cage, then walks out onto the perch and walks the entire way to the end of it, as far away from his cage as he can get, and only THEN does he climb onto my hand/shoulder...So he's extremely possessive about his cage....I actually open his cage up and have him come out onto that outer perch before I put his fresh food and water inside his cage! We worked-out a system that works for him and I respect that. He usually will climb up to the exterior perch and then on his own he comes over onto my shoulder while I'm putting his food and water into his cage, and then he'll climb back onto the perch and then back into his cage to eat, then he'll come back out, up to the perch, and then he wants to be with me/on me, but if I just open his cage door and put my hands inside it to feed him or I just stick my hand in and ask him to "step-up", he'll typically "beak me" while making his "I'm not happy at all" soft growling noise, and he'll reluctantly step-up onto my hand...as soon as he's outside of his cage he's fine and happy to be out and be with me, lol. It's like that threshold to his cage interior is the line that I have to respect, so I respect it and we're both happy...

I'm going to assume that once Koda settles-in and starts to become more and more familiar with you, if you open up his cage door, let it open, and you stay in the same room and just continue doing whatever you're doing, he'll eventually start coming out on his own, especially if you have some kind of floor or table-top stand for him to go to, that will also be "his territory". It's just going to take some time to get him to feel comfortable enough with you to want to come out, and that will happen by simply spending as much time as you can with him/around him, even while he's inside of his cage...But you can probably assume that the way he acts inside of his cage is going to be very different than the way he acts when he's outside of his cage, which is perfectly normal, and is just something that is best to respect.

 

[MauiWendy]

Sorry about your loss... losing a bird is like losing a family member. Congrats on your Senni. Sounds like he is beginning to warm up to you. I think you are doing the right thing by not rushing in to trying to gain your affections. As he learns to trust you, he will start to peel off those layers of uncertainty. Give him a variety, so you can see what he really likes, when he is ready use it to continue to build trust. Millet is a good way to start, leave him with a piece inside his cage, when you open the door put some on the top or outside his cage. Because it’s like a branch, he may not feel threatened if you offer it to him by holding it. I have always asked my birds “do you want some?” It’s pretty easy to read thier body language. If he moves towards the treat that’s always a good sign. Good luck, I look forward to hear more about your new guy.

 

[SolKale]

Hey EllenD! Thank you for sharing your experience with Kane. I think we made a little progress today! I noticed that when I took his food bowl out of his cage, he started peeking his head out more looking for it. So, I decided to take it out while I was in the room, hide it under his cage, open up the door, and wait. Sure enough... out he comes! I had a small purple perch that sticks out on the front of the cage that he's decided is his now and he hops up on it, preens, peeks around. He even let me full hand scratch his head when he was on top of his cage which he did not allow in the cage, so I'm thinking you're right about it being his "safe space." He's still not keen on step up, but I'll keep doing what I'm doing for now with passive interaction and offering him attention when he ventures out and see what happens.

Hey MauiWendy! I've definitely determined that Koda loves millet. I cut it into smaller chunks and offer it to him and he takes it that way. He also takes smaller treats from my hand, so I think he's okay with my hands being around when they have food but not when they want his feet.

Something I love about Koda is that he kinda just... does what he wants. Kale my green cheek was always up my butt--not that I minded, I loved him dearly and was happy to give him kisses and snuggles. Koda is cool if I offer him a scratch or a treat but also seems happy to just explore his toys and preen and watch whatever I'm doing without much fuss. He is vocalizing some now, so that may change as he gets more comfortable living with me, but I'm interested to see how his personality develops.

 

[SolKale]

I made some useful discoveries today! Koda ventured out of his cage for a bit this evening--he appears to prefer to come out in the evening when I'm more active--and on a whim I offered him a wood perch from an old bird cage... and he stepped up!! That gives me a bit more insight into what his uncertainties may be. I think the poor dude just doesn't like hands!

 

[MauiWendy]

I made some useful discoveries today! Koda ventured out of his cage for a bit this evening--he appears to prefer to come out in the evening when I'm more active--and on a whim I offered him a wood perch from an old bird cage... and he stepped up!! That gives me a bit more insight into what his uncertainties may be. I think the poor dude just doesn't like hands!

Stepping up is a big deal, congrats!!! Just remember, the more you don’t rush him the more he is learning to trust you. I’m enjoying reading about his progress. Fun fun!!

 

[SolKale]

Figured I would share a picture of big boy finally. He's chilling out and staring at me as per usual while I study

 

[SolKale]

And here he is moments before putting a big hole in my notebook. Not a very helpful study buddy!

 

[ChristaNL]

I absolutely love those pictures. Wonderfull bird!

 

[Laurasea]

He is gorgeous!!!! What s nice play stand!

 

[SolKale]

Thanks Laura! My mother actually made it, there's an almost identical one back at the house that she made for her conure while on a big handmade toy kick. I certainly appreciate it, it has kept my bubs entertained when I'm trying to work

 

[EllenD]

Koda is a gorgeous little guy, but I don't at all think that Koda is a Senegal Parrot...Others can chime-in here and I'm sure they will, but I'm 100% sure that Koda is not a Senegal Parrot..Poicephalus yes, but not a Senegal...

***I honestly think that Koda is actually a male Red-Bellied Parrot!!! Another Poicephalus species, but basically the males look like a combination of a Senegal and a Meyers, and they are sexually dimorphic, meaning you can tell the sexes apart easily just by looking at them, and Koda looks very much like a male Red-Bellied Parrot!!! Male Red-Bellied Parrots have the same brown feathers on their backs, wings, and throats (while ALL Senegals, regardless of subspecies or gender, have little to no brown feathers in these areas at all, especially none on their throats or outer wings, but instead have green feathers on their backs, wings, and throats, and they are pretty bright green in-color, especially the feathers on their throats, which Koda has none of), and with the same orange chest, and then bright green around their legs and vent areas. They also have the eyes with the thin, outer band of orange and the rest black...And the shape of the orange "vest" on Koda looks EXACTLY like the orange vest of a male Red-Bellied Parrot (females have a green belly/vest). Koda's vest doesn't look at all like a Senegal's vest, as they are shaped like a very distinct "V-shape", while Red-Bellied Parrots are shaped just like Koda's...The only thing I can't see clearly in either photo you posted of Koda are his eyes, but Koda definitely does not have the eyes of an adult Senegal Parrot!

I'm sorry to surprise you with this, but Koda is definitely not a Senegal Parrot...not like it's a bad thing though, lol...He's still a Poicephalus, and they still have very similar personalities/behavioral attributes...Unless he's some Poicephalus-hybrid, which do exist and are actually quite common, for example there are a lot of Senegal/Meyers Parrot hybrids, and the like throughout the Poicephalus species...However, Koda exactly like a Red-Bellied Parrot to me...

I suggest that since you know Koda and have him right in front of you, that you go ahead and do a Google search for "Red-Bellied Parrot" and click on "Images", and then do the same Google search for "Senegal Parrot" and click on "Images", and then you be the judge...I'd also find the descriptions of each species and read them so you'll be able to decipher what I'm saying...I'm sure if you do a Google search for "Senegal Parrots" and then for "Red Bellied Parrots" and go to each of their Wikipedia pages, they probably have pretty good descriptions and explanations that are easy to break-down and compare...

*****I hope others chime-in here and tell me if I'm just crazy, blind, or both!!!***

 

[Sandy19]

I did not notice it until you said something, but he does not look like your typical senegal. He doesn't look like my senegal anyway lol. She has yellow eyes with the bright green throat area and her vest is a long v shape.

 

[EllenD]

I did not notice it until you said something, but he does not look like your typical senegal. He doesn't look like my senegal anyway lol. She has yellow eyes with the bright green throat area and her vest is a long v shape.

Yep, that's how most-all Senegals look, at least any Senegals I've seen...The only variation in Senegal Parrots is between the 3 subspecies, and the ONLY variation/attribute that differentiates between the 3 Senegal subspecies is the shade of the "vest" on their belly/chest...The P.s senagalus has a yellow or extremely light orange vest, the P.s. mesotypus has a bright orange vest (most common subspecies bred as pets), and the P.s. versteri (I think that's correct?) has an extremely deep, dark orange or even red vest...And their vests are ALWAYS "v-shaped"...That's it, that's the only difference between all Senegal parrots, they ALL have the big, thick, bright yellow Irises with a small, black pupil in the middle once they reach puberty/adulthood (change occurs around a year old)...

The biggest tip-offs to me right away were Koda's eyes, but even more apparent and drastically different is the color of Koda's feathers on his back, wings, and especially his throat...they are definitely brown, just like either a Meyers or a Red Bellied Parrot, and are not even close to the bright-green feathers that all Senegals have in those areas...And there aren't any other similarities that I can see to a Meyers Parrot...At first I thought Koda might be a Senegal Parrot/Meyers Parrot hybrid, but then I took another overall look at him in both photos and have no doubt that he's a Red Bellied Parrot, specifically a male Red Bellied Parrot...

 

[EllenD]

Just for comparison to Koda, here are some photos of adult, male Red Bellied Parrots:

Here's a male and a female (female has the green vest):