Luna, Jan 24th 2019

[munami]

Hello everyone!
It's finally happening. I'm finally getting my first tiel. Her name is Luna. My husband liked the name so much we decided we're keeping it.

I've been researching and preparing for the last few months! Throwing out all my old teflon, buying new ceramic/stainless steel no PTFE PFOA pots pans & heaters (I just prefer ceramic for some reason), rearranging our room for space, reading books and researching online, and lots of lots of searching.
It was really hard to find an appropriate bird at the right time! There were a few tiels I was looking at but they weren't the right fit or they came before I was fully prepared.

I finally found one though and I went to visit Luna yesterday. I paid the deposit for her and I'm just waiting for the owner to finish up the last few things he has to do.

She was kept in a big cage with two other tiels, however she was hand raised and had completely no interest in them. They all were very friendly and at the very least, tolerated each other. He was very passionate about birds but thigns changed drastically in his life and he no longer had the time for them like he used to. So he decided to find them new homes.

She looks healthy and happy. Eyes clear, nose clear, pretty feathers. She was so inquisitive and curious and climbed right up on me inspecting my jacket and my glasses. She stepped up right away even if she was feeling a little nervous.

I'm excited! Also nervous. I haven't had a bird in a hot minute and I hope to do best by her. I'll definitely be keeping regular updates once she comes to live at my house.

 

[T00tsyd]

Congratulations! But I think I have to correct one thing. You will find that you end up living in her house! I thought I owned my property until Syd moved in.

 

[munami]

Congratulations! But I think I have to correct one thing. You will find that you end up living in her house! I thought I owned my property until Syd moved in.

I imagine that'll prove to be true! With how much my husband and I dote on animals, she's definitely going to be queen of the roost.

 

[ChocolateChipCookiez]

My, she's quite the beauty. Congrats on getting your first 'tiel!

And just like T00tsyd said, she's going to own the house when she moves in​

 

[munami]

My, she's quite the beauty. Congrats on getting your first 'tiel!

And just like T00tsyd said, she's going to own the house when she moves in​

Thank you so much!
I really like all morphs of tiels, cause they're just so cute, but whiteface has been a particular favorite of mine!

When I saw her the weekend after we rearranged the whole room, I couldn't believe my eyes. It seemed too good to be true.

I totally don't mind that lol! In some way, she already does. We're been doing lots of cable management and tiel proofing the house. She chewed on my glasses chain yesterday a bit. I didn't want her to swallow any bits of metal by accident so I've removed the chain from my glasses and I'm going to find an alternative.

 

[bug_n_flock]

Wow what a stunning bird! Enjoy her. 'Tiels are just the best.

 

[Jen5200]

Congrats! She is beautiful

 

[Rozalka]

Congratulations!

 

[LeaKP]

Oh she’s stunning!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ChristaNL]

Same here: I am simply blown away by those feather patterns!
Never knew they got that gorgeous!


If she is only half as beautifull on the inside as the ouside looks... you really got a smashing bird!

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Amazing looking! Kind of looks like something you'd see in a Harry Potter movie lol BB,the "Beebs"...is my very first 'teil and he is an amazing little guy! Good luck with gorgeous Luna and many many happy joyful years with her!



Jim

 

[munami]

Luna came home with me yesterday afternoon and she's been settling in super well since! She's such a little lovebug and took the transition like an absolute champ.

She didn't like the carrier at first but calmed down relatively quickly. She was eating by night time. I opened her cage this morning and she tried to come right out.

Her favorite place is on everyone's shoulder but she's refusing to get off so definitely something we'll have to fix in training. Right now, she's just playing with some new toys we got her.

She's going through her first molt right now, lots of preening, requesting head scritches.

 

[ChocolateChipCookiez]

Luna came home with me yesterday afternoon and she's been settling in super well since! She's such a little lovebug and took the transition like an absolute champ.

She didn't like the carrier at first but calmed down relatively quickly. She was eating by night time. I opened her cage this morning and she tried to come right out.

Her favorite place is on everyone's shoulder but she's refusing to get off so definitely something we'll have to fix in training. Right now, she's just playing with some new toys we got her.

She's going through her first molt right now, lots of preening, requesting head scritches.

I said it once and I just have to say it again, Luna is absolutely stunning!

It's great to know she's doing well with the transition and your there to help her with her first big molt!

Make to keep us posted about Luna​

 

[bug_n_flock]

Oh, you guys are in for an amazing journey thru life together. ❤

 

[munami]

@ChocolateChipCookiez
Thanks so much! I will be sure to do so! I've been following your thread about cookie as well!

@bug n flock
I'm nervous but also really excited!

 

[munami]

Luna went to the vet today just for a general check up. I was going to wait but the vets office had a cancellation so I took the opportunity. Again, she took it like a champ. She had a few worried chirps early on but was quiet the rest of the way there.

The vet gave me some good advice and everyone absolutely loved her. She was so friendly and just loved making friends.

At least until the towel came out. Then lots of upset Luna. She hated that towel but it was needed. Lots of treats later and some fun toys.

Here's a pic of her taking a nap!

 

[munami]

It's been a real adjustment in having Luna in our house lol. Mostly for me. Changing my schedule and learning all her little quirks. She's been getting more cheeky lately and testing her bites on me.

I've been working on bite pressure training but I don't know how effective it is. It might take some time though so I won't worry about it.

I've also noticed maybe the reason she can't fly so well is because whoever last clipped her wings botched it. It gives me a heart attack every time she launches herself.

She hates baths though and I'm a bit at a loss. I've tried a few things from the forums but to no avail so far.

In other news, she's been doing alright in target training, great for stepping up and down, and she's just learned how to spin!

https://i.imgur.com/QhEEn6G.gifv

 

[ChocolateChipCookiez]

It's been a real adjustment in having Luna in our house lol. Mostly for me. Changing my schedule and learning all her little quirks. She's been getting more cheeky lately and testing her bites on me.

I've been working on bite pressure training but I don't know how effective it is. It might take some time though so I won't worry about it.

I've also noticed maybe the reason she can't fly so well is because whoever last clipped her wings botched it. It gives me a heart attack every time she launches herself.

She hates baths though and I'm a bit at a loss. I've tried a few things from the forums but to no avail so far.

In other news, she's been doing alright in target training, great for stepping up and down, and she's just learned how to spin!

https://i.imgur.com/QhEEn6G.gifv

Great job on teaching her a trick! She's a fast learner!

The only thing Cookie knows is step-up and recall both not really considered tricks but he'll learn.. eventually.

Hopefully her wings will grow back and she'll be able to fly again. And express her dominance over you a little more.

Even Cookie and Crippi (my brother's 'tiel) hate baths/misting. Can't get 'em to like it at all.​

 

[munami]

@Cookie

Thank you Cookie! I think honestly she's a faster learner than I am! I'm still figuring all this out but she seems to get it down. Now she's currently at the stage where she thinks she'll get anything she wants if she does a spin!

Those are two very important "tricks"! Recall especially! You could call him a smart cookie lol.

I'm hoping so too! I need to get some perches set up so I can start helping her at least learn to glide a little better.

 

[bug_n_flock]

Oh, young tiels and early stages of bonding, I remember those days. <3



Alex doesn't have many tricks, just practical things we have learned together thru the years(never really "trained" him trained him. I was only 11 when I got him.).



He knows "hold"(turbulence expected, hang on tight buddy), step(ususally I snap twice before presenting my finger and telling him to step), shoulder, put your wings down, show me your foot, other foot, gimmie five, show me your wings, what are you doing, where are you, ay quit that!, I'll be right back, I'm only going over here, etc etc etc. I more talk to him than give commands, and he seems to understand quite a bit from context. For example the other day he found a comfy perch on a weird wall we have in the bedroom between the bedroom proper and a weird 2 person bathtub(no door between, and the "wall" has holes in it like a window but with no pane, the mobile home came with the property so the weird "adult naked hug tub" freaks us out a bit... we converted it into an enclosure for our tortoise. Lmao). I told him fine, you can stay there but no eating the wall! After a bit he started chewing the wall and I was like, "hey! What was our deal?" And he gave me this look like, oop! I'll be good, mom. And quit eating the wall. Now he only "eats the wall" when he wants something and I am ignoring him(food, whatever I'm eating, water, bedtime). If he wants food that I'm eating super badly, he will waddle his happy butt on over and try to steal it(Alex has never been much of a flyer).



The other day I watched him pick up the paper towel bedding, hold it with his foot and peck at something under the bedding. I wanted to test if he knew what he was doing so I moved him, and put a small amount of millet under the paper towel. He pretended to be busy elsewhere, and then slowly went back to the spot, watching me all the while, pretending to be distracted along the way when he caught me looking, and then finally waddled straight to the spot with the millet and repeated the pick up towel, hold with foot, eat the food action. WOW. Object permenance, object manipulation, comprehention of the mind on an "other" and that the "other" may have different thoughts about him taking the food... just wow. Even having known this bird for 17 years, he surprises me with his mind all the time, and remember: Tiels are supposed to be on the "stupider" side of parrot intelligence. It just blows me away. Parrot cognition is FASCINATING to me.