Red Bellied Parrot Help

[cbrinson]

Hello,

I got a red-bellied parrot about 2 months ago. When I went to see the owner of the store I got him from, she stated I was the only one he would even come out of the cage for.

He is not hand tamed, however he is not aggressive. He is very afraid though-- of everything. He doesn't mind sitting on a perch next to me, but he is to afraid to step up or even be touched. When ever I come into the room he is in, he hides behind his toys so I won't notice him.

I'm not sure what to do, I really don't want to get rid of him, but I want him to be happy and comfortable with whomever he's with.

Any advice?

 

[RavensGryf]

Hi there, congratulations on your new Red Bellied. I've had Robin my precious Red Bellied parrot ever since he was a baby in 1994 .

I also have another species of Poicephalus parrot (Ruppell's), who unfortunately developed an extreme panic "syndrome" that some Pois do. He developed this affliction quite to an extreme, and went literally wild (after being a cuddly baby) when he reached the typical age that this syndrome usually happens at. When it was during an episode he literally didn't even know who I was. You could imagine it was almost impossible at first, but working with him for about a year now, although I believe he will always retain a bit of the wild in him, we are at the point now where he is not frightened of me anymore, but I can't touch him. Just his beak sometimes when I say 'gentle' he'll trust me. He flies to land on my every now and then, as long as I don't try to touch him, he's comfortable. I know you are talking about something a bit different, as the root of your bird's and Griffin's fear is different, but I feel that my experiences with how I dealt with Griffin can still help you. Fear is fear, regardless of where it comes from.

I wonder if your bird was originally handfed, but went wild at the store from lack of handling? You will need lots of patience and time. Poicephalus naturally have a bit of a nervous streak in them. Even many tame ones. They are a species inclined to nervousness and more rarely panic disorders like my Griffin.

Probably the hardest thing to train 'yourself' to do, is to not have any hopes or expectations of how far your bird will come, and how long it takes to get there.

First, do not do anything to make this bird feel the slightest bit threatened in any way. Watch his body language real closely and back off immediately when he gets uncomfortable. You will need to establish a very consistent pattern of him seeing you back off and back away at the slightest discomfort. Don't stare him down. Calm, slow, and relax your body language around him if you're not already a mellow person. Griffin was clipped when I got him, but letting his wings grow out and having him flighted made a ton of difference in his personality. He became more confident when he knew he could fly and maneuver in the air to "escape" the immediate area if he felt nervous. That plus me backing off and going away at the slightest indication of his nervousness made a big difference in him trusting me again. He still has what I'd call an instinctive wild reaction in response to hands. We're working on it. From finally letting me put a finger on his beak while reminding him no biting, he is sometimes letting me touch a tiny bit higher, up on his cere. If he never lets me pet him again, so be it. Although that would be nice, as I said earlier I had to give up any and all expectations of what Griffin would become, since I didn't know at first. As wild as he is, still we have really come a long way. I was prepared to make provisions for a wild bird if I had to, if we couldn't beat this disorder. Sorry this is so long. I hope it helps. I feel that if a bird with an extreme panic disorder can improve to a noticeable degree, then a simply wildish one can improve for sure. Good luck!

I also taught Griffin verbal commands which has helped a lot since he became untouchable. It is very convenient to use.

 

[Piasa]

If you can stick to a routine with him, he'll learn what to expect and this may also lessen some of the fear.

Any and all time you can be around him and he's comfortable is great and will slowly build trust. You can eat together and sit side by side while you do other things. If you can wheel his cage outside so he can get some sun, you can do a little outdoor work around him like pulling weeds or building something - this is how I spend time with my guys when I have a busy day.

 

[cbrinson]

Thank you for the advise. He is so awesome! I am going to keep working with it. You guys are the best