Rudy at Brandywine Park Wilmington DE

[DiscoDuck]

Hey,
This is CalistosMom.. I have been reading so.e of your and Rudy's adventures. I think Rudy is beautiful by the way. I wanted to touch base about your harness experience with Rudy. Calisto is free flight also and while he was younger I made his harnesses and he was comfortable with that, however now I want move to a regular bird harness. This will be his first for the spring and summer here. We have several shops but none carry a bird. So I will have to order. What do you recommend?

Hi! I have a solid method that I have not seen before. For me it is unequivocally easy.. I finally got a new phone that does videos. The video will be key to words. I presume that is a macaw you have. what is the weight of Calisto? Rudy is at 1500 grams. The extra large Aviator Harness is a wee bit too small, the extra extra large is a little too big. He wears either just fine.

Stay tuned it will probably take me till the weekend plus to post the video. I need to do it as close to professional quality for many reasons.

[ame="https://youtu.be/aZaEfq41YL0"]https://youtu.be/aZaEfq41YL0[/ame]

 

[Anansi]

Wow! I've never seen that particular method used before! Jolly would absolutely lose his mind if I tried something like that with him! And it's likely Maya would as well. But this appears to be a matter of knowing your individual bird's personality, because Rudy is obviously quite at ease with the process for the most part.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Inger]

This seems to work so easily on Rudy, but I’m with Anansi-Bumble would go crazy. So the new question is “how did you train your parrot to accept the hood so you didn’t have to work so hard with the harness?”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DiscoDuck]

This seems to work so easily on Rudy, but I’m with Anansi-Bumble would go crazy. So the new question is “how did you train your parrot to accept the hood so you didn’t have to work so hard with the harness?”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My room mate just explained that .. okay a little background info. Rudy was exposed to a harness at 5 months old, I fell, hit my head and ended up in the hospital for 2 months. She took care of him. She knew about the harness but had no success. She just said she threw a towel over his head and he immediately shut down. I noticed after I got back to Rudy that he wouldnt allow the harness. So, I went to what she did and BINGO. Quite frankly at this point I am not sure it is necessary any more.

Oh! I have seen this process when his nails get blunted. The bird is basically wrapped in a towel. I do that now myself (filing his nails). Its cute that he will lay on his back on the couch and let me file his talons. Thats for another time....

 

[Scott]

The hood method is breathtaking! He's definitely bonded and so trusting!

 

[DiscoDuck]

Version 2 insist much different. A little more of a close up.

[ame="https://youtu.be/t4qhVohS1A8"]https://youtu.be/t4qhVohS1A8[/ame]

 

[WakaWaka]

Kelly and I did some Delaware shopping today and managed to get in touch with Ron. We arranged a time to meet at the park and had a great time.

Needless to say, we had no trouble finding the guy with the large Green Wing attached to him Rudy is beautiful and a real character, (Ron is a character too . We sat for a while at a picnic bench just outside the entrance to the Zoo. The park is beautiful, and very well kept.

Rudy was working on cracking open a large nut and kept tossing it on the ground. Ron and Kelly would pick it up and give it back to him, then he would toss it again. I think he was training them very well . It was fun to watch LOL.

We chatted for quite a while, had the privilege of holding Rudy, and interacting with him. It was also a pleasure to see people come up and start a conversation, asking about Rudy, taking pictures.

We played back a few audio clips of Arika laughing and Rudy did not return his call until Arika gave a little a scream and that got his attention.

We look forward to another Delaware trip and catching up with Ron and Rudy again in the near future.

 

[Anansi]

Nice! I love hearing about when members get to meet in person. Sounds like you all had a great time! Too bad Arika wasn't able to make it to the party... but at least he made sure his voice was heard.

Any pics?

 

[Kiwibird]

Very similar in theory to how we put Kiwi's harness on in low lighting (though I don't think Kiwi would respond Kindly to a cloth tossed over his head). We can also typically pet him (a normally BIG no-no) and do his grooming in low lighting as well. Not being able to see super clearly makes him more docile and more willing to trust we aren't harming him. It sounds counterintuitive- the less they see, the more wiling they are! Rudy proves Kiwi is not the only bird this concept works with, though you use a slightly different methodology than we do!

 

[WakaWaka]

Nice! I love hearing about when members get to meet in person. Sounds like you all had a great time! Too bad Arika wasn't able to make it to the party... but at least he made sure his voice was heard.

Any pics?

Thanks!! Yes we had a great time and it was very nice to meet Ron and Rudy. People coming up and asking questions and saying how beautiful Rudy is was a great interaction. Ron is also great with interacting with the kids. Their expressions when the see Rudy up close is priceless.

Hopefully we can get Arika used to a flight harness and get her out this year. When we do, it would be nice to have her out in the park with Ron and Rudy.

Yes, we did get a few pics

Looking forward to the next trip to see them again.

 

[Anansi]

Great pics of Ron and Rudy! Rudy really is a breathtakingly beautiful bird.

 

[DiscoDuck]

Very similar in theory to how we put Kiwi's harness on in low lighting (though I don't think Kiwi would respond Kindly to a cloth tossed over his head). We can also typically pet him (a normally BIG no-no) and do his grooming in low lighting as well. Not being able to see super clearly makes him more docile and more willing to trust we aren't harming him. It sounds counterintuitive- the less they see, the more wiling they are! Rudy proves Kiwi is not the only bird this concept works with, though you use a slightly different methodology than we do!

Thank you on the follow up! It was great meeting you guys. In some manner of speaking it was also great to talk about things that i may have written that are frequently taken out of context. THere is no doubt I babble a lot about this and that items. Kids are a tough subject to talk about. BUT...... so are parrots for that matter. My experiences are of my own making however, I learned from this forum the many tips and advice items often contrary to each other. Hence why I say... Try everything once, the things you like, try them twice..

What I have learned deeply is just how intelligent (well at least) my Rudy is. When having Rudy interact with people and situations, the things they pick up on is uncanny and is almost frightening to some extent how "knowing" they are. Why Rudy reacts to children the way he does are subtle little nuances of his behavior. I know, that if Rudy could see children as often as he does dogs, then I would have a much better acclimated bird.. Afterall, humans are predators.. Parrots are prey...anyways....

I have had the unique ability to spend time with Rudy in a rather random BEAUTIFUL place that has people around it! TODAY at 3pm (sunday) the same area we were in yesterday was nearly completely devoid of people. I encourage anyone who wants to get involved to contact me. The park and area is right under I95 (Google Brandywine Park Wilm DE) I am near available at almost anytime.

Thank you again Kelly and Karl!!.. I'll post a little more about "hooding"

 

[DiscoDuck]

Great pics of Ron and Rudy! Rudy really is a breathtakingly beautiful bird.

naaaaaa he is an ugly duckling!!

 

[DiscoDuck]

I have to add this image to this thread, thanks Kiwi!! Im continuing to learn things. I have seen images Of the GWM and B&G on the river banks. I never saw this one with Scarlets and GWM together. I thought the Scarlet was a Central American Bird?? I have always suspected that Rudy has some scarlet in him. However I thought it was one or the other in the wild... I am a bit confused...

 

[DiscoDuck]

gawd.. Im scratching my head why I never figured this out.. Doesnt really matter however it is very interesting to me.. Its very possible that a lot of the subtle Traits the Rudy exhibits might be attributed to the below. Again he is likely quite a head of his class. Read on if anyone is interested..

Scientific name:
The Ruby Macaw is a first generation hybrid macaw. It is a cross between a Scarlet Macaw Anodorhynchus macao and a Green-winged Macaw Ara chloroptera.

Distribution:
ThIs is a captive bred hybrid macaw. Hybrid macaws are rarely found in the wild.

Description:
Ruby Macaws are exceedingly striking in coloration, and rank right up there among the most colorful of the Macaws. They are a full size Macaw and can learn to talk with a general vocabulary of about 15 or more words or expressions. A Ruby Macaw needs good socialization and a firm consistent hand in training, especially it matures.

In the mating pair, the male has the dominate gene. Often times the overall coloration of the Ruby Macaw can be very similar to the Green-winged Macaw and they are often mistakenly thought to be a Green-winged Macaw. Coloration varies however, even in babies from the same clutch.

If the male parent is a Green-winged Macaw:
The offspring will generally have the same size body and head as the father. What distinguishes the Ruby from the Green-winged father is the center band of feathers. These feathers can be a mixture of varying amounts of yellows and oranges, and they can be edged with different shades of yellows and oranges.

If the male parent is a Scarlet Macaw:
The offspring will generally have the head and body size of a Scarlet. The amount and coloration of the facial feathers will also generally be more similar to those of the respective father. There is very little facial feathering on the offspring of a Scarlet father.

Size - Weight:
The Ruby Macaw is a full sized macaw, very close to the same size as its parentage. They will reach over 2 pounds. The length of the Scarlet Macaw is up to 85 cm (33.5 inches) and the Green-winged Macaw is up to 90 cm (35.5 inches). A Ruby Macaw will reach a size somewhere in the middle and possibly closer to that of the father.

Care and feeding:
A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. In the wild their parent species eat a variety of palm nuts, fruits, seeds, and possibly vegetable matter from the treetops. Provide them with a good parrot mix that includes formulated foods, seeds, nuts, and dried fruits. They will also enjoy fruits and vegetables.

Social Behaviors:
They are a typical macaw. Can be cranky at times and may even be a one person bird or only like men or women unless well socialized with lots or folks. See About Macaws: Social Behaviors for information on developing a well rounded friendly macaw. (Also information on handling and activities) hahahaha read this entire thread!!

Breeding/Reproduction:
Because it is a hybrid it is generally not bred.

Sexual differences:
No visible differences.

Potential Problems:
Can be noisy (as can all macaws).

Availability:
This bird is somewhat hard to find and fairly expensive. There are more and more breeders however and they are becoming more common.

Author: Clarice Brough, CAS

 

[DiscoDuck]

I stole the following from a thread about someone who wanted to adopt a 3 yr old Macaw. I miss Birdman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#1 Sometimes they do this; It's normal. It could very well be because you were there. The way you train a bird to accept lots of people is to get them out an about with lots of strangers, and get them used to it - and have it be a positive experience for them. I took mine to the local park for a few hours each day. Got them used to kids running up to us. People in her face. Lots of folks touching, and pushing her boundaries, stepping up for complete strangers, and letting them love on her...

#2 Not during breeding season. Makes the poor bird horny! (Well it does!)

#3 Height dominance is a myth. Maggie's cage is 7 ft. tall. My playstands are also 7 feet tall. PLUS she's a shoulder bird. (But she's bite pressure trained and does not displacement bite. NO BIRD should be a shoulder bird unless these prerequisites are met!)

#4 I gotcha! You're mine now. Shovel that stuff into my beak.. Maggie does this one with me when I am scratching her head. If I get the spot, she'll grab my thumb and hold onto it until she's ready for me to stop! "Right there! Now don't move, and don't stop til I tell you..." It's entirely normal.

#5 A proper groomer can fix this in five minutes, and it sounds like he needs it badly. Nails need to be done 2-3 times per year. (Whether they like it or not! That's crap. DO IT!)

#6 Screaming is a learned behavior. It can also be unlearned. There are screaming protocols already posted on this site... But you have to be consistent.

#7. Set the routine, and they adjust. Be consistent.

Again, any similarity between me and anyone who actually knows what they are doing is purely coincidental! (I'm a relative newbie. I've only done this about 350 times!)

The real question is how did the bird react to you? What was his personality like? Did you hit it off with him?

 

[DiscoDuck]

Kelly and I did some Delaware shopping today and managed to get in touch with Ron. We arranged a time to meet at the park and had a great time.

I did too. Stay in touch and lets try to get others to attend.

Very similar in theory to how we put Kiwi's harness on in low lighting (though I don't think Kiwi would respond Kindly to a cloth tossed over his head).

I think it is important to point out. That while waving a cape around might entice your bird to react that once that small thin lightweight fabric covres the eyes, the bird may go immediately still. I am no trained expert by any means however I have noticed how my bird shuts down once his eyes are covered.

I have seen this by both the Bird Farm owner and at the Vets office when Rudy's nails "hooding" tames the bird into what I would call a submission.

Given the places of the fabric over a parrots eyes, I would think the same or similar result would happen in that it limits completely what they can see. I would think that once that happens , a delicate and consistent approach should then be able to be consistently repeated.

Rudy's performance has been consistent since day one. I am much faster and much more skilled at doing it however again this process and results have been the same from day one. If I could borrow someones bird, I wouldnt be afraid of doing it with another bird. Best of Luck!!

 

[DiscoDuck]

gawd i need to rewrite that.. someother time sorry

 

[Scott]

Glad to see Ron, Kelly, and Karl were able to meet and enjoy Rudy! Looking forward to Arika joining the fun! Wish I lived closer!!

 

[Kiwibird]

LOL. So I tried tossing a tissue over Kiwi's head to see if it would make him more "docile". It had a rather opposite effect and angered/greatly offended the green demon. I'm still getting the stink eye from him over it