Which pre-existing fears did your fid have?

[MomtoPercy]

You know I started this thread to find out what other parronts have experienced but I didn't really anticipate how sad it would be So many birds have had such scary experiences Thank goodness we have them now and can work to teach them that not all (insert fear item) are bad. Good for all of you!!

 

[broxi3781]

My quaker was afraid of me. He was liked my husband, and even the children which is odd as he was rehomed due to problems with the children in his first home but would flatten himself like a pancake and skitter backwards away from me. I ignored the advice in the book about being a flock leader and just taking him out of his cage. I would open the door and let him come out. I made no effort to touch or get too close to him, I would just talk softly every time I passed and offer a treat. If he wouldn't take it - I held it up and then placed it on the top of the cage before walking away. Soon he would dart forward grab the treat and skitter away backwards, after that he would take the treat and stay there. A bit longer and I could touch him, now he comes to me and is really sweet.

He also backs away like I am trying to poison him with vegetables at times and genuinely looks frightened. Other times he just throws them on the floor and squawks before turning his back on me in a manner that the boys claim is bird talk for " **** away off and take your minging vegies with you. I want proper food - I'm an Irish bird. Get me chips.

 

[chippy]

Pippin is afraid of certain colours...red and purple for sure...but LOVES white/ off-white/ cream. Go figure.
He used to be afraid of food. I kid you not. If I held it in my lips, he was fine. If I dropped it into his dish, he was fine. If I held it out to him in my fingers, he'd lean as far back from it as he could, even falling over to get away from the "bad food"!!! Don't know why; we've had him since he was 8 weeks old, and no trauma as far as I know... He's a year old now and is pretty comfortable with most stuff, but he's definitely on the shy side and nervous about anything new that is introduced.

 

[RavensGryf]

Robin HATES paper towels. I'm sure Kleenex, paper napkins, or anything like it is the same. When I'm cleaning his cage near him with a paper towel I have to make sure my flesh is clear away from his beak, as he will attack the paper angrily, even violently as if his life depended on it.

I had Robin since he was around 3 months old. I got him from a bird store. Apparently the story goes that a family with small kids bought him immediately after he was ready to go home, but it "didn't work out" so they returned him to the store pretty soon after... Thank goodness! He's my little soulmate and the very best parrot I've ever had. I always wonder whether those kids tormented him as a baby with paper towels?

 

[MomtoPercy]

Sometimes, they are afraid of things and we just can't explain it, it seems. Like the birds that were adopted as babies and well treated all their lives but still fear paper towels, wood or whatever. They certainly are crazy little darlings, aren't they?

 

[jenphilly]

Ivory came home with a fear of everything... literally... she still thinks large pieces of greens like collar are monsters trying to eat her. She has a strange fear of anything touching her feet and will scream at toys if they get ontop her feet or she can't see them... She is terrified of the other birds, even the tiny little green cheek (tho Monkey does act and think she is a huge macaw). She is scared of so many things don't think I could even list half of them, so we will leave it at most everything...

Folger has more heartbreaking fears... we've noticed him react to my husband tossing something across the room... anytime a hand or item is raised... but more then anything I think is beyond terrified of being taken from Victoria. I know people say they like who they like and he is obsessed with her, but can't explain why, but my feeling or impression is that he fears most being separated from her. Bad news is that leads to him being pretty aggressive with me and my husband and we need to come to a decision if we force a relationship or just accept he is a one person bird.

Monkey fears nothing... and I truly mean that...

Loki came home as a 6 or 8 week old baby, so he has not had any experience to make him fear things... but he is such a good boy... the little green cheeks do chase him away, but still would not say he fears them, just knows he is gonna get his butt kicked!!

Some stories are so sad.... its heartbreaking to know that Folger is not all that rare for having been so mistreated... the thought of physical abuse of any animal is terrible, but when you consider how fragile a birds skeleton is, its frightening to think of them being hit or beaten...

okay, some start a happier thread...