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Bonding with African Grey

3K views 13 replies 6 participants last post by  shanlung 
#1 ·
I'll be getting a 17 year old male congo african grey and cage for FREE soon and wanted to know how should I have it bond with me after spending all it's life with this one couple. The grey's name is Skulley and is just stunning.:biggrin5: He says "Carol, (dogs name) you knuckle head.":rofl:, "The Vike beat the Pack.":yesnod:, and "Hello". I visited him today to see him in person, held him, and talked to him for like 20 minutes, but he didn't talk ( I didn't expect him too though.)Should I try to tame it as like it was new? Since I was going to buy a cockatiel I have like $490 to spoil him ROTTEN!


Thanks
 
#4 ·
One thing i learned through getting my senegal was the fact that respecting his body language and giving him space really works to build trust.

When I let him decide what he wanted, and listen to his clear 'no, i dont like that' signals, he fairly quickly wanted to interact with me. It took Scooter a year to fully come out of his shell, but being patient with him, was really worth it.

and he continues to develop into a wonderful bird. Recently we boarded him with a friend and she was amazed with how different he was and how calm and relaxed he appeared. He'd stayed with her last october, and again this past June, and the difference was night and day. She commended me for my socializing. and all i could say was thank you, and all ive done is take him as many places as i can, and respect his wishes. I dont want him to bite me, and i know he doesnt want to resort to biting me.

Have patience and work at Skulley's pace. he will come around if you allow him to trust you :)
 
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#5 ·
One thing i learned through getting my senegal was the fact that respecting his body language and giving him space really works to build trust.

She commended me for my socializing. and all i could say was thank you, and all ive done is take him as many places as i can, and respect his wishes. I dont want him to bite me, and i know he doesnt want to resort to biting me.

Have patience and work at Skulley's pace. he will come around if you allow him to trust you :)
Thank you for this post, Shandi. It clearly expresses my own philosophy with birds. If we can read their other signals well enough, and respect them, they won't have to resort to biting to get a message to us.

I don't always read mine well enough.
 
#6 ·
Right skthurley and nanay, I've learnt from the previous owners that when Scully's pupils go bigger and smaller, that means he's mad and doesn't want you messing with him.:biggrin5:
 
#12 ·
That is such a myth and hoary old saying being repeated again and again.
That did not say much about the previous owners.

Like other hoary myths of height placements and need to dominate them.
At least better then the expert sayings of 200 years ago when the experts then declared greys do not drink water and need no water.

Tinkerbell and Riamfada , my greys, kept pinning their eyes whenever they were playing with me and very happy with me. For all I know, they might be pinning their eyes when not with me and doing other things.

Pinning of eyes are no indications of anything other then they are emotionally stimulated. Unhappiness and other emotions can be seen so easily, if you chose to watch and pay attention to that.

About the worse thing is to look for pinning of eyes. As then you will be so focused on that mythical eye pinning that you failed to see other aspects that will be even more important then that eye pinning.

One might as well declare before the parrot bite, they will open their jaws.

Prior to flying lunge attacks on my wife and on Harry, Riamfada did not pin her eyes at all. She hold them in very cold steady stare. But it was so clear that she was about to lunge and bite in that seconds before she striked.
 
#7 ·
I think senegals are tons easier to read than greys, but maybe I just know Roni better than I know Ashlynn. Ashlynn is going through a trying stage right now, so I've started stepping her up onto a hand-held perch. I have a hard time reading her.
 
#8 ·
Generally, greys will pin their eyes when annoyed. Their faces can sometimes blush, some put their heads down, lift their wings off their bodies a bit, etc. Greys are so hard to read because A) they all react slightly differently and B) they're just too darn smart. They know if they act a certain way, you'll respond a certain way. They like to play mind games :smash: lol!
 
#10 ·
Update: Scully now is on my shoulder as I am typeing this! He tickles my neck sometimes with his beak now! We've came a LONG way!!!!!:biggrin5: He hasn't denied coming on my hand in a few days!
 
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#14 ·
:biggrin5:

Very good!

So watch for all other aspects. Do not waste time any more on watching for those eye pinnings. Try to see not just the emotions. Try to see the nuances of the emotions.

You will build up a much better bond and go on to enjoy your birdie a lot lot more than the former owners who had been mislead to look only for eye pinnings.
 
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