[nanay]

My birds have various behaviors which one might wish to modify. I have been successful in finding solutions for these behaviors except when it comes to my splendid parakeet. His flightiness is getting the best of me. I am writing to ask for advice.

Roni, my senegal, used to contact call incessantly. I even started a thread on this. With consistency of response she has modified this to something that works for my family and for Roni. She also bites down with her beak too hard at times, but, again, she and I have learned to deal with it in ways that keep it at a minimum. My daughter does not handle her at all because she cannot tolerate the behavior, and frankly Roni is brattier toward her than she is toward me. This works for us, though, because my daughter has her own birds and she and Roni interact from afar. Roni wakes her up in the morning imitating me and so forth, and she scolds Roni and talks to her, almost like sisters.

I find that these behaviors are ones I can work with without loosing my cool, but the splendid parakeet, Isaac, makes me nervous with his own nervousness, and our relationship doesn't seem to be getting any better.

I will say that the longer he is with us, the less things frighten him, so that shows me that he is actually making a great deal of progress. It is not Isaac's progress that bothers me. It is my own feelings of frustration and helplessness.

Isaac is a sweet bird. One could not ask for a sweeter bird. He does not attempt to bite. I don't think he could hurt if he did, but he never tries. The sounds he makes are all very pleasant. He will eat anything. He is, in fact, the most adventerous eater in the entire household. When he wishes to be on us, he crawls all over us, preens our hair, and is overall quite loving in nature.

The only issue we have is that he gets frightened and flies off and gets himself into various predicaments in nearly impossible to reach places, and we are always nervous whenever he is out for fear this is going to be the time when he does himself in.

All three of the little birds get along very well, but I won't allow Isaac to be out of the cage when the other two are out because invariably he gets scared, takes off and gets into some predicament, and the other two get scared because he is scared and fling themselves down so that we are having to resuce all three of them every few minutes. Elisa, the linnie, and Stanley, the bourkes, just don't get into trouble when they are out unless Isaac is also out.

I force myself to take Isaac out of the cage, because I don't really enjoy it. I almost find myself resenting the time I spend with him out because I can't be with the other birds. I'm sure he senses this, and I do try to force myself to enjoy him.

He might be happy if I left him in the cage and did not interact with him, but I don't think so. He preens us and seems to enjoy interacting with us. The bird store has advised me not to let him become cage bound, so I am trying to keep getting him out. When he is out, he will go from a food dish I have for them when they are out to a portable perch to me, back and forth, on his own. He is not being forced to interact with me. He is doing that of his own volition. The only time I feel he is ever forced to do anything is when he flies off, gets in a spot he can't get out of or is simply unsafe to let him remain in, and I have to retrieve him.

I hope this post hasn't offended anyone. I hate to admit that I feel this way about him. Does anyone have any suggestions? He is a sweet bird. I feel he deserves better than this.

Oh, I forgot to say that we have tried leaving him flighted, and this made this exponentially worse. I try to keep him clipped now, but he can fly pretty well even when he is clipped.

 

[The Brute Squad]

I am sorry to hear about your problem with Isaac. Don't feel bad because you are feeling this way. We all get worn out once in a while when our babies are having trouble adjusting. I have a conure thats very nervous and will be sitting quietly, then all of a sudden alarm call and upset 5 other birds that then have to be picked up! Its a job to be sure. We have to pick them up because we clipped them.
You might think about Isaacs diet, maybe something is making him jumpy. I know when I had Cayenne we didn't feed him sunflower seeds after the first time we gave him some. He was wound up. Maybe switch to organic pellets?
Try to find the times when he is calmest and make it his time to be out. Do some sounds bother him more than others?
I know you'll figure it out! Don't get discouraged, Isaac will let you know whats up. Keep me updated please?!

 

[nanay]

He is currently on Zupreem Naturals only because I thought the organic pellets I feed are too big for him. I would prefer organic, but hadn't found an organic pellet for sale here I thought he could eat. I think I will keep trying to find one. Perhaps that is connected. I should keep a diary. He was so upset yesterday he wouldn't even step up when he landed on the ground. This is the first time he's ever done that. I do think perhaps he is calmer in the mornings. I can usually spend time with him early in the mornings with no problems. Maybe I should only interact with him in the mornings and just let him have the rest of the day to himself. Conversely, maybe he only wants to be with me once a day. Maybe interacting with him several times a day is just too stimulating for him. He does enjoy eating vegetables next to me in the morning and then climbing all over me for a while and then returning to eat more vegetables.

Thanks for the ideas.

 

[The Brute Squad]

Veggies in the morning and contact with you sounds great! Have you tried to find Harrison's pellets? All organic and supposed to be the very best. Now mine are eating pellets I am going to try them on Nanna and see if she will like them.

 

[Sharon]

So sorry you're having issues with Isaac. He sounds delightful, otherwise.

 

[gumbysmom]

I think I'd interact with him in the mornings since that seems to be the best time for him. He sounds like quite a character.

 

[nanay]

Thanks, guys, or I guess I should say gals.

 

[nanay]

There is nothing more relaxing and fun than sitting at the computer sharing stories with the forum while a rainbow of little birds plays all over me and around me.

Isaac is out this evening with Stanley and Elisa. They are munching on a salad plate, to steal Cess's term, and running all over the computer and me. Stanley and Isaac have been refusing to try their greens in their cage, but they are fighting over the greens now. I guess competition is a good thing. Isaac has always loved greens, but I tried mustard greens this time, and they are no one's favorite, including mine I might add, as I tried them to see why they didn't like them and they are very bitter.

Isaac is doing well tonight. I just never can predict his behavior. When he is not scared to death, he is a delight. He and Stanley also keep trying to feed one another. ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE LOVES STANLEY.

Elisa seems more nervous than Isaac tonight, which has me puzzled. She is not a flighty bird. Everyone is acting out of character. Stanley is sampling every food in sight, which is generally Isaac's thing. Elisa is running around acting nervous, which is generally also Isaac's thing. Isaac is just watching everything and acting cool, like he did when he first came home.

I guess all that matters is that we all seem to be having fun, except perhaps for poor Elisa, who seems to be searching for something.

 

[Sensfan]

Nanay have you tried clipping his wings short enough that he can't fly, but only flutter to the floor. I found that mine are far less nervous when they know they have to depend on me to go where they want to go.

 

[nanay]

Cess,
Yes, keeping him clipped is the best way to keep him calm - BUT even when he has a brand new clip from the bird store he can still get lift, because that is just the way grass keets are built. As soon as he grows one half of one feather back, he is able to get even higher. I should probably try to learn to clip him myself, but I hate to add that to our issues together, so I just keep taking him back to the bird store for clips. He needs to go back again.

 

[Sharon]

I clipped Kirby when he first came....I found it to be pointless. He may have been a little more restricted, but not by much. He still flew mostly where he wanted...just not as gracefully.

 

[nanay]

I haven't said anything about Isaac for some time because another patron of the bird store had asked about purchasing him, and I had decided to go with that. She already had one female splendid, and she was looking for one more female and two males to make two breeding pairs. She has a few other birds, too, and has raised cockatiels. She said she wanted him even though I told her that I was not certain he was a male due to the fact that he is still only showing female coloring but he has a pattern under his wings that indicates that he is a male and he "sings" as only the male splendids are prone to do.

I had decided that rehoming him was in his best interest due to the fact that he usually does not seem to enjoy being a pet. He does like the other little birds, and he really seems to enjoy being in his cage.

However, the gal did not follow through with making final arrangements. I do not know if this means she does not want him or if it means she needed to wait, but I expected to hear from her last week, and I have not.

A part of me really hopes she will still wants him. I think he might prefer that life to this one. If she doesn't want him, I may still attempt to place him into another breeding situation.

However, he is now back into one of his docile moods, and as I look back over his time with us, I am now wondering if the magic ingredient isn't perhaps Stanley, the bourkes.

I have been rotating the three small birds between the larger cage for two birds and the smaller cage for one bird. Each bird has time in the larger cage with each of the other two birds and time in the smaller cage alone.

As soon as Stanley and Isaac were housed together again in the larger cage, Isaac calmed right down. Today he has been almost as calm as he was when he first came home. He still doesn't like to step up to me from the floor or from the cage, but he has done it several times today, and he has let Cannary pick him up easier than he let me pick him up, which has always been the case with Isaac.

It is as if Stanley is his security blanket, and as long as he can be with Stanley he is confident.

Do you think this means I should just keep him and keep him with Stanley? I could do that, because Stanley's personality doesn't change no matter where he is housed, BUT Stanley really loves to design with vine balls and then study his designs for a few days, and he can't do that when he lives with any other birds. He spends a great deal of time doing this whenever he has his own cage in which to do it.

Alternately, it could actually mean that the decision to place Isaac into a breeding situation would be exactly what he is craving. Stanley is much more like another splendid parakeet than Elisa, the lineolated parakeet, is. I have NO desire whatsoever to breed, and especially no desire to breed splendid parakeets, so I would have to rehome him to place him into a breeding situation.

Well, what do any of you others think? I would really appreciate your thoughts.

 

[Jenny]

Hmm... it sounds as though he might be happier in a breeding situation, unless you wanted to get another male splendid He may be happier with Stanley, but Stanley sounds like he might be happier alone... :frown: It's so hard to say!

 

[nanay]

Yes, Jenny, exactly my thoughts. The poor little guy is so happy now that Stanley has returned. He just sits and watches him like an adoring little brother. Stanly is very sweet to him, but Stanley does like to have his alone time.

I did get to thinking of this one thing today, though. Elisa and Stanley also get along splendidly. They are both happier in their own cages, but when they are out they preen one another and really get along great. However, I don't expect Paul to live with me much longer than a couple of years at the most. I'm not kicking him out, but he finished with his education almost six months ago, and so it will be normal for him to move on and move away fairly soon. When Paul goes, it is more than likely that he will take Elisa with him. The only thing that would prevent that would be if for some reason he just can't keep her where he moves.

Soooooooooooo, what if I do find Isaac a breeding situation and then Elisa leaves? :shrug: Would Stanley, who would then be a much older bird, ever get along as well with another bird as he does with Isaac?

The thing about breeding splendids is that once they are set up in pairs they are very protective of their mates, so a breeding pair could be together, but not with a single bourkes, so Stanley would loose his buddy even if I kept Isaac but procured a mate for him/her of the opposite sex.

Well, I'm still thinking, so for right now everything is as it has always been.

 

[nanay]

Jenny,
It hit me as I was driving the other day that you suggested I get another MALE splendid because Isaac is supposed to be a male. If he IS a male, then another male would not constitute a breeding pair. It takes me a while to get things sometimes.

Everyone,
Isaac has been his wonderful original self ever since Stanley went back into his cage to keep him company, which was also the day Daisy arrived, so maybe he likes her, too. lol - I doubt it is that, but, actually, as a very young baby still being handfed he was near her. I suppose he really could remember her.

Isaac is almost fully capable of flight again, too, which resulted in his most fearful behaviors the last time, soooooooooooooooo - I just don't know if he has outgrown his fears, if he needs Stanley living in a cage with him, or if it is a fluke that he has been better each time he has lived with Stanley and he is just going to keep going through many fearful stages.

He certainly is pleasant right now, and the gal has never called to purchase him, so I guess I will just let it ride.

Does anyone have any idea how long would be the latest he might start to develop male colors if he really is a male?

 

[nanay]

duck bird

Ron and Shandi,

I know you want pictures! I'm making no promises, but this one deserves a picture if I can coerce my son into showing me again how to post from my phone. Otherwise, oh well.

Isaac has now joined the ranks with Peeper, Ron's splendid, in that yesterday he lost his last two remaining tail feathers.

He looks like a duck.

He is still showing NO signs of molting into male colors. When answering Ron's question about molting on the blog about bourkes and splendids, the author did indicate that some male splendids can take over a year to molt into male coloring, but I do not know if she meant total male coloring or beginning male coloring. Ron's Peeper is not fully colored up, and he is a couple of months older than Isaac, but Isaac shows NO male coloring whatsoever. Peeper showed some red on his chest and much more blue on his head a long time ago.

The author of the blog indicated that the birds who take longer to color up are generally the ones who loose all of their tail feathers in a drastic molt around this age, and it seems to simply be lines of splendids that take longer to color up, but even so, I would suspect that if certain lines of males loose their tail feathers in a drastic mout, the females of these lines probably do, too. Isaac could easily be a misidentified female.

Other than not really wanting to step up onto my hand inside the cage now, Isaac is still pretty steady.

I will be disappointed if Isaac is a female. Perhaps that seem petty to many of you, but I purchased him as a male expecting those beautiful male colors to emerge one day.

At this point, I'm seriously thinking of going ahead and having the bird sexed just so I'll know, which seems kind of silly because it will certainly be obvious in a few months. I just really want to know now.

 

[nanay]

I had the store get some blood to have the splendid DNA sexed yesterday. I should know by next week. He/she is very tame now that he can't fly at all.

 

[nanay]

The results are in, and Isaac needs a name change. I suppose we might as well go with Rebecca. I am disappointed. I know that might sound odd, but the bird was sold as a male, and there is a huge difference between a splendid male and a splendid female.

 

[Jenny]

The results are in, and Isaac needs a name change. I suppose we might as well go with Rebecca. I am disappointed. I know that might sound odd, but the bird was sold as a male, and there is a huge difference between a splendid male and a splendid female.

Sorry to hear that, Nanay... I understand where you're coming from.... It's hard when you buy a certain sexed bird for one specific trait and find out it's really the opposite sex.

 

[nanay]

Thanks for understanding, Jenny.