Im new to this site & need some advice

[nat2211]

Hi

i am new to this site, so please bare with me.

I have just recently rehomed a 3 month old african grey. He currently grawls & squaks at me when i go near his cage & becames quite flustured if i sit near him to read to him. I have only had him 3 days & i understand i must allow him to settle in & get used to his surroundings but i would like any help & advice on how i can get him used to me over time.

Thank you

[ErnieBirdy]

only go near him when you have a treat, or something he likes. It will take a while to find out what that is. After you are near him dont move away until he relaxes. If he thinks his poor behavour such as growling is what it take for him to get his way, you will be in for some trouble down the road. He will come to trust you as time goes on, but only way to get that trust is tons of patience!! Only push a bird out of its comfort zone in small increments.

[nat2211]

Thank you, the previous owner informed me he likes grapes, i make eye contact with him & speak softly to him when i go near the cage. He will not take the grapes from me but i understand this will take time for him to get use to me & his surroundings, its just nice to hear from others who can offer advice so i dont end up with a stressed out parrot! He also trys to fly in his cage, is this normal?

[JSanta]

They love to flap their wings in their cages. It's a great form of excercise and should be encouraged! It's one of the many reasons it's so important to have a large enough cage for that kind of activity.

[doubleyolk]

First,Welcome aboard

Three days is a rather short period of time to adjust to new surroundings and it could be a week or more before he adjusts. I would keep reading and limit fast movements around the cage so he knows he is safe and has no need to fear anyone. Go at the birds pace and not what you want him to do yet because if you force yourself on him you could have long term behavior problems. Grey's for the most part do not handle change well even after having them for many years.

Lisa B will have some real good suggestions for you.

[Lisa B]

He has to get used to everything being brand new. To him, you are a preditor. He needs to learn to trust you first. An excellent way to build trust is to read to him. however you need to start out of his comfort zone. When you walk in the room, watch his body language. the second he puffs up or hunkers down. stop. back up a foot. sit down and read a book out loud to him in a soft voice. You may need to do this several times. Each time staying just outside his comfort zone, with the intentions of getting a little bit closer each time. 3 months is a bit young to be showing fear like that. You may have to consider what you are wearing. he may be afraid of a color, facial hair, a hat, glasses....

[nat2211]

Hi, thank you for your response. The other behaviour i have noticed is that he seems to fall of his perch & sometimes it looks like he throws himself of the perch & then he just sits on the bottom of the cage. He also sits in one corner & scratches the bottom of the cage like a chicken, i just wondered if he is showing signs of distress & if i should be doing anything to help him settle in. Thank you any advice very much appreciated

[Lisa B]

The throwing himself off, yes is complete fear. When this usually happens, watch body language. Talk in a soft voice. move slow. remember the comfort zone.
the chicken scratch is normal. We arent really sure EXACTLY what it means, (foraging for food? Trying to get out? making a nest? ) but its a grey trait.
His falling off the perch could mean the perch is too slippery or large for his feet. can you take a pic of him sitting on it without him freaking out?
the reason he continues to sit on the bottom of the cage afterwards is either, he is hurt, or he is more comfortable down there because of the falling.

[nat2211]

Thank you Lisa for the advice so far .

I ave tried to take some photos without stressing "Harry" out, i hope you are able to see what you need. I have put some sanded perch covers over his 2 perches in the cage & addded a rope ladder to help him up & down from each perch, i read that a ropeperch is better for the younger parrot to help with balance, is this true?
thank you again its very much appreciated

[Lisa B]

he's adorable, and your welcome!

well since he is a young one, he is being clumbsy. I suggest you lower the perches till they are a few inches off the bottom. The way he is sitting, relaxing with his toes not curled around indicates to me, he has to learn still.
You can pad the bottom with paper towels so if he does fall, he's not hittin his keel on a bar.
the sandpaper perches will be loose in a short period of time, and they will turn on the perch, making them harder to grasp.
Rope is good, as one option, but make sure its not frayed for baby to get caught on. Cholla is a nice option, Cement is easy to grasp, and Bottlebrush is a favorite. You need a mixture of differnt perches and widths so he gets exersize.
think of it this way.............. I love Stiletto heals. However, If I had to wear the same pair everyday, I am sure my feet would hurt from being in the same position.

so, my suggestion, lower the perches for now. pad the bottom. and see if you can locate different options for perches as the dowels can be slippery for a wee one.