HELP, please...long post.

[Cindy215]

Originally Posted by dancyn56

I wasn't trying to imply that the bird should be left covered up for long periods after biting. Only for a short time if you can't get out of the sight of the bird. It is bird behavior that turning and ignoring the offending party works, I have read many parrot books due to the nature of my biting friend and it has worked for me. as I said about the toys and perches, they were introduced slowly, you have to build trust.

Yes but sorry, even covering off and on for short periods of time is like clicking the light off and on to his brain since the pituitary gland in in his head and the skin is thin.

It's just not a good idea, imo, either psychologically or physically. It's much better to just ignore that behavior. Just giving a mild verbal "squeal" will get the point across that it hurts when they bite and teaching them to be gentle with your body language and tone is alot more positive.

The "new" way of dealing with captive parrots is to only do positive reinforcement nothing negative. He has no idea why he's being covered or ignored and parrots are wired for companionship 24/7 anyway. He's trying to communicate in a bird way ..nipping is done for alot of reasons like communicating danger to a mate...not to HURT but to WARN....and I believe we have to accept THEIR language not expect an undomesticated species to learn OUR language especially a recent rehome or even a baby who has no clue. Another problem with always returning a bird to his cage is that it binds them to the cage not the family. Being overly attached to the cage leads to all kinds of other problems. So if you're trying to get the bird to NOT be cage territorial if that's how you want to look at it....it would get the opposite response to always put them back in the cage for every infraction. imo.

[dancyn56]

for a "companion bird" and not a "breeding bird". I think you would get your best information from the ones I was mentioning.

[dancyn56]

Hi Karol, I just thought I would give you a list of what my little fellow says and your little friend is soon to be capable of. Ralphie is about 30 years old.
1. (phone ringing, 2 rings) Hello, no, he's not here...
2. (phone dialing, 7 beeps) Hello, how are you?
3.(phone dialing, 7beeps) Hello...are you working yet? Freaky.
4.(phone ringing, 2 rings) Hello, well, that's freaky...
5. What the hell is this?
6. Come over here.
7. What are you doing there?
8. What's in here?
9. Hey puppy, good puppy.
10. Hey you!
11. Are you hungry?
12. I'm hungry.
13. Hey baby,baby,baby,baby...
14. Whoops...
15. Freaky
16. Freaky bird
17. Kiss
18. Good
19. It's beautiful.
20. I'm happy.
21. Dummy, hey dummy, dummy...
22. Hello...
23. Good bird.
24. Pretty bird.
25. You'll get hurt.
26. That's kinda cool.
27. Yep
28. Yes, I'm talking to you.
29. Feel good.
30. Hey baby, I wanna go.
31. Raaalphie!
32. Come here, God dammit!
33. Is he home yet?
34. God dammit, come here people, I'm the bird! (12/25/04)
35. Look out the window.
36. Let's see here...
37. Baby! Hear me!
38. Hey Dan...
39. Forget about it. O.K.?
40. That's O.K....
41. David did it.
42. I'm in here.
43. I'm right here.
44. New papers.
45. Helloooo!!!!!!
46. Murphy's house outside.
47. House pretty.
48. What ever.
49. What will I do?
50. I like it up here.
51. I can't see...( after Dan put the hurricane shutters down on the windows.)
52. Hey you...I'm a lucky bird.
53. Hey sweetie!
54. Hey bird...hullo!
55. Hey people!
56. Clean house - thank-you.
57. sweetie
58. Good morning.
59. I'm a lucky bird.
60. Are you O.K. freaky?
61. House, house, house.
62. Baby bird, goofy bird.
63. Hey, David did it!
64. Go see!
65. Cyndi! Yea, what do you want?
66. I love you.
67. Hey! Pretty people...
68. You sweet little boy...
69. Hey Dan, I'm up here.
70. Nobody hears the bird.
71. (phone ringing, 2 rings) Hello, no, he's not here. Well, that's freaky.
72. I'll pay the bills.
73. Marilyn!
74. I'm the bird.
75. What are you looking for?
76. Is anyone here?
78. Murphy!
79. Dan, I'm being a good bird up here.
(we reply: I see youre being a good bird and he says) K
80. Where's David?
90. I'm up here and I'm a Parrot!
91. I hear the phone ringing (2 seconds later the phone rings, very bizzar!)
92. Marie!
93. Rain
94. Play with me.
95. I want a hamburg...
96. I'm not even here.
97. I'm a parrot.
98. She's right here, she was outside.
99. Are you going to give me some of that? I'm being a good bird up here.
100. Do you hear me?
101. Hello Marilyn.
102. What did you do?
103. What are you doin', Raalph?
104. Hello, hello, hello...I'm a CRAZY bird!
105. I want to take a shower.
106. Uh, Dan, you won't believe this...come here and look.
107. I'll be good, I'll be sweet...
108. I'll figure it out...
109. I want to see ya!
110. It"s me bird...
111. Baby been good?
112. I'll be O.K.
113. Good to hear you.
114. Oops, there it is...
115. Come here, come here little girl...
116. Come with me.
117. (Phone sound ringing repeatedly and) Dan asks " is that the phone ringing"?
and the bird says: "No, it's me, the parrot."
118. Have a good day!
119. Where'd you get a parrot like me?
120. Where's David?

[dancyn56]

Sorry about the salty language, it came from his previous owners. I do not repeat these phrases so they are slowly leaving his vocabulary, but he still says them occasionally.

[Karol]

Cyndie,

Wow, Sedrick says a lot but probably 70% of what Ralphie says.

Thanks to all of you for helpful advice.

I will go and buy those books tomorrow.