Depressed Regent Parrot... :-(

[KiweePrince]

Hello there...

Unfortunately about 18 months ago, i did what all the books say NOT to do, i know i shouldnt have done....but i bought my parrot because i felt sorry for him.
He was stuck in a tiny dirty cage in a noisey petshop, scared to death and looking fedup. So i took pitty on him... i couldnt leave him there and thought id be able to make his life alittle better by taking him into my home. Looking back, i should have reported the petshop.

He was ill very soon after i bought him (wasnt suprised) and i brought the "exotic pets" vet to come see him at home, the vet gave me medicines to give him but said he would probably die due to this chest infection?!

Well..... hes still with me and well! But he looks/acts so depressed! .... theres been no life in him at all.

Ive spent alot of time trying to calm him down at least, managed to get him to eat apple from my hand..... but thats all.
After nearly 2 years of being together, hes still so quiet.
He just sits there all day and ignores his toys. He only moves when he wants to eat.
At certain times of the day he will make his little noises.... some very very sweet noises and also sometimes screams the place down.

I dont know what to do with him. Will he always be like this or is there something i can do? What about another bird being in the same room?
I cant give up on the little guy, and i dont want to rehome him because he isnt very pet like and im afraid other people might loose interest in him and neglect him.

I feel bad that his life seems so empty and lifeless.

Please help my little Kiwee, id be so grateful.

[debbielabella]

he looks a little overweight. what is his diet like? Maybe another checkup with the vet to see if their is any damage from the infection? or maybe he still has a small infection?

[sodakat]

He sounds like many parrots that just hang out if they aren't forced to be active. I don't think you can assume he's "depressed" but it does sound like he needs to be stimulated. How about bringing in some branches for him, especially Eucalyptus if you can get them. Rig them up so he can climb on them, then hang treats and small toys from the smaller branches.

From what I found in a quick Google search it sounds like he could do well with a buddy:

"Regent Parrots are quite amicable and easily tamed and will generally share their aviary with most other birds, among them Indian ringnecks, superb and princess parrots, Bourke's parakeets, doves and quail."

[Chicklette]

I know what you mean by depressed. Boomer was abused and neglected. BUT he is fine now and as happy as can be.

What is the diet you have him on? Is he eating fresh fruits and veggies? Is he on a seed or pellet diet?

Sometimes birds need a little push to be active. Maybe make him a stand to play on with lots of toys. Interact with him more and maybe bring him out of the cage a lot. He may just want some attention.

I think he needs more mental stimulation and more things to do. Maybe take him on a table with toys and give him some foot toys to play with.

[Sandybottomsmn]

I had that problem with my Meyers. He came to me about 2 years ago after having 11 homes in one year!!!! His origonal owners never kept him in a cage, and he had free roam to the house, so he never learned to play with toys. :( When I got him the first challenge was getting him used to being in a cage some of the time, the other was to learn to play.
Hes very food motivated so I do trick training with him every day (Ive taught him how to wave, dance, and to lift his wings up) Since he is food motivated, I also take toilet paper tubes and cut them in half, and take a small treat or some of his food and put it inside and fold the flaps. He watches me when I make them, then when I leave for work I try to hide them in the cage so that he can look for them and forage. The other thing I found, is although he WILL NOT play with any bird toys, he will play with the very small hamster wood chew, small childrens rattles, or puzzle pieces. It took a long time to find out what stimulates him. It may also be that your birds first months at the pet shop where so stressful that he is actually just happy and content to be in a home that provides a quite safe place. I dont think a Vet evaluation is out of line though just to rule out any medical issues.
Phew sorry so long winded, hope it helps!

[jenseits]

I would recommend more activity... maybe he's inactive because he has nothing to do. Two things that seem to help a lot is encouraging your bird to forage for his food and engaging in some trick training with him.

In the wild, parrots spend most of their day looking for food. When we provide all their food in a handy little bowl, we not only take away an activity that comes naturally to them and but we deprive them of something useful to do.

I'm also a big fan of clicker training. Clicker training is an awesome activity that helps you spend quality time with your bird in a way that's fun and enriching -- the point isn't really to make your bird do silly tricks, but that it helps you bond and develop a closer relationship without forcing your bird past his comfort zone.

Assuming he's not sick, maybe he just needs some motivation to get off his butt, figuratively.