Does my bird hate me??

[Gerry Gee]

Hi!
My name is Gerry and I am from London, England. I am living in Leeds, which is in the North of England.
Today I went out and bought a pair of Bourkes Parrokeets. The female made (understandably) quite a fuss about being shoved into a box by the lady in the petshop. I got them home and released them immediately into their new cage and then set about putting their bits and pieces in i.e. cuttlefish, food, water, toy etc. There was a bit of fuss as the birds were obviously a bit alarmed by my hand being in their cage. Maybe I should have set the cage up first, but the female was making such a lot of screeching that I felt compelled to release them from the box.
After a while of them being in the cage and relaxing I noticed there was a bit of bird mess on one of the cages wires and reached around to wipe it, and the female started to screech at me until I backed off. The male is pretty relaxed though.
My concern is whether the female is just a bit sensetive, and will get used to me, or am I now in a situation where my bird dislikes me and will screech at me forever more?
Also, can anyone tell me, do birds often have a problem with having their cage re-situated? It's just that my boyfriend is learning the saxaphone and practices in the very room that the birds are now in. I will have to move them out whenever he practices, but am concerned about disturbing the birds further. Hope someone can help.
Thanks,
Gerry Gee
New Girl!

[mmr]

you literally just got them hours ago. It is going to take time and patience before you gain their trust! Move at their pace, and slow. Talk to them, sing etc. They will eventually see that you aren't going to hurt them. Like I said it is way too soon to expect anything. Let them settle in for a few days before working with them! Have you ever owned birds before?

Best of luck

[Gerry Gee]

You guessed it, I'm a complete novice. I did think that it was just because I am a stranger to them, but I have heard about how, if you get off on the wrong foot, a bird can take a dislike to you and there is no way back. I was so worried that my fiddling inside the cage had been totally the wrong thing!
But you have put my mind at rest. I will sit a chat with them and keep my distance for a few days to let them settle in.
Thanks!

[mmr]

Originally Posted by Gerry Gee

But you have put my mind at rest. I will sit a chat with them and keep my distance for a few days to let them settle in.
Thanks!

I am not saying to keep your distance. They need to get used to you. Sit by their cage and talk to them, read a book by their cage, or sing. After a while you will notice that they will get very curious and be hanging on the side of their cage closest to you!

[Monica]

Bourkes are not commonly kept as pets, and are not commonly tamed, either... most often they are kept as aviary birds. The female most likely sees you as a predator and is thus trying to act big and mean, because the chance of flight has been taken away from her (you know "fight or flight").

I would not recommend getting them clipped because bourkes are more like finches than other parrots... they don't really use their beak to climb around. However, you can try offering them food from your hand in the mornings.

Please be aware though that they are very flighty birds and should have a large cage, with some toys, as well as a healthy diet that includes fresh foods (such as pulses, grains, veggies, fruits, sprouted seeds, etc).

And, they might actually enjoy listening to music!

[Gerry Gee]

Thanks to all for this good advice.
I have been sitting by their cage and chatting to them, although if I get too close the female gets a bit jumpy. I am hoping she will get used to my presence.
I played them some music this morning, as it happens! They certainly seemed curious about it, so I will definitely keep trying this. The male did come over to my side of the cage and twittered at me for a few seconds, so that was fab!

[mmr]

very cool! just remember...baby steps

[amanda143]

First, Congrats on your new fids! I find it very strange that your bourkes are acting that way. All of mine are very docile, and always have been. In fact, I know a lady with a bourke that is completely finger trained! Monica is right, however, that most people keep them as aviary birds.

What I usually do when I bring home new birds is give them a day or two (unless being quarantined), to adjust to their new cage, room, and toys. Then I slowly start interacting more and more. Sometimes reading to them, or turning on soft music, etc. Always calmly and slowly change their food etc. They can be spooked pretty easily. They will eventually get used to your presence.

Do you know how old your birds are? I have found that young grasskeets can be tamed with time and patience if started young. However, since you have two together they may not be interested in you at all.

[jrbirdkid]

birds dont hate thier owners they just get really scared thats it

[Gerry Gee]

Thanks for the congrats! I am a very happy new mummy. I have named them Rosie and Jove (Joe for short)!
They are getting more relaxed every day. They are normally quite docile and quiet, I think that Monica was right, the female, Rosie, was just seeing me as a threat and reacting. I really think that being shoved into a box in the pet store really upset her a lot. But they are now chatting away in front of me and behaving much calmer when I'm around. They are still a little jumpy at times though. As mmr rightly says, baby steps. I have started to read them the Chronicles or Narnia!
The woman in the store said they are quite young, although she couldn't give me an age. I was thinking of taking them to an avian vet to see if I can find out. Does anybody know if it is reasonably easy, or even possible, to find out the age of a Bourkes Parakeet?