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bird likes to walk and play with a stuffed penguin

Norm Ustitz

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Hello
1. Our Inky has a small (3 inch) stuffed penguin in his cage. We threw it in there when he was younger, and we've just left it in there. Well, that poor penguin lives face down at the bottom of the cage, while Inky dances, grinds and clicks on his back. I've asked about this, and I was told that it's normal and that it doesn't prove gender. Fine. We've all grown accustomed to it. But we see that the sessions last longer and the dancing is getting more sensual. On many occasions, he'll regurgitate some food or whatever to the penguin.

This is normal, right???? Of course, if we remove the penguin, he'll stop doing it, but we think that perhaps it's "good/normal" for him, so we leave it in there.

2. Now that he has full wings and can fly, he also likes to fly all over the place. Fine. But, as of lately, he likes to hang out near our feet as we cook, or stand, or whatever. He looks up at us and it's precious; he also likes to pick at items on the floor and our toes. We're worried about crushing him as we step back, so we walk around with extreme care. And when we walk, he follows us on the side - it is hilarious and awesome. Can we discourage this somehow?? We don't want to step on him, obviously.

3. When he didn't have full wings, he climbed onto my finger without a problem. Ever since he discovered full flight, he shys away from my fingers and simply refuses them. My wife can pet him and massage him endlessly. Do I need to tie treats to my fingers to win him over? I've love to scratch and pet him, but apparently my male fingers scare him.
 
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janicedyh

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Big warning about the flying while you are cooking, I just read where someones bird flew into a pot of boiling water. About the stuffed animal. I have Doby a stuffed parrot, I attached it to the inside bars where he can't throw it around.
 

Norm Ustitz

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Big warning about the flying while you are cooking, I just read where someones bird flew into a pot of boiling water. About the stuffed animal. I have Doby a stuffed parrot, I attached it to the inside bars where he can't throw it around.
yup, all pots and pans are usually covered, and he makes it a point to avoid those.
 

Zara

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1. Let Inky ¨play¨ with the penguin. My Sydney (GU) does that with a boing alllllllll the time. Let Inky have the release or s/he will become frustrated.
2. Keep the bird out of the kitchen when you are cooking period. It´s not a good combo. Close a door.
3. Sounds like your wife is the favourite one :) My boyfriend is Aldoras favourite. Offer plenty of treats, but you may find that Inky only wants to be your friend if your wife is not there. Observe how your wife approaches Inky to pet him/her, and copy the technique. Don´t push Inky into anything s/he does not want.

That is just the cutest name BTW!
 

Norm Ustitz

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1. Let Inky ¨play¨ with the penguin. My Sydney (GU) does that with a boing alllllllll the time. Let Inky have the release or s/he will become frustrated.
2. Keep the bird out of the kitchen when you are cooking period. It´s not a good combo. Close a door.
3. Sounds like your wife is the favourite one :) My boyfriend is Aldoras favourite. Offer plenty of treats, but you may find that Inky only wants to be your friend if your wife is not there. Observe how your wife approaches Inky to pet him/her, and copy the technique. Don´t push Inky into anything s/he does not want.
That is just the cutest name BTW!
thanks a lot
Unfortunately our kitchen is doorless, so that's that. She just grabs him and pets him and he loves it. I am unable to approach him with 1 or 2 hands open and exposed. I will keep trying. When noone else is home, he seems specially friendly to me, but he still stays away from my hands.
Inly comes from the Spanish "inquieto", which means restless or doesn't stand still.
 

Zara

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The bird I found, Aldora, doesn´t like hands. She will land on me, but not on my hand. But every now and then she will come. I have only ever stroked her once, she nudged my fingers. I suppose it is different for me as I have a few birds, so to not be able to touch one doesn´t bother me at all.

Does he come over and land on you? Keep a good supply of his fave treats nearby and eventually he may associate you with good things.
I suggest you start just using one hand rather than two. I like to aproach from in front, low to high.

Sydney is my little snuggler. I rub my thumb and finger together infront of him and he will either back up or bow down to let me know if he wants to be scratched or not.

Maybe it is your hand size. Birds can be quite perculiar like that.

And that is a very fitting name for a lovebird. Only my bird Nube has a Spanish name. And everyone elses are pronounced in their English form (Jaime in particular).
 

Norm Ustitz

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The bird I found, Aldora, doesn´t like hands. She will land on me, but not on my hand. But every now and then she will come. I have only ever stroked her once, she nudged my fingers. I suppose it is different for me as I have a few birds, so to not be able to touch one doesn´t bother me at all.
Does he come over and land on you? Keep a good supply of his fave treats nearby and eventually he may associate you with good things.
I suggest you start just using one hand rather than two. I like to aproach from in front, low to high.
Sydney is my little snuggler. I rub my thumb and finger together infront of him and he will either back up or bow down to let me know if he wants to be scratched or not.
Maybe it is your hand size. Birds can be quite perculiar like that.
And that is a very fitting name for a lovebird. Only my bird Nube has a Spanish name. And everyone elses are pronounced in their English form (Jaime in particular).
Hey Zara - you rollerblade through life, and I play roller hockey. Cool.
Yes, Inky will fly to my head and shoulder and nibble on my toes as he walks around my feet. But, he refuses the fingers. I will definitely try the 1 handed approach with nearby treats. Sydney sounds awesome. When I see Inky bow down to my wife's fingers and fluff up, it's awesome.
 

Norm Ustitz

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an update
The interactions with the penguin continue, and when the penguin gets taken out of the cage to be washed, Inky gets restless. Yes, we need to wash the penguin because the bird will build up barnacle-like clumps of whatever he throws up. He does it along the penguin's armpits and basicly anywhere. Picture clumps of granola and frosted flakes, glued to the little penguin.
1. The dancing with the penguin is constant = all day = all the time. To the point that the bird's butt had few feathers from so much rubbing against the penguin, and the penguin wants us to get him a lawyer because "no means no" means nothing to the bird. Again, is this normal to see the bird on the penguin all day, except when we're washing and drying the penguin? We take it out here and there, but when we return it to the cage, it provides instant calm and joy, better than millet.
 

Zara

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and the penguin wants us to get him a lawyer because "no means no" means nothing to the bird
:lol:




Does Inky have other toys? Different types of things to play with? How about some foraging activities?
 

Norm Ustitz

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:lol:
Does Inky have other toys? Different types of things to play with? How about some foraging activities?
Hey Zara....We recently put a small mirror in the cage, and there a hanging basket/foraging/strings toy as well. We put food in it, he shook it all about, and sent the food all over the floor. Should we put other loose items in the cage floor?
 

DoubleTake

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Hey Zara....We recently put a small mirror in the cage, and there a hanging basket/foraging/strings toy as well. We put food in it, he shook it all about, and sent the food all over the floor. Should we put other loose items in the cage floor?
I would removed that mirror, nothing good will come of it. Only reason for a mirror is for a bird who has "issues/disorders".

Does he have foot toys? stuff he can push and fling around? Birds like to make messes and he probably enjoyed making it all fall to the ground, mine will wait for it to get all put back up just to bring it all down again.
 

Zara

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Wooden beads/blocks, bells, (kitten) balls, swing, colourful beads, shiny things, noisy things, shreddables; paper, cardboard, seagrass.

A minimum of 5 toys that are all different is a good number. Store bought or DIY, Inky won´t mind as long as it is something interesting ;)

Foraging is very important and it is so easy. You can purchase forager toys or DIY things.
The Parrot Enrichment Activity Book | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum
Foraging; An easy How-to | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum
This is a great write up about store bought foragers: Foraging Toy Reviews
and also her own DIY idea: Forage/Foot Toy Basket

Here are some links to where you can find foraging toys:
Foraging Supplies for Birds and Parrots
Foraging Toys



Does he have foot toys?
I always think of foot toys for a lovebird more as ¨beak toys¨. Like Brian said, they will push them around on the floor and fling them around. Little kitten balls are great (the cage ones with bells inside).
 

Norm Ustitz

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thank you Zara. I will work on your suggestions.
What about the regurgitation that goes on constantly? Where he creates a paste-like caulking that he eats and recycles in his mouth.
Is that ok?
 

Zara

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My bird Sydney does the same. Monitor weight and make sure that he is not just regurgitating all of his food out.
You should find that once he is mating with the toy less, he will regurgitate less. They go hand in hand.
 

Norm Ustitz

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My bird Sydney does the same. Monitor weight and make sure that he is not just regurgitating all of his food out.
You should find that once he is mating with the toy less, he will regurgitate less. They go hand in hand.
absolutely, when the penguin is out of the cage, he doesn't regurgitate. As soon as he sees the penguin, he starts gagging..It's weird, but oh well
 

Zara

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.It's weird
It´s a mating thing.
When you have a true pair of lovebirds, the male will feed the female as part of the ritual before (and sometimes during) mating :)
 

Norm Ustitz

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It´s a mating thing.
When you have a true pair of lovebirds, the male will feed the female as part of the ritual before (and sometimes during) mating :)
that's adorable. Why don't we humans do that? Why don't we include a drink, or fried calamari, or some sashimi during foreplay?
 

Zara

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Some people do.... :eating:
 

Leih

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My bonded pair of male linnies regurgitate for each other. They're really cute, take turns.
 

Zara

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bonded pair of male linnies regurgitate for each other
That´s cute.❤

I believe that in the PFL world, it is rare to see two males feed one another. I haven´t had any first hand experience with that though.
 
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