cockatoo took over my life...

[birdashes]

@cassiesdad
Hehe, Valentine gives his thanks!

I am indeed buckled in! I may not know exactly what's to come, but I'm preparing myself best for the wild ride

I'll definitely be using AA as a resource, the best way to learn is from people that have experience, and you all certainly have experience!

@alshgs
Thanks!
I love the little 'toos too

@Chopper
Thank you! Congrats- it's been a fun time with Val, hope you get your RB2!


@Tiel Feathers
Thanks Val is certainly very special, he's done a lot of good for me . I think I'm more lucky to have him though

@Tanya
He has certainly stolen my heart <3
Rhubarb sounds a lot like a sweetheart ! Val is learning some tricks.. He knows how to turn around although he knows it as 'spin', he can identify the color yellow and he knows how to 'hold hands' - he'll hold my finger with his foot - slowly working on turning that into a wave and a shake!

If you don't mind me asking, how did you get her so comfortable with new people? Was it just exposure over time? Val is a bit... Weird around new people, I need to work on socializing him, but I'm not quite sure how to start haha!

I'm sorry to hear about her health issues

 

[Tanya]

It was a process. When they're under a year old, it's pretty easy because they tend trust you to know best. So they'll step up for almost anyone so long as there's a good trust relationship with you and you're the one handing them over. Since he's over a year old and still relatively new to your home, you might want to wait a few months. Take time to observe him until you know all his subtle body language cues. It will be critically necessary to be able to read him when introducing him to strangers.

Over a year old it's a bit harder, but watching his body language and coaching the humans is usually best. If you're calm and he's calm, it will get you most of the way (he'll know when you're uncomfortable and he'll be more skittish). It's often best to start with one new person in a somewhat familiar environment (but possibly out of sight of his cage).

At our house, if Rhubarb seems to like the new person, I'll ask if they want to pet her face. If they don't have much bird experience, I will tell them that is how birds make friends with other birds. Also, birds prefer to be touched in the head because they need help to preen their faces. Unlike a dog they do not want to be touched on the back/wings because the only way of escape if they get scared is to fly. (Obvious once you know, but most people don't really spend much time with birds).

Then I demonstrate how to scritch: "Say 'Want scritches?' then wiggle a finger, like this, near her cheek until you see the fluff."
She usually puffs her head on cue.
"See the feathers come up? She wants pets now."
I pet her face for a bit and then coach them through the process for themselves while she remains on my hand. I tell them how she doesn't have fingers, so she touches everything with her tongue, so be prepared for her to lick you when you pet her for the first time.
If everyone has fun, I may ask if they would like to hold her. She prefers to step up on to wrists, especially with new people, because it's more stable than a hand (twitchy) or forearm (squishy rotation). Again I coach and demonstrate and then let her do it with them. She's pretty used to this process and will go through it with most new people. I like to think it's because she trusts me and knows I'll keep her from discomfort and harm. Only twice have I physically removed her from the reach of someone; once because she liked them too much and was getting overstimulated by their baby talk, and once because the person was not listening to me and was trying to pet her back instead of her face.

TL;DR summary:
BE calm in your self and provide lots of positive reinforcement (scritches or tiny pieces of food treats work well paired with your reassuring voice)
CHOOSE low-intensity meetings (only one or two people at a time until he gets used to being introduced to strangers)
WATCH his body language and proceed only if he is relaxed
COACH the human if they don't have experience and
REMOVE him from contact with the human if he appears to be tense/stressed or too excited (that's when bites happen)

 

[birdashes]

@Tanya Thank you so much for your reply & taking the time to write it!! I appreciate it so much! I'm gonna bookmark it and reread it a few times Rhubarb sounds like a lovely girl!

When we first got Val at 6 months he was much more willing.. Ever since he hit about 10-11 months he has started to become more anxious around others, and I think he's chosen me as his favorite, so we're seeing some aggression toward the rest of my family when I'm in the room. We're working on the aggression- he's not too bad now, he was for awhile 'chasing' feet and biting hard. Now it's more of a territorial guarding thing ( he will rub his beak and bang on me if he's on my lap along with a lovely stink eye - if not he'll run up to the other person and scream and bang the floor) . This is a work in progress, my family understands he's just being a 'too which has helped, but I know I need to socialize him with others and continue working on it to 'ease' puberty a bit when he gets older.

I'm finally learning his body language. It's been surprisingly hard, the 'too body language is so different from my other birds that the first few months really threw me.

My biggest issue is getting him willing to interact, because another person comes in and all he cares about is me.... Or chasing them out. I got him to interact pretty positively with a friend of mine a week or so ago though. This friend grew up with a African grey ( whom sadly just passed ) so she certainly knows her birds.He was a bit nervous and refused to move off my leg but we got him to play 'reverse fetch' with my freind and he eventually got (positively) excited and calmed down. Went great. He wouldn't let her touch her ( I offered if she wanted to try to pet him after he was calmed down.. She was about to when I noticed a small movement he does with his neck before he bites, so I told her to stop, and all went well.) but besides that he seemed to really enjoy the interaction. I guess what I'm trying to get at is, getting him to play with other people is good too right? I'm not sure how to socialize until I get him more touchable with people that aren't me. It doesn't sound like you had this issue with Rhubarb though...? @JLcribber sorry for tagging you! , but would you be willing to give some advice for this?

So sorry for the babbles and more questions! Thank you so much again! I really love AA so far, you all are so great

 

[Clueless]

You're not babbling....

Keep in mind, too (no play on words....this is entirely an accident), that others come and read these posts without commenting.

Your questions, thoughts and the responsive posts often help others in the bird world.

 

[JLcribber]

I'm finally learning his body language. It's been surprisingly hard, the 'too body language is so different from my other birds that the first few months really threw me.

It's all in the eyes. Watch those eyes

My biggest issue is getting him willing to interact, because another person comes in and all he cares about is me....

That is exactly the problem. That isn't likely to change. All these other relationships will need to develop outside of your presence. As long as you are in sight or just "known" to be close by his focus is going to be on you. Everyone else is an intruder/competition. Right now.

When you aren't around he will be a different bird. So this is a mind game again. You have to trick him into thinking you aren't there whether you are or not when they are working on their relationships.

TIKA loves my wife. She only spends about 20 to 40 minutes a day directly interacting with him simply because any more than that and things get out of control. I can handle him like any other bird when my wife isn't around. The minute she enters the situation I instantly get demoted to competition.

 

[jmfleish]

I think it's absolutely fantastic that you are clicker training him and trying to socialize him. The earlier the better! My first RB2, Kishka, was an amazing bird and then right around four, he started to hit puberty and chose my significant other over me and started to attack me. I'm no stranger to having a Cockatoo attack me as my D2, Reggie, went through this phase too but my problem with Kishka was that that I had a very, very hard time reading him and he could absolutely turn on a dime...he'd be incredibly sweet and then in a nanosecond, he'd want to rip my skin off. Reggie was easy to read and I could usually avoid the bites. I also have Kishka's biological brother and clutch mate, Fozzie, who is also going through puberty but at least Fozzie chose me instead of Jon. They both just turned seven at the beginning of April and are housed together in the same cage. I can handle Kishka with great care when Jon is no where to be seen but if Jon is around, I can't be anywhere in sight if Kishka is out. Kish was my heart bird, the bird I waited seven years to finally get and he was the greatest and funniest bird those first four years until he started going after me, so it's really hard for me to accept that he's chosen Jon over me and it's really hard to not be able to share that special bond with him that I once had. I'm hoping that he will grow into his hormones the way Reggie did. Reggie is now 16 and is no longer a raging hormonal nightmare...that pretty much stopped at around 12 but he also had a pretty bad bout with zinc poisoning around the age of seven. I also have a breeding pair of Rosies, Leo and Letti, who are in their teens and they are as sweet as can be. So, I'm hoping both Fozzie and Kishka will calm down after they are used to the hormonal surges that hit them. Otherwise, we try to work around them!

 

[Riptide Queen]

Welcome to the Avenue!!

Your baby is super duper cute. Galahs always have a had a special place in my heart. They look like cute lil' stuffed animals! (well, 'too me that is!) please don't mind my bad puns!

Speaking of Galahs, my partner's sister knows how much I love birds and in her class, her teacher brings her Galah as well! His name is Lucky and he likes to pretend like he's gonna fall off the edge to get attention according to my partner's sister! I met Lucky very once and he just stared at me.

 

[birdashes]

@Clueless


@JLcribber
The first thing I ever noticed about cockatoos were how expressive their eyes are... Ill definitely keep watching those eyes

I've been getting my family to spend time with him while I'm not in there, from what I've been told his behavior has gotten more more 'lax' around them. However he does not let them touch him often, nor does he seek out direct interaction with them so that's something to work on!

Thank you! I never stop learning with a 'too Gotta think on how to work with the mind game !

@jmfleish
I'm just doing all I can for the little guy! Glad it's good I'm doing it!
I am a bit afraid of how he will be during puberty... I've heard the 'too horror stories, so right now my goal is educating myself as much as possible and prepping both him and me!

He's definitely already pretty unpredictable and crazy 'tooish, I think he may have missed out on the ' sweet and cute baby 'too ' memo

I'm unsure on whether I should be concerned on the fact he seems to be exhibiting hormonal behavior & picking me as a faveroite person at only year old... My understanding was they don't mature until 2-4. Can anybody illuminate me on this?

@Riptide Queen
Thanks !

RB2s are beautiful birds! They're very close to my heart too just don't be deceived, they have the 'too attitude!
Lucky sounds like a character!

 

[JLcribber]

He's only 1. It's not real hormones but they do start practising. That is the end goal also. Males might start a little earlier. He's just trying to make this new world bend to the way he thinks it should be.

 

[galah!]

Best of luck with Valentine!
Living in Western Australia means i get to see these little wonders everyday
in gigantic flocks of 30,40 or even 50!!!
some pics would be great also

 

[birdashes]

He's only 1. It's not real hormones but they do start practising. That is the end goal also. Males might start a little earlier. He's just trying to make this new world bend to the way he thinks it should be.

It seems pretty silly, but i was getting worried that somehow he had some hormone issue or I did something ... Lol. The stress I put myself through over this silly pink bird! The clarification helps a lot, thanks

Best of luck with Valentine!
Living in Western Australia means i get to see these little wonders everyday
in gigantic flocks of 30,40 or even 50!!!
some pics would be great also

Oh how I envy you! No parrots here in the U.S. to see outside
I'm so in love with those birds... I'd just about die to see the flock of RB2s!

Val never stops moving so getting photos of him is sorta like getting pictures of Bigfoot lol! But I'll try