• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Do you Change their name ????

Tyrion

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
1/22/15
Messages
6,797
Location
Oh Canada
Real Name
Annette Thompson
Now I don't know how long Harley has been Harley ...but he does say his name ...I would like to change his name to Ghost ...I think it fits him and it fits my use of Game of Thrones theme I got going in my home ...I would think if they are like any animal the more often you use it the more they take to it ....Ill run it by slowly at first and then use it all the time with treats ...I would think like any word you use it more he will get use to it and maybe will start using it himself ....it worked with Tyrion ...what do you guys think ? :)
 

Sarahmoluccan

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
7/3/16
Messages
8,339
Location
Ontario Canada
Real Name
Sarah
Hmmm... Personally I wouldn't change his name, unless he seems like he has really negative association with it. You could use Ghost as a nickname thou. :) If he decides he wants to drop the use of Harley then great. But as long as he uses his original name I'd keep it. Or Maybe Ghost can be his middle name. ;) Plus as a Too he won't have as large or as flexible vocabulary as Tyrion does. I did see him in another thread he's such a cutie :heart: I hope everything works out :)
 

Aubrey

Biking along the boulevard
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
7/17/13
Messages
8,285
Location
Missouri, USA
I think changing a parrots name is different than say changing a dogs names. Just MHO.

Because he says his name I'd keep it (personally). This is also why I kept Leto's name. It was his name for 8 yrs and he said it and identified with it :shrug:
 

Lwalker

Rollerblading along the road
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
5/2/16
Messages
3,443
Location
Ontario
Real Name
Lori
I think they identify with their names so changing would be problematic. Cricket and Watson definitely know their names and will respond to them.

Even with dogs - when I got Barney he was one year old and I wanted to change his name desperately. People said pick some thing similar. We tried Barley, Bailey, Harley, ...darn dog would only answer to Barney LOL, so he got to keep his name. Actually, I am glad as the name grew on me and suits him to a "T." Over the years he acquired the nick name Boo.

If you were going to change I think Ghost is too dissimilar. It would have to be something quite close in sound (Marley, Charlie)
 

DQTimnehs

Ri-DQ-lously crazy 4 TAGs!
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
11/21/11
Messages
19,311
Location
ON, Canada
Real Name
Jennifer
I have always kept them even if I don't like their names. They do like hearing their names. They often get nicknames which are usually some takeoff of their names.
 

Tanya

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
2/22/14
Messages
2,435
Location
California
Real Name
Tanya
I vote to keep the name and add the one you like, as in Harley-Ghost. Use both together and see how he responds.

Rhubarb will look to me when I say "Rhubarb" but she treats that word as if it is equivalent to "pay attention!" The "name" I use most often use with her (and what she actually says) is "Good girl" or "Girly bird." She really treats the word "Girl" as if it is her name... even saying it to strangers that she really likes when she first meets them.

Lìmone does the same as Rhubarb when I say his formal name. He said "hey baby" quite a lot when he first arrived... but I use "birdy boy" and "good boy" much more frequently. Now he says "hey biby boy." I don't know him well enough to really tell if he believes it to be his name or just something we say to one another. (I've never seen him "introduce" himself to a stranger.)

 
Last edited:

cassiesdad

Ripping up the road
Weather Authority
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avian Angel
Joined
3/21/11
Messages
1,000,000
Location
Erie PA
Real Name
Bob Weisman
I vote to keep the name and add the one you like, as in Harley-Ghost. Use both together and see how he responds.
That's what I'd do...
 

Tyrion

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
1/22/15
Messages
6,797
Location
Oh Canada
Real Name
Annette Thompson
Well Ill see how it goes ..Ill try Harley Ghost for awhile and see what he responds to ..I know when I changed Lagathas name she didnt seem to mind her name was Jade before and I just started calling her Lagatha and giving her treats when calling her ...now 1 1/2 yrs later she always looks over at me when I call her Lagatha ...but she never said her name and came from a totally different situation then Harley did so I may get a totally different reaction from Harley ...I just really dont like Harley I dont know why but its not all about me is it ..its about what ever makes him comfortable in his new situation so I will do whatever it takes to do that ..Im just glad he is going to be apart of my home ...I think Im going to pick him up on Tuesday as long as he passes his health exam ...I cant wait :fairy2:
 

WallyLoopey

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
6/25/12
Messages
4,197
Location
Alabama
Real Name
Kate
I definately don't like Walter but we never thought twice about changing it. I think it would be confusing for an older bird who already identifies with their name.
 

iamwhoiam

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/16/12
Messages
28,269
Location
the zoo
Since he says his name and has had it for awhile I wouldn't change it. "Harley" is a cute name in my opinion. I almost named one of my new 'tiels "Harley" and was going to name the other one "Quinn", but I didn't go that route.

I did change one of the 'tiels names, though, but he only had that for about 3 months. His name was "JoJo" and it just didn't fit and I didn't like it. Sometimes, too, I call my dog "Geordie"..."Geor..Geor" and they sounded to similar.
 

WeasleyLover

Joyriding the Neighborhood
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
2/5/12
Messages
15,450
Real Name
Maddy
I wouldn't change it, especially if he knows and says it. Like other have said, add your choice name to the end. That is what I did with Jester, I turned him into Jester Bean!

I have changed one of my adopted bird's names.......Presley. Her name was 'Precious', but I really didn't like that. So I started calling her Press, and then Pressie, which turned into Presley. She gets called Pressie most of the time though.

Grey Bird is the name I would have liked to change the most, but it wouldn't have been right to change it after 20 years. I did give him a official full name, Greyson Carter, but I rarely use it.

 

Chopper

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
6/12/14
Messages
3,490
Location
Maryland
Real Name
Mary lynn Snowman
I have changed the names and then changed them back after I heard them say their name or saw recognition in their eyes if I said the name. It totally depends on how the bird acts.
 

macawpower58

Flying along the Avenue
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avian Angel
Shutterbugs' Best
Joined
8/25/11
Messages
1,000,000
Location
Pennsylvania
I'd go for Harley Ghost also.

Still his name, and he'll learn to identify with both in time.

All of my birds are called by different or multiple names, they know I'm talking to them when I use any of them.

I think they also know their 'proper' name is just that.

Harley Ghost is cute too. :)
 

faislaq

I have macaws and don't post enough pictures
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
10/25/16
Messages
16,507
Location
Texas
Real Name
Karen
There's a wonderful thread in African Grey Alley called Re-naming Gizmo to Willow, and some talking stories I'm not sure how to link to it, though.
 

EllaMay

Rollerblading along the road
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
11/6/16
Messages
2,184
Location
Indiana
Real Name
April
I changed Sweetie's name because she didn't respond to it at all. Now when I say Daisy Mae she responds, I really don't think anyone really called her by her name.

I like Harley-Ghost alot! :cool:
 

Tyrion

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
1/22/15
Messages
6,797
Location
Oh Canada
Real Name
Annette Thompson
Yeah Harley is growing on me specially because when he says it its so darn cute ...but I like Ghost very much ... so I think Ill use Ghost as a nick name ...he will get use to it and respond to both :)
 

Laurie

The Best Bird Toys
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/15/13
Messages
4,098
Location
USA
Real Name
Laurie
I agree that using both together and seeing how he responds is best. I bet he would answer to both. I would us Harley-Ghost and then Ghost separately until he responds to both.
 

Mizzely

Lil Monsters Bird Toys
Super Moderator
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
8/9/11
Messages
39,968
Location
Northern Mitten Michigan
Real Name
Shawna [she/her]
Gizmo I never tried because I knew her as Gizmo long before she was mine :)

Bobber I initially hated the name and tried really hard to name him something new but similar (Bob-omb from Mario was my husband's suggestion!) and we just couldn't get it to stick - with us OR him. So he's Bobber, or Bobber Baby as he calls himself :p
 
Top