First night Home

[NK_717]

Jellybean is here, at last.

But, he is quite a flighty bird (has always slipped out of being cuddled and flies very very well. Even with clipped wings.) And he is supposedly not just pure Peach-faced, the store actually dont know what he's a cross of.

Right now he is climbing and hopping around his cage, chest heaving and all. My brother is leaving him be, in hopes he'll feel safer just seeing the 'tiels right next-cage.
What are the first steps to better tame a flighty bird? just in general. I don't have very good ideas of their body language or anything

In our visits leading up to now, when he gets cupped in our hands, he mellows and just wants to get scritches but without a hand over him he just wants to flip off. I think right now his extra flightiness is due to being in this brand new environment, void of birds chattering and macaws squawking..

 

[luckym]

When I got my first lovebird, he was a flighty little thing. Whenever I was in the room, I would open the cage door and let him roam wherever he wanted while I was supervising him. He eventually got pretty comfortable with me being near, and was venturous enough to walk right over to me. I started to give him food whenever he was brave enough to walk towards me as a reward. Muse never really liked being held, but he liked my company. Just take it slow, and soon enough Jellybean will come to think of you as his best friend

 

[fluffypoptarts]

He's going to be like that as a baby - sounds halfway between Twink and Turnip. I recall long sessions of cradling young Twink (mummy position!) and if I did anything more than rub circles on his head (no shifting allowed), he was out of there! He only became the velcro bird who would fly after me just to get on me after he'd been home at least a month or two.

 

[CallieCadmoor]

I would read stories to Eros and play with some of his toys while he watched. He took a few weeks but eventually he learnt that my hands aren't scary and now it is a mission to get him off of them (they are very acrobatic) The cuddling was immediate but stopped at about 4/5 months old. Now he is 10 months and he loves cuddles. He also became less flighty when I allowed for his wings to grow out

He is now a partial velcro bird

Take it slow and show your wee one how much you love him without outright spoiling

 

[metalstitcher]

Take it slow with him for right now and let him get acclimated to his surroundings. it might take some time but he will calm down but he will. Just be patient with him and remember its not an over night thing and ever bird is different.

 

[Lady Jane]

I am in the 4th week with a new Lovebird. You might want to read the thread I started about him because there is so much great advice. Its called Lovebird Cooper Events.
He does love to fly and I let him out 2 to 3 times per day. Just yesterday he is stepping up on a perch so its much easier to get him back in the cage now. I was tempting him with spray millet. Have you posted photos yet?

 

[expressmailtome]

Congratulations! Going slowly will be your best bet with him.

 

[zoo mom]

No advice other than what you have been given. Just wanted to congratulate your brother on his new friend.

 

[NK_717]

He's very alert and keeping an eye on anything near his cage
Pikachu and Pepper keep climbing to the side closest to his, and just blink at him like "What's that?"

He really wants to interact with the 'tiels (or he's trying to protect his cage. One of the two. Goes for their feet) but
they want nothing to do with him haha.

So far he just flies about until he's cupped securely in one's hands, where he accepts scritches. But after that, he rockets back to the cage or where ever he could hide.
Originally the store offered to give us a different lovie, one handfed and being raised there, where we could see the parents. But I think Jellybean is my brother's heart bird- he did not feel much of a connection to the ones offered, just little Jellybean. The reason they offered is due to his extra flightiness, where as their babies tend to turn out much calmer, but I think he is going to stick
Since he is a bit of a challenge, they really knocked down the price for Jellybean and gave my brother a free carrier and his food. More money for bird toys!

 

[NK_717]

@Lady Jane I certainly will keep an eye on your thread!

Now I need to figure out what foods to offer Jellybean, once he's settling in. Lovies like 'wet' fruits, right? Bananas and such.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

Lovies tend to dislike fruit, actually, though some will eat it. Mine love peas and corn, lol. Starchy stuff.

 

[metalstitcher]

@fluffypoptarts that explains the chip thief i have in my midst lol. Gracie is diggin the zupreem fruity pellets you recommended though. I styill can't get her to eat veggies though and sprouts she is still creaming at them. Bo is still a seed driven boy.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

@fluffypoptarts that explains the chip thief i have in my midst lol. Gracie is diggin the zupreem fruity pellets you recommended though. I styill can't get her to eat veggies though and sprouts she is still creaming at them. Bo is still a seed driven boy.

Haha, yes! And there's also the fact that they love whatever they're not supposed to have. I can't understand why fruity pellets are acceptable to my fruit-hating lovies, yet the plain ones aren't! Makes no sense, birds. I can't get anyone here to touch sprouts either.

 

[metalstitcher]

That was the most miss-typed post ever for me lol wow I'm surprised you could read that @fluffypoptarts

 

[zoo mom]

That was the most miss-typed post ever for me lol wow I'm surprised you could read that @fluffypoptarts

Hey we can understand parrots (sort of) yours was easy.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

Hey we can understand parrots (sort of) yours was easy.

Word! If I can interpret "screechy-SQUALL-clickety-click!!" and such on a regular basis, I can usually figure out what people are trying to say. Hehehehe~

 

[NK_717]

He has a Kabob/shredder thing, Ping-pong paddle with leather knots and beads,
AS Birdy Bling toy (he loves it so far!) and a heavily demolished balsa cube from TP that the tiels lost interest in.

Day two, (Im not counting the first since he literally came home and then had to go to sleep within 30mins)
he is getting more vocal, before pretty silent. Climbs and flies around, waddles on the floor and chews on stuff.

He is very very camera shy so I wont be able to take pics until he's more comfortable

 

[fluffypoptarts]

Mine were camera shy, too. And quiet - they get much more chatty as they settle and get older!