Looking for some of your thoughts...

[bmurph37]

I have been contemplating adopting a poicephalus for over a year now and have recently found one at a (fairly) local bird shop. She hatched in June and is nearly fully weaned onto Tropimix weaning pellets. Talking to the manager of the store revealed that they received her from the breeder a few weeks ago and that she has been spending significant time out in the store interacting with a diverse range of customers of all genders, races, etc. Because she spends time out in the open in the store, her wings have been clipped to keep her from flying to the large windows in the front of the store. She has not had a vet check, but the manager assured me that the breeder has regular health checks on the parents that have come up clear. I went and met her today and spent some time with her. She stepped up onto my hand and spent some time sitting with me in the store. She seemed hesitant to stay with me very long and "flew" away but got back u when I went over to her. I put her back on the play stand that she came from after about a half hour. When I went to see if she would step up again she bit me (not too hard). What was your interaction like with your bird the first time you met? Any serious red flags that stick out to you guys with this background? I don't plan on keeping the wings clipped if I do decide to get her, but I'm hoping she'll still learn to fly after her first molt.

 

[sunnysmom]

 

[BirdBro]

Get a vet check conditional on purchase.

I'm not a huge fan of shop raised birds - a huge amount of them come from mill like breeders or filthy backyard breeders in my experience in the industry. They also normally do not receive good socialization & esp pois become hand shy or bitey.

If you're going to buy a baby than get it direct from a quality breeder, even if you'll have to drive a day or two.

 

[datlamb]

he sounds lovely..
a thing i would consider is that because of his socialisation with customers who may not be very familiar with parrots he will be a bit more shy/defensive? those customers may have crossed his boundaries or forced him to be handles/petted without knowing

 

[finchly]

I would not worry about this bite. The bird doesn't know you yet (and you don't know him).

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

I am not surprised by the bite and I would not have bothered the bird who put itself away and obviously wanted a rest after interacting with humans. I am sure he gave you body language cues to leave him alone and you pushed it too far so he nipped you to reinforce his desire to be left alone. We humans are ego centric and think just because WE want to interact with a pet, that pet should drop everything and cheerfully interact with us, no matter how it feels. This is one of the biggest reasons birds bite; to say "hell no" when their body language "no, thank you" is ignored.

My favorite species of parrot for pet choice and interaction are the Poicephalus species. Specifically, I love the Meyers and the Senegals the most, and my heartbird is a Senegal Parrot named Sunshine. Sunny picked me as a flock member at a bird show and kept jumping on me until I bought her (five times during the show). This year she is 17 years old and she was three months old when she picked me and I woke up and bought her. I can do just about anything with her and she only bites if I actually physically hurt her due to inattention or she is afraid for some reason and I pick her up to get her out of danger. I had the same relation ship with Hobbs Meyers and Trixie Meyers who both died due to accidents or the result of accidents. Pois can be very stubborn and, like most parrots, love routine and predictability. Sunny guards me against interaction from other birds when I first go into the free flight birdroom. She gets her cuddles and special treats and then takes a nap on me for an hour. The other parrots in the room start visiting me while she naps and I feed treats and scritch cockatiels, lovebirds and budgies as they come to me for attention. Most of these birds tolerate only a scritch or two with their treats unlike the hours-long one on one attention Sunny requires of me. Pois are also like little bulldogs with feathers; they will defend you from all comers and if another bird bites you and the Poi sees it, they chase and try to physically punish the biter. Sunny likes to lift the biters by a wing or tail feather and dangle them in the air for a few moments before dropping them. I sometimes think they are having a mental communication during the dangle!

If I were younger and able to care for my birds better, I would have a flock consisting of every species of Poicephalus. They are awesome birdies.

 

[Princessbella]

My first bird was unusual so our first interaction was also not usual. I went into the pet store to get a kitten. This store would take in strays, socialize and spay them, and you only paid for the vet fee for spaying. The kittens were in the back. The birds were in the front. I stopped to look at the cockatiels and this pearl looked at me. I put my hand in the enclosure, she ran up my arm and refused to get off. She wouldn't go to anyone else. So not knowing about birds, I wound up buying her but not before she picked out all of her own toys. The only sad thing about it was that she wasn't a completely healthy bird and I lost her at 11 years old. She had multiple episodes of pneumonia, which in retrospect, was why she was such a chill bird.
With this bird, if you are having any doubts, keep visiting it before buying. Also I agree with the vet check.

 

[bmurph37]

Thanks for your input, everybody. I think I've decided against getting this one for now after visiting a second time. I'll keep on the lookout for other available birds and wait for mine to come along. If anyone knows of any good breeders that still have available red bellies this late in the season please let me know, preferably in the Midwest region but anywhere would do for someone with your strong recommendation. Thanks!

 

[Princessbella]

You are making a wise decision. I wish that everyone was as thoughtful as you. They would be less abandoned birds if there was. The right bird will come when it is the right time. I think that @CrazyBirdChick had a similar experience. She wanted a Quaker and although other birds came along, she waited until she found the right one.

 

[iamwhoiam]

It's not late in the season for red-bellied parrots, btw. They generally breed in winter and early spring but some can breed throughout the year especially indoors in a controlled environment. Have you checked rescues?
Out of curiosity, why did you decide that this wasn't the right bird for you?