Maximilian experiences?

[baserock love]

And so are mine.
For me it's easy. Take them/allowed them to be with you and have a silent parrot, close the door and get some privacy and have screaming parrot. No thanks!
And I don't think this is wrong. Flockmates is always together and never leave each other. Ok, perhaps you can teach them to be alone and stop flockcalling, but it will never be your parrots first choice. To be alone is not natural for them.

Ok nm. Out of curiosity. Have either of you ever tried leaving them alone till the screaming stops, and then going in and rewarding them for NOT screaming? Or going and giving them attention when they do indoor level vocalizations and ignoring them when they scream?

I only ask because this seems to be how you use positive reinforcement to avoid excessive screaming according to the trainers and behaviorists.

 

[Begone]

They are screamers.
This is one of my females. And this is recorded from another room.

 

[Begone]

Ok nm. Out of curiosity. Have either of you ever tried leaving them alone till the screaming stops, and then going in and rewarding them for NOT screaming? Or going and giving them attention when they do indoor level vocalizations and ignoring them when they scream?

I only ask because this seems to be how you use positive reinforcement to avoid excessive screaming according to the trainers and behaviorists.

No never if it is a flockcall. I answer back and allowed them to be with me. Like I said before, that is not natural for them to be alone and not to answer them if it is a flockcall is mean.
But if they scream for no reason, they will have a time out on their own. And I return when they are silent.

 

[baserock love]

They are screamers.
This is one of my females. And this is recorded from another room.

Ah yeah, the call of the wild. Most of the amazons who's owners i've talked to do that very loud flock call either right when they get up or before bed or both for a good 15 or 20 minutes. That's just birds being birds. I'm not worried about that at all. A lot of the owners just taught the birds to sing instead of do that with positive reinforcement.

I'm more concerned with like screaming screaming. I volunteered at a rescue and the macaws and cockatoos, as well as most of the cockatoos i've encountered, they just love to scream because they love to scream they were just EAR splitting loud for much of the day. The amazons were quite the opposite. They were chatterboxes but their super loudness was relegated to the morning/evening flock call. With amazons outside of their call of the wild screaming seems to be more of a learned bad behavior.

Like i encountered a few owners who were like "My amazon screams at ear splitting levels throughout the day almost non stop! Every time he does this i go and distract him with pets and treats to try to get him to stop for a little bit!". I"m thinking oh good, so you taught your bird that if it wants attention and food delivery all it needs to do is scream it's head off.

The bird I end up with wont' be alone often but if i gotta use the bathroom or put it in my room to avoid cooking fumes for an hour and it starts screaming, i'll probalby take the approach that others say worked for them which is just let it scream and don't come back in till it stops. that way it figures out it is mostly likely to get a reward for not being loud. They seem to get the picture pretty fast that the scream is not going to get it what it wants, and that's you.

 

[Dartman]

They all seem to have a different version of their flock call. Nerd's was BUUWEEEEEEP! Lurch was WOOOO!, and Dobby does kinda a BOOOO!
Like I said pretty sure Nerd knew actual wild Pionus calls and Lurch and Dobby just do what their instinct tells them and what they like.

 

[baserock love]

They all seem to have a different version of their flock call. Nerd's was BUUWEEEEEEP! Lurch was WOOOO!, and Dobby does kinda a BOOOO!
Like I said pretty sure Nerd knew actual wild Pionus calls and Lurch and Dobby just do what their instinct tells them and what they like.

This is one of my parrot friend's mealy amazon flock call

She lives in an apartment that is probably far less sound proofed than mine as do several of the amazon owners i've talked to. I'm not too worried about it. She says this goes on for about 15 minutes every morning. i would definitely see if i could persuade them to use some other vocalization if i can haha. If not, i'll just make sure the bird knows i hear him/her.

 

[Aubrey]

And so are mine.
For me it's easy. Take them/allowed them to be with you and have a silent parrot, close the door and get some privacy and have screaming parrot. No thanks!
And I don't think this is wrong. Flockmates is always together and never leave each other. Ok, perhaps you can teach them to be alone and stop flockcalling, but it will never be your parrots first choice. To be alone is not natural for them.

Yes. This is exactly how i feel JT

 

[Dartman]

Well for me the creature comes out when everyone is home and pretty much done going in and out. Nerd never tried to escape so we were more lax with him and he couldn't fly well and knew it, plus he was perfectly happy with his life. If we were home he was out till he decided to go to bed, which he usually did on his own.
Lurch could fly so we tried to be more careful and let him out when we were home and done but one day he was out and sister decided not to chase him around to put him away and sneak out seeing how I think he was sleeping, she came home, still sleeping so she tried to sneak in and he woke up and flew over to see her and out the door he went. SO with Dobby seeing how he's a acrobatic jet of a bird we make sure everyone's done for the day and out he comes. So if we're not ready to deal with him being a wild boy or both of us aren't home yet he's in but once everything is settled he gets out till we go to bed. They all were mostly quiet because they knew the routine and had things to do in thew cage when they weren't snoozing and waiting for us to come home. Usually if they hear somebody come home they start flock calling and making happy noises getting excited that their flock mates are home and they get to come out and hang out wherever they pleased as long as it wasn't hurting anything.
Nerd could hear the sound of my old car a block away and would start stretching and calling and if he was out I had to run in and try to catch him before he dove down the side of the cage and looked at me like you missed me again Lurch would get excited then have to plop on me and ride into the bathroom while I cleaned up so he could get drinks and play in the water from the faucet. Dobby is usually a bit more subdued and stretches and makes noises to himself and waits for us to all get settled so he can come out. Then he zooms around and lands on the couch to get treats while we eat.
If their routine was changed or things didn't happen when they knew the should they could get noisy complaining about not doing what was supposed to happen. They do exactly know when you normally come home, what you car sounds like, or noises you make while coming to the door and usually wake up and get ready to greet their family.
Nerd used to flock call and make noises in the mornings if the sun had come out which made him happy, then maybe a bit in the evening but they all would get noisy if they felt they were being ignored or something seemed wrong to them.

 

[baserock love]

Well for me the creature comes out when everyone is home and pretty much done going in and out. Nerd never tried to escape so we were more lax with him and he couldn't fly well and knew it, plus he was perfectly happy with his life. If we were home he was out till he decided to go to bed, which he usually did on his own.
Lurch could fly so we tried to be more careful and let him out when we were home and done but one day he was out and sister decided not to chase him around to put him away and sneak out seeing how I think he was sleeping, she came home, still sleeping so she tried to sneak in and he woke up and flew over to see her and out the door he went. SO with Dobby seeing how he's a acrobatic jet of a bird we make sure everyone's done for the day and out he comes. So if we're not ready to deal with him being a wild boy or both of us aren't home yet he's in but once everything is settled he gets out till we go to bed. They all were mostly quiet because they knew the routine and had things to do in thew cage when they weren't snoozing and waiting for us to come home. Usually if they hear somebody come home they start flock calling and making happy noises getting excited that their flock mates are home and they get to come out and hang out wherever they pleased as long as it wasn't hurting anything.
Nerd could hear the sound of my old car a block away and would start stretching and calling and if he was out I had to run in and try to catch him before he dove down the side of the cage and looked at me like you missed me again Lurch would get excited then have to plop on me and ride into the bathroom while I cleaned up so he could get drinks and play in the water from the faucet. Dobby is usually a bit more subdued and stretches and makes noises to himself and waits for us to all get settled so he can come out. Then he zooms around and lands on the couch to get treats while we eat.
If their routine was changed or things didn't happen when they knew the should they could get noisy complaining about not doing what was supposed to happen. They do exactly know when you normally come home, what you car sounds like, or noises you make while coming to the door and usually wake up and get ready to greet their family.
Nerd used to flock call and make noises in the mornings if the sun had come out which made him happy, then maybe a bit in the evening but they all would get noisy if they felt they were being ignored or something seemed wrong to them.

Cute! I've been watching more videos of peoples pi's on youtube and i must say while not very clear talkers they have some of the cutest chatters and general bird noises of any species I've seen.

Ugh, so sorry about lurch. Whatever bird I end up with I plant to keep unclipped and if it can't fly I'd like to teach it to do so and do flight recall exercises and the like eventually. I already have a system with the other occasional occupant here (He actually lives with his husband over an hour away in austin just sleeping here occasionally for work stuff.) worked out already. We have two deadbolts on the door. If I"m out in the living room with the bird which will be the training and dining room both deadbolts will be locked in which case he has to knock and be let in by me as one only opens from the inside. Most of the day the bird will be with me in my room on the huge play gym I'm building with the door shut unless it wants to go back to it's cage.

Back when I was in college I lived with a drunken idiot that let the ferret I had escape a few times. Amazingly he got back to me intact each time but that is the stuff of nightmares and I know how easy it can be for a determined animal to get out when somebody let's their guard down. One of the main reasons I really want to do flight recall training is in case it DOES escape. It definitely increases the odds that it will come back to you if you go out looking for it and calling it.

 

[Dartman]

Well luckily for Dobby he knows how to fly down as Momazon and her daughter tuaght him when they raised him. He did get out at least once while she had him and she just went to his tree with a bowel of his favorite oatmeal and she said he landed close to her shortly after but waited for her to come pick him up and pigged out on the food.
Lurch was afraid to fly down and finally got too high for me to climb up and get him, I already had climbed the first two trees he ended up in. So trying to make sure it never happens again but he has come back when it did.

 

[Maxsmom]

I have a maxi that I got at age 8, he is about to turn 13. He loves me, loves his environment, loves to play with lots of toys, he wants me nearby. He seeks out scritches a lot but he is not otherwise hands on. He is extremely independent and can be very nervous. But he can be very LOUD...like a lion seal loud. It is incredible. It was unexpected after adoption. The loud is not just if I am in another room. I have taken behavioral training classes, etc to do the best I can by him as I hadn't had this size bird prior to getting another pionus as a baby right before I adoped Charlie. Positive reinforcement has helped diminish noise but I still deal with loud noise. Charlie is very very happy. I take a lot of pride in having given him stability again and to see how he has adjusted. But he isn't what I expected at all. Each one is different just like you are finding in your research which I applaud. To me it is important to bring stability to parrots needing second homes and any rescue parrot can effectively have PTSD and repeated rehoming exaserbates the PTSD. So I believe in taking them as they are and providing the best home you can for them. It is extraordinarily satisfying to give Charlie a good home. I have thought at times that this was too much but it was due to the hard transition at first and then extreme hormonal aggression from my other pionus. But luckily I stuck it out. Very happy I did.

1/2-3/4 inch bar space. Get as large of a cage as possible...helps wit their mentail health. I had 24 x 32, but quickly switched to 30 x 36.

Best wishes

 

[baserock love]

I have a maxi that I got at age 8, he is about to turn 13. He loves me, loves his environment, loves to play with lots of toys, he wants me nearby. He seeks out scritches a lot but he is not otherwise hands on. He is extremely independent and can be very nervous. But he can be very LOUD...like a lion seal loud. It is incredible. It was unexpected after adoption. The loud is not just if I am in another room. I have taken behavioral training classes, etc to do the best I can by him as I hadn't had this size bird prior to getting another pionus as a baby right before I adoped Charlie. Positive reinforcement has helped diminish noise but I still deal with loud noise. Charlie is very very happy. I take a lot of pride in having given him stability again and to see how he has adjusted. But he isn't what I expected at all. Each one is different just like you are finding in your research which I applaud. To me it is important to bring stability to parrots needing second homes and any rescue parrot can effectively have PTSD and repeated rehoming exaserbates the PTSD. So I believe in taking them as they are and providing the best home you can for them. It is extraordinarily satisfying to give Charlie a good home. I have thought at times that this was too much but it was due to the hard transition at first and then extreme hormonal aggression from my other pionus. But luckily I stuck it out. Very happy I did.

1/2-3/4 inch bar space. Get as large of a cage as possible...helps wit their mentail health. I had 24 x 32, but quickly switched to 30 x 36.

Best wishes

I'm a little concerned about the cage. Since i'm honestly fairly set on an amazon i got a cage for an amazon, but i'm still open minded on other sorta similarly sized species and i already have a top shelf 30x40x50something interior dimension cage with 1" bar spacing. Do you think 1" would be dangerous for a pionus?

 

[Dartman]

I think that cage will be ok myself. It's really big with lots of room to move around and put toys in so I'd think most medium to large birds would be happy with it. I think you just want to make sure the bird can't get a foot or his head or something stuck in the bars and get hurt. I doubt a Pionus could get close to getting out of it.

 

[baserock love]

This is a surprise. Going to meet a young bronze wing tomorrow. If the owners are legit and what they say about her is legit, and they think i'm legit, i might have found my birb

 

[javi]

The bronze wings are gorgeous. I have met some real lovers.

 

[Maxsmom]

I'm a little concerned about the cage. Since i'm honestly fairly set on an amazon i got a cage for an amazon, but i'm still open minded on other sorta similarly sized species and i already have a top shelf 30x40x50something interior dimension cage with 1" bar spacing. Do you think 1" would be dangerous for a pionus? View attachment 251286

1 inch spacing depends on the pionus. For my smaller pionus , I wouldn't chance it, but 1 inch spacing may work for my larger pionus. You simply do not want the possibility of it being able to squeeze it's head through

 

[baserock love]

1 inch spacing depends on the pionus. For my smaller pionus , I wouldn't chance it, but 1 inch spacing may work for my larger pionus. You simply do not want the possibility of it being able to squeeze it's head through

What is your smaller one? the white cap? Aren't they the smallest pionus?

I'm slightly concerned because it's official, i bring this little monster home in a week or two


Unlike pretty much everybody i've met on craigslist trying to "rehome" a bird, this guys actually trying to rehome his bird. He clearly knows and loves birds and has done his due diligence screening . Most of the pionus owners i've talked to since i made this thread, including the owner i met today think the cage i have with the 1" bar spacing will be fine. I will definitely be hanging out and observing.

But yeah, this is Aurora, an unsexed but they think female 2 year old bronze wing pionus. She seems really sweet. She was clearly nervous around me at first but still stepped right up for me and hung out on my shoulder for a good 25 minute and started making contented chatter even and seemed to warm up to me very fast enough though she wouldn't take a treat from either me or her bonded human. She's fully flighted but doesn't seem all that great at it. Noisewise she was very chill and just chattered a bit curiously while eying me up and down. They said she's "really loud" but clarified that her loudness is her morning flock call which again i'm not too worried about.

Only reason i didn't take her home today was stuff for the cage hasn't come in and this was earlier than anticipated. I want to build a big play gym and some perches out of pvc, i want to go over teh house and clean and disinfect stuff with bird safe cleaning stuff, just have everything ready for her to move in.

Keep in mind this is all contingent on the assumption they didn't just screw me over haha. I gave them 100 bucks to take down the craigslist ad and consider her adopted. They struck me as good people and definitely animal lovers. Though the wife clearly won't be sad to see the bird go, she's terrified of him lol.

Here's a question. How long do parrots grow? wondering if this girls going to get bigger, she's 2 years old.

 

[Dartman]

Congrats, funny how sometimes things just work out despite our intentions. I've never had a baby but Eloy and a few others have raised them from just old enough to come home and Jan used to breed them. I'd think by two years old she should be pretty much the size she's going to be. If I'm wrong somebody will jump in to correct me.
She looks like a sweetheart and a good sign that she was OK with hanging out with you right away.

 

[baserock love]

Congrats, funny how sometimes things just work out despite our intentions. I've never had a baby but Eloy and a few others have raised them from just old enough to come home and Jan used to breed them. I'd think by two years old she should be pretty much the size she's going to be. If I'm wrong somebody will jump in to correct me.
She looks like a sweetheart and a good sign that she was OK with hanging out with you right away.

Yeah I'm excited! One thing that I loved about her was that when she was on my shoulder i tried to get her to step up and she refused to, let out a soft verbal protest and gave my finger a soft beaking to let me know to back off. Just a beaking, no bite, not even close.

We'll see though. I've heard enough stories about birds that were just so sweet in their 2's and 3's hitting puberty and becoming little monsters. She seemed very sweet and I'll hope she remains that way. If there's some growing pains i'm prepared to work with her. Definitely in it for the long haul.

 

[Dartman]

Well Lurch was a nasty guy for a long time and we wore each other down over time, a long time. I don't think from the looks of your first meeting that you'll have the same issues but be prepared for some bites maybe if she decides you didn't respect her warnings. But I'll bet she'll be nice and gentle as it sounds like her personality as she has probably only known safety and love with her current owner, family member. Dobby is pretty much the same way, he will move away or do a very ferocious beaking if you persist when he doesn't want to do something. It's very refreshing after dealing with MR grumpy Lurch, who did truly care for me once we reached a understanding. No matter what it's worth it in the end even if they make you earn everything you get.