New parrotlet

[Kampy]

i was gifted with a beautiful 8 week old pacific parrotlet. I have been reading everything I can to learn about her care and to be sure I am a good mama to her. Sadly, I was told by a bird owner to handle her right away. To reach in and grab her. I should have listened to my gut as it didn’t feel right. It is did it twice. It felt so awful to me so I knew it felt worse to her. A week has gone by and I have been sitting near her cage, singing to her, calmly talking to her. She seems a little less startled now when I change the paper on the bottom of her cage. I have read to let her trust my hand. I pray I can do that. Poor little thing. Today she let me change the paper in her cage and she just watched so I’m hoping we are on a better track now. I’ve only had her a week but I love her already. I got her a cuddle bone and a rope perch. I only put the cuddle bone in for now as I didn’t want to startle her with two new things in her cage. If you are able to guide me to where she will sit on my finger and shoulder I would be so happy. I know it will take a while but I will give her all the time she needs. Thank you in advance for all your help.

 

[Zara]

Welcome to the forum

Offer up some treats through the cage while you are talking to her, millet or dehydrated fruit, any thing you like that she will eat.
You can also leave the cage open while you are home so she can come out and explore if she chooses to do so in her own time.

Don´t worry, I´m sure you will gain her trust back

 

[Cynthia & Percy]

welcome

 

[iamwhoiam]

Welcome to AA. Congrats on getting your parrotlet. As you've discovered the breeder's advice was not good. Give your little one time, take things slow, let her behavior guide you. What is her name?

 

[Kampy]

Thank you all for your encouragement! Her name is Grace (Gracie)!

 

[Kampy]

Do I continue to post here with questions? or is this just for th efforts post? Also I couldn’t figure out how to get my birds picture in the profile so I posted that gigantic picture ‍

 

[Kampy]

Typo. For the first post

 

[JLcribber]

Welcome. Your gut feeling was absolutely right. All relationships, animal or otherwise, are based on trust and respect. These things are "earned" over time. There is no shortcut. What you were told causes "learned helplessness".

Give this a read.
The Parrot Trust Account

 

[iamwhoiam]

Grace is cute. You could post questions in Parrotlet Place.

 

[finchly]

Cuteness!

Parrotlets love millet and raspberries. Dried raspberries are fine too. With most birds, you can hold your hand inside the cage with a treat on it, and after many times of this they will get brave enough to land on your hand and eat it...eventually leading to you being able to handle them.

With my parrotlets this has not been the case. They get territorial of their cage really fast, and want to bite the intruder. So I invite them to come out... which usually leads to them landing on my shoulder or hiding in my hair. Rambo, my avatar was asleep in my hair for a long time today. I did have to grab him to put him up and he must’ve been sound asleep - he was startled and pretty grumpy.

 

[Kampy]

I thank you all again. I read The Parrot Trust Account” and I agree completely. My fear is that she will never trust me. I will continue to sit by her cage and talk and sing to her. She hasn’t tasted any of the fruit or vegetables I have offered. She seems, at this point anyway, to prefer the small seeds. Her bird food is a healthy mix of all kinds of seeds, nuts and dried fruit. But she takes the big things out and tosses them on the floor and then eats the little seeds. I’m hoping she will one day trust me enough to nibble am offered treat and eventually sit on my hand or finger. I just pray she doesn’t get too territorial before that happens. I have begun to notice when I slowly reach for the handle on top of the cage to carry her to a different room with me, she opens her beak. I can’t help but wonder if she is showing me she would bite? Still and all I accept that her fear is my fault and I pray she can come to understand I will never grab for her again. Thank you again. This is all new to me.

 

[finchly]

Yes. An open beak is like “I will bite you, you better back off.”
You will learn to read her, and there will be less of that.

She is going to trust you sometime. Their time is not our time. Relax and take it easy. She has to trust you first - imagine how big you must look, to her! Then she will begin to sit with you or on you.

Don’t worry too much about the food at this point, you can always improve on it. They love Goldenfeast Australian blend, and mine love Roudybush pellets.

The fear is not your fault. They are prey, and we look like great big predators.

 

[Kampy]

Thank you so much. That is really very encouraging and gives me hope that, in time, she will come to know I would never hurt her .

 

[Ripshod]

in time, she will come to know I would never hurt her

That right there is the key. All that's required is a little patience. Keep doing what you're doing, you have all the time in the world for this little one.
Female? Are we sure? (just a hunch, I could be wrong)

 

[finchly]

Female? Are we sure? (just a hunch, I could be wrong)

I had the same hunch. In fact I have a blue male that looks an awful lot like Grace.

 

[simon777]

You say that you talk to her. Have you actually told her you are very sorry for grabbing her and making her scared. You could promise to never do that again. If you always keep any promise you make to her she will feel she can trust you about anything. I promised Simon that I could let his wings grow (he had been clipped) so he could fly; now he is a happy fly boy. I also promised to never put him in a cage and I never will. By keeping these promises I have earned Simon's complete trust.

 

[Ripshod]

I had the same hunch. In fact I have a blue male that looks an awful lot like Grace.

View attachment 303549

It's the strength in the blue of the flights I can see, unless that's from shadow.
@Kampy is there any way you can get us a photo of an open wing? Maybe when (s)he stretches?

 

[fashionfobie]

It's the strength in the blue of the flights I can see, unless that's from shadow.
@Kampy is there any way you can get us a photo of an open wing? Maybe when (s)he stretches?

Yelp an open wing is the only way we can get a clear sex id If the edge of the wing is cobalt it is a male. A cobalt rump is also a good indicator, but it is not always accurate with all the mutations available.


Gracie is very cute! Congratulations!

Little Gracie will forgive you, don't stress. Just continue what you are doing and be calm and kind. They love singing! Great instinct I sing to my boys all the time. Parrotlets are tiny, but they are brave and will over come the bad advise you were given. When you do spend time around the cage to sing and talk, don't stare at the bird. A bird will turn their backs to someone they know they can trust. If you stare too much at their cuteness you can make them nervous. It is typical of a predator to stare.

Parrotlets are always very clear in their body language. You will know when it is ok to interact and when it isn't. They will also make very distinct clicks and chirps. You will get a hang of it the more you spend time and learn to understand them. They are sassy little fire crackers, but also incredibly sweet. If you respect their body language you won't have bites or negative interactions. When they say NO they mean it

 

[Kampy]

Hmmmm....if the dark blue means “she” is a “he” ...there are most definitely dark blue feathers! She or should I say he is so beautiful! I was lucky enough to capture this photo of her. I have been admiring her many shades of blue! I googled what a few of you were saying and read what you shared and that a male will also have blue around the eye which this little one also has! My little grandson named this sweetie so I looked for male versions of the name Gracie so as not to disappoint him. All I need to do is chance the spelling! Evidently “Gracey” is the male version. And it means “Grace of God” which I love. I also read that males have a greater chance of learning to speak a few words which would be exciting. Is that true? Either way, male or female, this Little one has stolen my heart. I do believe you are right though! So Gracey it will Be!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the encouragement you have each offered me! It is exactly what I need as I feel I now have a trusted place to go with concerns and questions!

So funny, I have always referred to my kids (now adults) as my ducklings and my grandchildren I call my peeps. I have always loves birds but haven’t had one since I was a little girl. So exciting!!

 

[tka]

Everything is still very new to him (I'm going with male pronouns for now). You look huge and unfamiliar to him, so he's understandably wary of you. That's totally normal.

The idea of the bird trust account is a useful one - I'm glad you've found it! Try not to worry that you've irredeemably damaged his trust in you. You haven't, but it's going to take time and consistent, respectful behaviour from you to build his trust. You don't need to try to touch or handle him yet: just sit by him cage and talk to him, maybe read a book out loud or something. Don't stare at him because that's scary and reminds them of what predators do. You can try looking at him sideways out of one eye - that's how parrots indicate that they're interested in something.

Bird time is not like our time. It took a month for my bird to accept a headscratch from me. Two years later and she asks me to scratch her eyelids, under her beak, her nostrils, the corners of her beak, even rub her tongue!