New Rescue Senegal

[BirdGuy21]

Hello everyone.

I am new here to Avian Avenue and have already received a warm welcome over on the introductions forum. As you can tell by the title of the thread, I recently rescued a Senegal from a parrot rescue organization that I work with in Pittsburgh, PA. The Senegal was one of over 150 birds seized from a hoarding situation. We don't have any information on the bird, including age and recent history. What we do know is that he was relatively new to the hoarder, and his previous owner had surrendered him to her. He steps up okay for me, and is picking at food in his cage.

I have already read some of the Senegal threads here on the forum, and was hoping to hear any current Senegal owners experiences and tips.

 

[expressmailtome]

Bump.

 

[Akoni]

I remembered hearing about a hoarding situation in Pittsburgh recently, and realized it was from AA. 149 birds at Pittsburgh rescue from hoarding situation | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

Congratulations, it's great that he's found a new happy home!

 

[sunnysmom]

Hi! I live in Pittsburgh too and am familiar with the situation. I help at the Animal Rescue League and am familiar with PEARL. I took some classes with them when it was PEAC. Congrats on your new bird.

 

[BirdGuy21]

Wow, didn't realize how well known this situation was. Most of the birds the rescue I work with have taken in are in fosters. The Cockatiel's were taken to by a Cockatiel sanctuary in Virginia. Still looking for assistance with the parakeets and dozens of finches.

Michelle, that's awesome that you volunteer with the Animal Rescue League! Nice to meet a fellow 'Pittsburgher'. Thank you for everything you do for animals in our area.

Update on the Senegal:
He is eating his seed mix fairly well, although hasn't touched the pellets. I have no clue what his previous diet was, so I don't know if he is a seed junkie or is accustom to pellets and fresh foods. Will try to incorporate that in a few weeks once he has become more settled. He has already picked up a perfect imitation of the clicking noise I make. He comes to the front of the cage when I come in or walk past the room, and will make a few of the clicking calls when I leave. He has accepted sunflower seeds and peanuts from my hand through the cage bars. He was also beak grinding last night before bed and when I was in the room this evening.

Still trying to decide on a name. Once his personality comes through more, I think we will be able to decide.

 

[WendyN]

Welcome and congratulations on adopting your senegal!

 

[amy burke]

Congrats! I also just brought home a rescue Senegal 2 days ago. Mine is doing the same things as yours is. Sounds like he is adjusting for you. Mine aren't loving pellets either. Consider this a marathon not a sprint. I have to remind myself of this. Your bird is blessed to have you and thank you for giving him a nice loving home.

 

[sunnysmom]

Wow, didn't realize how well known this situation was. Most of the birds the rescue I work with have taken in are in fosters. The Cockatiel's were taken to by a Cockatiel sanctuary in Virginia. Still looking for assistance with the parakeets and dozens of finches.

Michelle, that's awesome that you volunteer with the Animal Rescue League! Nice to meet a fellow 'Pittsburgher'. Thank you for everything you do for animals in our area.

Update on the Senegal:
He is eating his seed mix fairly well, although hasn't touched the pellets. I have no clue what his previous diet was, so I don't know if he is a seed junkie or is accustom to pellets and fresh foods. Will try to incorporate that in a few weeks once he has become more settled. He has already picked up a perfect imitation of the clicking noise I make. He comes to the front of the cage when I come in or walk past the room, and will make a few of the clicking calls when I leave. He has accepted sunflower seeds and peanuts from my hand through the cage bars. He was also beak grinding last night before bed and when I was in the room this evening.

Still trying to decide on a name. Once his personality comes through more, I think we will be able to decide.

I had posted about the situation when it happened here on the forum. I just started fostering birds for the ARL, when they need a foster. I may be getting some of the birds from the hoarding situation to foster but am not sure yet. They only send the birds out to foster if they can't stay at the rescue for whatever reason. The ARL still has a number of parakeets and two diamond doves and a canary but they aren't released for adoption yet.

I'm glad things are going well with your Sennie. How many birds does PEARL have still to be adopted?

 

[BirdGuy21]

Congrats! I also just brought home a rescue Senegal 2 days ago. Mine is doing the same things as yours is. Sounds like he is adjusting for you. Mine aren't loving pellets either. Consider this a marathon not a sprint. I have to remind myself of this. Your bird is blessed to have you and thank you for giving him a nice loving home.

Congrats on your rescue Senegal! That is a great way to put it- slow and steady wins the race. It's tempting to try and move too fast. His diet I would like to change as soon as he is more comfortable. He eats only seeds right now, hasn't touched the pellets. I think he is overweight, as I can see a crease down his chest; unless this is a normal attribute of Senegal parrots?
I think he is warming up to me. He let me give him head scratches through the cage this evening, and continues to call after me when I leave the room. Trying to take things slow, don't want to rush him. He has been through a lot in the past few weeks, let alone whatever happened in his prior life.

I had posted about the situation when it happened here on the forum. I just started fostering birds for the ARL, when they need a foster. I may be getting some of the birds from the hoarding situation to foster but am not sure yet. They only send the birds out to foster if they can't stay at the rescue for whatever reason. The ARL still has a number of parakeets and two diamond doves and a canary but they aren't released for adoption yet.

I'm glad things are going well with your Sennie. How many birds does PEARL have still to be adopted?

Unfortunately Parakeet's are in abundance at rescue organizations. PEARL still has over fifty (if not more), Parakeet's that were taken from a hoarding situation last year. There are still two Dusky Conure's, two Lovebirds, two Green Cheek Conure's, two Sun Conure's -- each with several missing toes -- Parakeet's, and numerous Zebra Finches from the hoarding situation that still need fosters. They will all be up for adoption, on top of the twenty five other hoarded parrots, and approximately 50 parrots that are in fosters unaffiliated with the hoard. If you or anyone you know are intersted, please check PEARL out in conjunction with ARL!

 

[BirdGuy21]

Here's a quick picture we took of him yesterday.

 

[WendyN]

He is so cute!

 

[BirdGuy21]

Found out he does eat pellets! He soaks them in his water first, then eats them.

 

[expressmailtome]

Found out he does eat pellets! He soaks them in his water first, then eats them.

Many birds enjoy doing that. You will just have to change his water more frequently.

 

[zoo mom]

What a handsome Sennie. My Senagal Jason loves clicking noises and little purr like noises. I think they must be similar to natural vocalizations because I have tried them out on every Senegal I have met and they all were interested. And yes Sennies like to dunk their pellets.

 

[BirdGuy21]

Going to try to switch him over to what my Conure's are on, which is Harrison's. Will high potency be fine for him at the start?

Also, any recommendations for how long to leave him in the cage to acclimate? He accepts treats out of my hand, and wants head scritches through the cage bars. I sit in the room with him with the cage door open, but so far he hasn't been interested in coming out.

@zoo mom does your Senegal make an almost monkey like sound? My little guy loves doing that.

 

[zoo mom]

Yes he does.

 

[iamwhoiam]

My Senegal loves to put things in his water: wood, paper, food, etc.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

My Sunshine Senegal is my heart bird and she also sometimes makes a purr sound and can "click" with the best of them. She also likes to make little chirpy and through the "teeth" quiet whistle sounds which she picked up from me. About two years after I got her, I got a very severe case of Bell's Palsy and can no longer whistle to her like I used to do. So these quiet sounds are our private language which she mixes up with kiss sounds, smooch sounds and a kinda half "meow" she has heard me make for the cats. Sunny and I have been together since she picked me at a bird show in 2000; so 16 years and counting.

Myself, I would wait for him to decide when to leave the cage. Leaving the door open tells him he is welcome to join you in the room, but he will not leave the cage until he feels really comfortable with you. Sennies are really stubborn and strongly individualistic. If she is interested in something and I interrupt her, she lets me know I am disturbing her by pushing my hand away or battering on my thumb or fingers to remove myself from her presence.

Thank you for rescuing him and let me know what you name him.

 

[BirdGuy21]

I am quickly learning that he can make plenty of different whistle and clicking noises, along with his "monkey noise". It also sounds like he is trying to talk, or is talking and I can't figure out what he is saying quite yet.

As for coming out of the cage, that's what I was thinking as well. It's been said that I am strongly stubborn as well, so maybe that is why he responded to me at the rescue, haha. He has started requesting head scratches every time I come in the room, so I think he is warming up to me.

 

[amy burke]

I am so glad to hear your progress. My rescue Holden has been home for a week now. He is starting to purr when I give him head scratches and today he stepped up on my hand. I could tell he was nervous so reading his body language, I put him back down. The cage is open if and when he decides he is ready to come out.