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txdyna65

Rollerblading along the road
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Congrats on your Orange wing, she is a beauty.
Lucy my yellow nape also does the crouching wings fluttering thing. It looks like she wants to fly to us, but she never does.
I think she does it because she wants to be with us, or wants what we are eating.
 

Baby's Mama

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Samantha
Do you find she does it more when you talk to her?
 

txdyna65

Rollerblading along the road
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Do you find she does it more when you talk to her?
Im not sure she does it more when we talk to her because we talk to her all the time. I think once she starts doing it and gets our attention
that she does it longer since we are talking to her now and giving her attention. She did it tonight and we were trying to get her to fly to us
but in the end she just wanted food we were having. We usually feed her the same time we are eating but she had finished eating before we started tonight.
 

MommyBird

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I have a 47 year old OWA female for about 8 years now.
I have always interpreted that crouching and fluttering as "I want" Then the challenge is to figure out what she wants.
Usually, it is to be taken somewhere else. Once on my arm, she will steer me by leaning and pointing in the direction.
Sometimes it's because she's excited. She may want the food I have, or to sing and dance, or a bath from the spray bottle I have. or something else
It could be a sexual thing but not too often for her. That looks a little different and may be accompanied by clucking noises.

When she wants scratched she will generally bow her head and grab the cage bars or perch.
She loves to "cuddle" and get scratches but only at night.

For toys try some whole mahogany pods, natural cork bark (as opposed to corks), or large pieces of balsa. Polly loves those especially after she eats as a "toothbrush".
I can suggest vendors if needed.
 

MommyBird

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I was thinking more as I am getting breakfast ready for the flock, so must be quick. Suddenly came to me......
When my OWA's boyfriend (BFA male) died we were both inconsolable. She would cry out with such a mournful cry. She also was incessant with the crouching/fluttering. She wanted me to take her all around the house to look for him (She had seen the body, but in grief you just keep looking). She DEMANDED it.
We had to walk the house many times each day for a long while, and still do a nightly walk just before bed as it became routine.

I think since you've only had your OWA for 2 months, she may want to look for her previous owner. It sounds like they had a great relationship if they would cuddle. Birds DEFINITELY do mourn. It really can take months to settle into a new home. It took 9 months before my BFA would let me touch him.
It sounds like your OWA may be yelling in fear when you approach? If you think, let her continue to approach you and don't push it from your end. Give her time to do it at her speed.
 

Baby's Mama

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She still sees her old owner about once a week and gets to cuddle! And as soon as she hears her come through the door she crouches and flutters her wings. So maybe it's a happy thing for her? I'm not sure. She definitely has a fear on hands though. As even her old owner cannot go to pick her up without her shrieking and flying away! Once on the floor she will still scream and throw a fit until she is picked up then she will cuddle right in!
I have not done this yet lol I don't like that she screams and would rather try a different approach! I'm just not sure how to go about that. Though I have started just placing my forearm on her cage and talking to her. At first she gets a little scared and goes to the back of the top of her cage. But it doesn't take long for her to start chirping and walking close to me! As long as I don't move lol
 

Baby's Mama

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Well it's been a few months and we are seeing some progress! Still no touching but she doesn't scream when I walk up to the cage! And she will come right over to where I'm standing and say hi to me!
I do have a question for anyone who can answer....how do you get a bird to the vet to get beak and nails done when you can't touch her? Lol I just can't figure out how I'm supposed to keep her trust but get her to the vet without the help of her old owner!
 

Lwalker

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I have green cheeks so this may not apply at all but one has done the flap/begging thing since I brought him home as a baby two years ago. The other one (same age) has never done it. My vet said it is a carry over behaviour from when he was a baby and it is done to get my attention. At first I thought it mean't he wanted to go somewhere as he was clippped. Now he is a great flyer and does it just the same. I have surely reinforced it as I do give him attention because it is so cute!
 

datlamb

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if you have a travel cage try and putting a nice treat in it so she'll go in. same thing at the vet's, put a treat out so she'll go out. although she might be more reluctant to in a new environment. i think it's best to tell the vet about this before you come over so they can prepare themselves to handling this bird.

she looks so sweet. congratulations on getting her!

edit: here's a nice video about handling her:
at 2:17
 
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