RB info

[BirdField]

I know this'll be frowned upon, but I was back on CL (again) and I found a post with one picture of a little female red bellied in a corner of a cage on a dowel perch. No idea her condition or what all is in the cage, all that's shown in the picture is the very corner, no way to see how big the cage is or what else is in it besides the perch she's on. The ad seems legitimate to me (son is moving into an apartment, can't take her with) and the price is lower than that I would expect of a flipper (350).
I know this is a far stretch, but I was thinking about talking with my parents about adopting her. She's a couple hour drive away and I still am unsure on my dad's stance on adopting from craigslist, so it likely won't happen, but I'd really like to learn more about these guys. I've been interested in pois and in fact I joined this forum after being on another (smaller) forum and deciding to join this one to learn more about senegals (though they are very different). Been lurking on Poicephalus Place for a while now.
I was wanting to post on here about what they're like in general (though I know they all have different personalities as individuals) but I have just a few questions about them and what they're like to care for and live with.

1) What are the ranges of personalities in RBs and are females generally different than males (once again, sorry for the generalization)? I've seen some posts with shy, panicky RBs, others with extremely aggressive, one-person RBs that hate other birds, and some birds that are completely hands-off aviary types.
2) She's only 4 years old according to the ad and, in that case, when will she be hitting puberty and how should you care for a hormonal RB? Are females typically very aggressive when it's that time of year?
3) If she likes human company, how would I go about socializing her with family? I hope to let her be flighted and able to go throughout the house (supervised) but I also fear she may attack family members. She would still remain flighted, just caution would be kept around people she dislikes.
4) What are your poi/RBs' favorite toys? Don't want to overwhelm her with toys but I want to have a general idea of what she'll probably like so I know where to start.
5) I've seen a lot of posts about RBs being much more hands-off birds and birds that would much rather keep to themselves. I would understand if she hates hands or humans (I honestly am surprised more birds don't with all they've gone through), but how would you best live alongside and accommodate a bird like this?
6) Do female RBs get eggbound often and are there any specific nutritional needs of this species or diseases I should be aware of?
7) What training resources do you think are the best advice pertaining to pois? I've been watching a bunch of Barbra Heidenreich's free stuff, thinking I should buy some of her CDs.
8) I've seen mixed opinions on bar spacing but 1/2in seems to be the most common, is this correct? I was thinking about using this cage with the 1/2in spacing option and divider removed or maybe even for another bird later on using a plexiglass divider. Does this look like a good cage or would the Littles Dome be better?
9) Does anyone have a video of their screams? I've only found a very short video with one little peep but I hear that they have very shrill, piercing calls. If anyone has a video of their RB calling, I'd greatly appreciate it. It'd give me a better idea if I think my parents would be okay with their calls.
10) Anything else you all think is essential knowledge?

I'm all ears, just trying to fill in any information I can't find answers to by asking on here. Once again, this is certainly not final, there's no rush, and I haven't consulted my family yet. I want to get all of the information I can and inform my family in the most educated way possible with the most accurate information I can get. I doubt my family will agree with taking her in but I'd love to just have this information as a learning experience for future reference if I ever meet another RB in need. Sorry for how long this post got.

Forgot to attach a picture of her. I'm assuming she's female since I can't see the orange vest but her chest is pretty obscured in this picture.
They have such soulful orange-brown eyes...

 

[Feather]

Personally I'd have to have someone physically restraining me from going to pick her up right now if I were in your shoes. I adore my red-bellied hen so, so, so much. She's the only RB I've ever met so I can only speak for her, but let's do this.

1) What are the ranges of personalities in RBs and are females generally different than males (once again, sorry for the generalization)? I've seen some posts with shy, panicky RBs, others with extremely aggressive, one-person RBs that hate other birds, and some birds that are completely hands-off aviary types.

Zyda is a very steady bird. She does have the famous poi "phobic" moments, but those are few and far between and pass quickly. I just leave her alone and let the episode pass and then she's back to normal. She is not aggressive towards the other birds, but she does occasionally like to tease by grabbing tail tips. Though I am decidedly her person, she actually does pretty well when being introduced to other people and will, for the most part, step up willingly. She's been known to land on visitor's shoulders and make herself at home.

2) She's only 4 years old according to the ad and, in that case, when will she be hitting puberty and how should you care for a hormonal RB? Are females typically very aggressive when it's that time of year?

Zyda cruised through puberty the easiest of all my birds and aside from becoming a bit more independent and talking less, I noticed very little difference in her personality. I think it would actually be in your favor to get a bird who is nearing/going through puberty, as it would be less likely to view you as a "parent" and you'd have a better chance of her not changing loyalties to a different member of the household after.

3) If she likes human company, how would I go about socializing her with family? I hope to let her be flighted and able to go throughout the house (supervised) but I also fear she may attack family members.

Same as any bird, really. Just have your family be a part of her daily life. Though a few have been bird aggressive, neither Zy nor any of the other pois I've known (sennies and one meyers) have been at all aggressive towards people. I've been dive-bombed by a lot of birds but never a poi...

4) What are your poi/RBs' favorite toys? Don't want to overwhelm her with toys but I want to have a general idea of what she'll probably like so I know where to start.

Anything wooden. Zyda will chew, chew, chew all day long. She is my most destructive parrot. I straight up have a giant block of pine on top of her cage that she gnaws on for hours at a time while she's out. She really loves yucca and does very quick work of these things.

5) I've seen a lot of posts about RBs being much more hands-off birds and birds that would much rather keep to themselves. I would understand if she hates hands or humans (I honestly am surprised more birds don't with all they've gone through), but how would you best live alongside and accommodate a bird like this?

Just take it at her pace, really. Work on stick training, for sure, as having a bird step up on a perch is pretty invaluable when they're fearful of hands. It also makes for a good stepping stone to getting them used to being closer and closer to and eventually on your hands.

6) Do female RBs eggbind often and are there any specific nutritional needs of this species or diseases I should be aware of?

Zyda's never tried laying and has always been very healthy. There's nothing particular about their needs that deviates from general parrot care.

7) What training resources do you think are the best advice pertaining to pois? I've been watching a bunch of Barbra Heidenreich's free stuff, thinking I should buy some of her CDs.

I don't do any formal training so can't speak for this.

8) I've seen mixed opinions on bar spacing but 1/2in seems to be the most common, is this correct? I was thinking about using this cage with the 1/2in spacing option and divider removed or maybe even for another bird later on using a plexiglass divider. Does this look like a good cage or would the Littles Dome be better?

That first cage looks like heaven and either one would be grand. They're very active and she'll probably use every inch of it.

9) Does anyone have a video of their screams? I've only found a very short one with one little peep but I hear that they have very shrill, piercing calls. If anyone has a video of their RB calling, I'd greatly appreciate it. It'd give me a better idea if I think my parents would be okay with their calls.

I'll try to get one for you.

10) Anything else you all think is essential knowledge?

In my most sincere and biased opinion, there is no bird better than a red-bellied hen.

 

[Feather]

9) Does anyone have a video of their screams? I've only found a very short video with one little peep but I hear that they have very shrill, piercing calls. If anyone has a video of their RB calling, I'd greatly appreciate it. It'd give me a better idea if I think my parents would be okay with their calls.

Here you go.
Vocaroo | Voice message

 

[BirdField]

Thanks so much for your detailed reply! It really does help in my consideration of her.
I suppose I was reading a lot of the worst cases of these little guys, all of the super aggressive and bitey RB stories seemed to come up first when I was trying to search more on them (though those stories and tips can keep those reading prepared for the worst). Your Zyda sounds like a wonderful little girl. I didn't realize her puberty would be better than your other fids. Also, never would have guessed an RB or poi to be a woodchipper, guess I still have a lot to learn!
From what you've described, they sound like a pretty good match for my family's lifestyle, hopefully my parents believe the same. Her calls don't seem too obtrusive, I believe my parents would be fine with calls like that, even when it's a common occurrence.

Personally I'd have to have someone physically restraining me from going to pick her up right now if I were in your shoes.

I know, just looking at her eyes and how cornered she looks sent me reeling through emotions. That's why I posted this, mostly. Posting on here is my way of seeing if I'd be truly prepared because people on here are very honest and blunt which truly helps me gauge if I'm doing something that's right and keeps me from doing things that are wrong or that I'm unprepared for. And also, I get to talk with people who understand how I feel about these animals, that they're not "just a bird" but an animal that deserves a life with the best possible environment.
Hopefully I can slowly sway my parents into adopting her, but if my parents decide against it, I would be happy to post or pm the ad to anyone interested in her. I've got a ways to go but this site has truly helped me learn more and be less impulsive and more deliberate/thoughtful.
Thank you again for your replies!

 

[camelotshadow]

Looks ok & cage looks decent size...Does he/she come with cage? @iamwhoiam has raised them & knows alot. They are usually on the quiet side for a bird bit some pois still can be the alarm callers ones & those can be irritating. Most important ask questions on how she is with the people is she tame etc? Food shes eating, habits etc...Pois are nice birds & with the cage its a good price. You used to be able to get pois in that price range but prices have been going up...
Don't know if you can sex them like senegals but head shape in males in slightly flatter...Hard to tell but I'd be tempted to say female...

2 hours is a long drive & you really have to be ready as well as the whole family to a long term commitment & lifestyle change. Cooking pots, cleaning chemicals etc...

 

[BirdField]

Looks ok & cage looks decent size...Does he/she come with cage?

The ad doesn't say it includes the cage, I assume not then. I've no clue what type of cage or how big it is but, yes, I assume it's a decent size as well from the little bit shown.

They are usually on the quiet side for a bird bit some pois still can be the alarm callers ones & those can be irritating.

Yes, those are the calls I'd be most worried about getting to my family. My dad has some issues with hearing and I do worry about higher pitched noises. I believe that would just have to be a part of the discussion when I bring it up, I'll be sure to let them both know that she could possibly be loud or irritating.

Most important ask questions on how she is with the people is she tame etc? Food shes eating, habits etc...

Food would be one of the first questions I'd ask, hopefully she's on a good diet but if not I'll likely ask advice on here about how best to transition her food. I do hope she's had lots of out of cage time but there's no way of knowing until we ask.

Don't know if you can sex them like senegals but head shape in males in slightly flatter...Hard to tell but I'd be tempted to say female...

Yes, I assumed she was female because I cannot see any "red belly" but the way she's facing it's hard to tell. The head shape is a good thing to go off, thanks for the advice.

2 hours is a long drive & you really have to be ready as well as the whole family to a long term commitment & lifestyle change. Cooking pots, cleaning chemicals etc...

2 hour drive, possibly even 3 if it's a bad day. Definitely going to be a long ride and one where she may scream the whole time. I'll be sure whoever drives is aware of that.
Yes, the house will have to change and lifestyle changes will happen. I've spoken with my mom about the issues with chemicals and teflon pans and she personally believes if something can kill an animal, it's certainly not healthy for us to be breathing either. We've discussed removing and replacing the pie/bread pans and griddle which have teflon but haven't gone through with it yet. She also has migraines often and must be careful when it comes to fumes and chemicals so we already avoid most harsh cleaners and painting or remodeling much. Still need to replace some like bleach containing cleaners and bathroom cleaners. My main concern is my mom's candles but we've spoken before and she said she would not use them if we do get a bird. Definitely a huge, long term commitment that I will have to be sure is fully understood by everyone in the house. Need to be sure everyone is educated on her body language and care needs as well as avoiding causing any dangers like letting the cat out on accident, turning on the self cleaning function on the oven, turning on a fan in a room she's in, etc.
If we do adopt her, she is going to be the biggest commitment so far in my life. And I want to make sure everyone in my house (including myself) fully understand the commitment of taking her into the house, even if they aren't going to be directly caring for her. It'll be like have a child in the house and if we don't believe we could handle this particular child, it'd be better off for her to go to another, more fit home. The whole family must be wholeheartedly on board or she isn't coming home with us. I'm going to be living here for quite a few more years and I don't want to cause a fissure in our home for those years or stress her out by being in a home with a family that cannot deal with her. Hopefully I can get them both decided and help teach them about keeping parrots, but once again, I can always post the ad on here or hope she finds a loving home if we decide our home isn't correct.
This response got very long, I apologize, just being sure I covered everything.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Before even considering a drive get more info about the bird. Request more photos. Maybe they could even send you a video. Find out if the bird has ever seen a vet and if they have health records/information. Find out about diet, whether bird will step up, etc. I am assuming you read through the sticky: Good, Bad and Ugly about Red-bellied parrots.

1) What are the ranges of personalities in RBs and are females generally different than males (once again, sorry for the generalization)? I've seen some posts with shy, panicky RBs, others with extremely aggressive, one-person RBs that hate other birds, and some birds that are completely hands-off aviary types.

Personality depends on the individual bird. Mine range in personality from very outgoing and friendly to a bit shy. My males can be nippy but then so can the youngest female, Claudé. Sophie is the friendliest and she will talk to anyone and everyone and will generally step up for everyone. They don't always get along well with other birds and sometimes they might not even get along with one another. I describe my red-bellied parrots as intelligent goofballs.

2) She's only 4 years old according to the ad and, in that case, when will she be hitting puberty and how should you care for a hormonal RB? Are females typically very aggressive when it's that time of year?

Have not noticed any raging hormones with any of my red-bellied parrots. They are supposed to be late spring/fall/early winter breeders but that's not necessarily true.

3) If she likes human company, how would I go about socializing her with family? I hope to let her be flighted and able to go throughout the house (supervised) but I also fear she may attack family members. She would still remain flighted, just caution would be kept around people she dislikes.

Just socialize her as much as possible. Let her behaviors guide you. Do not force her to step up or come out of the cage. If she is flighted make sure that your home is bird safe. Check your home once, twice, thrice.

4) What are your poi/RBs' favorite toys? Don't want to overwhelm her with toys but I want to have a general idea of what she'll probably like so I know where to start.

Stainless steel and wood toys. Balsa does not last long so preferred wooden toys for them are basswood and pine. Also 1/4" wood is generally demolished quickly. All of my red-bellies like toys with leather as well as toys with a variety of textures. Toys with paper rope or thin hemp or jute are not recommended unless you want to find the entire toy on the bottom of the cage. It's a good idea to offer some problem solving toys. Birds do vary with what they like and how destructive they are. Some of my red-bellies are "masters of destruction" and some are slower to destroy their toys. Stainless steel skewers for birds are great because you can put beads and wood on those to create new toys quickly. You can also skewer fruits and vegetables. @saroj12 Rudy's favorite toys are bowls. He loves rolling them around. Have you checked out some of saroj's videos of him playing. My red-bellied parrots like tossing things.

Interactive games are fun but only if the bird is comfortable with these. Here are a few examples:

Basketball

Amazon.com : Zoo-Max Rings Game Medium Bird Toy : Parrot Foraging Toys : Pet Supplies
Zoo-Max bird products manufacturer. bird toys


5) I've seen a lot of posts about RBs being much more hands-off birds and birds that would much rather keep to themselves. I would understand if she hates hands or humans (I honestly am surprised more birds don't with all they've gone through), but how would you best live alongside and accommodate a bird like this?

Again it depends on the bird. If she is standoffish you need to be very patient. Zack was totally hands off after going through a phobic stage starting when he was about 4-6 mos. old (don't remember exactly when it started). He was like this for years but now will come over to me, come out of his cage, let me scratch him and hold his foot. I had 3 babies go through a major phobic stage but his lasted the longest.

6) Do female RBs get eggbound often and are there any specific nutritional needs of this species or diseases I should be aware of?

I only have one female who laid eggs and that is Lucy, my baby red-bellied parrots' mom. She never had any issues with egg binding. To repeat myself, it depends on the female. No way to predict if there will be issues. Lucy only laid eggs when she was provided with a nest box. No specific nutritional needs or diseases specific to the species. Important to bring new bird to vet for a thorough check up.

7) What training resources do you think are the best advice pertaining to pois? I've been watching a bunch of Barbra Heidenreich's free stuff, thinking I should buy some of her CDs.

In addition to Barbara Heidenreich also check out Susan Friedman's website. Welcome to BehaviorWorks.org

8) I've seen mixed opinions on bar spacing but 1/2in seems to be the most common, is this correct? I was thinking about using this cage with the 1/2in spacing option and divider removed or maybe even for another bird later on using a plexiglass divider. Does this look like a good cage or would the Littles Dome be better?

1/2" to 3/4" would be OK. Those are both very spacious cages but I prefer cages with play tops although some of my red-bellies have cages without those. I like cages that are wider than they are tall or at least width almost the same as height. Be aware that red-bellied parrots are good at letting themselves out of their cages. Don't know what type of cage she is in now but the large size of those cages may be a bit overwhelming for her. You may or may not want to use the bottom grate so you need to make sure that if you decide not to use it, that there is no gap where a bird can squeeze into and either get stuck or get out of the cage.

9) Does anyone have a video of their screams? I've only found a very short video with one little peep but I hear that they have very shrill, piercing calls. If anyone has a video of their RB calling, I'd greatly appreciate it. It'd give me a better idea if I think my parents would be okay with their calls.

None of my red-bellied parrots scream although a few imitate the smoke alarm and that can be "alarming". A few of mine make weird sounds that make me think that someone is getting hurt. It's hard to describe but they are just being boisterous. All of my red-bellied parrots talk and a few sing.

10) Anything else you all think is essential knowledge?

Red-bellied parrots in my experience are mechanical. As I indicated above if there is a way for them to do it they will let themselves out of their cages (at least mine will). They are excellent at taking toys apart and unscrewing quick links. If you purchase toys that have o-rings make sure those rings are welded. All of mine like music although it depends on the music. They also like being read to and children's books are great to use.
Choose a variety of perches....different diameters starting at a minimum of 3/4" and different types of bird safe wood. Rope perches work with my females but my males destroy them so I no longer provide them with rope perches. Also use a platform or two.

 

[BirdField]

Thank you so much for all of the information! I'll be sure to look at those different toys and of saroj's Rudy, thank you for being so specific. That's good to know, about the rope perches and your males as well as how to find toys that won't get destroyed in 5 minutes. I'll look into those cages, hopefully they have a secure bottom to the cage, if not I'll use the provided grate or a different cage possibly.
I also have read through the sticky on RBs, it gave some very good insight on these guys. I'm hoping to contact her current owners after consulting with my mom and I'll be sure to ask them all of what you mentioned. There's very little provided on the ad and I suppose that's meant to weed out anyone who wants to buy her without having to contact the owners that much.
Thank you for the link to Susan Freidman's site, Barbra Heidenreich is also a great trainer and I'm looking to find all of the behavioral trainer resources I can. It's amazing what a good trainer like these two can manage to achieve when it comes to a bird's trust. RBs seem to have a vast variety of personalities from what you and others have said, so I can only imagine hers will be any combination of those (and possibly other) traits. I'll be sure to take everything at her pace and give her plenty of time to adjust. Maybe I could even ask to buy the cage she's in just to help her transition, even if the cage ends up not being good for her and will eventually have to go. I'll definitely want to have her flighted so yes, safety around the house is going to be checked a million times by my paranoid self.
Once again, thank you for all of the detailed information on these parrots. It's truly very knowledgable and very appreciated from all of you, I'm learning so much just from this thread alone. You all are amazing and dedicated people, thank you so much for all of your help.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Let us know what happens. Also find out where they got the red-bellied from....a breeder, a pet shop, etc? Do they have any purchase info or a hatch certificate?

 

[iamwhoiam]

@BirdField What happened with the RBP?

 

[BirdField]

I apologize for not updating, new semester got busy fast and I haven't managed to mention it yet but I doubt it'll end up working out. I want to be able to discuss this fully with my parents and we're all busy with other current issues that would likely hinder being able to genuinely discuss it and fully understand everything that would be different. If that changes, I'll be sure to post but as of now, I'll be posting the ad for anyone interested.
She's in Tulsa, OK, here she is.

 

[iamwhoiam]

I apologize for not updating, new semester got busy fast and I haven't managed to mention it yet but I doubt it'll end up working out. I want to be able to discuss this fully with my parents and we're all busy with other current issues that would likely hinder being able to genuinely discuss it and fully understand everything that would be different. If that changes, I'll be sure to post but as of now, I'll be posting the ad for anyone interested.
She's in Tulsa, OK, here she is.

If I lived out your way I would probably check out the rb. Ad states "He is 4 years old." so maybe a male but hard to tell from the photo.

 

[BirdField]

Ad states "He is 4 years old." so maybe a male but hard to tell from the photo.

Yes, I wasn't sure if I should trust this or not so I just went with "she". Maybe she's a he and you just can't see the chest or maybe they don't know how to tell and she's a she. Either way, she's not a very common bird, I wonder where they got her. I see lots of rehome birds around Tulsa on ads, I can only imagine there's a parrot shop or a lot of breeders in the area. But with all the ads, there must not enough homes though.

 

[BirdField]

Also, just realized the price was lowered to $250 w/o cage. They must be really needing to adopt her out, I've seen conures rehomed for more.
The grammar is a bit suspicious now to be honest, though it may just be they edited the ad and moved around things the wrong way. I guess I'm just paranoid.

 

[Feather]

I'm as far from Tulsa as a person can get without leaving the states.

 

[iamwhoiam]

You could still call and ask about her and maybe see if they will send more photos.

 

[BirdField]

A quick update, the ad was deleted by the owner. Hopefully she found a wonderful home or the ad was fake in the first place.
Just posting to let anyone interested know and to finish the thread.