Sydney is rescued! His story

[SandraK]

 

[RawPasta]

We both cried to see him come out of his cage. He is still extremely wary, but we were able to read and respect his queues to avoid any potential bites. He did try to bite, but only when he was on his cage.
He will very cautiously step up towards a hand offered behind him, but not in front.

Sydney made one maiden voyage flight around the room last night, too! Savoring all his 'firsts'!

Hoorayyyyy this is so great!

 

[Clueless]

Thank you, thank you, thank you....

 

[Love My Zons]

So happy for this bird! What a beautiful life now. Flight is so important, not only for health, but confidence! :super:

Loving this so, eating veggies too way to go Syd!

 

[sunnysmom]

Wow. Just wow. It's amazing how well he's doing already. It just shows how quickly these wonderful birds can respond to love.

 

[SandraK]

Even hubby Fred, who is not a "bird person", was appalled at the conditions Sydney was kept in and amazed at how good he looks now that he is in a bird loving home.

 

[cassiesdad]

We're giving him light spritzer baths daily.

I'm so very impressed on Sydney's plumage...those spritzers are really helping so much.

He has such kind eyes-

I always notice a bird's eyes...they are truly reflections of the soul. Greys, to me, always have the look of wisdom in their eyes...yes, Sydney has that look...but if you look deeper there's something else...something hard to describe. Sadness maybe, apprehension perhaps.

Sydney...with the help from you and your family, has come so very far in a short time, @Nikomania ...it's truly inspiring!

 

[Nikomania]

I'm so very impressed on Sydney's plumage...those spritzers are really helping so much.

I always notice a bird's eyes...they are truly reflections of the soul. Greys, to me, always have the look of wisdom in their eyes...yes, Sydney has that look...but if you look deeper there's something else...something hard to describe. Sadness maybe, apprehension perhaps.

Sydney...with the help from you and your family, has come so very far in a short time, @Nikomania ...it's truly inspiring!

Thank you @cassiesdad We can all see what you're seeing. The look that we are noting is a mixture of fear, caution and simply trying to size everything up. Greys do have incredible depth to their eyes. As if they're deep thinkers.

His cage is adjacent to the window in my son's room. He spends the majority of his day gazing outside. Once he's comfortably become acclimated to everyone and everything, I plan to have him enjoy our outdoor aviary for some much needed sun.

 

[Clueless]

I haunt this thread.

 

[cassiesdad]

Once he's comfortably become acclimated to everyone and everything, I plan to have him enjoy our outdoor aviary for some much needed sun.

...oh my...he's going to enjoy that so much!

 

[Nikomania]

Sydney enjoyed another great outing from his cage last night. One of the difficulties we are encountering is that he's cage protective so getting him to a place where we can safely have him step up is challenging. Once he's off or away from his cage he's SO much better!
My son was able to stroke his neck and head last night. He was even chattering while being held. He had another flight around the room, too. Very rusty, but seems to already be getting back into the flying grove.
Slightly less fluffing out of his feathers when we gently talk to him through the cage bars. Will listen intently to us while relaxing on one foot.

 

[cassiesdad]

...moving right along...and so very quickly, too!

 

[faislaq]

Between the abundance of healthy foods & his flights around the room, he'll build up those muscles in no time!

 

[Nikomania]

I'm hoping so!

 

[RawPasta]

I love how he's remembering being a loved bird.

 

[Clueless]

He's cage protective because he doesn't want to lose his "stuff".

Years of nothing can make you that way.

 

[Nikomania]

He's cage protective because he doesn't want to lose his "stuff".

Years of nothing can make you that way.

Agreed. The challenge becomes wanting to interact with him away from his cage, but not being able to do so without frightening him in the process. We keep wracking our brains trying to find the least stress provoking alternative. The method my son is using isn't the greatest, but works.

 

[Clueless]

Agreed. The challenge becomes wanting to interact with him away from his cage, but not being able to do so without frightening him in the process. We keep wracking our brains trying to find the least stress provoking alternative. The method my son is using isn't the greatest, but works.

Get a rolling play stand and put it next to the cage. Then you make it desirable place to be on. Wha la.

If not enough room for a rolling stand, maybe a table top on the floor would work?

 

[aooratrix]

Will he step up on a perch? If so, you could target train him to do that. Or as @Clueless suggested, you could target train him to move from his cage to a stand before asking him to step up. I know he'll work for food!

The first time he's in your aviary, make sure it's a time when your son can be there. Your boy seems to be becoming his person and is certainly a security blanket.

 

[Nikomania]

Perches frighten him atm. However, I could look into the rolling stand idea. Sounds like it could work, although he might want to fly back to his cage as we roll him away from it.

We won't be putting him into the aviary for another 3+weeks, which is when he'll be done with his quarantine