Electus advice

[Omar1234]

Paco is a 8 yr old male Electus parrot. I just got him last week and I'd appreciate some advice on breaking some of his old habits.
1) Paco only approaches me, and hardly interacts with anyone else.
2) he always crawls up my arm and in trying to hold him without him being very close to my face.
3) Paco is a very good boy , but he only stays on top of his cage on his upper perch, for some reason it is a struggle to get him into his cage.
This website has helped a lot, I am thankful for all you guys any advice will help me .

 

[EkkieLuv]

How is it going with Paco? Just saw that you have 2 threads going about him (and Chula). A week is not very long in the grand scheme of things! It may take him some time to adjust. He's been thrown into a new place, new people, new routines, etc. so give him some time to come around. It sounds like he has quickly decided that you are safe. I bet he'll eventually learn to trust the others in your home as well. For now, give him a little TLC and since he's comfortable with you, show him around the house, introduce him to your family, etc. He will take cues from you. If you don't want him near your face, try to keep him on your hand by bending your wrist and elbow so that he's at the highest point and make it hard for him to crawl up your arm... if that makes sense. Kind of hard to describe and I don't have a picture handy. But in other words, if your arm is straight out and it's easy for him to scramble up it to your shoulder, that's where he'll go!

As for going back in the cage. My boys never want to, either. I keep bribes handy... like almonds or pistachios. I reserve those 2 foods for bribes only!! Reward him when he goes in. He will learn. You're doing fine just keep being consistent and patient.

 

[Chopper]

Mine like to go back in when...it's time to eat and it's time for bed.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Sorry I can't help. The only things I know about Eclectus parrots are : they are stunningly beautiful, need a special diet, and they are second only to Greys in intelligence. They sound wonderful. But any animal that has high intelligence takes a little more time to understand.

 

[Omar1234]

Wow very good advice Ekkie! I understood it well, but it will take me some time and practice. Thank you guys for all the help I'm really glad I found this place!
Poor Paco had a broken toe when I got him (it's only been a little over a week) so he kind of slips around a little. However he seems to be getting better each day.
At the moment Chula is the one we are all worried about, we didnt know Paco had his wings clipped and not chula. Needless to stay I was very startled and upset when I saw her fly into the window In the living room :'( it wasnt too hard though but while I was in school today she flew again and my brother said she hit the ground.
How do I control a bird that can fly? She already was pretty scary before I knew she could fly.

 

[EkkieLuv]

Is Paco's toe healed and did he get vet care for it? An injured toe can be very painful for a bird who relies on their feet for so much. If he is not perching normally because it's hurting, that can cause sores on his feet and you'll have a whole new problem to deal with. If possible and your parents can help you get it arranged and done, Paco should see a vet for that toe as soon as you can! Chula will need a check up, too, but at least try to get Paco taken care of soon.

As for Chula and her flying. There is no "controlling" a bird - flighted or not. It's about teaching them the behaviors that keep them safe and everybody happy. It's important to make sure Chula and Paco both know where windows are. You can take them and show them. Hold them close to it, knock on the glass, let them touch it. If you don't have blinds or curtains, you can also look for "window clings" that are opaque and stick to glass but can be easily removed. Having something on the window lets them know there's something there so they don't hit it. Once they learn their way around they should be fine. Chula may have been startled?? The only time any of my boys crash is if they take off flying because something scared them and they panic. Fortunately, we haven't had any injuries! If they are able to safely fly inside your home, flight truly is the best exercise for them! Some people choose to clip wings. I'm a proponent of flight. You have to make the best choice for Paco and Chula. If they have been clipped a long time by past owners (Chula maybe just had flight feathers grow back and previous home didn't re-clip) they may need some practice to fly well.

Don't be scared of her! She's in the same boat as Paco - new place, new people, etc. Some birds are more afraid of new things than others. Try spending some time with her, hand feed her some little treats, etc. Win her trust. You have your work cut out for you. Are your parents the ones who wanted Paco and Chula or what was the situation? Are they involved with them much?

 

[Omar1234]

Thank you ekkie, you've given me alot to think about yet again! Very good advice!
He broke his toe a while before we got him and his previous owners took him to the vet.. however both Paco and chula have had a few accidents since they got here so I've been pestering my mom to take them to the vet for a check up.
we got Paco and chula from brothers friend's dad had to move to an apartment and he wasn't able to keep them. So he gave paco & chula to us since he knows us so well. It was kind of un expected so we were very unprepared
Yes my brother, dad, mom, and even my girlfriend talk to the birds.. however dad has only held him once (on the very first day we got him) but my girlfriend jocelyn has held Paco recently and I think they're warming up to eachother..
We have held Paco alot, but the only person who had the guts to put his hand in Chulas cage was my brother.. he tried to hand feed her but she didn't take it. I've noticed that Chula enjoys apple slices and she will only take them if you put them through the cracks in her cage. Her previous owners must have called her a "pretty bird" because whenever I say " hello chula, pretty bird!" She looks at me differently and I can see that she's a good bird just nervous and timid.

 

[EkkieLuv]

My 1st ekkie fell in my lap with no warning, too! I was completely unprepared. I actually didn't even know what kind of parrot he was! So fortunately I'm good at research... lots of homework and patience later, we were on our way.

If Chula will only take food/treats through the cage bars, that's fine. Start there. They're typically so food motivated that special treats work well when teaching them things, etc. Trust is one of those things that has to come 1st. She likes apple so start with that. See if she'll come close to you inside the cage and reward her with a bite. Then move to where she has to move some to get to you again, reward with a bite. And so on. She'll learn you're the source of yummy things. LOL You can eventually progress to where she has to put 1 foot on your hand to reach the apple, then 2 feet. Teach her that stepping up is a good thing and earns her a treat. Make sense? With my 2nd ekkie, it literally took months. He was scared of hands. I had to cover my hands with long sleeves for a long time. Sounds like Chula may certainly be timid. But I would bet that she'll warm up! If you can, maybe get some tips from their previous owner?

 

[KevinSmithESQ]

I've had my Eclectus since March of this year. Within a week, he decided to come to me. I've had him now for 9 months, and he still isn't 100% settled in. Albeit we just moved across Canada, and he's been in a few different places while we sorted out the move. Some parrots can take a year to finally settle in and start being themselves again. You just have to work slowly with them, and try not to overwhelm them. It's way too easy to stress out our little avian friends

 

[Chopper]

All of my Ekkies will not take treats from me or food. It has to be in the bowl.

Two of them this morning though wanted to step up and get kisses and one wanted to cuddle for a while. And we did!!

 

[Shinobi]

I used this method to get Marlin my Alexandrine parakeet to get use to the family. we played pass the parcel. Only the parcel was Marlin and every time Marlin step up to each family member he received a training treat. (sunflower seed). We did this once a day and he was passed around 3 to 4 times. Oh and marlin was taught to step up & down first. Marlin became so well socialised that he would go to new people within 5 to 10 minutes of meeting them.