Finally got a Congo!

[kvee]

Took forever but I finally found a CAG for sale. Originally I was trying to get a baby from a breeder, but none had any available on waitlist for even a year. I'd been watching all the bird ad places and by chance I saw one pop up the day I looked, and they were located about 20 minutes from me! The owners were super nice and sad to see Charlie go, but I'm happy to take over as his friend. They are leaving the country for a while and couldn't see him be alone so wanted to move him on.

I got him home and sat with him in the open travel cage. He was chirping, squeaking every now and then, and after about an hour he came out and stood around on the top of the cage. Every so often he would stick his foot out at me. Eventually I put my hand over, asked him to Step Up and he just stared. After a minute or two, up he went! He shifted up my arm and sat on my arm for about 5 minutes until I put him over near his new cage. That went well and he quickly started to explore around the outside of it.

I tried to get him to step-up again and he went for a bite, so I must have not respected his space at the time. No big deal, but it kind of shocked me so I pulled back a bit and he fell off the cage. Thankfully he's fully flighted so he just glided to the bottom, climbed back up the cage. He then spent about an hour sitting at the highest part of the cage flapping his wings constantly at me.

Eventually I got a dowel perch up next to him, was able to get him to step up on it, and got him inside his new cage! He's been crawling around exploring it, trying out the toys. He even stopped to sit and play with one of them, chewing on it for a minute or two. He seems pretty excited, but it was also past his bed time according to the previous owner, by about an hour and a half. I put the blanket on top and he just kept coming lower to keep looking at me. He spoke a word but I couldn't make out what it was. The owner said sometimes he'll say goodnight when he's happy so hopefully it was that.

He has been doing this behavior that I'm not quire sure what he's trying to convey with it, where he will sort of lean towards me, spread his wings every so slightly and just wiggle them a bit. Here's a video of it if anyone wants to clue me in: PXL_20210331_021221338

Also here's a bonus short video of him investigating the toy: PXL_20210331_020931179. He had already been chewing on it for a bit by this point but I was too excited watching him than to start recording.

Side note, his name is currently Charlie and has been his whole life, but I think I might try to rename him if he'll accept it. I want to make sure he feels comfortable at home so maybe in a few months time I'll try to start working in a new name. I'm thinking Jupiter because he's got this cute red factor feather on his back looking like a spot

 

[Shezbug]

Congratulations on your new friend! He’s a cutie

 

[DinoStormy]

Cute! Hope you enjoy the forum with your new friend

 

[Toy]

Congrats. Charlie looks like he had been well cared for. Was "Charlie" DNA sex tested?....just wondering cause some info leads him to be female. I recently read about a CAG breeder in FL that says females have longer wings than males...i.e. they extend beyond the tail when closed. Our DNA female CAG has wings that extend beyond her tail when closed. It's not positive tho, hence the need for the DNA test. African Queen Aviaries

Do you know how old Charlie is? Often red feathers show up as they age. Ours gets a lot of red feathers mostly on the back of her neck. She's soon to be 22 years old. We got her at age 6 months.

I think the wing flapping is to gain attention. It could be his way of saying he wants out of his cage. Talk to Charlie like you would a person. Charlie will quickly understand you. Also explain everything in detail, as they tend to be a bit on the defensive side. I.e.... tell him why you want him to step up & where you are taking him.

CAG's are super at imitating words & sounds. Ours can beep like heavy machinery backing up. She heard road equipment the next street over & that's all it took. She's been beeping ever since. Keep in mind they only need to hear a word or sound once to repeat it, if they choose to. They can also learn hand signals. I taught ours to go in her cage when I flip my hand sideways.

 

[kvee]

Was "Charlie" DNA sex tested?....just wondering cause some info leads him to be female. I recently read about a CAG breeder in FL that says females have longer wings than males...i.e. they extend beyond the tail when closed. Our DNA female CAG has wings that extend beyond her tail when closed.

Do you know how old Charlie is? Often red feathers show up as they age.

I'm unsure if Charlie was DNA sexed, but he has an appointment with an avian specialist next week that I'm going to try to get a DNA sex done for verification. He's 10 years old and the previous owners have had him for a year.

 

[Ira]

Congratulations!

CAG’s red feathers come in very, very young. They’re no indication of age.

Unfortunately, your video link requires the download/registration of a special site, which most folks just ain’t gonna do. You have to start a YT channel, like I have to as well, but I’m too lazy.

Regardless, I wouldn’t read too much into the behavior you’re referring to. You just got the guy and his mind is racing 99mph! He needs a week of nice calm to settle in, and I would even recommend not TOO much out of cage time right now, but that’s just my personal opinion.

Did the former owners tell you whether the bird had a favorite person?

My CAG passed about 15 years ago (long sad story), and they are AMAZING birds. I’m surprised he’s not already talking up a storm, but with just a little coaching, he will be. Also be prepared to answer your cell phone, but nobody is calling. It will be the bird, perfectly imitating your ringtone.

I went to buy a CAG in January 2020...the avian store had three...but I didn’t bond with any of them In fact, they all hated my guts. So Archie (YNA) won my heart and made the store owner very happy, because these birds are EXPENSIVE nowadays!

Enjoy your new pal, and good luck!

(And you know no sunflower seeds or peanuts, right?)

 

[camelotshadow]

 

[kvee]

Unfortunately, your video link requires the download/registration of a special site, which most folks just ain’t gonna do. You have to start a YT channel, like I have to as well, but I’m too lazy.

Streamable doesn't require any download or registration, so I have no idea what you're seeing when you navigate there.

Regardless, I wouldn’t read too much into the behavior you’re referring to. You just got the guy and his mind is racing 99mph! He needs a week of nice calm to settle in, and I would even recommend not TOO much out of cage time right now, but that’s just my personal opinion.

I got some advice from others that the wing behavior was him being excited/wanting something. Usually to be let out or picked up. I've had him out of his cage all day where he's been free to explore my office and it's been great so far. Every time he does his wing movement, I respond by approaching and offering my finger for step-up and he takes it. Lots of holding time today, with him even comfortable enough to explore up my arm, onto my shoulder, and then eventually onto my office chair with me.

Did the former owners tell you whether the bird had a favorite person?

He preferred the wife of the couple.

(And you know no sunflower seeds or peanuts, right?)

I have heard no peanuts with shells on because of the mold that can grow within the shell, and no sunflowers or peanuts for primary diet because of how fatty they are. I've read in a number of places that they are perfectly fine for use as treats or training aids. Currently his diet is a bag of mixed-type stuff. It's got corn, shelled peanuts, sunflower seeds. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Harvest-Wh-83542-Advanced-Nutrition/dp/B00N4V2E9M

I'm not a fan of it and I intend to switch him over to likely Zupreem of some sort. I've picked up Zupreem Fruit Blend and over the next few weeks I'm going to start mixing in the Zupreem to try to get him off the mixed seed blend. If he ends up not liking the Fruit Blend flavor, I'm going to shop around and see what he'll end up taking. He also will get fresh fruits/veggies for breakfast, blackberries, strawberries, banana, carrots, kale, celery, broccoli. Obviously a lot of this is going to be play by ear to see what he likes.

 

[sunnysmom]

Congratulations! He's very handsome!

 

[Ira]

Oh! Now I see!

On the iPad, the play button isn’t immediately visible. You have to tap toward the bottom of the photo and then it displays.

Cool!

What has he been eating veggie-wise so far?

 

[kvee]

What has he been eating veggie-wise so far?

Nothing yet from me, I'm not sure what his previous owners supplemented his diet with. I need to stop by the grocery store and pick some stuff up, but I've got some carrots I'm going to try with him this morning for breakfast, and then I also want to grab some kale and broccoli but I don't have any available off-hand right now

 

[Ira]

Nothing yet from me, I'm not sure what his previous owners supplemented his diet with. I need to stop by the grocery store and pick some stuff up, but I've got some carrots I'm going to try with him this morning for breakfast, and then I also want to grab some kale and broccoli but I don't have any available off-hand right now

If you feel comfortable doing it, it might be a good idea to ask them. Could save you a lot of wasted food now, and keeps him on diet.

Of course, if he’s eating some of the good stuff right away, no need to. And it might be embarrassing for them in the event they were lax in this area.

I don’t buy full heads of Broccoli although I do like it myself so it wouldn’t go to waste. For Archie, I buy these bags of mixed broccoli and cauliflower, little pieces, called floretes, I think.

 

[Gigibirds]

Ooooh !!! Very handsome boy

 

[redindiaink]

We call the wing flapping "beggie bird" Wants out, wants food, wants you, but can't get to the thing it wants on their own. Teresa (CAG) does it when she wants to be with Buster (CAG), but can't get to him (they're housed separately) and one of my amazons does it when he wants out of his cage to be with me.

 

[tjc]

Pretty boy

 

[kvee]

We call the wing flapping "beggie bird" Wants out, wants food, wants you, but can't get to the thing it wants on their own. Teresa (CAG) does it when she wants to be with Buster (CAG), but can't get to him (they're housed separately) and one of my amazons does it when he wants out of his cage to be with me.

I'm very quickly learning it! Every time he does it, he will immediately step up and hang out with me for a bit, then do it again while looking somewhere. I'll take him over to the perch, stand, cage where he's looking and up he goes happy for a bit. It's the most heartbreaking thing to go to put him to bed and he's just following any opening in the cage where the blanket isn't covering and looking at me in earnest while doing it. "Sorry buddy it's already bed time...".

 

[Outstrech]

He's so handsome! Good luck!

 

[camelotshadow]

 

[expressmailtome]

Congratulations!

 

[iluvbirds]

Amazing, congrats!