Unflighted

[rocky'smom]

Bebe want nothing to do with humans and I believe that it comes from where he came from in the first place. His cage was on the floor in an apartment full of 5 kids from 17 yrs to a baby that was 8 to 10 months old. When I got him he was a hot mess. That cage was even a hotter mess. The tray in the bottom was tipped upside down, and for all the tugging and pulling I had to do I couldn't get it out of the bottom of the cage. I finally had to go get a metal spatula and slice underneath of it multiple times. It was filled to the brim of feces, food and human food at that. If I had had the money at that time I would have bought him a new cage. I took that disgusting thing and threw it in like bathtub was a ton of hot water and Dawn dish soap. Leaving it to soak and loosen up. It's floated out as one big chunk, TOTALLY DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!
It was clear that his food dish and water dish had never been scrubbed or cleaned even once and the entire time that he had been in that cage.
He is still terrified of hands and I've had him for 7 years. He doesn't want me to touch him, he prefers to be alone. He has every opportunity every day to come out, come sit with me, be friendly. And he chooses not too. I will not put any type of force on him to make him do the things that he's scared of. He will allow gentle scritches to his head only. But you better watch his eyes, cuz there is a look that when it comes out you better get your hand the heck out of there.
And sadly so many people tell me oh you should just get rid of him put him down, whatever cuz he's mean. No,that isn't going to happen here's the deal he's upset and fragile because he's been hurt just once to often. We need to care for the fragile ones too.
There is something weird with this apartment, at my old apartment he would fly his little heart out. He would skyhoot the ceiling and his favorite place to go. Where Mom couldn't get him was up on upper kitchen cabinets behind my antique teapots. He would go there and do " nana nana boo boo you can't get me" . Here it's a different story, he flies when he is frighten or scared. Then it's crash landing at best. The only difference that I can figure out is the way into the kitchen is right side. The old place was left handed. So it's backwards. Basically his cage is set up in the same place as it was in old place. Short wall between living room and dining room/ kitchen. Whatever it is this place scares him.

 

[Alien J]

Oh, I forgot. I remember when TD was just 2 months old or so and he started talking up a storm. Being my first experience with a "domesticated" bird I thought I must have the smartest Tiel in the world. He talked all the time. Said a lot of things. Then he stopped. It must have been gradual bcuz I don't remember it happening from one day to the next. But one day I realized he hadn't said anything for awhile. And he didn't start again. Except for one thing. "Gimme a tickle". He still says that, but now it's been probably over 6 months since he's said that. I wish now I had recorded him talking bcuz he had the sweetest little voice. While he did stop talking, he can learn a tune in a heartbeat and has quite a repertoire, and is a very good whistler!

 

[Lauracisco]

Bebe want nothing to do with humans and I believe that it comes from where he came from in the first place. His cage was on the floor in an apartment full of 5 kids from 17 yrs to a baby that was 8 to 10 months old. When I got him he was a hot mess. That cage was even a hotter mess. The tray in the bottom was tipped upside down, and for all the tugging and pulling I had to do I couldn't get it out of the bottom of the cage. I finally had to go get a metal spatula and slice underneath of it multiple times. It was filled to the brim of feces, food and human food at that. If I had had the money at that time I would have bought him a new cage. I took that disgusting thing and threw it in like bathtub was a ton of hot water and Dawn dish soap. Leaving it to soak and loosen up. It's floated out as one big chunk, TOTALLY DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!
It was clear that his food dish and water dish had never been scrubbed or cleaned even once and the entire time that he had been in that cage.
He is still terrified of hands and I've had him for 7 years. He doesn't want me to touch him, he prefers to be alone. He has every opportunity every day to come out, come sit with me, be friendly. And he chooses not too. I will not put any type of force on him to make him do the things that he's scared of. He will allow gentle scritches to his head only. But you better watch his eyes, cuz there is a look that when it comes out you better get your hand the heck out of there.
And sadly so many people tell me oh you should just get rid of him put him down, whatever cuz he's mean. No,that isn't going to happen here's the deal he's upset and fragile because he's been hurt just once to often. We need to care for the fragile ones too.
There is something weird with this apartment, at my old apartment he would fly his little heart out. He would skyhoot the ceiling and his favorite place to go. Where Mom couldn't get him was up on upper kitchen cabinets behind my antique teapots. He would go there and do " nana nana boo boo you can't get me" . Here it's a different story, he flies when he is frighten or scared. Then it's crash landing at best. The only difference that I can figure out is the way into the kitchen is right side. The old place was left handed. So it's backwards. Basically his cage is set up in the same place as it was in old place. Short wall between living room and dining room/ kitchen. Whatever it is this place scares him.

Oh my days that poor baby, I'm afraid I'd have absolutely lost it if I'd seen that! Cisco is the exact same, he's been with our family for the last 6ish years and just isn't interested in being touched or having anyone make a fuss near him. He's happy so I just had to figure out what worked for us and get on with it. He was bolder when the other three were alive and would come and land on us when they did but he would never tolerate being touched and that's fine as long as he's happy and healthy. I'm a bit like him and don't like people up in my personal space very much. I understand him. These guys are no different to us, each one is different and has their own personality.
My family have always had birds, my mother was born in Tanzania and they came back to this country with mum's Senegal and my granny's African grey, that bird was a witch, she was hand reared by my granny and just changed out of nowhere when my grandparents went back over to actually west Africa, Sierra Leone. The African grey was left with a family member while they were over there and when they came home again she was upset with them and she was so naughty after that, her sister is actually still alive and an aunt has her, she'll very around 60 years old now, unfortunately my granny's one passed young, just before my granny passed. My uncle breeds canaries, he shows them. Very much a bird family, but also cat people lol

 

[Alien J]

That's the total opposite to Cisco, he will absolutely not let anyone touch him but he will eat from my hand. I feel like this all makes him sound like a young boy, just to clarify he is actually 7/8 years old. Very strange back story, the lady we got the four of them from was scared of birds and got them to get over her fear. She then got a conure so wanted them gone, as far as know she now has an African grey and is breeding some other birds in an outdoor Avery. We live in the North of Scotland, the Loch ness monster is practically my neighbour.
My first one wanted to be with me and have cuddles all the time too, he just sat on me wherever I went and actually my mum had a Senegal that came back from East Africa with her when my grandparents moved back to this country. She was a local celebrity because she would cycle around the village with him on her shoulder.
Oh is that bird tricks as in the YouTube one? I used to watch that channel and there was another one I watched too, I forget the name of it.
I wish I could offer some helpful advice but to be honest, every single one of my animals are quirky, I'm starting to think its me that's the problem lol

AthenaDon is 6 years old now. His previous owner had him since he was a baby. He was told it was a female so he named it Athena. But when he found out it was a boy he couldn't change the name. He worked from home and Athena was free to go wherever he wanted 24/7. Then, when Athena was 5 (and we had just bought our house on the Mountain Top in West Virginia, he had to start traveling for work. He'd be gone 4-5 days on end. He didn't think that would be fair to Athena so he was looking for a home for him. I drove all the way from West Virginia to Delaware to pick him up. I had visions of he and TD becoming good friends. And now I don't think that will ever happen. I changed his name to AthenaDon for two reasons. One, the owner's last name is Don and it was in keeping with my dinosaur theme. TD stands for Terry Dactyl. Oscar is Oscarathaurus. So, AthenaDon just fit. I should have named him "Crazy, Mean, Horndog Bird!"

 

[Lauracisco]

AthenaDon is 6 years old now. His previous owner had him since he was a baby. He was told it was a female so he named it Athena. But when he found out it was a boy he couldn't change the name. He worked from home and Athena was free to go wherever he wanted 24/7. Then, when Athena was 5 (and we had just bought our house on the Mountain Top in West Virginia, he had to start traveling for work. He'd be gone 4-5 days on end. He didn't think that would be fair to Athena so he was looking for a home for him. I drove all the way from West Virginia to Delaware to pick him up. I had visions of he and TD becoming good friends. And now I don't think that will ever happen. I changed his name to AthenaDon for two reasons. One, the owner's last name is Don and it was in keeping with my dinosaur theme. TD stands for Terry Dactyl. Oscar is Oscarathaurus. So, AthenaDon just fit. I should have named him "Crazy, Mean, Horndog Bird!"

Apologies but I have no idea of the geography over there,? I'm literally almost at the top of Scotland here. I absolutely love the name, it's so nice. Most of my animals have human names, the dog is Albert and the cat is Vincent, my old boy passed away at 17 years old last summer and he was Spencer. I'd have changed Cisco's name but mum didn't bother. He does say his name now and its very cute

 

[Alien J]

Bebe want nothing to do with humans and I believe that it comes from where he came from in the first place. His cage was on the floor in an apartment full of 5 kids from 17 yrs to a baby that was 8 to 10 months old. When I got him he was a hot mess. That cage was even a hotter mess. The tray in the bottom was tipped upside down, and for all the tugging and pulling I had to do I couldn't get it out of the bottom of the cage. I finally had to go get a metal spatula and slice underneath of it multiple times. It was filled to the brim of feces, food and human food at that. If I had had the money at that time I would have bought him a new cage. I took that disgusting thing and threw it in like bathtub was a ton of hot water and Dawn dish soap. Leaving it to soak and loosen up. It's floated out as one big chunk, TOTALLY DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!
It was clear that his food dish and water dish had never been scrubbed or cleaned even once and the entire time that he had been in that cage.
He is still terrified of hands and I've had him for 7 years. He doesn't want me to touch him, he prefers to be alone. He has every opportunity every day to come out, come sit with me, be friendly. And he chooses not too. I will not put any type of force on him to make him do the things that he's scared of. He will allow gentle scritches to his head only. But you better watch his eyes, cuz there is a look that when it comes out you better get your hand the heck out of there.
And sadly so many people tell me oh you should just get rid of him put him down, whatever cuz he's mean. No,that isn't going to happen here's the deal he's upset and fragile because he's been hurt just once to often. We need to care for the fragile ones too.
There is something weird with this apartment, at my old apartment he would fly his little heart out. He would skyhoot the ceiling and his favorite place to go. Where Mom couldn't get him was up on upper kitchen cabinets behind my antique teapots. He would go there and do " nana nana boo boo you can't get me" . Here it's a different story, he flies when he is frighten or scared. Then it's crash landing at best. The only difference that I can figure out is the way into the kitchen is right side. The old place was left handed. So it's backwards. Basically his cage is set up in the same place as it was in old place. Short wall between living room and dining room/ kitchen. Whatever it is this place scares him.

Thank you for sharing this. I sometimes feel like everyone else has birds that can and do hang out with them all day. They have playstands (can't believe how awfully expensive they are) all over the house, their birds eat veggies and chop, come when they're called, put themselves to bed, etc. and that I'm the only one who struggles with them in so many different ways.

Don't get me wrong. I love them all...even AthenaDon. How could you not love this face? And look at that crest!


And when I think back to the conditions Oscar was living in when I went to get him and when he'd go on those terrible tirades about being hit with "The Paper" and I see him now, I know, even if our situation isn't perfect, he's a so much happier bird.

Sometimes it's hard to know the best thing to do and I'm a huge worry wart about every little thing that could hurt them I'm sure I'm quite stifling!

Apologies but I have no idea of the geography over there,? I'm literally almost at the top of Scotland here. I absolutely love the name, it's so nice. Most of my animals have human names, the dog is Albert and the cat is Vincent, my old boy passed away at 17 years old last summer and he was Spencer. I'd have changed Cisco's name but mum didn't bother. He does say his name now and its very cute

Delaware is 500 miles away from Williams Mountain, where I live.