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Update on shy Dusky

JapanBirdLover

Strolling the yard
Joined
9/10/19
Messages
96
Hello All,

I've been so busy for 5 or 6 months, so it's been a while since I posted. Last time I'd just welcomed an incredibly shy little boy Dusky to my home. Here's a quick update.
He's still so shy, way more spooky than any of my other birds. (I actually named him Spooky) But, he is opening up to me more than I thought he would. When I got him he was cowering at the back of his cage, and was so silent all day. Now he loves to come out of his cage, fly around the room (wings were clipped but grown back now) and beg to have his neck scratched. And he has every morning around 10 he likes to have a good shout! He'll also step up onto my hand to get a treat, although he won't stay there - just take it and go.
He's such a pretty boy (just not cuddly) I just wanted to share some pics with you all.

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JapanBirdLover

Strolling the yard
Joined
9/10/19
Messages
96
Also I took a few videos. Only watch if you can bare with a badly placed iPhone camera that misses the vital moment when he steps up right out of shot. Sorry, I'll never be a cameraman.



 

MattyKingz

Meeting neighbors
Joined
6/16/20
Messages
21
Real Name
Matteo
He is so cute!
My pionus came 8 days ago at home and he's so shy too, but we are working on it: he already learn to eat apple from my hand (only apple for now, because he freaking love it!) and sometimes he jump on the stick for a quick tour of my room.

How did you teach him to step up? We are working on it now, but when I move the apple too far from him (with the other hand near for step up) he give me his back and ignore me ahaha

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JapanBirdLover

Strolling the yard
Joined
9/10/19
Messages
96
He is so cute!
My pionus came 8 days ago at home and he's so shy too, but we are working on it: he already learn to eat apple from my hand (only apple for now, because he freaking love it!) and sometimes he jump on the stick for a quick tour of my room.

How did you teach him to step up? We are working on it now, but when I move the apple too far from him (with the other hand near for step up) he give me his back and ignore me ahaha

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Your little boy is very pretty! He’s shy but that’s OK, just go slow. Does he have a name yet?
I followed advice I got here, to get him stepping up. It took around four months. At first he would panic if my hand came near him. Then he became more relaxed as he got used to not being hurt at all by my hand, and I got to know what treats he liked. Advice I got was to use two hands, so he’d step across one to get to the treat. At first it was hilarious, he’d stretch out his neck and body an unbelievable distance to reach the treat without touching my other hand. Then it was just one foot for balance... now it’s two feet, stay just long enough to collect as much as possible in his beak, then jump off.
Does anyone have ideas for getting him to stay on a little longer? Without stressing him out too much?
 
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