I've been wanting a Java tree for a long time. For the last few weeks, I've been looking around for one. I was in no hurry and I did pass on a few; either too small or the branches were too big or there weren't enough branches to my liking or all branches were kinda stuck in the same spot.
Yesterday I found one I liked and bought it. The birds seem to have taken a shine to it.
It might seem pretty normal, but this is the first time he's really been that cuddly with me, or rather on me.
When I first got him, Joey had a preference for men. He would choose to go to any other men in the room and then, if none were there, he would come and see me. He didn't dislike women as much as Petey does though.
Anyways, over the year and a half I've had him, we've been working on his biting. He's gotten much better. However, I did not trust him enough still to let him on me, not that he really tried. Lately, he's been really good; perching close to me (not on me though) but still withing biting reach if he wanted. But he behaved.
Today, he decided to just come on me. No real warning, one moment he was on a perch, then he was on me. But I figured I'd give it a shot (there's no moving forward without a little risk, right?)
I admit I was a little nervous in the beginning because of where he had perched, I couldn't really see what he was doing. It felt like he was rubbing his beak on my neck (which was confirmed by my boyfriend when I asked him what Joey was doing), but it wasn't in a trying-to-bite-you-way. He then rubbed his head the same way, his way of asking me to scratch it.
He stayed there for a bit. He did not try to bite once. Progress. Funny what a little patience and trust building can do...
Lately I've often read that Peachface (PF) lovebirds have a bad reputation.
Like any other parrot, if you don't manipulate/handle/socialize a lovebird enough, it might revert to a less human-friendly stage. Daily interaction is key for keeping an adorable lovable lovebird.
With that said, I've also read a lot in the last few months that eyering lovebirds (masked and fishers) are "better" pets than PF lovebirds. True? Not sure...I'm not saying that PF are better, but I don't believe they are any worse either.
Example #1, my little Piper. She would be happiest spending her whole day on me. She loves giving kisses, she loves rubbing her beak all over your face, she loves head scratches and doesn't bite. I mean if that is not a perfect lovebird, I don't know what is.
Here is a little video of her lying on my hand, getting her head scratched and slowly falling asleep.
Example #2, Bijou, a PF lovebird which my mom has kept while her owners were away. This bird did not meet me before this video was taken; it was happy to get some attention, even from a stranger and even started to "vibrate".
Here is a video of Bijou on her back in my hands (talk about trust), enjoying a head scratch (again, I did no know this bird for more than 10 minutes before this was taken).
Finally, #3 is Arthur, a PF lovebird who actually got less and less attention from his former owners. They actually decided it would be best to find Arthur a new loving home and trusted my mom to do so. When I went to visit, all he wanted to do was on people. Loved kisses and not once did he bite.
Here is a picture of little Arthur.
PF lovebirds can make great pets; they love to love you and love getting attention back.
Above Joey and Petey's cages. This is where Shade and Zuri hang out most of the time (it's next to my big windows). Shade is there a lot more since the big evil purple Jolly Ball made it's appearance on the gym above her cage...she had no problem with the red Jolly ball (was intrigued with it from the beginning) so I have to assume she has a problem with the colour purple...
Here is the park above Shade and Piper's cages. Petey spends a lot of her time, when not on my significant other, on that park.
Not sure why that is, but it's now time for an update.
Last week-end (Labour day week-end), my SO and I went camping, which means the birds had to be looked after. I don't really trust that many people with taking care of them, as it seems to me slightly more complicated than looking after a cat or a dog (well that is if you want the bird to have some time out of the cage, which I do). Luckily, my mother is also a parrot fanatic and is willing to look after my flock of 5.
Piper got to see her two friends, Nicky and Sydney (my parents' lovebirds). Having heard how it went, it seems like the did some major catching up. Petey was well behaved with the other birds..I guess being put out of your element will do that. She didn't eat much, but her weight did not seem to have shifted too much from the usual. She was happy to be back home, or rather to have my SO giving her attention. The others seemed to have been ok with the whole experience. Even Zuri, for whom this was her first time "away" from home since I got her. I guess having the others with her helped.
The birds have been driving me nuts today. Flying all over the place, chasing each other, squabbling over nothing. Getting in each others way. Not staying put for 5 minutes.
Might be the sun. Might also be the lack of sleep that makes me a bit more irritable.
They have not been out as much as they could have been today (seeing how it's a week-end), but at one point I just ran out of energy to deal with them.
They'll have an early bedtime tonight. I think I'll do the same.
Petey has this little walk, where she stands all tall, takes big steps and it looks like she's almost hopping along.
Most important thing is to keep the head held high of course, but she'll occasionally bring it down if she wants to accentuate a particularly larger step..but then the head comes right up :)
It's a hoot to watch.
Oh and August 3rd was the 1 year-here mark. Can't believe I've had her for an entire year already....
Petey was making progress. Seemed tolerant of myself, definitely more tolerant of the other birds.
However, the last few days (last three to be precise), she's relapsed. Right now, she is in her cage whilst the others are out, beating the crap out of her toys. Better her toys than anyone else.
But why is she in her cage? For the second time today (fourth time in 3 days), she's managed to jump on me and, if I wasn't fast enough, would have taken out chunks of skin off my arms and neck (she is aiming for the head, kinda scary). The first few times, my boyfriend was a bit careless...having her within jumping distance and she just took the leap. Needless to say he got more of the blame than she did. This last time though, she leaped from quite farther away. She is clipped because of this (well this and her going after the other birds, which she has not done in a while).
This is why she has been going through so many homes. Total unprovoked attacks (trust me, I've been trying to figure out what I could have been doing that would start these attacks and nothing seems to fit, no two situation have been identical or even similar other than she being close enough to leap). My SO has also noted she's been a lot more restless with him.
Hopefully this is a bad week or two. She is still beating up toys and I doubt that she'll come back out anytime tonight (definitively not before she calms down and they are all going to bed soon).
This blog is about 5 parrots; the Poicephalus (Poi) - Shade the Senegal, Joey the Red-bellied parrot, the Meyer's - Petey and Zuri - and a Lovebird named Piper.
