28:365 - Trust

Trust with parrots, I found, is a funny thing.

Some give it (almost) willingly. Some, you need to work much harder to get.

I have a mix of rehome/rescue birds as well as birds I got as babies.

I won't lie, in almost all cases the ones I got as babies were quite more willing to give their trust easily. There is, however, one of the rehomes that is an exception.

Pixel.

While she was skittish the first week or two when she moved in, we quickly formed a bond. Being able to have a bird lay on their back in the palm of your hand does deserve a certain amount of trust - and this was something I was able to do with her quite quickly. While I can also do this easily with Shade, we did have to work longer on it and this is something I'm also currently working on with Léa. (Piper just doesn't like being on his back so I won't try to get him to do so, but he does shows his trust in me in many other ways.)

Would I dare attempt this with Joey, Zuri or Petey? No, not at this time at least.

While the trust level with Joey is much improved from when he first joined the flock and that Zuri is slowly starting around, I don't think I'm nowhere near ready to try and manipulate them as easily as I do Piper, Shade, Pixel and Léa. But I do think it is something I might be able to do down the road with them. Petey, on the other hand..if we ever get to a point where we can cohabitate with no chance of him trying to dive bomb me from time to time, I'll be happy.

Why is it easier to gain trust with birds you get as babies? They haven't been issued any reason yet to feel any other way than to trust you. However, this comes with a great deal of responsibility since how you do treat them and deal with them will pave the way of how they will feel about humans in general. Part of the reason why I don't think I'll ever be able to fully gain Petey's trust is that I think, at some point, someone, a women, did something terrible to him. He's quite willing to treat any men he encounters in a very sweet demeanor. But women...no such luck. While he won't attack unknown women, he is clearly uncomfortable around them. Why would I think there is more hope with Joey and Zuri? For one, the progress that has been made since they first came here and the fact that their history isn't as scarring I would think, although Zuri did seem to have it harder than Joey.

But why would Pixel be so trusting? I somehow feel with her that she is so trusting with me because she might have picked me - back in the days where I visited her in the pet store she would come down in her cage to be as close to me as she could and I did see her ignore many other people. And while she is quite trusting of me, the Boy wouldn't dare handle her in the way I do sometimes and when I had her at my parents' to be watched over while we were away on vacation, she was rather nervous around them.

I did mention earlier than when it comes to baby birds, we have a huge responsibility in playing a role in how they will trust other people - I think I did fairly well with Piper and Shade, as they are quite willing to see different people and be well behaved. I can only hope that Léa will turn out the same way.

Funny how taking one picture let me to write something significantly longer than I first intended. I do hope you enjoy the picture of trusting Pixel and her dainty ways.