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LITERALLY A BIRD posted:I'm so sorry you all are at this point, subpar. It's just really frustrating and depressing for me, and I'm sure frustrating for Mochi and my partner as well. I've had birds my entire life and am familiar with one person being their person, but this is a whole separate level now that he's neglecting himself as well.
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May 17, 2020 17:41
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Yeah. 
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May 17, 2020 18:13
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subpar anachronism posted:It's just really frustrating and depressing for me, and I'm sure frustrating for Mochi and my partner as well. I've had birds my entire life and am familiar with one person being their person, but this is a whole separate level now that he's neglecting himself as well. I'm so sorry. If I could I'd come over and talk some sense into your bird.
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May 17, 2020 18:24
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Thank you everyone who took the time to reply and give advice, commiserate, or reassure me over the last few months, especially Battle Pigeon for the very in-depth PM, which I'm definitely going to reply to in detail point by point when I get some time. It's so hard to not feel like you are directly doing something wrong and sometimes hard to remember that as smart as they are, they aren't smart enough to handle discussing their feelings on this. BP did point out something specific to me that I know my husband does affectionately with Mochi, and I had not heard was a sexual behaviour before - the rubbing and gentle play-wrestling with the beak being related to courting regurgitation. I don't think there is one big fix for all of this, but that is absolutely something we can stop doing. I've been trying to channel my frustration into rearranging the living space, and maybe that will impact him as well, though I already move stuff around his cage regularly. I've also gotten some dark curtains for the big window that is our entire west living room wall, so hopefully that will contribute to keeping it darker for longer. He wants to go to bed every night around 8 but gets up too early in the morning so fingers crossed that helps. LAB, I couldn't get his attention with the quad-arm spinning bell thingy before the post broke and it's pretty delicate plastic, even though Mochi is pretty Ama-sized. Any ideas on a way I could safely attach it directly to something? We did cardboard castles and stuff before but I'm trying not to provide any nesty dark corners. I haven't talked much about Bradbury and Fontana lately but Bradbury is still doing well, back to regular budgie noises. Fontana has settled in nicely and is beginning to play and hang and jump and flutter as his clip grows out and is currently swinging sideways from some rings by his feet, and has adjusted nicely from the pretty flat open enclosures the store keeps them in to having bird space for bird things. I've caught them trying to feed each other a couple times.  I wish I had done this a year or more ago, he clearly just needed a friend. I wish it was an option for Mochi but there's a laundry list of reasons why it's not appropriate for our situation.We're having a relatively decent day today, he's sitting on the playstand beside me and hasn't squawked nonstop in the direction of the bedroom. Times like these I feel so guilty for getting frustrated with him, because he's clearly just not coping well with the season and our shifting work schedules, but I'm powerless to make anything more than minor changes it feels. Sorry for the rant. Thanks for understanding bird friends. uranium grass fucked around with this message at 22:34 on May 17, 2020 |
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May 17, 2020 20:04
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I think we all need to rant about birds sometimes. They're a lot of work at the best of times.
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May 17, 2020 22:16
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subpar anachronism posted:Sad and frustrating stuff It's perfectly alright and understandable, birds are really high-maintenance pets at the best of times. I don't have much to offer right now, but here are a couple of beepy babies from today. You'll make it through, horomones are awful in all species. Unfortunately some individuals have a worse case than others.  House Sparrow Lesser Goldfinch
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May 17, 2020 23:44
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It really sounds like some sort of hormone imbalance. I also really doubt you are doing anything wrong, Subpar. You are a good, experienced owner and it’s also good that you are exhausting all options. Always come vent when you need. We care about you. 
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May 18, 2020 02:03
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https://twitter.com/CuteAnimaIVines/status/1260643727850082304
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May 18, 2020 03:03
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The one time Serra did that I was promptly covered in regurgitated cockatiel food.
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May 18, 2020 08:41
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But what does it mean? Captain Log posted:The one time Serra did that I was promptly covered in regurgitated cockatiel food. Oh, ok.
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May 18, 2020 15:30
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I've never seen my budgies do that! I must teach them promptly.
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May 18, 2020 16:51
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Ahh geez. Somehow my conure managed to undo a quick link and get it hooked on his lower beak. I got it off, but it definitely cut up some some tissue. There was a little bit of blood. He's ok now. No bleeding but I can see the skin under his beak is red and irritated. I think he's still sore and hurting a bit. He's sitting with me talking and making his birdie noises but he's not running around all over me like he normally does. He's tired.
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May 18, 2020 18:55
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subpar anachronism posted:LAB, I couldn't get his attention with the quad-arm spinning bell thingy before the post broke and it's pretty delicate plastic, even though Mochi is pretty Ama-sized. Any ideas on a way I could safely attach it directly to something? We did cardboard castles and stuff before but I'm trying not to provide any nesty dark corners. Did they send you the right one? It's this one ("Rattle Mirror"):  Ama's is clamped near the floor like this:  so that he can freak out on it while standing and throwing his whole weight at it. It's his third one, the first one he dismantled many years ago and the second was broken on our cross-country move. I think that particular rattle just has a strong comfort element for him, since when I first bought him the Rattle Mirror was one of the toys I bought too. As far as sheer fun value, his favorite seems to be the "Hypno Wheel":  His is clamped to the wall next to one of his favorite perches and near the cage door, he goes bonkers on it both for fun and profit (profit in this case ringing it like an inverse doorbell and being let out). I recommend it.  
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May 18, 2020 19:38
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Jose Oquendo posted:Ahh geez. Somehow my conure managed to undo a quick link and get it hooked on his lower beak. I got it off, but it definitely cut up some some tissue. There was a little bit of blood. He's ok now. No bleeding but I can see the skin under his beak is red and irritated. I think he's still sore and hurting a bit. He's sitting with me talking and making his birdie noises but he's not running around all over me like he normally does. He's tired. Ahhh! I'm so scared of that happening. Poor Dinger. Please give him extra snuggles for me.
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May 18, 2020 19:39
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Much appreciated. I saw your GIF of that hypno-wheel and I just had to order one.
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May 18, 2020 19:59
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I was gone overnight because of a very necessary long weekend social distancing camping trip (to my mom's back yard, because she and her wife live out in the country and they wanted to use their new camper, and they are both also essential workers and are loving TIRED, so they invited me to come out when I could so long as I could bring my own sleeping arrangements), and it was a good time, and I expected to come back to birds who want to yell at me for being gone. But they're very quiet and calm and it's kind of freaking me out.
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May 18, 2020 21:41
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Hope your affairs are in order 
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May 19, 2020 01:08
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Whenever Wandy stayed at my friends when I had emergency poo poo to do, she would make a big show of turning her back to me for five to ten minutes. Even if she had to face a wall to do so.
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May 19, 2020 02:11
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Hello again bird people! I posted here a while back about a cockatiel that literally flew to our home, Julian. He landed on our balcony, we brought him in, and he's been living happily with us ever since! However, after the birds started singing again outside he would squawk very loudly trying to get their attention even when we were in hanging out with him. We'd bring his cage out on our balcony and he'd just shout at the other birds, but they'd never come see him. It's like he wanted so bad to have a bird friend, but he was trying too hard and being obnoxious so they'd stay away... kind of like a socially awkward kid . Since he seemed to want company so bad, we put a larger full bird-sized mirror in his cage with him. He loves it and just hangs out next to his buddy for hours  Then today we noticed that he was plucking fibers off of one of his toys, presenting it to the mirror, then dropping them when the "other bird" wouldn't accept them. You can see them on the bottom left of his cage right under the mirror.  It just seems so, so sad... he seems to really love his new friend and now he's spending all his time trying to get approval that he'll never receive from a mate he can't have. Is this going to like... damage his confidence or harm his health in any way? Will he start acting out in frustration if the other "bird" keeps rejecting him? We're not necessarily against getting a buddy for him, but it's not really a good time to get one and attempt to integrate them. He's also getting very defensive of his buddy, if you try to touch or move anything on that side of the cage he flaps his wings wildly and starts freaking out. Is this a problem, and if so what can we do?
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May 19, 2020 02:57
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I'm so thrilled he is working out! Such a heart warming story. Before I ramble off some bullshit, I'll tell you my experience. I've taken care of four parakeets and three cockatiels. Currently, I'm a one cockatiel and a two parakeet household. They get vet visits, so some info I have might be regurgitated from there. I also hang out at the local parrot shop, which frequently has birds going to and from the vet with action plans for their mental and physical health I get to hear about. I try to soak up everything I can when I'm there. Hell, I'd work there if my legs functioned better. But I've spent time in my home exclusively with parakeets and cockatiels. Mirrors - Some people have success with them, including some people in this thread. Personally, I haven't. I've always found mirrors encourage hormonal, nesting behavior in my birds. Sometimes a bird will even regurgitate for the mirror bird. I don't keep them in the cage, because all my cockatiels have been egg laying hens. I put A LOT of energy into keeping them from laying eggs, but they all have at one point or another. But on the other hand, bird confidence (especially cockatiel confidence) is incorrigible. I wouldn't worry too much about your bird becoming despondent or depressed over mirror bird. I'm sure it's all good fun. If you see overly stressful or hormonal behavior, that's when you should act. I'll let everyone else weigh in so you can make a decision. Pretty much anyone here is a top notch birb owner. So glad Julian has found a happy home!
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May 19, 2020 03:09
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Kitfox88 posted:But what does it mean?
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May 19, 2020 05:13
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Hi Bird Crazies. My wife and I have completed our overseas migration and are now prepared to adopt our next feathered friend (previous chum Maru the budgerigar died a few years back). Maru was an extremely aware bird who considered himself the third person in the house. He was affectionate but didn't like to be touched, and while he was always chill with me he liked to beat his wings against my wife's face (before landing on her shoulder and chatting to her). We'd like to get a cockatiel this time because (1) we couldn't help but compare another budgie to Maru, (2) my wife would like a possibly more cuddly bird than before, and (3) it's a rental house so I can't get away to dedicating an entire room to a cockatoo or three. I read the OP and it looks like there is nothing terribly different between keeping a budgie and a cockatiel. We did have a big cage for Maru (with heaters even), got him checked at the vet regularly, fed him pellets, gave him his 10-12 hours of quiet dark time, and let him out of the cage practically the entire rest of the day. We have no problem with the 20-odd-year possible lifespan. Before we actually find one, I'd like to know if there is anything I should read up on or know about beforehand, or if you have any experience that might be helpful.
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May 20, 2020 07:05
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Weatherman posted:Hi Bird Crazies. My wife and I have completed our overseas migration and are now prepared to adopt our next feathered friend (previous chum Maru the budgerigar died a few years back). They're dusty, but you know cockatoos so you've dealt with that, and other birds can have issues with the dust (but again cockatoo/cockatiel is no problem)
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May 20, 2020 21:31
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They're louder than budgies.
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May 20, 2020 22:10
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DarkHorse posted:They're dusty, but you know cockatoos so you've dealt with that, and other birds can have issues with the dust (but again cockatoo/cockatiel is no problem) Cheers, will keep an eye on it. RoboRodent posted:They're louder than budgies. My dude have you seen my avatar?
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May 20, 2020 22:55
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Does anyone know of a good video that shows how loud cockatiels can get?
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May 21, 2020 00:12
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Mizuti posted:Does anyone know of a good video that shows how loud cockatiels can get? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jzi3XB86Uw 3:41 in for bird sounds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSmXQ1kQvIU
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May 21, 2020 00:26
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This is the moment I met baby Serra. I bought her a few moments later, but she still had a lot of hand feeding and weaning left to do. This is their very loud "Baby Noise" phase. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-ZeNFHXbME This is their very sassy "I'm gonna do a hiss" phase. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UO8AC72v0g This is their "come at me!!!" phase. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GXhngMtfb0
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May 21, 2020 00:57
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I forgot you can turn iOS Live Photos into GIFs
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May 21, 2020 01:45
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Jose Oquendo posted:I forgot you can turn iOS Live Photos into GIFs last thing you see.
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May 21, 2020 01:54
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Jose Oquendo posted:I forgot you can turn iOS Live Photos into GIFs Every frame of this is perfect lol
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May 21, 2020 05:53
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Hakarne posted:Hello again bird people! I posted here a while back about a cockatiel that literally flew to our home, Julian. He landed on our balcony, we brought him in, and he's been living happily with us ever since! However, after the birds started singing again outside he would squawk very loudly trying to get their attention even when we were in hanging out with him. We'd bring his cage out on our balcony and he'd just shout at the other birds, but they'd never come see him. It's like he wanted so bad to have a bird friend, but he was trying too hard and being obnoxious so they'd stay away... kind of like a socially awkward kid Honestly I think you may need to take his mirror friend away he'll be unhappy about it but I don't think that behavior is healthy! I will type up a slightly longer and more explanatory post in the morning On a happier note I'm so glad to hear you still have Julian and he's doing well. He was so lucky to find you guys!
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May 21, 2020 05:56
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Captain Log posted:Mirrors - Some people have success with them, including some people in this thread. Personally, I haven't. I've always found mirrors encourage hormonal, nesting behavior in my birds. Sometimes a bird will even regurgitate for the mirror bird. I don't keep them in the cage, because all my cockatiels have been egg laying hens. I put A LOT of energy into keeping them from laying eggs, but they all have at one point or another. LITERALLY A BIRD posted:Honestly I think you may need to take his mirror friend away Thank you both! I look forward to hearing the details tomorrow, but consensus seems to be it should go. We were thinking that too but it's good to hear from the experts. We have some new toys coming in for him, so we'll put those in and take out the mirror at the same time. Hopefully that'll help him cope!
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May 21, 2020 06:12
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speaking of loud birds looks like the adoption of Tango is going ahead!
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May 21, 2020 10:24
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Baby updates... I discovered it breaking out of its shell at 11:30am on Saturday. It emerged by 5:45 pm that day.  Here it is at around 9am on Sunday, 5:30pm on Tuesday, and 7am on Thursday.  I love the baby. It’s thriving. Here’s a little infographic about it that I made with a picture I took at 5:30 on Tuesday before it rolled over: https://twitter.com/tinymira/status/1262879556999970820 No name until feathers start coming in (Sunday?), but it will probably be Scamp or Shell. But it does answer to Stinky: https://twitter.com/tinymira/status/1263462303426633728
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May 21, 2020 16:53
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be good and try hard!
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I just returned from taking my conure to the vet. He's gonna be fine  I thought something was wrong with his crop, but it was just the tissue under his beak. There was some puss in there from when he was hurt. They drained it and said it wasn't anything major. It will clear up in a couple weeks. They gave me some anti-inflammatory stuff to give him. It was his first visit ever to a vet and he did fine. They were super nice and friendly which helped me out. I've been stressed all week. They said he was healthy aside from the above. I need to get both my birds setup with regular wellness checks with this vet. edit: Just saw the baby egg posts. That's awesome. Baby birds are goddamn adorable.
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May 21, 2020 17:54
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GoldStandardConure posted:speaking of loud birds Hooray!!! Hug in a Can posted:Baby updates... Hooray!!!!! Jose Oquendo posted:I just returned from taking my conure to the vet. He's gonna be fine Hooray!!!!!!!!!
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May 21, 2020 18:28
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Hakarne posted:Thank you both! I look forward to hearing the details tomorrow, but consensus seems to be it should go. Whoops I spent too long loving around this morning and need to leave for work soon so this may be a little more brief than I'd intended  Basically, the potential problems with having a mirror friend are the ones you've already begun to notice: Birdie gets too attached to mirror friend, spends all their time courting him/her, begins to get defensive over it, starts presenting gifts and trying to preen it and feed it. I'm definitely of the opinion a bird getting too attached to its reflection in this way can be damaging to their mental health; maybe not immediately, but over time for sure. They're spending increasing amounts of time and energy and effort trying to get mirror bird to notice and love them back and mirror bird won't! I think that kind of perceived rejection can bum out more than just humans. I'm sure you're well-acquainted with the thread's troubles, present and past, with hormonal birds; that's another thing Julian would be at greater risk for, should he be so attached to the mirror friend. This in turn could lead to an amp of the aggressive/defensive behavior youre already noting and just lead to a real mess of a situation. He'll be sad if you take away the mirror for sure, but unfortunately, the risks of letting him continue to bond with his reflection really outweigh any benefit of keeping it. It sucks that he seems lonely, agreed but until you're willing/able to set him up with another 'tiel or budgie buddy I'd just try to focus on continuing to give him enough love and attention his desire for another bird companion isn't overwhelming. He seems to be young, and resilient; he'll be okay.
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May 21, 2020 18:41
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LITERALLY A BIRD posted:Whoops I spent too long loving around this morning and need to leave for work soon so this may be a little more brief than I'd intended Yeah, Im trying to figure out a workaround for Trevor and his incessant horniness. Since R has been working from home, we have been spending a LOT more time int he front room, and Trev loves to walk up and down the windowsill yelling at the kids/birds/cat/ups man/garbage truck...you get the idea But, I think he can see his reflection in the glass a bit...and he is making me a little crazy. He keeps trying to regurgitate to it, and I caught him this afternoon trying desperately to rub one out on the windowsill So, I was thinking maybe some window decals... like the easy remove vinyl to put along the bottom of the window to deter him. I feel bad for him, but... wow...he is REALLY getting bad about it. If its not the window reflection it's me he is trying to shag. Anyone got any better ideas? I would appreciate it greatly....
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May 22, 2020 01:11
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Maru was a horny little budgie who loved to hump things. Our vet suggested two changes: make sure he gets 12 full hours of quiet time per night (i.e., in a dark and quiet room where we're not), and remove all toys from his cage. Conventional wisdom says birds need toys in their cage so queried this and she said no, no toys as they get the bird hyped up and besides you let him out all day anyway so he doesn't need them for entertainment. So I took out all his toys except one bell and got him his 11 (couldn't do 12 due to schedules) hours of quiet time. Didn't think anything would come of it but sure enough, about a month later, he was the same old Maru except he had completely calmed down and stopped humping.
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May 22, 2020 19:55
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