New Member of the Flock! Introducing Kito!

Kito!  A four and a half month old Timneh African Grey.

It took me all of fifteen minutes or so once we got home to fall completely in love with this little cuddlebug.

I have never had a bird be so sweet, and loving, and just plain cuddly immediately on coming to a new home.  I've had over a dozen birds in my 20 plus years of bird companionship, including a Goffin's cockatoo, and they've all been a bit standoffish for the first few days.  I'm not sure if he is just fearless, or if he will get even sweeter as he gets to know us.

Chameleon Parrotlet!

I have not been good at keeping up with this blog.  Bad me!

Tyrallon has been doing very well.  He's a highly independent little thing; he is generally much happier just hanging out in his cage by himself than coming out to spend time with me.  But, when I do convince him to deign me with his presence, he's a little sweetheart, so its fine.  I enjoy watching his antics anyway.

Well, he's about five months old now, and right on time, he's started his Big Boy molt (losing his baby feathers and growing in his adult feathers).  And apparently...  he's changing colors!  I had no idea this was a thing that could happen!


A couple of old pics, for comparison's sake:

And now, his pics from today!

"Happy" little bonus...  when I was trying to get the first set of photos, he decided it was a good time to regurgitate for me for the first time.  Goody.  They say it coincides with that first molt, but that's a little 'on the beak', isn't it, Tyr??

Lightning Fast Learning

So, It's been a bit over a month since Tyrallon joined our little family.  Things are going smoothly, all except for the narrow window of time in which I actually need to get him out of his cage; that still leads to a merry chase every time.  So, I decided that this was a good time to begin target training.


Holy cow!


If you've seen the Flock Talk video on target training, she warns that it was essentially a "time lapse" video over several days, and to not expect your birds to actually pick it up that fast.


Tyr didn't pick it up that fast... he picked it up faster! In less than ten minutes I could get him to climb anywhere on his cage, go from the cage to the couch, from the couch to the cage! It took about three times 'bumping' his beak with the stick to show him that grabbing it got him a bite of millet, and he was off! Another three or four times where he just had to reach, not move, and it was solidly in his head... after that, I could move it anywhere and he'd go after it. I was just stunned!

I knew parrotlets are smart little birds, obviously.  But this was learning with a speed and agility I would expect of an African Grey or maybe an Amazon, not a bird I can completely cover up with one cupped hand!

Frozen Single-Serve Chop

It seems fitting that my first post on this new blog should be on my frozen chop.

I love birds, and parrots in particular.  They are, to me, the perfect pet.  There is a perfect companion for every person; from sweet, low-maintenance budgies and cockatiels, to feisty parrotlets and lovebirds, to cuddly cockatoos of varying sorts, or to the stunningly intelligent and sensitive African greys and Amazons.  They are easier to clean up after than dogs or cats, and smell much less as well.  And even the simpler parrots still put most dogs or cats to shame with their intelligence.  And of course, they are beautiful!

However, they do take a lot of care to be truly happy and healthy.  Almost all of them do significantly better if around half of their diet is fresh foods, like vegetables (especially leafy green veggies), fruit, grains, and legumes (beans).  Basically, the same things that make a healthy diet for people!

Unfortunately, I have a lot of medical issues that can make preparing fresh food for my fids (feather-kids) a challenge most days, and impossible on no few days.  That's where pre-prepared frozen single-servings of chop can come in super handy!  It allows me to just grab one cube and defrost it, and have almost-as-good-as-fresh chop for my babies with almost no effort for my bad days.

Welcome home, Tyrallon!

Oh.
My.
Gawds.



Two hours in the car and about 15 minutes at home, and I am absolutely flabbergasted at how curious my last parrotlet, Wisp, wasn't.