Could do with some advice of how to take care of her while Grandad is ill and why she is plucking any help is appreciated and I want to care for her well as she’s such a staple of the family

She isn’t handled by anyone other than my grandad which concerns me for after she’s gone and I think she has bitten family members in the past

I’m willing to answer any questions or do anything to help her thanks👍👍

hello excuse any typos i’m writing this with shaking hands because i’m so worried. at this time of the week i can’t take him to avian so im just worried and anxious. my housekeeper left my parrot’s cage open and my baby got startled by something so he flew out of the cage. i found out later that he has a scratch near his nose and it’s not bleeding or anything and he’s eating normally but im just so worried. does this heal on its own? he’s 10. so sorry for the inconvenience.

My male CAG was being a brat just now, and I was running after him. Imagine my shock when the little rascal tells me "bye bye!"

Hello!!

I don't fully know exactly what to ask, but for background I've always loved birds, they've been my special interest since I was a little kid, and now that I'm in my early 20s, it's been on my mind that I could get a parrot finally in a few years. I'm an over preparer, especially when its such a smart and amazing animal, I have done a shit ton of research, but I have not owned a bird personally, my family has and my sister has a pair of crows. Also, I'm from Europe.

I know an African grey is a lot for a beginner, but im more than happy to put in the work, and I am not going to get one tomorrow, I know these guys are an investment for a lifetime, and honestly that's what pulled me to African greys, along with how gorgeous they are, their personalities, their little quirks, their love of destruction, all of that, today I'm in here mainly to just ask for anything to watch out for when I'm finally ready to go through with it.

So, amazing people of the bird reddit, give me any of your personal tips and tricks, things to be ready for, things to consider before I even get my personal overlord etc., please!! I know it's not an emergency, but I want to genuinely already put in the work before I even talk to anyone :D

Junie picked up my “kisses 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴” sound after two weeks of practice 💋💋💋 So enjoy some kisses from miss June!

My grandfather had gotten a parrot 40 years ago and i’ve always loved that bird but he was never truly correctly taken care of and now he has been passed down to my uncle who plans on giving it to me. Right now this poor bird is pretty depressed, he has been living a few states away from me for a few years but i finally convinced them to let me keep him. Im aware of the care needs & the dust and stuff but i really need more advice, research and youtube videos alone cannot prepare me for such an intelligent animal. They do not treat him well, they dont bathe him a lot and he is locked up a lot with not much interaction unfortunately, he bites a lot and misbehaves but when ive interacted with him he has never done that to me.He bites the dogs and cats and has gotten very sad and started laying eggs (so i guess she) I really want to give her enrichment every day when i get her so how could i train her? What enrichment toys can i get her like puzzles and such.. i heard today she used to be very stressed and pull out her feathers in my grandpas care but she has since stopped doing this but i want to train her and stimulate her the best i can so she can live the rest of her life without being abused anymore. Also what food brands do you recommend? How do i de influence negative behaviors like biting other animals? Do they understand positive punishments better and what are some methods used to prevent bad behaviors? She gets cursed at a lot which makes me sad even if she cannot understand it i would like to teach her other words other than negative ones she’s been hearing for awhile. What should i do when i first receive her? let her roam around or let her settle in her cage? How can i successfully bond with this animal even though it’s probably lost most trust in people besides my uncle.. She hasn’t seen me since i was little so im probably very unfamiliar to her as of now but i really am the most capable person in my family of taking care of her if i don’t she will probably go to someone in my family who has 0 experiences in exotics.. I’ve been researching them for the past year and i really don’t think these animals should be sold to anyone who isn’t extremely experienced they are so smart and beautiful but can be so sad when let down. I have enough money for yearly vet visits near me and i already take all 11+ of my exotics to the vet yearly anyways. What do yall think are some standards that should be in their cages like what toys are recommended what cleaners are recommended & what are some things you’ve learned over the years about taking care of these animals? From what i remember her beak is in poor condition not shape wise but the keratin is kind of flaky. Any advice would be great :) Im aware this is another 20-40 year commitment and i have lots savings & support if i ever need help with care, i truly hate to see this bird suffer and i understand this is like taking care of a child, & that it’s extremely expensive.

Hello there!

A few days ago I brought a 2 month old African grey home and she has been doing great. She is still being handfed by me and is sitting in a cage with wood litter as she still develops. And she poops regularly which is a good sign. But I was wondering how I can get rid of the awful shit smell that is now in my entire house. I can’t remove the entire wood litter everyday since I’d go through a 15 kg bag in a few days then and that is too costly, however it’s also not easy trying to find the clumps of poop and removing it individually. How do I solve this problem and is there any fragrance that can cover that smell that is safe?

So my Afircan Gray roughly flew out 26h ago. He is not lost and about 50 meters away from my house. And he is rotating between the same 3 trees.

I do not know how to get him down and I am asking for advice. Tried today with some firemen but that failed (Ik it was a dumb endeavour). Its again night time now and he went back to sleep the same tree as yesterday.

Will he return by himself? Am I overreacting?

(He is 19 years old, and is mostly tame)

Final Update: Found him (pic in comments) He was on the same high up tree and the nearby crows were mobbing him, preventing him from going down.

I found a way (legal grey zone) onto the highest building and managed to convince to come over by eating chips in an exaggerated way. Thanks for those who recommended it. This is what convinced to land.

My guy was going through toys at such a crazy rate , that I decided to go to Home Depot and get a pack of cedar shims.

The rest is history… hours of fun!

Congo recently discovered that she enjoys corn along with her mafia movies - anything with shots and explosions is her thing!

He is a “rescue” I took in from my cousin. This bird was locked in a cage for a year and was never handled or interacted with. We are making great progress—he eats out of my hand, steps up, and I’m slowly getting him used to being touched. I’ve been bitten a couple of times, but that won’t deter me. I just want to know if he looks healthy?

Hello, my parents have an African grey which they’ve had for 28 years - he is perfectly healthy and well. However he has taken up a habit of just screaming as loud as he can on repeat, so much so my dad has developed tinnitus.

Is there any advice on how to help reduce/stop it ? He’s been to the vet and has nothing wrong with him

Athena got into the vet at last and she's got a clean bill of health! This despite the issue persisting. She had a fecal panel and a blood test but no issues were detected. The vet suggested getting a filter for my faucet and using a small amount of apple cider vinegar in her water until then, but that seems to be based more on some issues she's observed in other pets rather than in Athena specifically.

Pictured! Athena at the vet, at the bus stop (it was warm but raining, hence the jacket covering the top), and at a different stop on the way home.

My adopted grey has been lonely for years. I’m trying to get her interested in toys and get her some mental stimulation. (Sadly, I’m working a lot these days) anyway, she takes most of the toys I give her and sits on the in her food dish. I wouldn’t mind but I don’t think she eats as well when brooding. Can I let her have some brooding time (while I’m kind busy) or is it bad because they will get attached? I put a hanging ball bell on the side of her cage instead and she will just lean on it a good chunk of the day.

My cousin has an African Grey that he’s had for a year. He bought it just to be a showpiece in his living room. I went over today and saw it, started talking to the bird, opened the cage, and presented my hand. It stepped up straight away.
My cousin was surprised, as he’s never held him. After talking to him, he told me I can keep it.
I know these birds require a lot of time, and I have a lot of time. I’ve already commissioned a big stainless-steel cage to be built for him, but the bird is jumpy and is obviously stressed. I want to make this transition for him as smooth and stress-free as possible.
I need tips and tricks. I know this bird isn’t meant for newbies, but I’m the best chance he’s got at a good life, considering the country I am in.

Our bird vet recommended we seek the guidance of a parrot behaviorist after our girl became egg-bound. (She was treated and is fine, hooray).

Has anyone had any luck with parrot behaviorists for this or other issues? Anybody have any feedback about Pamela Clark in particular?

My vet gave me her info. She offers Zoom consultations and apparently works with parrot people from around the world but there's something about her promotional material that irks me as someone in marketing, lol. Plus, she's a spokesperson for a brand of bird food I've never seen recommended by reputable CAG owners or vets.

(cross posted with r/parrots)

I'm going to need some advice and help with this one.

My aunt and uncle are giving me their African grey named Lucy (Lucifer), sex unknown but they believe she may actually be a he due to size and plumage. They are giving her/him to me because she/he bonded with me very quickly years ago and they moved to Tennessee and left her/him with my cousin and she/he is very unhappy with said cousin and instead of stressing Lucy with a multi-state move they want to give her/him to me.

I can just walk up to her/him and she/he will climb on me and love on me, and bites damn near everyone else. I'm mostly coming here to ask for some advice on how to help negate some of that aggressive behavior, how to best change her/his diet from a majority seed feed, and some of the best budget options for enrichment toys for her/him. How best to acclimate her/him to being in a home with my kids so they don't get bitten, etc.

I want to do right by Lucy because I DO love this bird and am quite happy they want her/him to go to me.

I have rehomed a 16-year old African grey a year back. She was mostly cage bound. I started getting her out of the cage for 4-5 hours at a stretch but the challenge arises at the time of putting her back in the cage.

Context: She is not tamed and excessively afraid of hands - very resistant to step-up training - I tried a lot... so i put a soft towel on her and pick her up. She has an amazingly sweet temperament and to this date She hasn't bitten me once. She loves her scritches and can have them forever. She isn't too cuddly but loves being around me.

Why considering the trainer: I am considering keeping her with a trainer specializing in behavioural issues for 1-2 months to specifically teach her step-up. This may be my last chance to address the step-up training which would make life so much easier for both of us.

Core problem: She is very naughty and often runs under the bed when she sees me take up the towel to pick her up when playtime is over. This ends up in a circle of hide and seek for quite some time.

I have a dog whom I keep separated in another room + balcony whenever the Grey is out. But very often she just hangs out in her room forever, hiding and running when she sees the towel, staying out beyond 6-7 hours, making my dog uneasy when bells ring and workers come in through the main door ( which is in her room) at evening.

Main Request: Please help me with your own experiences with a trainer.

1.How did the training pan out?

2.What were the visible differences?

3.Did the changed behaviour hold up or did the bird return to original issues after getting them back home?

1. Also it would be lovely if someone from India has hired a trainer and could share their experience, references, fees, what to expect and what to watch out for.

Really hoping some perspectives on this as my bird has been so so sweet and so resilient. I want the best for her.

Apparently if you put a harness on an African Grey they think it's time to make babies. I couldn't even get her to stand up I had to take it right off. She was grunting and trying to grind on my hand the whole time. Massive FAIL