Life will never be the same...

[Will0W783]

But hopefully in a good way! As a lot of you guys know, I'm a softie and I often get asked to take in exotic animals that friends or acquaintances can no longer care for. Usually this entails reptiles and/or amphibians, but Friday I got a very unusual and difficult request.

A girl, Lisa, that I know from the train rides home, and who works in the Women's studies at my school, asked me if I could take her African grey parrot. Apparently this bird was originally bought for her mom's second husband, but they tired of it and gave it to the grandmother, and now the bird was living with my friend and the grandma...Lisa estimated it's around 20-25 years old. Baby, the parrot, had not been handled in years, and Lisa knew he needed to go elsewhere. I am by no means a bird expert, but I have a working knowledge of them and generally have good luck with rescues. I told her that I needed as much information about Baby and his/her (gender unknown) history as possible, and would need to come meet the bird and see how it reacted to me and my fiance before I could give her an answer.

She sent me pictures of a healthy, but bored, grey parrot in what looked like a parakeet cage (2 feet tall, 1.5 wide, and 1 or so deep) with plain dowel perches and no toys at all. She said they didn't give him toys because he chewed them up.....that's what parrots do!
So yesterday I met Baby- the cage was even smaller than it looked in the pictures, and the door was way way too small for Baby to even fit through. Lisa said he'd been in that cage for a few years, and had had a smaller one before that...ugh. Regardless, he babbled at us and seemed quite curious. Lisa got a box and encouraged us to take him right away. Fortunately, I had found a good parrot cage on Craigslist, so I called the seller and asked if I could see the cage right away. We took Baby and grabbed the cage on the way home, along with a pit stop at Petsmart for heavy-duty parrot toys.

Baby is scheduled to see my exotics vet next Tuesday - it was the earliest available appointment. I want to get his nails and wings trimmed and possibly his beak will need filing...he had nothing to chew on except the walls and a black cuttlefish bone.....and I will probably need bloodwork done to make sure his liver and kidneys are working well and he isn't nutritionally deficient.

He's really curious and laid-back. He took treats of carrots, broccoli and banana from my hands, but freaks out if I try to touch him, so it will be a long road of patience and stamina to get him accustomed to touch and coming out of the cage. Right now he seems extremely confused with all the space he has and has been flapping his wings and climbing all over. I hope this works out well for both myself and Baby...he's incredibly beautiful and I've always wanted an African grey. I always said that if I ever got a parrot it would be a grey, but I never expected to be given one at this time in my life. I don't have the most time in the world, but it will definitely be more time and attention than he was getting. My goal is for Baby to be able to come out and sit on a play gym while I do office work or take a bath, and for him to accept handling so he can be carried from room to room.


So here are the pictures I was sent, so you can get an idea of what he'd been living like:
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh115/Will0W783/3a59eb72.jpg
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh115/Will0W783/a7db1d97.jpg

[Will0W783]

And here is his cage now:
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh115/Will0W783/b7db2482.jpg
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh115/Will0W783/1a575213.jpg
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh115/Will0W783/40dcc2e5.jpg
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh115/Will0W783/40dcc2e5.jpg

[Will0W783]

Baby is a Timneh African grey, which are far less common in captivity than the Congo variety. Timnehs are slightly smaller (Baby is still quite large), and have a light horn-colored beak and a dark maroon tail. They are supposedly calmer and less prone to self-destructive behavior and more adaptable to strangers and new situations. I'm hoping that Baby comes along well.

However this turns out, my life will never be the same....Baby is at most middle-aged, which means he will be my companion for another 20-30 years, and he when/if he bonds with me he will want my constant attention. Right now, he needs a lot of patience, love and careful attention to get him to warm up to us and to learn that hands are perches and not food!

Any advice I can get from other parrot owners on here would be much appreciated! I am doing a LOT of reading and absorbing information.

[Gungirl]

Congrats on a great rescue! I love Greys and hope to own one some time. You are on the right track with everything you have said however the one thing I will recommend is not trimming the beak ( as long as it can still eat fine leave it alone) . For a bird that is a VERY sensitive and can be traumatic. Seeing as this one is not use to being handled it could make it defensive for weeks after. If given proper chew toys and cement/sand perches it will wear it down nicely on its own.

[Rogue628]

Awww. He's pretty! I hope his check up comes back good and he'll soon learn to trust you. :)

Please keep us updated on his progress. I'd love to see how well he does with a different owner and a better environment.

[alessia55]

Wow, congrats! You definitely have your hands full now. Good luck with Baby, she'll need lots of TLC. Poor thing, stuck in that small cage for so long. I hope she'll get lots of time now to explore the world around her. Please keep us posted as she progresses.

[Nobodyspecial]

Congrats on the rescue Willow! Its sad to see how many people get these birds just for the novelty of just having a pet that can talk, and not realize how much attention and room they need its like having a 2 year old that never really grows up lol. Baby looks happier already.

[exwizard]

Wow! This choked me up and made me a bit misty. I am not a bird person but I love it when things like this happen. Kim, you have my deepest respect because of what you do for these animals. Thank you. :)

[Will0W783]

Thank you guys. I'm giving Baby a mixture of the food he/she is used to, along with Dr. Harvey's Perfect Parrot food (an all-natural, human-grade mix of nuts, berries, dried fruits and veggies along with herbs). I am hoping that Baby is healthy....poop looks really watery and green. :-/

[alessia55]

Thank you guys. I'm giving Baby a mixture of the food he/she is used to, along with Dr. Harvey's Perfect Parrot food (an all-natural, human-grade mix of nuts, berries, dried fruits and veggies along with herbs). I am hoping that Baby is healthy....poop looks really watery and green. :-/

Watery and green is usually OK. Does it have little white parts to it? Droppings usually have feces, clear urine, and white urine (urates). There should be a part that is coiled and semi-solid (the poop part). Not just one big mush of liquid.

[Will0W783]

It looked like if you thawed out frozen spinach and just dumped it on a paper....75% watery green liquid, the rest green bits. It didn't look like Tweeter's poop at all but I don't know how stressed out Baby is.

Not the best picture, but I hope you can see it and get the idea:
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh115/Will0W783/d1d0aa09.jpg

[buffcoat]

The most intelligent of birds. Be careful what you say around him/her. They retain and are able to construct full sentences. A guy I work with has one...when the phone rings the bird promptly tells you to "answer the phone @&%*#"! He will tell you when he's going to bed and things like that. They are the only bird I would own. I've been around several and they have all been amazing.

Congrats on the rescue. I know you will give him/her the best care!

[alessia55]

Yeah, that looks runny. It might just be stress though. This is gross, but I've done it several times for my birds: run your fingers through it. It should be smooth, without much texture. I'd watch him carefully and hopefully the vet will be able to help. Give him plenty of time to just relax and adjust. I wouldn't stress handling right now. Let him settle in and get used to the new people and animals he now lives with.

[UwabamiReptiles]

When I worked at a pet shop when I was in high school. I would get in trouble because I would just play and talk with the african grey we had. Hands down the coolest birds out there. Congrats!

[jarich]

Wow, thats an amazing rescue animal to get for free. They are really expensive. Congratulations!

[Will0W783]

Yes, African greys are incredibly expensive birds. I'd never be able to afford to purchase one...it seems just luck that this happened, although it will not be easy. Baby will require a good, extensive veterinary check-up, and hopefully the toes and wings can be clipped without needing to anesthetize the bird...that will be $$$$$ if we do. Baby might also need some supplementation or medication, depending on any underlying health issues or nutritional deficiencies. I've already spent about $300 on a cage and toys and food, so it's not going to be cheap, but definitely the least expensive way to end up with a grey.

I just want Baby to be happy and well-adjusted and have a good life. I am tremendously excited about this, and also really nervous. It's a HUGE HUGE responsibility for me and a busy time in my life as I finish up my Ph.D. thesis work, but I will make time for Baby and make things work.

[snake man12]

Wow my parakeet is in a bigger cage than Baby was in. Hat's off to you for helping him.

[Will0W783]

The cage he was in was just not acceptable. I know that Lisa cares about him, she just claimed that she didn't know much about birds and was afraid to try to get him out of that cage. So he just stayed where he was. They fed him a lot of pasta and veggies along with his parrot food, and talked to him so he wasn't unloved...they just didn't know what they were doing. That isnt' really an excuse though...TONS of information available about them online. Heck, I learned a lot just talking to the bird guy at That Pet Place for an hour. I'm just glad that she realized that the current setup wasn't good for Baby and sought out a better home for him.

[Squirtle]

Can you make a video of him talking? I love parrots! :3

[Will0W783]

Once he starts talking more regularly, I definitely will. He's a bit overwhelmed and shellshocked right now, so he's been pretty quiet. I think that once he settles in and realizes that his new home is safe and that we are safe, he will become more gregarious.

[Will0W783]

It's been about two weeks of living with Baby, and every day he's made great progress. He talks to us a lot and has been coming out of his cage to sit up top and explore. He seems to like the dogs' metal food bowl, so when we need to get him to come with us, we hold the bowl in front of him and he happily steps up onto it.

Last night we decided to see if Baby would like the chance to bathe, and took him up into the bathroom. Baby was fascinated with the mirror and kept walking around the rim of the bowl to get closer to his reflection, until he'd sidled right onto John's hand. John lowered the bowl slowly, and he was holding Baby! Then I tried the same...Oh wow it was amazing. Baby seemed curious and a bit confused but sat nicely on my arm and sidled back and forth up and down it. He didn't try to bite at all....and after a bit, he scooted up my arm and up onto my shoulder. He seemed to enjoy being up on a shoulder and sat there and said, "Whee. Oh boy. Good Baby. Oh boy." LOL! I am sooo thrilled that I was able to hold him...I didn't think for a second it would be this soon. I love this bird sooo much!
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh115/Will0W783/16CDF33A-EEB2-4C7B-90B1-F41285FD3128-2195-000002E1A47A594E.jpg
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh115/Will0W783/7AC2E43F-B71D-4B65-AE74-CC2B0F5498A8-2195-000002E1BA8EF469.jpg
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh115/Will0W783/AA57D132-AC10-4BA7-B35A-C245EE8B881D-2195-000002E1BCF13281.jpg

Here he is with John:
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh115/Will0W783/8C7BDE07-5F8C-4AA4-95F4-E0E0A94B11DA-2195-000002E1AB0C2224.jpg
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh115/Will0W783/89D9C4E8-DF5A-4F90-8745-5CD1BC7C469C-2195-000002E1AE60F472.jpg

[Trollbie]

You are amazing Kim! I love parrots and can't wait to have one again. It's good that he doesn't seem aggressive and that he's cOming around quickly :)

What I did with my second parrot to get him used to coming out, I left his cage door open and let him come out on his own and sit on top of the cage. In a few days he was exploring the room and even voluntarily flew on my shoulder or climbed up. But Baby seems to be pretty comfortable already :D

Your life will now be even more awesome haha

[Will0W783]

Trollbie, that's what we did with him. We opened his cage door and let him come out and climb on the cage and explore. We've had him for two weeks...hard to believe it's only been two weeks...and he's just surging ahead with progress. He's a very personable bird...I can tell he'll be a total loverboy once he really bonds with us. :)

What kind of parrot did you have? They're all so beautiful!

[Aaron_S]

I'm jealous. Seriously.


Annnd tell John I feel his pain. Cut his hair short now. It's for the best lol

[shaunyboy]

Annnd tell John I feel his pain. Cut his hair short now. It's for the best lol

its only his face getting bigger mate ;)

nothing to worry about

cheers shaun :)

[Gungirl]

You are doing great with him Kim!

[alessia55]

Annnd tell John I feel his pain. Cut his hair short now. It's for the best lol

Bahaaaahhahahaa :laugh:

[Rogue628]

its only his face getting bigger mate ;)

nothing to worry about

cheers shaun :)


Oh wow...hahahaha!

Congrats on making some really great progress with him! Just shows you what a little TLC will do :)

[shaunyboy]

Oh wow...hahahaha!

Congrats on making some really great progress with him! Just shows you what a little TLC will do :)

and what about the parrot ? :yes::yes::yes:

cheers shaun

p.s.did you see what i did there :laugh::laugh:

[Trollbie]

Trollbie, that's what we did with him. We opened his cage door and let him come out and climb on the cage and explore. We've had him for two weeks...hard to believe it's only been two weeks...and he's just surging ahead with progress. He's a very personable bird...I can tell he'll be a total loverboy once he really bonds with us. :)

What kind of parrot did you have? They're all so beautiful!

Next thing you know he'll be doing fly-bys at you! Haha my birds loved to do that. They fly up on some tall furniture and when I'd walk by they fly or jump on my head and scare the poop out of me. They did it to me because they wanted attention. But if I was in the room and someone else walked in, they'd do a legit vicious fly-by at them because they were super protective of me haha. Of course when I wasn't around, the were best friends with anyone and everyone...

They were both Lories. The first one especially was the tamest bird I've ever met. I could do anything to him and he always enjoyed it.

It looks like baby is already bonding with you guys :) does he get excited when you come home yet? :)

[hylia]

Congrats! Your little Timneh is beautiful! How did the vet visit go? I see you didn't have his wings clipped yet, are you planning on keeping him flighted now? I think that's cool, I have always kept my birds flighted. They've learned pretty fast and it gives them a great opportunity to exercise.

That cage he was in at first makes me so sad. It reminds me of my first parrot, also a Timneh, who came in a 18 x 18 Cockatiel cage in which he had lived for decades. He has since passed on, but we now share our lives with another Grey. You might want to invest in a HEPA filter, these birds make a lot of dust as you likely have noticed. The Timnehs seem to make a bit less than the "Congos" though, at least in my observation.

Hope the vet visit went well and he did not end up having any deficiencies. Looking forward to hearing about how this guy thrives in you care.

[Rogue628]

and what about the parrot ? :yes::yes::yes:

cheers shaun

p.s.did you see what i did there :laugh::laugh:


Yes I did...lmao :laugh:

[rmfsnakes32]

Congrats I have always wanted a large bird but not very cost effective right now! We have a love bird that talks a little but very hard getting her used to us she was not handled much at all so is very gun shy so to speak! You are very lucky he came around so fast our love bird is 10 months old unlike yours so I hope with age she will mellow out a little and not chomp on my fingers after a few minutes. She loves to babble at you and repeats a few things her new one is the word "no" very cute but does get old after a bit lol Good luck with your new addition

[CK SandBoas]

I'm jealous. Seriously.


Annnd tell John I feel his pain. Cut his hair short now. It's for the best lol

You are so bad!!!!:laugh:

[Will0W783]

Originally posted by Aaron_S:Annnd tell John I feel his pain. Cut his hair short now. It's for the best lol

LMAO Aaron and Shauny!! I tease John about his receding hairline sometimes, but he's super sensitive about it. LOL.

[Will0W783]

Ok, so update on Baby. The vet visit went pretty well. He is in the process of molting, so with all the blood feathers coming in we could not have his wings clipped. The vet found evidence of Baby having been exposed to second hand smoke at some point, and I found out that my friend's mom, the original owner, smoked. Poor Baby has degraded papillae in his crop. :( He also has a mild Vitamin A and D deficiency, so I am supplementing his diet with yogurt, fresh leafy greens, and a full spectrum Avian UVA/UVB lamp. He goes back to my vet for a checkup in two weeks.

We made a TON of progress this weekend. I saw Baby beginning to play with some of his toys- he is still tentative, but he will poke at them with his beak, and he was pushing his swing back and forth while standing on a solid perch underneath it. John had to go down to VA to help his mom and step dad with their truck so I was home alone. Friday and Saturday were awful...I had several emergencies at the house and got in a fight with a friend, so I was sitting on the couch, exhausted and depressed, and Baby looked at me and said, "Whooop. You ok?" It made my day. I told him what a sweet bird he is and I love him. Sunday we practiced stepping up onto the bowl he likes and stepping back onto my arm. He was being very good about stepping up, all the while saying "Ohhhh." "Wanna" and "Good Baby". LOl...soo cute.

Last night, John came home and wanted to spend time with Baby. He didn't put the dogs upstairs though (my pitbull is awful with the bird and tries to get him if he flies), and then he was trying to get Baby onto his bowl. For whatever reason, Baby was having none of it and flew into the other room....and the dog went after him. John caught Rory and I heard Baby growling. I ran in, and John was trying to grab Baby and pick him up while holding the dog back. I told John he can't grab Baby because we are trying to get him over his fear of hands, so just hold the dog and I'd get Baby. John held Rory and I gently coaxed Baby onto the bowl, then onto my arm. Poor John seemed angry and jealous...lol.
I went upstairs with Baby on my arm to the bedroom where it was quiet and talked soothingly to him. He had some ruffled wing feathers, so I tried reaching to gently smooth them.....and he let me! I stroked his back, and then I gently reached and scratched behind his head....and he let me!! He leaned into it and said, "Ooooh". I teared up, I was so happy! I sat with Baby and scratched his head and pet his back for about 20 minutes, then he hopped up to my shoulder and snuggled under my chin. <3 <3. He was chattering away, whistling and muttering and saying things like "ohhh", "oh boy" and grinding his beak contentedly. I wanted to cry I was so happy...I know, I'm a silly sap, but it's awesome to see him warming up to me and trusting me.

After a while, I took him back downstairs, and John tried to get him to go to his arm, but Baby didn't seem to want anything to do with him and bit him. :( I guess he was still mad about the whole grabbing deal. I would be...that had to be scary for poor Baby, but I know John was just scared the dog would hurt Baby. I walked back over to Baby's cage and he stepped off of my shoulder into his cage and settled down for the night. I went to bed with a big smile on my face. He is so soft and warm. I love petting birds!

[Gungirl]

That is an awesome story Kim.. all the good and bad but at least Baby has trust with you. Keep up the good work and it will pay off a thousand times over.

[Will0W783]

It's been amazingly fast progress. I never expected Baby to come around so quickly, with having never been handled for at least 15 years. He is really smart...sooo smart. He chimes in with the funniest, appropriate little things to say at just the right moments..it's like having a little kid who's just learning to talk, lol. I just have to get John to be more gentle; it's what worked for me. John usually has a way with animals, and it seemed like Baby liked him better at first, but now Baby seems to be uneasy with John, and I think it is because John tends to grab him up in his hands rather than patiently try to get him on the bowl perch when he flies away. Once Baby is done molting, he will have his flight feathers clipped, and then it should be easier to keep him safe from the dogs. I can't wait to get home from work and spend more time holding and petting Baby. :)

[Gungirl]

It is amazing how smart they are. I am always amazed at the stories birds can tell. How is your other bird dealing with having Baby in the house? Do they chatter?

[Will0W783]

Tweeter is another part of the house, but when Baby hoots or whistles loudly, Tweeter will answer. I'm trying to convince John to let me buy a freestanding floor cage for Tweeter too so we can move him to the same room and let them keep each other company. John is afraid that they will just squawk and screech at each other all day and night. What do you think?

Right now I'm dividing my free time between Baby and Tweeter. Tweeter sits with me while I do office work or read or take a bath. Baby gets one-on-one time with me when I have done my other chores and am relaxed and can give him my full attention to work with him.

[Will0W783]

I'd like to have Tweeter down on the main floor where we are most of the time though. I feel badly that he's upstairs and only gets to see us when we go to play with him.

[JustBitten]

Congrats on your new baby! I know what it's like to bring home an unexpected featherhead who becomes a love muffin, so I'm right with ya on that one! My Alexandrine was owned by an older lady living with her son and his family. They hated Kado so much for screeching (he was bored and frustrated in a tiny cage) that they made her keep him on the porch as soon as it was light out. Not such a problem unless you live in Canada! We were doing some work on the property and I couldn't resist talking to him, so the lady offered him to me for free and we have loved him ever since (7 ish years now).

Mom has a Congo and I can attest to their difficulty level. Jack is a scaredy cat and new things even on the other side of the living room make him throw himself on the floor of his cage :/ He has bizarrely subtle expressions and the only way you can tell he wants to bite you is a particular tightening of the bare skin around his eyes so the eyeball itself looks almond shaped. Unfortunately we didn't know that yet when she got him as a hand-raised baby, and I ended up with a puncture through and permanent scar on my upper lip. For him, biting is a ninja style sport all about getting you before you know what he's doing. He is still in his difficult teenager years so we are all praying that he settles out... soon. Hilarious to watch him run while playing. He is over 600 grams and has massive dinosaur feet so countertop soccer games are a hoot.

They tend to pick their favourite person and everyone else falls into different levels in the hierarchy(which is all below them), and their favourite person can be anyone at all. Jack picked my brother, not my mother... I think Tims are better about that, but John should be quick to spend some quiet time with Baby to avoid becoming his least favourite person. Trick training can be an awesome bonding experience :) We love Jack and he is absolutely spoiled rotten, but his moodiness determined for me that I'm happy with my Alexandrine!

Depending on his personality, you will likely find that stick training will be very helpful as well and is common to be able to handle larger birds when they get hormonal. Taking a chunk out a broom handle when they are in season is far better than your finger :) I would recommend this forum as a source of great support and information. http://www.anafricangrey.ca/forum

One warning, don't use non-stick cookware. If it overheats, the fumes can kill birds in minutes. They have very sensitive respiratory systems so aerosols and room scents are dangerous as well.

I would try to switch him to Harrison's pellets as soon as possible. Premium Certified Organic Pet Bird Foods. Harrison's Bird Foods - let the results speak for themselves. (http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/) There are other types but Harrison's has the best reputation and quality. The high potency mix is best for greys as they need more of the nut oil and protein than most birds and it has the vitamins and minerals he needs. The pellets should be fed with a mix of fresh fruit and veggies as often as possible to keep it from being boring. (Mom gives Jack his veggies/fruit on skewers to demolish every day so it's enrichment as well as food) Think of it as Crested Gecko Diet for birds as we have a bad history of feeding parrots as though they were chickens :( The UV light is a great move.

Jack and all of my birds are flighted, and have great fun swooping around the house and buzzing people's heads, but we always have doors and windows locked when they are out, and with dogs around I can understand having Baby's wings clipped. I would be tempted to keep the dogs in the other room when Baby is out simply because he can fall, they can jump, and if he can't fly he has no defence. Research the best clipping style for grey wings, because it is very easy to over clip them as they are heavy bodied and just a tiny bit too much can turn a graceful glide to the ground into a plummeting stone and risk injury. Vets can be bad for doing a general clip when species specific might be better.

So happy for you! Good luck with your new baby Baby and keep us updated :D

[Will0W783]

Thank you so much for your information, JustBitten! I threw away any scratched nonstick cookware and we haven't used the remaining pan at all since getting Baby. I plan to keep the dogs in the upstairs whenever I have Baby out, whether he remains flighted or not. I'm more concerned with him flying into a wall or window and injuring himself, really. He isn't terribly graceful about flight, since he had no chance to even stretch his wings in his old home. My vet is a very well known avian specialist in my area, so I trust him. I brought some of the food Baby came with in to show him and he said it was good as long as I give him his fruits and veggies too. I am looking for a better all around food for when this stuff runs out though, and I will check into the one you mentioned. I want him to be as healthy and happy as possible.

He's eating a small hookbill-specific combination pellet/seed diet now mixed with Dr. Harvey's Perfect Parrot food (basically like a trail mix) and fresh fruits/veggies. He is a bugger about the fruits and greens though...he likes to toss them on the ground and go for the peanuts in his food.

[TeaNinja]

i'm jealous. african greys are REALLY cool animals.

[Will0W783]

Thanks Zak. Baby is really AMAZING. He's probably the coolest animal I own, and I own a lot of things I consider really cool. He's very personable, and interactive and that funny little voice (sounds like he sucked on helium) piping up randomly just cracks me up. I want to do intelligence training with him, much like Dr. Pepperberg did with Alex, when he fully trusts me and is motivated to please. At the rate he is going, it won't be long. I had expected it to be at least 6 months before I was able to handle and pet him, but it's only taken three weeks!

[JustBitten]

Thank you so much for your information, JustBitten! I threw away any scratched nonstick cookware and we haven't used the remaining pan at all since getting Baby. I plan to keep the dogs in the upstairs whenever I have Baby out, whether he remains flighted or not. I'm more concerned with him flying into a wall or window and injuring himself, really. He isn't terribly graceful about flight, since he had no chance to even stretch his wings in his old home. My vet is a very well known avian specialist in my area, so I trust him. I brought some of the food Baby came with in to show him and he said it was good as long as I give him his fruits and veggies too. I am looking for a better all around food for when this stuff runs out though, and I will check into the one you mentioned. I want him to be as healthy and happy as possible.

He's eating a small hookbill-specific combination pellet/seed diet now mixed with Dr. Harvey's Perfect Parrot food (basically like a trail mix) and fresh fruits/veggies. He is a bugger about the fruits and greens though...he likes to toss them on the ground and go for the peanuts in his food.

Sounds like you are right on track and doing everything you should. More than happy to offer any assistance I can! Along with snakes and geckos, parrots are my favourite. Nothing quite beats having a parrot that is not truly a domesticated animal choose to come to you for affection and friendship, hey?

Parrots are pretty resilient and it looks like Baby is in good feather from the photos. Any improvement in his diet will likely show up in feather brightness and sheen after a few moults and may even affect mood. LOL, they can be as picky as little kids going for candy (another benefit of a pellet diet) and are horrible food wasters! When people complain about a few uneaten rats I always roll my eyes. If only they could see how much goes into my garbage can! Expensive little house turkeys... Kado is obsessive about washing his food in his water bowl so I'm constantly cleaning that too. And absolutely the worst smell is the poop produced by my Pionus and Cockatiel girls after they lay their clutches. They hold it for days and it's usually bigger than they are. I'm not breeding them, but I think they may be disappointed by that :)

As for inexpert flying... Kado is built like a fighter jet rather than a Grey cargo plane so his inexperience meant that he ran into the opposite wall so fast he didn't even have time to think about how to land. I pulled the drapes over the windows and did some off-the-wrist flight practice with him and now he manages a three point landing (beak and feet) on drapery rods and the tops of cupboards. They seem to pick it up pretty quick and rarely smack into anything too hard. Our cockatiel flies like a swallow and the Pionus like a slow helicopter. When Jack was learning to fly it was off of his original bad wing clip so he thumped the carpet routinely, but he can now do circuits of my parents house, even through doorways in the hall and down the stairs. If you are not against the idea, maybe let Baby stay unclipped and try some flight practice. He will be exhausted at first and won't fly really well because of atrophied wing and chest muscles, but it's like any other exercise. When he falls, just collect him up, reassure him that the world isn't over, and carry on. There are some great flight specialist forums and even some groups in the States that actually meet up and do indoor flying in unused grocery stores and similar buildings. It's not for everyone but they can at least be a wonderful resource for teaching your bird to fly if you are interested.

It's great to hear that Baby is connecting with you so well. The best piece of advice I ever got was from a parrot expert not too far from me. She said that birds from rough situations will become total lovers with their new owners for about a year, then they let you see their full personalities. Kind of like the change after people get married ;) Not to say at all that Baby won't be your hunny, just that they let you see more of their grouchy days and may get a bit unruly when they want to. She called it the honeymoon period, and while I thought she was nuts as I cuddled my new darling, I have to admit she was right. Live and learn :D

[Will0W783]

Haha, that's interesting about the "honeymoon period." Baby is not a total love, but is definitely warming up. I have bad days too, so I can understand that he will. I think I'll be happy to see more variety of emotions out of him; he was such a flat, withdrawn bird when he came to us. I am really enjoying seeing his curiosity and energy coming out now and his vocabulary and happy noises becoming more frequent.
My other bird, a baby conure, definitely has good and bad days. He loves to throw fits when he wants more food or to come out of his cage, and has days where he will just try to bite the everloving crapola out of me until I put him back in the cage, then other days he is just sweet little snugglebug. He's demanding of attention, loud and playful, but he's only 5 months old, so he's just a little tyke learning the ropes. We bought him a week before Baby came home, after years of discussion about the possibility of a bird. My fiance grew up with them so he missed having birds. John and I decided that we could probably handle a conure, and it would be somewhat like a parrot but require less hands-on time every day....little did we know that Baby, the biggest parrot responsibility possible, would be given to us a week later. I am very blessed to have both of them; they are wonderful birds and I could not be happier that I let them into my life.

I'm not against leaving Baby flighted- my only real fear is him either hurting himself like I said, or him escaping out a window or the porch door if one of us one day forgets he's out. My fiance is adamant that he be clipped though, so I think that it is a discussion we can have with our vet when Baby goes back in for a checkup. Right now I can see the blood feathers still and his primary flights are looking a tad frayed on the ends, so I imagine he will be replacing them soon.