We have had frank for only just over one month a Timneh Grey who is nine years old. Frank was advertised in the local paper, we had been looking for a bird for over a year and frank was the bird for us. He has such an expressive face.
Frank has spent nine years in a cage coming out very rarely. He was for sale due to a family split. He had limited vocabulary and was kept in a room on his own because he made too much mess and too much noise.
We put him in the corner of our living room
so he had the security of the wall around two sides of his cage.
It didnt take him too long to mimic the dog barking, and in a few days he was saying good boooooy. He talks in sentences and loves attention but he is very used to being a caged bird.
He is quite terrritorial when i change his water and food he lunges and bites the bars and will lunge when the cage is openned or closed, but he will let me put my hand in to put in a fruit bowl and to take it out without biting.
At the moment he wont let me touch him, but will step up on a stick and has been moving closer to my hand,
he has a fly around the living room then settles on the settee.
Until i started getting complacent and sitting on the settee he prefered my head to land on which i didn't and bit my thumb when i put my hands up in reaction to this.hmy: (I have a lot to learn) no matter how much reading and research you do prior to getting a bird, the true learning begins when you first bring the bird into your home.
That is why these forums are a must, I am sure with Frank I will never stop learning new things.
I will update some photos of the cheeky little chap soon.
{Nature-00020095}Weclome to the Flock Akdeniz1976 and Frank..lol you have a Cheeky Teenager on your hands and boy are they fun at Teen age..Its my Max's 9th Birthday today so far hes having a Hoot...lol we got him cards and lots of new Toys...
If you click on the Forums link up top and introduce your self and Frank in the Welcome room....Hope to see some Pic's of Frank keep intouch m8..B)
This reminds me a lot of tracy.
What I would say,
Take it extremely slow. When Tracy started lunging at me and after being bit (and blood was drawn), I simply stopped trying after about a month until he started making the first moves. I still fed/watered/talked/coerced/ but it was more so getting him completely used to me. Eventually he stopped lunging (which he WILL eventually he'll get used to the motions.)
Granted I'm no expert, and I'm just stoked that my bird is allowing me to pick him up move him, pet him.
Good luck frank
I agree Its a time consuming task getting your Grey to trust you.They are very sensative to human emotions and can pick up on anything you do..As to the lunging never react to it as Frank will start to take this reaction as a Joke..same if he Bites you,,,never react infron tof him,,he will come to think of it as a game..Walk away into another room and shout and scream if he hurts you,but never infront of Frank...When he climbs on your stick always use the command STE-UP Frank..Good Boooooy..More he does this try to shorten your stick..Try with 2 stick,and use them like a ladder saying STEP-Up each time...Frank is a Teenager and can and will try you out to see what he can get away with...Do you leave his Cage open all the time your in the house..? Max is out from 7:30-ish untill 10:30pm...He only goes in to eat and drink and take afternoon snooze...{Nature-00020095} Let us know how your getting on
Skuffy wrote:
[quote]{Nature-00020095} Its my Max's 9th Birthday today so far hes having a Hoot...lol we got him cards and lots of new Toys...
Happy Birthday Max! Hope he has a great day! I will upload some photos very soon.
{Nature-00020095}Cheers....
Sorry I have to get used to writing on these posts and using quotes!!
They are great pieces of advice. I will take things slowly with Frank its been a massive change for him.
Yesterday when he flew at my head then bit me I was upset, I never shouted at him, I just put him back in his cage and left him, I was worried why he had flown at me whether it was aggression, i now look back and think it was funny i wish i could have captured my face and his on camera. This morning he appeared to be sulking following his antics last night but i have been talking to him and he has been mumbling back (typical teenager). He is having a good sleep now, I think maybe he was up in the night thinking about his actions as I was!!
Max you are a real beauty, I love the way you have all his toys out. frank comes out from 8 till 11.30pm after the dogs have gone to bed as our little Jack Russell X is fascinated with him and i don't think in a very healthy way. Frank loves to wind her up you can see the devilment in his face especially when he starts barking at her. Its very bizarre.
Akdeniz1976 Welcome to the forum, we look forward to hearing more from you & Frank
Welcome Akdeniz1976 and Frank!!
What a wonderful introduction. You are in for the best times of your life with a Grey that will, if not already, be viewed by you as a child. Your love for Frank will become so intense, that you will feel you birthed him. :-)
He sounds like a wonderful Grey and a strong desire to become part of your flock. Just the small interaction so far really indicates he is an outgoing guy, but reserved in accepting your hands .... yet. He will, but for now the head is the highest spot and landing zone of preference.
I would have loved to seen a photo of your facial expression when he landed. :-)
Looking forward to hearing more and seeing some photos when you get a chance.
Within all of us is a varying amount of space lint and star dust, the residue from our creation. Most are too busy to notice it, and it is stronger in some than others. It is strongest in those of us who fly and is responsible for an unconscious, subtle desire to slip into some wings and try for the elusive boundaries of our origin. ~K.O. Eckland, "Footprints On Clouds"
Dayo in flight....
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