Green-bird update
As I posted not too long ago, I rescued a almost-feral 6YO parrotlet breeder-bird with a mostly-missing beak. I named him Ducky. Ducky spent the first couple of days sitting like a lump on his perch, chirping occasionally.
Well, a week later, he's gone from hissing every time something moved and being a sullen lump the rest of the time, to actively seeming to look for me and listen when I talk to him. I spend several minutes each morning, afternoon and evening just sitting in a chair near his cage and talking nonsense to him in a soft voice. Now, he will stay near the front of the cage while I talk, move *closer* to me to get a drink of water, and even nod off while I sit and talk to him. And today, for the first time, he started eating the spray millet I've had hanging in his cage for a week. Frankly? I was in tears this afternoon, I'm so happy with the tiny little progress we've made in a week. I have hope for actually making this little bird fairly happy to be alive.
As for *Benny*, the conure--well, he seems to be a special little fella--*completely* uninterested in solid food, still! I've tried a couple of different kinds of fruit, and he has no interest in them. But he's sharing a cage with a recently-weaned cockatiel and may be getting the idea that the stuff in the bowl is *food*.
Feeding time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrQ9PRkSpVY
Cleaning Benny up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrQ9PRkSpVY
I can't figure out how to embed. Sorry.
Well, a week later, he's gone from hissing every time something moved and being a sullen lump the rest of the time, to actively seeming to look for me and listen when I talk to him. I spend several minutes each morning, afternoon and evening just sitting in a chair near his cage and talking nonsense to him in a soft voice. Now, he will stay near the front of the cage while I talk, move *closer* to me to get a drink of water, and even nod off while I sit and talk to him. And today, for the first time, he started eating the spray millet I've had hanging in his cage for a week. Frankly? I was in tears this afternoon, I'm so happy with the tiny little progress we've made in a week. I have hope for actually making this little bird fairly happy to be alive.
As for *Benny*, the conure--well, he seems to be a special little fella--*completely* uninterested in solid food, still! I've tried a couple of different kinds of fruit, and he has no interest in them. But he's sharing a cage with a recently-weaned cockatiel and may be getting the idea that the stuff in the bowl is *food*.
Feeding time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrQ9PRkSpVY
Cleaning Benny up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrQ9PRkSpVY
I can't figure out how to embed. Sorry.