Every morning just before the sun rises, I go out and load my feeders up with a handful of peanuts, chickadee mix, and finch mix, toss corn out on the grass area across the way to distract the squirrels, and put a little more seed on the floor for the doves. Some days we have dozens of birds, all of which ignore the grey squirrels sniffing and nomming corn bits. Then the red squirrels come along and mass chaos ensues in the squirrel drama department...
Birds that stay for winter:
Titmice - we get as many as 8
Blue Jays - we get as many as 10 x.x
Cardinals - 2 mated pairs plus a baby or two
Assorted Sparrows (European, American Tree, White-crowned, Chipping, House) - 10-25
Mourning Doves - we get 6-8, they like to sit in my platform style feeder now so they're not on the ground LOL
House Finches - 2-4
Chickadees!!!! 4-12, they're insanely adorable...
White and/or Red-breasted Nuthatches - there's dozens all up and down the pine trees and the ROOF of all places, all morning.
Goldfinches - 1-6 on the thistle feeders. Some have taken to sitting in the platform feeder, too!
Sharp-shinned Hawk! - Only one so far...went after the sparrows.
Downy Woodpeckers - 1-2
Golden-fronted Woodpecker or a Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker 1
Only show up during winter:
Dark-eyed Junco - we get as many as 8, kinda territorial
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1-2
Monday, December 20, 2010
Someone's instant messaging me! Wait, no they're not!
Earlier, I was chatting on Skype IMs.
When someone sends an IM, it goes, PWOOP! Well, I keep hearing multiple PWOOP!s like someone has messaged me, but there's nothing new added to the conversation! What the heck?
Then, I realize that the extra PWOOP!s are coming after someone actually sends me a message. I look to the right...
LO AND BEHOLD, Kai is mimicking the sound...and is calling back, PWOOP!, after someone IMs! Augh, it's so unbearably cute!!
Exciting news! Kai can FLY!
It's midnight-fifteen as I write this and I'm buzzing with excitement! Why? Because tonight, Kai flew for the very first time on his own!!
I know, I know, what's the big deal about a parrot flying, anyway? Well, I wasn't sure he remembered how to, for one thing. At Birds Unlimited, like most responsible breeders, they waited until Kai had flown for a good amount of time as a baby until they were certain he knew how, then they clipped his wings so he could be out and about at the store. I waited so patiently for his first really good molt this fall, since he didn't molt much during spring. Boy, he didn't disappoint me in fall!!
I couldn't BELIEVE how much he molted, either! Like, holy cats!! I thought he might be sick, or that he was molting way too much! Maybe he was malnourished (somehow!?), and he was plucking. I stressed and my own hair started shedding more than usual, too. Now that I know what to expect, I'll be better prepared for his next major molt. I've saved most of his molted feathers for ...well, just because! They're so gorgeous and amazing to look at - the different shapes, sizes, softness, everything! It's not hard to be entranced by the perfect lines and the structure of feathers, really.
I was worried that Kai was plucking for a long time, because he had a few stubborn flight feathers - which had been clipped at the store - that weren't coming out. So he chewed the ends of the clipped feathers until they were frayed. Then he started pulling the whole shredded feather out. I upped his protein a little with extra chicken, hardboiled egg, and edamame, added coconut oil to his diet, just in case. I'm sure I had nothing to worry about, but New Mommy Syndrome is strong in me...I'm also a huge worry wort if one of my loved ones isn't feeling well. (eg: B-kun has been having an ongoing headache for the entirety of the past two weeks, so I rode his butt until he agreed to see the doctor.)
There was one point where Kai was acting like he wasn't feeling well, was in a lot of pain, and became extra bitchy and bitey. He wanted to be held, but he didn't want to be held. He really wanted me to allopreen him, but it bothered him, and he didn't want me to allopreen him. He wanted to sit on my arm after dinner - no, wait, he didn't afterall. I thought his wings were hurt or broken, because he would cry out if he bumped his wings against things and bite, but Peaches came over and checked him out for me. He seemed fine to her, even if he was favouring one side. I hadn't bathed him in a while, because I thought it would stress him out too much, but after Peaches' reassurance, I totally soaked him. What I saw when Kai was wet down to the skin amazed me - he looked worse than Pinhead from Clive Barker's Hellraiser movies on his wings and under his wings!. Since I knew all his itchy pin feathers were coming in, I ignored his moodiness as best I could, and moved his dinner perch closer to the arm of the chair so he could be near me, but not within biting range of me. Being close was enough, and he was happy not to hurt me, and I was happy to give him lots of crunchy things to snap and break so he could take out his bitchiness on other things that weren't covered in flesh.
Since our relationship has deepened and strengthened over the year he's lived with me, he no longer bites me as hard as those few times in the past. I have come to recognize when his pinfeather isn't ready to be preened yet, when I shouldn't try to pick him up, not to stick my hand into his cage, or push my hand against his chest, and other things that set him off. In exchange, he knows that he doesn't need to bite me to shave flesh off my body in order to get my attention or make me stop what I'm doing if he doesn't like it. Now, my poor husband on the other hand...well....I have devised a wooden perch with a cardboard handguard for him if he absolutely needs to pick Kai up.
Kai's territorial behaviour towards B-kun only really occurs when we're on the couch or if he's on his house in my craft room, though. I'm going to start using his house in my craft room as his play house only, again, and have him sleep in his boarding house as his bedroom so he may feel less territorial. I'm going to change Kai's routine a little and have him in a different location when B-kun comes home from work, which is away from me, so he doesn't feel like he needs to protect me or his space, either. I have shown B-kun how to give Kai treats from a spoon, so he doesn't get bitten, either. B-kun had slacked off on that, as well as not taking showers with Kai like he used to, so I think Kai feels a little upset about that, as well. I realize the err in my request to have B-kun take Kai to bed, as well, because Kai bit him twice for putting him to bed. Why? Well, Kai probably didn't want to go to bed, and he saw B-kun as the Not-Mom who was making him do something he didn't want to do....
That's the sort of hindsight that makes me facepalm myself, but I learn and help B-kun try to understand, too.
A lot of the time, because my husband has never really had an animal of his own - cats don't count... - he doesn't know what to do or how to act around them. I, on the other hand, have lived around and worked with animals all of my life. I associate better with animals than I do people, for the most part, so I find myself explaining things to B-kun a lot, because he just doesn't see things from an animal's point of view, and he doesn't understand why they're acting a certain way. I'm often confused as to why people act so irrationally, lie, cheat, and treat others so horribly, though occasionally I can break it down into instincts, such as reward-seeking behaviour, territorial behaviour, flock behaviour, etcetera. A lot of the time I attribute people acting like jackasses to boredom and a lack of proper mental stimulation and exercise...
On that note on behaviours, I'm not looking forward to spring mating hormones, but if other people can endure it - if Paul and his staff at Birds Unlimited can handle all of their parrots during spring!! - then I can handle it. I've done lots of reading on how to minimize his hormones, like keeping his light on a timer, not feeding certain foods, and not encouraging mating or courtship rituals. I'll admit that I'm nervous that Kai will be flying over to attack B-kun once his hormones are in full gear. So far, Kai has only shown an interest in flying to his house - not to me, and not towards B-kun to scare him away or to bite him. That was Kai's doctor's main concern where parrots being flighted were considered. He said that parrots should be clipped to prevent them from acting out their aggression and to keep them from being territorial. I believe that it depends on the parrot, like any other person or animal, but we'll see. If Kai does get out of hand, I'll opt for him to be only partially clipped during the spring, and he'll be fully flighted during fall and winter.
I'm doing more reading now on how to encourage Kai to fly, along with a few other things that I feel may be important to his good health. For a while, he really didn't seem able to fly - or maybe it was just because he lacked the self-confidence to push himself to let go of my finger. There were a few times where he had taken one foot off my finger as I walked forward and said my usual, "Let's go, Kai, WHEE!!!" as he flapped his wings for exercises...but he would always hold on. Now, he feels much more confident, I think, so much so that he flew from my husband's hand in the living room, through the foyer, around the slight corner, and right onto his house!! It was such an eventful night...
It's now 1:00 am and Kai and I are hungry! It's time for "lunch"...I feel a little bad for turning Kai into a night owl like me, but he has adjusted to my schedule easily enough! I think it helps that my room is completely dark, even with the sun shining outside, unless I have my full spectrum lights on.
I couldn't BELIEVE how much he molted, either! Like, holy cats!! I thought he might be sick, or that he was molting way too much! Maybe he was malnourished (somehow!?), and he was plucking. I stressed and my own hair started shedding more than usual, too. Now that I know what to expect, I'll be better prepared for his next major molt. I've saved most of his molted feathers for ...well, just because! They're so gorgeous and amazing to look at - the different shapes, sizes, softness, everything! It's not hard to be entranced by the perfect lines and the structure of feathers, really.
I was worried that Kai was plucking for a long time, because he had a few stubborn flight feathers - which had been clipped at the store - that weren't coming out. So he chewed the ends of the clipped feathers until they were frayed. Then he started pulling the whole shredded feather out. I upped his protein a little with extra chicken, hardboiled egg, and edamame, added coconut oil to his diet, just in case. I'm sure I had nothing to worry about, but New Mommy Syndrome is strong in me...I'm also a huge worry wort if one of my loved ones isn't feeling well. (eg: B-kun has been having an ongoing headache for the entirety of the past two weeks, so I rode his butt until he agreed to see the doctor.)
There was one point where Kai was acting like he wasn't feeling well, was in a lot of pain, and became extra bitchy and bitey. He wanted to be held, but he didn't want to be held. He really wanted me to allopreen him, but it bothered him, and he didn't want me to allopreen him. He wanted to sit on my arm after dinner - no, wait, he didn't afterall. I thought his wings were hurt or broken, because he would cry out if he bumped his wings against things and bite, but Peaches came over and checked him out for me. He seemed fine to her, even if he was favouring one side. I hadn't bathed him in a while, because I thought it would stress him out too much, but after Peaches' reassurance, I totally soaked him. What I saw when Kai was wet down to the skin amazed me - he looked worse than Pinhead from Clive Barker's Hellraiser movies on his wings and under his wings!. Since I knew all his itchy pin feathers were coming in, I ignored his moodiness as best I could, and moved his dinner perch closer to the arm of the chair so he could be near me, but not within biting range of me. Being close was enough, and he was happy not to hurt me, and I was happy to give him lots of crunchy things to snap and break so he could take out his bitchiness on other things that weren't covered in flesh.
Since our relationship has deepened and strengthened over the year he's lived with me, he no longer bites me as hard as those few times in the past. I have come to recognize when his pinfeather isn't ready to be preened yet, when I shouldn't try to pick him up, not to stick my hand into his cage, or push my hand against his chest, and other things that set him off. In exchange, he knows that he doesn't need to bite me to shave flesh off my body in order to get my attention or make me stop what I'm doing if he doesn't like it. Now, my poor husband on the other hand...well....I have devised a wooden perch with a cardboard handguard for him if he absolutely needs to pick Kai up.
Kai's territorial behaviour towards B-kun only really occurs when we're on the couch or if he's on his house in my craft room, though. I'm going to start using his house in my craft room as his play house only, again, and have him sleep in his boarding house as his bedroom so he may feel less territorial. I'm going to change Kai's routine a little and have him in a different location when B-kun comes home from work, which is away from me, so he doesn't feel like he needs to protect me or his space, either. I have shown B-kun how to give Kai treats from a spoon, so he doesn't get bitten, either. B-kun had slacked off on that, as well as not taking showers with Kai like he used to, so I think Kai feels a little upset about that, as well. I realize the err in my request to have B-kun take Kai to bed, as well, because Kai bit him twice for putting him to bed. Why? Well, Kai probably didn't want to go to bed, and he saw B-kun as the Not-Mom who was making him do something he didn't want to do....
That's the sort of hindsight that makes me facepalm myself, but I learn and help B-kun try to understand, too.
A lot of the time, because my husband has never really had an animal of his own - cats don't count... - he doesn't know what to do or how to act around them. I, on the other hand, have lived around and worked with animals all of my life. I associate better with animals than I do people, for the most part, so I find myself explaining things to B-kun a lot, because he just doesn't see things from an animal's point of view, and he doesn't understand why they're acting a certain way. I'm often confused as to why people act so irrationally, lie, cheat, and treat others so horribly, though occasionally I can break it down into instincts, such as reward-seeking behaviour, territorial behaviour, flock behaviour, etcetera. A lot of the time I attribute people acting like jackasses to boredom and a lack of proper mental stimulation and exercise...
On that note on behaviours, I'm not looking forward to spring mating hormones, but if other people can endure it - if Paul and his staff at Birds Unlimited can handle all of their parrots during spring!! - then I can handle it. I've done lots of reading on how to minimize his hormones, like keeping his light on a timer, not feeding certain foods, and not encouraging mating or courtship rituals. I'll admit that I'm nervous that Kai will be flying over to attack B-kun once his hormones are in full gear. So far, Kai has only shown an interest in flying to his house - not to me, and not towards B-kun to scare him away or to bite him. That was Kai's doctor's main concern where parrots being flighted were considered. He said that parrots should be clipped to prevent them from acting out their aggression and to keep them from being territorial. I believe that it depends on the parrot, like any other person or animal, but we'll see. If Kai does get out of hand, I'll opt for him to be only partially clipped during the spring, and he'll be fully flighted during fall and winter.
I'm doing more reading now on how to encourage Kai to fly, along with a few other things that I feel may be important to his good health. For a while, he really didn't seem able to fly - or maybe it was just because he lacked the self-confidence to push himself to let go of my finger. There were a few times where he had taken one foot off my finger as I walked forward and said my usual, "Let's go, Kai, WHEE!!!" as he flapped his wings for exercises...but he would always hold on. Now, he feels much more confident, I think, so much so that he flew from my husband's hand in the living room, through the foyer, around the slight corner, and right onto his house!! It was such an eventful night...
It's now 1:00 am and Kai and I are hungry! It's time for "lunch"...I feel a little bad for turning Kai into a night owl like me, but he has adjusted to my schedule easily enough! I think it helps that my room is completely dark, even with the sun shining outside, unless I have my full spectrum lights on.
What does Kai say? 2010
After one year of living with me, words/phrases that Kai says:
Kai
Let's go!
Hello
Hi
Hi, Kai
Water
Apple
Aya (papaya)
Awmon (almond)
See (seed)
Thank you
Please
Din din
Eat your dindin
Up please
Down please
Meow!
Woof!
Potty/Do you need to go potty?
Poop!
Love you
OLIVER! (yelling at the cat, hee...)
Pika-pika
Pikachu
Char-char
Good morning
Nighnight
Baby bird/Hi baby bird
I'm a cute bird
(Wolf whistle, also says, "Wew wew!")
(Trumpet charge whistle)
(Long whistle in response to Trumpet charge whistle)
(Part of the Addam's Family whistle)
(Kissie noises)
Good boy
I'm a good boy
Good bird
Be a good bird
Hey!
Woo!
Oooo!
Pew-pew-pew!
Chirp! (this is different from his parrot chirps, he actually says, Chirp!)
(Laughs like me)
What?
Huh?
Whatcha doin'?
Come here, Kai.
Oh boy!
What the fuh? ( [:O] )
It's super cute in the morning if he wakes up before I do and quietly "practices", because he'll string together all the words he's practicing on and make up sing-songy songs from the words he knows. Sometimes I'll sneak down the stairs and sit at the bottom just to listen to him.
Kai
Let's go!
Hello
Hi
Hi, Kai
Water
Apple
Aya (papaya)
Awmon (almond)
See (seed)
Thank you
Please
Din din
Eat your dindin
Up please
Down please
Meow!
Woof!
Potty/Do you need to go potty?
Poop!
Love you
OLIVER! (yelling at the cat, hee...)
Pika-pika
Pikachu
Char-char
Good morning
Nighnight
Baby bird/Hi baby bird
I'm a cute bird
(Wolf whistle, also says, "Wew wew!")
(Trumpet charge whistle)
(Long whistle in response to Trumpet charge whistle)
(Part of the Addam's Family whistle)
(Kissie noises)
Good boy
I'm a good boy
Good bird
Be a good bird
Hey!
Woo!
Oooo!
Pew-pew-pew!
Chirp! (this is different from his parrot chirps, he actually says, Chirp!)
(Laughs like me)
What?
Huh?
Whatcha doin'?
Come here, Kai.
Oh boy!
What the fuh? ( [:O] )
It's super cute in the morning if he wakes up before I do and quietly "practices", because he'll string together all the words he's practicing on and make up sing-songy songs from the words he knows. Sometimes I'll sneak down the stairs and sit at the bottom just to listen to him.
The forum post I submitted to the Bird Channel forum.
I did hours of research before I brought home my very first parrot, a blue-headed Pionus, January of 2009. Based on my research, I had also been considering a Senegal, but it was Kai who stole my heart. I wanted to make certain that whichever species I brought home would match my own personal temperament and lifestyle, which is calm, quiet, and peaceful for the most part. It was very important to me that the parrots I looked at wanted to be with me, because in my experience, if an animal isn't interested in you, then it may not be a good match when you bring them home. Kai was the only one who marched right over to me for head scratches, cried when I walked away, then stepped up onto me when I put my hand out. The thing that clinched the decision for me was when he tried to regurgitate food for me... Kai chose me, so I chose him, and it has been a wonderful relationship since!
Pionus are well-known for being wonderful beginner's parrots, because they tend to be quieter, quite amicable, level-headed, very good about socializing with other people, are independent, and are very affectionate. Obviously, every pi is different, though, and it varies by individual. It seems that Pionus are rarely rehomed, because they're such wonderful birds and they don't tend to have some of the less favourable traits and behaviours of other parrots.
Noise-wise, Kai is chattier during the morning when he first wakes up, then again before it's bedtime, which is normal for most parrots, I've read. If we're listening to music together, he loves to sing along, or if we're watching a music-oriented television show together (he LOVES watching Metalocalpyse with my husband and I), he also talks up a storm/sings. His chit-chat is generally on the rambling, quiet side, on a conversational level. His natural parrot sounds are very pleasant to listen to, varying between a rolling chitter to chirps to crackles to popping peeps. If you were in a room talking to someone else, you might not even notice your pionus talking, they're so quiet. That being said, when they want to be heard...a pionus WILL be heard!
I remember the first day that Kai came down off his perch by the couch, because I had told him, "BRB", which means that I would be back in a second. Well, I took a little longer than a few minutes, so he came looking for me. My dog came over to say hello, and I heard this totally unfamiliar, LOUD, startling honk from the living room. It sounded like a bicycle horn, except with a honk. My dog took off in the other direction, terrified, and I stood there in the doorway staring at Kai in disbelief. It was so funny when he strutted over, because he gave me an exasperated look and huffed as if to say, "Look what you made me do! I had to walk all the way over here looking for you! What's taking so long?" He understands the difference between "BRB" (minutes) and "I'll be back later" (hours).
Kai has also learned the shrill, single note whistle that I use to call the dog and cats (unfortunately....I didn't realize that I was doing it until he mimicked me!). So...if he wants me to come downstairs, he dog-whistles for me. I've been working with him on this so that he'll say a softer word. I think it also helps that I never yell around him and always speak quietly to him. He knows several words and phrases, knows how to ask for things, and picks up new words after a week or two of working with him.
I really love that he doesn't have to be on my arm constantly, or that he needs my attention all the time. My friends say that some birds will scream if they're not on you all the time. He's perfectly content to sit on his drawbridge door to his house and play with toys or chewies, or perch on the branch sticking out closer to me. Kai really loves foot toys, which I tie to his drawbridge to prevent from falling onto the floor. He likes to pull them back up to play with them again, too. He isn't much of a chewer, but he does love the thin wooden discs and small clothing pins, which he breaks and snaps for fun. He really loves vine balls, which I stuff with treats. After we've eaten dinner, he's very happy to step up onto my arm for head kissies, head scratches, and allopreening. I like that he's also not a tiny bird, but a good, stocky, solid size that can defend himself if need be.
Where size is concerned, because he is also a decent size, this means that he is capable of powerful bites, which can tear skin. Kai has bitten me two times before I learned exactly why he bit me at all. Please respect your pi's personal space and do not force them to step-up, bother them if they appear to be aggravated, physically grab them, or stick your hand into their home. Imagine the world from their perspective, envision yourself from their point of view, and empathize with how small they are, versus how large a human is. A human can be very formidable and threatening. It's always best to use positive reinforcement, but it's even better to give them a choice. They should step up and down, because they want to. It took me at least two months to show Kai that he could trust me, and I never forced him to do anything he didn't want to do. After he bit me the first time, I realized that he didn't want to come out, so I let him come out on his own. Once I proved to him that I wasn't going to grab him out of his cage, push against his chest to make him step up, he began to step up onto me if he felt like it. If he didn't/doesn't feel like stepping up, he will politely turn his beak away from me and give me his back. (The other bite was because he was startled.)
My husband complains that he doesn't like Kai, because Kai always tries to bite him if he comes close to the cage. I explained to him that that is Kai's sanctuary and home, so of course he feels protective of it. I told him that it's like a dog's kennel, and how once a dog goes into his kennel, you should never try to pull him back out again, especially if he's feeling upset or defensive. I'm trying to encourage Kai and my husband to bond in neutral ways that do not involve physical contact, such as showering together and having my husband give him treats on a spoon so he can't be bitten. I also remind my husband that if Kai does bite him, he can't scream and do other entertaining things that Kai might enjoy...
So it's very important that you socialize your Pi with everyone in the family, because you don't want a situation where your Pi doesn't like certain people. I find that Kai is more than happy to step up onto complete strangers, also, though he becomes almost silent until he's comfortable with them. He can be passed around to a whole room full of people and not show the slightest bit of aggression, which is wonderful. Kai is also tolerant of my other cats and dog, as well. He loves my fluffy white cat, Murmur, going so far as to lower his head and fluff up for head scratches if Murmur approaches him. (Mur doesn't know what to do, so he just sniffs him.)
When Kai is excited, he emits his unusual Pi scent, which my husband says smells like burned honey. It's quite sweet, and I find it rather pleasant. He's really cute and lets me know that it's bedtime by whining at me and telling me, "Let's go!". When I put him onto his drawbridge, he goes inside onto his favourite sleeping perch, and I draw the blanket over. I've never had to close his drawbridge, because once he's on his house, he stays there unless I take him with me.
As another note, Kai doesn't want to poop on me. I'm not sure if that's common with all parrots, but he lets me know that he needs to go back to his perch to potty by either telling me "Potty!" or "Poop" or by whining at me if he's on my arm. If I don't put him down, he makes a burbling sound and mouthes/beaks me. If, for some reason, I'm totally not paying attention, he'll nip me a little harder. If he's on my knee or leg, he'll just back up as far as he can and poop on whatever's below. It was really cute this one time, because he shook his tail before he pooped while he was standing over his food dish, and I squeaked and pushed him back a little with my finger so he wasn't over the dish. He got defensive, opened his mouth to nip me - then paused to poop, closed his beak, looked a little embarrassed, and uttered, "Thank you."
Another thing that Kai does, which absolutely tickles me, is that he exclaims, "OOoo!!" if I give him something that he really likes - like a piece of papaya, a sunflower seed, or bellpepper.
I have my own organic garden that I grow during the summer, so Kai always gets fresh veggies and fruits from the garden, but during cold months, I buy organic produce from the store. In the mornings and at dinner time, he gets his SSG mush. I call it SSG, because when I cook it, my husband always comes home and remarks, "What is that? It smells so good." It's a mixture of organic ingredients, including azuki beans, mung beans, split peas, spinach and bellpepper rotini, white quinoa, barley, steel cut oats, forbidden rice, wild rice, green, red, and yellow lentils, dried fruit (nothing with sulfites or sugar), chopped almonds, edamame, chopped carrots, flax, sesame, pumpkin, and millet seeds, ground cinnamon, and a sprinkle of dulse. I simmer it for about 25 minutes, then store it in the fridge. When it's time to feed him, I mix in a little hot Bolthouse Farms fruit juice (carrot, mango, berry, and the new holiday flavour are his favourites), stir it, and serve it warm. I've also begun supplementing his diet with a tiny little condiment spoon sized dab of coconut oil and red palm oil. When there is ample sunlight, I also sprout a variety of seeds for Kai (and wheat/rye grass for the cats) and he gets to graze on the plantlife that grows from them.
I like to make carrot "pasta" by steaming ribbons of carrot that I've peeled off with a peeler. This also works with zucchini, squash, pumpkin, and any other firm veggie/fruit. Kai also gets a fair amount of parrot safe table food, but he absolutely adores: bellpeppers, grapes, snap peas, edamame, apples, pears, baguettes. At lunch time, he gets Roudybush's Orchard Harvest and Totally Organic pellets soaked in warm water along with a sprinkle of Zupreem pellets. There is a cuttle bone in his house that he enjoys. He wouldn't so much as touch the mineral block, so I took that out. I like to tie little baskets to the sides of his house in various places and add pinches of food and treats so he can forage. He also has a couple other foraging devices in his house that he checks regularly for goodies, a kebab feeder, and I'll tie bits of veggies and fruit to the bars.
I'm looking into getting an air filter soon, but I'm doing a bit of research, first. For these darker winter months, I have a full-spectrum light for both of us, because it helps me, too! Kai absolutely adores showers, whether by the spray mister in the shower with me, or with the hand spray nozzle in the kitchen sink. He absolutely burbles and babbles and sings when he's in a place with running water, the computer fan, or oddly enough, the vacuum cleaner running.
It seems like a lot of people like to teach their parrots tricks, but I'm happy to just have Kai act like his normal parrot self. He knows basic things like step up please, step down please, switch fingers/arms, and stay there. I'm wanting him to learn to fly, but I'm not having much luck there in that department so I'm going to do more reading. He has grown in all of his flight feathers and looks absolutely stunning! I've been working with him on learning to flap his wings, but I'm not sure if it's enough to exercise him, and he doesn't seem to enjoy it very much. If anyone has tips on teaching their parrot to fly, I would love to hear their advice.
Kai has taught me so much about parrots in our first year together, and my life is richer for it! While I enrich my parrot's life, he also enriches mine. It's really kind of funny, because the girls at Birds Unlimited said that he was one of the nastiest little birds at the store! Hee hee.....he's come such a long way. I love Kai so much.
Pionus are well-known for being wonderful beginner's parrots, because they tend to be quieter, quite amicable, level-headed, very good about socializing with other people, are independent, and are very affectionate. Obviously, every pi is different, though, and it varies by individual. It seems that Pionus are rarely rehomed, because they're such wonderful birds and they don't tend to have some of the less favourable traits and behaviours of other parrots.
Noise-wise, Kai is chattier during the morning when he first wakes up, then again before it's bedtime, which is normal for most parrots, I've read. If we're listening to music together, he loves to sing along, or if we're watching a music-oriented television show together (he LOVES watching Metalocalpyse with my husband and I), he also talks up a storm/sings. His chit-chat is generally on the rambling, quiet side, on a conversational level. His natural parrot sounds are very pleasant to listen to, varying between a rolling chitter to chirps to crackles to popping peeps. If you were in a room talking to someone else, you might not even notice your pionus talking, they're so quiet. That being said, when they want to be heard...a pionus WILL be heard!
I remember the first day that Kai came down off his perch by the couch, because I had told him, "BRB", which means that I would be back in a second. Well, I took a little longer than a few minutes, so he came looking for me. My dog came over to say hello, and I heard this totally unfamiliar, LOUD, startling honk from the living room. It sounded like a bicycle horn, except with a honk. My dog took off in the other direction, terrified, and I stood there in the doorway staring at Kai in disbelief. It was so funny when he strutted over, because he gave me an exasperated look and huffed as if to say, "Look what you made me do! I had to walk all the way over here looking for you! What's taking so long?" He understands the difference between "BRB" (minutes) and "I'll be back later" (hours).
Kai has also learned the shrill, single note whistle that I use to call the dog and cats (unfortunately....I didn't realize that I was doing it until he mimicked me!). So...if he wants me to come downstairs, he dog-whistles for me. I've been working with him on this so that he'll say a softer word. I think it also helps that I never yell around him and always speak quietly to him. He knows several words and phrases, knows how to ask for things, and picks up new words after a week or two of working with him.
I really love that he doesn't have to be on my arm constantly, or that he needs my attention all the time. My friends say that some birds will scream if they're not on you all the time. He's perfectly content to sit on his drawbridge door to his house and play with toys or chewies, or perch on the branch sticking out closer to me. Kai really loves foot toys, which I tie to his drawbridge to prevent from falling onto the floor. He likes to pull them back up to play with them again, too. He isn't much of a chewer, but he does love the thin wooden discs and small clothing pins, which he breaks and snaps for fun. He really loves vine balls, which I stuff with treats. After we've eaten dinner, he's very happy to step up onto my arm for head kissies, head scratches, and allopreening. I like that he's also not a tiny bird, but a good, stocky, solid size that can defend himself if need be.
Where size is concerned, because he is also a decent size, this means that he is capable of powerful bites, which can tear skin. Kai has bitten me two times before I learned exactly why he bit me at all. Please respect your pi's personal space and do not force them to step-up, bother them if they appear to be aggravated, physically grab them, or stick your hand into their home. Imagine the world from their perspective, envision yourself from their point of view, and empathize with how small they are, versus how large a human is. A human can be very formidable and threatening. It's always best to use positive reinforcement, but it's even better to give them a choice. They should step up and down, because they want to. It took me at least two months to show Kai that he could trust me, and I never forced him to do anything he didn't want to do. After he bit me the first time, I realized that he didn't want to come out, so I let him come out on his own. Once I proved to him that I wasn't going to grab him out of his cage, push against his chest to make him step up, he began to step up onto me if he felt like it. If he didn't/doesn't feel like stepping up, he will politely turn his beak away from me and give me his back. (The other bite was because he was startled.)
My husband complains that he doesn't like Kai, because Kai always tries to bite him if he comes close to the cage. I explained to him that that is Kai's sanctuary and home, so of course he feels protective of it. I told him that it's like a dog's kennel, and how once a dog goes into his kennel, you should never try to pull him back out again, especially if he's feeling upset or defensive. I'm trying to encourage Kai and my husband to bond in neutral ways that do not involve physical contact, such as showering together and having my husband give him treats on a spoon so he can't be bitten. I also remind my husband that if Kai does bite him, he can't scream and do other entertaining things that Kai might enjoy...
So it's very important that you socialize your Pi with everyone in the family, because you don't want a situation where your Pi doesn't like certain people. I find that Kai is more than happy to step up onto complete strangers, also, though he becomes almost silent until he's comfortable with them. He can be passed around to a whole room full of people and not show the slightest bit of aggression, which is wonderful. Kai is also tolerant of my other cats and dog, as well. He loves my fluffy white cat, Murmur, going so far as to lower his head and fluff up for head scratches if Murmur approaches him. (Mur doesn't know what to do, so he just sniffs him.)
When Kai is excited, he emits his unusual Pi scent, which my husband says smells like burned honey. It's quite sweet, and I find it rather pleasant. He's really cute and lets me know that it's bedtime by whining at me and telling me, "Let's go!". When I put him onto his drawbridge, he goes inside onto his favourite sleeping perch, and I draw the blanket over. I've never had to close his drawbridge, because once he's on his house, he stays there unless I take him with me.
As another note, Kai doesn't want to poop on me. I'm not sure if that's common with all parrots, but he lets me know that he needs to go back to his perch to potty by either telling me "Potty!" or "Poop" or by whining at me if he's on my arm. If I don't put him down, he makes a burbling sound and mouthes/beaks me. If, for some reason, I'm totally not paying attention, he'll nip me a little harder. If he's on my knee or leg, he'll just back up as far as he can and poop on whatever's below. It was really cute this one time, because he shook his tail before he pooped while he was standing over his food dish, and I squeaked and pushed him back a little with my finger so he wasn't over the dish. He got defensive, opened his mouth to nip me - then paused to poop, closed his beak, looked a little embarrassed, and uttered, "Thank you."
Another thing that Kai does, which absolutely tickles me, is that he exclaims, "OOoo!!" if I give him something that he really likes - like a piece of papaya, a sunflower seed, or bellpepper.
I have my own organic garden that I grow during the summer, so Kai always gets fresh veggies and fruits from the garden, but during cold months, I buy organic produce from the store. In the mornings and at dinner time, he gets his SSG mush. I call it SSG, because when I cook it, my husband always comes home and remarks, "What is that? It smells so good." It's a mixture of organic ingredients, including azuki beans, mung beans, split peas, spinach and bellpepper rotini, white quinoa, barley, steel cut oats, forbidden rice, wild rice, green, red, and yellow lentils, dried fruit (nothing with sulfites or sugar), chopped almonds, edamame, chopped carrots, flax, sesame, pumpkin, and millet seeds, ground cinnamon, and a sprinkle of dulse. I simmer it for about 25 minutes, then store it in the fridge. When it's time to feed him, I mix in a little hot Bolthouse Farms fruit juice (carrot, mango, berry, and the new holiday flavour are his favourites), stir it, and serve it warm. I've also begun supplementing his diet with a tiny little condiment spoon sized dab of coconut oil and red palm oil. When there is ample sunlight, I also sprout a variety of seeds for Kai (and wheat/rye grass for the cats) and he gets to graze on the plantlife that grows from them.
I like to make carrot "pasta" by steaming ribbons of carrot that I've peeled off with a peeler. This also works with zucchini, squash, pumpkin, and any other firm veggie/fruit. Kai also gets a fair amount of parrot safe table food, but he absolutely adores: bellpeppers, grapes, snap peas, edamame, apples, pears, baguettes. At lunch time, he gets Roudybush's Orchard Harvest and Totally Organic pellets soaked in warm water along with a sprinkle of Zupreem pellets. There is a cuttle bone in his house that he enjoys. He wouldn't so much as touch the mineral block, so I took that out. I like to tie little baskets to the sides of his house in various places and add pinches of food and treats so he can forage. He also has a couple other foraging devices in his house that he checks regularly for goodies, a kebab feeder, and I'll tie bits of veggies and fruit to the bars.
I'm looking into getting an air filter soon, but I'm doing a bit of research, first. For these darker winter months, I have a full-spectrum light for both of us, because it helps me, too! Kai absolutely adores showers, whether by the spray mister in the shower with me, or with the hand spray nozzle in the kitchen sink. He absolutely burbles and babbles and sings when he's in a place with running water, the computer fan, or oddly enough, the vacuum cleaner running.
It seems like a lot of people like to teach their parrots tricks, but I'm happy to just have Kai act like his normal parrot self. He knows basic things like step up please, step down please, switch fingers/arms, and stay there. I'm wanting him to learn to fly, but I'm not having much luck there in that department so I'm going to do more reading. He has grown in all of his flight feathers and looks absolutely stunning! I've been working with him on learning to flap his wings, but I'm not sure if it's enough to exercise him, and he doesn't seem to enjoy it very much. If anyone has tips on teaching their parrot to fly, I would love to hear their advice.
Kai has taught me so much about parrots in our first year together, and my life is richer for it! While I enrich my parrot's life, he also enriches mine. It's really kind of funny, because the girls at Birds Unlimited said that he was one of the nastiest little birds at the store! Hee hee.....he's come such a long way. I love Kai so much.
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