dianet@iddic.UUCP (Diane Tierney) (10/29/85)
I recently bought my daughters (8 and 6) a baby parakeet (the guy at the pet store said that he was probably about 12 weeks). Snowflake (he's an albino) is extremly docile. He will sit on your finger, never bites (at least not hard) and is really a nice little bird. However, he *HATES* to be outside his cage!! Whenever we bring him out, he will sit on your shoulder, but he wants to hide under your hair, or under the bed or in your pocket!! He won't look at himself in a mirror, or play with anything or eat any of the little treats we try to give him when he is out of his cage. My question is, is this behavior because he is so young or is he just extremely shy? He is also incredibly quite...dosen't chatter or peep at all. Is this normal? I had a parakeet when I was a kid and he was GREAT! He said all kinds of things and loved to sit on your head and play with toys outside his cage. I can't remember what he was like when I got him tho. I do remember how much fun my other bird was and I'd like for Snowflake to be as good a pet for my girls. Any help, theories or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. diane
grass@uiucdcsb.CS.UIUC.EDU (10/30/85)
>/* ---------- "baby parakeet questions" ---------- */ >I recently bought my daughters (8 and 6) a baby parakeet (the guy at the pet >store said that he was probably about 12 weeks). > >Snowflake (he's an albino) is extremly docile. He will sit on your finger, >never bites (at least not hard) and is really a nice little bird. However, >he *HATES* to be outside his cage!! Whenever we bring him out, he will sit >on your shoulder, but he wants to hide under your hair, or under the bed or >in your pocket!! He won't look at himself in a mirror, or play with anything >or eat any of the little treats we try to give him when he is out of his cage. > >My question is, is this behavior because he is so young or is he just extremely >shy? How long have you had Snowflake? I have had several parakeets and a couple of cockateils. These birds are, in general, timid. It takes them a while to get familiar with a place. Being in the cage is being home and safe. I generally leave the door to my parakeets cage open when I am home. They come out and run around on top of the cage and the playpen/ tree branch near their cage. If your bird is happy to sit on your finger and shoulder outside the cage, you should be able to leave the door open and let snowflake come out of the cage when he is good and ready. Be patient. As an only bird, curiosity will eventually win over fright. (My birds are not only birds, so they are nowhere near so tame. They don't need me to amuse themselves). Concerning being quiet, I would expect this is also due either to insecurity, or to being kept in a quiet (not very bright?) place. My birds are nosiest when they are right where the action is: people talking, music playing, etc. They also are a LOT nosier on sunny days. Again, give the bird time. One of the cockateils I had took a good four months to finally come around, but then he wanted to play all of the time. You are WAY ahead of the game in that Snowflake is finger trained and not afraid of you. All but one of the birds I have had were a lot older when I got them and quite afraid of people. - Judy Grass, University of Illinois - Urbana {ihnp4,pur-ee,convex}!uiucdcs!grass grass%uiuc.arpa
gnome@olivee.UUCP (Gary Traveis) (11/09/85)
> I recently bought my daughters (8 and 6) a baby parakeet (the guy at the pet > store said that he was probably about 12 weeks). > > Snowflake (he's an albino) is extremly docile. He will sit on your finger, > never bites (at least not hard) and is really a nice little bird. However, > he *HATES* to be outside his cage!! Whenever we bring him out, he will sit > on your shoulder, but he wants to hide under your hair, or under the bed or > in your pocket!! He won't look at himself in a mirror, or play with anything > or eat any of the little treats we try to give him when he is out of his cage. > That's strange. I once had an albino 'keet that used to like getting under pillows and other things. He was very quiet too. I guess that albinos are a little odd in comparison to other birds. Just try to keep him out and around when it is very quiet in the room. Casper (my albino) used to like quiet, dimly lit areas. Otherwise he'd get kind of agitated. Good luck Gary