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Re: Up and Down
Posted by GreyLady on 11/19/09

Wow, sounds like the previous owner did a great job in
raising a happy, well adjusted bird. How great for both of
them that they found you for his next home. All parrots
should be so lucky. I'll try to help as much as I can.
First off, about the gender. Of course there are only two
ways to ever be positive; the laying of an egg or a DNA
test. But the Red Tails have at least one visual clue that I
have found to be pretty reliable. Look at the underside of
the red feathers. If you can see any very subtle silver
edging on any of them, that is almost always female. No
silver edges, almost always male. The behavior you describe
is partly bonding, partly hormonal. Even though sexual
maturity is around 6 years of age, they can display some
mating/bonding behavior at any age. You will want to be
cognizant of exactly where on his body you are petting him.
Good rule of thumb is not to pet, tickle or stroke him
anywhere behind his shoulders. Not on his back, not under
his wings and of course, no where near the vent area. That
can lead to confusion on his part as to whether you are
his "mate" or not. The older and more sexually mature the
bird gets, the more confusion and frustration that can cause
and in some cases, can lead to behavior problems. I'm
putting a link that should be helpful in teaching the step
up. I hope it works. Just in case, here it is again.
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Teach-Your-Bird-to-Step-
Up&id=2636377
Having him learn it will be very helpful. However, working
with him with the towel is not a bad thing either. In fact,
you can search "playing the towel game with your parrot" and
get more information. When they have a vet visit, the vets
almost always "towel" them for safe restraint. Having a bird
who does not freak out at the sight of a towel is great for
both the parrot and the owner. So, even after he learns the
step up, keep him familiar and at ease with the towel. As
for the lighting, it is very important for him so I'm glad
you asked. I use an Ott system for my flock but I'm sure
there is more than one name brand that is good. The
important thing is to make sure it is the proper spectrum for
birds and not reptiles. Many pet store employees don't know
the difference and even if they do, they will often try to
sell you the wrong one. Some will tell you they are the
same. Not true. It's just that most stores don't stock the
one for parrots and they want to make a sale. Here is a link
that I hope will help with that.
http://www.parrot-and-conure-world.com/full-spectrum-light-
for-birds.html
The little bites and the holding with the foot are normal
behavior. My Grey will sometimes hold one of my fingers so
tight he almost pokes holes with his talon. The softer bites
are not a problem of course as it's natural behavior. Later
on, if he starts to add more pressure than is comfortable,
you must nip that in the bud right away. He is not
necessarily trying to hurt you but just won't realize the
strength of his beak. If he adds pressure, just give him a
firm but soft "no" or "no bite" or whatever command you
choose. Just be consistent. Remove his beak from your
finger and go on as if nothing happened. The most important
thing to remember is to never reward bad behavior with any
kind of reaction other than to ignore it. They are all drama
queens and the bigger and louder the reaction, the better
they like it. Learning to read all his body language is the
best thing you can do for yourself and for him. Watch for
pinning of the eyes, to what degree he raises his feathers
and whether he is making eye contact with you. As you learn
what all those things mean, you will be better able to
anticipate what is likely to follow. I hope this helps you
out a bit. Good luck and let me know if I might be able to
help further.

Step Up Training

Posts on this thread, including this one

• Up and Down, 11/18/09, by Wanting to do right by George.
• Re: Up and Down, 11/19/09, by GreyLady.
• Re: Up and Down, 11/19/09, by Wanting to do right by George.
• Re: Up and Down, 11/19/09, by GreyLady.
• Re: Up and Down, 11/19/09, by Wanting to do right by George.
• Re: Up and Down, 11/20/09, by GreyLady.
• Re: Up and Down, 11/23/09, by Wanting to do right by George.