Steer clear of the mirror but little bells and things to play with.

I put my fingers to the cage and try to cuddle him on his chest, he usually bites ** most budgies don't like to be pet on their chest when you see 2 birds preening each other they preen the back of the head or right under the neck, I am thinking that he just tolerates it at time what you think is acceptance and this maybe why he doesn't like your fingers because of this action you are doing. Merlin won't let me scratch him at all neck or head so I have accepted that because if I continue to persist he will see my hands as a negative thing not positive.

Remember Gumpy can't just fly out of the cage or walk (he got splayed legs). I can't teach him the up, because he can't walk. You can't teach him step up on your fingers but you can lay your hand flat and teach him walk on or something similar, yes?

 

Occasionally he gets a little fit and starts biting. Not actually biting, he makes all weird moves around my finger and bites a bit. After a while he settles down and then he starts eating again. He is not having a fit he is flirting with your finger , take it as a compliment.

 

But then when I try to touch him again with my fingers, he starts biting straight away. He doesn't want you to touch him, I addressed how you touch him is giving him a negative feeling above and what you can do .

 

Why is he scared of my fingers but not of my hand. the hand doesn't try to stroke him in places he doesn't like only the fingers that is why you are getting negativity back with your fingers and not your hands.

 

Also I realised that he is sometimes still shaking. I believe, even it's been quite a while now, that Gumpy is still scared. He loves sitting on my hand watching the fish in the fish tank, but when I then move and walk away from there he starts shaking. When you move away you are taking his security away because he knows he can't get back to you. You can start doing short distance away and then further and further as you move away and then you see he doesn't shake reward him immediately with millet. Help gumpy move forward by teaching him it is okay if you are near or far because think about it if you were in a nervous state of mind all the time how horrible that can feel. So I suggest working on making him feel secure just in your presence not actually having to be on top of you, you can do it with patience and he will be a better bird for it and you a better owner.

 

But as soon as I put him back into the cage, he actually wants to come out again. He sits there talking and waiting. But when I then actually do the attempt to take him out again, he bites. It's like he doesn't know what he wants. Merlin is like that too they are unsure they want out but then he is not sure if your fingers are going to try and pet him (which he doesn't like) or if he can just go on your hand and enjoy your presence (which is positive). So when you put your hand in there from now on to get him out keep your hand flat so he can walk on it once he does reward him immediately with millet you will see a definite change in behavior.

 

Gumpy has his bed time. He goes to bed when the sun goes down. He is during the day where the action is happening and at nighttime he is going into my bedroom and I put a dark towel over him. Even he always wakes up when I go to bed. I used to play with him then too, but I think he just should sleep, so I just talk to him. Say good night. He knows I am there. Him knowing your there is just fine, leave him covered, you can talk to him softly but that is it that is what I do with Merlin if you take off the cover and then get him out etc...then it will start to become a problem where he will persist more and more...just your voice is comforting.

 

I could imagine one thing why Gumpy might be scared. Because he is actually living on his belly. Believe it or not that is our human personification coming out for us yes it would be scary but for animals they move on and if you work with him on letting him become a more confident bird you will see changes, believe me he knows no different and for us it may seem difficult to watch when they are on their bellies or such (or when we see a 3 legged dog) but that is the beauty about animals they live in the now and if we help them move forward they will be simply okay.

 

I have to give him a bath from time to time. Even I clean the towels he is living on every day, to make sure no germs are building up, he still gets some poops onto his belly. When they are easy to get off, I just use some water and remove them. But sometimes I have to bath him. He doesn't like it at all. But how else could I wash him? But I think that might be the reason that he is scared I believe you have pin pointed a reason why he is scared of your fingers the grabbing motion. Can you cup your hand with water and entice him to come on it and then offer millet? how about a shallow dish where he can crawl on it? Lettuce leaves that he can roll in?

I hope some of these suggestions and reason help you. You are a wonderful "parent" to Gumpy and so patience keep working with him he loves you 1000x times over right now so don't think he doesn't appreciate everything you do together you 2 can work together.

Edited October 15, 200816 yr by Neat

Thank you so much for all your advise. I think I have a lot to learn. And it will be a slow process because when I put my flat hand in with millet on it, he bit my hand straight away. I haven't got very big fingers or a big hand. Actually very skinny, so it really hurts. But i have to learn to keep my hand there even it hurts. I am sure that Gumpy will learn. He is very scared of new things but at the same time adventures to discover too. But I have to be very patient.

 

I also know that Gumpy went through an attack by another bird while he was still in the aviary. And I am sure that might makes him scared of a lot of things as well. But I think it's a start to just put my hand in flat with millet on it and wait.

 

I am sure Gumpy and I will get there. and I am patient.

Edited October 15, 200816 yr by Neat

Just a thought you could try to disassociate your hand from the bath process by either wearing a glove or catching him with a towel. He might not be happy about it still but at least he won't associate your hand with bad experiences only play time.

Edited October 15, 200816 yr by Neat

Gumpy is just so adorable I love that soft yellow colour.

 

Elly, you are made of awesome knowledge , you taught me so much about bird behaviour in just ten minutes of reading, thank you so much.

Edited October 15, 200816 yr by Neat

I actually do use a little towel for the bath. It's the only way also to take him out of the cage. But I figured out a way today. When he is hanging up in the cage, I just place my hand underneath. He doesn't bite. He is then okay. So I have to teach him now to walk up my hands. we had a lot of training today. And he seems all happy and is talking like a champion. I am sure we will get there slowly. The more patient I am the better the result will be. He actually doesn't fly away of my hand. Which is a good sign. Only when I start walking he starts to panik. But the second time we did the same, he kept in my hands. Millet is a good helper.

 

Thanks everyone for all your help. It's great.

good news...that is wonderful, keep us updated.

 

 

 

And I always thought I was a computer expert, but that took me a while.Anyway. I took those photos in december but the cere of Gumpy hasn't changed much. It's sometimes a little bit more blue but then changes back again to what it is one the photos. Don't forget, Gumpy has got splayed legs. I am trying to figure out what's the best home for him/her. If I would build a cage one meter high, he would climb to the highest point but also fall from high too. But I saw Gumpy happy in a "not recommended" birdcage because he can climb but not walk or fligh. Tried a wide cage. But Gumpy just sits there and seems unhappy. It's a high maitenance bird, because I have to clean him every day to make sure, there is no germs building up on his belly. But I love Gumpy and hope to make him happy in his not so fortunate live. So I try to give this very special bird everything. Hope you can tell me if it's going to be a male or a female. I can tell you that Gumpy is listening well. Is picking up noises from other birds. Noises from me and my husband. Talks somehow, but I can't understand yet what he is saying. Still call it a he. But I think it might be a female.

 

Just a questions, how does your budgie move around his cage with spayed legs?

Edited October 7, 200816 yr by maesie

Hi everyone

It's been a long time you heard from me and it's been a big journey for Gumpy and me. We had to move and he was for a short time around a dog as well. He was really good with all that. But what never stopped was his biting. Anyway, I got used to it. I still took Gumpy out. Let him crawl around. But his flying around was getting really scary. He flew into walls and flew uncontrolled. Remember, Gumpy got splayed legs. So he can't control the flying. So I took him to a pet shop and these guys really helped me heaps before. And they suggested not just to cut one wing. To cut both. So he can't fly at all. The danger to hurt or kill himself otherwise was too big. It nearly broke my heart and I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE WHO HAS A BIRD THAT CAN FLY NORMAL AND CAN CONTROL FLYING!!!! But in Gumpy's case we had to do this. As I said, it nearly broke my heart. But at the end, now I am really happy. Gumpy has turned 180 degrees into another bird. Just a day after he was seeking attention in a way he never did before. I offered him my hand and he crawled onto it (never happened before). So I took him out. Since that day my hand is his best friend. He sleeps in my hand, he loves my hand. He wants to be touched with my hand. He literally digs his head into my hand, trying to get attention. He still doesn't like my fingers, but he loves my hand. When I take him out, he makes noises I have never ever heard before and he only does those noises when I take him out. Once he sees my hand, he stops with the noises. Seems like he is calling my hand. His wings are growing back again slowly, but I hope to get him to a stage, where he will trust so he doesn't fly away again and hurt himself. that way I won't have to get his wings cut again. I know it sounds brutal, but otherwise Gumpy would have been a cage bird and I didn't want that. And him flying around uncontrolled because he can't land or control where he is flying into, it just became way to dangerous for him. I never thought this whole excersise would change him so much. Into positive. :parrot: It's only been like two weeks now. But the changes are enormous. At one stage my husband even rang me and said, he opened Gumpy's cage and Gumpy just "jumped" into his hand.

As I said earlier, if your bird is normal and has no disabilities, please do not cut his wings.

I believe Gumpy is heaps less stressed, talks heaps more. Isn't as scared anymore as he used to be. He doesn't shake anymore in my hands. All around it's been very positive. Finally after one year having Gumpy it seems we can finally become good friends and trust each other.

wow that sounds like a great turn around... glad to hear he is doing better. Enjoy!!!

Glad to see you back with an update. Just a note, clipping a bird's wings that can control their flying is even a good idea depending on the situation. We have a member that's bird flew in to the wall and broke it's neck. Clipping is all personal opinion but at times is a necessity in your case but even birds without splayed legs do fly uncontrollably when let out in a new situation.

Edited October 15, 200816 yr by Neat

that sounds great!!!

thanks for updating us on Grumpy.

Great to hear that the wing clipping worked. It doesn't hurt them when it's done right, and it is a bit sad cos it takes some time for them to get used to, but don't feel guilty about it - sounds like you've done the right thing and he's even happy for it anyway.

 

If his biting is all gone then that's great. But I would expect him to maybe always be a bit of a biter, I think because of the splayed legs he has very little control over his world, and biting may be the only way for him to communicate what he wants because he can't run away or anything like that. Also it might make him feel better and more in control if he's a bit more anxious than other birds that have more mobility than he does. Anyway if he's biting less that's great.

I believe you are absolutely right. I do believe it's his only way to say, what he doesn't like. But now, that he also did experience nice things, he does now enjoy the good things as well, while before he was biting. So every afternoon I take him out, and he just wants to be near my hand and sleeps. Sometimes he wants to be cuddled and sometimes not. I don't force him. But I am happy the way we are now. If he gets any tamer than that even better. And sometimes he doesn't want to come out at all, so I just leave him. Thank you all for all your help with Gumpy.

Edited October 15, 200816 yr by Neat

I just add this post to say thank you to everyone that helped me years ago with Gumpy. He became a great bird, much loved and he was so tame and just beautiful. Unfortunately he died today, I believe of a heart attack. No one ever thought he was going to live for that long. He was soooo great. He will be deeply missed. I wanted to thank the forum as well, as I could find some photos that I lost, because my old computer had crashed. Without this forum I wouldn't have the photos anymore. Thank you.

Gumpy sounds like a real champion little bird. I'm glad you have found his pictures.

I'm so sorry for your loss.