New bird

[whiterose]

Hi everyone.
I am new to this forum, and I also have a new bird. Its a lovebird, beautiful yellow and green. I call him Kiwi :)

Well, this is the third day, and I do not think there is any improvement.
the first day I got him he was SO scared. He wouldnt let me get CLOSE to his cage.
Second day was not AS bad. I was able to clean the cage and bring food.

But Till now when i put my hand in the cage, he spreads his wings and takes off, scaring ME. lol
I REALLY want him to be comfortable around me. I talk to him so he can get used to my voice, but when I put my hand in there, he goes the other way =[
Im really sad.
I hope it wont always be like this.
Any suggestions?
How long did it take your bird to be comfortable with you? and not as scared?

[cp.lovebird]

Welcome to the community to you and Kiwi. You can find lots of great info in the Lovebird Resource Library.

I think it usually takes some time for lovebirds to settle into a new home and get used to us. Try talking to him when you are in the room, even making little chirping sounds too! As you spend more time with him, he will probably get more used to you and become less startled by your hands. Try to move slowly, especially at first. as to avoid scaring him and you!

I think all birdies are different so the length of time it will take is unpredictable. Patience, persistance and consistency are really important. It takes time for both of you to get to know each other. Lovebirds are fantastic, energetic, fun, playful birds!

When you get a chance, it would be great to see a pic of Kiwi!

I have a 14 year old green peachfaced male lovebird (in my signature pic) and a 10 month old silver male lovebird (my avatar.) They are such little characters. :)

[whiterose]

Thank you cp.lovebird!

I will get a pic soon!! I put my finger close to him, and he started nibbling on it. I am SOO happy!
but then I guess he got scared again, and tried to bite me. he bit me, and i was shocked. Now he is in a little corner.
I hope things get better.

[michael]

Hello Whiterose and Kiwi! Glad you could join our community. As Christine mentioned, patience and persistance is really the key along with lots of love and a thorough understanding of what its like to be a small lovebird suddenly placed in unfamiliar territory. The nibbles and bites I'm sure will attest to that :omg:. Its SCAREY!....I would read through some of the forums (especially the sticky's) and visit the "Lovebird Resource Library". In the meantime, maybe while giving Kiwi a few days to warm up to his new surroundings you two can start practicing "step up" maneuvers. "Step up" can be an important start to learning trust while at the same time gaining the ability to return him to his cage when necessary (or in an emergency). There are a couple of other details that may help Kiwi and you form a more comfortable relationship as time goes by. One is Kiwi's age, and the other is Kiwi's true gender. Perhaps you can tell us a little more about your special lovebird when you finally give us a link to those pics were after...................:)

[SammySamantha]

Hi!:) Welcome to the board. You will find a ton of useful info here, and if you can't find it - just ask.

As far as the "settling in" don't think in terms of days. Think weeks. Birds don't have the same mentality as dogs. Focus on being calm and patient and your feathery baby will come around.

If you want a tip - when you are not around, leave the TV on. Someone told me that in the wild, silence means that a predator is around and it makes them nervous. Just some low background noise may help with the adjustment. It helped for Sam and I.

Good luck. Keep us posted.:wink:

[beckyg]

Hi whiterose! Welcome! I got my first lovebird about 10 mths ago and I learned so much from this forum! There are some really knowledgable people on here and you can learn so much by just doing a search through the threads themselves.

It takes time to get your lovie used to you and trust you just like the others said. It took me several weeks to get Luna comfortable. The best thing to do is to be patient. Don't try to pressure him to bond with you, it will come because you are obviously spending time with him. Don't worry, it won't be long before you are posting pics of him on your finger and your shoulders!