In tune with your birds

[momo]

Do any of you feel like you are highly intuned with your birds..

Like when ever I feel tired or want to sleep, elmo will be half way to going to sleep or he will be asleep or when ever I have a nap, he will have a nap too.

We also seem to eat at the same time, but i think thats elmo just following me hehe.

I also have to mention, since elmo has started sleeping in my room, i havent had one nightmare, and once when my dream was turning into a nightmare, i heard elmo chirp in the early morning to wake me up, so i didnt end up having a nightmare.:omg:

does anybody else get similar things? or are we just strange.

[Pips mom]

When it comes to the nap thing......I find lots of times my birds will follow along......if the room is quiet and all is calm, they will be too. As soon as I start rushing around doing things or cleaning their cages, they get all wound up and noisey. I think THEY are very in tune with US! In the wild the flock eats together, so if they see you eating, yes, chances are your birds will be eating along with you. I do feel that I know my birds well enough to almost know what they are thinking, and I can tell when Pip is up to no good when I am out of the room just by his chirp! so I can go into another room and know when I have to go check on him to see what he's up to! Lots of times if I immitate Pip's chirps or bob my head to him, he will do it right back, and I know what every one of his little sounds and chirps mean! I can tell that my lovie is very smart......he knows! he knows me as well and I think he can tell things from my words and my actions.....he will try to get away with doing things or being where he's not supposed to be and will stop what he's doing when I yell to him, then sit there and wait to see if I'm gonna get up and come over there, then as soon as he sees me get up, he will go where he's supposed to be or stop doing whatever he's doing that's up to no good! Little stinker KNOWS! I swear sometimes he understands what I am saying!

[momo]

I have found over time that Elmo gets what I am saying too.
I feel like when I tell him, No please dont bite mummy. he kind of bows his head and makes himself smaller like he's sorry. but then I feel bad because I know he's just doing what's natural to him (because he only likes kisses on his back when he feels like it which is understandable), but then I feel like I need to keep my establishment of flock leader and I wont accept being bitten.

I've also found that if there are birds outside and I am not in the room, he will run to his cage if he hears them. But if I am in the room he doesnt bother and keeps playing with his toys. Maybe he understands when I say, dont worry about the other birds, I am the biggest bird of them all and he doesn't need to be afraid.

He's just staring at me at the moment as I type about him. hahaha!! He's totally in tune with me or I am with him.

I know what you mean about the chirps out of the room, sometimes he will run down off his play pen and run to the mirror and he does a specific chirp and I know that he's there straight away! hahahaha. I walk back in the room and give him a what are you doing look and he knows that he will need to step up on mommys arm.

They are super smart arent they. If I am laying in bed and elmo is up, I can see when he's about to fly/jump to the mirror, I say to him, no, dont fly off, and he will run back into this play pen but then 1 minute later he's back at the same spot when he thinks I'm not looking any more!! So cheeky arent they!

[Keltoth]

Sometimes, I think that I am not so much in tune with my birds as they are in tune with me. As an example, if they are being too noisy and I walk into the aviary and say, "Be quiet!", they happily ignore me and go on their merry way. However, if I walk into the aviary in my BATHROBE and say, "Be quiet!", they immediately stop almost altogether, only engaging in the occasional solo peep from some non-compliant renegade. It is so effective that some days, I put on my bathrobe and go in during the middle of the afternoon if I need some quiet to make a phonecall or just want to take a nap.

I might be wrong, but I think they have put together daddy wearing his bathrobe with daddy wanting to go lay down and get some sleep. I think they understand this due to the fact that every night, before I turn off the lights and go to bed, I take two different lovebirds into the bedroom to sit with me on the bed while I watch the 10:00pm news and the first part of Letterman, and I always wear my robe. In fact, when we have chicks, this is one of the times that I socialize the chicks - everyday, without fail - and so those lovebirds hatched into my flock have experienced this from before they could ever leave the nestbox or brooder on their own. Seeing me dressed that way tells them that I am getting ready to be quiet and go to sleep, and so they accommodate me when they see I am wearing it.

- Eric

[thebubbleking]

I definately know what chirps mean what, as far as being intune with my lovies just as i think i am in tune with them and all is well i get a poop bomb into my eye (feel the burn!!) or get a good lip bite!

[momo]

poop bomb in the eye!!! ouch.. eww!

[LauraO]

I personally don't feel anyone can have a positive, productive, and lasting relationship with birdies unless you are in tune with them and they are in tune with you. For me, being in tune means different things.

In my lovebird room, where 20+ lovebirds fly around and interact with one another all day, I must know my birds well enough to know who's fighting with who, what hidey place is being fought over, and how each bird acts normally to track health and happiness. My lovies often have different spats and relationships which requires one or more birds to remain caged for a day or two, for birds to be moved out of the bird room for a time, or a bird who needs more attention.

Now my grey has a close relationship with me and has behavior and phobia issues. So it's imperative that I understand how he's feeling and what he needs from me. It's also a must to read larger parrots, who communicate subtley, if you don't want to get a big beaker bite:x.

:)

[momo]

whats the grey you are talking about Laura-O. I am still getting to terms with the bird slang.

wow you have a room with 20+ lovebirds :O!!!!!! is it a inside the house or an aviary outside.
it must be a soap opera! do you have a whiteboard with who is with who and who isnt. hahaha. oh wow..


Keltoth, i think your lovies stop and admire your lovely bathroom gown! hahahaha.

[Eliza]

I agree: I think that Eric's lovies are checkin' out the robe ;)

I always felt that Beetle was very in tune to my moods. If I had a rough night (I have terrible insomnia), he'd be quiet after I uncovered him in the morning. If I was in an upbeat mood, he's squawk away like a mad man :)

Pickle is much the same way... I did not sleep well last night and instead of taking him out to play, I let him settle in with breakfast on his playstand. Instead of his usual quacking and squawking, he barely muttered as he ate and instead sat quietly on his cage while I dozed. Once I woke up, he was ready to go!

-e-

[LauraO]

whats the grey you are talking about Laura-O. I am still getting to terms with the bird slang.


Mijo is an African Grey parrot. No worries with the slang. It gets worse on boards with a lot of larger parrots where they use stuff like M2, U2, or YHA. In fact there are lists of all the birdy acronyms available.

YEP! I got me a room full of lovies. It is an indoor room we make birdy safe. They sleep in their cages at night, but spend most of their days out playing and hanging out. We put plastic on the floor and have some toys and orbs around the room. Surprisingly, most of the lovies are tame or semi-tame and those that aren't tame are mostly stick trained so everybirdy but one or two birds can be moved into their cages. I also know who everybirdy is, their likes/dislikes, and patterns of behavior:x.

[momo]

Eliza I have a few friends with insomnia.. oh that must be absolutely terrible.. but its good your lovies let you sleep when you can!!

I know elmo wakes up before me, but he plays quietly by himself in his cage. He wakes up at about 8am, whereas I wont wake up til about 9am and he will preen himself with that hour gap and will only play with his bell until mommy wakes up.. thank godness!!

Laura-O.. oh my god.. africans grays look HUGE.. no wonder you have to be so in touch with him.. that isnt a big bite.. that is taking a finger off!!
I think you would def need the plastic down the floor in your lovies room!!.. imagine the poop!.. elmo is one lovebird and I thik he's a poop machine but to have 20+ :o.. they must get so noisy.. there's no way you could be in an apartment with that! hahahaha. I thought I spent alot on toys for elmo.. but times that by 20.. oh my gosh!!.. your african grey obviously doesnt live in the same room.. othewise.. no matter how big he is.. he wouldnt stand a chance!

[Jally]

My lovebird is a little stinker head. Right now he only cares about mating *sigh* And being places where he's not suppose to be. But, one of our Sun Conures made me feel better the other day...I was upset and sitting on the couch when he came down off of his cage, scurried across the couch, and up my arm and laid his head down on my chest.

The amazing thing about this is, I thought he hated me. He would lunge at me every chance he got.

In the newest issue of BirdTalk, there is an article about this very subject and how to use it to our advantage when dealing with birds that we thought didn't llike us. Very good article!

[Pips mom]

Definition of a lovie: :rotfl:rofl:


My lovebird is a little stinker head. Right now he only cares about mating *sigh* And being places where he's not suppose to be.

[Jally]

LOL Isn't that the truth!!

[momo]

I'm quite lucky at the moment, we havent reached the wanting to mate with things stages yet
my baby is still innocent and plays with his toys.. no swishy tail yet.. *touch wood*

[BarbieH]

I've often noticed my birds quieting down if I'm napping on the chair. I must say that I appreciate the courtesy. :) It's all about being in a flock with them, I think.

[butterfly1061]

Yep, very in tune with my lovies. I can tell you every little move they will make without even watching - most of the time. The bird I have to watch is Bosco - Blue & Gold. He's a stinker and I've been bit one too many times to not watch him. I can pretty much tell now what he wants or will do in most situations. He's a one person bird when it comes to me & my brother. If I'm around he thinks I walk on water - don't know why. When my brother is home and I'm not there, my brother is Bosco's person. Get both of us in the room and he'll pick me even though he belongs to my brother. I think it's because my brother is gone for weeks at a time (truck driver). Birds are so social it amazes me!

[HaleBoppPeachyluv]

right now, i don't think there is a tune...except -- Lemme out! You're home, i see you there, don't ignore me, lemme out!

LOL we're still figuring each other out.

[momo]

right now, i don't think there is a tune...except -- Lemme out! You're home, i see you there, don't ignore me, lemme out!

HAHA.. when I go out and put elmo back in his cage.. I've got about 5 minutes when I walk in the door.. if I dont let him out.. he will let my ears have it!..

[thebubbleking]

Lol my birds know my schedule i am pretty sure they cant read clocks but if i am more then 5 minutes late getting home for lunch or when i am done with work they go nuts and make tons of noise lol and now that i have conures i hear the rucus from my office across the street! lol