Didn't Know He Could Do That!

[linda040899]

Sierra had his monthly beak trim this past Saturday and the upper/lower mandibles are separated enough to allow the lower mandible to move a little bit. (I trim his beak weekly in between the times when my vet does it, but she's the one who completely separates the beaks.) I was watching Sierra last night and I saw him pick up a small sunflower seed between his beaks and take it to his favorite perch.

Once he got to his perch, he used it to maneuver the seed into his mouth and I watched him remove the shell! I was in complete shock, as I've never seen him do this before. I know he can eat shelled, ground up seed, cornbread and figs cut up into small pieces but the shelled sunflower seed was a real surprise! Hey, he's maintaining a weight of 48-49 grams without supplemental hand feeding so he's got to be eating enough on his own!!

[Pips mom]

One thing I've found is that them lil lovies are very clever! When they want something, they know how to get the job done.....no foolin around,...you in the way, boom, you get a bite. Lovies mean business when they want something! That sunflower seed was doomed!! :rotfl
Sierra....isn't that kind of a girly name for a boy? or did he used to be a she before you discovered he was a boy? I have a female cocktiel with a masculine name because they though she was a boy....what ever made them think that she was a boy is beyond me.....she behaves like such a female that I don't know how anyone could ever mistake her for a boy!

[linda040899]

I originally would have sworn that Sierra was a girl! By the time the red started to come through on his brow, it was too late to change the name to something more masculine.....:omg:

Considering his handicap, Sierra does very well for himself, once my vet and I figured out what he needed to be able to survive without being hand fed for the rest of his life. Make no mistake about it. If hand feeding were the only solution, I would have done it but formula is more nutrition than an adult bird needs and I would have lost Sierra most likely to liver disease.