View Full Version : Bonita, chunkfluff extraordinaire.
Pudgerigar
03-21-2016, 04:42 AM
I am a long-form poster, I can't help but give every detail. So: story time with your pictures!
I recently talked about potentially adopting a 40-something year old blue front Amazon from my local bird specialty shop. Well, after 3 months of visits, lots of talking, the enthusiastic blessing (they've turned people down, cash in hand without me knowing!) of the staff, and a lot of soul-searching as to whether I can handle a fat grumpy old arthritic rescue as my third-ever bird... today I declared my intent and she comes home in June :)
This is Bonita.
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She's a "shop bird", one of those that was brought in and dumped and has been up for adoption to no avail for years. Not much is known about her, but it's evident that she was emotionally neglected for some time. She has an air of resignation and irritability. She's quiet and unaffectionate, and doesn't have the drive to do much more than graze and sit and observe. I fell in love with her the moment I saw her, back when I was looking to get my first budgie. She was fluffy and crotchety, wanted nothing to do with me, and I got some open beaks and crazy-eyes when I tried to approach. I'd stop by every time we came in, twice a week or so. Not much changed.
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Then three weeks ago I offered her an almond. Nothing special. Picked it out of her bowl, held it up. She sloooooooowly took it in her beak, then transferred to her foot to nibble. When she was done she looked back to me expectantly. I held out a hand, fingers curled back toward me nonthreateningly. I got a warning nip and that was that. Did this dance about three more times that day, and again over the next few visits.
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"Pretty girl! Good Bonita. Lovely Bonita. Hello! I love you. Yes, I love Bonita. She's so good."
I tend to keep up a soft stream of this sort when I'm around her. Last week she started vocalizing back. Nothing distinct. Just a honking, raggedy sort of pseudo-speech, not unpleasant. Still no touchy, though. I'd moved to offering the arm. Sometimes I'd offer the arm, holding a treat on the other side so that to reach she'd need to step up. She never even considered it, just craned her neck or tried to climb the cage roof.
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Friday she considered it. One foot up..... and back down. Up... And back down. Not ready. Still didn't know me well enough, couldn't trust too much. But she called her aimless squawk after me when I hollered "Bye bye, Bonita!" from the door.
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Today she very nearly stepped up on her own. But what she did do of her own volition was climb out of the cage and onto the door, the better to interact. And again up into the top, to inspect my eyes from a distance after I removed my glasses. I couldn't coax her back in, so I had a staff member help. He got her to step up, and then suggested I hold out my arm again...
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She's my girl now.
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mdg1109
03-21-2016, 07:47 AM
I love yours and Bonita's story! I am in awe of your patience, it truly does pay off.
I know that you have a budgie, but there is a book called Birds For Dummies, it covers everything from adopting to breeding and even though the series itself can be irritating I loved that it was written by a avian vet, who has birds himself and it covers behavior issues, re-homing, bird behavior etc.
I read it before we got Charlie and it has helped a lot, just a suggestion while you pass the time until Bonita comes home with you!
Pudgerigar
03-21-2016, 08:21 AM
Thank you! I may be a naturally lazy/sloppy sort of person, but I was blessed with a looooot of patience and empathy, for which I'm grateful. We've two months to go, and at a couple visits a week I hope I can establish a bond good enough to reduce the stress of moving her to our new home. My goal is stepping up of her own volition, and my ultimate goal is her playing with toys and maybe even letting me give her scritches ;)
I will snag that For Dummies! I also have the Barron's publisher's "Amazon Parrots" and "The Second Hand Parrot", which is great so far and covers lots of little details that effect parrots that have been rehomed or even abused. Also "Parrot Parenting", my favorite so far, a hardcover almost textbook-like with lots of fun tip sections and charts and breakdowns. If you know anything of Harry Potter, I've always considered myself the "Hermione type", I read everything I can get my hands on and don't feel equipped until I can hold my own against a tenured professor!
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Casper's 2nd best friend
03-21-2016, 10:41 AM
Bonita is beautiful. :) She may be a bit grumpy if she is moulting. Casper has decided that one moult a year is not enough and there are feathers everywhere and new pin feathers to be careful of when scritching. He even hurts himself when preening sometimes.
She has the same cage as Casper, be warned - Casper caught his foot in the catch that holds the top closed when it was open and loose. We just took the catch off as it is not really needed, the doors are too heavy for an amazon to lift.
This is what our catch was like
3925
Casper's 2nd best friend
03-21-2016, 10:52 AM
But dont leave the top of the cage open without the perch across to hold the doors open - they come down with a heck of a crash and it could end in tears if a bird was climbing up when that happened.
mdg1109
03-21-2016, 01:57 PM
Thank you! I may be a naturally lazy/sloppy sort of person, but I was blessed with a looooot of patience and empathy, for which I'm grateful. We've two months to go, and at a couple visits a week I hope I can establish a bond good enough to reduce the stress of moving her to our new home. My goal is stepping up of her own volition, and my ultimate goal is her playing with toys and maybe even letting me give her scritches ;)
I will snag that For Dummies! I also have the Barron's publisher's "Amazon Parrots" and "The Second Hand Parrot", which is great so far and covers lots of little details that effect parrots that have been rehomed or even abused. Also "Parrot Parenting", my favorite so far, a hardcover almost textbook-like with lots of fun tip sections and charts and breakdowns. If you know anything of Harry Potter, I've always considered myself the "Hermione type", I read everything I can get my hands on and don't feel equipped until I can hold my own against a tenured professor!
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I feel the same way, I have to read everything before we get something new. I also am the "Hermoine" type and do not feel comfortable approaching something new until I get my hands on everything I can read about it. I am going to get that Parrot Parenting book, my husband wants to get a caique and I am a little hesitant because I am getting used to Charlie and his 4 month old personality and trying to help him learn how to be a bird while navigating the ropes of Parrot Parenting.
Start the countdown to Bonita coming home, and I forgot to post in my earlier post but she is beautiful!
The Pinkertons
03-21-2016, 09:44 PM
I also have to read up on everything. I don't think I could wait till June your very patient, your going to be the best Amazon Bird Mom ever !
Casper's 2nd best friend
03-21-2016, 10:12 PM
A question for the experts, looking at the pics of Bonita and Casper. Do parrots beaks get bigger in proportion to their heads as they get older? I know that human noses and ears do and this is what has made me wonder.
Soz for the thread hijack by the way. :)
The Pinkertons
03-21-2016, 10:51 PM
A question for the experts, looking at the pics of Bonita and Casper. Do parrots beaks get bigger in proportion to their heads as they get older? I know that human noses and ears do and this is what has made me wonder.
Soz for the thread hijack by the way. :)
Jean-Pierre = I think they do, not to alarm you because their also other symptom's, could potentially be a sign of kidney disease. In and of itself it's simply an over grown beak. My feet have gotten wider and bigger and others areas of my person that I will refrain form mentioning. :th_eek:
Pudgerigar
03-22-2016, 02:00 AM
I have to wait til June to a) have money worked up for her likely expensive vetting and adoption fee and b) right now I rent a single tiny bedroom! She wouldn't fit, haha!
We don't plan to open up the top of her cage, she prefers to climb out the door and up, but I'll see about popping that latch off. I may also get her a new one and slowly transfer her to it, once I get a sense of what she needs/wants. Some birds want everything to stay as much the same as possible, but I know some seem to want a completely new life and even get mad at hearing their original name. She's probably somewhere in the middle.
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Oh what a great true life story,:thanks4sharingthumb . I am very happy for you both and look forward to June to hear all about Bonita and how things go. :congrats5:
The Pinkertons
03-22-2016, 02:27 AM
Your doing great ! how exciting , please keep us posted :th_smile:
PlaxMacaws
03-22-2016, 02:52 AM
I'm as well glad to hear about Bonita's future with you, Pudgerigar. A bit up in the years or not, she's really quite a beautiful, big Amazon. If not for her black beak and minimal to no red feathers on her wing joints, she could almost pass for a Double Yellow-headed Amazon. Lots of yellow on her... which I think makes her exceptionally pretty. I love yellow feathers :D
The Pinkertons
03-22-2016, 03:25 AM
I'm as well glad to hear about Bonita's future with you, Pudgerigar. A bit up in the years or not, she's really quite a beautiful, big Amazon. If not for her black beak and minimal to no red feathers on her wing joints, she could almost pass for a Double Yellow-headed Amazon. Lots of yellow on her... which I think makes her exceptionally pretty. I love yellow feathers :D
Yes Tony I thought too, a Double Yellow- headed Amazon. and they have a potential lifespan of 60+ years.
PlaxMacaws
03-22-2016, 03:29 AM
Yes Tony I thought too, a Double Yellow- headed Amazon. and they have a potential lifespan of 60+ years.Except I think DYH's tend to have white beaks and ceres. But she sure has a lot of yellow on her! :D
The Pinkertons
03-22-2016, 03:38 AM
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Penny
03-22-2016, 04:05 AM
I think she's just lovely! She will be very happy being able to be with someone she can truly trust to listen to her and make life more comfortable and connected for her.
Pudgerigar
03-22-2016, 05:55 AM
:0 maybe she's some kind of DYH/BF hybrid? Who knows!
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bill-e
03-22-2016, 01:14 PM
She's beautiful
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PlaxMacaws
03-22-2016, 02:19 PM
:0 maybe she's some kind of DYH/BF hybrid? Who knows!That very well could be.
Casper's 2nd best friend
03-22-2016, 07:17 PM
She is unique and very special. Keep quiet about it though or the price might go up.
Doublete
03-22-2016, 09:11 PM
A zon breeder looking at pictures of my girl says mine is a DYH/YN hybrid (but mine was sold as a BFA).
3934
And she had just had sweet potato birdie bread so excuse the beak :)
Casper's 2nd best friend
03-22-2016, 09:52 PM
Oh crap. I don't know how to flip the picture.
)
That's alright, I just turn the laptop round. Old technology is ace. :)
That's alright, I just turn the laptop round. Old technology is ace. :)Haha! I've fixed it BTW.
Casper's 2nd best friend
03-22-2016, 11:38 PM
Angels with dirty faces :)
Doublete, I think you need to change that label in the background to "No outfit is complete without parrot fluff"
The Pinkertons
03-23-2016, 01:12 AM
A zon breeder looking at pictures of my girl says mine is a DYH/YN hybrid (but mine was sold as a BFA).
3934
And she had just had sweet potato birdie bread so excuse the beak :)
Thanks for sharing ...we have missed you around here the last few day's, Hope all is well with you! I know you have your hands full with the horses and all! Happy Easter! :grouphug:
Doublete
03-23-2016, 03:05 AM
Angels with dirty faces :)
Doublete, I think you need to change that label in the background to "No outfit is complete without parrot fluff"
More accurate in my case is "no outfit is complete without a little cat hair, a little dog hair, a little horse poop, and a splattering of bird poop on your shoulder where YOU can't see"
Doublete
03-23-2016, 03:08 AM
Thanks for sharing ...we have missed you around here the last few day's, Hope all is well with you! I know you have your hands full with the horses and all! Happy Easter! :grouphug:
Thank you! I've been enjoying my job at the school and working basically 14 hour days between school and the restaurants that I work in, as well as the residence for the school. And then there are the horses. Sleep doesn't happen much!!!!
Happy Easter to you! I've taken the day off my jobs, going to feed and care for the animals and drive up to my aunts (3 hour) to see my grandma who has been visiting from Maine for a month and I just haven't had time to visit yet! Can't wait.
The Pinkertons
03-23-2016, 03:33 AM
Thank you! I've been enjoying my job at the school and working basically 14 hour days between school and the restaurants that I work in, as well as the residence for the school. And then there are the horses. Sleep doesn't happen much!!!!
Happy Easter to you! I've taken the day off my jobs, going to feed and care for the animals and drive up to my aunts (3 hour) to see my grandma who has been visiting from Maine for a month and I just haven't had time to visit yet! Can't wait.
WOHO! I'M TIRED JUST READING :bump: That's right I forgot you wanted to get back into teaching Autistic Children . Kudos to you, that take's a very special person to give of themselves. :awesome-smiley-emot
Doublete
03-23-2016, 04:12 AM
Thank you! The kids make life interesting. Never
The same thing twice and never a dull moment! Lol
The Pinkertons
03-23-2016, 04:26 AM
:goodjob::heart:
Thank you! The kids make life interesting. Never
The same thing twice and never a dull moment! Lol
Pudgerigar
03-23-2016, 06:35 AM
Ha! Now imagine being married to one! My wife is autistic ;)
Between her hereditary (dad and sister both) asd and my hereditary bpd, our kids are gonna be one basket of wacko O_O yeehaw
Doublete that looks an awful lot like a younger Bonita! That's probably the case, then! She looks just like that with just a bare whisper of blue on her keel and just above her nose.
Not worried about a price increase ;) she's an adoption, not a sale. $500 is her, her cage, her toys, and any grooming she may need for life.
Question! Is she too old for breeding? Not that I'd ever EVER attempt that, but I was wondering if eggs and hormones are something I needed to worry about at her 45ish years old. Just like to be prepared.
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Doublete
03-23-2016, 11:42 AM
I would follow protocol to discourage egg laying, although at that point yes they should know if she lays.
My 5 year old hasn't laid yet but I don't pet
Anywhere but her head and feet (when perched on my hand, etc).
And yes... Your kids hit the hereditary jackpot my friend! :) the kids I work with are all behavior issues- ones that the parents couldn't handle anymore or the school couldn't allow because of safety. And then we have the strippers. Lots of them!
mdg1109
03-23-2016, 12:13 PM
That very well could be.
I can't wait to see you bring her home I am so happy for you!
Tony, your profile picture is that Jack? Do you have a full picture of him? He is beautiful, how old is he?
PlaxMacaws
03-23-2016, 04:11 PM
Tony, your profile picture is that Jack? Do you have a full picture of him? He is beautiful, how old is he?Hi Michelle. No, that's Zaf. He's the Hyacinth Macaw on our site banner above. If the information I received from the individual I acquired him from back in 2005 is correct, he is now 27 years of age. As for Jack, he's the bird just to the right of Zaf on our site banner (3rd bird from the left). And Salsa is the first bird on the left (the red one :D).
Oh, and Zaf thanks you for the compliment :p91: :D
The Pinkertons
03-23-2016, 04:29 PM
I would follow protocol to discourage egg laying, although at that point yes they should know if she lays.
My 5 year old hasn't laid yet but I don't pet
Anywhere but her head and feet (when perched on my hand, etc).
And yes... Your kids hit the hereditary jackpot my friend! :) the kids I work with are all behavior issues- ones that the parents couldn't handle anymore or the school couldn't allow because of safety. And then we have the strippers. Lots of them!
Doublete , What do you mean by strippers "like in pole dancing"
kendrafitz
03-23-2016, 05:23 PM
Suzanne - I took it to mean kids who are classified and prefer less clothing to more as the day goes by. Not pole dancing Moms. ;) But I could be wrong. Lol
The Pinkertons
03-23-2016, 06:31 PM
Suzanne - I took it to mean kids who are classified and prefer less clothing to more as the day goes by. Not pole dancing Moms. ;) But I could be wrong. LolHa that makes sense, "silly me" Living in Southern California, I guess we could be classified as strippers, Cool mornings, hot afternoons , we do a lot of layering dressing in this neck of the woods
Doublete
03-23-2016, 10:00 PM
We call it disrobing. Many do it for attention. One just does it because he elopes (runs) and is very talented at taking clothes off while running.
It's great.
(NOT)
Pudgerigar
03-24-2016, 05:58 AM
Attention/touch (when you're forced to put the clothes back on) is one reason. Another is lot of neurodivergent kids have sensory issues, and when they're overwhelmed or feeling particularly anti-establishment (lol) clothes are the first to go. Imagine being hyper aware of the texture of slightly itchy fabric against your skin and trapped body heat and the pressure of a pair of socks/undies near-constantly? You'd rip it off, too!
Being responsible for keeping a balance between happy kids and "behaved"/legally clothed kids is tough.
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The Pinkertons
03-24-2016, 06:13 AM
Interesting
mdg1109
03-26-2016, 06:52 PM
I have to wait til June to a) have money worked up for her likely expensive vetting and adoption fee and b) right now I rent a single tiny bedroom! She wouldn't fit, haha!
We don't plan to open up the top of her cage, she prefers to climb out the door and up, but I'll see about popping that latch off. I may also get her a new one and slowly transfer her to it, once I get a sense of what she needs/wants. Some birds want everything to stay as much the same as possible, but I know some seem to want a completely new life and even get mad at hearing their original name. She's probably somewhere in the middle.
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Have you been by to see Bonita lately? How is she doing?
Wow! This turned into a very interesting thread, upon reading! I've been gone for a week and I went from wanting to congrats on Bonita (which still holds :) ) to wanting to say, I've never been a researcher..I've always jumped in and learned to swim later....to..when I was going through menopause, I was ALWAYS wanting to strip off my clothes!! Gotta love life!
mdg1109
03-26-2016, 11:25 PM
Hi Michelle. No, that's Zaf. He's the Hyacinth Macaw on our site banner above. If the information I received from the individual I acquired him from back in 2005 is correct, he is now 27 years of age. As for Jack, he's the bird just to the right of Zaf on our site banner (3rd bird from the left). And Salsa is the first bird on the left (the red one :D).
Oh, and Zaf thanks you for the compliment :p91: :D
Wow, you have an amazing flock Tony, I am in awe. I have a macaw on my bucket list, maybe one day, I am content with Charlie.
I have been watching some of the videos under the thread you have, Salsa is quite entertaining :th_smile:
wingman
03-28-2016, 04:04 AM
sweet taters yum!!! what a cute bird!
Pudgerigar
03-28-2016, 08:03 AM
Have you been by to see Bonita lately? How is she doing?
Oop! Just posted an update after being asked in the other thread XD
I've had lots of transport access lately so I've seen her as often as every two days lately. She's been getting livelier and obviously recognizes me now. It seems to help if I keep my hair tied back.
Still won't step up of her own accord, but gave it several attempts today (touching my arm with her foot but changing her mind). We also had a bit of a misunderstanding. She hasn't been attempting to bite me 80% of the time, she was trying to taste me! She just wanted to mouth me with her beak to get more information. Spent a minute licking my rainbow tie-dye shirt in wonder!
Still standoffish, but if I dare turn around and play with a another bird she vocalizes at me like "hey! Hey just because I ACT like I want you to buzz off doesn't mean you get to make that decision! And those are MY treats you're handing out!" Bossy little lady ;)
mdg1109
03-28-2016, 12:41 PM
Oop! Just posted an update after being asked in the other thread XD
I've had lots of transport access lately so I've seen her as often as every two days lately. She's been getting livelier and obviously recognizes me now. It seems to help if I keep my hair tied back.
Still won't step up of her own accord, but gave it several attempts today (touching my arm with her foot but changing her mind). We also had a bit of a misunderstanding. She hasn't been attempting to bite me 80% of the time, she was trying to taste me! She just wanted to mouth me with her beak to get more information. Spent a minute licking my rainbow tie-dye shirt in wonder!
Still standoffish, but if I dare turn around and play with a another bird she vocalizes at me like "hey! Hey just because I ACT like I want you to buzz off doesn't mean you get to make that decision! And those are MY treats you're handing out!" Bossy little lady ;)
So glad that you have been by to see her. It is funny how they react to different things. I had my nails done for the first time since getting Charlie and needless to say he was not a big fan of it at first, took him a good day to realize the purple nail polish was a part of moms hand. June will be here before you know it.
Pudgerigar
04-03-2016, 01:21 AM
So!!! After juggling two threads, this is the official Bonita update thread!
Last update was Tuesday:
!!!!!!!!!!!! BONITA STEPPED UP TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!
I've been using the tactic of holding a treat just out of reach and holding my arm up as the only way to get to it. Every time she put her foot on I praised her in a gentle tirade of "good girl, thank you Bonita, that's so good, yes!" and if she went to bite I just moved my arm down and said "nooooo no no, that's not nice" in a calm tone. It seemed to work, I got more and more feet and less and less beak. Couple of false starts, where she'd wrap one foot around my arm and then change her mind and go to bite. Then she'd finally had enough of testing the water and followed up with her other foot! I was very shocked, and I think she seemed a bit surprised at herself. As much as I value my eyeballs, she's an older bird and has arthritis so I let her sidle up to my upper arm for stability, so she could actually eat her treat. I lavished more praise and we went for a short walk around the room, then I let her back off inside her cage. Next time she does it I'll probably go take a seat and let her chill with me for a while. She looked SO satisfied with herself! At this rate she'll have no problem by June 1st.
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Pudgerigar
04-03-2016, 01:24 AM
Aaaaaand today!!!
Mastered the art of Bonita today, she steps up without treats now! I had to Get Bossy with miss bossy Amazon (all it cost me was a deadpan stare through a bite) and now she doesn’t push me. Her grip is kinda weak, so we’re going to have to figure out how to make this interaction more stable for her.
Here some pics of Bonita baby chillin’ with me for a few minutes. She looks small but she’s not, I am just tall and big. I love when she wiggles her tail feathers, her whole butt wiggles and she makes like a full 180 degree semi-circle with a “wapwapwapwapwap” noise.
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PlaxMacaws
04-03-2016, 01:48 AM
Excellent news on Bonita :D. And by the way, she doesn't look small to me in the slightest - and I'm used to large Macaws. I think Bonita is a large Zon. Congrats on the progress!
Pudgerigar
04-03-2016, 03:59 AM
That's what I meant, didn't want to give the impression she was average-sized, she's a beefy lady! And not just overweight, tall and big wings for a zon. There were B&G macaws in the room with us and she could match with 'em any day.
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Casper's 2nd best friend
04-03-2016, 09:46 AM
She is beautiful, and probably feels safe camouflaged against your lovely shirt. I'm not sure if you have told us her weight before, but for comparison Casper (Blue Fronted Amazon) was overweight when we got him at 450 grams but is now a much better 400-415 grams. His weight does tend to fluctuate through the seasons but as we keep a weekly record we are able to look back and see what his weight was like this time in previous years.
SO exciting when patients and persistence pays off!! I can imagine your heart racing and wanting to shout out with joy, but to contain it till she is back in her cage so not to frighten her.
Penny
04-05-2016, 03:51 AM
Lovely job of gaining her trust. I am most happy about the fact that you have thought about this clearly and have treated her with such patience and love. When you have over 40 years of reasons to distrust, having someone you actually can trust is a huge blessing.
The Pinkertons
04-05-2016, 04:16 AM
I'm so happy and excited with your progress...To be continued!
Pudgerigar
04-06-2016, 02:59 AM
@C2BF: I call that my "bird shirt" and always wear it to the shop, they love it. It makes me very popular!
Went in today and she was resistant and grumpy. That's fine, left her and wandered around. She was more engaging when I came back but VERY bitey when I asked her to step up and got me good four or five times. No blood but some bruising. At the advice of their groomer last week I kept up my no-nonsense stance and didn't react to the bites or back down, and she eventually stepped up. Once up, she seemed fine and started up what I call "scrumbling", a sort of stream of scrambled humanesque mumbling. Just a continuous section of conversation-volume vocalizations. I asked the owner what that typically indicated and she said "well... that's a new thing. she hasn't done it before."!
All of this was interspersed with short tail wags/fanning and neck/head fluffing. I aaaaalmost got her to let me "tickle, tickle!" her neck feathers, but she changed her mind.
Progress I think!
Note: when I went to leave 20 minutes after setting her down and stopped by her cage to say bye to her she opened her beak all the way and screamed in my face. Okay then. You've had enough excitement. I get it.
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The Pinkertons
04-06-2016, 06:03 AM
Sure it is, she recognizes you, we all have our good days and not so good days until next time! :magic:
Pudgerigar
04-09-2016, 04:10 AM
TODAY WAS THE DAY!!!
Put down Bonita's adoption fee! She's OFFICIALLY, LEGALLY part of the family now!
She reacted to the news by GNAWING on me >_> no step-ups, just bites. That's fine. Gave her a treat and some "I love you"'s on my way out. She squawked back.
Can't WAIT until June!
PlaxMacaws
04-09-2016, 01:57 PM
:congrats5: to both of you!
:tekst2a:
Pudgerigar
04-10-2016, 07:51 PM
Evidently she was in a much better mood today, y'all.
She stepped up with NO bites! Scrumbled at me cheerfully while we hung out together around the shop! I LOVE that girl!
The Pinkertons
04-11-2016, 01:03 AM
Evidently she was in a much better mood today, y'all.
She stepped up with NO bites! Scrumbled at me cheerfully while we hung out together around the shop! I LOVE that girl!
Yay! :goodjob::namen_paul:
Pudgerigar, I'm excited for you to get Bonita home! :). I've been wondering if anyone other than her normal handlers are involved with her..is she free to interact with the public?
Pudgerigar
04-13-2016, 12:42 AM
She is! She's out in the general shopping area, hangs out on her playstand and on top of the cage in the mornings, retreats into the cage in the afternoons. She's known to be VERY hand-shy and is not a nice lady at first interaction, and she always looks a bit bedraggled. Got some serious crazy-eye in her, too, so overall her aura is "I DARE you to try me." The public usually doesn't do more than wave and chat.
The shopkeepers try, she can generally only be coaxed to step up from her playstand for them and bites all the time. She didn't seem to enjoy interaction and there are other needy birds there who do, so they focused on them and let Bonita do her thing. I'm the first one to focus on her so I got to see the results, and now she steps up for me even from inside her sanctum!
Luckily she's not shy about noise and bustle since she's lived there so long, I've seen her eat through a vacuum cleaner being right next to the cage!
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The Pinkertons
04-13-2016, 03:49 AM
I 'm counting the days!
WOW so wonderful! You have got to be on cloud 9, maybe even 10 :). It is so great you found each other!
Pudgerigar
04-14-2016, 05:13 AM
I am ecstatic! Got to see her today. Everyone has always been under the impression that Bonita wasn't a talker.
Today she said, rough but intelligible: "hello"!
The shop owner, staff and I were floored. I usually say "hi", so this is a word she has known for years, never felt up to using, and has brought back out for me.
Another new thing: she bit a little when I had her step up today, mostly testing me I think (softly), but after I put her back she stopped biting and instead expressed displeasure with me attempting to pet her by putting a foot on my fingers and pushing down. I tested it a bit... if I got a hand within four inches or so, she just gripped my hand and pushed down as if to say "caaaaaaaan we not?". It was adorable.
We're really going places. Here I was content to just have her near me for the rest of her days even if she never so much as stepped up, and she has given me this gift of working with me towards affection and play. I love her SO much.
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The Pinkertons
04-14-2016, 05:51 AM
That's so sweet :th_heart:
Casper's 2nd best friend
04-14-2016, 08:42 AM
Wonderful... and yes they do remember words from the past, Casper sometimes (occasionally) comes out with something that makes us think where did he get that from. :)
Penny
04-14-2016, 11:48 AM
She'll be telling you her hopes and dreams in no time! :th_wink:
Pudgerigar
05-03-2016, 06:41 AM
Pssssst I posted a big thing in Off Topic that is very relevant to Bonita all the same, go see!
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