Hello from Darwin, Aus.

[acidlinktest]

Hi everyone :)


I just got a Blue Crested Lorikeet, named Zazu (6-3months old, gender not known). Zazu is pretty well behaved as far as I know about birds. He can do Step Up already. He does like to bite a bit, but its more playful biting I think. Ive got a wet mix to feed him with. He's got a couple toys in his cage, and a little play gym thing I leave out of his cage to play on when he comes out of the cage.
I am at work from miday, home at 10pm. Theres other people around who can talk to him when im not here, when I come home he is out of his cage with me alone.

Is there any tips/advice you might have for me about training, or just interesting things to know. Just want to make sure he's the best lil birb he can be haha


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[Dragonlady2]

Welcome to the forum Jamie! What a sweet looking bird you have. As far as training, the more that you build trust with your bird, the easier it will be. Spending time with him and handling him will go a long way to having a friendly, well adjusted birdie. He looks like he is clipped?

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Hi Jamie
good to have you aboard. Zazu is very cute and I love the mischievous glint in his eye.
I don't know much about training, Casper just started stepping onto fingers when he was happy with us. His response to "come on then" is just to reply "come on" because he expects us to cross the room and collect him rather than him making his own way. He would spend all day on one of our shoulders given the opportunity so we have set up various swings and perches around the place for him to watch us while we work.
We give him cardboard boxes and string up softwood pieces for him to chew on which has stopped him chewing the furniture and have put spiral loom binding on all wires in the room just in case because he is out of his cage 12 hours a day.
We praise him when he poops onto newspaper laid out for him but never scold him when he does it on the furniture because it can be bad for them to try and hold it in or poop on demand just to please you. Its more a case of knowing when he is likely to do it and putting him on the perch over the paper. He always lifts one leg before pooping so we we get a warning.
We got him trained to step onto the scales once a week by bribing him with a bit of nut and now he has got into the routine we often forget the nut. Keeping a track of your bird's weight is essential because it gives you an early indication of any illness which birds try and hide as it would show weekness to predators out in the wild.
Have you got an avian vet in your area? It is a good idea to have their number in your phone and also where other people in the house can see it in case there are any problems while you are out.
I hope I am not teaching my granny to suck eggs :)

[Quakerella]

What a beautiful bird. I love the colours.

Socializing will go a long way, as much time as possible. He seems to love his stand. My only concern is the eye hooks that are on the ladder. These ladders were known for having zinc coated hooks, this could be dangerous if he chews them. You can get stainless steel screws that have a completely closed loop. This way you could put a perch through the loop to secure it.

I am looking forward to hearing more about Zazu. I love the name.:th_smile:

[acidlinktest]

Welcome to the forum Jamie! What a sweet looking bird you have. As far as training, the more that you build trust with your bird, the easier it will be. Spending time with him and handling him will go a long way to having a friendly, well adjusted birdie. He looks like he is clipped?

Thank you :)
One wing is clipped well, the other is normal I think. He is a lot more comfortable now he's settled in (trying to fly, extremely affectionate, singing, playing). I am considering flight training but I am very worried about him flying into a fan, though I have them off when I bring him out.

[acidlinktest]

What a beautiful bird. I love the colours.

Socializing will go a long way, as much time as possible. He seems to love his stand. My only concern is the eye hooks that are on the ladder. These ladders were known for having zinc coated hooks, this could be dangerous if he chews them. You can get stainless steel screws that have a completely closed loop. This way you could put a perch through the loop to secure it.

I am looking forward to hearing more about Zazu. I love the name.:th_smile:


I just took those hooks out to be safe, thank you for the heads up haha
He does love chewing anything shiny. Any jewellery, watches, glasses. He goes crazy for it, I have to hide my phone and everything so he does go crazy haha Any advice on how to deter that or just try not to have it on when playing with him?

[acidlinktest]

He is very cheeky haha
Ill start weighing him soon and keep a log book, very good idea haha
Yeah there are a few places around me that look afterbirds, so if he gets ill he has help haha

Thanks for the advice :)

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Margaret has to remove all her jewelry before having Casper on-board, it is apparently quite painful when he tries to rip out an earing :) He also tries to remove our specs from our faces.

[KnockNick]

Best of luck with your new bird he/she is really beautiful.

[Lady]

Hi Jamie,
Welcome to P.P. Zazu is beautiful. Looking forward to hearing about all the fun you will be having with your new forever friend! How did you come by him?

[Dragonlady2]

Looking at your pictures again, it looks like only one wing is clipped? I know that there are some who feel that clipping one wing is acceptable, but in my opinion, it destabilizes the bird. You said he is attempting to fly? If he only has one good wing, he will be off balance, making it difficult for him. When he has his molt, he may regain some flight feathers in the clipped wing, balancing him somewhat.
He does look like a mischievous little devil.

[acidlinktest]

Hi Jamie,
Welcome to P.P. Zazu is beautiful. Looking forward to hearing about all the fun you will be having with your new forever friend! How did you come by him?

I got him a pet store here for $450aud. Had the option of Zazu, who was alone in his cage but seemed to like me a lot, or to get a fully coloured Rainbow Lorikeet for $250 from a breeder somewhere out rural. Glad I got Zazu, plus the rest of those colours he doesn't have show in his personality for sure haha

[acidlinktest]

Looking at your pictures again, it looks like only one wing is clipped? I know that there are some who feel that clipping one wing is acceptable, but in my opinion, it destabilizes the bird. You said he is attempting to fly? If he only has one good wing, he will be off balance, making it difficult for him. When he has his molt, he may regain some flight feathers in the clipped wing, balancing him somewhat.
He does look like a mischievous little devil.

Yeah just one, the pet store had clipped just the one wing. I see what you mean about the balance, Hopefully I can train him well enough to not have to clip them at all haha If I do clip his wings i'll be sure to make it even and both wings haha

[Quakerella]

Our birds are the same, jewellery must be removed or it will get destroyed. Yoshi pulled the pin (how you change the time) out of the side of my husbands watch. For such tiny creatures they heave one heck of a strong beak.