Learning to read your parrots body language will help you to see your bird in a whole new light. It can help you understand when he is feeling under the weather, happy, wants attention and can also save you from receiving a nasty bite.

Once you have learned the main characteristics of your parrots body language it is easy to distinguish if your parrot is happy, sad, terrified or excited just by his stance.

By learning to understand how your bird is feeling at any particular time can greatly improve the relationship you have with your bird and help you understand what it is he is communicating to you at any given time.

1. Vocalizations

In the wild, birds use various vocalizations to warn others of danger, attract mates, protect their territory, and maintain social contacts. Most birds are highly vocal and many times may be trying to communicate with you.

• Singing, talking, and whistling: These vocalizations are often signs of a happy, healthy, content bird. Some birds love an audience and sing, talk, and whistle the most when others are around. Other birds will remain quiet when others are watching.
• Chattering: Chattering can be very soft or very loud. Soft chatter can be a sign of contentment or can be the practice of a bird learning to talk. Loud chatter can be an attention-getter, reminding you that she is there. In the wild, birds often chatter in the evening before going to sleep to connect with other flock members.
• Purring: Not the same as a cat’s purr, a bird’s purr is more like a soft growl that can be a sign of contentment or a sign of annoyance. When purring, the bird’s environment and other body language should be taken into consideration to determine what the bird is expressing.
• Tongue-clicking: By clicking her tongue against her beak, your bird may be entertaining herself or asking to be petted or picked up.
• Growling: Not heard in all pet birds, growling is an aggressive vocalization. If your bird is growling, examine her environment and remove anything that may be bothering her. Growling birds should not be handled as they do not want to be touched.

2. Wings and Body Gestures

• Fluffing and ruffling: Parrots will perform a quick feather ruffle to release tension, much like when humans take a quick moment to lean back and stretch before we go on to the next task. Parrots also fluff their feathers after a preening session so that all of the particles of dirt they have just removed will fall away. You may notice a fine dust of powder emanating from your bird after he does this, especially if you have a grey, a cockatoo, or a cockatiel. A parrot that stays fluffed for a longer period of time may be chilled or not feeling well.
• The “please” dance: A parrot that wants attention will clamber around the cage near the door and may sit right in front of the door, moving his head back and forth. This means he wants out. If he does the please dance while he’s out, he wants your attention or something you have.
• Head down: If your bird is used to being scratched on the head or neck, she may put her head down and ruffle her feathers, giving you the perfect spot to scratch.
• The attack stance: Displays of aggression can be normal at times for a companion parrot, though they can be unpleasant. Many aggressive displays are merely posturing. A bird would much rather fly from a fight than actually engage in one, unless it’s defending its nest. Unfortunately for the companion parrot, there is often no place to escape, and the aggression must be acted upon. Aggressive postures include fanning of the tail; crouching or standing tall and swaying from side to side with the crest held tightly back; hissing and spitting; fluffing the back feathers; and crouching with the beak open, ready to pounce and bite (as shown in the following photo).

This African grey is in “attack” stance. Avoid putting your fingers in his face at this time.

• Stretching: Parrots stretch for the same reasons people do, to lubricate our joints, to release tension, and primarily because stretching feels good. You may notice your parrot stretching one wing and one leg on the same side of his body at the same time. This classic birdie stretch that resembles something from yoga called mantling.
• Bowing and bobbing: Bowing and bobbing is an attention-getting technique used by tame parrots. It can become a neurotic behaviour for a constantly caged parrot. Also, ill parrots bow and bob, so you’ll have to watch your bird carefully to distinguish an attention-getting strategy from illness.
• Head shaking: Some parrots, particularly African greys, shake their heads as if there’s water in the ears. No one really knows why they do this, and it seems to be normal. If your bird is doing this a lot, it may be a sign of an ear or nasal infection.
• Leaning forward, wings shaking: If the wings are quivering, and the bird is staring at you, it’s about to launch itself at you. This is typical “I’m going to fly!” posture.
• Quivering wings: A parrot that’s shivering or has quivering wings may be frightened, overly excited, or in breeding mode.
• Beak language: An open beak, crouched posture, and hissing or yelling is prime biting posture. This is a frightened or displaying parrot.
• Potty language: Backing up a step or two or crouching on the perch, lifting tail, and even making a little noise. You can catch “poop posture” before the poop happens and move the parrot to another place if you want him to poop elsewhere.
• Chicken scratching: African greys and sometimes other parrots will “chicken scratch” at the bottom of their cage or on the carpet. Greys in particular do this because digging is part of their natural wild behaviour. If you don’t mind the mess, you can give your grey a sandbox (or litter box) to play in, using clean sand from the toy store.
• Eye pinning (dilate/contract pupils): A parrot whose pupils are pinning in and out is excited and may be in bite mode. Some parrots do this when they’re excited about something they like, such as a new toy or good food.
• Wing drooping: Wing drooping can be part of a mating dance, but in a listless bird, it can indicate illness.
• Wing flipping: A parrot will flip its wings up and down to indicate frustration, get attention, or indicate aggression. It may also happen during moulting, when it’s trying to align new feathers or get rid of old ones that may be hanging or ready to fall out.

Posted by Toria

I have a baby Congo just about 5 months old who has been the sweetest baby this whole time until just recently. I know these types of parrots are known to be a one person bird but at 5 months he is starting to ruffle his feathers and try to bite anyone but me. Is that a little young to start taking to only 1 person. What can I do to try and get him used to others wanting to pet him or handle him?

A: African Grey biting – Expert Answer

Welcome to the beginning of sexual maturity. You can look forward to periods of this behavior throughout his life. Hormones will do this.

No, he’s not too young to start taking to only one person, and you can’t stop him from liking one person better than others.
However, that is no reason that he should not at least tolerating handling by other people.

If others are backing off when he threatens to bite, they are teaching him that he can get his way by being aggressive.
That has to stop. Now.

Attaching general biting info; some of the links and books would be very helpful in your situation.

From my Bird FAQ:

Birds don’t bite for no reason, and they don’t bite because they personally ”hate” you. One of the biggest mistakes owners make is to take their bird’s behavior personally. Birds are not human, no matter how much we’d like them to be.

Birds will not bite unprovked and always give other body language clues before a bite; if you fail to read their cues, you will get a well deserved bite.

A bird cannot say ”I’d rather not be petted or held right now.” or ”Stop that! I don’t like it!”. They can only communicate with their body language, and as a last resort, a bite to get the point across.

Birds will also become more nippy when hormonal. There is nothing you can do about that, it’s just part of owning a parrot.

The problem of biting parrots doesn’t lie with the bird, it lies with the owner.

I’m not saying that to be rude, it’s just plain true: You need to do some reading up on parrot body language & learn to recognize his moods by his body language AND learn to respect that there will be times when he will not want to be handled or pet by anyone, including you.

I recommend you first go out and buy the books Guide to a Well Behaved Parrot by Mattie Sue Athan and The Beak Book by Sally Blanchard (A biting & aggression specific book). Both books help you out a lot.
You can find them both on amazon.com.

Then check these links; Liz Wilson is the author, and she is a recognized expert in parrort behavior and behavior modification:

http://www3.upatsix.com/liz/articles/biting.html
http://www3.upatsix.com/liz/articles/personally.html
http://www3.upatsix.com/liz/articles/spring.html
http://www3.upatsix.com/liz/articles/socialization.html
http://www3.upatsix.com/liz/articles/drama.html
http://www3.upatsix.com/liz/articles/myths.html

Shoulder rides can also be a potential hazard, and cause dominance related problems. Shoulder riding is not a ”right”, and not every bird can be allowed to have shoulder rides. For more information on why shoulder rides are not a good idea for owners who are experiencing a biting problem or dominance problem in their birds see:

http://www.petpublishing.com/birdtimes/articles/shoulder.shtml

Train Your Parrot To Stop Biting

Answered by Tviokh, courtesy of http://www.practical-pet-care.com

There is a number of formulated diet, otherwise known as pellets, present on the market. They are marketed as “complete” diets, which is a very misleading term. Most pellet manufacturers suggest the amount of pellets fed to be around 80% of the whole diet. This notion has been disapproved and argued with by many aviculturists. For a start, there are no pellets which would  differ in the composition depending on the bird§. So an african grey will receive just the same amount of every nutrient found in a pellet as would a budgie. However these two birds come from two completely different parts of the world and have quite different nutritional requirements. For example, African Greys are know to be calcium deficient more often than other parrot species, however budgies require a much smaller amount of calcium, as do cockatiels.

However, the pellets do provide a balanced complete protein, a wide range of vitamins and minerals. To balance out any possible overdosing or “underdosing” of the nutrients, it is suggested to feed pellets in the amounts of about 50% of the overall diet. Pellets also supply vitamin D to the diet, which is not found in other foods.

The brands of pellets to consider are: Hagen Tropical Granules, Harrisons Organic pellets, Zupreem pellets.

So what should the other 50% be made up of?

The greatest part of it should be made up of vegetables. The vegetables can make up to 40% of the whole diet. All vegetables and fruit have to be thoroughly washed before serving. It is best to buy organic and seasonal produce.

Recommended vegetables:
Pumpkin
Sweet Potatoe
Carrot
Squash
Courgette
Marrow
Tomatoe
Cucumber
Peppers
Chili Peppers
Brussel Sprouts
Corn

Leafy Greens (at least one of these should be given every day):
Broccoli with leaves and stalks
Kale
Watercress
Cavolo Nero
Savoy Cabbage
White or Red Cabbage (best served lightly steamed, however fresh one is ok to give)
Spinach (no more than one or two times a week)
Dark-leaf lettuce
Celery
Dandelion Greens
Purslane

Herbs (should be given just as for humans – as garnish, i.e in small amounts as they are too high in essential oils):
Parsley
Basil
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Dill

Berries (Make an excellent addition to a diet, but best used when in season, and organic.):
Blueberries
Raspberries
Strawberries
Blackberries
Gooseberries
Blackcurrants
Redcurrants

Of the wild ones:
Rowan Berries
Hawthorn Berries (consider limiting to about 5-6 a day)
Blackberries
Sloes (no pips)
Rose hips

Fruit (should be given as a treat for one simple reason – the fruit we buy are very far from their wild ancestors, and contain too much sugar and not much of anything else.):
The best fruit to offer are:
Apples
Pears
Oranges
Kiwi
Melons
Bananas
Pineapple
Peach
Plum
Apricot
Grapes (limit to one or two grapes a day)

Papaya and Mango can be offered but have to be thoroughly peeled first. The skin of unripe Mango and Papaya contain toxins, but those papaya and mango we buy are usually picked unripe, so a care should be taken when and if feeding this fruit.

What you should aim for is to provide a large variety of fresh produce. Don’t concentrate on just one type of vegetable, offer as many as possible. To avoid picking, try blending all sorts of vegetables and greens in a food-processor, mixing with a few seeds and a chopped nut and serving it as a mash. Other ingredients can be added too. And here we move on to the next group of foods which should be included in the diet.

Grains and Pulses
These are the primary source of protein for the parrots. Parrots are vegetarians and should not be fed animal protein including eggs. The only time when parrots were ever observed consuming insects is during breeding. Unless you want to bring your parrot into hormonal state, avoid feeding any animals foods, like eggs, meat, fish etc.

Grains and pulses will provide a great source of protein and other nutrients.

Grains list:
Amaranth
Quinoa
Buckwheat
Barley
Wholemeal Cous Cous
Wheat grain
Spelt
Hulled Millet

Pulses:
Dried Peas
Lentils
Mung Beans
Aduki Beans
Chickpeas

Any other beans can be fed only after 8 hour soak, thorough rinse, and then 40-min rapid boil.

To prepare a good nutritious mix, containing a good amount of complete protein combine two parts of grains and one part of pulses. Cook according to the instructions on the package, mix altogether and freeze in portions. Defrost as needed.

Sprouted grains and pulses is another valuable component – more about it read herehttp://www.african-grey-parrots.co.uk/parrot-forum/index.php?topic=1635.0

Treats:
Red Palm Nuts – give one, maximum 2 nuts a day
Red Palm Oil or Extract – no more than 1 teaspoon a day, or less if fed Red Palm Nuts

Regular nuts – limit to about 3-4 (depending on size) nuts a day.

Suggested Nuts:
Walnuts
Pecans
Hazelnuts
Macademia
Pistachios (unsalted!)
Almonds
Cashews

Avoid feeding peanuts.

Seed mix – try to get the best seed mix possible and give it as a treat, in the amount of about 1 teaspoon a day, best given in foraging toys.

Food Supplements:

There are a few natural supplements you can consider adding to promote the good condition of your parrot:

Flax seed – grind up about 1/2 teaspoon of flax seed and sprinkle it on food. This will provide valuable essential fatty acids

Spirulina – sprinkle food with just a light dusting (a tiny pinch) of spirulina. Spirulina is an algae extremely rich in protein and other beneficial compounds. It should be given in minute amounts and it will still be very effective. Excessive amounts can lead to health problems.

Kale – this is another algae which is a good source of iron. It can also be added in a minute amount (a tiny pinch) as a light sprinkling on food.

Bee pollen – rich in enzymes and amino acids, can be added to food in the amount of about 1/4 of a teaspoon a couple of times a week

Echinacea – this herb is a natural antibiotic and immune stimulant, which can help birds with chronic conditions and those recovering from illnesses.

Probiotics – probiotics promote the growth of beneficial bactera in the gut, reducing the amount of bad bacteria, and consequently the likelihood of illness. All birds who have been on antibiotics should be given a course of avian probiotics. Feather-pluckers and those recovering from illnes will also benefit from a course of probiotics.

Never feed any foods containing salt or sugar. Salt toxicity in parrots can be fatal. A small amount of salt can lead to toxicity. For this reason avoid feeding table foods.
Parrots are flock animals and enjoy eating with their flock – you. If you want your parrot to be at the table when you are having dinner provide him with his own dish and fill it up with healthy foods, cooked especially for him. This could be a good time to give a treat too.

High-fat foods, like chips or any other deep-fried foods or fatty foods, like butter and high-fat cheese are very harmful too. Just as humans, parrots suffer from high-cholesterol, heart attacks, clogged up arteries, and enlarged liver (which has to to process all that fat!).

To make your parrot’s life just a bit more exciting, consider baking some birdie bread, cooking something like a special birdie pizza or pasta (wholemeal) with tomatoe sauce (a pureed tomatoe with a sprinkle of basil)  
For more recipes see here:
http://www.itsagreysworld.com/diet/recipes.htm
http://www.holisticbirds.com/pages/recipes0503.htm
http://www.africangreys.com/articles/nutrition/mashdiet.htm
http://www.parrothouse.com/recipes.html

Written by Irina of Parrot Comforts your number one source for affordable safe parrot toys.

If this happens to you don’t panic..There are many devoted people accross forums such as ours, operating a lost and found bird system..headed by John Haywood at the Parrot Society. If you contact John in the very first instance he will add your details and those of your missing bird to the lost and found birds register..this is by no means exclusive to African grey..any bird you loose can be included. Let him know all about it, the area lost, any distinctive markings or phrases the bird can say, whether or not it is chipped etc.

John Hayward runs the National Theft Register telephone 01869 325699. He is a Council Member of The Parrot Society UK. John works full time for the Register and has developed an expertise in this very important area. John also acts as a security advisor.
As a former Detective Inspector and Wildlife Liaison Officer he is very well qualified for this role and has had considerable success since taking on this responsibility in 1996.

If you or a friend has lost, found or had a parrot species stolen please contact John as a matter of urgency, his telephone number is as above or you can e-mail him on jh@ntr.supanet.com The service John provides to all bird keepers is invaluable and as he has nationwide contacts especially with most police forces he is able obtain some exceptional results. The Council of The Parrot Society UK thank him most sincerely for his dedication to lost, found and stolen birds.

Once you have contacted John you may want to follow some of the other advice offered here..I haven’t written it as such it is advice i have gathered from other societies and forums..but its all worth following..

If you belong to a bird club, please ask your newsletter editor to publish about your missing bird. . If your club holds a bird fair, please distribute any details. . If you know of someone who has lost a bird, please send the details along. If you are a member of any bird forums please use your birds lost and found section there to advertise the loss of your bird (you can also include details of any found birds here). Your forum moderators and many of the members will spend time making sure your details are published accross as many different forums and groups as possible, and may be able to marry your details with a found bird in your area advertised on another forum or message board.

Additional information from an author called Scott Lewis..

“Birds can live for days-weeks months, and even years after an escape. Never give up.

Always look for a grey BEFORE sun-up while it is still dark, and AFTER sundown. They are the most vocal then, and the most active.

Day 3 is when they get hungry and try to come in for food, they will go to just about any one at that time if they are tame.

ALWAYS have a recording of your grey when he is playing and having the most fun. Play this recording intermittently as you look for him.

Throw food on rooftops. Place a small cage on the roof of your house, or anyone’s where they grey has been seen.

Tell people to put him in a pillow case, and have friends carrying pillowcases while looking, or small cages.
Sometimes greys are caught by inexperienced holders and they don’t know what to do with them.

Water hoses do work if you can spray him shortly after his escape. Hit him with as much water as you can all at once. He is heavy from not having exercise, and the water throws him off enough to ground him for a bit. Do not drench just before dark unless you are sure you can get him.

If possible contact organizations 50 miles away. Sometimes people find them while traveling and go home with them. Greys can also get that far just flying.

Have someone watch the bird at all times if he is spotted and you need to go for help.
If you try to climb the tree, it often scares them up. A long branch may be better to coax him onto. Use your head here. Raise his cage to where he is.

Have friends and family miles away in other cities watch the lost and found ads.

If he is roosted near dark, wait until dark before trying to retrieve him. They don’t fly well at night, and they don’t want to fly, but make sure you don’t miss. And have your torch ready!

If sighted, keep people away, and let the owner try and coax him down. Have your helping friends in tall trees or on roof tops to watch where he goes if he takes off. You NEED spotters prepared and willing.

Finally, a hose does work, but don’t be shy. The idea is to totally soak the bird in a big hurry to the extent that it can’t fly. If you’re shy with the hose, you will simply watch a damp bird fly away.!!!”

Some interesting tips there to help retrieve your lost bird.

I was reading my parrot society magazine this morning.the august 2009 issue. In it, the Bomben family from Northamptonshire have written a letter of thanks to John Hayward for helping them recover their lost grey, Jack.

He flew away on July 26th this year, and the family were given John’s contact details from a bird sanctuary. John advised them to go outside and call for Jack at dusk and dawn when greys are most vocal, and to whistle his favourite tunes. The bird was short tailed so the family were advised he probably wouldn’t fly away too far. At about 7.30pm that evening they continued searching for Jack and to their amazment he whistled back from only metres away in a neighbour’s garden..happly sitting in a tree singing away! When approached by the Dad of the family the bird flew straight down into his arms! All of this happened within a day. The family wanted to share this story with other peple who have lost a much loved bird in this way..and to tell them to never give up hope.

Maybe you are reading this as someone who has lost a bird.. I hope I have been able to ease your mind and offer some helpful hints and tips.
Good luck and I hope you find your baby soon..

And for the rest of us..close the doors and windows when birdy is out!!

Thanks for reading, regards Mandy Taylor..African Grey Parrot Centre. x.x.x

Poppy

I want you to meet Poppy, or Peeweegirl as our family affectionately know her. She has been living with us for three and a half years now since she was a 17 week old baby grey. She has always been a friendly happy bird, a family bird and an affectionate little lady. She is a charmer and the heart and soul of the family..everyone adores her.

Let me tell you more about our family..I work as a classroom assistant, Poppy’s “partner” Alan works from home as a watercolour artist. My children Adam and Abbey are coming up for 8 and 7 and we have several other pets, two dalmations and a collie dog, two lovebirds, a cat, two fish and a hamster. It is a lively busy happy household where we all come and go..and right at the heart of our home is this beautiful little parrot, bought for my husband when he was 50, three years ago, but loved and cherished by us all.

Poppy & Family

She is out nearly all day, someone is always home with her, she has a wonderful diet,(if I do say so meself..) tidy mix supplemented with loads of fresh fruit and veg, chicken, hard boiled eggs, a bit of salmon,cheese loads of tasty things. We make sure she has 10 to 12 hours sleep a night, and like all of us she is grumpy next day when she doesn’t get it. She talks, all the time..Knows each of us by name although i am still Mummy..she will shout Alan mercilessly. Adam and Abbey get called all the time too. She loves Cbeebies and shouts “IgglePiggle” upon the appearance of In The Night Garden… she still shouts “Wellard” at Eastenders..and when Top Gear comes on she makes the noise of a screeching car going around the track..yells “Hamster” when Richard Hammond appears, (mainly for my benefit it has to be said). She beeps whenever a car pulls up outside my house, says hello whenever my phone rings at home, tells the kids to get to school in the morning and shouts up night night to them from under her bed blanket when they go to bed at night..She says and does so many things that our life would be black without her..and its not just that she talks..there is a place in my world that only she can ever fill. She only has to give me a certain look or a certain cuddle..She is my best friend.

So you can imagine how worried we were when she began plucking just before last christmas. I had decorated the living room as usual with the exception of a new christmas tree. Had I known then what I know now it would have never left its box..hindsight is a wonderful thing. We decorated the living room in all its glory, much tinsel and dancing singing things, and this new big tree pride of place in the living room. She eyed it with uncertainty and then left it alone..we thought she was being a good bird and told her so, fully expecting her to leave it alone instead of try and pull it down as she had in years gone by.

Christmas is a busy period, all shopping and rushing around. My baby suddenly found herself spending more time in her cage than normal as my husband and I tried to get all the shopping done together..normally I would have gone alone but hadn’t been too well this year so hubby was with me most of the time. And we left the heating on for Peewee as the weather was cold. Within a week or two we noticed the living room awash with white feather moult dust..we knew this was the wrong time of year and consulted her breeder, who told us not to wory it was just the heating and to turn it down a few degrees. The feathers kept coming..we put a bowl of water over the heaters to make the air more humid and bought some Aloe Vera juice and added it to her water bottle giving frequent baths. But it didn’t ease up it got worse and so did my bird..she began withdrawing and wouldn’t leave the cage..it became obvious she was terrified of the tree. As soon as Christmas was over we removed it, we would have taken it down sooner had the kids not been broken hearted at loosing their tree before Santa had been, as soon as was safe down it came..but by then the damage was done. Poppy had begun plucking herself around the back and her tail end..and she continued even after the tree had gone and the kids gone back to school and life was normal. We tried everything, new toys, distraction, keeping her soaked..more time with her, I even took time off work to be with her more. But by early January she had a big angry bare red patch of skin aroud her back end from chewing and plucking, I phoned the vet as I thought she may have an infection in the skin and she looked in pain. The vet was away and an appointment was made for a week that Monday to see him and discuss Poppy’s condition. That same morning my husband phoned our breeder whome we got Poppy off for advice as the skin was raw and we weren’t sure what to put on it without causing harm..He told us to apply Iodine solution..please I beg anyone reading this.. NEVER EVER EVER put Iodine on a bird.. I’ve learnt from bitter and painful experience. It burnt her…suddenly I was demanding to see the vet asap and never mind the holiday!! That first vet was awful..not an avian one and pretty clueless so I consulted the Parrot Society who reccommended a lovely gentleman. We registered with him and he saw Poppy the same day.

Then began what i can only describe as four months of hell and heartbreak. The first thing to do was get rid of infection so Poppy began a course of oral Baytrill that was to go on for months twice a day by mouth. We also had antibiotic cream to rub on the sore bit..which resulted in many bites to my husband and I. There was no obvious improvement so the vet switched her treatment to a steriod spray which we sprayed on the sore bit, Cortavance spray..and later steroid tablets for her to take crumbled up on a spoon.

February 14th, Valentine’s Day, a day I won’t ever forget. I was at my computer as I so often am early evening..I looked up and blood was pouring from what looked like Poppy’s bottom..and I mean pouring. For weeks I had been fearful of an impacted preen gland or even an internal tumour..I was terrified something had gone badly wrong for her. My husband wrapped her in a warm towel and tried to stop the bleeding while I made all the arrangments, and at 7.30pm on a cold wet february night we rushed our baby to the surgery, for what we honestly thought was going to be the very last time. I can’t describe how I felt in that car holding her in my lap..I couldn’t see through my tears and I thought my heart was breaking. We had the children with us too and it was a sorry party who met the waiting vet that night. He examined her thoroughly and she was moaning and crying like a baby, so were my kids at the noises she was making. I was just shaking, trembling like a leaf. He looked inside her with what I can only describe as the tiniest of lamps..couldn’t find any tumours or other nasty things, but saw that she had torn the already inflamed skin with either her own beak or on something in the living room in flight. The vet stitched her up and gave her a little injection and we brought her home. I barely slept a wink that night but she pulled through. From then on it was weekly trips to the vets surgery for her. She lost loads of weight and her poo was like water, she looked ill and lost her sparkle. I began a frenzied search online for any information i could find..that was when i found several wonderful forums one of which was this one.. I was convinced my bird would die unles someone could help me. On the way I made some wonderful friends who i hope will be close for life.. I have learned so much..but still my bird was plucking..it was like a vicious circle..the feathers began to poke through and she pulled them out again. And again. And again. I grew obsessed with it..to the point of almost neglecting my family and home, all my spare time spent either with Poppy or online trying to get advise…

She was getting better finally..a new set of feathers growing..and staying there. I was considering a family holiday and also making plans to rehome two new greys which the whole family was looking forward to. We thought adding to our family would help Poppy, give her company and a new focus to help her keep from plucking. Then in April we had a burglary, the car got ruined and they attempted the house too. My parrot went nuts in the cage it was awful and heartbreaking to hear.

The police were at the house as you can imagine and everything was all over the place..that was a Friday night, by Sunday she had pulled the lot again and was back to square one…

I’m ashamed to say i lost it a bit.. I was very low and upset. We took her back to the vet who appeared at a loss, he said he could find no physical cause for the plucking now so it had to be emotional..stress related etc..he prescribed tranquilisers for Poppy. I remember breaking my heart and feeling that I had failed the bird I loved so much..Nothing I was doing could make her well.

Me & Poppy

I had a phone call from a concerned friend from this forum, this lady knows who she is and is a friend in a million I love her like a sister and owe her so much. She put me in touch with a lady on another forum who uses natural methods to nurse birds back to health. This lady is a remarkable soul, she has kept parrots for 40 years and is gifted at nursing them back to health. Through her friend she passed me a treatment plan for Poppy, and told me not to despair it would all work out. Here is how Poppy looked at her bottom end as I began this new treatment plan…

Peewee Underside

Very sore you will agree. I was advised to go shopping and buy her some Cyder Vinegar, some Palm Nut Oil, and some F10Sc and also some Guardian angel. Here is what I was advised to do with the items…

Red Palm & Canola Oil

Aspall Cyder Vinegar

“Pop a teaspoon of cyder vinegar into the drinking water once a day..it will smell like scrumpy!! Perfectly safe to drink and that will help clean out the toxins from inside her little body (so will milk thistle if you have that it will help cleanse her liver too). As well as in her drinking water, fill your kitchen sink up with warm water and put a capful in it..and from this fill a 500ml spray bottle and bathe her with it..it will help improve her feather condition and also soothe the discomfort and prickle of bare skin patches and newly emerging feathers. This can be done as many times a day as you can. (It seemed odd to me as i have always been advised not to spray them too many times a day as it can dry out the skin) in this instance the theory is a wet bird cant or wont pluck, and as this is the bigger issue at the moment then try and keep her at least damp for much of the time if not saturated..” That was the hardest thing for me as I was convinced it would give Poppy a chill or make her skin more sore but it worked…

Now the palm nut oil.. This palm nut oil is reccommended because of the vitamins in it which a lot of pluckers are defficient in. I was advised to mix two teaspoons of palm nut oil with one of honey and a bit of butter and heat it all together in the microwave till its all runny, about 20 seconds..then drizzle it either on toast or better still on some of the fresh fruit or veg..all the parrots seem to go mad for it and it gets goodness into them.

I got a calcium and vitamin supplement and sprinkled that on Poppy’s food too, pluckers tend to be defficient in particularly vitamin A and calcium. Poppy loves this and eats her toast, but pluckers also benefit from foods rich in vitamin A, your “red” fruit and veg such as red peppers oranges carrots tomatos and so on.

After a full week of cyder vinegar spraying you are ready to move onto F10..this is an veterinary disinfectant that will kill any virus or outer infection on the bird causing them to pluck..its also good for feather condition..it’s what they use to treat bird flu apparantly. I had the horrors initially thinking it would be too harsh but I tried it and It does seem to work..Its F10 SC Sol Concentrate 100ml. It has to be the concentrate and not the ready to use/ ready diluted one. So on week two, carry on with the cyder vinegar drinking water, but in the spray bottle I put 1ml of F10 sc to 500ml of warm water..and spray as in week one with the cyder vinegar Then week 3 spray with Cyder vinegar again, and then week 4 with F10 etc etc etc.

As well as the spray treatments put 2 pinches of Guardian Angel a day over the fruit or veg feed plenty of fruit and veg and lots of orange/red fruits/veg ie red/orange peppers carrots sweet potatoes red grapes. the red foods provide the extra vitamin A content.Guardian angel is a natural herbal stress reliever for parrots so if birds are plucking from stress it will help them settle. Its available from many online pet suppliers.

As the weeks went by and I followed the above plan I was able to reduce the amount of times I spray Poppy per day..I have noticed an all round improvement in the condition and colour of her little feathers. I also bought F10 ointment to pop on the sore bits to help them heal from the inside out. It sounded a lot of hard work and a lot to remember but I was determined to try it, and I have to say it worked..as well as all the above treatments i bought Poppy some lovely new Pine toys to get her beak into..any parrot friendly toy will do as long as they can chew it..the theory being that if I give her beak something else to do while her feathers are wet, she will chew the toys instead…

Poppy Playing

I wasn’t sure any of this would work but I tried it…taking weekly photos of her progress as shown below

Peewee Underside

Peewee Topside

Peewee Sideways

Peewee Bum

Peewee

Peewee Feeding

Peewee

Peewee

Peewee

Peewee

Peewee

Peewee Better

As you can see from viewing the above photos she is well on the road to recovery..I never thought I would see her in feather like that again I am so pleased and proud of her. She has been doing so well that I was able to take a much needed holiday last week with my childen to Towyn, knowing I could leave my baby with my husband and that she would be ok. I am happy to say that she hadn’t plucked on our return and there were tears all round when we were reunited… I feel I am finally having my beautiful bird back again..there is nobody like Poppy she is the light and the love of my life and I adore her with a passion, I only hope I get to enjoy many happy years with her in the future..I am devoted to her and I want the best for her always. That christmas tree that started all this will not be making an appearance this year I can tell you…

How she will progress in the future..I will keep you posted.

Much love Mandy and Poppy x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.