Timid Senegal parrot

Question
Hi,

I recently purchased a second-hand Senegal.  He's 2 years old (I think it's a male) and is in good condition.  I bought him from the shop that originally sold him and they maintain he was hand-reared and very friendly.  He eats well and likes his seeds, millet, canary, and monkey nuts as well as various fruit.  He likes being clean and spends plenty of time preening and washing himself in his water bowl.  He likes going for drives and sitting near the window, where he'll watch everything avidly.  

This is all good, however I am only guessing at most of this as  when I am in the room all he will do is sit in a corner of his cage and try and pretend he isn't there.  If I spend 10 minutes talking to him he will relax and start whistling back.  However if I leave the room for even a minute and then return he tightens up and hides in the corner again.

He has overcome his biting phase and he will step up and down, and will let me rub his back and sometimes under his wing.  If I turn him upside down he will let me rub the back of his head and tickle his tummy, which he likes.

I just can't figure out why he is so scared and anxious initially.  When I am in the room he will usually sit very still until I leave, then I can hear him moving around.  Even if I reduce his rations for a day or two and try and coax him with some of his favourite treats he just ignores them.

Have you come across this before?  I hope you can shed some light on this.  I live alone, but he holidayed with a girl friend of mine and seemed to be a lot happier there.  

Thanks,
Dermot

Answer
Hi Dermot,

How long has he been with you?  And are you male?  (sorry I couldn't tell by your unique name)

If you are a male, it could be that he's had a bad experience with a male previously.  If you are female - you may remind him of someone from his past.  Anything is possible here.  

Being put into a new home for a bird is extremely stressful.  First of all - all parrots kept in captivity have instincts talking to them that they cannot shut out - yet they have to adjust to living life in a home with humans.  They are not like cats and dogs at all - more like young children.  If all bird owners kept this in mind and empathized a bit, it might help.

Your baby sounds like he's settling in ok - he just hasn't quite gotten there yet with trusting you.  And that's ok.  Just keep doing what you're doing with him.  You've already worked through the biting issue - which in and of itself is a big deal!!!  Good on you for that!

Sit down by his cage and read to him - or just sit and talk to him.  Let him sit with you on the couch (on the arm or on your shoulder), share some of your dinner with him and watch some TV together.  Everything takes time with parrots.  It's unclear from what you wrote above if he lived at the shop the whole time or if he was sold and returned.  I'm guessing the latter... in which case it's likely the person he had been with didn't work with him, didn't understand him and who knows what he went through there.  Then to be returned to the shop - where he likely did not get much 1 on 1 socialization.  

I promise you - all he needs is someone he can trust.  But you have to let him build that at his own pace.  It could take another week or it could take several months.  Just don't give up - cause once you have that with him - it's the best feeling in the world.  

When you leave the room - call out to him.  Let him know you're still around.  Better yet - take him with you on your shoulder, or take him on a tour of the house.  And verbal praise goes a LONG way with a bird.  It's not likely that he'll want his favorite treats if he's feeling stressed or upset.  That's normal.  

Let him play on outside of his cage for a while every day (be sure you step him up and place him on top of his cage yourself, don't allow him to crawl out on his own) with you in the room supervising.  

You may want to consider getting him on a pelleted diet and adding more fresh vegetables to his diet.  What you've currently got him on will likely not fulfill all his dietary/nutritional requirements, which will cause additional problems in the future.  If you have questions on how to convert him to a pelleted/seed diet - see some of my other answers on here.  I've talked about it quite a bit.  :-)

Just give him some time - you seem to be making great strides already.  I hope this helps and encourages you to keep going!


FOLLOW UP

Dermot,

I'm happy to hear this has helped you.  The trust will be built, it just takes some time and must be done to his accord.  I like the whole idea of "parroting" ... I use something a little different, hence my username here, proudparronting.  But completely agree with that concept as caring for a parrot is like caring for a young child who will never emotionally mature!

Keep up the good work - I have a great feeling that you and this little guy are going to develop a strong bond and that, my friend, is incredibly rewarding.

Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.