Hi Lindi,

We're all anxiously awaiting news of your new feathered friend. You said you would have him on Wednesday and it's now Friday and we haven't gotten an update. Hope everything is going well and he's settling into his new home nicely.

Let us know how things are going when you are able.

Lindi, hope everything is going well with your new arrival.

Lindi and Brad - I too just love Lindi's signature pictures! Great work!

Linda

Hi folks,

Sorry for the delay in posting an update on my new birdie. The bird arrived around 00.20 Thursday morning naturally looking a little sleepy after the long journey in the car. I immediately noticed that it wasn't a normal grey as I had previously been informed, but what appears to be a cinnamon mutation. Maybe someone can help me out with the identification. I also believe this bird to be a hen and not a cock as a result of the colouring on the face, barring underneath the tail and the fact that I have had 2 hen tiels in the past, I am getting 'hen vibes' all round. It is a standard joke in my family that I seem to have the nack of aquiring hens...see.. even paddy turned out to be a hen! The only birds that I have had that have been cocks are the budgies, perhaps because they are usually easier to sex at a young age. I had Dillan and Basil before I got my current boys Angus and Jerry. I love hens, but I always worry about egg-laying problems that can cut their life short as happened with my dear tiel hen Parsley. On the positive side, hen teils can form very close bonds with their owners just like I had with Parsley and my very first and dearly missed tiel Rosie.

The next thing I noticed was that the owner hadn't bothered to clean the cage and was horrified to see sawdust in the tray, a pile of seed and an even larger pile of droppings in the middle below the swing that the bird prefers to sit on. I am still really shocked that someone would send their bird off to a new home without cleaning the cage first. As it was far too late at the time of the bird's arrival, I spent most of Thursday evening cleaning the cage the best I could including wiping down all the cage bars which were pretty grotty also. There were a few toys (2 large bells and 2 mirror type toys), but I replaced them all with the exception of the swing she likes. I had a very large online spending spree on Tuesday night to purchase 2 new large indoor aviary type cages. I felt compelled to treat Angus and Jerry to a cage make-over too, even though they do have an attractive looking mini indoor aviary already. I am just sick looking at it after housing various birds in it for 15+ years or so and want them to have a change too. I had hoped that they would have arrived by this weekend, but it looks like they will now be delivered sometime before Wednesday of next week I hope. I also spent a small fortune on new toys and other important cage accessories for all the birds. I have a real problem with the size and design of some of the cages marketed for members of the parrot family and feel that many are made to 'look good' in the owners home rather than considering the space a pet bird needs to be happy and healthy. I'm not into fancy designs that cut the living space of the birds and would much prefer a larger and more plain looking cage that allows the bird more freedom during cage time. I'd far rather spend money on an appropriately sized cage than some of the ridiculous prices that are charged for, in my opinion, unsuitable cages. I will probably have no room in my bedroom to live in, but I hope that my birds will be happy. I will work something out.

She looks and appears to be a healthy bird and has settled in fairly well. She is quite chirpy at times and doesn't appear to be too nervous of me either which is a good thing. When rearranging her cage with toys etc. I had expected her to be madly flapping around, but she seems to tolerate me reasonably well invading her space. She pecks away at my fingers sometimes, but not in a real nasty way. She also had one foot on my hand tonight and seemed ok with that. She is not tame, but I have a feeling that she will come round eventually. My next problem is what to call her. As you can see from some of my other past birds they were all named after a herb theme as I was a vegetarian at the time. I never had a theme when naming my pigeons and budgies so I am hoping for a few ideas from you guys if you have any ideas??

They are poor pics, but here she is:

What a cutie, she is, Lindi!! I know she will thrive with you!!

I LOVE to name things, but, my mind is a blank with your little one.

That means that someone else will definitely name her. Also, YOU may actually be the namer...just relax your mind and let her "tell" you what she wants to be called...one thing for sure...you will "know" when the name comes along!

Please keep us updated

All Love, Hugs and Scritches

Shi

Oh, she's a pretty little thing. I don't know a thing about the different colors of tiels. I only know what Wally is......... and only because I looked it up or I wouldn't know that either.
I think "Destiny" is a good name. Of course, you name her what you want. I'm also suprised about her not kicking up a fuss when you arranged her cage. Even Wally doesn't like new toys. He will just go beserk if he's in his cage and if he's out and put in a new toy........forget it. He won't even get back in his cage..........he's a silly boy........

VERY GOOD, Renee!!

I like Destiny!

Love and Hugs

Shi

P.S. Speaking of herbs...how about THYME...it's about "tyme" she found a great home!!

Lovebirds wrote:Oh, she's a pretty little thing. I don't know a thing about the different colors of tiels. I only know what Wally is......... and only because I looked it up or I wouldn't know that either.
I think "Destiny" is a good name. Of course, you name her what you want. I'm also suprised about her not kicking up a fuss when you arranged her cage. Even Wally doesn't like new toys. He will just go beserk if he's in his cage and if he's out and put in a new toy........forget it. He won't even get back in his cage..........he's a silly boy........

Thanks Renee. I not so sure she actually likes her new toys, as she is a little wary of stepping onto anything new at the moment, but she is not clinging to the bars or anything. Of course, this isn't a permanent arrangement either since she will have a huge cage and assortment of new things when the cages hopefully arrive this week. I know that you should really only introduce one new toy at a time, but I felt I had to give her a little more to occupy herself with at least until the new cage arrives. In a way, kinda like letting her know that she is in for some better times ahead if you know what I mean.

Thanks also to you Shi! I missed your post before Renee's. I'm glad you like her. Nice names too! I will keep those in mind.

Hi Lindi,

So glad you got around to posting your update and news about your new friend. She's very pretty and in much better shape than I expected as well. Feathers look good, so does she overall! Yep, does look like a hen with the tail bars and even though all young ones have those, the males moult into their darker colours before they are 2 yrs old.

I agree with you about cages too, many are impractical and it's better to have something not as nice "looking" but is more functional and spacious for the bird. I had built my own cage/pen for my cockatiels when I had them years ago. It was made out of wood and they liked to naw on the wood a lot but it was too sturdy for them to breech.

I am not good with names generally, but if I think of something, I'll let you know. Destiny sounds good and Renee's suggestion.

Hi Lindi.
I am so glad your new guest arrived in good shape and that she is adapting so well. Today here it has been cloudy but with very light grey clouds When I saw the same color on your birdie I thought she could be called "Nube Gris" which, as you might know means Grey Cloud in Spanish. Just a thought. Will watch out for your next postings on her. Best wishes, Gladys

Lindi, your new baby is lovely and looks sweet and content. I'm so happy she now has a good home and I'll bet she is too.

I kinda like Gladys' suggestion for a name - Cloud.

She is very Cute Lindi She will bloom with you

Hi Lindi, great pictures.... oh she looks like a sweetie to me. At least now she has a good home, Gee if I were that bird, I would be happy for you to take care of me... I am happy things worked out okay and she looks good....it sounds like you got her in the nick of time....maybe you can combine some of the suggested names and come up with a name. Looking forward to more updates..

EgypSwiftLady wrote:She is very Cute Lindi She will bloom with you

Uh...FLOWER???

Gettin' some good name ideas there, Lindi! All ya gotta do is ask...

Hey, I have an idea...mention the name suggestions to her and see how she reacts! No reaction to any of 'em? Back to the drawing - er - naming board!

Love and Hugs

Shi

What a beautiful bird. I am so glad that she is with you now, and will be kept nice and clean. I will think on a name.

Desert Fire wrote:

EgypSwiftLady wrote:She is very Cute Lindi She will bloom with you

Uh...FLOWER???

Gettin' some good name ideas there, Lindi! All ya gotta do is ask...

Hey, I have an idea...mention the name suggestions to her and see how she reacts! No reaction to any of 'em? Back to the drawing - er - naming board!

Love and Hugs

Shi

Thanks everyone for your lovely replies and name suggestions. I have to say there is definitely a telepathy thing going on with Shi and I at the moment. This is wierd!! Shi mentioned the name 'Thyme' last night after my previous herb theme and this made me instantly think of the Silencer's 'Wild Mountain Thyme' video posted in this thread: http://pigeonchat.forumakers.com/the-chit-chat-lounge-f6/music-video-wild-mountain-thyme-by-the-silencers-t926.htm I got to thinking that I would like a Scottish theme for the bird's name and my first thought was Scottish flowers....the name 'Heather' came to mind and is a strong contender at present. I also looked up Scottish girls names and mountains but have drawn a blank at the monment. When I logged on today, I noticed that Shi had bumped up the Silencer's video and was glad as I felt the same way, so I replied mentioning all that I have discussed here about the tiel's name suggestion, then came to this thread and noticed that she had mentioned 'FLOWER' also!! Don't ya think that is spooky!?

Wow, Lindi, quite a coincidence with the names going on between you and Shi. Heather is a very pretty name that I've always liked, but I'm sure that whatever you settle on will be nice.

The bird does look better than expected. Hope she will warm up to you and her new accommodations soon. I'm sure she will. It will probably seem like heaven after her previous home.

Thanks for keeping us posted.

Linda

Well, I'll just betcha that I'll start thinking of her as Heather and it will be so ingrained on my brain that it will be hard to change if you don't go with that. I have a very good friend who recently got married. His bride had always hated her first name so she took the opportunity to not only change her last name but the first too - to Heather! I am adjusting because Heather is heaps easier to say and remember than her other name used to be.

I sometimes think Shi is one of the wee people. Well, that makes me one too, literally, because I am so small, but also because Shi is my separated at birth sister.

Hi Lindi!

How's the new member of the family doing now? You haven't updated us on this since March. Sure hope your new little feathered friend is doing well and has become a very much loved and integral part of your little family.

Thank you for asking Brad. Yes, I am well due to give an update on this delightful little bird. I never did decide on a name for her, but she appears to have settled in well to her new surroundings. She is a lovely bird who is generally quiet in nature and contented to explore and climb around her new large cage with toys, ropes, ladders and activity perches. She eats well and nibbles happily and enthusiastically on her occasional baked fruit treat sticks and millet sprays. I gave her a new treat stick yesterday and it was nice to see her little eyes light up with a tasty goodie.

After a period of adjustment, I started leaving the cage door open at times to give her the opportunity to venture out but she was always unsure about leaving the cage, or more likely, has never been given the opportunity to have time out of the cage with her previous owner and didn't know she could venture out. She finally plucked up the courage last week and spent a short but bewildered time flying around my room. It was inevitable that she was going to have a few crash landings and collisions with the walls and wardrobe mirrors, but she wasn't able to gain much speed to cause any damage since my room is fairly small. I did try to minimise the potential for collision beforehand by closing the window blinds and opening as many of the wardrobe doors as possible. The problem with my room is the lack of places for her to land but there are some. Since they have a tendency to just fly about in a panic the first few times when let out in a strange room, they don't always manage to find available landing places, but I know this will come in time and it may take a bit of rearranging on my part to make more places available. She was keen to land on top of the birds cages, but unfortunately they have sloping roofs. I'm thinking of purchasing these non-slip mat type meshes i.e. for puting under slippy floor mats/tablecloths to place on top of the slippy cage roofs to give her more gripping power. Despite my initial concerns about how I was going to return her to her cage, she fortunately stepped onto my hand and stayed there till I returned her safely to her cage. She was given the opportunity again to venture out last night, but seemed happier to remain in her cage. I'm just taking things slowly with her and not forcing her to come out.

Although she is not tame, she is not really nervous either and I have positive hopes that she has some potential for taming with patience and time. I'd love for her to be able to feel comfortable outside the cage and sit on me or around me when she feels ready. Her cage is right next to my desk where I spend a good part of my time when I'm home. I've noticed that she likes to roost lower down at my level and closer to my desk than at the opposite end of the cage which I interpret as being a good sign in that she feels fairly comfortable with my presence. She has also had a very enjoyable 'bath' recently. I had noticed that she was trying to bathe in her small water bowl and decided to spray her lightly with warm water from a small spray bottle which she thoroughly enjoyed.

The next thing I really need to do is try and get some new photos of her with the new camera once I've figured out how to use it. Nothing as fancy as Ed's, but better than my mobile at least! I still need name suggestions also. I thought I was gonna call her Heather, but I don't think it's the right name. What does everyone else think? More updates and hopefully pics soon.

Lindi, that's a great update. Sounds like you're new little charge is fitting in quite nicely. Yep, she does need a name. You DO know for sure she's a she, right?
Maybe once we see some pictures, some good name ideas will pop up.
She's quiet, huh? Wonder if THAT will change? Walley can be quite loud when he wants to. Like EVERY TIME I LEAVE THE ROOM!!!
As long as I'm sitting here at the computer, he's real good.......but if I go outside or to the bathroom or out of his sight.......he starts screaming most of the time.............I can hear him all the way out in the loft if the doors/windows are open............
To get her back in her cage, you might try finding something that she really likes and give it to her ONLY in her cage and ONLY when she's been out and returns. I do that with Walley.......he LOVES crackers. He even knows the word. If he's out of his cage and doesn't want to go back in, which does happen sometimes, all I have to say is "Walley.......wanna a cracker?" and he'll come from anywhere in the house and go straight to his cage. He knows that I always stand it upright in his seed dish...............

Lovebirds wrote:Lindi, that's a great update. Sounds like you're new little charge is fitting in quite nicely. Yep, she does need a name. You DO know for sure she's a she, right?
Maybe once we see some pictures, some good name ideas will pop up.
She's quiet, huh? Wonder if THAT will change? Walley can be quite loud when he wants to. Like EVERY TIME I LEAVE THE ROOM!!!
As long as I'm sitting here at the computer, he's real good.......but if I go outside or to the bathroom or out of his sight.......he starts screaming most of the time.............I can hear him all the way out in the loft if the doors/windows are open............
To get her back in her cage, you might try finding something that she really likes and give it to her ONLY in her cage and ONLY when she's been out and returns. I do that with Walley.......he LOVES crackers. He even knows the word. If he's out of his cage and doesn't want to go back in, which does happen sometimes, all I have to say is "Walley.......wanna a cracker?" and he'll come from anywhere in the house and go straight to his cage. He knows that I always stand it upright in his seed dish...............

Hi Renee

Yep!! I know just what you mean about the noise! My last two tiel hens used to SCREAM place down just like you experience with Wally. I used to hear mine screaming while I was outdoors also. I remember reading about parrot behaviour many years ago and I think the reason they scream the way they do is because they learn what gets our attention, and in the process, they get what they want on demand. Of course we usually give in to what they want (naturally as we do ) but we are actually reinforcing this behaviour in them by rewarding them for 'bad' behaviour. Once they catch on quickly that screaming = being let out of the cage/attention when they want it/brings human back etc. this behaviour sticks. It's very difficult to break this habit once it's established but I think it is just a natural part of bird-keeping.

My new tiel is considerably much quieter than my other two, but like you say, I suspect that will change if she becomes more tame and is out of the cage more. I already find it incredibly strange and abnormal to leave a cage door open and have a bird that much prefers to be in her cage rather than out...but then again, if she is not familiar with being allowed the opportunity to leave the cage, then this will take time to build up her confidence. She probably remembers her first time out as being a frightening experience and therefore is not too keen to give it another try just yet, but each time she does venture out will hopefully be less scary for her. Perhaps if she does form a bond with me in time, she will become much more vocal. I still have to try out some treats (apart from the birdie treats she already gets) and use these as a taming tool. My other two used to like a small piece of toast or cracker. Rosie always held her treat with her foot which was really cute. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for the training tips.

Lindi..

So glad to hear your new cockatiel is acclimating itself as well as it is. He/she has been through quite a bit prior to becoming a part of your family.

Will write more later, but I'm glad to hear such a positive update (more or less) about this little bird.

Lindi,

Thanks so much for the update.

It sounds like things are going well, if a bit slowly.

I'm sure, in time, she will gain trust and confidence.

Linda

Hi Lindi!

SOOO glad to hear all is going well!

Also VERY surprised you don't have a name. I would have thought Heather was a shoo-in. Mmmm, well, can't really think of anything right at the moment.

Have you tried "mind" talking to her, saying you would like to "name" her and what would she like? What do you call her now?

Then again, maybe she doesn't mind not having a "permanent" name but prefers whatever endearments you call her.

How is your health doing since she and others are so close to you?

Please keep those updates coming!

Sending LOVE, HUGS and SCRITCHES

Shi/Squeaks/Dom/Gimie/Woe