Shirley
05-24-2005, 02:49 PM
Finally got this posted!
Two weeks ago a 2 yr old Senegal joined us: we changed his named to Play-Doh. After going through all sorts of names, we finally settled on one to match his brilliant front. And when he behave amazingly smart, we hear "Plato" in our heads.
He came from a loving bird home where he'd lived for only 6 mos. They had everything for him a bird could wish for, including a 5-yr old adorable little boy. He bit the young boy, sweet sweet boy, very hard on the face under his eye. He was sitting on the boy's hand supervised by his mother and he ran very quickly up his arm and bit him hard on the face under his eye. As a mother, I would also put my child first. The little fellow was afraid to enter his own home when the Senegal was out of his cage, and he was used to being out most of the day, as his mom worked at home.
I saw Play-Doh advertised for three weeks before I finally mustered the courage to call, b/c you know what that call means.
We took Michelle with us... our female Red-belly. The photos I've linked -- the beginning ones -- were taken at their home, where we spent 4 hrs visiting. These are not aggression photos. They are the most amazing *quiet* play and tumble and check you out photos! They were making quiet happy noises throughout, and no one got hurt. Both could have flown off if so inclined.
After the collage photo of Annie... the rest were taken at our house. Now, mind you, Annie does not just plop a bird on her shoulder. You'd have to know Annie to know why Play-Doh is on her shoulder for the photos only. No, he never once offered to nip her. Her approach is something else.
The oval photo in the collage: She met a Senegal 2 yrs ago and fell in love with it. It was a baby at a bird show, and she held it for at least 3 hrs while we were deciding whether or not to bring Skyler home.
We called Annie over, not telling her what we'd brought home. She walked in, looked up at the new bird, and her smile said it all. "It's a Senegal" she quietly breathed out at him. He nearly melted his feathers off as he left Michelle behind and toddled over toward her... his liquid eyes fixated on her face, no pinning whatsoever.
She glanced upward at us. "Does he bite?"
"Yes, he bites men and sometimes women. And he bit their 5 yr old very badly on the face".
"Oh," she said softly as she gazed at Play-Doh, still smiling at him. "Does he know "step-up?"
"Yes, but he's also flighted."
"OK".
"What's his name?"
"Gordy, but we're going to change it, I think"
"Good, that's not a good name for him"
"Where did he live before they had him?"
"With a lady in her 30's whose husband died, and she had to go to work full time and didn't have time for him. So this is his 3rd home".
"Ohhhh,."
"Step up, Gordy."
He stepped up. He didn't fly away.
"Will he let me pet him?"
"Maybe on top of his head. Unlike Michelle, he doesn't like his back rubbed, only his head."
"I'll wait".
The rest is history. He bent his head, asking her to pet him. He was butter in her hands. He never bit her. A couple hrs later I took the photos.
http://shirleymorgan.com/misc/Annie-SenegalFinal.jpg
And here's the link to the rest of the story... and Michelle has not lost interest in Steve, and Play-Doh is not biting either of us. They have their own cages, but visit each day! Play-Doh is gently clipped now, b/c he was a very adept and fast flier, and could escape our patio door in a heartbeat. He would always fly straight to someone's head, hand, or a cage, though, never trying to get away from us.
http://shirleymorgan.com/misc/Senegal-Red-belly/index_2.html
Two weeks ago a 2 yr old Senegal joined us: we changed his named to Play-Doh. After going through all sorts of names, we finally settled on one to match his brilliant front. And when he behave amazingly smart, we hear "Plato" in our heads.
He came from a loving bird home where he'd lived for only 6 mos. They had everything for him a bird could wish for, including a 5-yr old adorable little boy. He bit the young boy, sweet sweet boy, very hard on the face under his eye. He was sitting on the boy's hand supervised by his mother and he ran very quickly up his arm and bit him hard on the face under his eye. As a mother, I would also put my child first. The little fellow was afraid to enter his own home when the Senegal was out of his cage, and he was used to being out most of the day, as his mom worked at home.
I saw Play-Doh advertised for three weeks before I finally mustered the courage to call, b/c you know what that call means.
We took Michelle with us... our female Red-belly. The photos I've linked -- the beginning ones -- were taken at their home, where we spent 4 hrs visiting. These are not aggression photos. They are the most amazing *quiet* play and tumble and check you out photos! They were making quiet happy noises throughout, and no one got hurt. Both could have flown off if so inclined.
After the collage photo of Annie... the rest were taken at our house. Now, mind you, Annie does not just plop a bird on her shoulder. You'd have to know Annie to know why Play-Doh is on her shoulder for the photos only. No, he never once offered to nip her. Her approach is something else.
The oval photo in the collage: She met a Senegal 2 yrs ago and fell in love with it. It was a baby at a bird show, and she held it for at least 3 hrs while we were deciding whether or not to bring Skyler home.
We called Annie over, not telling her what we'd brought home. She walked in, looked up at the new bird, and her smile said it all. "It's a Senegal" she quietly breathed out at him. He nearly melted his feathers off as he left Michelle behind and toddled over toward her... his liquid eyes fixated on her face, no pinning whatsoever.
She glanced upward at us. "Does he bite?"
"Yes, he bites men and sometimes women. And he bit their 5 yr old very badly on the face".
"Oh," she said softly as she gazed at Play-Doh, still smiling at him. "Does he know "step-up?"
"Yes, but he's also flighted."
"OK".
"What's his name?"
"Gordy, but we're going to change it, I think"
"Good, that's not a good name for him"
"Where did he live before they had him?"
"With a lady in her 30's whose husband died, and she had to go to work full time and didn't have time for him. So this is his 3rd home".
"Ohhhh,."
"Step up, Gordy."
He stepped up. He didn't fly away.
"Will he let me pet him?"
"Maybe on top of his head. Unlike Michelle, he doesn't like his back rubbed, only his head."
"I'll wait".
The rest is history. He bent his head, asking her to pet him. He was butter in her hands. He never bit her. A couple hrs later I took the photos.
http://shirleymorgan.com/misc/Annie-SenegalFinal.jpg
And here's the link to the rest of the story... and Michelle has not lost interest in Steve, and Play-Doh is not biting either of us. They have their own cages, but visit each day! Play-Doh is gently clipped now, b/c he was a very adept and fast flier, and could escape our patio door in a heartbeat. He would always fly straight to someone's head, hand, or a cage, though, never trying to get away from us.
http://shirleymorgan.com/misc/Senegal-Red-belly/index_2.html