Mirror for Chloe

[Chloe'smom]

I have alot of mirrors in my home, and I notice that Chloe loves when she can look into one. She just starts all of this communication, thinking it is another bird. I try to keep her away from them as much as possible because I don't want her to start missing her other clutchmates. Do you have a mirror in your birds cage? I have always heard that your bird will not bond with you if they do have one. Is that true? I had thought about getting her a mirror, but don't want to do the wrong thing. :shrug2:

[CocosMomma]

Good question, Keri!! It has never been my experience (30 years) that birds with access to mirrors do not properly bond. (Some also say it will keep them from talking - again, not with any of my birds). Although I can only speak for my flock - they all have access to mirrors. They seem to get a kick out of them... talking, chatting... I don't believe they think it is another bird... I think they think they are beautiful!:rofl: They are quite amused with themselves, and even MORE amused when they see my reflection! (Ok, ok... it is NOT because I am funny lookin' so ya'all keep yer peanut-gallery comments to a minimum!):doh:

Check out this video of my cuddle-muffin (amazons usually being known as standoffish non-cuddle birds), and she has routine access to mirrors. Her 'area' is directly across from a mirror that is a good 3 feet by 4 feet, and it reflects the outside from the sliding glass doors across from it. Naturally, she can also see herself from a distance - she is about 6 feet away from that large mirror. I think she is bonded to me!:wub:

:rofl:
http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee216/rc766/Coco/th_d7a0c852.jpg (http://s232.photobucket.com/albums/ee216/rc766/Coco/?action=view&current=d7a0c852.pbr)

[Chloe'smom]

that is just so sweet to watch, she is in birdy heaven!! I was wondering about it, and wouldn't buy a toy with a mirror because of it. Thanks.

[CocosMomma]

that is just so sweet to watch, she is in birdy heaven!! I was wondering about it, and wouldn't buy a toy with a mirror because of it. Thanks.

Both of my tiels have toys with mirrors - they love them;), and have not at all been adversely affected in any way.

[Eriisu-chan]

My budgie has a toy mirror, but he only plays with the bell on it.... well... "played", he ignores it now that the bell is gone... As for Tango, if I put him in front of a mirror, he just kinda... stays there... Looks at himself... no reaction, really.

My cockatiel had a mirror that I'd take away every once in a while only because he'd be a bit louder with it in his cage... but he still preferred me to the mirror and would rather come out and play or hang out than stay in his cage and look at himself. Well, looked and loved... he'd get into his little "airplane" dance and everything...

Actually... I there was one "negative" effect to him having a mirror... he liked males (like himself) WAY more then he liked females. He'd run from my then-boyfriend's cute little female, but he'd airplane-it-up for the pet shop boys! ;)

[CocosMomma]

My budgie has a toy mirror, but he only plays with the bell on it.... well... "played", he ignores it now that the bell is gone... As for Tango, if I put him in front of a mirror, he just kinda... stays there... Looks at himself... no reaction, really.

My cockatiel had a mirror that I'd take away every once in a while only because he'd be a bit louder with it in his cage... but he still preferred me to the mirror and would rather come out and play or hang out than stay in his cage and look at himself. Well, looked and loved... he'd get into his little "airplane" dance and everything...

Actually... I there was one "negative" effect to him having a mirror... he liked males (like himself) WAY more then he liked females. He'd run from my then-boyfriend's cute little female, but he'd airplane-it-up for the pet shop boys! ;)

'Isu, was any of this happening while you were watching your afternoon soap operas???:shrug2::scratchch

Jist asking...:D

==
:rofl::rofl::rofl:
Kiddin' with ya!:tighthug:

[Jim]

'Isu, was any of this happening while you were watching your afternoon soap operas???:shrug2::scratchch

Jist asking...:D Elise, y'all have soap operas up there. eh!

"Eh" kinda gives me the willies!
:rofl::rofl::rofl:

===

Couldn't help myself... eh

J/k'ing with you.;)

[Jim]

Keri, the others made me do it. Really they did. I'll get back on topic.:)

My boys don't have a mirror in their room. They do look in mirrors in the rest of the house. I haven't seen a problem with it. They both get on the head board in the morning, it's got a full mirror, for hours at a time when I sleep in. Again no problems here.

I think this goes along with the - if a bird buddies up with another bird they won't want to be with us. I think that ones kind of debunked now a days too.

[Chloe'smom]

Alright Jim,
I will forgive you just this once......;)

It is hard to stay on topic, I my brain wonders alot too. Old timers disease starting early!!:confused:

[Eriisu-chan]

Hate to go off topic again...

Robin, I barely watch TV, let alone soaps... ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! I get enough drama working at a call center, thanks... (My internet is down and I need for banking and my bills are due and they're gonna cut my power and take my house and take my kids and and and... GET A GRIP! Go to a cash register, you lazy... stupidhead... ugh)

Jim, I hate you. Not really, eh? Just kiddin'... It's funny, but I never used to say "eh" until I noticed the "stereotype" that we do... if that makes sense. I never meant to "offend" any of you by saying "y'all" bugs me! :funny:


Aaaaaaand mirrors aren't bad... there. Back on topic. :p

[CocosMomma]

Hate to go off topic again...Aaaaaaand mirrors aren't bad... there. Back on topic. :p

Ya know, 'Isu, I think you make me laugh on almost everyone of your posts! r u sure yer not a comedienne in real life?? I mean, seriously!:rotflmao: You couldn't offend someone if ya tried!

Now, look what we've done to Keri's mirror thread! Keri, we're just a bunch of crazies (speaking only for myself), but we're fun crazies (speaking for all!):nuts: Hmm... back to mirrors.... have you made any decisions yet, Keri, on if you think it would be better for Chloe to have them or not have them? Every bird is an individual!:) We are fond of quoting Dr. Susan Friedman that 'It's a study of one' when it comes to birds. Sometimes something that my bird(s) will like one day, the following day/week it is like - burn it I never want to see that toy in my area again!!!:doh::rofl:

[Chloe'smom]

I don't know....I just don't want to make a mistake and her have nothing to do with me since she is so little. Maybe after I establish our relationship a bit better. You are not crazies, I do the same thing on this forum as well. Thanks for the input.

[Eriisu-chan]

Worse to worse, Chloe's mom, get the toy, and if you notice that her behaviour is negatively influenced... take it out. She'll call for it (if she's anything like Mico) for a bit, and then forget all about it... I use to put it in Mico's cage and when I thought he was a bit too "involved" with it, I'd take it out. After a few weeks, I'd give it back, he'd get all excited, and we'd start the process over again! No harm, no foul. Not for my Mico, anyways.

Oh and Robin... like I said, I love to make you laugh! ;)

[Jim]

I don't know....I just don't want to make a mistake and her have nothing to do with me since she is so little. Maybe after I establish our relationship a bit better. You are not crazies, I do the same thing on this forum as well. Thanks for the input.If you are uncomfortable giving her a mirror. That's the answer. I wouldn't give her one. There's plenty of other things for her to play with and do.

I know, for me and my birds, if I'm not comfortable with what they have, eat, do, etc. and do it because other people do. Every time something different happens or they have an off day, I'm constantly thinking and worrying the cause is the thing I was uncomfortable giving them or allowing them to do.

That's not good for me and reflects on my companionship with my boys.:)

[Chloe'smom]

thanks for understanding, i think for now, i will hold up, but i did take him in my bedroom and my closets are mirrors and let him stand there for a few minutes, and he was just kissing all over it. :wub: I was jealous, that's for sure. :(

[Jim]

thanks for understanding, i think for now, i will hold up, but i did take him in my bedroom and my closets are mirrors and let him stand there for a few minutes, and he was just kissing all over it. :wub: I was jealous, that's for sure. :(Thanks, Keri. I think you'll find that here at BoF we're a very open minded group that doesn't judge or have "the" answers. We have a lot of diverse experience that we share. As has been said. Each bird is an individual or "a study of one"

I hesitate to say this, I'm real busy at the moment and can't hold up my end of a discussion about what I'm going to pose to you. Hopefully others could help out if there is interest or questions on your end.

Not saying to offer a mirror. Food for thought. As with our human companions, children or spouses. There are times we are better off and build a better relationship with them, by supporting what they enjoy doing.

Example:
I enjoy this forum and talk to women. My wife is OK with it and even supports it. If she tried to keep me from this activity for fear she'd loose my affection I do believe it would back fire on her. I would NOT like her because she is keeping me from something I enjoy.

Of course there is more to it than that. As above. If you have interest in this line of behavioral thinking, I'm in hopes others can help out. I'll post when I can. At the moment I'm very focused on something dear to my heart, feather picking, so I'm asking others to jump in too if you have questions.:)

[CocosMomma]

I'm available if this is a topic of interest.:) I would love to hear ideas, cos getting lots of different perspectives and input gives a chance to think about what new things we may/may not want to try. But it is always interesting reading about other people's experiences! :thumbup: It is so very true - "A Study of One". I love to hear what others have discovered about their relationships with their birds and that birds particular interests and patterns. Then we can each see if it is something that does/does not work with our particular individual bird.

I'm the same way, Jim - my husband is not threatened/jealous by the time I spent chatting with my 'internet friends' on the forum. (I think he's relieved that I'm not chatting at him since he's a bit of an introvert and a man of few words, usually!) For me, this applies to my birds in that most times when I walk into the bird room, Coco is hi-tailing it to me and throwing herself on me. Now, it has not always been that way, and it is still not always like that 24/7. I used to have a bad habit of imposing myself on her, cos I just couldn't control myself.:drool2: I wanted her to want to cuddle all the time. She didn't much care for my approach, and a few times she has had to get rough with me to get me to understand:agree:. It has definitely been the case that the more indepedence I give her, the more I let her make her choice as to when she wants to interact with me and when she doesn't, and respect those choices, that the more she chooses to interact!

[Chloe'smom]

thanks for your advice, i have been holding her up to the mirrors in the house, and she is just infactuated with them, so i may end up getting her one. i cannot hardly deny her of the pleasure she gets out of it. you can just tell when i get her out of her cage, that she starts trying to stretch toward one of my mirrors. thanks for your input, i value it greatly.

[CocosMomma]

thanks for your advice, i have been holding her up to the mirrors in the house, and she is just infactuated with them, so i may end up getting her one. i cannot hardly deny her of the pleasure she gets out of it. you can just tell when i get her out of her cage, that she starts trying to stretch toward one of my mirrors. thanks for your input, i value it greatly.

Only you will know what is best for Chloe, Keri!:tighthug:

[CocosMomma]

Oh, one other thought.... if she does want to go to the mirror, and you are the one that takes her there (and fulfills her desire to see the mirror), think of all the points you are getting! Just like a child who wants to go to the ice cream stand... you are the one that drives them there? You get points for being the one that fulfills that need/desire!:thumbup:

[Jim]

thanks for your advice, i have been holding her up to the mirrors in the house, and she is just infactuated with them, so i may end up getting her one. i cannot hardly deny her of the pleasure she gets out of it. you can just tell when i get her out of her cage, that she starts trying to stretch toward one of my mirrors. thanks for your input, i value it greatly.Good for you that you're allowing her this pleasure and being part of it. Key words, "being part of it".

To use Robin's ice cream example. Taking them to the ice cream stand is one thing and earns us points. Putting an ice cream stand in my child's room may not be the best idea.:)

[Chloe'smom]

I know that I would give lots of points for an ice cream. YUMMY!!

[SadennaAndFlock]

it really depends on the birds sometimes a bird can bond with the image in a mirror and may even get testy and try protecting that other bird they see they don't realize it's not another bird..some birds may not have any issues with it at all and you may not have any problems..but if any aggression starts up you may have to no longer let her have access to mirrors...but as long as you have a good bond with her, and she is not acting out in an aggressive manner or bonding to the image you should be ok.

[tropiclegirl]

I agree with what everyone has said. All birds are different and respond in different ways to different experiences.

My mom has a Cockatiel who is about 15 yrs old. We gave him a mirror when he was young and it was love at first site. He is over bonded and very territorial with it. We tried to take it away a few times but the poor little guy screamed, cried, paced and was just beside himself so he got his mirror back. He thinks its another bird. He feeds it and cuddles to it, whistles at it etc. Has it changed his bond with my mom? No. Will he get upset with my mom if she tries to take it out? Yes.

Now with Marlon, he could basically care less about a mirror. He used to have a mirror toy on his cage and he was more interested in the toys that surrounded it then the actual mirror. Roxy gets all goofy and shows off in a mirror. My spare bedroom bed has a mirror as a head board and i take her in there and play with her, its so funny.

I bought Marlon a star shaped mirror toy a few weeks ago and he basically just ignored it. One day i walk in and there is Roxy in Marlons cage trying to feed the bird in the mirror :doh: :rofl:

[Jim]

All birds are different and respond in different ways to different experiences....

My mom has a Cockatiel who is about 15 yrs old. We gave him a mirror when he was young and it was love at first site. He is over bonded and very territorial with it. We tried to take it away a few times but the poor little guy screamed, cried, paced and was just beside himself so he got his mirror back. He thinks its another bird. He feeds it and cuddles to it, whistles at it etc. Has it changed his bond with my mom? No. Will he get upset with my mom if she tries to take it out? Yes.:thumbup: :agree:

:thanx: