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This girl found her way into my mothers yard accosted by her dogs. She spent a week in her garage with no human interaction except for her to change her food as there was no room in the house for the cage (she was lucky that my sister left a birdcage in the garage for storage). I decided to adopt her as the owner was unable to be found. She is very timid and after a bit of research i doubt he has been handfed or socialised at all. Her wings aren't clipped and she bit me so hard as to draw blood when i had to transport her.

Mum found her malnourished as well so no doubt that has added to her trauma.
She seems curious but does not let me get within about 30cm of her before she flys to the other end of the cage. I left her alone the first few days to let her acclimatize and then started just hanging out near her. I have a fairly big tray with recycled papper kitty litter and apples and sunflower seeds and a toilet paper roll with green apples inside to encourage foraging and have spent some time playing her music and talking to her.

I hope through care and through rewarding her social behaviour i can create a bond but at this stage it seems like it will take a while.

Does anyone out there have experience with taming fairly timid/shy parrots into being buddies? How long has it taken and what techniques have you used to get them to warm to you?

Any feedback is appreciated. Cheers.

Hi there,

My husband and I are in a similar situation to yourself, having rescued our boy from a shopping centre carpark, and after a period of time, being unable to locate the owners, have now adopted him. He also was very scared (although not malnourished - in fact, in very good health), and yes, they can really bite hard, can't they?
Within a week, we had deduced that our new friend was not very tame at all, although it is possible he may once have been, as he seems to have had some vocal training at least in the past. The first time we let him out of the cage, he flew a lap round the room, landed on top of the door frame, and promptly went into what we can only describe as a performance! Besides doing this strange little step, step, step dance, he also didn't stop yabbering for almost 40 minutes! Not that we could understand a word he was saying, mind you, (although we can now understand a few phrases, "whatcha doin", "pretty boy", "good boy" )

4 and half weeks down the track, he STILL won't let us get too close to him, and flies away if we breach his comfort zone, .......but, I can now get him to take food out of my hand (well, most of the time), especially if it's a spray of millet, and he'll happily talk to us and do his little performance every morning, and most afternoons. He has really settled in at our home, and has brought much joy to us, and although he may never let us handle or pet him, he seems really happy and well adjusted.

All I can tell you is that you are on the right path! Yes it will take time.....lots of time! If she has been an aviary bird all her life, (and who know's how old she is), she may never become tame. But you can minimize her fear and apprehension by taking things slowly, and giving her time to adjust to her new environment. Try spending time in the same room without actually interacting with her ie read a book, watch tv, knit, wash dishes, etc. This will give her the opportunity to observe you without feeling the pressure of your scrutiny or attention. Find out what her most favourite food is, and remove this from her regular food to use as a treat you can first offer through the bars of the cage, then progress from there as she gains confidence. And for the time being, try to avoid direct eye contact with your new friend, as this can make them feel intimidated, like you're the predator and they are the much smaller prey!

Make sure she has a balanced diet of fresh fruit and vegies, a good seed mix and/or pellets and fresh water, give her some parrot-safe toys that she can chew and climb over/under/up/down, (see how she goes with a small hanging mirror, our boy LOVES his!), and most of all, give her lots of love

I'm sure with a bit of time, and a lot of patience and quiet persistence, you will end up with a beautiful feathered
companion.

All the best, and please keep us updated on your progress

It has only been a week and she is already warming to me. Still not allowed to touch her when she's in her cage but i can get about 10cm before she flys away. When i'm sitting on the bed next to her she comes up as close as she can to observe whatever i'm doing. She came out of the cage by herself for the first time today and just sat on the door chirping happily and showing off a bit. I let her wander around for a good few hours until i could tell she was comfortable with me picking her up. I used a towel very gently and she complied, letting me put her back in the cage. She still won't let me get close enough to handfeed her or train her to step up, but i don't think it should take long as i've learned she has a very sweet and curious nature.

I spend many hours of my day just sitting near her, playing her music and talking to her. She practice talks when she thinks i can't hear her and is starting to be able to say "pretty girl".

I am amazed at how fast she's coming along but i guess not knowing her history it is possible she has been handled a bit before and just needs some time to warm up to a new person.

She loves shredding coconut husks and her favourite fruit seems to be nashi pears.

One thing is i have been providing clean water everyday for her for bathing but she doesn't seem interested. Have tried putting treats near the bowl and on the side of it but she just takes the food and runs.
At this stage there is still no way i can give her a bath or shower by hand.

My only other concern is she isn't very vocal. She will chirp once or twice a day with maybe a screech thrown in for good measure. I thought i was in being woken up at the crack of dawn from squawking when i decided to adopt her, but she barely makes a peep. I have read that it can be a sign of illness but she shows no other symptoms. I might just be over thinking it. Is a trip to the avian vet warranted?

Oh wow! Sounds like you've made lots of progress with her, in such a short time too. That's great news!

As for taking her to an avian vet....it certainly won't hurt taking her in for a general check-up

And I wouldn't worry too much about her not taking a 'bath'. Usually what I do with Skittles is take him outside on a nice warm day (maybe twice a week, weather permitting), and wait for a short period of time until I'm sure he's warmed up enough, then either use the garden hose to gently mist him through the cage bars, or alternatively, use a spray bottle. He absolutely LOVES it.......clings to the side of the cage, and presents himself with wings open and arched back so I can spray water under them to cool him off. It's so gorgeous to see

Maybe you could try using a spray bottle and see how she reacts? She'll either love it or hate, but you'll know soon enough