Yes!

[WonderBird]

Here I am again with the progress I've made with my tiel, Charlie. Recently he had an accident that not only scared him, but scared me as well. I was feeding him a piece of lettuce while he was on top of his cage. Everything went well when all of a sudden something scared him so much that he flew a few rounds around my room and even hit one of my mirrors. He landed on the floor and it scared him to death. I didn't want to catch my bird and scare him even more, so I let him land on his own. He ended up on the floor, so I laid on my belly to get to his eye level. I cried a waterfall apologizing to Charlie for whatever scared him. He came closer to me a bit but still kept his distance. I didn't want to give him my hand so I used a wooden perch that was in his previous cage and told him to step up. He did and I placed him onto my bed to relax a bit, then I picked him up again first with the wooden perch and then from the perch I had him on my hand, and then back on the top of his home. From then on I went to scratch his head lightly trying to console him even-though I knew this would scare him. But I followed my instincts and scratched his head anyways, I felt after that scare he wanted to feel loved, and what better way to show it then to scratch his head. He allowed me to do it so I stood there for a good 20 minutes scratching his head. He would sometimes try to nip my hand but I pull away and go back to scratching his head, he would sometimes even tell me to do it by bowing his head down. Now whenever I approach the cage he would come closer to me. I've been so close to him that I was able to give him a kiss without him trying to nip me.

Maybe it was a rough start, but would this be considered as bonding? Did he learn that I won't harm him? He still tries to bit me though.

Also, while I was scratching I found a spot on his neck that didn't have any feathers. Is he plucking? When I brought him home there would be the occasional one or two feathers each day, but they were small not large. I was told this is nothing serious, but after looking at his neck I was a bit frightened of him starting to pluck. Should I take this seriously?

Also his sleeping routine is a bit off. He's in my room and gets startled easily. I tried to put a blanket over him to block him from any distractions, but he absolutely hates it. Is there anything I could do to try to help him have a good nights rest?

I love Charlie even-though it's been rough between him and I.

Thanks for reading and listening,
WonderBird & Charlie <3

[sweetrsue]

Yes that was a bonding experience! He had a crisis and you were there for him. You took your time and didn't push. I think now he knows that you will not hurt him. That in fact you will love him. It's hard to say about the missing feathers. They can pluck from their own neck but it's not the usual place they would pluck themselves. I got a bird a few months ago who has a ring of feathers missing all the way around his neck. He came from an overcrowded aviary where I suspect he was plucked. I'm starting to get the impression those feathers will not grow back. Sometimes if they have been plucked repeatedly in the same place the feathers seem to give up. It's hard to say without seeing it what might be the case with Charlie. Keep an eye on him and see it he seems to be plucking himself. Otherwise don't worry too much about it. It sounds like you have started a good relationship with your little guy.

[xxxSpikexxx]

It sounds like you guys are bonding :D The first thing I thought when you said that he has a spot of missing feathers I thought he might be a lutino (bald spot under crest area) but he is not right? I would just keep an eye on him but it should be fine :)