# Update on Elvis and Georgia



## caterpillar (Oct 14, 2013)

This morning I got to setting up the new playgym and rearranging the cage for the tiels whom I finally named Elvis (pied, mostly yellow male :yellow pied and Georgia (pearl female :grey tiel. Elvis had his mirror taken away last week and has been a lot quieter as a result -- thanks so much to all those of you who recommended that we get rid of it.

Anyway, Elvis whistled to me once when I took the cloth off their cage, and both birds instantly stepped up when I put my finger in so that I could take them out and start rearranging things. No biting, which was good. They also were both perfectly willing to eat millet spray out of my hand, though Georgia was a little apprehensive about it. She will eat the millet spray about 50% of the time and start biting my fingers the other 50%.

I put them on top of their cage to start rearranging things, and reached my arm inside to move something around. Georgia, whose feathers recently grew back after she'd had her wings clipped, freaked out when I started rearranging things and flew into the kitchen and hid in a ceiling corner (she is pretty excitable and also we speculate she isn't the world's smartest tiel). Elvis followed her but didn't get very far because his wings still aren't fully back. 

They haven't quite figured out how to play with things, mostly since they have never really had any toys. They don't really seem to understand the shreddable hanging toy, swing, or ladder -- but I'm hoping they will catch onto it soon. Meanwhile, I have assembled their playgym and put it on top of their cage (eventually I will move it downstairs) and they seem happy to sit on the perches but aren't really "playing" per se. Elvis found the little cage full of shreddable paper and millet spray, and there was one very cute moment when he and Georgia were tugging on opposite ends of a piece of paper shredding.

Right now Elvis is cleaning himself and Georgia is sitting on one of the playgym perches grinding her beak...and they are being SILENT. No screaming for quite some time. So I think this is a good start.


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## caterpillar (Oct 14, 2013)

And now Elvis is doing his wolf whistle -- which is his flock call -- whenever I leave the room. He's never done this before strictly to communicate with me... he would whistle into his mirror (which we took away) and he would whistle when we took Georgia out of the room.

So if he is flock calling me he must think I am part of his flock!!


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

That's great! It seems they are much happier already.


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## caterpillar (Oct 14, 2013)

They are still TERRIFIED of having a finger pointed at them, Georgia especially. Even from a foot away. But we're working on it!


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## SoCalTiels (Oct 8, 2013)

It seems like you're really trying to do a lot to improve their lives, your cockatiels will definitely catch on. Keep working on it  great progress already. And they'll either eventually take to the toys or not, some cockatiels just don't play with toys, but having toys in the cage available helps either way.


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## .Alexandra. (Sep 11, 2012)

They look happy on that cute playgym 
Not all tiels play with toys that much. In five years Coco has hardly touched his toys, he is just not interested I guess. I am glad my other tiel, Beyaz, likes playing with her toys a lot 
Maybe your tiels will come around when they get used to their new toys.


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## Stevolteon (Aug 31, 2013)

Don't lose heart, both of our birds took a while to get the hang of their toys. It was about four months before Nigel figured out what a swing was for. Nyra got it a bit quicker, but then she had Nigel to copy from. Once they figured it out they were both absolutely hooked though!


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## scootergirl762 (Aug 27, 2013)

Sounds like fantastic progress! Keep at it, I think you'll have two very different tiels with all the effort you're putting in!


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

Such fast progress! And don't worry they'll find their own way to play with the toys  mine never use toys the "intended" way.


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## Binca (Oct 15, 2013)

Wow, you are making heaps of progress! 

If it is any help, a trick that really keeps Pip occupied is scattering his food. He has two quails in his cage (it's a decent size cage), so I have been scattering hay and seed on the bottom of the cage for them. Pip of course decided it's for him as well, and will happily make the quails run circles and jump over his head so he can have the best bits.  I think "grazing" (I can't think of the correct term right now) is something tiels naturally do in the wild, so Pip at least LOVES doing it in his cage.


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

What a great progress! They really decreased their screaming? That's AMAZING! Good on you
I love the play gym and your birds are beautiful


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## Mezza (Feb 19, 2013)

WOW! You have done amazing work. And they are gorgeous looking tiels.


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

They look soo cute and happy. More pictures!


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## caterpillar (Oct 14, 2013)

Thanks, everyone!

Elvis :yellow pied: and Georgia earl: have finally figured out that they can pull shredded paper out of a box in their playgym, but they still haven't touched their shreddable ball. This morning Elvis was very talkative -- initially shrieking a bit, so I whistled to him, he started whistling back, and now they're being very quiet.

I'm pretty sure they've already started biting less, though Georgia is still very very skittish and will start to stick her neck out and scream aggressively if a finger is pointed at her. She calms down when she is out of sight of their cage, but it's going to be a looooooong time before either of the birds, but especially Georgia, lets me pet them.

I'll definitely take more pictures


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## Stevolteon (Aug 31, 2013)

Although it's not set in stone, females tend to be a little more skittish anyway. Once they get over it though they tend to be more cuddly.

Nyra, our female, will shy away from an offered finger and sometimes even open her beak threateningly, but when she realises a tickle is on the cards she flips her head upside down and rubs it on the floor!


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