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Kowhai's journey

923 views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  StarlingWings 
#1 ·
I first met Kowhai at his breeder when he was just out of the nest. This was the first time we met and it was love at first sight:

Here's Kowhai (left)with his other nestmate (who I wanted to take home too, but sadly had already been claimed by someone else)


The breeder allowed me to come and visit and spend time with Kowhai befand even used the name I chose for him (Kowhai is pronounced ko-fai, and means yellow in Maori, but also he looked just like a kowhai flower!).

Once he was home, I kept him in the bedroom alone, and only I was allowed in to visit with him and talk to him. I kept him from meeting my hubby and son for a week to not overwhelm him and to encourage him to bond with me.


He's very quiet, and since coming home has begun to really let his personality shine. He likes sitting on my finger best, though he will sit on my shoulder. But his favorite spot is me holding him up to my mouth while he puffs and cuddles.

Right now he started playing a game with me when I'm sitting at the computer. He jumps on the back of the chair and I say "Wheeeere's Kowhai?" and as soon as I say it he jumps onto my shoulder and I say "Peekabo!". I have no idea how this game started but he loves it. :>

He's not very talkative. He mutters to himself while going to sleep and if I leave the room when he doesn't want me to he does the loud "CHCHT CHCHT CHCHT!" but otherwise not really a vocal boy. I've been repeating the same words over and over and with the same inflection, but I don't know if he'll ever be a talker.

The other thing we are working on is skritches, He likes getting his head scratched, but on his terms. Usually at night before bed, he'll let me rub his head. He's got a LOT of pin feathers so he's very sensitive, so I'm trying to be careful.

My current goals are to help him learn to fly once his feathers come in.
 
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#4 ·
Kowhai maintained an injury due to his feather being clipped wrong by the breeder, and after that the vet had him on 'cage rest' in a small cage in my room for a month. Now he's finally managed to grow some flight feathers!

He can now fly enough to get halfway across the room and cushion any falls, and so he's no longer needing to stay in his quarantine cage, and can go into his regular cage and hang out outside with us. He's gotten so attached to his quarantine cage though, he seems to have decided it is now his sleep cage. If it gets past bedtime and I haven't put him in it he begins to dance and chitter and even try to fly over to the room where it is. He's a great reminder for me that I need to go to bed too!

Now that he can join the rest of us outside the cage, he's made use of his 'couch' as I call it. He knows that while I'm sitting on the sofa, he sits on his play gym that I built from a discarded eucalyptus branch that fell during a storm. I managed to build it in such a way as it sits next too and also has some branches resting over the sofa. He can hope from my shoulder to the branch as he pleases.

I change the toys up on it as often as I do his cage, and he loves both spots equally. But if I get up to go into the kitchen or another room, he often tries to fly after me. Now that he can do this I have to be diligent in either taking him with me where I go or placing him in his cage if he can't come with me.

Kowhai has also definitely reached puberty! He regularly tries to flirt with my hands and has tried 'doing the deed' many a time. He also regularly regurgitates to my fingers (or to my mouth when I try to give him kisses - Thanks but no thanks, Kowhai!)

I'm now working on trying to teach him some words. I don't really mind whether he learns any or not, but he seems to enjoy the game. Now that I've gotten everything else in place, I intend to look up clicker training as well and will document that next. :>
 
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