Amazing Talented African Grey Parrot!

Einstein is cool and her mistress is cute - powerful combination. They have a bunch of her videos on YouTube - I watched one where Einstein went visiting other talking parrots - interesting!
 

And this was Einstein's original appearance on Animal Planet, where she made her big breakthrough in show biz ...

[video=youtube_share;HzCu2WRM0ZI]http://youtu.be/HzCu2WRM0ZI[/video]
 
I bought an African Grey when I was younger, from a pet store. He was already older, and not tamed. I had no bird experience, but my dream was to have a parrot like Einstein.

Well, months later, when my hands were turned to chop meat trying to tame him, I ended up selling him, his cage, his perch, ladder, etc. for very little to a woman who absolutely loved him. She wasn't worried about him not being tame, she had a large aviary in her home and was very experienced with birds.

He did take food from me, and I was able to get him to come out of his cage and go onto his perch, then back into his cage. He had his own room, as he squawked loudly when anyone came near him except me. It was an experience. :p
 
The same here, Sea. I never had much luck with birds, be they finches, parakeets or parrots. I thought it was them that had the problems - psychosis, aggression and downright hatred of their jailer. The finches would smash themselves against the sides of the cage when I fed and watered them, the parakeets would just peck at me, and the few parrots that I tried - the smaller ones like the African Gray and a few conures - all pecked my hands to shreds like yours.

One day, years later, when I was doing pirate shows at Renaissance fairs, a friend of mine lent me her blue and gold macaw. That bird stayed on my shoulder for 12 hours straight, always well-behaved, playful, never nipped me at all. I guess it's all in the training.
 
Those birds are beautiful, must have been nice to have it on your shoulder...not sure about the 12 hrs straight part. :D
 
SeaBreeze said:
Those birds are beautiful, must have been nice to have it on your shoulder...not sure about the 12 hrs straight part. :D
Click to expand...

Yeah, well ... we took union breaks. :p Halfway through the morning we'd sit down on the grass and he'd walk around a bit, I'd give him his treats and play with him. Lunchtime he'd share my breadbowl soup but he wasn't interested in the turkey leg for supper - I had to buy him ice cream, which he loved, but only strawberry. :eek:

He was a character, just like his mistress, but he was hugely popular at the fair and that's why I wanted him. Of course I had to wash my outfit before the next day's work, because I had a racing stripe down my left shoulder ...
 
When I was growing up, we had parakeets, and even though they didn't talk much, they were enjoyable birds, and we used to let them out to play on their little "playground", that had ladders, swings, etc for them to entertain their selves with.
I always thought it would be awesome to have a parrot or macaw, something that could actually communicate, but I have never had one. I did read the page about the little talking Budgie that used to have lengthy conversations with his owner, and even other parakeets, and it was pretty interesting.
Since birds (and other animals) seem to be able to sense things like an upcoming earthquake, I have often wondered if a parrot could be taught to sounds an alarm, so to speak, when he sensed an upcoming disaster.

Sifu, loved your story about the blue Macaw ! !
There is a book about a girl and her Macaw (named Terry-Dactal), and their amazing adventures across the United States, after a nuclear disaster has devastated most of mankind, and is one of those wonderful stories that you read, and never forget.
It is called "Emergence", and is by David Palmer. If you have not already read this book, I believe that you will enjoy this story also.

This is a video that I just love, about a Cockatoo dancing "Gangnam Style". Pretty sure I posted it before, but some of the newer people here might have missed it last time.

http://youtu.be/qTl1asCDOgs
 
I've had a few budgies but never had the time or inclination to train them beyond the bare mininum. A trick that was shown to me when dealing with parrots (small ones, never trust one with a beak that can crack bones!) is to crook your index finger and make a fist with the rest.
Bob the crooked finger knuckle up and down gently and the bird takes it as another bird making overtures. To them I guess it looks kind of like a parrot beak.
Then constantly repeat the phrase or word you want it to learn and it literally, eventually, starts 'talking to the hand.' (Boomtishhhh)

That even worked with our visiting wild Lorrikeets, (not the talking, just the trust thing.) Soon as they see that finger bobbing they hop up to check it out and start nodding back to it.

Parrots are very social birds, I get sad to see lone ones in cages.
 
Just watched that 'Gangnam' Cockatoo. A neighbour had a Sulphur Crested in an aviary that didn't talk but had a trick that made him worth keeping.
We kids would go in and ask to see Billy and she'd take us down to the aviary and say "on yer bike Billy" and away it would go.

One foot up on the bars to kick start while he went 'Brrrrrrr brrrrrrr' then he'd crouch down along the perch, half spread his wings and yell "VroooOOOooom vroooOOOomm, putt putt putt" It was hilarious. Her son had a motor bike and that bird had it down to perfection.


 
Aww that is just lovely.. my daughter has a lorrikeet that makes a noise like a dog barking and the sirens of
the ambulances on the highway beside her home.. but this Einstein is lovely I`d love a companion like that ..
watched a movie once about this parrot who always pinched things.. great movie.. Paulie is the movie..
w.youtube.com/watch?v=AGV8nB_EEAU
 
Hey, I do tricks for treats, too.
 

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