Green rumps

[memmey]

You know I have come to realize after all these years with Bitsey Jo, that Green rump behavior is a little odd in that they are really scarey little things. I read an article by Pado's breeder Sandee Molenda on her site about them but I would be interested if anyone has anything about true green rumps that I could read or learn. They for sure are not the same temperment. Art, MeMe is a green rump? I find them to be more petite in stature than other parrotlets and a real challenge because of their fear threshold......I need information.......I have had her for a long time and we are bonded but I want to know why they are, why they are...:D

[AndreaFahy]

Hi, I don't quite understand what you are getting at. Are you concerned about fear? In what respect?

We keep pacifics and green rumps, so I should have some good experience in what you want to know, but I don't understand. Please elaborate!

[memmey]

I guess I'm not sure how to articulate what I'm curious about. I have tried for a long time to introduce new food and she is scared to death of it. It takes a long time to change anything about her routine. The bath today was a huge milestone. New paper at the bottom of the cage , new dishes, new seed( nothing fresh...nothing!) anything that is different causes her to run away from it and if I press her to accept it she will freak so I don't do that to her. I try to be a gentle as I can be because of her history. I can be talking to her at her cage by the window and go outside on the porch and look back into the house through the same window at her and she will freak...it's still me!!! I love her and she is my closest little pal and if she never changes I dont care but I wish I understood her behavior a little better. I don't leave her out all day because I am too afraid she will get hurt she's just real skiddish so I lock down the room before she comes out and I never really relax because I worry about her. Maybe it's her history or is it green rump behavior? I've had her around 8 years and she's always been this way.

[AndreaFahy]

I have not seen this behavior as a trend in the green rumps. It is possible for any bird, due to history.

I will, once again, ask you to consider clicker training. I'll post some more info about it.

It is a very calm approach to training your bird, it's all about what they can do and are trusting of. From there you can just blow up with what they will do!

[Pado]

I’ve read that Green Rumps are more on the shy side and can be easily intimidated and frightened.

Although I’m sure Bitsy Jo’s personality has a lot to do with her past – especially her ‘picky eating’ :D

[memmey]

Hey P , I went to the parrotlet ranch web page and read what SandeeM had to say and she had a name for a researcher that studied green rumps in the forest. I looked up his site but it is so technical and mostly his research was about the order that the eggs hatch in he nest and days of exposure...I don't know pretty serious research. He has banded way over a 1000 p'lets. He says you cannot save an endangered species by keeping them in cages like Zoos or I guess with breeders like we get them. He says that their behavior is changed and it is not really saving them as they really are in the wild. That makes sense. I wish if he has any material on their behavior I could read it. Not that it would change anything for me with Jo but just to know. There was a man on another site that told me some stuff about P'lets and what they eat, he has bred them and some other birds for a gazillion years. He named what they eat in the wild...but I forgot some of the stuff he said. I will go and try to find the post...interesting...no green beans in the jungle...LOL

[memmey]

I found it and I was thinking what could it hurt to have him visit here also, if he would. He told me to feeds sprouted seed( that's Arts wifes thing) and he said they eat seed in the wild and some buds and a little fruit but mostly they crush it for the juice. He said to try Papaya colored fruit( what does that mean) and pineapple. Lastly feed her in a red dish. ??????wonder why??? I hope I interpreted what he said correctly. Interesting huh?

[Pado]

Memmey - that is VERY interesting - I'm going to look for his link from the parrotletranch site during lunch - makes total sense to me that their behavior in captivity would be different than that in the wild -

What you said about them squishing the fruit for the juice – I’m never heard but makes total sense – my last bird, a Senegal used to ‘eat’ her fruit, you could actually see her swallow chunks – My Parrotlets don’t eat their fruit the same way – they bite at it and shred it – as an example an apple slice ends up as little tiny pieces in their cups –

[ArtS]

I swear I responded to this thread but my post isn't here!:mad:

Memmey,

MeMe is sparky's clutchmate so definately a Pacific Parrotlet. However, her personality is TOTALLY different than Sparky's. Both of my birds were completely skittish for the first 3-4 years and are still reletively easy to spook.

I'll have to think about why they became less skittish. My first thought is that we became less nervous around them - I'm pretty sure they can read our moods better than we can read our own.

Oh, definately invite the researcher to the site - the more info the better!!

I'm pretty sure that when Papaya is ripe, itis yellowish green on the outside and orange on the inside. Google image search should get you a few pictures. Or you could just feed bitsey a Papaya :D .

Regards,

Art S.

[AndreaFahy]

My first thought is that we became less nervous around them - I'm pretty sure they can read our moods better than we can read our own.

This is VERY true - parrots are highly empathatic creatures.

[memmey]

Yeah Bitsey Jo and I are like two little old ladies living here. I guess I made it sound like I'm a nervous wreck when she's out but I'm really not...I'm just so crazy about her that I don't want her in harms way. She's right here by me while I type, she's preening and being so nicey nicey.

[ArtS]

And why is she up past her bed time...;)

[memmey]

Ha...Jo stays up late with me and "sleeps in" in the morning,. If I were to cover her early she would ring that darn bell till I uncovered her.