[Morena]

My new parrotlet Nika ( pronounced Neeka). Since I lost my blue boy Tommaso, I have been trying to find a local breeder that I could drive to pick up, but couldn’t find one. So I decided to try a local bird shop that only sells birds that was about 45 mins from us. They had a few parrotlets. My husband and I drove down to the shop without thinking I would actually bring one home that day. But I wanted to look. Long story short, I brought home this 14 month old parrotlet. Although when I was looking for a breeder I was wanting a baby. It’s the first female bird I have ever had. I’ve always had male birds throughout my life of different varieties. She was with 2 other parrotlets at the shop, so she was very shy and quiet when I brought her home. I took her out with me everyday to get her use to new surroundings/cage. Today I put her on the same piano snowman that I had used when I took Tommaso’s photo in 2007. So now I decided to introduce her to this forum. She is still a little quiet compared to Tommaso, but I think she still needs time to get use to a new place coming from a bird shop with lots of birds around her.

 

[Bigboy]

She's beautiful, and your photos are lovely. Good luck with her and to all of you a very happy new year.

 

[ozzie3860]

She is a cutie. Much mischief in your future.

 

[ginziputzi]

Congratulations! I am very happy to hear you decided to welcome a new little bird into your life. It’s so hard to lose a beloved friend. We will alway have little Tommaso in our hearts as we welcome Nika into our fold. 💕💕

your photos are so cute!! What a beauty Nika is - such a gorgeous colour! I got my girl Kiwi from a pet shop too. I think pet shops get females more often than males. Many people prefer males as they can usually talk but Kiwi has been such a blessing in my life! She has certain chirps and sounds thst are the same for certain words (like”pretty girl”) so to me, she’s talking. ❤ I also hear the females imitate whistles really well.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos with us and for coming back to the forum to celebrate Nika! Looking forward to joining you on your new adventures!

 

[Anya]

Congratulations on getting such a beautiful girl! How is she doing? Love the pics! Be prepared for her to be her own bird. I am experiencing that with my seven month old. He is completely different than my first parrotlet in lots of ways! It is so interesting how they each have their own personality. For instance, I assumed that if I would arrange the toys on the playstation the way Cleopatra liked it, that Pugsley would like it too. Nope. He actually stopped using it. So, I changed it to how I thought he would like it (a lot less stuff on it) and now he likes it. He is using it again. I learned a lesson there.

 

[Morena]

Congratulations on getting such a beautiful girl! How is she doing? Love the pics! Be prepared for her to be her own bird. I am experiencing that with my seven month old. He is completely different than my first parrotlet in lots of ways! It is so interesting how they each have their own personality. For instance, I assumed that if I would arrange the toys on the playstation the way Cleopatra liked it, that Pugsley would like it too. Nope. He actually stopped using it. So, I changed it to how I thought he would like it (a lot less stuff on it) and now he likes it. He is using it again. I learned a lesson there.

Congratulations on getting such a beautiful girl! How is she doing? Love the pics! Be prepared for her to be her own bird. I am experiencing that with my seven month old. He is completely different than my first parrotlet in lots of ways! It is so interesting how they each have their own personality. For instance, I assumed that if I would arrange the toys on the playstation the way Cleopatra liked it, that Pugsley would like it too. Nope. He actually stopped using it. So, I changed it to how I thought he would like it (a lot less stuff on it) and now he likes it. He is using it again. I learned a lesson there.

 

[Morena]

Nika is doing well. She is much quieter than Tommaso was. Maybe because she is a female and still trying to get use to her new environment. 🤷‍♀️ She hasn’t played with any of her toys yet. 😬 But she is very sweet. I’ll take sweet anyway. 😊 she never tries to bite. I taught her to step up already. She’ll hang with me unafraid and likes to hide under my hair. I use to wonder if she was too mellow because she is opposite of what Tommaso was with being very active. I did get Tommaso at 8 wks old from a breeder, and she came like I mentioned from a bird shop at 14 months old. She won’t eat vegetables out of her dish. So I just hand feed it to her and she devours the vegetables out of my hand. She hasn’t chirped a lot, but does make cute little sounds when she is in my hair. I am giving her more time to adjust. And hopefully she’ll want to play with her toys. Right now she just enjoys hanging with me while I feed her veggies or just sitting next to me. She does eat the seeds and millet in her cage. I do love her already. I can’t compare her to Tommaso. Each parrotlet is different.

 

[ginziputzi]

Great update - thank you! She sounds like such a sweetheart! It is not uncommon for parrotlets to not be interested in toys. Kiwi has never been very interested. She prefers things like a paper towel in the bars of her cage that she can shred or playing in small boxes with the lids cut off (we use green tea boxes). A word of warning there as some say shredding and being in boxes can induce hormonal behaviours and egg laying, which you will want to avoid. It never had this effect on Kiwi, though.

Kiwi also loved what is called a “shooting range” from Amazon that someone on this forum once recommended. It is one of the few toys she really played with and enjoyed. She also loves bells - I have the little plastic star with bells that I bought when I got her and it is her absolute favourite. She rattles it when she wants to get my attention and uses it to massage her head when she’s sleepy. So sweet. 💕

I love how much Nika likes to hang out with you! That is so great! As she’s an older bird, bonding could be a little more difficult but you guys are doing so great! Definitely celebrate that victory! I agree with you to keep giving her time to adjust to her new life and let her personality come out as she gets more comfortable. Your patience will invariably pay off.

 

[Anya]

I can’t compare her to Tommaso. Each parrotlet is different.

Yes, they are all different – I personally find that a good thing! I don't compare Pugsley to Cleopatra (measure the similarities between them), but I can’t help noticing the differences between them. With Pugsley’s “full of beans” personality, I would have to be blind not to! Your little girl sounds like a sweetie! Being a parrotlet, she probably has a few surprises in store for you! They are so good at that!

 

[vkelman]

Kiwi also loved what is called a “shooting range” from Amazon that someone on this forum once recommended. It is one of the few toys she really played with and enjoyed.

"Shooting range"? What is it? Could you find a link, please?

 

[HarryTheParrotlet]

"Shooting range"? What is it? Could you find a link, please?

Is it this?

 

[Morena]

Great update - thank you! She sounds like such a sweetheart! It is not uncommon for parrotlets to not be interested in toys. Kiwi has never been very interested. She prefers things like a paper towel in the bars of her cage that she can shred or playing in small boxes with the lids cut off (we use green tea boxes). A word of warning there as some say shredding and being in boxes can induce hormonal behaviours and egg laying, which you will want to avoid. It never had this effect on Kiwi, though.

Kiwi also loved what is called a “shooting range” from Amazon that someone on this forum once recommended. It is one of the few toys she really played with and enjoyed. She also loves bells - I have the little plastic star with bells that I bought when I got her and it is her absolute favourite. She rattles it when she wants to get my attention and uses it to massage her head when she’s sleepy. So sweet. 💕

I love how much Nika likes to hang out with you! That is so great! As she’s an older bird, bonding could be a little more difficult but you guys are doing so great! Definitely celebrate that victory! I agree with you to keep giving her time to adjust to her new life and let her personality come out as she gets more comfortable. Your patience will invariably pay off.

Hi there, thanks for the recommendation for the shooting range. I just ordered it! Nika is still shy/quiet and still is not interested in her toys. But she loves to be out and hang with me while I feed her vegetables that she rather take out of my hand than a bowl. (Not sure why she prefers to take the vegetables from my hand). I’ve left a bowl of vegetables in her cage, but she never touches it. So to make sure she gets her vegetables, that is our routine.. 😊 after the vegetable routine, she’ll go under my hair and make her little grinding noises. Then I’ll put her back in her cage at night on her top perch. I’ll cover her and when I uncover her in the morning, she is in the exact same spot. (I could tell she is there all night b/c where the droppings are) When I uncover her, and only when I uncover her, she’ll jump down from where she was sleeping all night and starts eating her seeds. Totally different personality than Tommaso. I am attached to her and still trying to get to know her different personality. Hopefully when I get her new toy, she will like it.

 

[Morena]

Nika photos.. It’s now been 1 1/2 months since I have had Nika. She is enjoying just hanging with me on her bird playpen or my shoulder. She’ll make cute little chirping noises throughout the day. She is not as chatty and vocal as Tommaso was. Maybe she still needs time, or maybe the females are quieter. All is fine with that. Just was hoping it’s normal that she is quiet, except for the cute chirping noises she make.

Nika enjoying a good western in 1st photo 😊
The rest are of her just chilling on her playpen. She’ll sit there all day if I let her. 😬

 

[Anya]

Very sweet pics! Thanks for sharing!

 

[ozzie3860]

Very good pictures

 

[ginziputzi]

Hi there, thanks for the recommendation for the shooting range. I just ordered it! Nika is still shy/quiet and still is not interested in her toys. But she loves to be out and hang with me while I feed her vegetables that she rather take out of my hand than a bowl. (Not sure why she prefers to take the vegetables from my hand). I’ve left a bowl of vegetables in her cage, but she never touches it. So to make sure she gets her vegetables, that is our routine.. 😊 after the vegetable routine, she’ll go under my hair and make her little grinding noises. Then I’ll put her back in her cage at night on her top perch. I’ll cover her and when I uncover her in the morning, she is in the exact same spot. (I could tell she is there all night b/c where the droppings are) When I uncover her, and only when I uncover her, she’ll jump down from where she was sleeping all night and starts eating her seeds. Totally different personality than Tommaso. I am attached to her and still trying to get to know her different personality. Hopefully when I get her new toy, she will like it.

I will look forward to hearing if Nika likes the shooting range. Kiwi still uses it to rub her head - lol. Kiwi also prefers to eat veggies out of my hand. She will not eat any romaine lettuce unless it is from my hand and while she will eat a little broccoli from her dish, she devours a huge floret if I hold it in my hand. Eating is a very social activity for them so it makes some sense, I guess. It can be annoying if you’re busy and that’s the only way you can get them to eat, so just plan it for when you have some chill time. Kiwi does like mashed potatoes and mashed carrots - a good option for getting them to eat out of dishes!

Nika is a real beauty. Those photos are delightful. Having lived with a female for a very long time, I can tell you they are NOT the quiet ones! lol! It’s just individual personality. It’s always a little unnerving when one bird is so very different from another, but I wouldn’t worry. Just enjoy her for the sweet little perch potato she is!

 

[ginziputzi]

Is it this?
View attachment 48069

Yes - that’s it! When I first saw it, I was confused because it doesn’t look very interesting. But Kiwi LOVES it. Hard to know why but hey - whatever works!

 

[Morena]

I will look forward to hearing if Nika likes the shooting range. Kiwi still uses it to rub her head - lol. Kiwi also prefers to eat veggies out of my hand. She will not eat any romaine lettuce unless it is from my hand and while she will eat a little broccoli from her dish, she devours a huge floret if I hold it in my hand. Eating is a very social activity for them so it makes some sense, I guess. It can be annoying if you’re busy and that’s the only way you can get them to eat, so just plan it for when you have some chill time. Kiwi does like mashed potatoes and mashed carrots - a good option for getting them to eat out of dishes!

Nika is a real beauty. Those photos are delightful. Having lived with a female for a very long time, I can tell you they are NOT the quiet ones! lol! It’s just individual personality. It’s always a little unnerving when one bird is so very different from another, but I wouldn’t worry. Just enjoy her for the sweet little perch potato she is!

I liked what you called Nika “perch potato” That was funny. 😂 And yes, I will enjoy my sweet little perch potato. 🥰 I’m going to take your advice and try mashing down the carrots and see if she’ll eat from her bowl. She does the same thing as your Kiwi,with devouring the vegetables when eating them from my hand. She makes these sweet little quiet chirps while chewing them. I was also curious with the new toy “shooting range” if the mirror on the toy will make her think it’s a mate, triggering her to lay eggs? Just curious since I have always had male birds. I’ve read a few articles about different things that trigger the females in wanting to lay eggs.

 

[ginziputzi]

I had never actually thought about the little mirror, actually. I had not considered that the female might see their reflection as a mate in the sense of egg laying. I always avoided mirrors so that Kiwi would bond with me as opposed to really worrying about it being a mate that way. I never had an issue with egg laying with Kiwi (thankfully) despite putting a paper towel between her cage bars so she could shred it (a favourite for her) and playing “peekaboo” with her inside a tea box with the lid cut off. It is another example of how different these little beauties can be.

As for the shooting range mirror, it is quite small and obstructed by the little birds that spin around the bar so I don’t think Kiwi has ever noticed it. Or if she did, she wasn’t interested. I have always joked she’s a career girl and didn’t want the responsibility of kids - lol! She enjoys it so much for head rubs now, I keep it a bit lower than eye level. She stretches from her perch and holds on to one of the little birds in a lovely little splits and rubs away with her head right in there. Silly bird. In earlier days, she loved to play with the little birds and ball.

It’s a good thought though. You will notice signs if she is starting to bond with it. She may wiggleneck at it and start hanging around it a little too much, or protect it from you. If you notice any of this, you could remove it. As with anything, it’s trial and error and monitoring is always the key to avoiding unwanted consequences.

 

[Morena]

I had never actually thought about the little mirror, actually. I had not considered that the female might see their reflection as a mate in the sense of egg laying. I always avoided mirrors so that Kiwi would bond with me as opposed to really worrying about it being a mate that way. I never had an issue with egg laying with Kiwi (thankfully) despite putting a paper towel between her cage bars so she could shred it (a favourite for her) and playing “peekaboo” with her inside a tea box with the lid cut off. It is another example of how different these little beauties can be.

As for the shooting range mirror, it is quite small and obstructed by the little birds that spin around the bar so I don’t think Kiwi has ever noticed it. Or if she did, she wasn’t interested. I have always joked she’s a career girl and didn’t want the responsibility of kids - lol! She enjoys it so much for head rubs now, I keep it a bit lower than eye level. She stretches from her perch and holds on to one of the little birds in a lovely little splits and rubs away with her head right in there. Silly bird. In earlier days, she loved to play with the little birds and ball.

It’s a good thought though. You will notice signs if she is starting to bond with it. She may wiggleneck at it and start hanging around it a little too much, or protect it from you. If you notice any of this, you could remove it. As with anything, it’s trial and error and monitoring is always the key to avoiding unwanted consequences.