Jessica - 2010-03-30 I have a four year old Senegal named Griffin and he is absolutely the best bird I could have ever asked for. He is the sweetest little guy, only cranky in the morning, always bending his head down for a neck scratch and putting his foot up while saying "step up" so I'll pick him up. He loves perching on my shoulder and comes to me when I want him to come down, he never gives me a difficult time. He can be a little stubborn at times though, and loves to shred anything left lying around (don't leave any important papers near him!) He is also very smart, and has a vocabulary of about 15 words and phrases. He gives kisses on command and even imitates the alarm system! He is not a one-person bird at all because we spent a lot of time socializing him from when he was young, so he will "step up" for just about anyone (though only his chosen "flock" are allowed to pet and cuddle him). He will also lay on his back in my hand, and swing back and forth upside down like a little acrobat. I love this little guy to pieces, what a great big personality for a tiny little thing!
Mark Anderson - 2008-11-27 I have recently acquired my second senegal, Dylan, a 12 week old male. My previous bird was lost when a door was left open around 6 months ago and I've pined for him ever since. They are fantastic birds and complex in nature and should be treated so, my previous parrot harry was without doubt the best thing I have ever spent my money on. I didn't realise another creature could be quite so intelligent. But as such they can be unpredictable, and I always found a change in scenery helped with negative behaviour. Removing a toy from the cage, moving cage or covering three sides may help in stimulating problem birds to think of something else. I have heard that owners with other birds should experiment with cage heights and positions and although I can't speak from experience on this I think it is worth a mention. I also allow my bird to be handled by as many people as possible and constantly push the boundaries of what he is comfortable with me doing with him (laying him on his back and opening his wings etc). They have a very strong impulse on where they are within the flock, and I cannot stress enough that you need to be firm with them. If my bird bites my ear for instance, I'll drop the shoulder it's on and tell him off. I'm the boss in our relationship and that's the end of the story, and as long as the bird knows that we'll always be fine. If you have other birds in the house I would urge you to try and move the birds around, but I hope you get around it all and bring your parrot back to the bird it was.
Click For Replies (1)
Jessica - 2010-03-30 These are great tips. My senegal is about the sweetest bird you can ever ask for and I know a large part of that is the socialization. From the time I first got him I made sure to have him practice "stepping up" with as many people as possible which I think is very important and prevents them from becoming one person birds. Now he will step up for just about anyone and perch on just about anyone's shoulder, and he also lets my brother and mom pet him. When he is being naughty (tries to bite at my skin or clothes when he's perched on my hand or shoulder), I drop my hand or shoulder like you said and he immediately quits what he's doing. He is as sweet/good as can be I feel because of these things. People need to understand that in order to have a well-behaved bird you need to spend lots of time with it and give the proper training!
Jayme - 2008-11-24 I have an eight year old senegal named Frankie, (He was my birthday present.) At first he was very shy, but then he turned around and was very nice and playful, he did "kisses" and said his name and even used to sing the banana phone song! He only snapped at me occasionally. Now, everytime I try to take him out he bites very hard, my whole family is almost afraid of him! I recommend senegals for singles or couples, for I think they will tolerate more than a couple people, but they will bond to one. Overall for bird lovers who have time to spend with their bird I think a senegal is a fun and good choice!
I have a question about Senegals. Can anyone tell me what the oldest they normally breed. I have a pair that are around 13 years old and was wondering if that is too old for them to breed?
Any help would be very much appreciated.
Thanks everyone,
Sandylee
Click For Replies (1)
jos mh - 2010-03-20 Hi im joshua & got that same question, can u help me please
Gabby - 2008-10-03 Alas, fellow Senegal lovers it seems we are destined to try to please what can be a very moody bird species. I have two Sengal parrots. Scooter, the male, is 20 (yes, that's twenty!)years old. I got him at 4 weeks of age and he has only just become more predictable in his behavior. I am hoping his hormone levels have peaked and are now on the decline that will hopefully lead to more dependable, good behavior. For many years, he would give me severe bites on the hands, arms, and face. These bites were always unexpected and I could never really pin down what might have sent him over the edge. I have read everything out there on Sengal behavior and what has worked best for Scooter and I are boundaries and setting limits. I do not let him have the run of the house and return him to his cage periodically and latch the door to reinforce his dependency on me. If he goes through a spell where he acts as if doesn't respect me, I will take him out of his environment and upset his comfort level with a trip to the post office, etc. so that he again views me as his safety net. Keeping their nails groomed and wings trimmed is especially important- an independent Senegal can get pretty full of himself. Track on a calandar what months you seem to be having the most behavioral problems. It could be cyclic with hormones and the seasons. Don't give up! Maintain the commitment you made to your Senegal when you first got it. Be aware of your Senegals body language and know the signals- flashing eyes, low aggressive stance, etc. Sengals should not be placed on your head (Scooter leaned over and bit my eyelid) and shoulder time is stongly discouraged. There is a reason the pirates with parrots wear eye patches! There is no reason that you can't enjoy your Sengal for as many years as I have plus 20 to 30 more.
Adrienne - 2008-09-16 I recently 'inherited' a 2 year old Senegal from my son who is now living in the UK. Her name is Avo (I wonder why) aka Pork Chop/Banana Girl/Sweet Pea! She is the cutest little piece of fluff ever and certainly has a personality and mind of her own. What I have come to realise is that she is just like a two year old child and I treat her accordingly. When she's naughty (she actually has tantrums and lies on her back, legs up and literally screams and shouts) I find that if I distract her by changing the scenery, perhaps go for a walk in the garden, she calms down. As for biting, which she loves to do, I make a big whoo-haa about NO BITING and she goes into her cage for a bit of time out. My daughter has really persevered with 'getting acquainted' with Avo who has recently developed a strange mannerism when my daughter approaches her. She puffs up all her feathers, making herself larger and sort of waddles, cowboy style towards my daughter, but will always accept a tickey tickey from her. I think that as caretakers of these wonderful birds we should not let them rule our lives but rather teach them to fit into our lives.
Abby Abi Abbie banyard - 2008-09-06 My senegal is cute. (: He says Kiss. and blows a kiss. He says hello and night night and stuff. He's only 3, (: but the thing is, he really doesn't like my brother. This type of bird is probably best with a couple or a single person. Also don't tease them, they remember. I love jasper, he's one of the best friends I could ask for. He's amazing, very loving, and he puts his head down for a scratchy scratchy. He also loves the curtains and tends to climb on them. He likes to have an oaty bite for his breakfast. He doesn't like parrot food that much, but we give it to him any way. He eats the chilies and the peanuts and sunflower seeds, but he doesn't really like the other seeds. So we have to give him seed sticks and lots of fresh fuit and veggies. He loves ice cream and yogurt for treats and if he's really lucky he gets a bit of tea. He drinks it straight from the cup. Hes very interactive, and doesn't like to be on his own much.
MiMi - 2008-09-06 I have a five-year old Senegal (Skippy) whom I rescued almost two years ago. Up until a couple of months ago, he was very sweet and loving towards me. Then, out of nowhere, he bit me and decided he doesn't always like me. He, too, seems to have developed very "Moody" days. Some days, he's okay and approachable, and then other days he sits with his back turned towards me. We have two other birds in the house (a Blue-Gold Macaw and a male Eclectus), and neither of them have the mood swings that Skippy has. From what I was able to gather from the rescue organization, he was originally given up because he started biting his family. They finally stopped trying to interact with him because of it, and finally turned him into a rescue organization. Up until just recently, he never bit me; he always wanted to be with me; and was always very loving. Now, it depends on what mood he's in. I can't figure it out, because he is very well taken care of. Any ideas...
Luciana - 2008-08-01 I have the same problem with my two year old Senegal who we named Cosmo. He generally is a good bird when it comes to me and is bonded more to me, however, he dislikes my husband, my son and tolerates my daughter. His temperament changes like the weather does. One day he is warm, sweet and loveable and then he will be totally afraid and leery of me and take flight and scream. I generally am able to figure out what type of mood he is in by his feather position as well as eye-contact but it seems he has become more diffident as time goes by. The only time I see good behavior is after he has been to the pet-store for either an overnight or a visit. He then becomes generally loveable again but mainly towards me. He is always afraid of new people, doesn't bother with people in general and is afraid of his own shadow. We try to keep him out a lot but he still is afraid of his own shadow. I am at my wits end. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks.
Brendan - 2008-07-02 My senegal is very mean and selective. He bites everyone in the family very hard except for my mom. Does anyone have any advice on how to confront this behavior? Thanks
Senegal Parrots are known for their acrobatics, their mischievousness, and their passion!
I have a four year old Senegal named Griffin and he is absolutely the best bird I could have ever asked for. He is the sweetest little guy, only cranky in the morning, always bending his head down for a neck scratch and putting his foot up while saying "step up" so I'll pick him up. He loves perching on my shoulder and comes to me when I want him to come down, he never gives me a difficult time. He can be a little stubborn at times though, and loves to shred anything left lying around (don't leave any important papers near him!) He is also very smart, and has a vocabulary of about 15 words and phrases. He gives kisses on command and even imitates the alarm system! He is not a one-person bird at all because we spent a lot of time socializing him from when he was young, so he will "step up" for just about anyone (though only his chosen "flock" are allowed to pet and cuddle him). He will also lay on his back in my hand, and swing back and forth upside down like a little acrobat. I love this little guy to pieces, what a great big personality for a tiny little thing!
I have recently acquired my second senegal, Dylan, a 12 week old male. My previous bird was lost when a door was left open around 6 months ago and I've pined for him ever since. They are fantastic birds and complex in nature and should be treated so, my previous parrot harry was without doubt the best thing I have ever spent my money on. I didn't realise another creature could be quite so intelligent. But as such they can be unpredictable, and I always found a change in scenery helped with negative behaviour. Removing a toy from the cage, moving cage or covering three sides may help in stimulating problem birds to think of something else. I have heard that owners with other birds should experiment with cage heights and positions and although I can't speak from experience on this I think it is worth a mention. I also allow my bird to be handled by as many people as possible and constantly push the boundaries of what he is comfortable with me doing with him (laying him on his back and opening his wings etc). They have a very strong impulse on where they are within the flock, and I cannot stress enough that you need to be firm with them. If my bird bites my ear for instance, I'll drop the shoulder it's on and tell him off. I'm the boss in our relationship and that's the end of the story, and as long as the bird knows that we'll always be fine. If you have other birds in the house I would urge you to try and move the birds around, but I hope you get around it all and bring your parrot back to the bird it was.
These are great tips. My senegal is about the sweetest bird you can ever ask for and I know a large part of that is the socialization. From the time I first got him I made sure to have him practice "stepping up" with as many people as possible which I think is very important and prevents them from becoming one person birds. Now he will step up for just about anyone and perch on just about anyone's shoulder, and he also lets my brother and mom pet him. When he is being naughty (tries to bite at my skin or clothes when he's perched on my hand or shoulder), I drop my hand or shoulder like you said and he immediately quits what he's doing. He is as sweet/good as can be I feel because of these things. People need to understand that in order to have a well-behaved bird you need to spend lots of time with it and give the proper training!
I have an eight year old senegal named Frankie, (He was my birthday present.) At first he was very shy, but then he turned around and was very nice and playful, he did "kisses" and said his name and even used to sing the banana phone song! He only snapped at me occasionally. Now, everytime I try to take him out he bites very hard, my whole family is almost afraid of him! I recommend senegals for singles or couples, for I think they will tolerate more than a couple people, but they will bond to one. Overall for bird lovers who have time to spend with their bird I think a senegal is a fun and good choice!
Hi,
I have a question about Senegals. Can anyone tell me what the oldest they normally breed. I have a pair that are around 13 years old and was wondering if that is too old for them to breed?
Any help would be very much appreciated.
Thanks everyone,
Sandylee
Hi im joshua & got that same question, can u help me please
Alas, fellow Senegal lovers it seems we are destined to try to please what can be a very moody bird species. I have two Sengal parrots. Scooter, the male, is 20 (yes, that's twenty!)years old. I got him at 4 weeks of age and he has only just become more predictable in his behavior. I am hoping his hormone levels have peaked and are now on the decline that will hopefully lead to more dependable, good behavior. For many years, he would give me severe bites on the hands, arms, and face. These bites were always unexpected and I could never really pin down what might have sent him over the edge. I have read everything out there on Sengal behavior and what has worked best for Scooter and I are boundaries and setting limits. I do not let him have the run of the house and return him to his cage periodically and latch the door to reinforce his dependency on me. If he goes through a spell where he acts as if doesn't respect me, I will take him out of his environment and upset his comfort level with a trip to the post office, etc. so that he again views me as his safety net. Keeping their nails groomed and wings trimmed is especially important- an independent Senegal can get pretty full of himself. Track on a calandar what months you seem to be having the most behavioral problems. It could be cyclic with hormones and the seasons. Don't give up! Maintain the commitment you made to your Senegal when you first got it. Be aware of your Senegals body language and know the signals- flashing eyes, low aggressive stance, etc. Sengals should not be placed on your head (Scooter leaned over and bit my eyelid) and shoulder time is stongly discouraged. There is a reason the pirates with parrots wear eye patches! There is no reason that you can't enjoy your Sengal for as many years as I have plus 20 to 30 more.
I recently 'inherited' a 2 year old Senegal from my son who is now living in the UK.
Her name is Avo (I wonder why) aka Pork Chop/Banana Girl/Sweet Pea! She is the cutest little piece of fluff ever and certainly has a personality and mind of her own. What I have come to realise is that she is just like a two year old child and I treat her accordingly. When she's naughty (she actually has tantrums and lies on her back, legs up and literally screams and shouts) I find that if I distract her by changing the scenery, perhaps go for a walk in the garden, she calms down. As for biting, which she loves to do, I make a big whoo-haa about NO BITING and she goes into her cage for a bit of time out. My daughter has really persevered with 'getting acquainted' with Avo who has recently developed a strange mannerism when my daughter approaches her. She puffs up all her feathers, making herself larger and sort of waddles, cowboy style towards my daughter, but will always accept a tickey tickey from her. I think that as caretakers of these wonderful birds we should not let them rule our lives but rather teach them to fit into our lives.
My senegal is cute. (: He says Kiss. and blows a kiss. He says hello and night night and stuff. He's only 3, (: but the thing is, he really doesn't like my brother. This type of bird is probably best with a couple or a single person. Also don't tease them, they remember. I love jasper, he's one of the best friends I could ask for. He's amazing, very loving, and he puts his head down for a scratchy scratchy. He also loves the curtains and tends to climb on them. He likes to have an oaty bite for his breakfast. He doesn't like parrot food that much, but we give it to him any way. He eats the chilies and the peanuts and sunflower seeds, but he doesn't really like the other seeds. So we have to give him seed sticks and lots of fresh fuit and veggies. He loves ice cream and yogurt for treats and if he's really lucky he gets a bit of tea. He drinks it straight from the cup. Hes very interactive, and doesn't like to be on his own much.
I love jasper.
I have a five-year old Senegal (Skippy) whom I rescued almost two years ago. Up until a couple of months ago, he was very sweet and loving towards me. Then, out of nowhere, he bit me and decided he doesn't always like me. He, too, seems to have developed very "Moody" days. Some days, he's okay and approachable, and then other days he sits with his back turned towards me. We have two other birds in the house (a Blue-Gold Macaw and a male Eclectus), and neither of them have the mood swings that Skippy has. From what I was able to gather from the rescue organization, he was originally given up because he started biting his family. They finally stopped trying to interact with him because of it, and finally turned him into a rescue organization. Up until just recently, he never bit me; he always wanted to be with me; and was always very loving. Now, it depends on what mood he's in. I can't figure it out, because he is very well taken care of. Any ideas...
I have the same problem with my two year old Senegal who we named Cosmo. He generally is a good bird when it comes to me and is bonded more to me, however, he dislikes my husband, my son and tolerates my daughter. His temperament changes like the weather does. One day he is warm, sweet and loveable and then he will be totally afraid and leery of me and take flight and scream. I generally am able to figure out what type of mood he is in by his feather position as well as eye-contact but it seems he has become more diffident as time goes by. The only time I see good behavior is after he has been to the pet-store for either an overnight or a visit. He then becomes generally loveable again but mainly towards me. He is always afraid of new people, doesn't bother with people in general and is afraid of his own shadow. We try to keep him out a lot but he still is afraid of his own shadow. I am at my wits end. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks.
My senegal is very mean and selective. He bites everyone in the family very hard except for my mom. Does anyone have any advice on how to confront this behavior? Thanks