Rio loves water ...

Amanda · #1 06-21-2003, 03:51 PM

Yesterday while I was doing dishes, I had Rio out and placed her on the window sill so she can get some fresh air and sun (we have screen on the window). Anyway, as soon as she heard me turn on the water, she started to squawk really loud. I thought she maybe she didn't like the sound of the dishes being moved around the sink and was "mad". Well, I continued doing the dishes and she continued squawking. Then, looked right at me and did her "more water, more water" pose ... wings up in the air and her head low to the ground. Silly me, I thought she didn't like the sound of the dishes ... but what she was actually squawking about was the fact that I wasn't getting her wet!

Hey Birdygirl, I just thought of something you might want to try with Sophie. I've heard that some Pionuses get into a bathing/showering mood when they hear a vacuum cleaner or blow-dryer in the background. Try turning on your vacuum cleaner or hair dryer and see if Sophie will do the "more water, more water" pose (see Rio's pictures) and if Sophie starts doing that, try misting her lightly. Let me know if this trick works. Good luck!

#2 06-21-2003, 04:00 PM

How neat! My green-cheeked conure flies to our kitchen sink faucet whenever he's in the mood for a bath, and once the water's on, he goes crazy! If for some reason I can't give him a bath at the time, he pouts.

Mrs.Birdy · #3 06-21-2003, 04:11 PM

You know what I do now with Marcel's bath?

I don't put him in the sink anymore...I've noticed that he feels confined.

I put him in the bathtub with about 2.5 inches of warm water and the shower running. He marches back and forth flapping his wings.

He likes his baths this way much better.....

.....and he looks so cute, too. ( I must get a photo of this to show you.)

Mrs.Birdy · #4 06-21-2003, 04:13 PM

Oh....P.S. welcome back home Jenny.

I missed you. How was camp. Did you learn any new violin techniques or music.

I bet your birds jumped for joy to see you.

#5 06-21-2003, 04:46 PM

Thanks! Camp was great, and I did learn some new things!

I don't actually put my birds in the sink either, but our kitchen sink is divided into two parts so Kirby usually sits on the "divider ledge". I've tried the bathtub before, but it just seems to scare them-even if I'm sitting in it with them. It's so neat to hear all the different ways everyone's birds like to bathe! I wish I could see pics of everyone's wet birdies taking their baths!

Amanda · #6 06-21-2003, 07:54 PM

MrsBirdy, I haven't given Rio a bath yet ... just showers. Your idea sounds great. I'm going to try that with Rio tomorrow and see if she likes baths as much as she likes showers/mistings.

Welcome back, Jenny. Glad to hear you had a great time at camp! Anyway, I've posted new pictures of Rio (being misted outside) so if you want to see some funny poses, her pictures are at:
http://community.webshots.com/user/eeveep

#7 06-21-2003, 08:43 PM

Rio is so, so beautiful! I really loved the pictures. The only blue-headed pionus I've ever seen was an extremely sick one with absolutely no energy who had been kept horribly for about 20 years, and it definitely showed. So, it's really great to see such a happy, healthy, well cared for b-h pi! Tell Rio that she's very cute!

Amanda · #8 06-21-2003, 11:47 PM

Rio says thanks for the compliments, Jenny....

A 20-year old BH Pi! Whatever happened to him/her? You mentioned that it was sick because it had been kept horribly all those years. I hope he/she is fine now and is with a better owner.

#9 06-22-2003, 10:38 PM

I never got the full story on the poor bird, but the cage it came in was filthy and it was scared to death of people and it's feet were deformed, though I really doubt it was born that way. It's diet was very bad too, all seed, and it had a very difficult time breathing. I didn't meet the owners, but if I did I'd have turned them in immediately for animal cruelty! Anyway, I haven't been back to the vet clinic to see if the poor thing's made any progress or not, but I doubt it has such it was in such bad shape. Sometimes I wish that people had to take some sort of a test and get a permit in order to own a parrot, since there's so many bad owners out there!

#10 06-25-2003, 10:51 AM

I tries the vacuum trick wioth Sophie and she actually enjoyd the bath/ shower!!!! It was so funny. She really did enjoy it.

Amanda · #11 06-25-2003, 05:17 PM

Birdygirl, I'm glad that vacuum trick worked into putting Sophie in a bath/showering mood. Aren't Pionuses just so funny?

#12 06-25-2003, 08:11 PM

Yes they are so amusing. I love them so much.

Mrs.Birdy · #13 06-25-2003, 08:29 PM

Amanda: Did you try putting Rio in the bath tub with shower running, yet?

Just curious as to if she liked it or not.

Amanda · #14 06-25-2003, 10:19 PM

MrsBirdy, yes I tried putting Rio in the bathtub and I had the shower running but she didn't like it. She kept trying to fly up and out of the tub. I think she felt intimidated with the big open space of the tub. Or maybe she just doesn't like baths ... I placed her in the tub when there was about 1" of water. I thought she would love the bath because she just loves water. I usually take her to the bathroom and let her perch on the bathroom window sill and I mist her and she LOVES it. So, I was surprised that she didn't want a bath.

Bijou loves her baths and hates showers. I tried several times to mist Bijou but she just squawks and flies away. However, if I offer her a shallow dish of water, she'll play in it and take her full bath.

Aren't birds so funny that they have their own preferences whether or not they like showers or baths better?

#15 06-25-2003, 11:37 PM

Yes, they really are funny about the different ways they like to shower/bath! At first my green-cheek went absolutely crazy whenever there was a shallow dish of water laying around, and would hop in and splash all over the place. Now he ignores dishes filled with water, but loves sinks and playing in running faucet water!