Does anyone else have that one, stupid bird??

[DamonIRB]

I mentioned a few of week ago that we lost our Red Ear Waxbill hen to egg binding. The one little guy we had left was by himself for a couple of weeks, but we found a bird fair within driving distance and found a very knowledge Finch breeder with an excellent variety and selection. He had some beautiful and obviously healthy and well taken care of birds. He also happened to have 4 Red Ears! Specifically, the Black Rumped variety we have. He sold all 4 to us for $50, so we were thrilled.

We left them in quarantine for about a week and put them in the flight with 'little man' over the weekend. They are all doing great - they are eating the seed mix, the Herb Salad, egg food and egg shell when provided, etc. They are taking multiple baths a day and seem to get along very well. Except for this one, stupid bird!

It took us nearly 20 minutes to get him out of the quarantine cage into the flight (we opened the door to each and set them next to each other - no reaching in and grabbing). It took the others less than a minute to realize the door was open. Once in the flight, he sat on the mid-level perch and didn't move for hours. He was the last one to find the food/water. He's the last one to perch at night.

He seems healthy enough. Once he found the food/water, he goes to it often and eats/drinks well. He bathes. He even seems to enjoy flying around in the flight (I'm guessing they were in small cages before). He's just so much slower than all the others to catch on to things. He's just kinda.... well... stupid!

Anyone else have a dummy in the flock?

[GouldianGuy]

Stupid is as stupid does

[cindy]

it takes birds sometimes more than a week to adapt to new surrounding, food, routine, noise people... the bird needs time to adapt to the larger cage especially if the bird originally came from a smaller cage at the breeders. Look at it this way the bird has been though being pulled from it's home, put in a cage driven to a show, set on the table with people walking by. It is caught up put in a travel cage, driven to your home, put in another cage, has to get use to where the water and food is, new noises, smells schedule, foods then a week later let go in a bigger cage and has to learn it's way around again. That is a lot of stress for some little birds.

To me a week is not enough time in quarantine and to adjust to new surroundings.... give him time and watch him carefully..... I am sure he will adapt.

[Barbara]

DamonIRB your story made me laugh when my society had four babies I wanted to move them into a bigger cage and ran into the same problem as you all of them when in except the father,the babies even went right in they actually kept flying back in fourth and Dad just couldn't find the door the mom finally stood at the opening chirping away and he finally went in took if I remember more the 20 min so he was a stupid stupidbird,now he is happy and I'm sure yours will be too and you will always have a story to tell

[Stuart whiting]

GouldianGuy

.....run mate run

[Stuart whiting]

DamonIRB

Yea to be honest I think many of us have all had a slow bird sometime or other
I know I've certainly had one or two and were completely dopey

I shouldn't worry to much about the slow one, if he / she is eating and drinking ok and aswell as bathing the bird will probably be ok and soon perk up a little,

Other than the normal tonics and boosters that can be given when the birds are quarantined I'd concentrate on a quality diet and if they eat it I'd try to introduce a bit of quality egg food etc as this is a source of protein and is nutritionally balanced and also a calcium supplement in the birds water wouldn't go amiss

[wildbird]

I don't believe there are any stupid birds, people maybe, but not birds. You have no idea what this bird has been through. Birds are very smart, though they may think differently than people. Just because you don't understand why he is acting this way, doesn't mean he is stupid!

[Barbara]

wildbird we ment it jokingly

[Lucille]

I don't believe there are any stupid birds, people maybe, but not birds.

That is an astute observation. When birds are really stupid, they don't survive. So it is probably true that the range of intelligence in birds is attenuated, and there are less of them at the really low end of normal.

[lovezebs]

I have had and still do have some birds, who are lower on the intelligence scale than some others.

Personally I think, that it's just like with any other species (human included ).
Not sure if it's genetics or environmental, or if Parents dropped the egg on it's head.

I have one Canary girl (Pokey), who is definitely slower than all of her siblings. She's a darling bird, but just slow (which makes her all the sweeter).