I have seen the term honeymoon period used, describing the behavior that is seen when a bird first comes into a new home. Many feel the new bird will be on it's best behavior and not generally show all their behaviors until it becomes comfortable in it's new surroundings.

What changes have you noticed, good and bad, once your bird became adjusted?

We've had Eddie (Severe macaw male, age approx. 6 yrs) for a year, now. The honeymoon period lasted less than a week, then we started seeing his real personality come through. He was grumpy, frightened, and cage-bound. He didn't know how to play with toys, and his diet was limited. It has taken nearly a year for him to become comfortable here. Nowadays he loves to come out of his cage, will play with toys, and although Z is his one and only love, I can now pick him up and carry him around, as long as I'm cautious and observant to his body language. He's also learning to be a bit more adventurous with his diet. The one weird thing about him becoming happy, here, was that his vocabulary has actually lessened since he arrive. At one point, I wrote down 69 words and phrases that he would happily say. Nowadays, he just uses the ones he needs to communicate with us: "Cracker?" "FIRE" (as in he wants me to spontaneously combust! LOL!), "Get out of here", "Hi Jasper/Hi Eddie", etc.

We're about to become "parronts" to a 13 y/o female yellow crowned amazon, whom has bestowed on me the honor of the famous amazon crush. She likes everyone, and I'm interested in seeing how she will adapt to our home, ourselves and our other animals. Hopefully it won't take her too long.

Karen, I'm not sure if your aware of the story of Rocky my male, moluccan cockatoo. He is the prime example of what your are talking about and such a perfect example that this is one of the papers that I am writing for Dr. O.

A moluccan cockatoo was at the top of my dream birds, right next to a black palm, a major mitchells and a ducorps. I had many opportunities to buy a baby but passed due to the fact of how many are up for adoption in rescues. Well, there's a reason so many are flooding the rescues. Rocky is my 8 year old, male moluccan. He was a peach when I met him. He was a peach through testing. He was a peach when I brought him home.......for about a week. The longer it went the worse it got. After a month of him being in my home, I did not feel safe in my own house if he was out of the cage. I was horrified and deeply regretted my decision of bringing him home. He's been here now for 3 1/2 months. I work with him daily and not just in small sessions. This is my primary focus every day. Without getting into too much detail, 3 1/2 months later we are almost back to the comfort factor we had felt with each other when we first met. Almost, not quite there and I don't expect the total comfort for......I have no clue, a couple of months, 7 months, a year? It's not an easy fix. It by no means is anything quick. It is trust that is being built between an exotic animal and a human being. That in itself is an honor to have, let alone having an exotic animal in your house who has lost all trust in your species, or in my case, a female.

The honeymoon between Rocky and I was over about a week after being home and I was told at that time by Dr. O that I hadn't seen anything yet! Rescues or re-homes aren't for everyone. For the few that make a smooth transition, hats off to you and I'm very happy. But for the many in which it is anything but smooth, it can make daily living situations extremely challenging.

i havent seen much difference between the honeymoon period with my 3 birds and after the honeymoon period. but with my foster zon, there have been differences in weekly phases.

during the first week, zeba was upset with being with me and not with his previous foster family any more. he would "stomp" all around his cage whenever i got closer and he would go in full zon display.

second week - zeba gets really "cuddly" i can scratch him and he comes up to me for this and some one-on-one attention.

third week till present - zeba is still okay with head scritches but not as much as he did during the second week.i can tell he has become a little distant. he beaks me a little more (im keeping on top of that) and he is a little uncomfortable around hands. he has somewhat of a hard past, and it is now coming through.

the honeymoon is over and i think all is left is to build trust and teach him humans are a great species to interact with.

Do you think what you observed during that time with him being grumpy and frightened was his real personality or was it a personality that he adopted to cope with less than optimal conditions he had to endure before coming to your home? Would you still consider him a grumpy bird today?

You know its intresting. None of my birds have seemed to change since I got them its really intresting. I have had Fiji my green cheek conure for over a year now and she is just as sweet as she was the day I got her, we will see how she is once she gets older but so far nothing has changed.

Kona my CAG I have had almost 7 months and she is still just as sweet. I dont know, I have noticed how other birds have changed after owners got them. But so far my two havent changed a bit. I dont mind it though, and if they ever did, we will get through it.

Wow, I have forgotten about my reply to this post. My honeymoon period is still not over but making fantastic progress. The progress I can now see weekly. He's still not up to par to the peach I brought home over 6 months ago.

Having a just become a new mom again to a B&G she has gone from not wanting to let anyone touch her and just sitting on your shoulder to letting us scratch her and cuddle her and the former owner said she wouldn't go on her back to flipping herself over and laughing. Since coming to our home she has not been punished (they used a spray bottle) and she would run and hide to never have had a real bath. My husband got in the shower with her and she copied everything he did when he washed his hair she stuck her head in and when he washed his underarm with shock she did the same thing with her wing. It maybe just a honeymoon period but I prefer to look at it as if this is the only time that she has been able to trust a large birdperson so be it we will love her no matter what and I will work with her forever to make her life better than she has had before. We know that we have not seen everything she has to offer us but just like us she is growing and changing and if she feels loved enough to show the real her I will be happy non of us is on our best behavior all the time so I don't expect it of her and even if I don't like all of her behavior I will love her no matter what

Gail I have 2 re-homed GreenWings here. One has been with me 2 1/2 years the other 1 1/2 years. I was just thinking about this the other day when I realized just how far they have come. My experience has been a little different with what's called the Honeymoon period. It's actually been back-wards from what I have seen described.

In the beginning I didn't see what I would call a good or bad behavior or personality. All I saw was scared, tense and cautious. I didn't see the real bird until we got to know each other. Once they became relaxed and trusted me out came their true personalities, which is sweet, trusting, forgiving, loving, funny, cooperative and talkative.

It sounds like you are off to a good start with Keke of building a solid trusting and fun relationship and that will carry you through the "Crumpy' days.