Quarantine Over, Chaos Reigns

I thought introducing Merlin, my new Bronze Wing Pionus, to the flock and especially to Bandit (Nanday Conure) would be traumatic and I was correct. Not to Merlin, of course - Mister Serenity Himself - but to the Bandermeister.

Poor Bandit does not know what to make of the new bird. He's heard Merlin croaking from the upstairs for the last month, but must have decided there was no competition. Now that Merlin is downstairs, though, Bandit's competitive spirit has jumped to the forefront.

It isn't that Bandit hasn't seen me with another bird before. My male red-rumped parakeet Alex will sit on my knee or finger for a short time, and Cream, my yellow-faced blue budgie, likes to watch TV from the arm of my chair. Bandit watches me talk to the cockatiels from his shoulder perch with no jealousy, and regards the rest of the budgie brigade with equanimity (unless they invade his cage).

But this big purple-brown bird is different. Merlin wants to sit on the back of my chair (he doesn't particularly want to stay on my shoulder, but he wants to be near me). Bandit considers that an invasion and up go his hackles. Merlin wants to join us at the dinner table and try my vegetables. Bandit is positive there isn't enough for everyone and up go the feathers again. Merlin really really wants to see what Bandit is throwing around on the coffee table - Bandit says NO WAY.

I think Merlin is very interested in making friends with Bandit - he watches Bandit all the time. Bandit is more interested in making sure Merlin keeps his distance from me. And I am trying to play fair without detracting anything from the quantity and quality of time I share with Bandit yet give Merlin the attention he deserves.

I had hoped Merlin would like my son Tony, but although he tolerates Tony, he would rather hang out with Bandit and me (and I think the true attraction is Bandit!).

And I have had to reinstitute calisthenics to deal with Bandit's screams. This procedure of forced exercise helped a lot when Bandit first joined our household and it is having an effect already. Bandit has never liked me out of his sight and would scream till I came back into sight. This really isn't a problem because when I am home, he is usually with me, so the only screaming is when I first get up and when I get home from work. But Merlin's entry into the living room has brought back the non-stop screaming in the morning. So now whenever Bandit starts his screeching, I make him step up from finger to finger until he stops. He remembered this ritual really quick (the lazy bones) and gets himself under control after five or six repeats. Although it really isn't funny (Nanday screams) I have to laugh inside while we do this. The look he gets on his face is priceless.

Thank goodness Merlin is the independent little cuss that he is. He doesn't want cuddles, he doesn't want kisses. He just wants to be in the midst of things. We had a good period this evening which makes me hopeful for the future. I was sprawled on the couch watching TV. Bandit was on my chest tucked under me chin, accepting my scratches and blowing me kisses. Merlin was walking up and down on back of the couch, playing a rather fierce game with the holes in the afghan covering it. Rags, my male cockatiel, was singing quietly to his hen. The budgies were babbling madly in the dining room.

Life is good when my birds are happy.

Modified March 22, 1999