Zazu has always enjoyed retrieving, and picked up flighted retrieve pretty quickly once he learned to hang on to his retrieve object (he kept dropping it enroute). So i thought the next logical step might be "get it" (fly to perch where object is waiting) and then "bring it" (fly back to me with the object). Today he did this chain three times in a row just for fun before demanding a walnut. Pretty fun. Lately i've been having him retrieve pieces of paper. i can retire and he can support me as a winged panhandler...

The other trick he's perfected is drinking from a doll's teacup he holds in his foot. i usually give him the plastic lids from my juice to lick and chew. i started putting a few drops of mango juice in the lid for him, and he figured out how to hold the lid so as not to spill it (he loves mango juice). He will even hand the lid back to me for a refill. Today i substituted a little cup for the lid, and after he investigated the cup he decided it would work for juice just as well. i'll post a picture.

i remember taking a long time trying to teach Pongo to hold a spoon of peanut butter in her foot. When i added a little honey suddenly she was holding the spoon like a pro. Sometimes all it takes is knowing what they like best.

Mouse had developed an alarming affection for a toy in his cage: he was regurging so much he started losing weight. So i took the stupid thing away from him, and called his breeder. He may have a new girlfriend in six weeks.

i usually try to increase trick training, exercise, and toys-to-destroy when the birds are acting "hormonal," but this hasn't worked with Mouse (or i haven't found good lovebird distractors)...