Congratulations on your new little green guy, and welcome to the group!  There's several of us who have ekkies here, just ask any kind of question you want and I'm sure at least one of us will try to give you an answer.  I love the name McTavish, so you've determined he's a Scottish kind of guy?  Guess I've got one of the Irish SI's--my little guy's named Shannon.  Yep, they can be food flingers, but they're an Italian mama's dream, they'll eat almost anything once they figure out it's food.  I think that some ekkies take a bit longer to warm up to people than some other birds because they like to think things through, weigh all the options before forming an opinion.  So don't be surprised if for example you ask him to "step up" and he goes one foot at a time, verrrrryyyy slooooowwwly.  One of the fids I'm slave to is a high energy severe macaw, and after spending a half hour or so constantly in motion keeping her entertained it's really nice to be able to sit for a bit with Shannon on my arm or knee and just watch TV or sing songs, or something else that doesn't involve jumping up and down and running around. 

 

Betcha the other ekkie owners will be by soon to share their fids with you, too.

 

Nancy and...

 

 

 

Hi Pam, Welcome. I also have an ekkie. Mine is a British princess, Diana.

She's 9 years old now and has been with me since she was about 8 or 10 weeks old.

She decided at about age 4 or 5 to get nekkid. Been nekkid ever since.

This is before her nekkidness. Also before her beak turned solid black.

 

Annie

 

 

 

 

MSN must be playing games with us again.  I just tried posting another picture and got the dreaded red "X".  Shannon will be 4 in June, but I still remember when I brought him home as a 7 month old.  We had him in quarantine in our bedroom, and for about a month he didn't make a sound...not a peep.  One morning about sunrise for some reason he started making all kinds of sounds, beeps, squeaks, etc.  Funny to listen to, we had a hard time pretending we were still asleep.  As soon as he saw an eye open, he quit.  He's still like that for the most part.  Won't talk unless he's got a toy or something between him and me (hiding) or has his head in his food dish, or has his eyes closed.  Guess he figures if he can't see me, I can't see him.  His best buddy is a sun conure, so while he talks a little, it usually comes out in a gravelly voice.  I keep telling him "Talk like Shannon, don't talk like Zonker". 

 

I usually end up giving him enough food to satisfy my B&G macaw, but his dish looks so empty if I just put a little bit in there.  Guess it's the Italian mama in me that wants to make sure he doesn't go hungry.  He's a so-so pellet eater.  Some days it doesn't look like he's touched them, some days all I find is crumbs on the bottom of the cage.

 

Love to see pictures of McTavish if you can post some, these green guys are just awsome, aren't they?