Amazons on the shoulder

[sherylb]

I am looking for info/advice about letting your birds on your shoulder? I am getting mixed advice. I have a 10 month BF and he of course loves my shoulder. MOST of the time he just likes to sit and chill or nap there but sometimes he nips at my ear or cheek, it seems like he is either playing but I can't tell and I put him down when he does it and tell him no. Will this be an issue once his hormones set in? is it just a bad idea to have them on the shoulder when they like it so much? Also, Im trying to get him to play more with toys...he likes his chew toys but he just won't play much with me with toys like a ball...he would rather wrestle around with me and play bite like a puppy does! lol.

 

[saxguy64]

Excellent question. Generally, best to consider being on your shoulder as a PRIVELEDGE that is earned when you are 100% comfortable knowing they won't bite. Trust is everything. It takes a split second for that beak to do serious damage. Unintended facial piercings, ripped ears or noses, eye damage... Remember those arteries in your neck? Yeah, it can happen.

Yes, absolutely, when hormones come in to play, all bets are off. A hormonally charged parrot has little to no control of behaviors, be they mating type stuff, or flat out aggression. Every one is different, so you don't know how yours will react until you're in the thick of it. Don't get me wrong, some are affected less so than others, so take it as it comes. The sad reality is that many parrots are rehomed when puberty hits, because people don't want to wait it out, or assume their bird has become unmanageable, and get rid of them. Yes, they change. Sometimes for the better, sometimes not. Just remember when that time comes, they seriously have no control of it, and it will eventually pass.

I'll offer a couple links that might be helpful. One on bite pressure training, and one on bonding and trust building:

http://www.parrotforums.com/training/63988-bite-pressure-training.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask more questions, that's why we're here!

 

[Scott]

Shoulder privileges are earned, not granted when you have the slightest concern for safety. Parrots love the shoulder as it permits high positioning next to the locus of your being. An angry parrot can easily inflict serious scarring damage to soft tissues of your face and neck. Not all wounds can be corrected by a skilled plastic surgeon!

You'll have to make the judgment based on age, experience, and subtle clues including the propensity to bite your fingers or hands. A compromise is possible permitting shoulder privileges based on your "reading" of the moment and avoiding during hormonal or excitable behavior.

Some parrots are fascinated by ear lobes or hair; nibbling is far different from an overt bite! As for my Amazon Gonzo, he was a shoulder bird prior to puberty. Afterwards, Gonzo developed a fascination for the jugulars, so he is banished to hands-only conact. My Goffins have unrestricted access.

 

[noodles123]

they are earned, but you also can have a bird who "earns" them consistently (but then loses that privilege due to hormones or something), so you have to be SUPER in-tune with their general behavior (because that's a VERY vulnerable place to be bitten)...and they can get kind of insistent about doing things when they are used to doing them. I let my cockatoo on mine, but this is still risk (obviously). She is also an adult and I can read her really well 99% of the time, but I could still lose an eye if I didn't pay attention or missed a cue--people do get bitten on their faces by trustworthy birds from time-to-time..

I just thought of this, but because Noodles gets on mine, she thinks she can do it on everyone (and that is another potential issue if you don't teach people how to prevent it ahead of time). I am comfortable with her on the shoulder of 1-2 other people in my life, but they have also spent A TON of time with her. People are often willing to let her go on theirs and I have to pretty much block or pre-teach what you shouldn't allow for fear of her lulling them into a false sense of security lol. Shes bitten my mom's shoulder before....seemingly out of the blue to my mom. It was a sneaky move on Noodles' part, but it related to the proximity of my dad (whom Noodles wishes SHE could marry).

She has never bitten anyone on the face (well..she did get me on the cheek once, but that was TOTALLY my fault for getting her all worked up and dancing to Come on Eileen lol!), but sometimes, she will manage to get onto a less-familiar person's shoulder and resist leaving and get snippy if they try to remove her and then people get nervous. I do not have this issue, but that is why I try to prevent her from getting on other people's shoulders unless they know her very well...

When my much younger sister first was bonding with her many years ago (and I was visiting the family with the bird), they got along really well, and at the time, my sister was probably 17-ish? Anyway, Noodles was pretty good with her when I was around- didn't do much that was objectionable.. They had weeks of interaction and my sister could get her to step up easily etc. Anyway, one day, my mom and I went out for the afternoon and my sister let Noodles out of the cage (because they got along really well and Noodles gets so pathetic---she called and I was like, "if you want to let her out and you feel safe doing that, you can, but just be careful because she can get bossy"). Anyway, apparently, it was all good until she got on her shoulder and basically trapped her lol/eek! She posted some pictures of them hanging out, but like 20 minutes later, I got a crying phone-call ("when will you be home I am stuck---she won't get down and she bites at my hand whenever I try!!!")...She did end up with some bruises, but the tears were more out of frustration and panic than actual pain...as in, will I have to sit here with this tyrant for 4 hours??!!?
Not an issue these days, but I mention that because different people can have very different experiences with the same bird based on history, bonds etc...Noodles LOVED my sister, but there was a weird period of trust mixed with random pushy behavior mixed in.

I KNOOOOOOW Amazons and cockatoos are like night and day, BUT, I just mention that because it may be relevant in some way shape or form lol.

 

[sherylb]

I won’t be rehoming my baby! I know they bite and that’s what birds do. When do the hormones set in? He’s very sweet and he has never angrily bit me but he nips at my ears and face when he wants off the shoulder....but sometimes he wants on and as soon as he is on he nips so that is what I am not understanding just yet. I don’t know what it means , maybe he’s playing ??

 

[texsize]

I made a painful mistake with my YNA recently and been wanting to post it.

I put Bingo on my shoulder to go into the kitchen. Bingo was curious as to what was going on. While I was there I remembered I needed to take my Rx so I did that.

I knew Bingo hates Pill bottles but I was keeping them out of his sight as best I could.
As I walked back to the living room Bingo must have noticed I had a Bluetooth earbud in the ear next to where he was sitting.
Already being worked up over me handling a hated object he see's this blue light blinking in my ear and he struck.

top part of beak went into my ear just above the earlobe. bottom part of beak was outside my ear on base of earlobe.

there is a lot of nerves in the ear. I was struck by such a searing pain I can't describe it.
Of course I reacted instinctively and raised my right hand to grab my abused ear. It was only when I encountered feathers that I realized what the source of pain was.
I grabbed a towel and got Bingo off me so I could inspect the damage.

I was lucky. Only superficial damage and little bit of blood.

The biggest problem with having a bird on the shoulder is you can't see his/her body language.

I will still put Bingo on my shoulder but not right away and I must be more carful around things he dislikes.

 

[saxguy64]

Amazons have a somewhat unique set of behaviors to learn. If you're new to them and haven't already done so, the two stickies at the top of the Amazon sub-forum are loaded with extremely helpful info.

http://www.parrotforums.com/amazons/54250-amazon-body-language.html

http://www.parrotforums.com/amazons/65119-i-love-amazons-going-journey.html

Once you get a feel for their body language, you'll soon realize how extremely obvious and honest they are in their actions. They never bluff. They communicate everything we need to know, and they get frustrated if we don't understand or pay attention.

 

[noodles123]

I won’t be rehoming my baby! I know they bite and that’s what birds do. When do the hormones set in? He’s very sweet and he has never angrily bit me but he nips at my ears and face when he wants off the shoulder....but sometimes he wants on and as soon as he is on he nips so that is what I am not understanding just yet. I don’t know what it means , maybe he’s playing ??

generally between 2-6 years lol! I know that is a huge span, but the numbers are all across the board for these guys...they are usually sexually mature by 4-6 but it can vary a bit. That initial hormonal period can last a long time---then it tends to be worse during certain times of the year, but that can also vary (its not totally restricted to a certain season).

 

[Anita1250]

My Sam is a 37 yr. old BFA. The last time he was on my shoulder he was about 10. He grabbed my earing, and the stone came out. I just about got it out of his mouth before he swallowed it. It could have killed him. No more shoulder for him! Now he rides my hand and sits on my chest where I can see him.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

30 y.o. Amy rides on my shoulder only in the car. He loves car rides and is a totally different bird! He coo's and preens and gently nibbles my ear and mumbles amazon speak. Any other time he has his perch stick that I carry him around on.


Jim

 

[wrench13]

Really comes down to the parrot. Salty never ever nibbled on ears or any thing, UNTIL he went thru his puberty. He got nippy and one time, just one, he grabbed a beak full of cheek. He lost his shoulder privileges until just recently when hormone season/puberty seems to have past. You just have to know your parrot, really well, as you have been reading.

PS, Salty is a very little Amazon, 1/2 the size of a yellow nape or blue front, so I can see his body language and eyes very well, and they are below my eyes, so no dominance issues.

 

[Ira7]

Really comes down to the parrot.
PS, Salty is a very little Amazon, 1/2 the size of a yellow nape or blue front, so I can see his body language and eyes very well, and they are below my eyes, so no dominance issues.

You really think he’s half a YNA, which averages 480 to 680? Although still young (15 months), Archie has been steady at 475.

Regarding shoulder, so far I trust him 100% up there, but if my wife isn’t there for him to step up off me, forget it. He doesn’t want to come off.

 

[SailBoat]

Truly great Posts on Young Amazons.

It is important to understand that Amazon Body Language has two parts: That which is 'hardwired' and that which that specific Amazon adds to the hardwired base as they age. As stated, You Are Required to Learn that hardwired base like it is your first language. Failure will result in your Amazon providing a clear 'wake-up call' to your not paying attention.

Understand that when Amazons are communicating with other Amazons, they have a much wider sight plane than Humans, as a result it is ease to not see them communicating with you when you cannot see them! As a result, shoulder time best occurs when the Amazon and Human are in on-going verbal communication -- 'Contact Calls.'

Since our Amazons can be out of our sight, always use a more open method of Trust: "Trust, But Verify."

Very young Amazons that are not fully trustworthy as they can be easily spooked or loose their balance and if that ear is the only surface available to grab on too, they will.