ZoeynHarley17
New member
- Jul 4, 2013
- 49
- 0
- Parrots
- I have a beautiful Blue and Gold named Zoey (13) and a Harlequin named Harley (4)
Hello everyone, my name is Melanie, and i recently brought home a male Harlequin Macaw named Harley. He is about 4 years old and an absolute sweet heart. Harley was raised with 3 other macaws and a few cockatoos. Harleys owner is 86 and she felt it was time to give him up, she took him to Todd Marcus Exotic Birds in Delran NJ and put him on consignment. i happened to be in Delran looking for a new bird cage for my 13 year old female blue and gold named Zoey. i walked in and immediately was captured by all the baby birds running wild. i had been to bird stores in the past, this one is by far my favorite. Todd the owner walked up to me and Zoey almost immediately and introduced himself to me, he walked me around and introduced me to his birds which he keeps in the store, a variety of macaws, amazons, and parrots, along with a really beautiful toucan named tooci. While I was walking around with Zoey on my shoulder i heard a couple speaking about how beautiful the bird in the cage was, and they waited for assistance. i walked up to the cage just to check him out and it was LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. Todd came up to the cage and explained to the couple that Harley had just come in that very same day. Todd put his arm in the cage and told Harley to step up and he did willingly. As soon as he was out the cage he was off, Todd had not been told Harley was not clipped and had full flight, and that he was a very good and strong flyer. He flew around in circles for about 5 minutes, while the workers scrambled to get him. I put Zoey down on a perch stood up on a chair and called him. He flew right on to my arm. When I tell you I shed a tear or two i am not joking. I was sold. Todd came over to me and went to give him to the couple, I said I WANT HIM, ill buy him right now. The couple agreed, they didn't think they could deal with such a big bird now that they'd seen him in action. I put a down payment down and decided to leave him there for about two weeks so I could go back and forth to take Zoey to see him and get them acquainted before I just took him home. I went every other day for two weeks straight and they were very comfortable with each other from the start. I have brought him home, its been about 3 weeks now and he has settled in.
Now when I got Zoey my experience was different. I was on my way home from six flags in Jackson, and I saw a cage outside I stopped and inside was a frightened, plucked, blue and gold with no water and little food in 102 degree weather. I was appalled I knocked on the door and asked the guy that opened it if I could have him, he immediately told me she was all mine as long as i didn't complain or send the cops when she attacked me I agreed. He walked to cage grabbed bolt cutters cut the lock and walked away. I threw a towel over her drove to Walmart and had my friend run inside to get a carrier, we put her in and drove 2 hours home. I had a huge cage at home that my mother use to use for plants and gardening, and i set it up and put zoey inside. She tried to attack me immediately through the bars and cursed at me. I was determined to change her around. it took me 3 years to be were we are now, she is absolutely amazing. I take her EVERYWHERE shell go to kids and all women, and chooses her men wisely. She loves to be tickled and loves when I pick her up she is always ready with her foot in the air waiting for me to get her. Shell climb down and look for me, once she sees me she runs for me and laughs she is absolutely great with ME. Now when she sees my sister, she turns into a completely different bird, she wants to eat her. Shes not really a bitter, but she does lunge at her, i think its because she knows my sister is terrified of her and she just enjoys tormenting her. No bird is perfect I guess. The only real problem that I have with Zoey is her attachment to me. She constantly needs to be touching me or on my arm or playing with my fingers or hair, if she cant see me then she's looking for me if she finds me then she needs to be on top of me, it drives me bananas sometimes.
NOW for the real help... I just want to understand three things about Harley that have me perplexed.
1. He flaps his wings. CONSTANTLY. All day everyday, I can have him on my arm and he starts flapping over and over an over again, doesn't stop. Then he'll calm down and start stretching, and then will just keep his wings open for a while, put them down and start flapping again. Could it be the heat? He does it mostly outside. but its unusual to me because Zoey never does this.
2. He is an absolute sweetheart WHEN he's off his perch or cage. When he's on his perch its really hard to get him down he gets really nippy and its weird he gets all puffy and goes for me. He doesn't hurt me more like pushes me away. i kind of just go for him and take him off anyway, once he's off of his perch he is perfect he will kiss me and hide under my chin and fall asleep. Am I doing something wrong? Should I just leave him alone? Or should I keep doing the same? Is this a territory thing? How do i stop this? Zoey will come as soon as I put my hand under her, no sounds no questions, Shes happy to come and actually gets really excited.
3. last he sneezes constantly, I took him to the vet no respiratory infection or anything. could he be imitating? the lady that had him was elderly is it possible she was sick and his just repeating her sounds? or is sneezing normal?
Now when I got Zoey my experience was different. I was on my way home from six flags in Jackson, and I saw a cage outside I stopped and inside was a frightened, plucked, blue and gold with no water and little food in 102 degree weather. I was appalled I knocked on the door and asked the guy that opened it if I could have him, he immediately told me she was all mine as long as i didn't complain or send the cops when she attacked me I agreed. He walked to cage grabbed bolt cutters cut the lock and walked away. I threw a towel over her drove to Walmart and had my friend run inside to get a carrier, we put her in and drove 2 hours home. I had a huge cage at home that my mother use to use for plants and gardening, and i set it up and put zoey inside. She tried to attack me immediately through the bars and cursed at me. I was determined to change her around. it took me 3 years to be were we are now, she is absolutely amazing. I take her EVERYWHERE shell go to kids and all women, and chooses her men wisely. She loves to be tickled and loves when I pick her up she is always ready with her foot in the air waiting for me to get her. Shell climb down and look for me, once she sees me she runs for me and laughs she is absolutely great with ME. Now when she sees my sister, she turns into a completely different bird, she wants to eat her. Shes not really a bitter, but she does lunge at her, i think its because she knows my sister is terrified of her and she just enjoys tormenting her. No bird is perfect I guess. The only real problem that I have with Zoey is her attachment to me. She constantly needs to be touching me or on my arm or playing with my fingers or hair, if she cant see me then she's looking for me if she finds me then she needs to be on top of me, it drives me bananas sometimes.
NOW for the real help... I just want to understand three things about Harley that have me perplexed.
1. He flaps his wings. CONSTANTLY. All day everyday, I can have him on my arm and he starts flapping over and over an over again, doesn't stop. Then he'll calm down and start stretching, and then will just keep his wings open for a while, put them down and start flapping again. Could it be the heat? He does it mostly outside. but its unusual to me because Zoey never does this.
2. He is an absolute sweetheart WHEN he's off his perch or cage. When he's on his perch its really hard to get him down he gets really nippy and its weird he gets all puffy and goes for me. He doesn't hurt me more like pushes me away. i kind of just go for him and take him off anyway, once he's off of his perch he is perfect he will kiss me and hide under my chin and fall asleep. Am I doing something wrong? Should I just leave him alone? Or should I keep doing the same? Is this a territory thing? How do i stop this? Zoey will come as soon as I put my hand under her, no sounds no questions, Shes happy to come and actually gets really excited.
3. last he sneezes constantly, I took him to the vet no respiratory infection or anything. could he be imitating? the lady that had him was elderly is it possible she was sick and his just repeating her sounds? or is sneezing normal?
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