I wasn't really sure where I should post this, but Off Topic seemed like a good spot I guess... Anyways, for those who are interested, here's Jackie's story and how he came to own me 
It started in December, last year...a friend of mine, L, posted a picture of Jackie on Facebook asking if anyone knew what kind of parrot he was. After several google searches I concluded he might be a Mexican red headed amazon (I later learned he is actually a Tucuman Amazon)...at that point L called me and explained he belonged to her elderly mother in law who was suffering from Alzheimer's. There was also a yellow crowned kakariki, Sparky...the birds belonged to her husband who had passed away a few years ago. The birds had been moved from the living room to a back bedroom, where for a few years they received minimal interaction and care. L asked if when the time came to rehome them if we would adopt them. We said yes, but requested a visit to the home to assess the situation. We were able to visit that same day, after driving an hour to pay them a visit we saw a dire situation. Both birds in dirty cages, dirty floors, dirty covers, overgrown nails, the works... My heart sank. We wanted to load them up right then and there, but she said no. The owner wasn't able to tell me anything about the birds; genders, ages, species- all unknown to her thanks to the Alzheimer's. Thank goodness the cages were labeled with their names. When we got home I called L and let her know that their situation was worse than I thought and they should be removed as soon as possible and given a home where they could receive proper care, interaction, and a clean environment. L said that when the time comes, she would call me.
Two months passed; I worried for the birds...but then L called me and said her MIL had been moved out of her home and into a relative's and the birds were still there, with a neighbor coming over to feed and water them. We got the ok to drive down and get them. We made the trip, and Jackie's cage was bigger than I remembered and almost didn't fit in the back of our suv. We got home and got them set up in their new home and let them be. I felt relief that they were no longer in that home. I was also unsure of what I had gotten myself into; the biggest bird I ever had was a Quaker, and that was 15 years ago. I was intimidated by Jackie's size, and his beak!
The first few days I let them be, providing food, water, and words. Jackie would rush the bars, trying to attack my fingers as I changed his dishes. After a few days, I opened the cage door and lured him out with a treat set in sight. From there, we've had to overcome several behavioral obstacles; lunging at my hands through the bars when changing dishes, chasing my hands while moving dishes on top of the cage, being a naughty boy come bed time, just the works.
I have learned a lot from folks on this forum, and with a lot of advice have been able to overcome Jackie's issues. Today, 3.5 months later, he no longer lunges, nor chases my hands, but in fact welcomes head scritches, I can feed him treats from my fingers without getting bit, calls for me, yearns to be near me, and now he steps up without issues. He's become quite the spoiled lil boy and is obviously enjoying every minute of it.
I am one of those bird owners who rescued him without doing extensive research on zons, but as an animal lover I couldn't say no, and leave him to an unknown fate. I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason, and he was meant to join our family. He has his moments of grumpiness, but our progress together has been worth it. My patience, determination, and faith have played a great part in our successes, and I'm excited for our future together.
Cheers to you, Jackie!
It started in December, last year...a friend of mine, L, posted a picture of Jackie on Facebook asking if anyone knew what kind of parrot he was. After several google searches I concluded he might be a Mexican red headed amazon (I later learned he is actually a Tucuman Amazon)...at that point L called me and explained he belonged to her elderly mother in law who was suffering from Alzheimer's. There was also a yellow crowned kakariki, Sparky...the birds belonged to her husband who had passed away a few years ago. The birds had been moved from the living room to a back bedroom, where for a few years they received minimal interaction and care. L asked if when the time came to rehome them if we would adopt them. We said yes, but requested a visit to the home to assess the situation. We were able to visit that same day, after driving an hour to pay them a visit we saw a dire situation. Both birds in dirty cages, dirty floors, dirty covers, overgrown nails, the works... My heart sank. We wanted to load them up right then and there, but she said no. The owner wasn't able to tell me anything about the birds; genders, ages, species- all unknown to her thanks to the Alzheimer's. Thank goodness the cages were labeled with their names. When we got home I called L and let her know that their situation was worse than I thought and they should be removed as soon as possible and given a home where they could receive proper care, interaction, and a clean environment. L said that when the time comes, she would call me.
Two months passed; I worried for the birds...but then L called me and said her MIL had been moved out of her home and into a relative's and the birds were still there, with a neighbor coming over to feed and water them. We got the ok to drive down and get them. We made the trip, and Jackie's cage was bigger than I remembered and almost didn't fit in the back of our suv. We got home and got them set up in their new home and let them be. I felt relief that they were no longer in that home. I was also unsure of what I had gotten myself into; the biggest bird I ever had was a Quaker, and that was 15 years ago. I was intimidated by Jackie's size, and his beak!
The first few days I let them be, providing food, water, and words. Jackie would rush the bars, trying to attack my fingers as I changed his dishes. After a few days, I opened the cage door and lured him out with a treat set in sight. From there, we've had to overcome several behavioral obstacles; lunging at my hands through the bars when changing dishes, chasing my hands while moving dishes on top of the cage, being a naughty boy come bed time, just the works.
I have learned a lot from folks on this forum, and with a lot of advice have been able to overcome Jackie's issues. Today, 3.5 months later, he no longer lunges, nor chases my hands, but in fact welcomes head scritches, I can feed him treats from my fingers without getting bit, calls for me, yearns to be near me, and now he steps up without issues. He's become quite the spoiled lil boy and is obviously enjoying every minute of it.
I am one of those bird owners who rescued him without doing extensive research on zons, but as an animal lover I couldn't say no, and leave him to an unknown fate. I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason, and he was meant to join our family. He has his moments of grumpiness, but our progress together has been worth it. My patience, determination, and faith have played a great part in our successes, and I'm excited for our future together.
Cheers to you, Jackie!
