little green haters LOL

[Mishcka]

LOL i know not all of them are monsters ! but the two i have owned are. Jake which was my mothers was a rescue bird from a very bad home and he was a touchy sorta a little guy. Now i work everyday to win Tyrion over...BUT im having no luck he bite me so hard when i went to but him in his cage yesterday i have a huge bruise on my arm today and man it hurts ! He sits there and talks to me and acts like he is so sweet and wants me to come over to play with him and them he bites me !

How do i win his little beak over ?

 

[Sterling1113]

I've seen several amazons pull that one: the adorable, talky, "come play with me" face.. then as soon as your hand is there, chomp! Mischievous little fellows indeed. I've never owned one so I can't give advice, but I wish you luck with your testy feathered friend! I'm sure you'll get through to his good side one day.

 

[SandyBee]

To win an amazon over, FOOD and making them want you.

The best way to get my DYH in his cage is to put a morsel of delectable food in his food dish. I also let him come out to me he prefers it that way.

 

[Birdman666]

I've owned 8. Presently own two. Rehabbed dozens... more than I have kept track of. They can be huge clowns. They can be big green chickens. They can be very independent. They can be contrary and stubborn, (but not as much as a CAG.) With amazons it is in part about learning their body language, and in part not getting them too wound up.

And if they haven't been handled a lot, then you are starting over from square one. Just assume that the bird is not tame anymore. Start over with step up/don't bite...

One of the funniest UTube videos I have ever seen was the MOST classic, these humans just don't get what I am trying to say...

In it, the touristy woman goes up to a hot 3 amazon (I think it was a BFA) who is doing a classic amazon "line of death" dance display. Pacing back and forth on the spot, hunched over, making the "warning noises," eye pinning, tail flaired etc... The woman thought the bird wanted to play with her! "Look at that! He likes you! He certainly is friendly!" It was a territorial intrusion warning. The amazon "line of death" dance. One step closer and I will attack you! SO, SHE WALKED UP TO THE BIRD... CROSSING THE LINE OF DEATH, AND THE BIRD IMMEDIATELY LAUNCHED AT HER FACE! AND SOMEHOW, THIS WAS THE BIRD'S FAULT... "IT WASN'T VERY FRIENDLY AT ALL!!!"

So, that's the one aspect that people don't get...

The other aspect is that even calm gentle amazons can work themselves into a state. AMAZON OVERLOAD is very real. When they reach that threshhold, they WILL bite. You need to step back and wait a minute or two for them to calm down before attempting to step them up.

And food helps... particularly anything potato in my household. "Just put the french fry down, and no one has to get hurt!"

 

[SandyBee]

And food helps... particularly anything potato in my household. "Just put the french fry down, and no one has to get hurt!"

LOL, Bosley is a funny bird he actually doesn't like french fries. But Potato chip now your talking, or popcorn or cheese or salmon mmmmm

And never underestimate their intelligence and their bravery/stubborness to communicate it to you. All week long Bosley is really good about coming out of his cage in the morning getting some loving. I clean his cage and give him breaky, he goes in without issue before I go to work.
On the weekend he does everything he can not to go back in his cage till he's good and ready. It's the only time he's ever bit me is when I try on the weekends. My smart little devil, but those little treats are just too much to resist and he always gives up for a piece of cheese LOL grumping and flaring his tail the whole climb back into his cage.

 

[Birdman666]

I don't have a bird that doesn't like french fries...

In fact, one of my CAG's favorite phrases is "WHO WANTS A FRENCH FRY?!"

He says this one in context, to anyone who happens to have any...

OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER AGAIN... while leaning over, staring intently, and doing the impatient bird wing-flappy thing.

Sally doesn't even CHEW salmon... she puts her head straight back and swallows it whole! It's funny...

Popcorn's pretty much a universal. In fact, my daughter (who works at SeaWorld) got in trouble at work for feeding the Greenwing junk food. The greenwing is part of the flighted bird show, and he is young and stubborn. So one day, the bird flies to the top of the stadium, and isn't coming down...

The trainers tried to get him down by offering him healthy foods... He wasn't even remotely interested.

Sarah, was working in the stadium that day, sees what's going on, and grabs a handful of POPCORN... which immediately got his attention, and he flew down to her.

 

[Mishcka]

Part of my troubles with Tyrion is the people that had him before me just simpley cut his wings as short as they could ( to the point of animal abuse) which i know is part of his troubles right now and why i give him so much space. He dont have any balance if he looseing footing he falls and hard poor little guy. But also he was tought nothing. He picked up talking i think from the kids in the house cause he talkes like a little boy LOL but he dont know good boy or step up or dont bite. So i need to teach him all that. I am trying with step up but he just dont get it yet he has VERY VERY small feet too.

 

[Dougc1369]

Zack would bite me when I first got him every time I got too close. It was confusing, if I left the room, he would set up a rucus until I came back but if I tried to get too close, he would bite me. What worked for me was to come to the cage and talk to him, offering treats, and petting his feet. Eventually I started to let him out to play and, after a few learning experiences, we get along great. We went from me getting bit every day to about once every couple weeks...usually cause I do something stupid and startle him.

Zack was a bird that I was told did not like men but now we are buds. Just takes some time and patience but you can do it!

 

[SandyBee]

Poor Tyrion
That's so cruel.

Bosley or DYH was in a rescue and hadn't been handled for 2 years when we got him and possibly longer. His original owner died and the son tried to keep him but they didn't get along so he was surrendered to the rescue. The rescue tried to work with him but he wouldn't step up for anybody. He wasn't unhappy there but he wasn't bonded and very independent.

When he first came home I just let him come to me, he would come down off his cage and of course it was dinner time when he did. We bonded over food.
He wouldn't step up on my hand for about 4 months, but he would come sit on my lap and he would go on a T-stand we bought for him. We let his wings grow out and he would fly to my shoulder. I still don't use the phrase step up, I actually say want to come? and put out my hand. He doesn't care about the words actually, just putting out my hand will get him to step up now.

Anything you say positive with an upbeat voice and a piece of food will get the message good boy across.

As far as biting at first i would just say no, not nice and just touch his beak with my finger. He learned very quickly that I didn't like him to bite and I would stiop what I was doing.

Bonding with him is the first challenge all else comes from there.
I also bought a felt ball to play with him, it's his favorite toy to this day a year and a half later.