New member/bird owner

[JGarza57]

Hello, I am very new to this. My name is Jennifer and im 20 years old. I recently found a parrot under a palm tree, it does not know how to fly. I’ve never had a bird let alone a parrot as a pet I could use all the help and advice I can get, i’ve always been a dog person, i had two, a chihuahua (10yrs) and a husky (6yrs), my chihuahua passed away this Tuesday (July.2) and my dad found the parrot coming back from out of town and decided to pick him/her (do not know the sex) up. I read they are good companion animals and has helped me have some “happiness” since the death of my childhood dog. He was very agressive the first day but now he falls asleep on my shoulder and is very friendly. I currently do not have a proper cage for him i “build” him one out of a big cardbord box (top is opened) and cut holes through the side to place branches for him to stand on and sleep, i bought him baby toys and have done some out of straws and rope, he loves them! I am looking for a cage and proper eating containers. Since I do not know his age, ive been feeding him baby parrot food and have encouraged him/her to eat oranges, pineapple, grapes, etc. I have been feeding him 3 times a day with a syringe. I leave him a bowl of water but give him some water with syringe since he seems to now know how to do it himself. I have him with me around the house most of the time on the couch (thats where he plays). My biggest concern is not knowing how hes feeling, im all new to this and ive been reading articles and many pages on parrot behavior and body language but I just feel so uneducated. He nibbles on my neck and fingers, he likes to “chew” my hair, he comes towards me when he sees me, he also flaps his/her wings and wiggles the tail when hes playing.


My questions:
- Can I place the cage (once i obtain one) in my room?
- How do I know if he/she is happy?
- He sleeps with his head on his back, is that a good sign or a bad sign?
- Will he get lonley once i go back to work and only have a chance to be out 2-3
hours instead of 5+ hours?
- What can i do to encourage him/her to eat on his/her own (too scared to give
adult parrot food since I don’t know his/her age)?
- I’ve been looking at cages online and some home made ones out of armoire,
wood, etc. What size is a good size?
- He/she sneezes 2-3 time a day, is that a concern?
- He/she had heavy breathing this morning for maybe 2-3 minutes (only
happend today), should I be worried?
- What temperature is too hot or too cold?
- He/she naps throughout the day (taking a nap as I am writing this), is that
normal? (Does get 9-10 of sleep a night)



I’m so sorry for this being too long I just feel so confused and want the best for the parrot!!

 

[Flboy]

Hello and welcome!

 

[JGarza57]

thank you

 

[Squeekmouse]

Oh my goodness he is ADORABLE! He kinda looks like a red-lored Amazon... hard to tell how big he is and I'm no expert. He's lucky you have taken him in.

He MIGHT be someone's pet though, you should see if he belongs to someone who is missing him terribly. Check with local vets, maybe leave fliers with them. Check Facebook, check www.911parrotalert.com/ and www.parrotalert.com/, put a post on there. He looks so young though, he could have been born in the wild to some other lost birds who didn't know what to do with him. Do your best to find his family, but move forward as if he's going to be yours.

My questions:
1. Can I place the cage (once i obtain one) in my room?
2. How do I know if he/she is happy?
3. He sleeps with his head on his back, is that a good sign or a bad sign?
4. Will he get lonley once i go back to work and only have a chance to be out 2-3hours instead of 5+ hours?
5. What can i do to encourage him/her to eat on his/her own (too scared to give adult parrot food since I don’t know his/her age)?
6. I’ve been looking at cages online and some home made ones out of armoire, wood, etc. What size is a good size?
7. He/she sneezes 2-3 time a day, is that a concern?
8. He/she had heavy breathing this morning for maybe 2-3 minutes (only happend today), should I be worried?
9. What temperature is too hot or too cold?
10. He/she naps throughout the day (taking a nap as I am writing this), is that normal? (Does get 9-10 of sleep a night)

1. Sure! Why not? He'll be happiest being where you are the most.
2. Happy birds are alert, healthy, active, curious, and hopefully affectionate. Unhappy birds scream, bite, cower, attack, become unhealthy, pluck their feathers. Birds show you how they feel with their body language. Plenty of good articles out there with info: Bird Body language
3. GOOD sign, very normal. Also very cute.
4. Yes, so have him out with you as much as you can when you are home. He'll nap and play with his toys while you are gone and be happy to see you when you get home. If he's out of his cage for at least 1 hour per day minimum, he'll be OK. If he's out of his cage with you for 2-3 hours per day that's even better. More whenever you can and he'll be happier still.
5. I recommend pellets. Something without colors. Good brands: Harrison's, Roudybush, Top's, Tropican, Zupreem's natural. You can find any of those on Amazon.com or ordering directly. Most big chain stores will at least have the Zupreem's natural. Keep a bowl of pellets available to him all day long. Give him another bowl of veggies at least once per day, occasionally fruit, but don't let it stay in there and rot. Throw it out after a few hours. I posted a bunch more info on feeding on this thread: http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-food-recipes-diet/81249-michael-conure-s-food.html also be aware of foods to avoid: http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...afe-fresh-foods-toxic-food-lists-sprouts.html
6. As big as you can fit and afford. Bigger is better. In general you want a cage he can at LEAST spread his wings in comforably. If he is an amazon, he'll get bigger. Minimum recommended cage size for an Amazon would be 24 inches x 24 inches. Bar spacing 3/4 - 1 inch. Cages can be pricey... not sure what your budget is. Here's one I found on Amazon that's pretty inexpensive for it's size.
7. Probably not, but you should take him to a vet who knows avians (preferably a Certified Avian Vet!) and get him a check up to make sure he doesn't have any parasites or other problems.
8. Maybe... especially if he is sneezing a lot. See my answer to number 7! Also, be warned that there area LOT of things that are toxic to birds!
9. If it's comfortable for you, without a coat or blanket, then it's comfortable for him. Generally no colder than 60 degrees F, no hotter than 90F.
10. He should get between 10-12 hours of "night time" in his cage in the dark or covered. During the day he'll nap on and off. Totally normal.

Good luck and great questions!!!

 

[BeatriceC]

That looks like a baby Mexican redhead or Lilac crown. I'm leaning towards lilac crown. He's not a red lored because he has no yellow behind his eyes or cheeks. Are you in Southern California or Texas? There are wild flocks in both places. If you're in either of those places I'd take him to a vet to try to determine if he's actually wild or if he's somebody's escaped pet.

 

[munami]

Welcome to the forum JGarza.
Personally, I'm not too much of an expert on species of birds so I can't tell you how old they are. Hopefully someone of the forum might be able to identify. Alternatively, I'd recommend taking them to an certified avian vet. For health check up and emergencies too.

I do have a few questions real quickly though!
How do you know that they're unable to fly? How do you know this parrot isn't wild? What area of the world do you live in? Have you given any attempt to find the parrot's owner if you're sure it isn't wild?

As for some things you might not know yet, but are very important:
There are lots of hazards for parrots. If you do know, great!

• Be careful of any contact with bodily fluids of other animals with parrots. It can be harmful. Also be careful of any interactions between different animals.
• Birds are very sensitive to chemicals and smells. There are a plethora of household smells that can kill the bird. Teflon or PTFE/PTFOA in cooking pots/pans and sometimes appliances are a death sentence to birds. If anything is "non-stick", there's a good place to start looking. Cast iron, stainless steel, or PTFE/PTFOA free stuff is okay.
• Overheated cooking oils can also be dangerous to birds. Frankly, I'd recommend just not letting them in the kitchen at all times.
• No aerosols, perfumes, sprays, incense, candles, smoking, around the bird. Not only is it toxic for them to ingest but just the act of spraying can cause them major problems. If you or anyone in the house smokes, wash your hands with soap before handling the bird.
• Ceiling fans have killed more than one bird.
• Open toilet bowls have caused birds to drown.
• Ionizers in air purifiers are also not recommended.
• If anyone else can mention anything I've missed, I'd appreciate it!

Birdie body language can be hard to decipher so don't worry about it! As you get to know the bird more, you'll be able to pick up on more things. Depending on the species of bird, they may have slightly different body language.

From the body language you were describing, he seems to be checking you out! It looks like he's also preening you. So he does seem to like you. Tail shaking can either mean releasing tension from the body and/or excitement.

For the diet, I would be very careful. If you don't feed baby birds at the right temperature and in the right way, it can cause infections or burns. Unfortunately, I've got no experience here as I've never hand fed a bird before. There are plenty of other people on the fourms who have had experience though so I hope they can help.
Be careful on feeding him too much fruit! Fruit isn't good for most birdies because it's high in sugar and not as much nutrition as vegetables. Also citrus in high quantities can be bad for birds.

As for your questions...

• Can I place the cage (once i obtain one) in my room? It depends. Birds awaken very easily at night especially due to movement. Ideally they need 10 - 14 hrs a night of undisturbed sleep. If you wake up early for work, toss a lot in bed, or maybe stay up late, it might not be good to keep the cage in your room.
• How do I know if he/she is happy? Honestly this varies from bird to bird but there are general signs. When my bird is happy, she's very quiet. She'll preen, play with her toys, or beak grind if she's a little sleepy. Of course it may differ depending on the sex of your birdie and their personality.
• He sleeps with his head on his back, is that a good sign or a bad sign? This is good! Birds sleep with one leg tucked up and their head nestled into their back feathers. It's to help keep the warmth in.
• Will he get lonely once i go back to work and only have a chance to be out 2 hours instead of 5+ hours? It's good to raise an independent bird for these situations. Make sure they're playing with toys, they can entertain themselves, and you could put on the radio/tv. It's not ideal though honestly. I feel like bare minimum should be at least 4 hrs out every day but more quality time is always encouraged.
• What can i do to encourage him/her to eat on his/her own (too scared to give adult parrot food since I don’t know his/her age)? Pellets & fresh vegetables with small amounts of seed tend to be the most recommended diet. Personally, I use Harrison's pellets. They have a high potency version that is meant for weaning baby birds or older birds who haven't eaten pellets before switching to their adult formula. Again, I'd consult more people about this as I know absolutely nothing about weaning.
• I’ve been looking at cages online and some home made ones out of armoire wood, etc. What size is a good size? Wood isn't ideal frankly. It's going to get destroyed. Those beaks can easily demolish an armoire. Please please consider buying a proper metal cage. With armoires and what not, on top of the wood, if there's glass, it can severely restrict airflow. As for the size, the bigger the better. The bare bare minimum for Amazon's is around 30"x36"x48".
• He/she sneezes 2-3 time a day, is that a concern? As long as they're not constantly sneezing. Birds sneeze to clear out their nose canals.
• He/she had heavy breathing this morning for maybe 2-3 minutes (only happened today), should I be worried? If he was doing any physical activity beforehand, it's normal. Luna wheezes up a storm when she does a joy fly around the room. If she was playing with her toy roughly or maybe just clambering down her cage to come out.
• What temperature is too hot or too cold? It depends on the species but if it's a pleasant temperature to you, it generally will be for them. If they're open mouthed breathing, it's too hot. If they're fluffed up constantly it's too cold. The one thing with birds though is that they don't handle sudden change in temperature too well. So keep that in mind.
• -He/she naps throughout the day (taking a nap as I am writing this), is thatnormal? (Does get 9-10 of sleep a night) Perfectly normal. He should be getting 10 - 14 hrs of sleep and a few naps during the day. Luna particularly likes sleeping after she's eaten a big meal.

I am so sorry this has gotten super long lol. With every new parrot owner, I just want to make sure they're as informed as possible.

 

[JGarza57]

Thank you!! I just checked the two websites out and nothing came up with his description but I will make sure to post a pic that I found him!

Thank you so much for answering my questions, i just viewed your attached link for a parrots nutrition and I will make sure to guve him a variety of healthy snacks!

Oh my goodness he is ADORABLE! He kinda looks like a red-lored Amazon... hard to tell how big he is and I'm no expert. He's lucky you have taken him in.

He MIGHT be someone's pet though, you should see if he belongs to someone who is missing him terribly. Check with local vets, maybe leave fliers with them. Check Facebook, check www.911parrotalert.com/ and www.parrotalert.com/, put a post on there. He looks so young though, he could have been born in the wild to some other lost birds who didn't know what to do with him. Do your best to find his family, but move forward as if he's going to be yours.

My questions:
1. Can I place the cage (once i obtain one) in my room?
2. How do I know if he/she is happy?
3. He sleeps with his head on his back, is that a good sign or a bad sign?
4. Will he get lonley once i go back to work and only have a chance to be out 2-3hours instead of 5+ hours?
5. What can i do to encourage him/her to eat on his/her own (too scared to give adult parrot food since I don’t know his/her age)?
6. I’ve been looking at cages online and some home made ones out of armoire, wood, etc. What size is a good size?
7. He/she sneezes 2-3 time a day, is that a concern?
8. He/she had heavy breathing this morning for maybe 2-3 minutes (only happend today), should I be worried?
9. What temperature is too hot or too cold?
10. He/she naps throughout the day (taking a nap as I am writing this), is that normal? (Does get 9-10 of sleep a night)

1. Sure! Why not? He'll be happiest being where you are the most.
2. Happy birds are alert, healthy, active, curious, and hopefully affectionate. Unhappy birds scream, bite, cower, attack, become unhealthy, pluck their feathers. Birds show you how they feel with their body language. Plenty of good articles out there with info: Bird Body language
3. GOOD sign, very normal. Also very cute.
4. Yes, so have him out with you as much as you can when you are home. He'll nap and play with his toys while you are gone and be happy to see you when you get home. If he's out of his cage for at least 1 hour per day minimum, he'll be OK. If he's out of his cage with you for 2-3 hours per day that's even better. More whenever you can and he'll be happier still.
5. I recommend pellets. Something without colors. Good brands: Harrison's, Roudybush, Top's, Tropican, Zupreem's natural. You can find any of those on Amazon.com or ordering directly. Most big chain stores will at least have the Zupreem's natural. Keep a bowl of pellets available to him all day long. Give him another bowl of veggies at least once per day, occasionally fruit, but don't let it stay in there and rot. Throw it out after a few hours. I posted a bunch more info on feeding on this thread: http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-food-recipes-diet/81249-michael-conure-s-food.html also be aware of foods to avoid: http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...afe-fresh-foods-toxic-food-lists-sprouts.html
6. As big as you can fit and afford. Bigger is better. In general you want a cage he can at LEAST spread his wings in comforably. If he is an amazon, he'll get bigger. Minimum recommended cage size for an Amazon would be 24 inches x 24 inches. Bar spacing 3/4 - 1 inch. Cages can be pricey... not sure what your budget is. Here's one I found on Amazon that's pretty inexpensive for it's size.
7. Probably not, but you should take him to a vet who knows avians (preferably a Certified Avian Vet!) and get him a check up to make sure he doesn't have any parasites or other problems.
8. Maybe... especially if he is sneezing a lot. See my answer to number 7! Also, be warned that there area LOT of things that are toxic to birds!
9. If it's comfortable for you, without a coat or blanket, then it's comfortable for him. Generally no colder than 60 degrees F, no hotter than 90F.
10. He should get between 10-12 hours of "night time" in his cage in the dark or covered. During the day he'll nap on and off. Totally normal.

Good luck and great questions!!!

 

[JGarza57]

That looks like a baby Mexican redhead or Lilac crown. I'm leaning towards lilac crown. He's not a red lored because he has no yellow behind his eyes or cheeks. Are you in Southern California or Texas? There are wild flocks in both places. If you're in either of those places I'd take him to a vet to try to determine if he's actually wild or if he's somebody's escaped pet.

I live near the Houston area, my dad found him under a palm tree in Mission, Texas (~6 hrs away). And I will make sure to look up the closest avian vet in order to see if it is someones pet or a wild bird. thank you

 

[JGarza57]

I do have a few questions real quickly though!
How do you know that they're unable to fly? How do you know this parrot isn't wild? What area of the world do you live in? Have you given any attempt to find the parrot's owner if you're sure it isn't wild?
I am so sorry this has gotten super long lol. With every new parrot owner, I just want to make sure they're as informed as possible.

- I believe he/she is unable to fly because he’s loose around the house (since he does not have a proper cage yet) and he will flap his wings while hes playing and to stretch but I have not seen him fly. I do believe he is a baby (or atleast somewhat small) because even with the bird house I “build” when he falls off the branches he cant seem to get up I have to help him. The branches are all different size some thicker than others, but when he falls he reaches out for the branch with his beak but cant climb and he seems to be frighten as well. He moves across the branches very slowly and hes feet seem to not be familiar with how to “hold” onto some branches (thickness wise).

- I am honestly not sure if the parrot is considered to be a wild animal, and thats why I came on this website because I would like to keep him but if he is a wild bird, it would be selfish of me to keep it away from his “true home”.

- I like near Houston, Tx (Pasadena, Tx), about 6 hours away from where the parrot was found (Mission, Tx). And one of the previous replies has two websites I checked out were you can post pictures and information of lost/found/stolen birds!!!

Thank you so much for your reply, it really helps!

 

[Laurasea]

Hi welcome!
You've gotten great advice .
I'm concerned about illness or neurological issues thou from what you've said. I hope you get him to an avain certified vet right away for an exam and what ever tests are recommending. Do be sure to find a certified avin specialist though, not just an exotic vet or someone who says yeah they treat birds...
It's worth driving a couple of hours if you have to.
I hope that the bird is healthy and if no owner is found that you guys have a happy life.
Are his wings clipped? They look like the might be from the picture, also doubtful this is a wild bird if he is sitting with you like that

 

[texsize]

That looks like a baby Mexican redhead or Lilac crown. I'm leaning towards lilac crown. He's not a red lored because he has no yellow behind his eyes or cheeks. Are you in Southern California or Texas? There are wild flocks in both places. If you're in either of those places I'd take him to a vet to try to determine if he's actually wild or if he's somebody's escaped pet.

I would vote lilac crown amazon also. The red on his head is a darker red than the Mexican red head and there is less of it.

Be sure to read the sticky in the amazon section on body language.

The amazon parrots that have colonized north America tend to make nests in palm trees. It is very possible he just fell out of the nest. I don't really know if taking him home is a good or bad thing. Not saying taking him home was a mistake, you could have saved him from a bad end due to predators or just starvation.

There are so many doo's and don'ts when bringing home your first bird/parrot it's impossible to write it all down. Just do a lot of reading. You will find a lot of the info you need right here.

Your bird looks to be big enough that he should not need hand feeding. Hand feeding can become a disaster if you don't know what you are doing.
It sounds like you are going to heavy on the fruits. Give more veggies and try him on different kinds of pellets till you find something he likes.

Be prepared for a LOT of noise. young birds like him are very playful and get very noisy.

 

[texsize]

I do have a few questions real quickly though!
How do you know that they're unable to fly? How do you know this parrot isn't wild? What area of the world do you live in? Have you given any attempt to find the parrot's owner if you're sure it isn't wild?
I am so sorry this has gotten super long lol. With every new parrot owner, I just want to make sure they're as informed as possible.

- I believe he/she is unable to fly because he’s loose around the house (since he does not have a proper cage yet) and he will flap his wings while hes playing and to stretch but I have not seen him fly. I do believe he is a baby (or atleast somewhat small) because even with the bird house I “build” when he falls off the branches he cant seem to get up I have to help him. The branches are all different size some thicker than others, but when he falls he reaches out for the branch with his beak but cant climb and he seems to be frighten as well. He moves across the branches very slowly and hes feet seem to not be familiar with how to “hold” onto some branches (thickness wise).

- I am honestly not sure if the parrot is considered to be a wild animal, and thats why I came on this website because I would like to keep him but if he is a wild bird, it would be selfish of me to keep it away from his “true home”.

- I like near Houston, Tx (Pasadena, Tx), about 6 hours away from where the parrot was found (Mission, Tx). And one of the previous replies has two websites I checked out were you can post pictures and information of lost/found/stolen birds!!!

Thank you so much for your reply, it really helps!

As far as the "wild animal " goes these birds fall into a special category or several categories.

They are not native to North America. Like Starlings true ornithologists see them as an invasive species that compete for food with the birds that belong here. At the same time all Amazon species (I think) are on the endangered species list at some level. I would say (and it's just my opinion) that you need to get your ownership (legally because he will end up owning you) down and documented and that's best done by visiting your local avian certified vet as soon as you can.

 

[Scott]

Welcome Jennifer, what a beautiful bird!

Awesome advice so far, there is a steep learning curve with parrots, and we're here to help. As others suggested, a visit with an avian certified vet will confirm species and health. Amazons are a very common companion as many members will confirm!

If you keep him, a suitable cage will be necessary as place of safety, sleep, and food.

 

[JGarza57]

Hi welcome!
You've gotten great advice .
I'm concerned about illness or neurological issues thou from what you've said. I hope you get him to an avain certified vet right away for an exam and what ever tests are recommending. Do be sure to find a certified avin specialist though, not just an exotic vet or someone who says yeah they treat birds...
It's worth driving a couple of hours if you have to.
I hope that the bird is healthy and if no owner is found that you guys have a happy life.
Are his wings clipped? They look like the might be from the picture, also doubtful this is a wild bird if he is sitting with you like that

I will make sure to look into a avian certified vet, thank you! Im not sure if the wings are clipped if im being honest, I dont know much about birds but im sure the vet will be able to tell me?? maybe?. Thank you for your reply

 

[Ellie777Australia]

Thank you for reaching out to us Jennifer. You have received heaps of great advice and I do hope this precious darling becomes your little treasure forever...Please let us know when he/she is officially yours and checked out by a CAV....it will be awesome watching the little one grow up here in this family. All the best..

 

[Casper223]

Good Morning Jennifer, what a precious baby you have there. The loss of one (Chihuahua, and a gain of an amazon) was it coincidental? I'm much different from most everyone else here, first of all I want to say your heart is definitely in the right place. The amazon left unattended for whatever reason placed the baby in extreme danger, especially if it couldn't fly. I really want to echo the metal cage, as you stated, your baby loves to chew, and that's a great indication wood will not keep him/her out of danger. I would look for a cage no smaller than 2 foot by 3 foot by 4 foot tall, the wire spacing should be ¾". If your having to buy used, I usually see them pretty cheap on LetGo and on facebook buy and sell in your area, thats a good place to start your search. If you buy used, think to yourself, the last owner more than likely lost a bird in that cage, so extreme cleaning would be the way to go, there are several cleaning agents out there that are bird safe, and bird approved, remember now that you can't just use any cleaner, they will affect the birds respiratory system, cause suffocation or worse, so definitely use a cleaning agent safe for your bird. Jennifer, please let the search bar on this website be your friend, and research what you've gotten yourself into lol, it's a wonderful life, it really is, and is very rewarding, for you and your baby as well, But birds aren't like dogs, and if I read you correctly, you had 2 chihuahuas and lost one. I'll be very honest with you, I'm still aquatinting an English Bull Dog to an Umbrella Cockatoo. My English bull Dog has been with me 9 years, and is very loving, My Umbrella does not care for the Bull Dog at all. The fear between them both has been resolved, and moving foreword, Ms Zoey has hissed at the dog, has gently nipped at his nose, and yesterday as I was in eye distance, Ms Zoey dropped an Almond shell out of her play tree, and when my English bull dog walked over to investigate and sniff the empty hull, Ms Zoey squatted and Urinated on the dog. I foreseen a lot of things posing problems in which I resolved most of them before Ms Zoey came to live with me, This last problem, I couldn't even fathom. There will be a lot of questions you will have, getting your Amazon acclimated to your chihuahua will be interesting to see. Please use the search bar, and absolutely don't be afraid to reach out and ask questions. As stated earlier, I would suggest finding a good certified Avian Vet, let him/her examin your baby, and ask a lot of questions, Remember the only Dumb Question, is the one you didn't ask, so I would strongly suggest a note pad and pen, and jot those questions down to ask when the opportunity presents itself. Most of all let Love for your new pet, and lots of research be your guide, and trust me, we love pictures here. You asked the question about your baby possibly being clipped, if you could hold a wing open, if your baby will allow it, and let someone take a cell phone picture and post it on the forum, we more than likely will be able to answer your question. Hope this helps, and I'll look foreword to seeing you around, and hoping you ask a lot of questions.

 

[JGarza57]

That looks like a baby Mexican redhead or Lilac crown. I'm leaning towards lilac crown. He's not a red lored because he has no yellow behind his eyes or cheeks. Are you in Southern California or Texas? There are wild flocks in both places. If you're in either of those places I'd take him to a vet to try to determine if he's actually wild or if he's somebody's escaped pet.

I would vote lilac crown amazon also. The red on his head is a darker red than the Mexican red head and there is less of it.

Be sure to read the sticky in the amazon section on body language.

The amazon parrots that have colonized north America tend to make nests in palm trees. It is very possible he just fell out of the nest. I don't really know if taking him home is a good or bad thing. Not saying taking him home was a mistake, you could have saved him from a bad end due to predators or just starvation.

There are so many doo's and don'ts when bringing home your first bird/parrot it's impossible to write it all down. Just do a lot of reading. You will find a lot of the info you need right here.

Your bird looks to be big enough that he should not need hand feeding. Hand feeding can become a disaster if you don't know what you are doing.
It sounds like you are going to heavy on the fruits. Give more veggies and try him on different kinds of pellets till you find something he likes.

Be prepared for a LOT of noise. young birds like him are very playful and get very noisy.

I will try giving him some carrots and broccoli since that is all I have at home right now! I will research what other veggies to give him and will buy him some!! Thank you

 

[JGarza57]

I do have a few questions real quickly though!
How do you know that they're unable to fly? How do you know this parrot isn't wild? What area of the world do you live in? Have you given any attempt to find the parrot's owner if you're sure it isn't wild?
I am so sorry this has gotten super long lol. With every new parrot owner, I just want to make sure they're as informed as possible.

- I believe he/she is unable to fly because he’s loose around the house (since he does not have a proper cage yet) and he will flap his wings while hes playing and to stretch but I have not seen him fly. I do believe he is a baby (or atleast somewhat small) because even with the bird house I “build” when he falls off the branches he cant seem to get up I have to help him. The branches are all different size some thicker than others, but when he falls he reaches out for the branch with his beak but cant climb and he seems to be frighten as well. He moves across the branches very slowly and hes feet seem to not be familiar with how to “hold” onto some branches (thickness wise).

- I am honestly not sure if the parrot is considered to be a wild animal, and thats why I came on this website because I would like to keep him but if he is a wild bird, it would be selfish of me to keep it away from his “true home”.

- I like near Houston, Tx (Pasadena, Tx), about 6 hours away from where the parrot was found (Mission, Tx). And one of the previous replies has two websites I checked out were you can post pictures and information of lost/found/stolen birds!!!

Thank you so much for your reply, it really helps!

As far as the "wild animal " goes these birds fall into a special category or several categories.

They are not native to North America. Like Starlings true ornithologists see them as an invasive species that compete for food with the birds that belong here. At the same time all Amazon species (I think) are on the endangered species list at some level. I would say (and it's just my opinion) that you need to get your ownership (legally because he will end up owning you) down and documented and that's best done by visiting your local avian certified vet as soon as you can.

I will make sure to look into it! Thank you

 

[JGarza57]

Good Morning Jennifer, what a precious baby you have there. The loss of one (Chihuahua, and a gain of an amazon) was it coincidental? I'm much different from most everyone else here, first of all I want to say your heart is definitely in the right place. The amazon left unattended for whatever reason placed the baby in extreme danger, especially if it couldn't fly. I really want to echo the metal cage, as you stated, your baby loves to chew, and that's a great indication wood will not keep him/her out of danger. I would look for a cage no smaller than 2 foot by 3 foot by 4 foot tall, the wire spacing should be ¾". If your having to buy used, I usually see them pretty cheap on LetGo and on facebook buy and sell in your area, thats a good place to start your search. If you buy used, think to yourself, the last owner more than likely lost a bird in that cage, so extreme cleaning would be the way to go, there are several cleaning agents out there that are bird safe, and bird approved, remember now that you can't just use any cleaner, they will affect the birds respiratory system, cause suffocation or worse, so definitely use a cleaning agent safe for your bird. Jennifer, please let the search bar on this website be your friend, and research what you've gotten yourself into lol, it's a wonderful life, it really is, and is very rewarding, for you and your baby as well, But birds aren't like dogs, and if I read you correctly, you had 2 chihuahuas and lost one. I'll be very honest with you, I'm still aquatinting an English Bull Dog to an Umbrella Cockatoo. My English bull Dog has been with me 9 years, and is very loving, My Umbrella does not care for the Bull Dog at all. The fear between them both has been resolved, and moving foreword, Ms Zoey has hissed at the dog, has gently nipped at his nose, and yesterday as I was in eye distance, Ms Zoey dropped an Almond shell out of her play tree, and when my English bull dog walked over to investigate and sniff the empty hull, Ms Zoey squatted and Urinated on the dog. I foreseen a lot of things posing problems in which I resolved most of them before Ms Zoey came to live with me, This last problem, I couldn't even fathom. There will be a lot of questions you will have, getting your Amazon acclimated to your chihuahua will be interesting to see. Please use the search bar, and absolutely don't be afraid to reach out and ask questions. As stated earlier, I would suggest finding a good certified Avian Vet, let him/her examin your baby, and ask a lot of questions, Remember the only Dumb Question, is the one you didn't ask, so I would strongly suggest a note pad and pen, and jot those questions down to ask when the opportunity presents itself. Most of all let Love for your new pet, and lots of research be your guide, and trust me, we love pictures here. You asked the question about your baby possibly being clipped, if you could hold a wing open, if your baby will allow it, and let someone take a cell phone picture and post it on the forum, we more than likely will be able to answer your question. Hope this helps, and I'll look foreword to seeing you around, and hoping you ask a lot of questions.

I feel bad reading some of the comments because I know birds belong in the wild were they’re free but it was under a palm tree next to the side of the road. The only reason my dad saw him was because we were at a red light, Mission, Tx (where he was found) has so many palm trees and is a very busy city and we didn’t want him to get ran over or eaten by a larger bird. The only dog that I have right now is my Husky (he is an outside dog who occasionally comes inside depending on weather, whether it is too hot, too cold, rainning, etc). I just called an avian vet who is about an hour away from home and scheduled an appointment. Once I get home I will try to take a picture of his wings!! Thank you

 

[JGarza57]

Thank you for reaching out to us Jennifer. You have received heaps of great advice and I do hope this precious darling becomes your little treasure forever...Please let us know when he/she is officially yours and checked out by a CAV....it will be awesome watching the little one grow up here in this family. All the best..

I will keep yall updated!! thank you