New White Fronted Amazon Owner

[BIRDIGIRL]

He really is looking good. One thing you might want to do is shift the direction of your mist spray. If you get a step stool or something you can actually spray him from above. Most birds hate getting shot horizontally in the face. The water can get up their nares.

When I'm showering my ekkies, most of the spraying is done from above or angled a bit to the side to get every bit of their wings. I do spray a bit horizontally as well, when I want to wash the crop, chest and abdomen area, but I'm careful to avoid a direct shot in the face.

Might make a difference in his enjoyment.

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Thanks I will try and put him on a lower perch next time so I can aim it like you explained. I cant use a step as I have MS and am in a wheelchair mostly but can stand propped up or move on a swivel. I hadnt thought of the nares...poor fella I deserved the few bites he gave me yesterday

 

[Anansi]

...I hadnt thought of the nares...poor fella I deserved the few bites he gave me yesterday

Not at all. You've been doing a fantastic job with him.

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[BIRDIGIRL]

...I hadnt thought of the nares...poor fella I deserved the few bites he gave me yesterday

Not at all. You've been doing a fantastic job with him.

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Thanks but all you guys and the tips and advice here have been an enormous help ...Thanks

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Pretty Boy Mr Biggles after his shower and I think he has forgiven his silly mum for misting him



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[RavensGryf]

Beautiful pics. I think the WFA has such pretty colors, and Mr. Biggles is exceptional !

 

[Anansi]

Wow. Striking plumage!

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[BIRDIGIRL]

Beautiful pics. I think the WFA has such pretty colors, and Mr. Biggles is exceptional !

Yes he is exceptional...he has a whole lot of work ahead of him to teach his silly mum all about Amazons but hes making progress

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Wow. Striking plumage!

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Its even prettier in person and has all sorts of penciled shading in it...a bit like the Grey has but in shades of green instead of grey.

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Well it appears that Mr Biggles wasnt happy with the way I misted him yesterday and he figured he needed to do the job himself and get a propper soaking and wash....major progress I know but Id rather he didnt do it in his drinking bowl and also that the heat had been on in the house(normally its on when they get misted) and the water in the bowl was a little warmer...the heating has been switched on so he doesnt get cold but after being through so much with this little guy I hope he hasnt given himself a chill....he also came out of his cage on his own after his bath to sit on top for a while to let his feathers dry before going back into the cage himself.



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[GreatBlue320]

He's so handsome!

 

[wrench13]

Yeah Salty does that too. A few shots with the mister, and he will go into his cage and finish the job off in his water dish. I put a portable heater on him ( not too hot) so he does not take a chill.

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

I put the central heating on so he should be okay I dont have a portable heater...it woukd be handy though as I have to set a fire in the stovevto get my centra hweating working...I was so careful though misting him yesterday and other times I did it misting him with nice warm water and there he goes and has a bath in his cold water drink hee hee...this is the first time since I got him that he has taken a bath on his own so its great in thst sense but I just hope he doesnt catch cold especially if he does it at a time I might be out and not be there to switch on the heater. Salty doing it also suggests to me its probably typical Amazon antics so...Im sorry I missed the actual bath though as I would love to have seen him in action with his bowl of water

 

[Anansi]

What's the temperature in your home when the heat isn't on? Chances are, if he's dunking himself the temp probably isn't an issue for him.

Drafts can be tough for our birds, but that's because of how birds regulate their own temp. Having dramatic shifts like what happens with drafts can get them sick. But so long as there isn't a draft, you might be worrying overmuch in this instance.

Also, he might be letting you in on a little secret. He may actually prefer cooler water. Their preferences aren't only tied to pressure. They can also be tied to temperature as well. For example, Jolly definitely prefers his water on the cooler side. Maya, however, prefers her water significantly warmer. It's a matter of individual taste.

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[BIRDIGIRL]

What's the temperature in your home when the heat isn't on? Chances are, if he's dunking himself the temp probably isn't an issue for him.

Drafts can be tough for our birds, but that's because of how birds regulate their own temp. Having dramatic shifts like what happens with drafts can get them sick. But so long as there isn't a draft, you might be worrying overmuch in this instance.

Also, he might be letting you in on a little secret. He may actually prefer cooler water. Their preferences aren't only tied to pressure. They can also be tied to temperature as well. For example, Jolly definitely prefers his water on the cooler side. Maya, however, prefers her water significantly warmer. It's a matter of individual taste.

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Thanks I didnt know that about the water that some of them prefer cooler water...I panicked because I thought that water was way too cold for him to be bathing in and he fairly well dunked himself in it. I am always that bit nervous of him getting cold because of the fact he was so ill when he arrived and according to our AV is lucky to be alive. The temp in the house is round about the 50° -55 °F it varies a little round these temps. I have his cage in a slightly cooler spot so he doesnt get over warm when the heat comes on and though I dont feel a draft round his cage I took the precaution of wrapping a fleece cover round three sides of his cage so that only the front and the front part of the sides let in the air and light but the rest of the cover keeps any unwanted drafts out.
He has dried up now and seems none the worse for his newfound trick of bathing in his water bowl so it would seem I was panicking over nothing

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Well to date Mr Biggles has not been mouthing any of the bigger parrot toys I have so I got a smaller one today cockatiel size and hung it in his cage...it freaked him out a bit at first but he was far less scared of it than the bigger toys and with a bit of help from me getting him to step up and carry him to the toy he did eventually mouth it a little. I also hung a slightly bigger one on the outside of his cage but he hasnt bothered with that one. I had to wear the smaller one on my arm for a while before he would even let me try to hang it in his cage. Im pleased with his little effort at play...Its a start at last to him playing with toys though for now he will only play with it when I play the game too.

[ame="https://youtu.be/6GxHnnfN6YQ"]Mr Biggles Got a New Toy Today - YouTube[/ame]

 

[JerseyWendy]

Awesome! Now there's a GREAT start! What a good idea to try a toy for a much smaller bird!! LOVED seeing him play with it.

Thank you for sharing, and HOORAY for Mr. Biggles! :heart:

 

[Anansi]

That made me smile. Go, Mr. Biggles!

 

[Jerseyjeff62]

Thinks he likes the bell too

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Awesome! Now there's a GREAT start! What a good idea to try a toy for a much smaller bird!! LOVED seeing him play with it.

Thank you for sharing, and HOORAY for Mr. Biggles! :heart:

Thanks Wendy Thats how I started Roger playing with toys too when I got him first...Roger was about early teens when I got him and never played with toys and I found the smaller ones didnt frighten him so I thought I would do the same with Mr Biggles and so far so good

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Mr Biggles thinks Ive gone crazy and that Ive gone one step too far getting an Aviator Harness on his cage for him to play with...he says if you think Im getting into that contraption you have something else coming to you besides that harness is way too big for me...its not my size mum



Well okay maybe I might just reach into it a little bit just to get that yummy treat you are offering

[ame="https://youtu.be/VahvTMNIREM"]Mums Crazy idea is that one day I might wear an Aviator Harness - YouTube[/ame]