newbie

[tricky1400]

hi everyone my name is Rich , I am in Wiltshire , England

I have a blue fronted green Amazon parrot ,she is around 5 to 6 years old , its something I have always wanted , she came from a work colleague who due to working long hours couldnt dedicate the time to her that she needs .

I have only had her for one week .

I have a few issues which I am working on with her but after reading the forums I think its going to take a while :-(

my friend told me he didn't get time to let her out of the cage as much as he should of so I definitely cant handle her at the moment which is a big disappointment as I would love her to sit on my hand , she has flown from the top of the cage and sat on my shoulder for a few seconds

I can feed her by hand but if I have no food in my hand she will not allow my hand anywhere near her and tells me she is not happy .

We all talk to her and let her out of the cage , she sits on the top of the cage watching us and talking away sometimes whistles at us too .

She is full of life and loves making lots of noises for us all .

One of the biggest problems we have is getting her to go back into the cage as she does not like us to put our hands near her .

I am hoping that given time she will get used to us and trust us .

 

[Kentuckienne]

Welcome to the forums! If you check the Amazons forum, you will notice some sticky threads at top. That’s a great place to start. Sailboat is a true Amazon whisperer, and his threads are worth searching out.

 

[Flboy]

Welcome! For sure, study that thread, your baby may be getting close to her hormonal rages! It is not her fault, but the more you learn her ways, the better for you both!

 

[Kiwibird]

Welcome.

You have what appears to be an orange wing amazon, and a nice, healthy looking individual at that Unlike their larger and feistier cousins blue front amazons, orange wing amazons are known for having a mild temperament and sweet nature so lucky you!

You are correct that it will take time to earn your new friends trust. Be patient and work at her pace. There are many, many threads and resources regarding step up training. You should also be looking at training your bird to step up to a stick as well as she is getting to be of the age she will soon be going through puberty (which can be a bit rough, just like the human teenage years). As for getting her back in her cage, I'd suggest an irresistible treat in her dish to tempt her back in, then close the door behind her. Amazons are kind of winged pigs and take no shame in being bribed with food

 

[Scott]

Welcome Rich, your Amazon is beautiful!

Reading the "sticky" threads in the Amazon forum is an excellent idea. So much goodness in one concise location.

Given the mea culpa by her prior owner, I'll bet she rarely left the cage. There are many techniques to foster a deep bond with a parrot, and the aforementioned use of food is a great start. More techniques here: http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html
Once you have built trust: http://www.parrotforums.com/training/60435-clicker-target-training.html

Good luck, we are a thriving Amazon community and are here to help!

 

[tricky1400]

hi

the previous owner thought she was a blue fronted amazon , I didnt know any different , just love the way she looks .

We opened the cage to let her out today and to our surprise she flew to each of us in turn and sat on our shoulders and arms , we were all shocked as she stayed on us for hours .

as she does not like our hands at the moment i thought about getting her perch out of the cage for her to rest on or step up to but she seems to not like any stick or perch like objects when she is out of the cage , I really cant understand her behaviour as when she was sat on my shoulder I rubbed my ear against her wing and her body and she loved it , actually didnt want me to stop doing it and moaned at me if I stopped lol

 

[Tami2]

Welcome to the Parrot Forum & Congratulations :heart:

Happy to hear she will get the love & attention she needs.
Here is a thread that is very helpful:
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html

Best of luck to you both!

 

[Flboy]

hi
as she does not like our hands at the moment i thought about getting her perch out of the cage for her to rest on or step up to but she seems to not like any stick or perch like objects when she is out of the cage , I really cant understand her behaviour as when she was sat on my shoulder I rubbed my ear against her wing and her body and she loved it lol

Hands = danger and mistrust at being grabbed! Give her time to rebuild a trusting relationship!
Our JoJo was molested by every kid that walked into the rescue and hated everyone! She would ride around on my shoulder for hours, but panicked at being picked up! She is great now, but I do ask permission before touching!!

 

[Soyajam]

Welcome to the forums!

If she's flying to you and nuzzling you and your family then it's clear she wants to spend time with you, so take comfort in that!

It does sound like it's hands and objects. If you've figured out what her favourite treats are you can start target training - that will get her at least OK with stepping onto a perch (if you're concerned about hands) - and you can work onto stepping up onto hands from there.

But I'm sure you'll read that 1000 times on here lol.

See you 'round the forums

 

[tricky1400]

she does fly to us and sit on our shoulders which is great , really would love to touch her more but it looks like that will have to wait until she is ready to trust us enough

when we sit down to dinner is her favourite time to come onto our shoulders , I dont like to feed her any of our food as I do not know what is safe for her to eat , I really think she loves the smell of it though , I have seen somewhere that its safe for them to eat peas ,

I hope she keeps nuzzling us as we all like that .....

 

[Carl_Power]

Hi and welcome Rich. It just takes time and patience with a new Parrot so dont get discouraged. You get to be the guy that lets him out his cage so thats gonna score you some points and its a great sign he is already landing on your shoulder and letting you hand feed him. Keep doing the hand feeding, its great for building trust and bonding and just move at his pace x

 

[tricky1400]

hi quick update on how things are going .....

I really cant understand this bird its like no other pet I have owned ....

As soon as i open the cage door she is all over me , flies to sit on my shoulder , rubs herself against my ear and makes a noise that i can only describe as similar to a cat purring , she is really happy , she even licks my ear ...I was very nervous about this at first because i have been on the wrong end of her bites before and have the scars to prove it .....

she takes food from my hand , even flies to me at my dinner times to see if she can get some of my dinner ...

but the biggest problem i have is returning her to her cage at bed times and other times when we need her back inside ....

she goes really mad , biting , screaming etc and i really dont know what i can do

i have tried putting food treats inside her cage to tempt her back in but she is very clever , she knows what i am trying to do

any ideas what i could do would really help me out as she is a lovely bird and i really want to keep her

thanks

 

[GaleriaGila]

What a beautiful bird!

Thank you for giving her a better life.

I'm glad you're sharing her with us.

 

[Soyajam]

As a quick guide to food, by the way:

* Toxic and will make them sick*
- Onion
- Avocado
- Chocolate
- Caffeine
- Alcohol

* Disputed, or unhealthy foods*
- Garlic
- Asparagus
- White potatoes
- "Processed" people foods (cakes, breads, microwave dinners, soft drinks etc)

Everything else not listed above is fair game! Watch out for your dinner plate! lol

And here's a gigantic list of safe/not safe:
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-food-recipes-diet/24213-bird-safe-fresh-foods-toxic-food-lists-sprouts.html

If there's anything you're unsure about just search in the forum, it's likely someones looked before. Checkout the food forum, there's tonnes of stuff on preparing food for parrots if you're interested.

As for the bedtime thing, it's an ordeal for us too - lots of grabbing onto the cage, flying away, and being a gigantic diva when she finally IS put to bed. Thankfully she settles once she's in (overtired, maybe?)

Maybe the treat you're putting in the cage isn't enough of an incentive? Is there something she goes more crazy for?
Alternatively, look into what's called "target training" - you can use that behaviour to direct her into the cage without fuss. (Lots of resources on the net)

It's a bit of a learning curve, isn't it? Good luck, there's tonnes of support here if you've got questions!

 

[Scott]

hi quick update on how things are going .....

I really cant understand this bird its like no other pet I have owned ....

As soon as i open the cage door she is all over me , flies to sit on my shoulder , rubs herself against my ear and makes a noise that i can only describe as similar to a cat purring , she is really happy , she even licks my ear ...I was very nervous about this at first because i have been on the wrong end of her bites before and have the scars to prove it .....

she takes food from my hand , even flies to me at my dinner times to see if she can get some of my dinner ...

but the biggest problem i have is returning her to her cage at bed times and other times when we need her back inside ....

she goes really mad , biting , screaming etc and i really dont know what i can do

i have tried putting food treats inside her cage to tempt her back in but she is very clever , she knows what i am trying to do

any ideas what i could do would really help me out as she is a lovely bird and i really want to keep her

thanks

Parrots are quite unlike any other companion animal! Because they are creatures preyed on by many in the wild, they are extremely observant and are expert at manipulating their environment.

If you are repetitively bitten, use caution allowing her on the shoulder! An Amazon can do severe damage to your face or neck. Generally, shoulder privileges are earned for safe behavior.

Returning her to the cage is an understandable issue. If she was cage-bound by the previous owner, it is seen as a sort of punishment. Might try inviting toys, and a special treat she receives only at bedtime. Perhaps a tasty nut such as walnut or almond?

The link to Target Training suggested by Soyajam is located in post #5. Many folks have great success!

 

[tricky1400]

hi just a quick question about something that was given to me when I got my bird .

A veterinary spray for anti mite treatment .

I was wondering is this something I should be using to stop mites on my bird or is it something that I should only use when my bird has mites ?

also how do I know if she has mites ?

thanks for your help

 

[Scott]

hi just a quick question about something that was given to me when I got my bird .

A veterinary spray for anti mite treatment .

I was wondering is this something I should be using to stop mites on my bird or is it something that I should only use when my bird has mites ?

also how do I know if she has mites ?

thanks for your help

I am not familiar with mites as they are not common in my area or with my species. However, I would *not* advise using any over the counter mite-spray without approval by a certified avian vet. Not just any vet, but a specialist. Depending on the substance, might prove extremely harmful.