Project: Happy Reptar!

[Evanskiver]

I have posted often about the problems we have with our rescue WF Amazon. After getting an amazing amount of help from you all, and doing some Youtube viewing, I have realized that Reptar is not anything close to a normal acting Amazon. I am hoping that together we can get Reptar happy, as it is sad watching the videos of how she is supposed to act and going home and seeing the reality.

Below I will list the current behavior and see if we can work to get Reptar to be a normal happy bird.

Activity: None. She sits in the corner closest to me and stares or sleeps. The only time she moves is if I get up to go out of the room or she goes to eat. She has toys and other then walking over very occasionally and test biting a piece of it, there is no interaction with toys.

Plucking: None. Honestly, she seems content. She does not pluck, she does groom herself, and eats well. This confuses me as I assumed that if she was unhappy that she would be plucking or in some way showing it.

Noise: None. This is probly what bothers me the most. She makes NO noise. I have never heard this bird "call" or make any type of bird noise in the months we have had her. When I try to get her to say "Hello" she will actually try, it is very had to decipher but you can tell she is attempting to say it.

Behavior: When out of the cage, she will either sit on top of the cage and stare at me or sleep. She even will randomly go back into her cage and stay there. When she feels up to it, she will come down the side of her cage onto my desk and put her head up against my hands until I give her a good scratch. Once I start however, I am not allowed to stop and if I do, she will then go back to her cage and sit.

I feel that she should be different and it makes me sad to think that she is not happy. I would love to hear her chirp and call, but as of yet it has never happened.

So, please help me make Reptar happy. She was left in that hamster cage in the pet store for months, she has terrible balance and walking/climbing ability which I had hoped would clear up now that she is in a big cage. I want to see her play with something, anything! Just something that shows me she is happy.

Thank you in advance,

Evanskiver

 

[SandyBee]

I've been following your story.
You have a beautiful baby there.

My suggestions are to share as many meals with her, I let Bosley eat off my plate. That was the biggest bonding event. I also got him a T stand which is kept right outside his cage, I keep toys on it that he can only have there. This has kept him from always sitting on the top of his cage and has kept him at eye level with me. Talk to her lots!!! I also play with Bosley with his toys, bought him a felt material ball, we play catch(really cute) and when he is done with the game he attacks it LOL. He doesn't play with the toys in his cage and apparently when I am not there just sits and waits for me to get home. At first that was all he did, just keep encouraging her.

An amazon that has been shut down will take as much time as it needs to trust and I've heard stories of months and years. Just keep building the bond, proper diet, proper vet care!!! Play lots with her and tons of praise, they seem to respond well to it.

 

[MaraWentz]

Time. Eventually she wil grow curious, but it will take away. My erin was not used to human interaction adn being touched or talked to or toys. It took months before she'd even touch a toy, but now 7 months or so later she loves to tear them up, but it was no help to us, no mattter what we did she wasnt intrested in the toys. Keep talking to her and whistling and singing. Use different tones too, ERin yells once in a blue moon (just started a month or two ago0 and says helloa dn uckle up and gives kisse(took 3-4 months for any of that o occur), so O've been where you been. They arent used to interaction becasue they were just locked up in a cage and given up on. It will just need time.

 

[sarafigal]

My rescued Amazon didn't play at all for about six weeks. She just rang a bell. She LOVED nutriberries, so I could coax her to respond to me with them. I could get her to walk across a room for one. (I still can't touch her.)

Release youself from any sense that there is "normal" behavior--YouTube videos are all the cutest moments of the most active birds. That being said, helping birds have a happy life is important. So...

Odd things to try:
Do you have a full-spectrum light? That can make an enormous difference to energy levels.

Do you have a nice big bell hanging by a perch?

You might also experiment with aromatherapy. There is even a Facebook group, "Aromatherapy for Parrots." It is crucial to use only certain methods, since air quality is crucial, but clearing the air and adding scent stimulants can work wonders.

 

[Evanskiver]

Thank you all, I do not have a full spectrum light and actually asked about it in another post and got mixed reviews. I will give it a shot as well as getting her a stand and a bell!

 

[SandyBee]

I got the T-stand with wheels because Bosley won't step up, so I used food to coax him on the stand at first and I started wheeling him around with me to different parts of the house.

He now comes and cleans the kitchen with me, folds the laundry, makes the bed, preps dinner etc..., anywhere that was safe I would bring him with me.
I just talked to him non stop, went a long way!!

 

[Evanskiver]

How long do you keep the FSLight on your birds and do I need to get one of the expensive bird cage ones or can I just get a normal clip on light to use while they are in their cages?

 

[MonicaMc]

Tube lights are considered better than your average bulb light when it comes to full spectrum. You don't need to get an expensive bird specific light, however the ones designed for reptiles have the incorrect ratings for birds. Many birds are up in the canopy while many reptiles are down on the ground... so there will be differences between the two.

If you are to get your own fixture, you need to make sure it's within the correct ratings.

CRI raiting needs to be 92-98 (98 being the best)
Color temperature between 5,000 and 5,500 Kelvin
And the light to be 290 & 310 nanometers in wavelength

And used with an electronic ballast.


Have heard that the Phillips F32T8TL950 tubes are great, if they are still available.


Just because a bird is unhappy doesn't mean that they will pluck. Not all birds pluck, even in the worst of conditions! And yet, birds, even in the best of situations, may still pluck! There's no way to figure out which birds will and which wont.


Have you tried providing your amazon with foraging activities?

 

[Evanskiver]

I just dropped $220 at the bird store linked here in the forums and have foraging toys in there as well.

It seems the whole light thing is pretty complicated. I thought maybe I could get a drop cord with a light on the end and use that, that's what I get for thinking lol.

 

[beekersmom]

The lighting is really simple and not very expensive. All you need is a 4ft shop light. You can hang that over the cage or attach to the wall depending on location of cage. I use daylight bulbs 650000 k. out the door it is less than $35 per light set. use a shop light that requires two bulbs. I have three in the bird room and plan on putting a couple in the tv room. We are in the process of replacing the lights in the kitchen to the same daylight bulbs as well. Even two legged non feathered fids (lol) need vit. D Trust takes time and all birds are different. Willy has been with me since July 19th and only this week decided to venture out of his cage and use the playgym on top of his cage. He will now step up for me but has an issue going back into the cage, hehe. Lucky for me he hasn't tried to bite at full strength or I would be in a whole lot of hurt. He loves scritches on the neck allows me to touch his entire body, still has issues with touching his feet, but allows me to but has to growl to show dissaproval. Keep trying keep talking test his boundries but don't stress if he isn't ready try something less stressful. key is keep voice steady and relax. Birds are great at reading us and if you are stressed you will not get the results you are looking for

 

[MeganMango]

I dont know zons, but it sounds like she isnt unhappy. She does sound affectionate, she likes scritches etc. She isnt screaming or plucking, so she isnt feeling scared, neglected or insecure. How old is she? Maybe she is just laid back and enjoys quiet company? My aunts zon was not playful at all. He went with her everywhere on a play-gym, but mostly he wanted to watch people and mimic the odd word. He chewed stuff up, but he was really quiet and spent a lot of time just watching or napping. He was a really happy bird though, lived a long time, and loved everyone. He liked his space, and didnt like chaos or noise. He was also a rescue, and was pretty old when she got him.

 

[Evanskiver]

We are unsure of the age, the vet stated that she knows for sure she is not a young bird, but between 10-30 I think was her guess.

 

[MeganMango]

We are unsure of the age, the vet stated that she knows for sure she is not a young bird, but between 10-30 I think was her guess.

I understand you want to keep her happy, and I would encourage you to do everything you can, but maybe shes just a laid back lady who enjoys your quiet company. If shes seen a vet and isnt sick, and is not displaying behaviors to suggest shes unhappy, she might be perfectly fine. Mango isnt a zon, but he loves to work on trick training. I would say its his favorite thing, and he gets really excited and full of himself when he learns a trick or word. This is a great way to bond. Also, Mango loves to shower with me. He loves it so much that I cant shower without him or he jumps off his play stand/cage and goes to the bathroom door. I can hear him calling me from in the shower. Grooming and eating are good flock activities. Talk and whistle to her, Mango loves to listen to us whistle and joins right in.

 

[lpolliard]

It doesn't seem like your bird is unhappy and you shouldn't be unhappy that your bird is acting in this manner. Would you rather have a screamer or biter or plucker? I would just be concerned about the sleeping/lethargy and would get him checked out to be safe.

 

[lpolliard]

Is he flighted? You might consider it. It builds up physical conditioning and confidence.

 

[Evanskiver]

Not as of now as she was trimmed when we got her, but I already planned on letting him grow his feathers as I did with Tyrael because I honestly saw a huge improvement in her when she was able to fly.

 

[henpecked]

Sorry i've been busy the last couple of days (when it rains, it pours). You have a "timid" amazon. I've seen plenty and have a couple. One of my most loved rehomes is a hen panama. "Kong" is the picture you painted when describing your bird.It's just the way they are. We used to have a rescued nape hen who was thew same way. They are so reserve and meek. Our "Kong" is the sweetest zon you could ever hope to meet. The only time she lets loose is when the other zons have "happy hour", which comes right after "quiet time". I don't know why these birds are like they are, but that's the way they are. Be thankful, you could have a fly and attack you screamer. She'll come out of her shell in the future but she won't ever be really outgoing. (Good thing about it, these birds do well around other birds) I'll bet she'll be a snuggle bunnie before long.

 

[Thingamagigs]

I have zero experience with amazons but to me it just sounds like she is a reserved bird. The problems you list dont sound like problems, they sound like a happy, laid back bird who is just happy to exist in a happy healthy home She sounds happy and content.

As someone else said, the youtube birds are always filmed in their most interesting moments... they cant be "on" all the time If you wanted a bird that would be "on" all the time a cockatoo would be your best bet! lol

Piña grew up in EXACTLY the same home as Colada... but Colada is a crazy full on nut bag who HAS to be doing things all the time. Piña is happy to eat, sleep, cuddle and not move or do too much LOL He is happy He may not be as active and outgoing as Colada... but he is happy. They all have their own personalities, being so intelligent they can be just like people in that way. Be glad you didn't get a bird with an ar***ole personality They do happen! And they are lucky when they find a human parront to love them regardless.

 

[MeganMango]

I wish Mango would sit still, he takes the odd nap, but he talks in his sleep He NEVER quits, its exhausting.

 

[Aquila]

My amazon is really laid back, he occasionally chew on some toys, but he sleeps a lot, and only now after about 3 months is he talking more and being more interactive. They'll go at their own pace, and just keep doing what you've been so far.