Severe Macaw Bonded

[LauraZazu]

Hey there, I'm new to the site and trying to find a little information on how to deal with an extremely bonded severe macaw. So I got Zazu when he was 8 months old from a guy off of craigslist. I did extensive research on the breed and meet the guy at his home. The man was very professional, had a amazing aviary set up off the side of his home that was very clean as well. I asked why he was getting rid of Zazu ( his name was Oz then) and he said that he was getting to the max amount of bird he could house and this was the one he was least attached to. He had hand raised and hand fed him so he was very tame. I held him and he immediately snuggled into my chest. The man also showed me vet records from when he had taken him in and he was a healthy bird. I have had Zazu for a year and a half and he is amazing. He is a fast learner although very stubborn. The only thing that bothers me is how bonded he is to me. If I leave the room he immediately starts screaming. When I come home he will begin yelling if he hears me talking. I can't even walk by my room (where he is located) without him making a fuss. When I come home from work, I go straight into my room to say hello to him and the cat. After maybe 30 minuets of affection I go take a shower. Again he starts screaming so loud that I can hear him while showering. I am just wondering if I should maybe get him a friend that he can bond with. I am able to do just about anything to him and he will let my mother hold him as well ( though she has had some nasty bites from him) Just wondering what I should do. Thank You!

 

[JerseyWendy]

Can Zazu play on his own at all? Does he have toys and foraging opportunities? Do you rotate the toys regularly?

 

[Birdman666]

Well technically, this is an overbonding issue.

Pair bond birds in general, and severes in particular have "one person bird" tendencies...

For starters, this bird needs to be socialized with more people. Severes can turn into biters when they overbond. Socializing them with strangers reduces the chance of this.

Secondly, as someone else pointed out, he needs to learn to self entertain.

If he gets his way by screaming, you have just reinforced the screaming, and trained him to scream.

Screaming protocols apply.

Cover the cage on three sides until the bird quiets down. If he continues to scream, cover him altogether. MOST IMPORTANT PART... when the bird quiets down Praise him for being good. Then uncover.

If he gets screamy again, lay the cover on the ground by his cage. Warn him to stop. If he does not stop, then he gets covered on three sides again...

 

[noblemacaw]

What about relocating him to a more central part of the house. Cage placement where he can be part of the family activities. Have other family members interact with him more so he has a variety of people to get and receive attention from.

I know from experience getting another parrot will not help much. Please only get another parrot if you want another parrot in your life but not to help with issues with your severe. Although I had a flock of three parrots because I wanted each parrot for different reason it did help teach them that they had to "share" me. It also helped to have each other in view (each parrot had separate cage) and kept them less lonely while people were out of house at work.

I think getting him out of the bedroom to a more central part of the house where the family spends most of their time will help with his socialization.

 

[Chesphoto]

Screaming is a very important issue to deal with. I see so many birds get dumped off at the shelters because they are screamers.

Birdman gave a good solution that seems easy to implement that doesn't seem to have any bad side effects. Like he says, be sure to praise when your bird is quiet too.

I didn't want Skittles to hate her cage so I put her on a perch in an empty room. I say loud birds go here and quiet birds get to be with the family. As soon as she stops screaming, I run in and praise her and bring her back out. After a week or so, she hardly screams for attention.

 

[nyspy]

I've always just walked away and ignored screaming birds. When they quiet down, I go back in, praise them and take them with me. It's never failed me yet. As for how quiet my house is.. I have a macaw and my neighbors don't even know it. lol.

 

[Birdman666]

It works. I have five, and at one point I had 11. None of them were screamers...

Well, Demitre was when we got him, but my Red Lored Amazon stopped that one... I can't take the credit.

Once you establish the flock ettiquite, the birds themselves will enforce it.

My CAG tells my Red Fronted Macaw when she's being too loud. (Sweepea, that's too loud! in my voice!) I don't have to anymore.