two rehomed amazons

[jeffisme]

Our local bird store had a five-year old pionus listed online but when I went to visit, she had been bought. All of their larger birds are looking for second or third homes. I found two of them intriguing and was curious about their prospects of becoming good companion pets.

I work at home, so the bird would be by me most days. I have patience and time, but do have to work, so I'm hoping our bird would enjoy playing on his/her own as well as with me and my family.

The first is an eight-year old Lilac crown. He had been keeping company in the store with a red lored when I was there before. Today, he was in his own cage. He would step up on my finger but mostly wanted to get to the Red Lored and seemed distracted by all the noise in the store once he was out. Without really paying much attention to me, he would repeatedly step up on my finger, wouldn't let me pet him at all, and when his eyes became pinned as he was looking around the room, I put him back. the owner said he was lighter than he should be and was hanging around by his heat stone. The owner said he wouldn't sell him until he had a vet visit, as the bird might be sick. He has been in the store for six months.

The second is a BFA, a five-year old female, been in the store ten days. She was in the same room as the red lored and had apparently tried to attack her. she came right out of her cage onto my finger, sat there better than the lilac did but also seemed freaked out by what was going around her. she took some sunflower seeds from my fingers to eat. but also wouldn't accept pets from me. She was very good at stepping up though. she seemed eager to get out of her cage. when I put her back in and then put my hand in to see if she would want to come out on my hand, she jumped right on it. With both birds, if I moved my other hand toward them to see if there was any interest in my scritching them, they understandably made a move to bite.

Her owner had her with a bunch of animals, but the owner now has leukemia and had to find homes for them. I got the feeling that the BFA had been worked with, more so than the lilac, but I didn't get the sense that it had been completely tamed. The handlers in the pet store, who are wonderful with all their birds, say she has not let them scritch her. One of the handlers said the bird was much better with me than it had been with her. They also had a blue crowned conure there, and they were stunned when the bird jumped right onto my finger. They said no one, including her previous owners had been able to handle her.

Any thoughts on what the potential of either is? I've been reading through the forum, and see quite a few comments to the extent that if the bird hasn't been hand-raised it will never be that kind of friendly, warm pet. I would love to have a bird with independence but also one that genuinely enjoys affection. They don't know at the shop, and nor can anyone really, I'm just curious what the general experience has been in similar situations. Generally, lilacs are calmer easier birds, and going by what experts say, he might be a better fit in our home and my office, but because of their different histories, maybe in this case it would be the other way around. Or maybe neither would ever come around. Is there a limit on what one's expectations should be?

I don't know if either one would be a match for us, but my heart went out to both of them.

thanks for any info,

jeff

 

[wrench13]

If the blue front is already stepping up well, I would go with that one. Learning how a bird likes to be scratched and petted takes a while and a bit of comfort level needs to be established. Comfort level and Trust. Some parrots you can just dig right in. Some parrots need to be coaxed into accepting scratches or scratched in odd places first. But this blue front already seems to like you and that's a big first step. good luck.

 

[jeffisme]

thanks. I just edited my post to add an important point that when I expressed interest in the lilac crown the owner said he couldn't sell him until the bird had a vet visit, given his loss of weight, his need to sit by the heat stone and some lethargy. He said he was friendlier before.

 

[RavensGryf]

thanks. I just edited my post to add an important point that when I expressed interest in the lilac crown the owner said he couldn't sell him until the bird had a vet visit, given his loss of weight, his need to sit by the heat stone and some lethargy. He said he was friendlier before.

I think that's terrible that they have him out mingling with other birds, and able to have people handle him when they suspect he might be sick. He needs to be separated as well as they can given limited space, and not be handled by the public... I really hope he doesn't have anything contagious that people can 'take home' on their hands and clothing.

IME, many bird stores don't take sufficient disease control measures.

 

[jeffisme]

It's a good point and something I hadn't considered.

 

[Anansi]

Julie definitely makes a good point about the lack of quarantine. If you don't already have a bird at home (I get the impression you don't, but I'm not sure), then the risk of taking one home isn't as great. But keep in mind that one visibly sick bird, in a store without a proper QT procedure, could potentially mean a roomful of sick birds. If you still decide to go with one of the birds in that store, however, be very careful to take whichever bird you ultimately choose to the vet right away for a thorough checkup.

Also, you might want to check around with other stores or places. You went there for a pionus, found that he had been sold, and now you're choosing between a lilac crown and red lored. Nothing wrong with that, but it does tell me that you don't really have a set preference at the moment and that you're limiting yourself to whatever is available. If you go to other stores and interact with other birds, you might get a better sense of what you want in a bird. And find what turns out to be an even better match for you.

 

[jeffisme]

Yes, I had raised the general question of the store's health guarantee when I was told about the concerns about the lilac crown. I wouldn't purchase a bird without taking it to the vet.

Regarding your second paragraph I have been doing that, thanks. I had just mentioned what I did (lilac and BFA, not a red lored) because they were intriguiging and was curious to hear the reactions to them. Thanks for the advice though.

 

[Anansi]

Ah, great! What did they say about the store's guarantee?

 

[jeffisme]

In general they want you to take the bird to a vet within three days. They will cover any bill or take back the bird. Specifically, there was no talk about the lilac because he wasn't for sale and wouldn't be until he was cleared by a vet.

 

[Peppo]

Did you feel that special "click" with either of them? If not, I would search some more until you feel it or can tell that they do. It may sound crazy but that special "click " you feel when they are the one for you can't be ignored and makes the decision so much easier and will probably end up best in the long run. Good luck, so exciting searching!

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Having just adopted a sick parrot I will comment here...firstly before considering any of the birds in the pet shop if you have not already bonded with one or as one person put it felt that special click then before purchasing I would find out what the vet diagnosed in the case of the Lilac Crowned and if satisfied with the vets diagnosis then I would consider or not consider the other birds in the store based on what had made the Lilac ill and what type of infection it was. Once you have that knowlege then you can consider the BFA or the Lilac or a Pionus from there either should they have one available before you decide. If however you bring a bird home and visit a vet and find that the bird is ill it may be too late for you (as it was for me) to return the parrot to the petstore and get your money back as by that time you may have falen in Love and made your committment like I did and if that happens you wont be wanting to return your sick baby to the petstore you will be in it for the long haul and seek veterinary treatment for your new Fid. Have you an Avian Vet lined up...if not then do this before you purchase any bird for its always best to be able to pick up a phone and make an appointment than have to go in search of a vet should your Parrot get ill. My advice is dont jump into anything think about it. Then do whats best for you and your new Fid because your decision does not just affect you it affects your parrot too.

 

[jeffisme]

It is so hard in a shop where a bird might be new and afraid. I was curious about these two like I am curious about any nice bird. Or really any bird. It is hard not to love them all, but it takes a few visits so one doesn't lose out for having a bad day. Sometimes a nice bird is gone after the first visit. My reaction is generally positive. I hope it found a good home. Eventually, I will find the right one. Part of the process has been asking folks here about some of the nicer ones. It is all about collecting useful information as I narrow down my choices. And it is all appreciated.

And yes I have an avian vet and yes I am being careful. If I wasn't being careful I would have stopped asking questions a long time ago. As for the sick bird, they are not even sure if it is physically sick but would not take the chance. Hence their taking him to the vet and not selling him to anyone. I wouldn't have bought him then anyway, but I was curious about him as a possibility.

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

It is so hard in a shop where a bird might be new and afraid. I was curious about these two like I am curious about any nice bird. Or really any bird. It is hard not to love them all, but it takes a few visits so one doesn't lose out for having a bad day. Sometimes a nice bird is gone after the first visit. My reaction is generally positive. I hope it found a good home. Eventually, I will find the right one. Part of the process has been asking folks here about some of the nicer ones. It is all about collecting useful information as I narrow down my choices. And it is all appreciated.

And yes I have an avian vet and yes I am being careful. If I wasn't being careful I would have stopped asking questions a long time ago. As for the sick bird, they are not even sure if it is physically sick but would not take the chance. Hence their taking him to the vet and not selling him to anyone. I wouldn't have bought him then anyway, but I was curious about him as a possibility.

You are doing the right thing getting all the info you can and seeing which one is right for you. I hope you find the one thst steals your heart soon

 

[mh434]

Bear in mind that when a bird appears sick, it is likely VERY sick, as they hide almost all illnesses well (a self-protective instinct). When it gets to the point where the bird is obviously unwell, a full workup at a competent avian vet is not just important, it's critical, and an emergency at that.

As far as scritches are concerned, they are a huge trust issue with birds. For a bird to allow you to do this (to quite literally place their life in your hands) requires a LOT of trust and, with parrots, this usually comes from long-term familiarity. A neighborhood pet store near me has an umbrella cockatoo that will let me give him scritches...after years of visits...and he trusts me. Others, not so much.

So, don't be disappointed in these birds not permitting scritches...yet. The fact that they'll step up, onto various people, indicates that they're well-socialized birds.

BTW, a couple of years ago I lost my beloved Lilac-Crowned "Pauli", to gout (a serious auto-immune disease in parrots). He kept losing weight, his feet became misshaped (one splayed wide open, the other clutched into a fist) so he couldn't perch. It was heartbreaking and, despite weekly vet care over the last year of his life, eventually his pain couldn't be controlled any more. He couldn't fly, couldn't perch (he had a soft, donut-shaped bed to lie on, so as to keep pressure off his keel), and was in constant unmanageable pain at the end. The hard decision had to be made, and it haunts me every, single day.

My point is that his symptoms, even fairly deeply into his illness, were weight loss, some lethargy, and difficulty grasping his perch. This was all as a result of his first owner, who was not parrot-savvy, feeding him hamster food exclusively. I miss Pauli, and regret that he only lived to 9 years of age, despite all we could do to save him.

Knowledge of a bird's previous living conditions can go a long way towards making an adoption decision...

 

[jeffisme]

More so with the blue front, he really jumped right into my hand, but he any bird I decide on will be with me in my office all day, and I would be afraid of the blue front's noise level.

 

[ScooterMcTavish]

Did you feel that special "click" with either of them? If not, I would search some more until you feel it or can tell that they do. It may sound crazy but that special "click " you feel when they are the one for you can't be ignored and makes the decision so much easier and will probably end up best in the long run. Good luck, so exciting searching!

Agree 100% with this. This is how we ended up with an Amazon, even though we had narrowed our search down to a TAG, Galah, or Eclectus.

I'd describe the process for us more as "get your brain out of the way, and make an intuitive decision". For example, I didn't necessarily want Monty, but my gut told me that he would be a good fit. Brain was wrong, gut was right.

If your gut tells you the BFA was good, then you'll be able to work through the other stuff. Monty was not trusting for scritches, or pretty much any touching. After five short weeks, I can put him on his back, and he demands scritches constantly.

 

[Ginnybird]

Did you feel that special "click" with either of them? If not, I would search some more until you feel it or can tell that they do. It may sound crazy but that special "click " you feel when they are the one for you can't be ignored and makes the decision so much easier and will probably end up best in the long run. Good luck, so exciting searching!

Agree 100% with this. This is how we ended up with an Amazon, even though we had narrowed our search down to a TAG, Galah, or Eclectus.

I'd describe the process for us more as "get your brain out of the way, and make an intuitive decision". For example, I didn't necessarily want Monty, but my gut told me that he would be a good fit. Brain was wrong, gut was right.

If your gut tells you the BFA was good, then you'll be able to work through the other stuff. Monty was not trusting for scritches, or pretty much any touching. After five short weeks, I can put him on his back, and he demands scritches constantly.

Love this advice, too. I also had been thinking I wanted an eclectus, but an Amazon was the one who wanted me, and felt like a part of me, or maybe a more vibrant version of me. I held a lot of birds... she was the only full-on "click."

She also wasn't interested in head scritches at first, and I didn't know if she would ever come around to them. But after a couple weeks, she started to like them, and now scritches are part of the routine for us.

 

[jeffisme]

I suppose this could or should be put in the another section, but I thought I would just post a follow, especially since the advice about letting a bird pick you and to keep interacting with other birds made a lot of sense. I've had rescue animals my whole life (and we just had to put to sleep our beloved older greyhound, what wonderful dogs they are), so if I go to a store and see rehomed birds, I just want all of them.

I'm aware though that that's not practical.

Anyway, I went to another store today because I remembered they had several greys that were fifteen or twenty years old and within my price range. I talked to the owner and she brought all of them down (they were up on very high perches) one by one. One was wonderful, a bit nervous but beaky, not flighty. preferred my shoulder to my hand though (but once she was up there, lowered her head for scratches), and then the oddest behavior, which I've been reading about in other forums: kept trying to regurgitate. Odd behaviors aside, she was a nice bird, and even if it was dry regurgitation, it was wonderful to have a reaction from a bird other than naked fear. Oh, while it doesn't talk much, it did makes a "kiss" sound in a clear voice and put its beak on my lips.

 

[wrench13]

Sounds like you been picked.

 

[Kiwibird]

More so with the blue front, he really jumped right into my hand, but he any bird I decide on will be with me in my office all day, and I would be afraid of the blue front's noise level.

Not saying all BFA's are like this, but ours is quiet enough my husband can work from home (on the phone all day long) and Kiwi's play stand (where he hangs out while hubby is working) is literally directly behind his head. VERY rarely does our blue front scream the house down. About the 'worst' we get is contact calling and a whistle back quiets him right down. He was a bit of a behavioral screamer when we first adopted him, but proper training, socialization and care 'cured' that (i.e. he wasn't bored, he was ignored for screaming, we never raise our voices and we made him want to behave as we did, which did not include screaming).

Be aware, no matter what myths and legends are going around, ALL parrots can be LOUD and NO species is "quiet". Parrots of similar size are capable of similar noise levels, i.e. a CAG can be just as loud as a zon, as they are pretty similar sized. Now, whether either individual bird is a noisy one or not is something you'd need to find out by spending time with both. As a final note, I always say go with your gut. When you find the right bird, you will just "know". We did when we found our Kiwi