Rescued Mexican Red Headed Amazon

[ddhyland]

Hello, we just got a 15 y/o Mexican red headed Amazon last night. My sister in law works with an auction company sometimes and this poor bird was going to be auctioned. Anyway she got it and brought him to us last night. The poor thing is somewhat sad. They said his name was Kevy or Gabby or something. He is in a very old rusty cage (I would say something from the 70s probably), no perches and a couple parakeet toys. Today we are going shopping or a new cage, toys, etc.

We have other birds but have never had an Amazon. I am somewhat worried about him as he has very scaley, flaking looking legs and his beak is very odd looking. It is very long and thick and just strange looking. Hopefully will be able to get him to the vet soon, but does anyone have any ideas? My husband thinks it is because he does have anything to chew on and who knows what he was eating. Supposedly they have a year's supply of food that they will be giving us today. I am afraid of what it will be.

Thanks for any info. Will try to post some pics soon.

Donna

[willahlborn]

i've been told that well-adjusted birds grind their beak at night, and this keeps it trim. If the Amazon has been unhappy for a long wile he's probably not doing this.

[ddhyland]

Here are a couple pics of the new bird I just took. They are not that great

[Casa Amazona]

What a sweetheart. Thank you for taking this little one in and giving it a life. The long beak may well be because there's been nothing to chew on to keep it in trim. Also, the condition of both the beak and the feet could be from a poor diet. If he'll let you, give him some head skritches from all of us here.

[ddhyland]

Thanks for the replies. We are going to get him started on a good diet and get some chew toys and perches. He didn't have any perches at all in his cage. He seems pretty good natured. Hopefully he will start feeling better soon. I am sure I will be on here quite a bit with questions. We have a lot of other birds (TAG, sun conure, Jeday, 2 tiels, Indian ring neck, brown throated conure and my hubbies baby Goffins Cockatoo). This will be the first Amazon we have but he was so pitiful couldn't resist him. So now it is time to go shopping.

[The Outlaw]

Your bird has been on a very poor diet for a long time. Consequently, his liver may have been somewhat compromised. The beak overgrowth and dark, oily feathers are classic signs.

He was likely fed mostly a seed diet and that's just a bad idea. He needs to be seen by a good avian vet, not a general vet, and have tests done to see how much damage has been done. Also the vet can trim the bird's beak and nails, and also do a wing clip.

Amazons are wonderful birds, but can be a handful in the hands of a novice. Be very careful while handling this bird and never allow it shoulder time until you have had it for a very long time and understand its body language. Amazons are pretty good about giving many signs before attacking. The will fan their tails, their eyes will light up to an orange color and the feathers on the neck and head will flair. They will also normally raise and spread their wings. Amazons are very adept at biting faces and ears, so undertand that from day one. Its probably the best way to fend off predators in their native habitats.

Also, do yourself a favor when the vet does a blood draw: take a DNA test card with you and have a few drops of blood applied to the blotter. For about $22, you can find out the sex of your bird. With zons, that's very important to know.

You can obtain your DNA test kit by going online to www.avianbiotech.com. They will provide the free collection kit upon request.

Good luck. Looks like a sweet bird. With the right care, he'll be your best friend forever. They are among the most loyal and loving of any of the S. American birds.

[poi_lover]

Poor baby. Thanks so much for taking this guy in. Please keep us updated on his progress. Keep the pics coming!

[Casa Amazona]

This is strictly my opinion, but based on the size of the red "cap" on its head it may be that this little one is a female. You can pull pictures up on the internet showing males and females, with the males typically having a larger "cap" with more vivid feathers.

I agree with Nancy that the condition of the feathers indicates a poor diet. Something that might help out a bit is to give him/her a shower. With the feathers clean you'll be able to see the actual color.

Sometimes pictures don't do justice to the beautiful feathers of the MRHA. One I photographed last year who was in perfect feather photographed almost brown instead of the brilliant green the feathers actually are.

All the best with you as you set this one on the road to a healthy, happy future.

[Winged_Victory]

Thank you for taking Gabby in!

Best tip here: See the avian vet, give him a good shower, provide a good diet, new cage and toys. The last tip, lots of love, you have that one under control or you would not have taken him in!!!

[The Outlaw]

Another good tip is this: pick up a bottle of Johnson's Baby Shampoo. Mix one capful of shampoo to one quart of water. Shake it up. Really saturate his/her feathers and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then, take the bird into the shower and really soak. You will be amazed at how beautiful the feathers will look at that point. Don't dry the bird. Let it preen itself dry.

By the way, I hope I didn't make you feel badly. Your bird's condition is very common with rehomed Amazons. People don't mean to feed poor diets, they usually know no better. I have seen some truly amazing transformations from good diet and TLC. Save these photos and compare them this time, next year. Start your bird on a good fresh diet (I recommend you look up Lissa's Kitchen Sink in the Recipe section) and go from there. Amazons tend to eat too much and excercise too little. As a result, they can have weight related problems. too. A seed diet is really mostly fat. Hence, the poor feather color and overgrown beak. Its all completely treatable and some is even reversible. Good luck.