Blue-fronted Rescue!!!!!

[Degrees55basebal]

So last Saturday I was informed that there was a man in my area who was getting rid of his female blue-fronted amazon.
Reasons being are as follows:
1. He was tyrying to mate this female with one of his others and she had refused to mate.
2. She is no longer hand friendly.
3. The man had no need for her and was not willing to train her.

So I was all excited and I went to pick up the bird. She is extremely timid and will not let anyone put their hand, finger, or any body part around her. I have recieved a few cuts from her as she has bit me.
She has been plucked by her past mate just on top of her head.

I had some questions on her ability of becoming accustomed to me and furthermore my family.

Is there any chance that I can be able to have her sit on my shoulder or play around without ravously biting me?

She has without a doubt made some good progress in one week alone but Im afraid the way she had been treated in the past is to much to overcome.

Any help is appreciated.

[mmr]

My BFA male I rescued about 2 motnhs ago. I tell you I don't handle him at all. He is always trying to attack me through the cage or when out of the cage. He also has very bad displacement bitting, as when he is trying to attack me he bites his wing and feet!

So I am not much help. Mine hasn't been held in over 8 years!

[Valo's Moirana]

no experience with amazons, but nino cannot be handled at all.... he hates hands and runs like the devil's chasing him whenever a hand gets close to him.... (and when it's the time of the year, he runs the other way and takes a chunk out of the hand)

however, doesn't mean we don't interact - it's just different.... instead of him flying to me and landing on me, he'll land somewhere close by on a play gym or similar. then he just hangs out next to me, preens, looks what i'm doing, comes to check if i have food i could potentially share with him, and looks at me.
when i leave the room, he'll yell for me (i was proud when he did that the first time).

so, we happily co-exist and enjoy each others company without touching. he plays with his toys, but doesn't need to snuggle.

he's become a lot better since i first got him, and we're making progress. no guarantee that he'll ever step up, but for me he doesn't have to.
guess i was just trying to illustrate that sharing your home with a bird that you can't touch can be just as rewarding if you look at it from a different angle - i can say, that nino's by far the most spoiled bird i have because he gets everything he wants (and i SWEAR he knows it)

[Tom Lawless]

I would say that it is going to take awhile. Amazons have long memories and are not known to adapt quickly to new situations. She has a long history to put behind her.

I would not force anything but talk nicely to the bird, sit by her cage when you are watching t.v. or movies, read to her from time to time, and let her get used to your hands by giving her treats before you make the next step of trying to get her to step-up to your hand.

I would not put her anywhere near your shoulder until she is very tame and you feel she is very trustworthy. A lot of the advice I've read says that Amazons should never be on a shoulder because it gives them a position of dominance over you and that's a bad relationship to allow to develop.

As she gets used to your family you may want to put her in a central location. I've heard that Amazons like to be in the middle of the action. Of course, because she is so timid, she might be overwhelmed at first.

Hopefully some experienced Amazon owners will follow up this advice with something more detailed.

[mmr]

Oh I forgot to mention also. Wint my BFA when he flairs his tail, that is a sign of aggression! so when yours is doing this, pretty much leave them a lone for a spell. (Meaning touching etc). When Tony does this I just talk to him in a soft tone and keep doing that and he eventually calms down. Then he also starts making his little noises that I have managed to immitate and he seems to like that when I talk back to him in his language!

They also are vitamin a defficiant (at least very prone to it). You need to feed him things with vitamin A

[DeguMom]

I wouldn't recommend ever having a parrot on your shoulder. Not due to dominance issues necessarily, but due to the off chance they'd bite you. If the bird gets scared, or senses danger and feels the need to protect you - they're going to give you a bite. And if they're on your shoulder, what's the closest thing to bite? Your face. Ouch! I've seen some nasty face wounds. But, then again, me and my Amazon do give kisses, so there's a beak on my face...So go figure. LOL You can decide for yourself if you want a shoulder bird or not. There are definitely pros and cons on both sides of the issue.

But, yes, she can get used to you and become more tame as time goes on. Amazons in general aren't known for being exceptionally cuddly birds. Many just don't enjoy being petted or getting scritches. Some do though, so you never know.

If she's already made progress in a week that is a good sign. It sounds like she likes you and feels comfortable in your house. Just keep taking it slow, and you'll start to earn her trust, respect and love.

Try finding some activities you can do together while bonding. If she likes to sing, try to find an artist or song she likes, then you can sing together. If she likes things quieter, try to find a book she likes and read it to her. (My Zon's favorite book is "Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?" by Dr. Seuss) Or just generally let her be around you and watch you while you do normal things around the house. She can definitely over come her past, no question. It might take a long time, and she may never be a cuddly bird, but she can get over her fear and shyness, and you can still have a wonderful relationship.

Someone said you can still be close friends without touching her - and that is so true. I still cannot touch my rescued Blue Front. But we love each other and have a great time together. Slow and steady wins the race, and she sounds like she really wants to loosen up with you. Best wishes, good on you for rescuing her from a bad situation! Poor little girl!

You can imagine life from her perspective. Here she was, in a place no one loved her, all alone. She was forced to try to mate with males she didn't know and didn't love, and was probably punished for her "bad behavior". It's no wonder she's timid and doesn't like hands. Who knows what hands have done to her over the years. But there is a diamond in there, and with her recent progress (however small) you've seen a glint of it. She deserves to learn to trust and love, and she deserves to feel loved. You're giving her the second chance she deserves! Don't be too hard on yourself, or on her. You're still strangers for the most part, but with a little time, that will start to change. I can imagine if she could type, she'd probably be on a parrot board asking other rescued parrots similar questions as you're asking here! You can both find the answers together. Thank you for caring, and for wanting to help her!

[Degrees55basebal]

Thank you all for your help. I appreciate every word of it. I found that she really enjoys the spot in the kitchen up on a bar. She likes to eat cashews up there and just watch everyone. It's nice to have her looking a little less stressed out.

[mmr]

Originally Posted by Degrees55basebal

Thank you all for your help. I appreciate every word of it. I found that she really enjoys the spot in the kitchen up on a bar. She likes to eat cashews up there and just watch everyone. It's nice to have her looking a little less stressed out.

okay so where are pictures of him??????

[DeguMom]

Aawww, that's wonderful! She will always remember these first days and weeks and how kind and compassionate you've been to her. I think it sounds like she really wants to be your girl. You're doing great in just letting her settle in and observe like that! That's the best way to let her settle in and get to know you and your family. This is my smile for the day!