Gonna Re-home Oliver :-(

[parrotsatplay]

Ok, this guy just simply does NOT like me. I must remind him of someone in his past that mistreated him.
I'm gonna see if I can find a home with someone that is knowledgable about Amazons.
I took him on a car ride to a friend of mine that also has birds and he was a perfect gentlman with her and anyone else that wanted to hold him but come back home and he is back to doing the same stuff. :-(
This is depressing to me because I always wanted an Amazon but since he behaves this way toward me he isn't getting the attention he deserves and I want him to go live with someone that makes him happy.
He does perfer woman and believe it or not, blondes. That alone may be the problem because I have dark hair and he lunges at me but loves and kisses up to any woman with blonde hair, even strangers.
His adoption fee will be 300. I don't know the first thing about shipping so if anyone is close to Charleston, SC to drive that would be great. Plus I would like for you to meet him first.
He is a male Blue Front Amazon. I have his DNA papers from the previous owners (somewhere). He is 7 years old. (I was told).
This is hard for me to do, so please be kind.
I can't log into Photobucket but there is a picture of him on the site or you can email me for pictures.

[expressmailtome]

I am sorry that you feel you have to do this. How long have you had him? This is breeding season so many adult birds are hormonal. This is extreme in males of the hot three amazons.

Matt

[Alan]

Sorry you have to do this. not far from Charleston but with 4 new babies just ain't got the extra cash at the moment. I am sure you will find a great home for him.

[magdalena]

So sorry you are going through such a hard choice. Good luck finding him a great home. :)

[chapala]

Good luck to you in re-homing this guy. You did the right thing to recognize the bird just wasn't working in your family. The mature male hot three Amazons are not easy birds, and there are many other parrots that probably would work out well for you.

[DeguMom]

I hope you can find the right person or family to adopt him! Best wishes.

[Jwhear]

I know how you are feeling. I have a DYHA male who does not like me, but loves my partner. If it were me alone I would probably end up doing the same thing as he would have out time, but would never be handled. He is learning step up and is doing really well, but that is because we have one person in the house who he adores.

Good luck and don't be too hard on yourself, you only want to do what is best for him and that is a wonderful thing. Now that you see how he is with others I think you may be making the right choice.

[pi77]

pi here. i am new to birds.

just got my first two this year. both are rescues off of craigslist. i got lola my f 2.5 year old lovebird and cage for $30 and i got fred my 2 year m old white faced amazon AND huge cage for free.

i have had birds in the past. parakeets while growing up and i had a pet goose.

btw i live near you in summerville sc.

i have been reading reading reading and reading somemore about birds. a whole lot of good info and bad info can be had on the internet as i see it. there are some awefully dumb owners out there i must admit.

i just picked up 4 books from the summerville library on birds thursday. the newer the book the better the info i am seeing. for instance its the newer books that say peanuts are bad for birds where as the olderones say that peanuts are ok. i stopped giving my birds peanuts. its not so much the peanuts but rather the fungus peanuts can have.

i dont think that it is a coincidence that i saw your post this am. it was fate.

while spot reading one of the books about amazons it mentioned exactly what your going through. exactly. seems that it is typical of male amazons to do what oliver is doing. 7-12 years of age is the age is happens. they go on to say its mostly hormonal and somewhat male related. according to this book it is not uncommon for an amazon to even switch allegiance from one household member to another during this time.

some tips they gave....

-even a hand raised amazon with a single owner will do what oliver is doing. its common!

-if it is a switch in allegiance they recommend not allowing the new person to interact with the bird

-work through it. more often than not its a phase that can be worked through.

-keep in mind you are a male and so is oliver. doesnt it strike you as ringing true that he seems to prefer females right now? he probably see you as competition. i would bet that his actions have absolutely nothing personal towards you.

-he is trying to reassert his dominance. amazons in particular will often try to improve their pecking order.why? just because that is how amazons are.

-in some cases a vet can adminster hormones to counteract the his current imbalance and bring your bird back to normal.

-teaching your bird tricks is one way to bond or rebond. works for even the most aggressive birds.

my take is that if you really want a bird than you should keep oliver and work through this. parrots are not easy pets like dogs and cats. if they were than you wouldnt see 10-20 rehoming ads in craigslist weekly. if you give up on oliver what makes you think that you wont find a problem with the next bird you get? patience grasshopper.

one thing i have read over n over is that all birds have their own issues. every bird discription i have read mentions cons that are species particular. birds are not easy pets.

i think that your reasoning to give oliver away is the same reasoning used as to why many 'ill give it a shot' pet owners give up on birds tooo quickly. be patient. be persistant. get some good books on birds. the dummies guide and the idiots guide are two of the books i am reading now. the bird vet in mount pleasant recommended them in particular. ill bet the charleston library has even more books for you to peruse. if you want a ready made pet than i suggest that you not get another bird.

just a thought.... oliver is no different than any other amazon. i am sure it happens even to the best of bird trainers let alone novices such as ourselves. they work through it and end up with a friend for life. so should you.

i am taking my own advice to heart btw. lola the 'love bird' whom i loving refer to as shark, bites like a shark. big time bites. the name love bird does not fit her personality hehehe. i do think that being a hen, being in her terrible two's and being parent raised rather than hand raised is the reason why she is how she is. i am absolutely positive it is nothing i have done.

i am not going to give up on her. she has perched on my hand 2-3 times without biting. in each case it was outside the cage. that is a start. baby steps. i was reading a book on how to tame her and they recommend certain techniques called 'big bird' training. the first word used was 'patience'. they said it can be done!

hope this helps. if you really like oliver dont give up on him.

tell oliver that fred the white faced amazon says high and lola sends bites.

[chapala]

I've never heard of a White-faced Amazon - do you mean White-fronted aka Spectacled?

The person who is wanting to re-home the BFA that has only been there a short time also has small children, and the bird has tried to attack one of them and probably will continue to do so. Rather than dissuade someone who has made a decision that I think is appropriate under the circumstances, I wish the owner luck in finding a good home for this male "hot three" Amazon.

[parrotsatplay]

Thanks Chapala. I really like the guy but I do think it is the best decision to re-home him. I was actually hoping someone on here with Amazon experience would be interested in taking him in. Until I can find a suitable place for him, he will stay with me. I was told that the Lilac's are one of the most laid back Zon's I see you have one. Thank you everyone for your suggestions.