Things I have learned so far.

[magdalena]

Amazons are louder than U2's and yell the same word over and over and over when they aren't making siren noises. Ours screams HEY BOB and HELP. A lot. I wonder if my fiance got her as punishment for something I said. He gets to be gone all day while this is going on and is only here when she's settling down for the night. I suppose I knew I wasn't an Amazon person. The things we do for love.

At least she is coming out of her shell but now she is refusing food (she did eat when she first got here Saturday night so I don't know why she's decided the same food the last two days is evil). I have tried giving her mash, adding juice to her pellets and fruit mix, soft food on a spoon, soft food in a syringe, birdie bread dry, birdie bread wet, food on a kabob, food from my hand, fruit, veggies, pellets, sunflower seeds (!). No go. Maybe that's why she is yelling HELP.

We are picking up some Zupreem Fruity pellets today since her last owner didn't want to give us any to transition her from and I'd hoped she, being an Amazon and all, would eat anything. She has eaten mashed potatoes, some steamed broccoli and carrots and some cooked chicken the past couple of nights, she seems to prefer dinner to breakfast. Nutritious I know but at least she ate something. She stares at her bowls of food. While she sits on her perch not moving.

My fiance has enjoyed giving her a shower (at night no less which I asked him not to do) and talking about how he will make her foraging toys. I suppose he will get around to that when he stops playing EVONY. I kind of feel like some child's mom when they bring home a pet and promise that they 'will totally take care of it!' He wants her to bond to him but told me I'm 'allowed' to play with her during the day, which is a relief since he isn't here except at night and only talks to her or let's her bite him a little. I get yelled at for trying to feed her if he is here though. This from the man that stole the bond with my african grey LB by bribing her with cheese and other goodies daily btw. :D

She likes to bite, especially the bite and switch. She'll say UP like she wants to go up and then bite or lower her head for scratches and then bite. I am on to her but my fiance has taught her that biting him means he yells OW which must be very exciting for her. How do I train him? Is there a forum for that? :D I mean other than telling him 50 times a day not to react if he insists on getting bitten, how do I train him.

We will probably get kicked out of our apartment if she keeps yelling. Or I'll kick them out. :D It used to be peaceful here I think.

Good news, her plucking seems to have stopped with 12 hours of sleep and full spectrum lighting, only noticed a few crusty down feathers dropped since she's been here and one old ready to go feather. She is covered in pin feathers too and I mist her all the time. She is sort of ambivalent to the whole thing.

I don't want to sound like I hate her (or him lol), she's just not doing anything for me bird-wise. I still spend hours talking to her and interacting with her since someone has to, moving her to different play areas, trying to get her to eat or play, etc. She's just kind of boring when she's not yelling. Though I will take boring over yelling.

Any tips? On the food thing anyway? Hopefully when she sees the wonderfully colored toxic pellets she'll dive in. She's in the other room for quarantine so I can't spend every second in there with her without ignoring Zooo but she seems needy like a 'too so should I treat the yelling like behavioral screaming?

[Chief's Mom]

Wow! That sounds so much like Kiwi, our OWA. She has to fill the quiet times (which are few and far between already!) with loud duck quacking or yelling "Cut the Crap!" She is also an extremely picky eater. She loves almonds (she can't open them all the way, so we crack them a little to start it for her), mashed potatoes, and Kashi cereal, but only from my husband's cereal bowl. She eats the fruity Zupreem, but I've never seen anything even close to the 'piggie appetite' that other Amazon owners describe. I even give her the occasional peanut because I'm worried that she's not getting enough fat And Kiwi's in love with my husband! She tolerates me, but it's obvious who she really wants to spend her time with.

While I can offer no advice on fixing any of these problems, I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone Kiwi has become one of our most entertaining birds and while she may not be my best bud, I'm very glad that my husband insisted we get her, "cause that's the kind of bird he's always wanted."

[chapala]

The LCA I got had been on a terrible diet for many years (sunflower seeds, peanuts and corn-on-the-cob), and she converted to a fresh food diet in two weeks. I continued to offer her the familiar food (sunflower seeds, and corn-on-the-cob, dropped the peanuts from day one!) an hour or so after the new food first thing in the morning. I wouldn't offer new food after new food trying to get her to eat. It's just more confusing to them to see what they perceive as non-edibles in great numbers. Work on adding a few things at a time to the diet, and let them become familiar, increasing as she begins eating. You also could sprout hulled sunflower seeds to lower the fat content and increase the nutrition, instead of dry.

Sorry to hear she's a screamer, that's hard! We were lucky with the LCA - she screeches (sounds like a rusty hinge) a couple of times in the morning, and for a little while in the evening and that's it. She's not that loud either, certainly not unbearable. My loudest one right now is my Parrotlet, who can chirp quite loudly and continuously when he feels like it, high-pitched. Quite loud if he's on my shoulder!

[magdalena]

I'm pretty sure Gribbit hates us equally at this point but she's only just got here heh. I'm sure she will grow on me (or hope so!). I just gave her a big fatty chicken bone which she is eating and therefore not yelling. I am glad I'm not alone, thank you!

[magdalena]

Thanks Reta, I'll try adding one thing at a time and see what she does. Haven't tried that yet, feels like I've invented some new methods though.

She doesn't scream really, she HOLLERS, so I guess that's better than screaming not as good as talking. I can handle the noise level it's the repetition that's making me want to curl up and hide under many pillows. I don't know who Bob is but I hate him after all the HEY BOB!s lol.

The rest of the time (and there are reprieves) she makes a funny growlie noise or giggles like an anime character. Or she just sits on any perch and doesn't do anything. Which is kind of weird since I'm used to semi active birds. She will sit and stare (maybe she's pensive and deeply thinking). She preens normally a few times a day, seems healthy, good poops for all the not eating.

I think she was used to being in her cage all day in her last home or if she was taken out it was only to go to her outside cage. I'll have to read more on how to help birds learn how to play. Which may I add shouldn't be my job in life but my fiance's! Maybe he can teach her to play EVONY. :D

[Chief's Mom]

Maybe he can teach her to play EVONY. :D

Quite possible...Kiwi sits on Travis' shoulder while he plays Football on Wii and repeatedly tells him how she's a pretty bird, a bad bird, and so on.



Kiwi also laughs throughout the day, calls the kitty (which we don't have, by the way!), whistles, and purrs. She also makes a 'wah, wah' cry when she hears anyone complaining and if anyone gets fussed for something she calls them a bad bird. Everyone gets asked 'what 'cha doin?' and she even says it in her whisper, stalker voice if it's slightly quiet in the house. Personality just oozes from this bird.

I have a feeling that once she settles in completely, that you'll see just how entertaining she really is In any case, glad to hear that the plucking appears to have stopped...thats a really good sign that she's feeling comfortable. Good luck with getting her to eat better!

[magdalena]

I think my fiance would love that, he's already had 4 or 5 near misses with ripped off lips when he tries to kiss her even though I told him to wait on the face by beak attention. :D I told him I won't love him anymore if he is missing an eye or only has half an ear or lip. :D It's hard because I am so controlling and want everything to be right so the bird is set up for success and he is one of those I do what I want people just to spite you. I think probably I will just have to learn to breathe deeper and let him make his own mistakes and try not to say I told you so but it makes me feel bad for the bird you know?

[magdalena]

Well I have figured out a temporary solution because my fiance didn't get out of work before the store that has toxic pellets closed. She will eat chicken and chicken bone SO I warmed up some mash and DOUSED a chicken bone in it. She is gobbling up the mash. It is kale, carrot, broccoli, mustard greens, peppers (green and jalapeno), Goldnobles pellets, Goldenfeast legume mix, birdie bread with cherries and blueberries and raspberries and a little apple juice and orange juice with water.

At first I only covered one side of the chicken which she promptly turned over so I had to redo lol. Not the best solution but at least she's eating and healthier. I'm also going to move her food bowl to right under the avian light by her cage in case that makes it more exciting to her. Sheesh.

[debbielabella]

Hi Magdalena, sounds like you figured out they like people food best. Tiki really likes meat but I have a problem with him eating it because I'm vegan, but he steals a little from my son. If your eating healthy food, I'm sure she would be delighted to eat off your husbands plate lol.. great idea throwing the chicken bone in the mash. won't be long she'll be chowing on the mash don't worry. She's just trying to see to what extent she can get you to fuss over her meals ;o) They like eating whatever your eating so maybe you want to sit down with a bowl of birdie mash in front of her ;0)

Tiki used to holler help, let me go, Bob! No! stop! I was very worried that he had witnessed something terrible. He does that much more rarely now. When he starts yelling like that I start saying something that sounds similar but in a gentle voice. I usually try to console him, because I think he is a little upset and remembering some fighting in his old household. Amazons also tend to get a little overwound so sometimes just lowering your voice and the household noise and stimulation will help them to quiet down.

[tracie]

Ohhh I agree that Amazon's can get really wound up. I usually turn the t.v. off and put some nice music on if he is in one of his "crazy" moods....lol. It usually works.