KateBird here with my fids

[kateBird]

Hello everyone,

i just wanted to introduce myself. KateBird is my username here. I own 2 green cheeks - Ozzy and Sunny. And we just adopted a 17-yr-old yellow naped amazon named Pico. (kinda oxymoronic to give a large bird a name like Pico, isn't? ).

Both green cheeks are friendly and playful - takes a little warming up to strangers but they do step up on them, just dont place your face to close to them. we have already had 2 victims of nose bites because of this!

We just bought Pico this past sunday, but he is quite okay with my hubby picking him up with his hand. with me, i think he either really wants to dominate me or mate with me....i guess he sense i am a female? he has bitten my right hand up pretty good as i tried to pick him up on a wooden perch, but i am using the technique of firm and brief shake of the perch and a harsh, quick "NO" to hinder his advances of his beak to my hand. other than that he's very friendly in his cage for me. he'd let me scratch all over his head for hours. you think i have a chance to get him to be more friendly with me? i hope i am correctly teaching him "nurturing guidance".

any suggestions very much appreciated and again, hello!

kateBird

[Lisa B]

Welcome

[homebird]

Hi & welcome -
Congrats on the new bird. Very brave of you to take the jump from GCs to an Amazon. Yes it is strange that the bird's name is Pico. Have you ever considered changing their name for yourself & to start a new relationship?

story: There is a rescue near where I live & the lady wrote, on her web site, about a bird who was 'really' abused & she had to change its name because its name made it upset. The bird was happier with the new name.

Not implying this is the case for you - but maybe a more appropriate name would be fun.

[Cowgirl Chris]

Welcome, It will just take some time for you and Pico to create a relationship. You are still in the honeymoon phase and as long as you are still playing with him and working with him every day, he will slowly come around. Just keep a positive attitude about it all and everything will be fine. Good luck and keep up posted

[kateBird]

Hi everyone,

thanks so much for the warm welcomes.

homebird - the name Pico does seem off for a big bird like him, but he seems to be completely okay with it. whoever owned him before seemed to be pretty nice to him. from what i know, Pico only liked one person and completely hated all others. Being at the bird shop he was at, i think, socialized him a little more since the people there are completely dedicated to all the birds they house and handle them as much as possible to make them people-friendly.

i am totally taking Pico's training seriously (for me) and playful (for Pico). Every day I take him in and out of his cage to the play stand, talk to him, preen his head when he is willing, and play. i dont feel that he is completely comfortable with me, but its only been about 10 days since i brought him home. i feel myself lucky that Pico allows me so much interaction and contact.

ive actually been documenting my "training" sessions with Pico on a daily basis. if you are interested, here is my blog:

http://life-with-pico.blogspot.com

i was kinda doubtful about whether Pico would fit into our family, but since hubby wanted him, i gave in. (this is technically hubby's bird). but now, i see he will fit nicely - if we can carry this personality over the honeymoon stage....but i wont give up!

kateBird

[Irish]

Welcome to Birdboard :-).

My spouse is also enamored of Amazons, but they scare the pee-diddly out of me, usually. Recently one came into the bird store we frequent, and it's a real nice bird--one of the very few Amazons I've met who likes everyone. Spouse fell head-over-heels for that bird, but it sold w/in 24 hours. Too bad, 'cause that bird has a real thing for my spouse more than anyone else it interacts with, and I just know that if that bird were still available, we'd be trying to make room for "just one more" feathered family member around here.... I think my spouse's heart was broken when that sweet bird was sold to someone else.

[kateBird]

hi Irish,

you have a couple of macaws in your flock and you are afraid of amazons? i would be more afraid of macaws!

thats SAD that the amazon you saw in the pet shop got sold so quick. well, things happen for a reason and there probably is a good amazon out there for you.

i dont know how you manage giving attention to each of your birds during the day. with 3 birds, i feel i am being spread a little thin. its actually just right. i would love to get a timneh one day, but we will definitely have to buy a home somewhere first with more room.

but im digressing...thanks for your welcome!

kateBird

[Irish]

To say I'm spread a little thin around here is an exaggeration--on top of the birds, we have 11 dogs (mostly border collies) who all have their sports to indulge in! But that's why I'm home all day and spouse has a good job--for the health and comfort of our family, no matter if they wear clothing, feathers or fur :-). Everybird and dog gets their own quality time with me (especially Bob--he's my darlin' boy, and likes to regurg for me every morning) except Edgar, who hates me and wishes I were dead... LOL! Evenings we both work for the beasties. The GW, Arthur, isn't weaned yet, so he won't be here for a month or two. Gracie needs special training, as she's got "issues" that need dealing with, and a special touch. But I love her dearly--even if the rest of my family is scared witless of her!

There is no such thing as the Amazon out there for ME. I think ALL of them are out there for my spouse, though. Spouse loves them all, and was raised with a wild-caught BFA. They usually love my spouse, too, except for one sweet YNA named Dolly who belongs to a friend of mine. Dolly loves ME :-). Dolly loves ME more than Dolly loves anyone else--even her own people. I would take Dolly in a heartbeat, but of course her people love her, and she's there to stay.

Yes, Amazons scare me more than Macaws or M2s or anything else out there with a bigger beak. Heck, my Sun Conure, Petey McSweet, scares me more than the macaws! That li'l bugger can take a chunk outta your neck with amazing speed if he feels the urge (luckily, that's only VERY rarely)! LOL!

I think you'll like it here. When you have time, you should post pix!

[homebird]

Hey kateBird! I think the journal idea is excellent. Go girl - you might turn that 'male-loving' bird around. + good action photo. Hopefully the notes will help you review.
Sounded like the step-up was getting a little boring at the end - will you try different locations/objects to make it a little more 'interesting' next time? I understand that you’re setting up building blocks. I would like to read your progress in the future, if I might.

Amazons are pretty intimidating for the less experienced too. & I saw quite a few at the 'All about Pets show', last year - the owners were great; happy to talk about their bird & show them off & careful that they behaved! They all mentions hormonal swings - is your bird experiencing them? Or would you know the difference after so little time with him? 10 days isn't very long.....

It's great, even from this distance, to see you working with him. Like Reality TV!! It will be my goal to get a re-home eventually, the older the better & at this point almost any breed [well ... maybe not too big ] .

PS - glad you're OK with the name at this point & that he was a loved bird.

[kateBird]

Irish, i hope you dont mind me saying, but you sure do have a farm going on at your house! sounds like a place i'd like to strive for. i love animals. interesting that you say that you are more afraid of your sun conure than a macaw. it does depend on bird-speediness. my gcc, like your sun, strikes quickly. and not only does it bite - it bites and TWISTS. darn lil thing! with Pico, he does move much slower, which allows me to move out of the way before he actually bites, but when he does get his beak on me, ive found that he usually just bites down hard and lets go. no twisting, which would make things a LOT worse.


homebird, i do find my journal quite helpful. i review what ive written sometimes to see if Pico and I are actually doing some progress and to see where i can help make training a better experience. yes, you are right. i think i need to change the training location. i have used the corn during my training to help with praising him, which helped. you may read my blog any time. i am also always open to comments and suggestions!

about hormonal swings, its too early to tell. he does act more strongly some times, mostly just with me and not with my husband. i will have to keep tabs on his personality as time progresses.