wizard needs new toys

[wizard's#1]

any one know where i can find some new learning toys for wizard? i think maybe he's bored and needs something wonderful to play and learn with.
he's still showing some aggression but will step up.
kim has him kinda grounded to his cage ( he's not allowed out unless i take him out) i'm afraid maybe i'm not spending enough time with him. he's out on his perch 2 or 3 times aday and we play 1 on 1 in the bathroom floor.he acts somewhat bored with that. how much time should i be spending with him? also how long does breeding season last and will wizard ever get back to normal again? i'm not sure what to do with him at this point can anyone give me some ideas

[The Outlaw]

OK. Let's go over the details again: what kind of bird, what age and what sex? How long have you had him? How handleable is he on a good day? What kinds of toys does he currently have?

[wizard's#1]

ok.. wizard is about 9y/o have had him about 9-10 mths. curentley he has a large bell,wood to chew on,
lg sinky( across cage) and a swing. he loves anything he can tare up.have had many chew toys and he loves them.
on good days he can be well manered however still from time to time he wants to bit. he didn't use to be like this. kim thinks he's trying to be playful and see how much he can get away with. i know he likes me because he's always wanting to be held. he really likes it when i sing to him we do alot of that. he goes after me when i change feed bowls, he likes oj out of a glass but then tries to bite when he's done. he's not at all scared of the floor or the other animals in the house. they're is nothing new and no reason, other then it being breeding season. or do you have any other ideas? i can't get him to eat his veggies either.he's also been to the vet and he's fine.now since he bits i have had to start wearing gloves and a jacket when i handle him.alond with the toys i'm getting from you i'm also looking into some learning toys as well. something to make him think alittle or things to hide stuff and treats in.i look over birdboard all the time and have tried many different things but things don't quit turn out right.wizard is hard to please at times.like treats can't find any he really likes,no matter what.one minute he'll he something the next he won't. i'm confused. oh yeah he's a b&g.

[MandysBlackRoses]

What kind (species) of macaw?

[wizard's#1]

b&g macaw i can't seem to figure him out

[CrazyBirdLady]

If he enjoys tearing up stuff, let him have it. Literally, empty cracker boxes, more wood toys. You can find a great toy here http://www.estarbird.com/BrainiacBlock.html Great for foraging and destroying. There are many sites with many toys, but you can build your own too, generally better since each bird has his own preference for favorites. I get ideas from this site too http://www.chopperstoys.com/CatalogP...ls_Macaws.html and have fun making stuff to just watch it get torn up. Woven leather, wood blocks, big beads, acrylic.
Gloves and a jacket? Sounds like a behavioral training is in order, for both of you LOL! Seriously, I spoke with a bird behaviorist about the love/hate biting relationship with our Senegal and I've not been bitten since. The behavior modification was primarily mine, not his. I've changed how I interact and he's been much happier.
Good luck

[wizard's#1]

what did you do? some insight if you will.also the jacket & gloves are probabley because he's bitten me and now i don't trust him much.

[CrazyBirdLady]

"Our" (the Sennie and mine) issue was that he's a hormonal fella and has a strong dislike to women which came from his previous home. I began by no longer dealing with him outside of his cage. Treats were given through cage bars and if he postured like he was going to bite or pinned at me, I simply walked away. He then associated something yummy with the me. This has been months that he and I have been working. I am now allowed to scratch his head and touch his feet, through the cage bars, but I have to watch the signs closely as there are times he doesn't want me near. Recently, I have been able to scratch his head while he is outside the cage, but only if my husband (his chosen mate) is not in sight.
Does Wizard only bite you when others are around? He might also be hormonal (which might explain tearing everything up) and generally "Mating season" can last 3-4 months; sometimes longer. Biting behavior with such a big beak can be disheartening, but try not to take it personally. What leads up to the bites? Sometimes you can see it coming in their eyes and posture and other times, I've gotten the sneak attack bite that I didn't see until too late. If you are his chosen one, I can only suggest if you ask him to step up and he bites, put him right back down and walk away. Try it again in 5 minutes. Sooner than later he will decide that he does want your attention and not bite at that time. It can be a slow process.
I certainly understand the trust issue and not wanting to get bitten. I don't know if it's the same with the larger birds, but my smaller birds will bite and are scared to death of gloves. Perhaps he is biting the glove and not you really. Right now I'm dealing with what we call a "teething" Macaw and my fingers were the chew toy of choice. Literally, in a matter of 24 hours, after providing some soft wood, leather strips and rawhide, the gnawing on my fingers has gone from a lot to light nibbles.
Keep the faith and keep trying new things. See what works for you and for Wizard. :)

[wizard's#1]

the step up isn't a problem,if he wants out. ok.... never mind what i'm doing how should i do it? never had 1 on 1 on handling macaws. i'm the only one that handles him,i'm the only one here because my husband drive truck.( i'm retired from driving) and i don't work.i never see his bites coming.one minute he's fine the next he'll try to bite. i sit in front of his cage and talk to him, sometimes he eats better if i feed him off a fork so i do that.don't dare try with my fingers- he'll have them for lunch. he likes it if i sing to him,we also go in the bedroom for the one on one time, sometimes he's fine sometimes he's not. if he tries to bite i ignore it the first time, if he tries again i say NO bad boy and back to the cage. i don't know if he gets the idea or not.the whole thing is he wasn't like this a month ago.i guess it could be just breeding season shoot my quakes have had 9 eggs in a month. not babies just eggs. forest (male) just hasn't got it together yet. wizard use to be so loving and easy going. then one day he bite me and the fight was on. he's not as bad as he was but there is a lot of room for improvement. time for macaw 101 is there anyone out there up to it?

[wrin]

Well for my Scarlet, i buy wooden alphabet blocks and drill holes in them and string them up, she loves paper towel tubes, i actually save my wrapping paper tubes from christmas for her. I just cut them in lenghts. I'll smear pnut butter on the insides of them for her sometimes. Army men are great or the farm animals. They are hard plastic, and you can string them as well. Alternate his toys. Give him two toys for a couple of days then exchange them out for a couple of others. Another thing I found that Scarlet use to love, a baby rattle. But only when you are around. And when it breaks, take it away ASAP. Hope this helps!