New Macaw owner. Tips?

[dani_L]

Hi everyone, I've been reading up on this board for awhile and it's been quite helpful. I'm already the proud owner of a gorgeous, intelligent Orange Wing Amazon named Evie, and a sweet, playful Slate masked Lovebird named Haku. I'm a new owner of a lovely young B&G named Ammy. Ammy is about 8mths old, and has had a rough time of it so far. He was shipped to Trinidad from Venezuela with a shipment of other macaws in cramped quarters, and as a result he came to me very dirty, clearly underfed and thin, and with his feathers in very poor condition. I've given him a good misting, and his feathers have already brightened, and his demeanour is a bit more pleasant. He likes to be handfed, and has not bitten anyone so far. He will bluff when I come near his cage, but will not lunge. Sometimes he will toy with my fingers, but never for long. He sometimes bows his head at the side of the cage, and fluffs his feathers, as if he would like me to give him scritches, but he will back away when i attempt to touch his head. He is also attempting a few words, like "Hello." This is my question: should I take a very active approach in trying to socialize him more? My belief so far is that I want to gain his trust awhile before I attempt to handle him. He has clearly been mistreated, and I want to rebuild his trust in people by not encroaching upon him too quickly. He is terrified of being held or handled so far. Also; can you all give me any tips on how to go about with this process? Help would be much appreciated!!

Danielle, Evie, Haku and Ammy

[kimtoo]

was he wild caught? I did not see a band....

[kimtoo]

was he wild caught? I did not see a band....I don't understand importing babies like that.

I guess I don't know how to advise you ther than to give him time.

[SDavid]

As with any animal I think showing him understanding and having patience will go a long way. Try to interact by offering food and head-scratches to the extent that he'll let you. But don't force anything.

"He was shipped to Trinidad from Venezuela with a shipment of other macaws in cramped quarters, and as a result he came to me very dirty, clearly underfed and thin, and with his feathers in very poor condition. "

What do you mean by "came to you"?....did you buy him from a store or someone privately. What you describe above sounds like illegal poaching. Birds are usually stuffed into wherever they can fit (tires, suitcases,...etc.) so they can be snuck out of the country. Also, what does WI stand for? Wisconsin? Do you live in the US? In which case, to my understanding, it's definately illegal to sell birds that are not domestically bred.

[dani_L]

No no, everyone, i live in Trinidad where we don't typically band birds, I know our practices are not wonderful but I don't agree with them.

"What do you mean by "came to you"?....did you buy him from a store or someone privately. What you describe above sounds like illegal poaching. Birds are usually stuffed into wherever they can fit (tires, suitcases,...etc.) so they can be snuck out of the country. Also, what does WI stand for? Wisconsin? Do you live in the US? In which case, to my understanding, it's definately illegal to sell birds that are not domestically bred."

I found him at a local petstore where i learned of his story, I did not personally import him...

WI stands for West Indies.

[SDavid]

West Indies!......I'm envious of you. You can spend so much quality outdoor time with your birds. Here in NY summer seems to last two minutes and then it's another long, icy winter. I love being outdoors with my birds so I feel bad when they have to be indoors.

Anyway, I wasn't implying that you did anything wrong. That's why I asked questions first. I'm sorry I can't give you better advice. But, your macaw is young and I'm sure that with enough love from you he'll be happy. Good luck.

[dani_L]

SDavid
sorry if I seemed offended, I myself am pretty upset over the how parrots are treated with disregard in the places where they are plentiful.
The nice thing about where I live though, is that I can see Amazons passing over my house on sunny evenings, screeching loudly. We used to have a local population of about several hundred B&G macaws, but they have all died out as a result of ruthless hunting for the pet trade. I've heard that we have a small population of parrotlets and mini- macaws, but we have such little documented information about them that it's impossible to say for sure. It's a shame everyone can't appreciate what a blessing it is.
Thanks for your concern!
danielle

[dani_L]

Hi everyone
Just wanted to let you know that Ammy is doing better each day. He now requests beak kisses at night before bedtime, and he likes beak rubs. Patience is certainly paying off.

Dani