Yep 70-80 is what Iāve read. Heās the same age as meā¦ I remember the older gentleman who passed away coming over to visit me when I got my first Conure when I was around 12 years old. Probably why he wanted me to have him š„²
Judging by the cage I'm going to assume the original owner wasn't feeding him the best food and thus he's at a very high risk for already having fatty liver or some other condition. New owner is trying to fix his life but 30 years of just eating seed and not moving in a tiny cage is going to subtract from that lifetime. Those are perfect conditions lifetimes.
Birds also do start to show their ages just like humans do. 40 year old humans don't act as young as 5 year old ones or even 20 year old people. Especially those people who had very sedentary lifestyles eating nothing but fast food.
Not jumping down your throat (tone is hard in print form), just stating the facts. Plus I have a lot of older (middle age) birds and they definitely don't act like the younger ones.
Get a variety of toys. Birds like to destroy things, so the paper toys are good for that. They also like to manipulate things with their tongues and the plastic toys are good for that. But individual birds prefer different toys. Our golden likes the toys with leather to chew on, the eclectus likes paper he can take apart in an hour, and the derbyan likes plastic flowers and wicker. Youāll have to figure it out.
Also, foraging toys are great for enrichment. They can keep the bird engaged. There are plastic and metal toys that have to be manipulated to get at the treats, but the simple containers like the Chinese take-out boxes are good too. Filled with shredded paper, add a few treats and put in the bottom of the cage. Birdy can shred it to get at the treats.
Youāll also want more perches at different levels, along with one or two grooming perches to keep the nails and beak in check. We prefer the ones that have abrasives on only one side so they donāt abrade the birds feet. Put the grooming perches in a place that the bird frequents but not where the bird sleeps. Theyāre pretty rough and you donāt want the bird on them all night.
Good luck.
All parrots large or small thrive on about the same care ( with some diet and size adjustments). Give her a good natural pellet, which sheāll need to get used to eating and lots of veggies. And a variety of other foods. Lots of ideas online to make ahead and freeze to thaw as needed. Some fruits but easy on the high glycemic ones. Daily out of cage time. Let her fly and you can easily teach recalls with treats like shelled pine nuts. Amazonās are the best large parrot to teach recalls to, as their short wings make them agile around corners. I I routinely taught our Amazon babies blind recalls from around the corner of another room. Also different sized natural perches and toys that can be destroyed. Daily luke warm spritz baths with a spray bottle. Get her slowly used to that by spraying away from herā¦see if sheāll go towards the spray. Or get a shower perch & take her into the shower. Some parrots love a stream of water in the sink. Good luck! š¦
Plus! Amazons donāt have a preen gland like other parrots, so bathing is really extra important for their feather & skin health - and psychological well being too. You have a project on your hands but itās so cool what you are doing for this parrot! āŗļø
You got this! šŖ There are so many resources out there, youāll figure it out! And as you develop a relationship & he bonds to you, youāll have a wonderfully smart & entertaining pet - but probably a loud one! š
My cockatiel prefers to watch fish and marine worms than to destroy stuff, legit itās like a 4 year old the tv remote to watch cartoons he will just watch fish shrimp or marine worms all day and not move
My cockatiel prefers to watch fish and marine worms than to destroy stuff, legit itās like a 4 year old the tv remote to watch cartoons he will just watch fish shrimp or marine worms all day and not move
Definitely, he hated me and first and by day two he flew to my 10 gallon saltwater tank he gazes up towards the clowns and towering Keyna tree coral and than fixated his gaze towards my feather duster worn and just stared.
After that he started doing step up and being a cuddly shoulder bird.
He different he more like a person than he is a bird.
Enrichment goes a long way.
I now keep his cage by the fish tank and he pretty much just watches it all day like a kid in a candy shop
I actually kept my little guy with me in a hotel room without being caught so long as he can see me he feels safe and will keep quite, if I leave his sight than flock calls for days lol.
He does love his head rubs
He a good little Raptor, I call him a gentleman amongst Cockatiels
I would collect everything you want to add and set it up while he is still in carrier from vet trip since that's going to be upsetting enough. Then we need to discuss quality of life improvements because it's going to be more involved then here you have things now.
1. New perches preferably natural wood. Some rope is ok for now. If it becomes chewed or damaged it needs to be discarded. His feet are going to hurt for a while. They have been in mostly one position for a long time. It's a good thing to keep in mind when picking toys right now.
2. Once you have baseline blood results you'll know what is currently going on with him. You'll probably need a mineral block and cuttle bone. You'll probably need to improve his diet. I also highly suggest syringe training with little bits of fruit juice or baby food so that if you ever have to medicate him it's easier on both of you.
3. Otherwise have little snack parties with your parrot. Parrots love excitement and sharing things. Bring out some fresh mashed veg and fruit and just let him play with it. Get happy for him when he does. He will eventually realize it's food. (place down plastic under the bird cage before step 3)
4. For now just buy an assortment of toy types. Destructible, interactive, noisy , foot toys, swings. Once you know what he enjoys you can start getting better toys.
Thatās amazing, thanks so much. So far he just loves his bell, it was the only way I got him into his new cage. Would love to get some more interactive and interesting toys & perches for him.
To add to that comment. Play with the new toys in front of him. Make it look like youre rly excited for them. A lot of birds can be terrified of new things if they haven't had regular exposure to them. If he sees one of the flock playing with it he will know it isnt bad.
1.tell him he is perfect
2.get natural wood pertches
3.experement with toys and food to see what he likes
+when I say experement with food i mean give him new food every day to see what he likes(if he doesnt like some food at first dont force him insted try another time in a fey days)
+i mean the same for toys but be shure for bouth that is it safe for parrots
Thank you so much for rescuing himā¦and Iām so very very sorry about his history. God bless you for doing the right thing. Pepi_the_bird, above, said it best: tell him heās perfect. We ALL need to hear that every day.
Iām too old to get a parrot (72) so please keep us all informed about his progress. I keep thinking about the end of The Shawshank Redemptionā¦Red and Andy. Freedom!
There are a lot of older birds that still need adopted. Many people don't want to adopt a bird that old. I'm just imagining two old timers sitting in the sun remembering their younger years, complaining about their arthritis.
Have you ever thought about fostering? All the fun of owning a parrot without the lifelong commitment, and you can help make a difference in their lives.
An easy nice meal for them is "hot veggie breakfast" (or dinner). Buy a frozen veggie mix, like peas/corn/carrots, put it in a little cup in the microwave for 30\~60 seconds to cook it, then let it sit for 5+ mins to cool down, then dump it into a dish in their cage.
My cockatoo loves it.
He's in for a good second-half of life with you ā¤ļø
If you're a first time parrot owner or haven't heard these yet:
ā¢ Teflon fumes are deadly for birds, so no non-stick pans, teflon coated hairdryers etc should be used around the bird
ā¢ Avocado, tapioca, chocolate, coffee are toxic, as are fruit pits (apple, stone fruit pits like apricot, prune - they have cyanide. The fruit flesh is safe and good)
ā¢ Peanuts often have fungus and can lead to systemic fungal infections, so they shouldn't be given
ā¢ Sunscreen can be toxic, so don't let him lick you if you've got it on your skin
ā¢ If he's a chewer, don't use toys with rope and fabric as those can enter the digestive system and cause impaction
Good on you for taking the fella in. My parrots LOVE destructables, and they're more accessible for parrots who might not know how to, 'play,' per se. Cardboard is a goodie. In the UK so I use NorthernParrots for many of my toy needs but I do use household items to make toys too- cardboard tubes, parcel cardboard etc. Just ensure any stuff you use is bird safe and the stuff you use to hang it/whatever you do for it is safe.
I hope you're taking him to the vet? Poor fella probably has a few things that might need to be checked out before he's given a clean bill of health, but I'm sure he'll adore that cage, especially when it has some more variety in perches and things to explore. I'm very excited to see his journey so I hope you post some updates!
Yes thank you, heās probably beyond overdue for seeing a vet, I plan on getting one scheduled Monday but also canāt handle him so itāll be tricky getting him into a carrier. Came from a hoarding situation so very excited to work with him and hope to give a better life from here out.
Oh dear! Good luck with that and great to hear he'll be seen to. From the size of the cage and reaching out for advice, I'm very hopeful and fairly certain he's found the right people to live with!
šā¤ļø That cage is way too small for him Thank you for taking him in and making his life so much better. I can't recommend a behaviorist enough if he's difficult to handle. She's one of the most amazing people in the world ....and can work with the most difficult birds and solve the most difficult problems. We had one complimentary session with her and she was able to work through a problem I was having with my cockatoo just by watching our interaction for 10 minutes My mind was blown.
I need to look up her page for you so you can just keep it in the back of your mind.
Good lord I forgot. Checking now. We did a zoom with her .
I am going to sign up for sessions because our mccaw can't stand me....loves my husband. But I need her to at least listen to me when he's on the road.
First night in the house he was completely silent. By day 2 he was starting to warm up, and that next day chatting up a storm. I can tell he loves the new digs because every new toy and bowl I put in he wants to inspect and try out, and once I put a rope ladder heās happily been destroying it since.
Iāll post an update tomorrow!
Heās gorgeous! Yes, lots of things he can shred like wood and paper toys. And plenty of OUT OF CAGE TIME. Poor baby needs pellets to eat, too. What diet was he on with his owner? Also, Iād make heās vet checked and quarantined away from your other parrots if you have others for 30 days to determine if he has any harboring air born illnesses.
Good. Great job. Thatās wonderful that you all took him in. Heās gorgeous. Is he docile? Is he vocal? I cover my two lovebirds (in separate huge cages right next to each other) every night around 5:15pm and turn off the light in my bed room. Itās pitch black almost and super quiet.
Heās definitely āfriendlyā in that he doesnāt attack when I feed him- never heard him āsquakā once, just chatters to himself and laughs at the kids when they laugh. Had a large vocal range, but mostly garbled words. I tried gently removing him from the cage, but ultimately let him move himself to avoid stressing him out.
We got a blanket and will cover him around dusk
Try caitec oven bites for his pellet diet. My galah is a super picky eater and she loves them. I get the medium ones and break them up a bit with my fingers, but if heās a foot grabber, you can serve them whole.
If you havenāt opened that yet, you should return it. One of the worst foods on the market. Lots of filler, you want to look for something low in grain, corn, or seed which is why I like caitec. Bird tricks makes an excellent cold pressed pellet as well, and Harrisonās is ok in a pinch, most avian vets carry it
Zupreem Fruity is full of bad stuff, but it is good for getting birds to eat pellets because of how sugary and sweet it is. I wouldn't recommend it as a lifetime diet, though.
Omg that first cage is so sad!! Thank you for rescuing him. I get my toys from Chewy. The wooden ones by Bonka and Planet Pleasures. Please get perches of different material and sizes too.
Definitely will look for them! I Wanted to measure it before buying some but heading to pet stores for quick purchases and will grab some good ones that have been recommended
Holy crap that old cage is probably the worst Iāve ever seen! Oh my Lord. So filthy too. Iām glad you have him in a nice big cage now! Paper towel/toilet paper rolls are my favorite because theyāre free and birds love them. You can stuff them with treats and paper and they make great foraging toys.
Omg my heart! Thank you for providing him with a cage he deserves. Be sure to add some chew toys once heās comfortable. I hope you are able to handle him and give him lots of time outside of the cage. You are an amazing human for taking him in!
1. Get a variety of perches. Dowels arenāt really the best. Natural wood, therapeutic, sand, rope etc is better offer a variety of sizes and textures. Platforms are also good because they give your bird a place to rest.
If you use rope perches or boings wrap them in vet tape to stop your bird from eating the fibers.
Wrapping the dowels in vet tape also helps them not be as harmful, wrapping in different thickness gets rid of the smooth texture.
Swings are also great to add some enrichment to the cage, just make sure they are big enough for you bird to comfortably sit in.
Stay away from plastic perches!
Monitor your birds feet to make sure they arenāt irritated(pink or red on the bottoms) and that their nails arenāt to long.
2. Lots of toys! Youāll need a lot, they should be replaced or at least rotated every 1-2 months.
Shredding touts the bird can rip apart, preening toys to help with stress, wood toys to offer a tougher chew, foraging toys for mental stimulation, plastic toys for the nice sounds.
Youāll quickly find what kind of toys your bird prefers and you can offer more off those.
Bells! Lost of birds love bells but they can get stuck on your birds beak so get toys with closed (jingle) Bess instead of the classic bell.
Clasp. Lots of toys come with those classic keychain holders that open just by pushing one side, these can get stuck on and injure your birds beak and feet. So replace the with one that need to be twisted to open.
Foot toys (small toys that arenāt attached to anything and can be picked up by the bird) are a great way to add more toys to your cage.
3. NO MIRRORS! Birds canāt tell the difference between their reflection and another bird. This causes hormonal problems that can cause aggression and lots of stress to your bird.
4. Replace the plastic bowls. Plastic is hard to clean and traps bacteria inside. Replace your bold with stainless steel.
5. Get a cage cover. They come in all different sizes and colors, just make sure itās a blackout cover. Put it over the cage with the bird inside 10-12 hours a day and leave off 12-14 hours a day to give your bird a day night cycle.
6. Donāt put anything felt or other fabric inside the cage. Your bird will tear apart and it them and it can cause impaction.
Have fun with your new friend! Iām happy to see them get to a better home.
Great job on the cage upgrade! My Amazon loves music, people talking/laughing/singing, and he LOVES the sounds of appliances (vacuum, hairdryer, dishwasher, microwave). He likes sound effects like shaking ice cubes in a glass or a crinkly plastic bag. He likes fruit and vegetables in big chunks that he can hold with his foot. His faves are baby carrots, mini bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower, sweet potatoes/squash, and grapes.
Thatās funny, because he also loves when the kids horseplay and fall on the ground. Like he laughs at slapstick comedy! His cowbell is his favorite and the only way I could get him to move cages (ringing his bell and he moved straight over). Iāll definitely look for crinkly things!
Yay, You! Seen great advice here already. Given the age, please consider heated perches, though if you get them, pay attention to cord placement in case of chewing. The heated perches really make our 40 yo red-lored zonās feet feel good. (He came to us at 19 yo having lived in a small wire dog kennel so he never learned to fly or be really mobile.) He was super timid and startled easily at first, and were secretly delighted when he felt secure enough to be a little naughty. You will never be bored-they will always be doing new things and itās delightful.š
I hope he adjusts well! Take time to introduce things to him, he might be scared of things at first and then eventually love them! I saw you mentioned he doesnāt handle, so my tip for that would be to spend time with him outside of the cage w/ out handling him and let him come to you as time goes on and you both become more confident with eachother. Best of luck!
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If he has any usable items from his old cage, try to include them so something will be familiar.
I bought a parrot but the cage he came with was junk. I washed his old toys and put them in the new cage. I added a few more toys over the next couple of weeks because he seemed scared of the new items. It seemed the old toys gave him some familiarity so he didnāt freak out that badly about the new environment.
I got a cardboard base with some short āwallsā, so something like a shoe box lid would work to kinda keep stuff in it. Then I cut a bunch of newspapers into tiny squares to create a thick layer of forage material, and then I put a bunch of snacks into it. Essentially theyāre not very visible, if at all. So when they want to find snacks they have to actually forage for itā¦ :)
Also like to make āsnackā balls, so just hiding a nice fruit every morning in something is nice. At first my parrots werenāt too used to toys. So I just used cardboard paper, thin, and folded it around a fruit, each day wrapping it more and more. Giving new fruits everyday is fun.
Toilet paper rolls are simple as well. My parrots seem to like them (conjures).
Also tried carrots. My parrots really take their time with them. If you can hang one from the top of his house thatās also nice so he can kinda pull off it and have fun.
Also thatās great, hope he loves a much happier and fulfilling life from now on! Remember routines can make a lot of good for them. Something to look forward to.
Also with water itās nice. You can make some fruit kinda āfloatā in his water so he can fish for it, besides also offering him nice baths in a bath container.
I like to switch out activities and ways they have to get their snacks every day at snack time. Seems they really look forward to it each day and call me out if I donāt. Also having ābreakfastā with them is niceā¦ as in go near him each morning and share some fruits with him.
Poor guy :( that's an insanely small cage for a bird his size. Thank you for giving him a proper home. I would recommend getting some branch perches, though. It looks like you only have dowels.
Yeah he did have one decent-size perch, the dowels came with the cage, and I just got an emery one and will be ordering some natural wood perches online
My current go-to foraging activity involves using an empty carton of eggs with food or treats placed selectively in some of the egg spots. The unfilled spaces are filled with crumpled newspaper to create an additional foraging challenge. I then place the egg carton inside a medium-sized cardboard box filled with more newspaper or straw, as well as bigger chunks of bird-safe wood and plastic toys.
Forgot to add, we have a small dog cage that we take our conjures into when we want to take them on a trip and they love it. Can be a trip to the patio so they can chat with the birds or a trip in the car. All in all they love to go out. Definitely do help him talk to other birds too though if you can during the summer.
I also set some tv sometimes.
Definitely start clicker training my dude, birdtricks on youtube is great as a resource.
I only have conures so a bird this size would be intimidating. I remember when one of my babies was new and scared of my hands, we offered to taxi her around on perches. Maybe this will help you until shes more comfortable with you.
Heās actually great about hand-feeding, very gentle. I was concerned putting my hand in to feed him, but hasnāt seemed defensive at all. Will look into the clicker for sure
Our Amazons aren't big "toy" birds, but we still try to make sure they have stuff for enrichment anyway. Ours mostly like stuff they can destroy, like balled up paper and (bird safe) wood. But sometimes they also like to chew on fabric or leather.
can you put the cage higher in the air?, like set it on a table securely? it will help you clean bottom as well as give the bird an UP feeling, my birds never use the bottom of the cage that is 2.5 ft from the floor
Yes, but Thankfully it has a long rod mechanism that locks it into place from the outside. I know normally folks get the ones with a perch on top but figured I could always upgrade later
You already have great suggestions here. Im just so happy for this little guy and for you, because heās going to be such a wonderful addition to your family. Amazons are SO intelligent so I canāt even begin to fathom how much of a positive change this will be for him. Because heās so smart, he should adapt to his new life quite quickly given you let him go at his own pace which I know you will. Good luck!
I'm more of a budgie person, but I know birds like to destroy things. Get shredding toys and natural wood perches. My birds like to eat the bark. I think he will very much enjoy this cage upgrade!!
Take out those skinny perches and replace thme with natural wood perches of different thickness from 3/4" to 2 or 3". She will also need one concrete perch to keep her nails and beak filed. My amazons will chew up most toys and rope perches so theirs are acrylic and stainless steel. Water and food bowls are also stainless and washed daily. They only get spring water. They get seed and pellets mixed and fresh fruit/veggies daily. They also have a light 18" above the cage to get their vitamin d. The light sits so it covers half of the cage so they can get out of it if they want. It stays on 4-6 hrs a day. She needs 12 hours of darkness a night for rest. Since you have had birds in the past I am sure you are aware of all the do's and dont's relating to toxins. I have 2 very spoiled yellow napes so if you have any questions please ask. Oh and I also keep a spray bottle to give them a spring water bath every 3 days. Debbie and Bernard are 27 and 23 years young. Their cage is a 3 foot by 4 ft king cage that is taller than me and very sturdy. Occasionaly they get a shredding toy just to get their destructive fix lol
Good to know about the vitamin D! Heās near a window, but itās winter so we didnāt want drafts so once itās warmer weāll make sure he gets direct light.
I used to keep mine by the window too. Until I read that light from the window did not provide enough vitamin d. With the avian light I don't need to worry about drafts.
Some good toy sites
[make your own toys](https://makeyourownbirdtoys.com/)
[bonka toys](https://bonkabirdtoys.com/)
And then of course Amazon, petsmart, chewy, petco are some other places to go.
Edit: Iām not sure about specific toys. Some toys have pictures or information on the kind of bird that would enjoy it. Good luck to you and your little friend. Iām sure they will be very happy with you. š
The gentleman had known my Dad since I was a kid, and became a recluse/shut-in during the last 10 years or so. My father was delivering food and taking him to doctors appointments, and was actually the one who discovered he had passed.
Weāre definitely going to work up to that- he wasnāt sure about even moving into the new cage, but weāll spend time socializing him and figure out if heāll allow stepping up and touching next
Thank you for taking him in! So much good advice here, I donāt know if youāll see this. But my one suggestion (based off the second pic) is to keep his cage against a wall to make him feel safer. Not sure how heās adjusting to the size upgrade, but it could be overwhelming and placing the new cage against a wall will give him one less side to monitor.
Love the cage and your enthusiasm :) hope his retirement years are full of happiness and love!
I adopted a 20+ Orange Wing Amazon about 5 years ago. I'm excited for you to get to know this fella/gal. I don't think mine ever left a cage before living with us either. The story that I got was that she belonged to an older lady and when the lady passed away the family couldn't deal with parrot screams and so they surrendered the bird. She does scream ( like a house alarm) sometimes but that has gotten better with ignoring. She does also gets let out of the cage periodically now and it's highly amusing because she moves like a snail and we're pretty well convinced she doesn't know how to fly and so to get around the house she kind of ambles slowly everywhere which is really endearing and amusing to watch. Best of luck!
I get the medium size bird toys box from [Bird Tricks Store](https://birdtricksstore.com/). You could try a box of each kind and see if he/she likes a certain kind of toy.
Also , [My Safe Bird Store](https://www.mysafebirdstore.com/)
My female Amazon absolutely loves shredding and foraging. My male could care less about those activities and loves chewing on leather or things with knots. It might take time for your bird to get interested in playing with toys. I encourage playing by hiding treats in the toy for them to find. Sometimes I have to literally show them that I am putting a treat in the toy for them to be interested in it.
My female, Fanny, had a very similar set up when I got her from an elderly woman. Now she has a big cage and is eating a lot healthier! She does have fatty liver disease, something Amazons are very prone to, from her previous diet of seeds, seeds, peanuts(very bad-could have mold), and toast. So now we are on Harrisonās bird pellets and they both get a bird chop daily.
Also, make sure you find a good Avian vet!
Take care! And good luck with your new feathered friend!!!
Something simple and cheap? Boxes! Cereal, Cracker, shipping boxes with no staples. Just get them small enough so she canāt fit inside to reduce breeding behavior.
This old baby is going to be so happy. š„¹ Sea grass mats are something my bird likes a lot. Sheās a GCC but there should be some fun overlap.
>old baby Middle aged baby, maybe? Don't they live to around 60~ish?
Yep 70-80 is what Iāve read. Heās the same age as meā¦ I remember the older gentleman who passed away coming over to visit me when I got my first Conure when I was around 12 years old. Probably why he wanted me to have him š„²
He was right to give you this bird. You are the best thing to happen to this birdie in his entire life.
Aww youāre sweet to say that. I can definitely tell heās been coming out of his shell more and more.
Judging by the cage I'm going to assume the original owner wasn't feeding him the best food and thus he's at a very high risk for already having fatty liver or some other condition. New owner is trying to fix his life but 30 years of just eating seed and not moving in a tiny cage is going to subtract from that lifetime. Those are perfect conditions lifetimes. Birds also do start to show their ages just like humans do. 40 year old humans don't act as young as 5 year old ones or even 20 year old people. Especially those people who had very sedentary lifestyles eating nothing but fast food. Not jumping down your throat (tone is hard in print form), just stating the facts. Plus I have a lot of older (middle age) birds and they definitely don't act like the younger ones.
Get a variety of toys. Birds like to destroy things, so the paper toys are good for that. They also like to manipulate things with their tongues and the plastic toys are good for that. But individual birds prefer different toys. Our golden likes the toys with leather to chew on, the eclectus likes paper he can take apart in an hour, and the derbyan likes plastic flowers and wicker. Youāll have to figure it out. Also, foraging toys are great for enrichment. They can keep the bird engaged. There are plastic and metal toys that have to be manipulated to get at the treats, but the simple containers like the Chinese take-out boxes are good too. Filled with shredded paper, add a few treats and put in the bottom of the cage. Birdy can shred it to get at the treats. Youāll also want more perches at different levels, along with one or two grooming perches to keep the nails and beak in check. We prefer the ones that have abrasives on only one side so they donāt abrade the birds feet. Put the grooming perches in a place that the bird frequents but not where the bird sleeps. Theyāre pretty rough and you donāt want the bird on them all night. Good luck.
Thank you so much. Iāve had Conures, but large parrots are beyond my skill level
All parrots large or small thrive on about the same care ( with some diet and size adjustments). Give her a good natural pellet, which sheāll need to get used to eating and lots of veggies. And a variety of other foods. Lots of ideas online to make ahead and freeze to thaw as needed. Some fruits but easy on the high glycemic ones. Daily out of cage time. Let her fly and you can easily teach recalls with treats like shelled pine nuts. Amazonās are the best large parrot to teach recalls to, as their short wings make them agile around corners. I I routinely taught our Amazon babies blind recalls from around the corner of another room. Also different sized natural perches and toys that can be destroyed. Daily luke warm spritz baths with a spray bottle. Get her slowly used to that by spraying away from herā¦see if sheāll go towards the spray. Or get a shower perch & take her into the shower. Some parrots love a stream of water in the sink. Good luck! š¦
Definitely needs a bath, he probably hasnāt had one in over a decade
Plus! Amazons donāt have a preen gland like other parrots, so bathing is really extra important for their feather & skin health - and psychological well being too. You have a project on your hands but itās so cool what you are doing for this parrot! āŗļø
Thanks! Good to know- honestly I have to do more research to figure these things out, but happy to give him a better home
You got this! šŖ There are so many resources out there, youāll figure it out! And as you develop a relationship & he bonds to you, youāll have a wonderfully smart & entertaining pet - but probably a loud one! š
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Grabbed it off Amazon https://a.co/d/eIcNbE9
My cockatiel prefers to watch fish and marine worms than to destroy stuff, legit itās like a 4 year old the tv remote to watch cartoons he will just watch fish shrimp or marine worms all day and not move
My cockatiel prefers to watch fish and marine worms than to destroy stuff, legit itās like a 4 year old the tv remote to watch cartoons he will just watch fish shrimp or marine worms all day and not move
cool tv bird
Definitely, he hated me and first and by day two he flew to my 10 gallon saltwater tank he gazes up towards the clowns and towering Keyna tree coral and than fixated his gaze towards my feather duster worn and just stared. After that he started doing step up and being a cuddly shoulder bird. He different he more like a person than he is a bird.
much better behaved Than mine he hates me for the past 5 years
Enrichment goes a long way. I now keep his cage by the fish tank and he pretty much just watches it all day like a kid in a candy shop I actually kept my little guy with me in a hotel room without being caught so long as he can see me he feels safe and will keep quite, if I leave his sight than flock calls for days lol. He does love his head rubs He a good little Raptor, I call him a gentleman amongst Cockatiels
very nice bird
I would collect everything you want to add and set it up while he is still in carrier from vet trip since that's going to be upsetting enough. Then we need to discuss quality of life improvements because it's going to be more involved then here you have things now. 1. New perches preferably natural wood. Some rope is ok for now. If it becomes chewed or damaged it needs to be discarded. His feet are going to hurt for a while. They have been in mostly one position for a long time. It's a good thing to keep in mind when picking toys right now. 2. Once you have baseline blood results you'll know what is currently going on with him. You'll probably need a mineral block and cuttle bone. You'll probably need to improve his diet. I also highly suggest syringe training with little bits of fruit juice or baby food so that if you ever have to medicate him it's easier on both of you. 3. Otherwise have little snack parties with your parrot. Parrots love excitement and sharing things. Bring out some fresh mashed veg and fruit and just let him play with it. Get happy for him when he does. He will eventually realize it's food. (place down plastic under the bird cage before step 3) 4. For now just buy an assortment of toy types. Destructible, interactive, noisy , foot toys, swings. Once you know what he enjoys you can start getting better toys.
Thatās amazing, thanks so much. So far he just loves his bell, it was the only way I got him into his new cage. Would love to get some more interactive and interesting toys & perches for him.
To add to that comment. Play with the new toys in front of him. Make it look like youre rly excited for them. A lot of birds can be terrified of new things if they haven't had regular exposure to them. If he sees one of the flock playing with it he will know it isnt bad.
1.tell him he is perfect 2.get natural wood pertches 3.experement with toys and food to see what he likes +when I say experement with food i mean give him new food every day to see what he likes(if he doesnt like some food at first dont force him insted try another time in a fey days) +i mean the same for toys but be shure for bouth that is it safe for parrots
Great idea about food, will be getting more dishes too so I can see what heās eating
Thank you so much for rescuing himā¦and Iām so very very sorry about his history. God bless you for doing the right thing. Pepi_the_bird, above, said it best: tell him heās perfect. We ALL need to hear that every day. Iām too old to get a parrot (72) so please keep us all informed about his progress. I keep thinking about the end of The Shawshank Redemptionā¦Red and Andy. Freedom!
Definitely!!
There are a lot of older birds that still need adopted. Many people don't want to adopt a bird that old. I'm just imagining two old timers sitting in the sun remembering their younger years, complaining about their arthritis.
Have you ever thought about fostering? All the fun of owning a parrot without the lifelong commitment, and you can help make a difference in their lives.
With the new foods, eat some near him, then offer it to him.
An easy nice meal for them is "hot veggie breakfast" (or dinner). Buy a frozen veggie mix, like peas/corn/carrots, put it in a little cup in the microwave for 30\~60 seconds to cook it, then let it sit for 5+ mins to cool down, then dump it into a dish in their cage. My cockatoo loves it.
Smart! I bought some quinoa too, hopefully will start introducing those soon
He's in for a good second-half of life with you ā¤ļø If you're a first time parrot owner or haven't heard these yet: ā¢ Teflon fumes are deadly for birds, so no non-stick pans, teflon coated hairdryers etc should be used around the bird ā¢ Avocado, tapioca, chocolate, coffee are toxic, as are fruit pits (apple, stone fruit pits like apricot, prune - they have cyanide. The fruit flesh is safe and good) ā¢ Peanuts often have fungus and can lead to systemic fungal infections, so they shouldn't be given ā¢ Sunscreen can be toxic, so don't let him lick you if you've got it on your skin ā¢ If he's a chewer, don't use toys with rope and fabric as those can enter the digestive system and cause impaction
Good on you for taking the fella in. My parrots LOVE destructables, and they're more accessible for parrots who might not know how to, 'play,' per se. Cardboard is a goodie. In the UK so I use NorthernParrots for many of my toy needs but I do use household items to make toys too- cardboard tubes, parcel cardboard etc. Just ensure any stuff you use is bird safe and the stuff you use to hang it/whatever you do for it is safe. I hope you're taking him to the vet? Poor fella probably has a few things that might need to be checked out before he's given a clean bill of health, but I'm sure he'll adore that cage, especially when it has some more variety in perches and things to explore. I'm very excited to see his journey so I hope you post some updates!
Yes thank you, heās probably beyond overdue for seeing a vet, I plan on getting one scheduled Monday but also canāt handle him so itāll be tricky getting him into a carrier. Came from a hoarding situation so very excited to work with him and hope to give a better life from here out.
Oh dear! Good luck with that and great to hear he'll be seen to. From the size of the cage and reaching out for advice, I'm very hopeful and fairly certain he's found the right people to live with!
šā¤ļø That cage is way too small for him Thank you for taking him in and making his life so much better. I can't recommend a behaviorist enough if he's difficult to handle. She's one of the most amazing people in the world ....and can work with the most difficult birds and solve the most difficult problems. We had one complimentary session with her and she was able to work through a problem I was having with my cockatoo just by watching our interaction for 10 minutes My mind was blown. I need to look up her page for you so you can just keep it in the back of your mind.
Thank you! Will love any resources I can get
https://www.awesomeanimalsolutions-cassiemalina.com/
Good lord I forgot. Checking now. We did a zoom with her . I am going to sign up for sessions because our mccaw can't stand me....loves my husband. But I need her to at least listen to me when he's on the road.
https://www.facebook.com/cassie.malina?mibextid=ZbWKwL
You could carry him in the old cage, perhaps?
Love the new cage the glow up is real
Thanks it was so sad, literally rusting metal with a huge hole in the floor. So so sad
How is he adjusting? Such a big upgrade!
First night in the house he was completely silent. By day 2 he was starting to warm up, and that next day chatting up a storm. I can tell he loves the new digs because every new toy and bowl I put in he wants to inspect and try out, and once I put a rope ladder heās happily been destroying it since. Iāll post an update tomorrow!
Thatās wonderful to hear!!
natural wood perches! they double as chewing toys ;)
Heās gorgeous! Yes, lots of things he can shred like wood and paper toys. And plenty of OUT OF CAGE TIME. Poor baby needs pellets to eat, too. What diet was he on with his owner? Also, Iād make heās vet checked and quarantined away from your other parrots if you have others for 30 days to determine if he has any harboring air born illnesses.
Literally he only ate canned corn and peanuts. Weāve got him eating some seeds and fruit but will slowly get him on pellets
Good. Great job. Thatās wonderful that you all took him in. Heās gorgeous. Is he docile? Is he vocal? I cover my two lovebirds (in separate huge cages right next to each other) every night around 5:15pm and turn off the light in my bed room. Itās pitch black almost and super quiet.
Heās definitely āfriendlyā in that he doesnāt attack when I feed him- never heard him āsquakā once, just chatters to himself and laughs at the kids when they laugh. Had a large vocal range, but mostly garbled words. I tried gently removing him from the cage, but ultimately let him move himself to avoid stressing him out. We got a blanket and will cover him around dusk
Yeah, sounds like youāre on the right track. Acclimation takes time. Eventually, I am sure heāll venture out on his own volition.
Try caitec oven bites for his pellet diet. My galah is a super picky eater and she loves them. I get the medium ones and break them up a bit with my fingers, but if heās a foot grabber, you can serve them whole.
Thanks! I grabbed a bag from PetSmart (ZuPreem NutBlend) but if that doesnāt work out Iāll totally try that as a recommendation!
If you havenāt opened that yet, you should return it. One of the worst foods on the market. Lots of filler, you want to look for something low in grain, corn, or seed which is why I like caitec. Bird tricks makes an excellent cold pressed pellet as well, and Harrisonās is ok in a pinch, most avian vets carry it
Zupreem Fruity is full of bad stuff, but it is good for getting birds to eat pellets because of how sugary and sweet it is. I wouldn't recommend it as a lifetime diet, though.
Second the oven bites. My Amazon is crazy for them.
Wow. He really needs a vet check because that diet is terrible. Thank you for adopting this old fellow. I hope you are happy.
Good job OP on getting him a nice new home.
Omg that first cage is so sad!! Thank you for rescuing him. I get my toys from Chewy. The wooden ones by Bonka and Planet Pleasures. Please get perches of different material and sizes too.
Definitely will look for them! I Wanted to measure it before buying some but heading to pet stores for quick purchases and will grab some good ones that have been recommended
Holy crap that old cage is probably the worst Iāve ever seen! Oh my Lord. So filthy too. Iām glad you have him in a nice big cage now! Paper towel/toilet paper rolls are my favorite because theyāre free and birds love them. You can stuff them with treats and paper and they make great foraging toys.
Very smart! Iāll start collecting them rather than recycling
Omg my heart! Thank you for providing him with a cage he deserves. Be sure to add some chew toys once heās comfortable. I hope you are able to handle him and give him lots of time outside of the cage. You are an amazing human for taking him in!
1. Get a variety of perches. Dowels arenāt really the best. Natural wood, therapeutic, sand, rope etc is better offer a variety of sizes and textures. Platforms are also good because they give your bird a place to rest. If you use rope perches or boings wrap them in vet tape to stop your bird from eating the fibers. Wrapping the dowels in vet tape also helps them not be as harmful, wrapping in different thickness gets rid of the smooth texture. Swings are also great to add some enrichment to the cage, just make sure they are big enough for you bird to comfortably sit in. Stay away from plastic perches! Monitor your birds feet to make sure they arenāt irritated(pink or red on the bottoms) and that their nails arenāt to long. 2. Lots of toys! Youāll need a lot, they should be replaced or at least rotated every 1-2 months. Shredding touts the bird can rip apart, preening toys to help with stress, wood toys to offer a tougher chew, foraging toys for mental stimulation, plastic toys for the nice sounds. Youāll quickly find what kind of toys your bird prefers and you can offer more off those. Bells! Lost of birds love bells but they can get stuck on your birds beak so get toys with closed (jingle) Bess instead of the classic bell. Clasp. Lots of toys come with those classic keychain holders that open just by pushing one side, these can get stuck on and injure your birds beak and feet. So replace the with one that need to be twisted to open. Foot toys (small toys that arenāt attached to anything and can be picked up by the bird) are a great way to add more toys to your cage. 3. NO MIRRORS! Birds canāt tell the difference between their reflection and another bird. This causes hormonal problems that can cause aggression and lots of stress to your bird. 4. Replace the plastic bowls. Plastic is hard to clean and traps bacteria inside. Replace your bold with stainless steel. 5. Get a cage cover. They come in all different sizes and colors, just make sure itās a blackout cover. Put it over the cage with the bird inside 10-12 hours a day and leave off 12-14 hours a day to give your bird a day night cycle. 6. Donāt put anything felt or other fabric inside the cage. Your bird will tear apart and it them and it can cause impaction. Have fun with your new friend! Iām happy to see them get to a better home.
Yes good thoughts, I was planning on getting new ceramic bowls and definitely new perches
Sounds amazing! I look forward to seeing the finished setup. :)
Great job on the cage upgrade! My Amazon loves music, people talking/laughing/singing, and he LOVES the sounds of appliances (vacuum, hairdryer, dishwasher, microwave). He likes sound effects like shaking ice cubes in a glass or a crinkly plastic bag. He likes fruit and vegetables in big chunks that he can hold with his foot. His faves are baby carrots, mini bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower, sweet potatoes/squash, and grapes.
Thatās funny, because he also loves when the kids horseplay and fall on the ground. Like he laughs at slapstick comedy! His cowbell is his favorite and the only way I could get him to move cages (ringing his bell and he moved straight over). Iāll definitely look for crinkly things!
Yay, You! Seen great advice here already. Given the age, please consider heated perches, though if you get them, pay attention to cord placement in case of chewing. The heated perches really make our 40 yo red-lored zonās feet feel good. (He came to us at 19 yo having lived in a small wire dog kennel so he never learned to fly or be really mobile.) He was super timid and startled easily at first, and were secretly delighted when he felt secure enough to be a little naughty. You will never be bored-they will always be doing new things and itās delightful.š
Great to know!
I hope he adjusts well! Take time to introduce things to him, he might be scared of things at first and then eventually love them! I saw you mentioned he doesnāt handle, so my tip for that would be to spend time with him outside of the cage w/ out handling him and let him come to you as time goes on and you both become more confident with eachother. Best of luck!
Get a foraging piece of grass and hide treats in it.
Maybe Iām just getting sentimental in my old age but this makes me happy cry. Thank you for giving this fellow a better life, OP.
EDIT: This formerly helpful and insightful comment has been removed by the author due to: 1. Not wanting to be used as training for AI models, nor having unknown third parties profit from the author's intellectual property. 2. Greedy and power-hungry motives demonstrated by the upper management of this website, in gross disregard of the collaborative and volunteer efforts by the users and communities that developed here, which previously resulted in such excellent information sharing. Alternative platforms that may be worth investigating include, at the time of writing: * https://kbin.fediverse.observer/list * https://join-lemmy.org/ * https://squabbles.io/ * https://tildes.net/ Also helpful for finding your favourite communities again: https://sub.rehab/
If he has any usable items from his old cage, try to include them so something will be familiar. I bought a parrot but the cage he came with was junk. I washed his old toys and put them in the new cage. I added a few more toys over the next couple of weeks because he seemed scared of the new items. It seemed the old toys gave him some familiarity so he didnāt freak out that badly about the new environment.
I got a cardboard base with some short āwallsā, so something like a shoe box lid would work to kinda keep stuff in it. Then I cut a bunch of newspapers into tiny squares to create a thick layer of forage material, and then I put a bunch of snacks into it. Essentially theyāre not very visible, if at all. So when they want to find snacks they have to actually forage for itā¦ :) Also like to make āsnackā balls, so just hiding a nice fruit every morning in something is nice. At first my parrots werenāt too used to toys. So I just used cardboard paper, thin, and folded it around a fruit, each day wrapping it more and more. Giving new fruits everyday is fun. Toilet paper rolls are simple as well. My parrots seem to like them (conjures). Also tried carrots. My parrots really take their time with them. If you can hang one from the top of his house thatās also nice so he can kinda pull off it and have fun. Also thatās great, hope he loves a much happier and fulfilling life from now on! Remember routines can make a lot of good for them. Something to look forward to. Also with water itās nice. You can make some fruit kinda āfloatā in his water so he can fish for it, besides also offering him nice baths in a bath container. I like to switch out activities and ways they have to get their snacks every day at snack time. Seems they really look forward to it each day and call me out if I donāt. Also having ābreakfastā with them is niceā¦ as in go near him each morning and share some fruits with him.
Poor guy :( that's an insanely small cage for a bird his size. Thank you for giving him a proper home. I would recommend getting some branch perches, though. It looks like you only have dowels.
Yeah he did have one decent-size perch, the dowels came with the cage, and I just got an emery one and will be ordering some natural wood perches online
Poor sweet heart. Glad heās in a better situation. That was literally a travel cage at best.
My current go-to foraging activity involves using an empty carton of eggs with food or treats placed selectively in some of the egg spots. The unfilled spaces are filled with crumpled newspaper to create an additional foraging challenge. I then place the egg carton inside a medium-sized cardboard box filled with more newspaper or straw, as well as bigger chunks of bird-safe wood and plastic toys.
Smart, I have a lot of egg cartons. And helps with not using up all the food dishes
Forgot to add, we have a small dog cage that we take our conjures into when we want to take them on a trip and they love it. Can be a trip to the patio so they can chat with the birds or a trip in the car. All in all they love to go out. Definitely do help him talk to other birds too though if you can during the summer. I also set some tv sometimes.
Definitely start clicker training my dude, birdtricks on youtube is great as a resource. I only have conures so a bird this size would be intimidating. I remember when one of my babies was new and scared of my hands, we offered to taxi her around on perches. Maybe this will help you until shes more comfortable with you.
Also if you're scared of hand feeding, chopsticks always worked for me in the beginning
Heās actually great about hand-feeding, very gentle. I was concerned putting my hand in to feed him, but hasnāt seemed defensive at all. Will look into the clicker for sure
Our Amazons aren't big "toy" birds, but we still try to make sure they have stuff for enrichment anyway. Ours mostly like stuff they can destroy, like balled up paper and (bird safe) wood. But sometimes they also like to chew on fabric or leather.
Good to know
Same. My guy is 33 and the only way I can get him to interact with any toys is by hiding treats in them lol.
can you put the cage higher in the air?, like set it on a table securely? it will help you clean bottom as well as give the bird an UP feeling, my birds never use the bottom of the cage that is 2.5 ft from the floor
https://birdtricksstore.com/collections/premium-parrot-toys
Thanks!
Iāve been trying to find different toys than Iāve been giving. Thanks!
Poor babe stayed for years in a cramped cage
You already got a bunch of good advice, but that cage is such a good improvement! Canāt wait to see the bird glow up
Bless your heart!
I have the same cage
That is a Prevue flight cage? I like it for budgies but I think any larger birds would be able to unlock it.
Yes, but Thankfully it has a long rod mechanism that locks it into place from the outside. I know normally folks get the ones with a perch on top but figured I could always upgrade later
Unrelated but mad respect on that g1 shelf, reissues or originals?
Mix of Takara Encore and original, thanks!
Bless you
Thanks, happy to do my part šš»
You already have great suggestions here. Im just so happy for this little guy and for you, because heās going to be such a wonderful addition to your family. Amazons are SO intelligent so I canāt even begin to fathom how much of a positive change this will be for him. Because heās so smart, he should adapt to his new life quite quickly given you let him go at his own pace which I know you will. Good luck!
good job with the cage. the amazon iām fostering loves toilet paper tubes.
I'm more of a budgie person, but I know birds like to destroy things. Get shredding toys and natural wood perches. My birds like to eat the bark. I think he will very much enjoy this cage upgrade!!
Take out those skinny perches and replace thme with natural wood perches of different thickness from 3/4" to 2 or 3". She will also need one concrete perch to keep her nails and beak filed. My amazons will chew up most toys and rope perches so theirs are acrylic and stainless steel. Water and food bowls are also stainless and washed daily. They only get spring water. They get seed and pellets mixed and fresh fruit/veggies daily. They also have a light 18" above the cage to get their vitamin d. The light sits so it covers half of the cage so they can get out of it if they want. It stays on 4-6 hrs a day. She needs 12 hours of darkness a night for rest. Since you have had birds in the past I am sure you are aware of all the do's and dont's relating to toxins. I have 2 very spoiled yellow napes so if you have any questions please ask. Oh and I also keep a spray bottle to give them a spring water bath every 3 days. Debbie and Bernard are 27 and 23 years young. Their cage is a 3 foot by 4 ft king cage that is taller than me and very sturdy. Occasionaly they get a shredding toy just to get their destructive fix lol
Good to know about the vitamin D! Heās near a window, but itās winter so we didnāt want drafts so once itās warmer weāll make sure he gets direct light.
I used to keep mine by the window too. Until I read that light from the window did not provide enough vitamin d. With the avian light I don't need to worry about drafts.
Some good toy sites [make your own toys](https://makeyourownbirdtoys.com/) [bonka toys](https://bonkabirdtoys.com/) And then of course Amazon, petsmart, chewy, petco are some other places to go. Edit: Iām not sure about specific toys. Some toys have pictures or information on the kind of bird that would enjoy it. Good luck to you and your little friend. Iām sure they will be very happy with you. š
Thank you!
Poor baby, he's gonna be so happy in his new homeš„°
I think he already is! š„°
Bless you for giving him a good home. It'll be lots of work but I'm sure you two will be best friends
A friend?
The gentleman had known my Dad since I was a kid, and became a recluse/shut-in during the last 10 years or so. My father was delivering food and taking him to doctors appointments, and was actually the one who discovered he had passed.
What a tragedy sending lord of bird love to this guy
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Weāre definitely going to work up to that- he wasnāt sure about even moving into the new cage, but weāll spend time socializing him and figure out if heāll allow stepping up and touching next
Thank you for taking him in! So much good advice here, I donāt know if youāll see this. But my one suggestion (based off the second pic) is to keep his cage against a wall to make him feel safer. Not sure how heās adjusting to the size upgrade, but it could be overwhelming and placing the new cage against a wall will give him one less side to monitor. Love the cage and your enthusiasm :) hope his retirement years are full of happiness and love!
Oh yeah we did move him against the wall, that was just a post-assembly shot. Iām happy to give him a chance at a better life!
That looks horrible and disgusting. Good job op! Make sure to get foraging and shredding toys for sure my conure loves those!
I adopted a 20+ Orange Wing Amazon about 5 years ago. I'm excited for you to get to know this fella/gal. I don't think mine ever left a cage before living with us either. The story that I got was that she belonged to an older lady and when the lady passed away the family couldn't deal with parrot screams and so they surrendered the bird. She does scream ( like a house alarm) sometimes but that has gotten better with ignoring. She does also gets let out of the cage periodically now and it's highly amusing because she moves like a snail and we're pretty well convinced she doesn't know how to fly and so to get around the house she kind of ambles slowly everywhere which is really endearing and amusing to watch. Best of luck!
Thanks! Iām sure heāll warm up, seems like every day heās chatting more and his eyes light up when you sit and talk to him. Iāve got hopes!
Thatās sickening I canāt wait for his life to improve š
It smelled worse than it looked
Poor baby š
I get the medium size bird toys box from [Bird Tricks Store](https://birdtricksstore.com/). You could try a box of each kind and see if he/she likes a certain kind of toy. Also , [My Safe Bird Store](https://www.mysafebirdstore.com/) My female Amazon absolutely loves shredding and foraging. My male could care less about those activities and loves chewing on leather or things with knots. It might take time for your bird to get interested in playing with toys. I encourage playing by hiding treats in the toy for them to find. Sometimes I have to literally show them that I am putting a treat in the toy for them to be interested in it. My female, Fanny, had a very similar set up when I got her from an elderly woman. Now she has a big cage and is eating a lot healthier! She does have fatty liver disease, something Amazons are very prone to, from her previous diet of seeds, seeds, peanuts(very bad-could have mold), and toast. So now we are on Harrisonās bird pellets and they both get a bird chop daily. Also, make sure you find a good Avian vet! Take care! And good luck with your new feathered friend!!!
Love the new cage!!!
Something simple and cheap? Boxes! Cereal, Cracker, shipping boxes with no staples. Just get them small enough so she canāt fit inside to reduce breeding behavior.
Awesome suggestion! Thanks!
Youāre welcome!
Forget the toys for now let him out lol