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An Amazon?

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luvmycadillac
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« on: March 10, 2009, 10:31:09 am »

As some of you may recall from BC many moons ago I often said my dream birds were a U2 (citron crested too) and an amazon lilac fonted. At the end of January I began to foster a lovely U2 who has done a complete change since being in our home for the better and she will be officially adopted at the end of March. Well my husband when I made the choice to bring the U2 into our home told me no more because honestly there isn't much room, unless I get rid of furniture which I am not opposed to doing ;D. That being said I also do not want so many birds that I can not spend quality 1 on 1 time with each of them (plus my son gets most of my attention) so I decided that Lacey would be our final bird unless we built on or moved. All that being said I received an email from the rescue telling me she had 2 more birds come in that were sold by that 17yr old I had also posted about. One of them is a 30yr old U2 who was fed nothing but black oil sunflower seeds and uncooked noodles, can  you imagine! The other is an amazon named Charlie..

Well on our drive home from visiting friends this past weekend my husband and I were talking and I mentioned to him that the rescue had contacted me about an amazon that they just got in. We began to talk about it and he said "why dont you get in touch with her and talk about fostering it" seems he apparently wants a bird of his "own. Mr "Im to cool to like parrots" wants his own bird can you imagine. But him wanting his "own bird to work with and train" basically boils down to Kim (thats me) taking care of it which I am not opposed to.

We had planned on going down yesterday after he got off work but lo and behold we have been hit with yet another blizzard and the interstate was closed around 2pm and is still closed as I type this a day later. The blizzard warning will not expire for almost 24 more hours and we have so far gotten 12 more inches of snow with another 7 expected by the end of this.. OH JOY.. So we havent had a chance to meet Mr. Charlie so I turn to you... Now to be honest with you I havent really researched the amazon's much beyond the basic stuff, not like I researched Cadillac and Lacey where I spent months doing it because I never thought we'd have one in our home. The head of the rescue said he tries to intimindate ppl in "true amazon fashion" but could his actions of intimidation be any worse then a CAGs or U2's? Beyond that she's not to sure of his personality as she's not had him long. He and the U2 were surrendered this past Thursday by the woman who bought them from the 17yr old at auction. She had purchased them to do "something nice for herself" after battling breast cancer 5 months ago and realized they took more time then the boy told her they would.

 I'm sure Tim has a few words of advice and I'd like to hear them (anything other then once you get an amazon you never go back ::))

This is Charlie


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angelicarboreals
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« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2009, 12:35:00 pm »

What type of Amazon is Charlie? That in itself will be a big difference in the advice that I can give you. (Yellow Nape, Yellow Crown, and Blue front versus the other species.)

I love my amazons, they are hammy little fellas that will entertain you for hours with their talking and tricks. Chico knows how to give five and play patty cake, and Harley likes to have his foot tickled. Amazons are very gregarious and love to a) meet new people and b) show off. They are really loud, so just remember that what you deal with with Lacey you will increase that by 2. They are not as screechy as a cockatoo, but some of the larger species of amazons have loud voices and if Lacey pipes up an Amazon in the house is sure to join her. At my house anytime Wesley starts her yelling Chico thinks that he has to match her, lol. Harley is more laid back, and does not yell unless he is overly excited or worried about something (like when I take the trash out, he does not like a trash bag.)

With all that said, I am hesitant to tell you to bring in a rescued Amazon, especially one that seems to have a clause about intimidation following him. We will get to that in a minute.  ;)

Amazons are definitely in a league of their own, they are not shy with letting you know how they feel that is for sure. I personally think Amazons can be master intimidators, and have the pictures to prove it. They will stand really tall, eyes pinned, wings out, and mouth agape which signals that they are going to bite. My Chico has recently been banned from on top of his cage, as he would get up there and strut back and forth just daring me to try to get him down. To someone who has never seen it, or who is easily intimidated by a parrot with a large beak, it can be hard to keep them in check. I know you mentioned that the rescue owner had said that he tries to intimidate people, and I wonder exactly what she means by that.

Amazons usually don't intimidate unless they have every intent to follow through with a bite the minute they are given the opportunity. (This is my personal experience, someone else may have evidence to contradict that.) Harley is the worst about looking up at you with puppy dog eyes when you want him to step up and WHAM! he grabs a finger. Harley, because of this, is stick trained in that if he will not step up when offered a hand he knows he is to hop up onto a dowel. This has prevented quite a few bites at my house. (Amazon bites can break the skin, but they tend to bruise and welt in a really nice large area more so than send you to the E.R. for stitches.) A cockatoo, like Lacey, that has lived in a less than stellar environment usually reacts with fearfulness. An Amazon in the same environment may lash out with aggression (especially if it is a male).

I really worry about Charlie's past history and his attitude. As an amazon owner, you must really assert that you are boss and not back down. As far as dominance is concerned, I think that an amazon is right behind a macaw in that they will test boundaries and try to see if they can get you to back down from asking them to do something they do not want to do at the moment. With Chico, I once had to leave work to go put him back in the cage because my ex fiance let him out on accident and Chico was not having some "guy" tell him what to do. Chico had scared my ex so bad that he shut the bedroom door and called me to come home. Chico is in no way mean, but when it comes to his cage top and being "bigger than you" if he thinks he can get away with it he will try to intimidate. Of course, I came home and got him back in the cage no problem- but this is because Chico knew I meant business and I have never backed down from asking him to do something.

With all this that is being said, I am not going to sit here and tell you it is too soon for you to bring home another bird after Lacey. (How could I, I added Merlin, Cosmo, and Ernie in six months, lol.) You know your limit and what you can successfully care for. However, I will mention that if Charlie is not stick trained or will not step up if your arm is protected by a towel for instance, to forgo adopting him. Amazon males (if he has been DNA'd) have been known to bite repeatedly if they do not want to be handled, so you need some alternative method than your hand to pick him up if he decides that he does not want to mind.

Amazons can be tons of fun and are silly birds, but you have to be assertive and not back down in order to successfully keep them.  AddEmoticons04239
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So many birdies.....so little time. :)
luvmycadillac
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« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2009, 01:36:00 pm »

He is a "yellow naped". I also wonder if its to soon seeing as we just got lacey about 6 weeks ago. Im not sure if we will add Charlie because as I said I have not done research on them and I really would hate to bring in an animal I do not understand but Im putting this out there for suggestions, comments, and ideas
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Ditty
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« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2009, 02:20:56 pm »

I agree with all AB has said.  I think you need to be very confident in your own actions or they pick up the least little bit of fear or timidness and manipulate it.  My cousin had her red lored for years.  They do love to show off and are clownish at times. 

My concern would be Trey.  Being that he is used to birds that are not lean, green, biting machines.  Zons are very tempermental and can give a nasty bite.
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thetim53
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« Reply #4 on: March 10, 2009, 03:36:09 pm »

I figure it is about time you had a REAL parrot!
I will have to admit that I had NONE of these problems with Asha so I will defer to others. She bonded with me immeidately and has never bitten me hard enough to draw blood.
About the bonding part, if your husband wants it to be his bird he should be the first one of you the birds sees and interacts with.
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angelicarboreals
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« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2009, 12:50:05 pm »

Yellow napes are one of the "hot three" amazons, and as a male I would suggest that you really do some research about Charlie as an individual before bringing him home.   AddEmoticons04239 Go visit several times, etc. Thetim is right in that your husband should interact with him first if it is going to be "his bird". I worry since the rescue owner has not had enough time to assess him what Charlie's temperament is like.

 These guys, the yellow napes, go through a hormonal period every year that is quite trying. I have included a link that discusses the "hot three" in more detail.


http://www.parrothouse.com/wrongwithamazons.html

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So many birdies.....so little time. :)
EriNes11
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« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2009, 03:49:06 pm »

Charlie is gorgeous!  ;)  Best of luck with whatever you choose!! sorry im not much help lol
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