My New To Me Yellow Nape

I just got a lovely Yellow Nape yesterday. I met her a week ago when at the owners house. Well, that one visit haunted me all the following week. I kept seeing this bird in a 22" by 24" cage. There was one perch and a parakeet sized toy sitting forgotten in an upper corner of the cage. She had pellets and clean water and the cage bottom was filled with corn cob bedding. It was the eyes on this bird that I kept remembering. Devoid of life. She just sat there. When I learned that he was selling the bird through an ad on a bird site I knew I had to get her. And so, I brought her home yesterday.
I do have large bird experience with a DYH and an CAG some years ago. So I knew what I was getting into...and look forward to it. However, I do have questions as I have never had a rehomed bird before. I put her into a large Macaw cage. She (I keep calling her she because he said she was a "she". I don't think he knew for sure) has several large toys, perches and a rope perch. Her pellets, a small amount of seed, and when I offered her fresh veggies this morning she was frightened of them! She did eventually try them (after a lot of coaxing) and appeared to like them. I am not sure how to treat her. At her own pace, of course, but I want to be sensitive to her needs, and not knowing anything reliable about her makes that a bit difficult. Any advice, please?
Her new name is Yoshi. I don't think he even named her. He said he bought her to breed her but changed course and was selling all of his birds. Thank goodness...

Welcome to the forum, and congratulations on your new addition! Thank you for giving her a new and better home. Definately do just like you said, and go at her own pace, all the patience and time she needs.

Welcome and congrat, Yellow naped Amazon is one of my favorite

I bought an 11 year old OWA who's original owner had died and then he was passed around a bit. I have never had ANY bird experience prior to this. I was petrified of him & let him tell me what he wanted, what he was ready for, etc. I let him choose the bonding pace. One day after 4 months or so when I asked him to step up he put his head down & fluffed up his feathers & asked me to scratch his head. Then after 6 months or so he flew into the bathroom when I was in the shower & flew into the shower with me.

All I know is Mr. Precious is VERY clear on what he's in the mood for. He will first turn his head away. If I persist he will do a warning growl/grunt. If I persist further he will do the open mouth threaten lunge then will just fly away. I think in a few months your new Amazon will be thrilled with his new home and bond quite quickly.

They also seem to understand quite well what you are saying to them. The first month he wouldn't step up at all. At bedtime I would try & when he refused I simply told him it's bed time & you can either fly to your cage & get in yourself or I will pick you up. He would immediately fly to his cage. I would thank him & tell him how wonderful & beautiful he was & how smart. I think you have a new BFF

Thank you for the encouragement and welcomes. It is a good feeling to see her, on her second day, dive into her veggie bowl this morning as soon as it was offered. When I sit on the floor by her cage she comes down to my level and stays by me listening as I talk or sing to her. It is good to see that she is receptive so early on. I can't wait to see her, or hear her, as she realizes this is a good place where she can be a bird and have FUN! She only makes a grunting noise and has said "Oh yeah" twice. I wait to see some emotion in her of ANY kind. She goes to the vet on Friday so at least I will be reassured she is healthy...

Mine loves dancing to music. It's great that you sing to her. I pop on some Nirvana and we head bang together. What you are doing is going to pay off huge! Mr. Precious picks up new words all the time. It took him a while to be comfortable to talk around me but now he's a regular chatter box. Not sure if this works for other birds but he seems to talk way more when there is noise like a vacuum running. Good luck at the vet. Let us know how it goes.

Did the old owner handle her at all ? can you ? Is she flighted? Tell us all about her .

I would just like you said take it slow. I recently got my babies two. Two yellow-naped ammies. The previous owner said she had them as breeders and never touched, or played with them. She hadn't even named them. She said they were so wild that i shouldnt EVER put my fingers in the cage. Well, i took to singing to mine whenever i was in the room. Just a basic la la la lullaby like you would sing to a baby to put them to bed and now the previously said wild amazons are my singing sweethearts. I've had them almost 2 months and when i enter the room they sing to me! lol I am in their cage often and am working on perching with the. So just be patient and kind and like all beings, with enough kindness and time she will come around. Other then that Congrats on the new baby I love ammies to death! They are like haveing a 2year old crossed with a comedian. lol

The old owner said she is a very sweet bird..he felt that only men could handle her. I truly don't know how much of what he said was reliable. She is flighted. His daughter said she was not a bird person and so never tried to handle the bird. The ex owner is a licensed dealer in the state of Florida and so can apparently buy birds and other exotics as a business. He told me he purchased the bird 1 year ago and was going to find male and set them up in a breeding situation. Then he apparently lost the interest and desire to handfeed all of the potential young birds and so is in the process of selling all of his birds. He has a pair of Green cheeks and a lone Parrotlet he keeps in his garage in small cages. The cages are clean and the birds are fed and watered, but their existence is devoid of all other needed interaction...and light....What I wouldn't do to be able to pay him the $ he wants for those remaining birds just to get them a better chance.
In the last 2 days with Yoshi (YNA) she has demonstrated a desire for my company. I sit on the floor by her cage often and she comes down to be near me and listens very intently. She makes a movement with her mouth and throat during these times as though she is about to burst into talk! I have taken her out of her cage 2 times, both times having her step up on a perch. Both times she is very calm and steps up and then down. I saw her playing with one of her toys on the bottom of her cage this afternoon and threw it to the floor, out of her cage. She was out at the time and climbed back into her cage and played. She has also shown me what I take to be an invitation to scratch her head. She comes slowly over to me and lowers her head and gets fluffly. I have not done so for fear of my touch frightening her and so I continued to speak softly to her.
As I said in the original post, it is hare to know how much of anything the owner told me as he views these beautiful animals as a way to make money, and only that. He provided the most minimal of care and neglected the soul and spirit of them.

Sounds like she could make a great pet. When you give her scratches ,only do it for a few seconds and quit, You'll soon learn how much she likes and when. Just try and avoid the bites. Good luck