New Double Yellow Headed Amazon

Hello everyone,

I would like to introduce myself to the forum. My name is RJ and I recently got a Double Yellow Headed Amazon this weekend. I have had birds and parrots my whole life but have never had an Amazon. The guy I got him from was selling him for his friend who had to leave the state and could not take him with her. He says that they think he is a male and he is 3 years old. His previous owner had bought from a bird expo here in the Bay Area as a baby and he was handfed. She was his only owner. They say he loves females and is shy/ scared around males because he is not used to them. Today is the third day I have had him and he seems to be adjusting okay but not as well as I'd hoped he would. I opened the cage door today and he comes out and hangs out on the top part of his cage that has a perch. However he seems to be really freaked out by my voice or when I make eye contact with him. He squats down and holds his wings kind of away from his body and quivers them. I am guessing that this means he is stressed. But just wanted to get some feedback or see if anyone else has experienced this with their birds. I know it will take time for him to trust me and build a bond with me. It just seems a little weird that he feels comfortable enough to come out of the cage and come up to me when I offer him treats and takes them from me and then goes back to shaking his wings and crouching down. Is there anything I can do to help him settle in his new home. I spend time by his cage talking to him softly and I offer him treats regularly. I don't expect to be best buddies with him right away, but I want to do everything I can to make sure he's not terrified at the same time. Any advice or tips about this breed would be helpful. Thank you

Here are some pics of him. Still finalizing names but it looks like we're gonna call him Yoshi

So that you will have something to read to him,
http://www.parrotforums.com/amazons/65119-i-love-amazons-going-journey.html
And,
http://www.parrotforums.com/amazons/54250-amazon-body-language.html

Three days is a very short period of time to even begin to hope that your DYHA would develop a comfort with you and your family. Think of it as if someone pulled you from your family and placed you in this new place, would it not take you some time to become comfortable with the new place, people, etc....

You have gotten great advice regarding reading materials. I would start with the second of the two and read it a couple of time each day and for several weeks. The second Thread is Huge and is worth the read as it provided a solid knowledge based for living and loving Amazons.

When working with your Amazon use this tool: It is NEVER the fault of the Amazons! It is ALWAYS the fault of the Human. When you use this vantage point to understand all interactions, you will more quickly see what you are doing wrong and correct it!

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Amazons! Enjoy!

Welcome RJ. You have gotten some priceless information above, and I cant stress too much that you should read the body language thread, out loud in a softer soothing voice, to you new feabbie ( feathered baby). He looks to be in fine condition, with a nice lively look to his eyes. Proceed at your parrots pace, not yours. What is his favorite treat? Once you know that, it should be offered as a training reward, and training objectives can be as simple as stepping up, or going potty , etc. Other treats can be used for just because treats, make friends treats etc., Save that favorite one for when you are trying to teach him and rewarding him.

With parrots, sometimes its 1 step forward, 2 steps back, or at least it may feel like that. Try and be consistent with your interactions with him, so he will know what to expect . Parrots love routine, so same time getting up and going to bed, feeding times, play times, training times, should all be consistent as much as possible. And getting 12 hours of real, quality , dark sleeping time is essential. Good Luck !

Could be wrong but he looks a bit older than 3 years old stunning bird tho

KevH said:

Could be wrong but he looks a bit older than 3 years old stunning bird tho

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That was my impressions also! Its one of the ongoing problems with the lack of honest information from a prior owner, tied with the belief that a younger Parrot may afford a high sale price.

Beautiful DYH! I too feel the amount of coloration on his head would make him one very genetically blessed juvenile or an adult older than you have ben led to believe. Either way, congratulations on your new addition and enjoy being owned by an amazon. He will quickly have you wrapped around his little talon running circles for him:16:

He's testing his limits. Read the body language stickie, several times.

My opinion.
The body language you describe (crouching down and quivering wings) is typical of my FEMALE Red Lord Amazon. In my case it means she wants attention. It could also mean in a young bird a desire to be fed by the parents.
Hope this helps
Texsize

KevH said:

Could be wrong but he looks a bit older than 3 years old stunning bird tho

Click to expand...

I agree. Maybe he's a magna? Still, he looks older than three to me, as well.

texsize said:

My opinion.
The body language you describe (crouching down and quivering wings) is typical of my FEMALE Red Lord Amazon. In my case it means she wants attention. It could also mean in a young bird a desire to be fed by the parents.
Hope this helps
Texsize

Click to expand...

Kizzy has started quivering her wings when she's getting a head rub. My male DYH never did this. Is this indicative of gender, do you think? Or maybe double yellowheads don't do it? I meant to ask about this, but it got lost in the shuffle of Kizzy's astonishing development.

Ladyhawk said:

texsize said:

My opinion.
The body language you describe (crouching down and quivering wings) is typical of my FEMALE Red Lord Amazon. In my case it means she wants attention. It could also mean in a young bird a desire to be fed by the parents.
Hope this helps
Texsize

Click to expand...

Kizzy has started quivering her wings when she's getting a head rub. My male DYH never did this. Is this indicative of gender, do you think? Or maybe double yellowheads don't do it? I meant to ask about this, but it got lost in the shuffle of Kizzy's astonishing development.

Click to expand...

Staying with only Amazons for clarity - their personalities variations are so very wide that I would be more comfortable saying that it depends on the specific Amazon. I have had both Males and Females that would and others that would not. So as stated, I'm going with an individual that has developed a series of responses based on its life experiences.

Think of Birdman666 Understanding Body Language as a foundation. From there each Species and then each individuals adds their own twist as they enhance and extend from the basic Language.

Thanks for the input everyone. I think the wing quivering behavior is stress related, in Yoshi's case at least. He has not been doing it as much because he seems to be adjusting well and settling in. I did have a green wing macaw male that did the same thing when he was scared, so maybe it does depend on individual birds and their experiences. He has been getting really friendly with me. And since yesterday he gets very excited and starts vocalizing and chattering when I get home. I'm taking this as a good sign . He does step up onto my hand but only when I bribe him with treats. I think he trusts me a little less now because of this so I'm not gonna push him to step up again until he's ready. I am just glad he doesn't seem to be stressed out anymore. After reading other people's posts and experiences when they got their new Amazons I feel like these baby steps are huge milestones and I couldn't be happier