Amazon choosing their person

I went to a rescue to see about adopting a Blue Fronted Amazon. The parrot would talk while I was sitting there and would occasionally take a nut from my finger but would not come near me. I have heard that the bird should choose you but is that after several visits or the first time? If there is any chance the bird will come around with time, I'm willing to keep visiting but I don't want to take a bird that doesn't want to be chosen.

It is alway much better if the Amazon Chooses You!

Sometimes it is Love at first sight!
Sometimes it takes a few visits for the Amazon to see that your worth the effort!
Sometimes it takes a few more for the Amazon to see that your putting in the effort!

So yes, you should expect to be seen as putting in the effort /spending the time. If after each visit the Amazon spends more time around you and nearer to you -- you may have something going!!!

If the Amazon moves away from you and shows no interest what so every, the two of you may not be a 'thing.' That all said, it is very possible that the Amazon may have a bad day going! Like the last idiot that was in moments before you was being stupid, so assure that you account for that happening.


Assure that you find out this Amazon's Age! Under four years old, your Amazon will need a Hatch Document set!!!

What sailboat said!

They are all individuals, and each has their own vetting process. They are indeed much better at choosing us than we are at choosing them. My previous BFA took a while before there was any kind of real bond between us. Months, in fact. Eventually, it was good, but he still preferred my wife. My YNA girl, Baxter, on the other hand, was one of those love at first sight stories. She called me out from across a crowded bird room before I even saw her, and that was after she was at the refuge for over a year. She was, ummmm, particular to put it mildly. The rest as they say, is history. So, in general, as stated above, plan on several visits to get a real sense of what's there or not. Believe me, if/when it happens, you'll know.

Definitely what he said! They will usually make their dislike or like known pretty quickly. Some people do put in years of effort and get a tight bond over time winning them over but sometimes they really have no interest in you.

My amazon was love at first sight for him. I met him a few days after he arrived at the shelter but he spent 4 months winning me over towards adopting him since I never had an interest in Amazon’s. I really wanted a macaw at the time but eventually he won me over. I could roll him over at the shelter and pull wings out and grab him without getting bitten.

Eventually I got my macaw too. The macaw was not love at first sight for either of us. I was a volunteer at the shelter so I was there when he came in & he was a big bluffer brat that I didn’t really have an interest in and randomly after a year I think it was I spent time with him one day & it just went from nothing to tight bond quickly lol

My original adoption from the shelter was my cockatoo. He liked me right away but I still got bit a million times during the visit process. He had/has issues but the shelter saw that he was spending time with me & playing & asking for pets without it being a trick instead of going all out vampire bird (they Called him that at the shelter because he was a huge biter lol). He nailed pretty much everyone in the family during that adoption process but once home not a single bite for me.

So the process Of bonding was a bit different for all 3 of my adoptions.

Thanks. That helps a lot. I am planning to go back and spend more time so hopefully she will warm up to me. One problem is that, because of the virus, the rescue is on shortened hours and it may be weeks between visits. Hopefully, that won't impact anything.

Although it may be great to have a bird choose you, you may need to choose the bird and work with the bird in the hopes that you will be able to form a bond.

I have had many second hand plus birds and not one has chosen me. I'm okay with that, too! But I also don't require all of them to be friendly and demand attention. I work with them all in different ways, depending upon them.


One bird that actually did have a clear preference for me (he was extremely particular about who he liked!) I couldn't even adopt... just didn't have the room! Otherwise, I would have taken him home in a heart beat! He did finally find someone who he liked and got a home, but it took a long while!

My first 2 amazons I bought in 1985/86 and I did not know anything.
First was Plumas and I just went and picked him out of a cage of maybe 4/5 other birds. He was wild caught and wanted nothing to do with me.

Second bird was Bingo and it was so long ago my memory of the event is not clear. I do remember holding him and having him climb up my arm and ride my shoulder.

First amazon that picked me was Pacho. She stepped up to me right away and just had to have her.

Luna is a rescue bird and even though it's going on 4 years she is still shy of hands. I think she likes me in her own way.

Merlin was the luck of the draw. I got him at a bird fair and the breeder just sort of picked one out of a cage. He is friendly with me, willing to step up as long as he is not in his cage.

I went back yesterday and the best the BFA would do was take a few walnuts from my fingers. Then she went to the far end of the cage and ignored me. The girl at the rescue told me it wasn't me. She said she wouldn't come near anyone, including the behavioral expert that works with the birds. I have rescued my entire life (birds, dogs, cats) but this time I really wanted a bird I could at least get to come out of it's cage. I know some people don't agreeb but I've even contemplated purchasing a baby. There is a very reputable breeder near me that has been in business for almost 40 years. I wanted a DYH but the one baby they have has already been promised if it's a female. I'm a little concerned about taking the male, Has anyone had a male DYH that they raised from a baby that did not become aggressive?

There was also a male YNA in the cage beside the BFA. He was wild caught and had to be in his 40's. His owner died and he wound up at the rescue. He must have been on a very, very poor diet. His feathers looked terrible but they have converted him to pellets. He watched me the whole time I was there and willingly came and took treats out of my hand until I ran out. For the bird's sake, I just want to make sure I go in the right direction.

You really can't bank on that stuff with a younger bird because they will change when they hit puberty anyway. An older bird can still be taught to trust, unless they flat-out hate you (and even then, with the proper knowledge, it is possible, in my opinion, to re-build if you have the patience , devotion and knowledge)... It's like the difference between an arranged marriage and a "love-marriage"---both can work, but it really comes down to what both parties contribute etc...and one involves affection right away, while the other is more about coming to an understanding and perhaps affection down the road.

I DO think it is wise to pick a bird that gravitates towards you...BUT I do not think that a bird should be discounted just because it isn't all over you. Adult birds often carry the baggage of past experiences, and, by nature (having been re-homed) are slower to connect in some circumstances. Unless the bird is attacking you or wants nothing to do with you, I wouldn't call it a deal-breaker (assuming you have some previous bird experience). I wouldn't take on an indifferent bird as a first bird because that would be very confusing and difficult unless you knew what you were doing to an extent. So..IF YOU HAVE LIMITED BIRD EXPERIENCE, DO PICK A BIRD THAT LIKES YOU...But know that any baby bird will change and even adult birds who like you can get hormonal and fickle. Pet on the head and neck only and prevent any access to shadowy spaces/huts/tents/boxes/drawers/bedding in and around the cage (these are hormonal triggers which may result in seemingly unrelated behavioral problems).

Side-note: I would NEVER recommend it, but I rescued my bird without ever having met her first (terrible idea...but I did...I just felt like I had to...) HA HA HA ---Again- 1. I would always meet birds in person now, and 2. she's a cockatoo...Lord...I literally picked her up and took her home without having seen how she reacted to me or anything.
Anyway, with time and a HECK OF A LOT of patience, I am pretty sure that most birds can be swayed if you are the one who spends the majority of your time with them and no better offers come along lol! That having been said, when I got mine, she definitely didn't like me as much as my (now ex) boyfriend at first...But I am so used to dealing with attitude etc because I work with kids w/ serious behavior issues, so I guess she wasn't that off-putting to me LOL! We are great now--- took about a year before I REALLY felt I knew her 100%...but within 3 months, she was pretty fond of me...not saying it was easy, but you can sometimes turn the tide if you are gentle and understand behavior well enough.

Thanks for your insight. I do have experience with birds so that will help. I've got an African Grey that is 26 and I've had him since he was a baby. I think the fact that the BFA will even come down and take treats from my hand is a fairly good sign. I am planning to go back again and see if I can make any more progress. I think part of the problem is that the rescue is on reduced hours and I can only go visit once a week. If I could go every day or if I had her at home, it would probably be easier.

I agree that taking treats is a good sign. You have some experience, so I do believe that you will be better off taking this route than getting a baby or something like that (1. because they change their opinions, 2. because so many birds need new homes and 3. because clearly this bird already tolerates you).

Hmmm, that YNA seems to have an interest in you!

SailBoat said:

Hmmm, that YNA seems to have an interest in you!

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I thought the same thing, Sir Boats. A new chance for a senior Amazon that likes you from the start and has long since established his own personality/likes/ dislikes? You know what you're getting that way. Hmmmm indeed.

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saxguy64 said:

SailBoat said:

Hmmm, that YNA seems to have an interest in you!

Click to expand...

I thought the same thing, Sir Boats. A new chance for a senior Amazon that likes you from the start and has long since established his own personality/likes/ dislikes? You know what you're getting that way. Hmmmm indeed.

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I agree with you both. I actually asked the girl at the rescue if I could feed the YNA after he kept showing so much interest in me. When I go back, she said I could work with both and then decide which one I wanted to adopt.

Thank you for keeping an open mind! It truly is the best way to find the right one, even if it's not the one you expected. I hope things work out well, whichever way you choose. This is my personal experience. A bit long, sorry, but your initial point was about finding an Amazon that chooses you:

When my YNA Baxter found me, I had no plans whatsoever of a second bird. I was at the refuge visiting with Tucker, my Ekkie, before bringing him home. That decision was already made, but part of the process there requires a number of visitation hours to be sure it's a good match for the bird. It was at the end of the visit, when I was bringing Tucker back to his cage, that Baxter started calling me.

There's a lot of birds there, so I always try to spend a little time and give some attention to other ones when I go. So, not unusual to ask if it's okay to meet a new one. This one, I was made aware, I should be careful with. Of course, it's a building full of Parrots that don't know me, I'm always careful and respect their space. The owner knows that, which is why I'm allowed in the bird room at all. When I finally went over to meet Baxter, the woman was in shock! She was expecting me to lose an arm or something. As soon as I approached, Baxter put her head down for scratches! Next thing I knew, she was standing on my arm, soaking up the attention. Oh, no! I'm in love! With an Amazon that was almost considered unadoptable. She had sent one of the volunteers to the ER with an unintended facial piercing. I was the only male she had allowed to handle her in the year she had been there. Period. Hence the initial warning. "She doesn't really like men. Pretty much only certain women with short hair."

The following weekend was finally the day to bring Tucker home, but even with that excitement, I couldn't get Baxter out of my mind. Tucker was mine, done deal, so I visited Baxter while I was there as well. She spent at least two hours snuggled up on my shoulder, covering my shirt with white crusty powder from all those new feathers no one had been able to help her preen. Amazons, if nothing else, are completely honest in their feelings. They tell you what they want, when, and how, and they don't bluff. Baxter made a solid case for herself. Everyone there saw it.

I lived in denial for several months, hoping it was a fluke, that it wasn't just me she would take to, that she would find the perfect home with the right family. Nope. One other family showed interest in her, but she wasn't having it. Again, I had no plans for a second bird. We talked about it at home... A lot, and finally gave in to Baxter's substantial charm. Best decision I've ever had made for me! LOOOOOVE my girl!

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Amazon Love never falls short! You are so correct, they do not bluff!.

noodles123 said:

Side-note: I would NEVER recommend it, but I rescued my bird without ever having met her first (terrible idea...but I did...I just felt like I had to...) HA HA HA ---Again- 1. I would always meet birds in person now, and 2. she's a cockatoo...Lord...I literally picked her up and took her home without having seen how she reacted to me or anything.

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Kind of how I got many of my birds!

My first conure I didn't get to meet at all prior to him being in my home - quite literally! The person who had him brought him over. The cage he was in was too large to fit in one of our vehicles but she had a vehicle it would fit in... so she brought him and cage over!

My second conure I did get to meet prior to bringing him home, but it was already guaranteed he was mine before seeing him! I actually spent a couple of nights at his foster parents house before bringing him home.

My third conure? Picked her up at the airport!

Fourth... he was kind of shoved into my hands....

Fifth conure? Tried to convince his family to keep him even though I said I'd take him. Spunky little guy! I think his previous home was just too stressful and his 'mum' did try! Took great care of him! Her daughter may have also been allergic to him.

All adults, fully grown. None came from a breeder.

But I've also had a family of cockatiels literally dropped off at my door...

Picked up an African Ringneck from a rescue... they didn't know what species she was, I was given two completely different ideas before I even saw her, and I knew what she was when I did in fact see her! I was doubted of course, and an experienced breeder was asked... he didn't know either! I had one person say it's an African GREY, not ringneck... well, greys aren't green! Quite a few still mistake her for an Indian Ringneck, but she's not "Indian".... she's African! African Ringnecks can still be legally imported from the wild. Indian Ringnecks cannot be. She's an import. May of 2013 into the good ol' USA!

And I've also taken in quite a few "parakeets" (budgies, bourkes, a turq...) and a lovebird over the years, as well as other cockatiels.



A cockatoo though? Yikes! That I can see as potentially being a bad idea! :18: At least, with time, it all ended well! There's a few cockatoos that would have been happy coming home with me, but my home is too small for a proper cockatoo cage!