Taming A Red Front

I had a previous flightless red front macaw. Well, he has been passed for almost a whole year now (vet put him under for blood work and he regurgitated), so my husband and I bought a new one, but a female. She is over a year old now and was greatly bonded to her sister. We met her last fall around 7 months old or so. We sat down with her and she did nothing but fly and bite. We went back to the same store again last weekend (Bird Paradise) and her and her sister were still there. We talked about getting her in the winter, but they said they'd probably get rid of her by then because they'd have new birds coming in, so we decided we'd have to get her (we don't want a breeder coming in and leaving her in cage all day to be bred). We sat with her two hours and there was a big change.



She was still hard to handle though. We were told to put our hand under her chest for her to lean on while we picked her up by her rump. She clearly doesn't like it, but if we don't hold her rump she quickly takes flight, but if we do she gets very stressed and goes into a biting frenzy.If she is on her perch, she will accept food and pets on her head and back and she even puffs up a bit and starts to close her eyes and relax just 5 minutes into a petting. She is a sweet heart and perfectly healthy, but not very used to be handled. My previous red front couldn't fly, so on top of her being a biter she also can fly and escape if I accidentally let go or even put her down for a break, so it's a big difference. Any advice to help get her used to the stepping up?



We are bringing her home this weekend and are quite afraid to put her in her cage for fear we wont be able to get her out without tremendously stressing her by using a towel. She doesn't seem to have trust issues with us because we can pet her anywhere-head, cheeks, back, chest, etc. She either does not like to be picked up or just is not used to it. She is very quiet and somewhat shy with every one for the first 5 minutes or so. We have tried coaxing her on our hands with pine nuts, but with no avail. She seems to want to be on my shoulder (its where she tries to escape to when trying get out of my arms), but knowing my last red front I am sure there will be a nip or two on my neck in getting her down or off, so I am discouraging it for now. They say there will be a big difference when we bring her home after the first couple of weeks because she won't be with her sister (they have been caged together since they were born). Does any one have any advice on handling her?


My last red front was very aggressive with everyone, but after a couple visits over the years and summers spent with him he came around to just me. I would like to have my new red front socialized and friendly with all and be able to trust her in public. My last one, as I have said could not fly, so I took him everywhere without a harness or leash. I do not know if I will ever be able to do that with the new one. How and when should I introduce her to a harness?



For her safety (escaping outside, running into things in the house when she is scared) should we clip her wings until she is more calm and tame? I don't want to clip her, but if it keeps her more safe I would, but I'm not sure there will be a huge benefit of doing so.

I think I would have her clipped for now to aid in training. When she next molts, you can let her have her wings back if you want to.

I also wouldn't force her out of the cage, but instead leave the door open and allow her to come out on her own. If you don't feed her outside the cage, she will eventually go back inside on her own as well without you having to do anything traumatic.

I understand not wanting her on your shoulder. She is certainly large enough to cause damage should she bite you. For now I'd interact with her by talking and singing to her, playing peek a boo and offering her treats from your hand. And if she wants to be petted, of course keep doing that. With time she will learn step up. Once she is used to your home and family, I would begin working on it. Until then, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I think once she's settled in you will be able to use treats to bribe her into starting to step up, or you might try clicker training. Many here swear by it.

I'm very sorry about the loss of your previous feathered companion.

Thank you, my worry with the cage is she won't want to come out of it. I have seen and help raise many birds from blue and gold macaws, Africans, amazons, cockatoos, and even conures who refuse to leave their cage to even sit on their door or get a treat. What should I do if that happens?

The birds never came out? Not even after a couple of weeks of trying? One thing that's worked for me with a shy bird is to sit on the floor in front of the cage. Making myself small and lower than they were seemed to relax them, and they were also curious about what I was doing down there. That is how I first got my amazon out. He was worried about stepping up for me, but he kept climbing down the cage to see me. I would offer my hand and back up he would go. About the fourth or fifth time that he came down, he did finally get on me. I think I also did this with my Blue Crown baby. She wasn't afraid of me having met me every week at the breeder's, but she was very scared of my other conure who was yelling at her constantly out of jealousy.

I would try first just leaving it open with you sitting on the other side of the room. Eventually if that doesn't work you might entice her out by sitting on the floor, or hiding under a blanket, sitting on the floor and peeking at her.

I also think once she has been in your home for awhile and gets used to you, she will want to come out eventually and investigate.

The birds that never came out just never cared to. I used to sit there for hours (literally) reading or talking to them and they could not care less. lol It makes me think that some birds just like their cages and don't see a reason to leave. It's shelter, no one else can go there, there's food and water, along with toys.

I am hoping like you said that she will want to come out and investigate. Then again her fear may take over her curiosity, as she will be with her sister for the first time.

Were those birds in rescues? They may have been especially cautious as well with other birds around. In a quiet home with just a few people that they will get to know, they may be quite different in time. And if they were in rescues, they probably didn't have very good lives to begin with with healthy human interaction. Since this is a baby bird, I would think it would be easier. It hasn't been that long since she was weaned. And without her sister around she is going to want to make a new friend in you.

Maybe I'm missing something... but never have I read/heard anywhere of picking a bird up by the rump.

I'd probably temporarily clip her.

Try holding one of her favorite treats (which is only offered by you, never fed to her in her cage) out of reach just past your hand (preferably at the cage door; I'm assuming she doesn't like your hands being in the cage). Then say "step up" and lavish her with praise if she does step onto your hand, if only briefly, to reach the treat. I trained a completely wild, parent raised lovebird this way. Also trying sitting in a chair while doing this; you'll be more at her level. And talk to her plenty. Bribery can go a long way haha.

HalfInsane said:

Maybe I'm missing something... but never have I read/heard anywhere of picking a bird up by the rump.

I'd probably temporarily clip her.

Try holding one of her favorite treats (which is only offered by you, never fed to her in her cage) out of reach just past your hand (preferably at the cage door; I'm assuming she doesn't like your hands being in the cage). Then say "step up" and lavish her with praise if she does step onto your hand, if only briefly, to reach the treat. I trained a completely wild, parent raised lovebird this way. Also trying sitting in a chair while doing this; you'll be more at her level. And talk to her plenty. Bribery can go a long way haha.

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That was how I tamed all my parent raised budgies. It did take time and patience, but they all turned out to be wonderful birds. And my amazon is wild caught so someone tamed him.

Not a rescue. bird paradise weans the birds they get and even have some young ones in incubators. They stay in a room all day where they are free to roam and mingle with other birds and people can freely pick them up and hold them. Usely their parrots are babies and sell quick. However, these two never sold and never wanted to be handled and bonded. At night the red fornt I boght was put in a cage with her sister (the one she bonded to).

Holding her by the rump thing was odd to me too, but its the only way to secure her so she wont fly awhile trying to pick her up or just holding her. I'm going to clip her for now. I tried the treat thing with a pine nut(she loves them) and she completely ignored me.

Still, this will be her first time in a home where she doesn't have other birds around, and will be getting more one on one interaction with the same people. I am sure with time she will come to love you want to be with you. Birds need flock mates. So when they aren't with other birds, they will turn to their humans for friendship.

I have read good things on here about that store.

MaraWentz said:

Holding her by the rump thing was odd to me too, but its the only way to secure her so she wont fly awhile trying to pick her up or just holding her. I'm going to clip her for now. I tried the treat thing with a pine nut(she loves them) and she completely ignored me.

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You can't expect her to immediately go for the treat. She clearly is uncomfortable with being picked up. No matter how you go about getting her past her fear, it will take time and patience. You can't expect immediate results. Birds are, however, curious and social. She may not seem initially interested, but with time she'll come around.

To pique her interest, try removing her food bowl at night. Birds tend to eat the most when they first wake up. So in the morning, try offering her the treat. She'll be hungry and more likely to consider it. Wait a while, and if she shows no interest, give her her food bowl and try again the next day. You might also try increasing the duration which you wait each morning, so she can't reliably predict how long it will be till you give up.

Thats what I was told. Hopefully it works. Well, I will update this post this weekend!

I second the wing clipping. I'm still debating if I'm going to let my Macaw become flighted. I doubt it, as it could be a quick escape with my house the way its laid out.

I don't like allowing Macaws to climb out of their cages on their own, mostly because their cages are usually HUGE and it can turn in to a game for them if they get all the way on top and you can't reach them. If they get cage possesive, it can become a game of 'lunge and terrify the humans' very quickly. LoL.
Not all birds are the same though and some do very well with coming down when you want them. I let my African greys come out on their own, but they don't have a cage thats taller then me and can't get away.

Mara, I sent you a pm! I hope it helps, but I tend to be very confusing sometimes with random comma placements, so if it doesn't let me know and I'll try to clear any confusion up.

Definatly give your girl some time to settle in, at least the first few days don't do too much with her. Let her get use to the routine around the house. She's still young enough to adjust rather well.

We can't wait to see pictures! I need to take the drive up to Bird Paradise, I haven't been there in two years and its only like an hour and a half away from me.

It's still as good as usual but a lot of the babies are growing up :'(
We live 5 hours away so we only visits 1-2 times a year but it's well worth it

You're alll the way down south in Maryland! I had to look up your town to see how close you were! I always thought they had a lot of birds when I went there, and if they aren't selling as many that's a shame. Its a poor economy though and birds are expensive. I haven't dragged myself up there yet because I know if I do, i'll come back with another bird!

There are still MANY birds and customers on a daily basis but they're getting new babies soon. All the birds are about 5 months or older now

"I would like to have my new red front socialized and friendly with all and be able to trust her in public. My last one, as I have said could not fly, so I took him everywhere without a harness or leash. I do not know if I will ever be able to do that with the new one. How and when should I introduce her to a harness?"

Then you should have started with a hand fed & raised bird from a BREEDER! All I can say is good luck with this bird. The only thing I have read in your initial post is RED FLAGS. These are some of the red flags that would have me walking away:

1.SHe is flighted so she going to be very hard to control. Yes, you could get her clipped, but depending on how well she can fly and for how long she's been flighted. It would kind of break her spirit. (In my opinion)

2. She is bitey with everyone, even the current handlers.

3. She has been caged with another bird and very likely will resent you for splitting them up. Even the current caretakers warned you of this.

4. They gave you the old soft shoe bit that they will have to get rid of her somehow if YOU don't take her.

I don't like to be negative here, but PLEASE don't get this bird if the above reasons are why your wanting a Red Fronted Macaw and what you listed as what your expecting of her or him. If you do, I see nothing but problems for you.

Red fronted Macaws are difficult birds and is why a lot of breeders don't offer them. They don't have a laid back personality of say a Blue & Gold or a Green Wing.

But good luck on what ever you decide.

Thank you but she is from a breeder who sends them unweaned to this store where the store hand feeds them and weans them before sale. She isn't aggressive nor hand shy. She loves her cheeks, chest, back, and head petted, but is just not one for being held. All the birds are given free flight time during the day and caged at night. I do agree that caging them together was a mistake. However, as many have told me, as well as the store the first few weeks are going to be hard- heck, any bird is hard, but she will end up coming around to me for dependence and affection since her sibling will no longer be there. I have handled many other parrots, including a red front and blue and gold macaw and I have to say the Blue and Gold was the hardest. Thank you though for your concern though.

Oh, also as many red front owners will tell you, they are delightful birds with great personality and temperament. However, only few breeders will sell them as pets because they are highly endangered and the population is descending, therefore many people are breeding them just to keep the species alive.

I too live in MD, I went to Bird Paradise 2 weekends ago. They had many macaws and I was only able to handle the B&Gs, HY, and some GW. The issue I have with Bird paradise is, these birds are not offen handled and don't seem tame at all.
I was surprised to see the lack of Macaw toys.
Their prices for food were really no different then what you can buy at Pet smart or other local pet stores.
I have a breeder in VA at Mountain Ridge who I use to purchase my boys. GW Macaw and SI Male Eclectus as shown on my profile picture.
I would advise you to perhaps find a breeder or rescue to see if they might have a baby or mature Red fronted macaw for you that is already tame. You may also want to Google Baltimore Bird Fanciers here in MD. All members bring our bird to the towson library on the bottom floor the 3rd sunday of every month. We also have an upcoming bird mart where we have breeders coming in to sell then weaned babies. Joe
Best of luck Joe

Thanks but I will stick with my store. I hope you do know that they don't stay out there. That just for flight they are given toys in their cages at night. A lot of the macaws arent as friendly now because the majority have been there since babies and are around 6-18 months old now. If you go there when they just get babies they are the most adorable (but clingy) things. I do admit if they stay there longer they tend to bond with 2-3 other birds like flock and avoid humans. It's a shame. Because as babies they are so exciting and wanting of attention. I find their food to be expensive I order mine in bulk from fosters and smiths and it comes fast, it's cheaper and great qaulity.