Parrot behavior

A quick recap from an earlier post… the shelter just received 5 macaws(a catalina, blue and gold, military and 2 scarlets), 3 cockatoos, 6 amazons an african grey from the sherifs department who took them from a hoarder. These birds were in terrible condition. The macaws were kept in plastic dog crates. They have problems extending their wings. They are also very cage aggressive.


Today, I got the job of feeding them and taking them out to the outdoor aviary so they could stretch and get some sunshine. A beautiful day in Phoenix.

I feed them last week too and this time it was much easier. I bought some raw almonds on the way to the shelter and gave them each one before I even attempted to open the crates. It worked for all but the catalina. That one tried to bite when my hands when I touched the latch, but once the door was opened, it retreated.

The hard part was getting them out. I started with one of the scarlets and just went in slow with my arm with my thumb tucked in between my fingers. Went well.

Next, the blue and gold. Everyone there says this is a mean one. I just kept thinking about all the cute videos of Fargo, and put my arm in again. It kinda stepped up, but when I was pulling my arm out, it jumped and fell to the ground. Then it was climbing up the other cages and making all the other birds scream. Even the owner of the rescue could not get the bird to setup. I stayed with the bird for about an hour and just sat down next to it. I slowly moved my hand closer and closer. I gave it another almond. At one point it touched my hand with its tongue and stayed close and fluffed its head feathers and started preening itself. He was even puffing out the small little black feathers around the eyes. Very beautiful to watch.

But every time I tried to get it to step up on my it would just run away. 90 minutes later, I did finally get it to setup and was able to take it outside so it could enjoy a big play perch with his 4 other friends.

Two questions, is that a sign that he was comfortable with me when he puffed up his head feathers, touched me with his tongue and preened himself/herself next to me?

Is there a less stressful way to get a loose bird off the ground? I was on my knees with my arm out and just hoping the macaw wouldn't lunge at my face. Being bent over, I didn't have much of a way to protect myself...

Yes, the fact that it tolerated your closeness is a step in the right direction. And preening in your company is a sign of acceptance and basic trust. But, you are only at step 1 of a long process. As for retrieving a bird that won't step up....I've used things like a towel thrown over it's head and gently scooping it up. Or try to offer something like a stick, dowel, or branch for it to step onto. But, patience is the best course of action. You're right to ball up your hand to protect your thumb. Another action that has helped me in approaching skittish birds, is to put all your fingertips together, and form a wedge with your hand. I think it reminds them of their parents' head, and I've seen birds bow their own heads in response. Handling untamed birds is always tricky. But, patience, smooth talking & slow movements help greatly. Every bird is different and requires a different approach. Good luck working with these guys. Each episode will lay groundwork for future interactions, and they'll respond better each time. Thanks for helping these angels out.

I personally use a bendable cloth perch to get them off the ground if they are in a bad mood. Its worth a try.

blackhawk007 said:

I personally use a bendable cloth perch to get them off the ground if they are in a bad mood. Its worth a try.

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I tried using a stick, or perch, and it scared the bird even more. It would eventually relax by my arm, but seem tormented with the stick. Is a bendable cloth perch different?

Maybe this blog will be of help. I think you are headed in the right direction, just need some more guidance to get there. This isn't really a "how-to" but it's the start of the process.

Good Bird Inc Parrot Training Talk: Help! My Parrot Wont Step Up!


The second video in the blog may also be very beneficial to you. Again, it's not the entire process, only the beginning.