B&G crying.......

I just joined in search of help with our newest member. Thanks for all the great info on this site, simply love it.

A tad bit of history ...
B&G macaw named Nero (jack in prior home) hatched 12/20/11
Nero was sold from a pet store in 8/2012 to his past home
In the 15 months he was with his old owner they moved 6 times in 2 states and Nero was boarded for 2 months at a pet store.

From what I was told and what I was given, this is what I have pieced together. his diet was mainly small bird seed mix and whatever his owner had. In short he is a major junk food bird. His cage is a great size 6x4x2.5 but he had one rusted chain toy and one perch.

Nero came to my family 11/25/13
We are feeding lafebers. He didn't care for roudybush or Harrison's. Right now he eats it some, but I don't think he was ever given pellet food before. As well as a veggie/fruit stovetop mix, and sweet potato. He loves oatmeal and my dinners, but I have been trying to avoid too many extras. That has been tough as all he was given before was people scraps, or that is what I believe, based on what I saw.

We out fitted his cage with more perches, toys, shreds .....
Built him a living room play stand, sunning T stand for the dining room, and have a table top stand in the kitchen. This way he can be in the same rooms we are and be part of the family.

He has had a full vet check, blood,fecal, exam, you name it. Blood and fecal came back perfect. Exam showed damage to the roof of his mouth...um there are two slits with spiky nubs or something, well one is missing the nubs completely, doc thinks it was damaged when being hand fed. Then his trachea was red,irritated, slightly swollen but not infected, so no need for meds. Doc thinks he might of been living with smokers (past owners did smoke). All in all healthy bird. DNA sexed male.

So now to address my concern

He cries CONSTANTLY. I know he has had a rough start in life and that he needs to adjust and that everything is different and he is stressed. I get it,I really do. I also know to ignore unwanted and reward wanted. So I am aware of basics, but I am really at a loss with this and need help.

He is always making this cry sound. Always. Eating, playing, hanging out alone, hanging out with people, getting attention or doing his own thing...ALWAYS. So I can't reward his time when he isn't making the sound nor can ignore it because it never stops.

A bird friend of mine says he could be regressing and that the sound he is making would be a sound a baby makes to its mother. Doctor said time and adjustment. I was even told "consider yourself lucky, he isn't screaming"


Over the past week or so he is changing his cry a little bit. When I'm not around he will sometimes stop crying. This is only when I'm not around. When he is around my husband and kids, he will even talk. Hello, peek a boo, no, dog barking sounds as well as random jibberish. The second he hears my voice or I come into the room it's back to instant crying. I have youtube videos of him doing all kids of stuff all while making this sound.

He tends to seek me out in the house too. He will fly room to room to hang out with me. BUT he loves snuggling with my husband. Nero will sit on my husbands chest and rub his little head all over my husbands face and neck, he loves his facial hair.

I also think Nero try's to get me to feed him. Sometimes when he snuggles with me... He will sit on my chest and **** his he'd back and rest his beak on my chin or mouth. When he does that I take him right over to his food dishes.

Nero has his bird pellet, cooked food, water available all day. He is allowed to free feed.

He is learning to self entertain and is getting pretty good at it. When he wants to say hi he will fly over and sit with you. He doesn't have to be touched when he is just hanging out, he likes the company. More so in the mornings and evenings he wants more head and wing pit scratches. He begs for those scratches then.

Like just now as I typed this, he was on his play stand playing quietly in the other room for a long time. My kids and husband were in there with him. Then he flew in to me, sat on me for 2 minutes crying, then flew to his food stand and started eating, still crying while eating.

I'm just lost. I want to do right by this big guy. I want to start his life with me the right way, not to try and help or fix him later.

That's for reading my crazy long story and if I didn't post in the right place I'm sorry, I'm new!

You should be able to see the videos from my youtube channel. That is if I linked it properly. I think there are 11 or 12 videos with him doing different things, all while crying.

http://m.youtube.com/channel/UCPnjagCr5nY4eyzh0st_YCw

He is beautiful! He has only been with you for a little more than a month.... He is still settling in. I'm sure the other Mac owners will chime in. He is precious.

Welcome to the forum. You posted it in the right section, no worries. If you wanted to, I "could" move your thread into the Macaw section - it's entirely up to you.

Anyway, I watched some of your Youtube Clips. Nero is ADORABLE and VERY beautiful!!! Congrats on bringing him home, and for giving him SUCH a great place to be loved and have fun.

I wouldn't necessarily call those sounds "crying" sounds. Both my big macs make the same sounds. They make them for various reasons. They MOSTLY make them when they want me to acknowledge them. Then they make them when they are content, and when they are weary of things. When they are weary, the sound is somewhat deeper.

You are doing a marvelous job with Nero!!! He looks and sounds like a happy big mac to me.

Thank you! He has melted my heart for sure! I thought I researched till I was blue in the face before getting him... Now that he is here I feel like I know nothing! I'm so happy to find these forums. I'm learning so much.

As far as moving this post, wherever I will find the most help is where I would like it.

Maybe moving it will help get more replies?

Kissed82 said:

Maybe moving it will help get more replies?

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I moved it to the Macaw section, just please keep in mind it's Sunday. We have LOTS more traffic during the week.

Oh, ok. I would have thought weekends are more busy. Thanks!

You know i have never heard that sound from Fargo, some of the sounds people post that their macaws make i have never heard from Fargo The only bird type sound he makes is the full on scream, all his other nosies are humanised I swear he hasn't learnt to be a bird properly or something haha




But like the others said, i wouldn't worry, Nero is gorgeous!!!

He looks like a very happy, spoilt boy, i am sure he is so pleased that you got him!


Oh there are always new things to learn when it comes to bird owning !

I read every single book and website before Fargo, but i learnt just soooo much more once i actually had him!!

Each bird is an individual with a unique personality, so you have to learn to work with them and how to react ect ect!

You are doing a brilliant job!

I don't consider those crying sounds. I think he's happy and conversing with you when he make those noises. Consider yourself lucky, it could be worse. lol.

Merlee said:

I don't consider those crying sounds. I think he's happy and conversing with you when he make those noises. Consider yourself lucky, it could be worse. lol.

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I also don't think that he is crying in a bad way. I suspect that in a few months you will have a different bird. For my macaw's first few months he HONKED like a goose in the same fashion that yours is cooing! I had constant honk, honk, honking going on! Good thing that I like geese, eh? I am happy to say that with time everything is now different. I have a much changed bird now than when he first arrived.

So my gentle suggestion is to allow him a little more time and see who you end up with in a few more months. I think that you have a sweet bird and he will begin to feel more confidence each day!

I'm so glad to read that this bird( being through so much change) has found such a loving home and family! Congratulations.

just watched some videos, my Mac makes a similar sound once in awhile. usually after a cage day, and when he just wants to sit on my chest and snuggle up against me. I've viewed it as a sign of contentment.

Thanks for all the input. It most certainly makes me feel better. I was starting to think I was doing something wrong. The sound never never never stops when I'm in the room.

Today he was climbing all over my husband, playing and chewing on him. Then he started rolling over and talking to my husband... Lots of hellos and peek a boos. I got up to take a photo of him and the second he saw me, right back to that sound. He kept doing what he was doing with my husband except stopped talking and went tight back to that sound.

I hope to encourage him to chat it up with me some, and less of that sound. There have been times I thought i was going to pull my hair out, but now I just block it out.

Here is a photo of Nero playing. Amazing how much trust he gives us and so soon. Our Quaker would never let us try with her, and Nero did this on his own!

Try the photo again ~fingers crossed~ this time

That isnt a bad sound at all, its actually good. My GW makes a similar sound, but in his larger GW ways sounds like "hurrrrr" haha. Its just a sound some macaws make and some dont. I THINK (could be 100% wrong here) that more talkative macaws tent to make the coo sounds more often. I've been playing with a lot of other macaws lately and the ones that dont coo are very quiet and are shy to talk.
He is insanely content with you guys, especially the video of your husband cuddling him. I cant believe it. As a warning from a macaw owner, I'd be very cautious doing that in the future when the honeymoon phase is over and he ages a little more. Unless you 100% trust him (and vice versa). There is no way in **** my GW would let me do that, but its because he's 10yrs old and I've only had him for 3 months.
Overall, I wouldn't think twice about that coo sound, its nothing at all.

It sounds like he lived among some sheep at one time. But seriously, it doesn't sound like a bad sound to me at all. My B&G, Simba, doesn't make that sound, but he makes some that I'd rather he didn't make. Nero is a beautiful and lucky bird! Keep up the good work!

Don't think the coo sound is if they are more talkative

Fargo never stops talking with human words, human sounds, beeps, whistles...

He just has never done a cooing, or bird type noises It is either a full on macaw scream, or just human babbling.. :54: hahaha


Think it depends on if you bird has been with other birds? I guess Fargo has been alone, since 7 months, so he doesn't need to make bird noises, because he wants to talk like a human because that is the only thing he hears? :20:




Absolutely love the picture! He trusts you very much! You should be very proud!
Kinda reminds me of Fargo, i love when they play upside down and get cuddles



Not too sure about the honeymoon stage, don't think there is such a thing, i think when they get to their hormonal age is when it might change

I have had Fargo for a year and a half.... and he never came out of his 'honeymoon stage'.. If anything he gets even cuddlier each and every day... Never has shown aggression since the day i got him, so i full on cuddle like you guys do, and give lots of kisses, and never have to worry about him biting

When he is hormonal and i see a difference in his behaviour, then i might be cautious, but i dont think that will be for a few years!

Nero has not ever shown any aggressive side with me or my husband. Nero does bully the kids or anyone that comes over. He will make a weird squeal sound then act like he will nip, if they push the issue he will give a pinch, just strong enough for you to get the hint. Which is more typical macaw behavior .... Or from the macaws I have met anyways. Nero does act like he has known myself and husband forever. We can flip him on his back, hold him like a baby, touch any part of him we need to. I can open his wings, hold his tail.... Without a second thought. I'm sure as he gets older that will change. But for now I do regular touches or what not so he is use to it and hopefully help for vet check ups and what not.

Nero begs and begs for cuddles. He will fly over to us and he will on his own rub his head all over our faces and necks. He preens my hair and my husbands facial hair. He gives kisses, grooms our skin. I scratch him on his head and he will lift his wings and try and force our hand to give him wing pit scratches.

I have never met a macaw so willing and accepting like him. He is so very trusting of us and it's only been a month. I have also never forced him to do anything. I tell him what I want and he seems to just go for it.

Nero will not talk at all with me around. My husband and kids he becomes mr. Chatty. I think that is weird too.

I understand the damage that beak can do. I have full respect for him. If he ever shows signs of changing I will adjust my behavior/cuddles/ pets to his needs. Or so from what I am learning, that plan would seem to work.

The bite is a part of the bird ...if and when the day comes, I hope it's not my eye but he wouldn't be the one to blame. He is wild, I know that one

You are truly doing a phenomenal job with Nero!!!! NO doubt about it. I also feel he's made himself right at home, especially because you can cuddle and snuggle with him all over.

Since he is so super receptive to interact, have you thought about teaching him some tricks?

I will ask our Tab to insert her video of her Fargo doing his tricks, so you can get an idea of what tricks you may or may not like.

My Niko is now over 4, and even though he is no longer AS snuggly as he was when he was under 2, he still plays roly-poly with me. I LOVE it!!

Here are Fargo's tricks!

He lovesssssss learning, only takes him a few short sessions to learn something new!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y7hr3ZQojc&feature=youtu.be]Fargo the blue and gold macaw training tricks - YouTube[/ame]

There are lots of videos on my youtube haha Not many recent though, just upload them to his facebook now