Pico stepped up!

This last September I hesitantly adopted a scarlet macaw. The night before I brought her home I had decided I wasn't going to. But then I decided, because I have a community behind me (F.E.A.T.H.E.R.S. In bc) if she was more then our family could handle then there were options.
Within weeks we were so glad we brought her home.
I was warned scarlets are nippy, and have an angry streak.
Her old owner called her a traditional red head, and it was hard to know which mood she was goi to be in. He told me one of her favourite things to do was grab your skin and slowly apply pressure to watch your reaction.
None of this has been true of her.
She has a quiet personality, although her volume far exceeds our other b&g, Rico. I will be purchasing ear protection for when she wants to be loud. She is reserved, and often shy.
She is afraid of dogs, nervous of the cat, and really afraid of sticks.
She used to run when I was sweeping, but now I can sweep directly under her, and she just patiently watches, not even nervous.
Put a stick on her cage, and it's a different story though.
She will only step up if she has flown off her cage because she was startled (by something like washing the porch and house off with a hose.)
So while I have held her a hand full of times, I've accepted she just isn't like my other bird who wants to sit with me. And that's ok. We chat, practice words, and she loves to give kisses.
When she came she was very plucked, and within weeks she started filling in her feathers. She is still working on letting her neck, by her shoulders, to finish filling in, but now her feather have luster, and are a much brighter red.
Last night, after a very hard day, for some reason while saying hello to her after coming home from work, I put my arm in the cage and asked her if she wants to step up.
She stepped a foot back onto my arm.
When she realized what she stepped on (I think she was trying to step back onto her cage) she looked and considered biting me. The look in the eye was certain. But suddenly she softened, and stepped the other foot back.
I quickly swept her out of the cage, and spent the next 20 minutes with her until she wanted to go back. https://vimeo.com/119357403
She allowed me to clean ALL the pinnies off her head, something she only lets me take one or two off... And she even closed her eyes, laying her beak on the pillow.
She has shown varying degrees of trust before. But this was huge.
Also the night before she flew off her cage trying to land on my oldest daughter. She had her back to her and ducked because she was scared. But that was huge, as well. She's nervous of the birds, unlike my youngest daughter, who will take a bite, and still offer the treat again.
I'm flabbergasted she is making these strides. I was fine with having her hands off. And I'm not going to hold my breath that this is a new leaf. I have NO expectations. But I am going to celebrate I had this moment with her, nonetheless.

Sounds like she's settling in...

Scarlets are the beakiest of all the macaws, but that doesn't mean they can't be good birds. Sounds like this one has all sorts of issues needing TLC...

Once they are out of unhappy situations, they do tend to turn around fairly quickly. Sounds like she's got confidence and trust issues, which is where I'd start with this one. Go slow, build her up... she may really, really surprise you when she finally opens up.

Thats a great story, Its easier said than done to be confident with such large birds, But you really must be doing the right thing if she's making such great progress.

Sicilysangel said:

Thats a great story, Its easier said than done to be confident with such large birds, But you really must be doing the right thing if she's making such great progress.

Click to expand...

You just have to remember that NOT BEING CONFIDENT is the thing that gets you bit. Then be transparent in your movements so the bird knows what you are doing, and be firm but gentle.

She surely has issues, birdman but I'm patient.
I have confidence, and would rather take a bite, then not take the risk. That being said she has never bit me. She's easy to read, and would rather run the bite.
She is the sweetest bird. Always takes treats nicely, even from strangers. She loves attention, but hardly demands it. She's easy to be around, talkative, and thoughtful.
She has been stepping up, when she wants, since that night.
The one night she spent almost two hours with me.
I truly never expected it, and was totally good with the relationship she had chosen. I still will never push myself on my birds. Maybe it's a good philosophy for everyone in my life. But then I think my kids would never call.... Lol

She's just lovely. I loved the poses when you were calling her pretty. It was like "why, yes, indeed I am"