Maggie's new spot.

Birdman666

Well-known member
Sep 18, 2013
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San Antonio, TX
Parrots
Presently have six Greenwing Macaw (17 yo), Red Fronted Macaw (12 yo), Red Lored Amazon (17 y.o.), Lilac Crowned Amazon (about 43 y.o.) and a Congo African Grey (11 y.o.)
Panama Amazon (1 Y.O.)
So Maggie has been keeping herself busy by shredding my old cleaning towels this past week. (I bought new ones. She likes shredding them, so I gave her the old ones.

Long and the short of it? She's built herself a very large nest in the walkin closet of my bedroom, and has apparently decided she lives there now...

She just sits in her little nest in the closet, and isn't really causing any problems, so I'm just letting her be. When I remove her from it, she just turns right around and races me back up the stairs to her new spot...

Dontcha just love breeding season?!
 

JerseyWendy

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Jul 20, 2012
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:11: Say, Mark, has she ever done that before? If so, has she ever laid before?

I know opinions on this vary, but I know I'd be tempted to discourage it. :)
 
OP
Birdman666

Birdman666

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Sep 18, 2013
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San Antonio, TX
Parrots
Presently have six Greenwing Macaw (17 yo), Red Fronted Macaw (12 yo), Red Lored Amazon (17 y.o.), Lilac Crowned Amazon (about 43 y.o.) and a Congo African Grey (11 y.o.)
Panama Amazon (1 Y.O.)
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She plays in my walk in closet all the time on her own. But now she's taken the old towels, and made herself "a spot."

She's not defending it. She's doesn't have an aggressive bone in her body, and thus far it's not a problem. (And in my opinion the "nesting" instinct is an instinctive behavior. It's something a bird is going to do. Tusk and Lila also build nests together. It's when the problem behaviors start, (i.e. territorial behaviors) that I shut that stuff down.

If I remove it, she'll probably just shred something else, and be right back at it.

Given that I'm gone during the day, and she's loose in the house.... ummm.... yeah. I don't want to have to cage her. And if she just waddles up the stairs and hangs out in my closet during the day... and that gets it out of her system...

So that's my take on this one.
 

JerseyWendy

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Jul 20, 2012
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Just out of curiosity, what would you do if you came home and there was an egg in her bundle of towels? :52:

She may not even become 'aggressive' then (heck, I doubt your Maggie has a mean bone in her big, red body). Would you still let her do it? What if there'd be 2 eggs 2 days later? :confused:

IMO it IS normal for them to do this instinctually. My Hunter did it many years ago. She laid an entire clutch. She never became aggressive, mean, or protective of them. But I never wanted to go through that again, so when she was done sitting, I completely re-arranged everything, and made sure to see the early signs of her efforts to build a nest. Haven't had that particular issue ever since (knock on wood). :)
 

plumsmum2005

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Nov 18, 2015
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Lou, Ruby, and Sonu.
Fly free Plum, my gorgeous boy.
She plays in my walk in closet all the time on her own. But now she's taken the old towels, and made herself "a spot."

She's not defending it. She's doesn't have an aggressive bone in her body, and thus far it's not a problem. (And in my opinion the "nesting" instinct is an instinctive behavior. It's something a bird is going to do. Tusk and Lila also build nests together. It's when the problem behaviors start, (i.e. territorial behaviors) that I shut that stuff down.

If I remove it, she'll probably just shred something else, and be right back at it.

Given that I'm gone during the day, and she's loose in the house.... ummm.... yeah. I don't want to have to cage her. And if she just waddles up the stairs and hangs out in my closet during the day... and that gets it out of her system...

So that's my take on this one.

I so would love to see her doing this. :)

Is she good during the day or do you come back home to mishaps?
 
OP
Birdman666

Birdman666

Well-known member
Sep 18, 2013
9,904
258
San Antonio, TX
Parrots
Presently have six Greenwing Macaw (17 yo), Red Fronted Macaw (12 yo), Red Lored Amazon (17 y.o.), Lilac Crowned Amazon (about 43 y.o.) and a Congo African Grey (11 y.o.)
Panama Amazon (1 Y.O.)
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Just out of curiosity, what would you do if you came home and there was an egg in her bundle of towels? :52:

She may not even become 'aggressive' then (heck, I doubt your Maggie has a mean bone in her big, red body). Would you still let her do it? What if there'd be 2 eggs 2 days later? :confused:

IMO it IS normal for them to do this instinctually. My Hunter did it many years ago. She laid an entire clutch. She never became aggressive, mean, or protective of them. But I never wanted to go through that again, so when she was done sitting, I completely re-arranged everything, and made sure to see the early signs of her efforts to build a nest. Haven't had that particular issue ever since (knock on wood). :)


I think it is. She's 17 years old and never laid an egg... The eggs wouldn't be fertile. Egg laying behaviors in female parrots are instinctive behaviors, aren't they?

My Red Lored Amazon is "courting" me again as well. I allow it to a point. She's got clingy bird syndrome at the moment. As do both my macs. It's a tad exhausting at the moment.

Tusk and Lila shred paper and build nests under Lila's cage, and then hang out in it. I sweep it up once a week. Eventually they take the hint. (Lila's funny, she goes after the broom when I'm sweeping. HEY! THAT'S MINE!)

Kiwi just plays with her toys all day... :D Two year old bird vs. Teenage plus year old bird.

Gotta love this time of year... :32:
 
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Birdman666

Birdman666

Well-known member
Sep 18, 2013
9,904
258
San Antonio, TX
Parrots
Presently have six Greenwing Macaw (17 yo), Red Fronted Macaw (12 yo), Red Lored Amazon (17 y.o.), Lilac Crowned Amazon (about 43 y.o.) and a Congo African Grey (11 y.o.)
Panama Amazon (1 Y.O.)
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She plays in my walk in closet all the time on her own. But now she's taken the old towels, and made herself "a spot."

She's not defending it. She's doesn't have an aggressive bone in her body, and thus far it's not a problem. (And in my opinion the "nesting" instinct is an instinctive behavior. It's something a bird is going to do. Tusk and Lila also build nests together. It's when the problem behaviors start, (i.e. territorial behaviors) that I shut that stuff down.

If I remove it, she'll probably just shred something else, and be right back at it.

Given that I'm gone during the day, and she's loose in the house.... ummm.... yeah. I don't want to have to cage her. And if she just waddles up the stairs and hangs out in my closet during the day... and that gets it out of her system...

So that's my take on this one.

I so would love to see her doing this. :)

Is she good during the day or do you come back home to mishaps?

There have been one or two mishaps, but with six large parrots loose in the house, that is to be expected. For the most part they've all been very good. (Primarily Tusk and Lila. They were my stinkers. They started chewing wood trim.)

They know what they are and are not allowed to chew.

My whole thing is provide them an outlet for it, so that they don't PICK an outlet you don't want them to pick.

Tusk and Lila's phone book nests, for example.

The old cleaning towels... MAGGIE had a ball just shredding those things. Kept he occupied in that closet for about six straight hours.
 

plumsmum2005

New member
Nov 18, 2015
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England, UK
Parrots
Lou, Ruby, and Sonu.
Fly free Plum, my gorgeous boy.
Yes you are right can't going round all the time, don't do this, don't do that - pick which ones?

They sound a happy flock, all credit to you.

Always love your pics, knock knock!
 

Kiwibird

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Jul 12, 2012
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1 BFA- Kiwi. Hatch circa 98', forever home with us Dec. 08'
Sounds cute. I think we need pics of Maggie and her nest:D
 

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