New Macaw

Hello all,

Let me first start by saying that I currently own a CAG and Severe Macaw. I recently have saved a 6 month old Harlequin Macaw who has an underdeveloped left eye. I have her two days and she is acclimating well. She seemed to be on an all seed and monkey chow diet which I immediately switched her to pretty bird species specific pellets and fresh fruits and veggies. She eats like a champ, and even takes treats from my open hand but will not willingly let me pick her up or pet her. My CAG was worse then this but has come along over the course of 5 months and now craves my attention. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can get her to feel comfortable to step up or be pet?

Welcome to the forum. I'm pretty shocked a parrot would be put on monkey chow. Glad she has been put on more suitable food for a parrot and is a good eater! Always better to have a bird who will eat anything than one who is picky. Do you know if the bird was parent raised or hand raised? The reason I ask is that parent raised birds generally take longer and more effort to win the trust of than hand raised babies and require more patience on your part. What kind of trust building activities have you tried so far? What kind of things did you do to win over your CAG and severe macaw? More than likely, what you did with your other birds will work on the new one.

What motivates her? If she doesn't care for food or prefers attention, then use that. I don't know much about it, but you might look into the "model rival" method (especially if she is attention seeking).
You could also try target training and/or stick training.
My rescued cockatoo didn't step up onto me willingly for at least a month...probably longer. I will say that when I had to pick mine up (after she trusted me) that I started making a hoop around her when she was on top of her cage (security blanket). In order to move, she had to step on and at that point, I would eventually lift up. At first though, I just made the hoop and then let her step on for as long as she was comfortable.. Don't do this if you bird is really terrified, but I found that eventually, I had to push mine out of her comfort zone ever so gently.

By "hoop around her", I mean widely encircling her with my arms (like a hoop).

My severe macaw, ironically, was very easy. She craved attention and that never changed. I am pretty much doing what I did with CAG. I first tried to gain his trust by giving him seeds from my fingers then my open hand. I did force him at times to step up which now he comes up on my hand pretty much whenever I want. With my harlequin, I am concerned because the man I got her from would literally pull her out of the cage. He also would take her to kids parties and pulled her tail feather out for a child who was suffering from cancer so I am concerned she is afraid of men. I am sure she will come around.

n.ferraro1990 said:

My severe macaw, ironically, was very easy. She craved attention and that never changed. I am pretty much doing what I did with CAG. I first tried to gain his trust by giving him seeds from my fingers then my open hand. I did force him at times to step up which now he comes up on my hand pretty much whenever I want. With my harlequin, I am concerned because the man I got her from would literally pull her out of the cage. He also would take her to kids parties and pulled her tail feather out for a child who was suffering from cancer so I am concerned she is afraid of men. I am sure she will come around.

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Are you sure the bird is only 6 months old? Because frankly I think you were lied to regarding age if the information about her being used to entertain/abuse at parties is true. Large macaws don't even wean (i.e. start eating on their own) until 4-6 months old and that sounds like a lot to have happened to her in such a short amount of time. Do you have a photo of her? Young parrots have a certain 'look' to them they loose as they mature. I'm also guessing you might not be located in the US/UK/AU/EU, but if you are (or are lucky to live elsewhere and have one available) you really should take her to an avian specialized vet. Someone to look at the eye, get a general gauge of health and also may have a better idea of her age.

Luckily, the vast, vast majority of parrots (especially young ones) bounce back from traumatic experiences pretty quickly and do eventually build up trust in you. They are pretty resilient creatures. Also, it's a myth that a bird will always hate one gender. Yes, parrots do seem to show a gender preference, but that does not mean they cannot like members of the less liked gender. 2 days is no time at all for a new and likely abused bird to start warming up. Think on the timetable of weeks-months to learn to trust you more. Just keep at it, gently talking to her, offering her treats and being patient.

Dumb question: the monkey chow that was mentioned - are those the kibbles made for primates or the breakfast/cereal/treats for humans?
(I googled and got both of them- so now I am confused.)


How are you doing?
Macaw settling in allright?