20ish year old male Amazon

[Birdman666]

Congrats on bringing Sammy home! I am so thrilled for both of you I would also try the mist bottle, and perhaps turn on the vacuum...my zons go crazy for a misting with it on. I found a recording of a vacuum on Youtube so I did not have to actually run my vacuum for that long..lol.

Funny, my lilac crowned is the only bird I've got that does the head for the water when the vacuum cleaner comes on. (Though I've heard other people talk about that.) I wonder what it is about vacuum cleaner noises that makes some birds just compulsively dive in their water dish...

 

[Dopey]

Sometimes mine do and sometimes they don't. I wish I could figure out what makes them do it. It's a lot easier to have them bathe themselves than the spray bottle.

 

[Birdman666]

Sometimes mine do and sometimes they don't. I wish I could figure out what makes them do it. It's a lot easier to have them bathe themselves than the spray bottle.

I use a hose with a mister setting when it's warm outside.

Other than that, mine take showers.

 

[Kiwibird]

Sometimes mine do and sometimes they don't. I wish I could figure out what makes them do it. It's a lot easier to have them bathe themselves than the spray bottle.

I use a hose with a mister setting when it's warm outside.

Other than that, mine take showers.

Kiwi also loves the hose mister in the summer, and you can't shower alone in this house without your invasive friend who wants to whistle at you until it's his turn:54: He will attempt to bathe himself in his dish too, but he's too big and gets the front of his head damp and soaks a 10' radius around his cage in the process

 

[Dopey]

I will have to wait now until next Spring/summer for the outside misting.

 

[Birdman666]

Yeah, that sounds familiar. Getting 4 out of 5 of mine in the water isn't the hard part. Getting them to come out requires turning the water off on them!

Try doing dishes with a waterbird in the house...

Dopey, have you tried the sink?

 

[Dopey]

Yeah, that sounds familiar. Getting 4 out of 5 of mine in the water isn't the hard part. Getting them to come out requires turning the water off on them!

Try doing dishes with a waterbird in the house...

Dopey, have you tried the sink?

No Mark I haven't tried the sink with my Zon's. Sounds like a Sunday project since I'm going to the Lancaster Bird Expo on Saturday and leaving too early to start that. Not something I want to try before going to work either. But that picture is funny.

 

[Birdman666]

Yeah.

You have to watch for birds when doing dishes around here... well, ONE bird in particular. RFM's can be quite full of themselves sometimes... it's part of their charm, and part irritation.

Mostly charm.

This is one of my favorite articles by Pamela Clark, and it has a good section on teaching a bird to take a shower:

http://www.parrotforums.com/general...te-pamela-clark-articles-he-doesn-t-like.html

 

[4dugnlee]

Congrats to you and Sammy!! I'm so happy you decided to bring him home! He doesn't look bad...looks like a bath will do him wonders! I don't think he looks underweight..at least in the pics. I would try, as others have said, misting. After his molt and baths he will look great!

 

[CFellows]

Wow! Thank you every one for all of the suport, and info. I will try misting him in the morning while Sunny is taking his bath and maybe that will help Sammy get the idea. I never ment to make it sound like I thought Sammy was not taken care of, or that Sammy was an unhealthy bird. I know the lady I got him from, never let Sammy go hungry. The weight and feather care are just too things I would like to improve on. I hand fed him a few bites of sweet potatoes and chicken for breakfast (are amazons suposed to have chicken? His old owner told me it was his favorite)

Sammy gave me the best surpise this morning. He said "ello" I answered the phone, said "hello" then I heard Sammy repeat it behind me. I texted the lady I got him from and asked why she did not tell me he could talk. She said she never heard him say anything before. Then I wondered if I had misheard Sammy. I wanted to hear it again so I said "hello" to him several times... He just stared at me. Then I found a video of an amazon saying "hello" and I played it for Sammy to hear. He said "ello" two more times! I was so happy! I know amazons are good talkers but I did not think Sammy would ever start talking after 20+ years, and definantly not after one day.

 

[Birdman666]

Yes.

Chicken, fish and scrambled eggs are all really good for them in moderation.

It's red meat you want to stay away from.

 

[CFellows]

Thanks Birdman! And I love your picture by the way :}

 

[Birdman666]

With respect to the talking:

This bird has been attention deprived from the sound of it. The more attention you give him, the more you will coax that sort of stuff out of him.

My zons seem to like whistling and noises more than talking. My 42 year old lilac crowned has talked exactly once in the more than half a decade that I have had her. Some just don't.

 

[Dopey]

My BFM hasn't said a word yet. He likes to make a sound that sounds like burping. (I hope he isn't mimicking me.) He also does what I call a "squeaking" noise. However, my WFA likes to say "hi" - "good night" - and "good morning" and LOVES to whistle - especially if you are whistling. He doesn't seem to enjoy my singing...just my whistling.

 

[CFellows]

What is Sammy doing? He has done this several times and I don't know what it means. He crouches down and his wings shake a bit. He does it most when my husband talks to him or when he watches videos of other amazons. Is this normal amazon behavor?

 

[Birdman666]

Kinda looks like he's Courting!

It's a generally a normal hormonal behavior. In younger birds it's begging. In older birds it's usually I want your attention... or in some cases, "I want your body, baby!"

And in other cases it could actually be I'm thinking about flying to you. I need to see int in context.

 

[Dopey]

What is Sammy doing? He has done this several times and I don't know what it means. He crouches down and his wings shake a bit. He does it most when my husband talks to him or when he watches videos of other amazons. Is this normal amazon behavor?

Is he rubbing his beak on the bars really fast?

 

[CFellows]

What is Sammy doing? He has done this several times and I don't know what it means. He crouches down and his wings shake a bit. He does it most when my husband talks to him or when he watches videos of other amazons. Is this normal amazon behavor?

Is he rubbing his beak on the bars really fast?

No, he just holds onto the bars with his mouth.

 

[Birdman666]

Or more to the point, is he just rubbing something else on the bars of his cage...

 

[Dopey]

Is he rubbing his beak on the bars really fast?

Or more to the point, is he just rubbing something else on the bars of his cage...

People used to see Papaya in "lover bird" mode on my shoulder... "My he sure is affectionate!" (If they only knew just how affectionate he was being at that particular moment... Yes. Parrots masterbate. It's just a fact of life.)[/QUOTE]
Mine just rubs his beak. I can never tell if he is glad to see me or if he is going to bite me.