How can I tell if an Amazon is tame...

[teresatanasi]

Amazon experts!!! I NEED your help!!! I posted an a message on a well known site where people purchase pets... I asked if anyone needed to rehome a parrot they no longer had time for... I got a response from a gentleman who said he adopted a DYH from a very bad rescue in the area and his other Amazons are attacking her... He wants to sell her( reasonable amount, obviously NOT profiting from her) He says her two front toes are missing( that isn't an issue for me) He says she will gentle in a few days( again, I have had several breeds of parrots and they need to get used to you I just want to make sure, this gal is a pet... He has had her a very short period of time, obviously. Can anyone offer me some clues or ideas? All suggestions are appreciated!!!! Many many thanks! I want to help this gal out!!! I have owned or baby sat for long periods( friend was at University in Europe) U-2s, Quakers, IRN, Blue and Gold, Rosellas and of course some smaller parrots,and even a VERY ornery Maximilian Pionus I have NO Amazon experience! Thank you all!:

 

[happy410]

Hi,
Hopefully Birdman will chime in soon. Maybe you can find some answers on the Amazon section on here.
I'm new to my DYH, but I love him dearly. We developed a bond very quickly and I probably trust him to much. I know they can be Dr. Jeckyl/ Mr.Hyde. I'm glad your considering a rescue. Hopefully some more experienced owners can help you soon.

 

[teresatanasi]

Thank you!!! Sounds like you so love your DYH

 

[Peppo]

I am not sure "tame" is the most important thing. When I rescued my guy, Paco looked like a maniac in his cage. His owners were afraid to get him out into my carrier, went to get gloves, towels, sticks.... But it was the gleam in his eye and the connection I felt that made me take him home. I had no amazon experience either and was attempting a mature male DYH! But I asked them to step back, held my breath, put a perch in his cage for him to step up and swooped him into my carrier. Was he tame? I have no clue but my heart was right, he has turned out to be the sweetest "tamest" bird I have ever had. We will celebrate one year together this month. Just get in the car and go meet her, your instincts will tell you if it is right. Good luck!

 

[teresatanasi]

This is awesome news!!!

 

[Amanda_Bennett]

Zilla is a female Orange Wing. I hadn't met her, didn't even know Orange Wings were a specie of Amazons. Knew NOTHING about Zons. Had never even considered getting a Zon, but I got a phone call about 16 months ago wanting to know if I wanted "him". A friend of mine had been given a "free" parrot and had decided after 8 days he didn't want it, so I could have it with cage, toys, etc... Of course I said yes and went about parrot proofing my home in preparation for "his" arrival the next day.

The minute the carrier was opened out she came flying through the living room/dining room and into the kitchen landing in a stick of butter I had softening on the counter for cookie baking later that day. She ran across the counter (leaving little birdie foot prints) jumped onto my finger and ran up my arm to my shoulder and proceeded to wipe the rest of the butter off her feet onto my shirt, thus creating my first "bird" shirt.

She has never bit me hard enough to hurt me. She would rather be on me than anywhere else in the world (unless there is pasta, pecans, or dried peppers somewhere else)

There is so much more to her story, but all in all I wouldn't change a thing, she has been the best decision I have made in a long, long time.

My advice is to follow your gut, your heart, and you will know if it's the right fit for you and her.

 

[Kiwibird]

"Tame" is subjective with amazons, often depending on whether or not they like you and if they're in a good mood that day. They may be totally fine with one person and seem very "tame" but if they don't like you they'll behave like a wild animal even though they know better. They can be very stubborn, ornery birds and are of high intelligence but also the best companion you could ever have (NOTHING compares to the love an amazon can show).

I *wish* mine had been so eager to love when we first adopted him as the commenters above zons, but it took several years to win him over since he was very distrusting of humans (especially disliked women). Though I had a similar feeling of just "knowing" he belonged with us as soon as I met him, despite the fact he very much wanted to kill me at the time. We have had Kiwi for 7 years and in that time he's blossomed into a wonderful bird- intelligent, inquisitive, friendly, always wants to be a part of EVERYTHING and generally very well behaved after being taught how to behave. He's also strongly bonded to me and my husband now. Overall, he was a real gem of a bird no one ever bothered to put any time and effort into. Would have been a shame for him and us had we passed him up because he wasn't "tame" right off the bat. I wouldn't get too caught up on the "tameness" factor as much as do you connect with the bird? Its hard to explain how, but if you do, you'll know And feeling a strong connection to a bird means you'll find the patience within yourself to work with them no matter if they love you at first sight or need you to earn their trust first.

 

[Birdman666]

Well, the best way to tell... how do I say this?

If an amazon IS NOT tame, you will know it immediately. It will become... ahem... PAINFULLY apparent within a few seconds of meeting him or her.

Yes, I know. More stupid puns...

There was a movie based on untamed amazons. "THERE WILL BE BLOOD."

It's a gift!

If he or she is tame, there probably won't be any blood, unless of course, you get him or her worked into a state playing... then, even though the bird it tame, there may still be blood.

 

[Mallory]

As someone who had little parrot experience but did a lot of research before adopting her amazon...

Definitely meet the bird before you make any decisions. Don't expect the bird to act in a certain way or look for an immediate bond. Do find out as much as possible about his/her history including previous owners, any socialization/breeding in the bird's past, diet, enrichment opportunities, behavioral quirks and issues, health issues; anything your friend might know. Even if you learn nothing about the parrot's past, however, that doesn't mean you will struggle - it can just be nice to have an idea of their experiences as a starting point. Also be honest with yourself about whether the volume, personality and potential bite of an amazon is right for you and for your household if you live with others.

Personally, I still use gloves with my amazon. That said, we have come a long way and I can almost always get her to step up and accept pets. She often plays with my hand and rarely bites me although she has not yet learned to control her play beaking and would ocassionally do some damage with no gloves on. The gloves were a personal decision as she had no fear of them and I would have been bleeding badly in the beginning without them as she can change her mood on a dime. They allow me to handle her safely even in the worst of moods whereas gloveless if she decided to run up my arm towards my face I could be in a dangerous position. I'm working to train bite inhibition but I do not want to take away her playfulness with hands as it is definitely helping us bond and one of our daily routines. Living with my amazon - who is an ex breeder yellow nape hen from a home that gave her pecans as a sole diet for years and deliberately exposed her to drugs - is a lot different than the cockatoos, macaws. conures and others I have met or read people's experiences with. She is not a bird I can fully trust whereas my GCC and starling are well behaved on shoulders and near faces. She also has a clear overload point where you NEED to set her down and let her calm down or you will be bitten from excitement. I get displacement bites from her. She's a wonderful bird, don't get me wrong, but I think a lot of people would struggle with her "bipolar" attitude. I know I am glad I have Eva too who is the complete opposite.

That said, my amazon is more on the extreme side in terms of behavior. Many amazons can be trusted on arms and shoulders and not all of them exhibit "amazon overload". And even for her, over time she is becoming more calm, more playful and much less aggressive as she settles into her routine and learns to trust us. Again, that's just my experience and probably on the more extreme end behaviorally. Just be honest about what you want in a parrot and you will be fine.

 

[Birdman666]

Frankly, if the other zons are attacking this bird, you probably won't be able to tell until you get him/her out of that situation.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Amy,my blue front,was only 16 weeks old when I got her...that was 28 yrs ago.
"We" knew instantly that "we" were meant for each other. She was in a cage with about a dozen other BF's,and as I walked around this huge cage,she just kept following me,not taking her eyes off me < I didn't even consider the thought that maybe she wanted to BITE me,lol >

I asked the "breeder" to bring her out to me. She immediately went from my hand,to my lap,and laid her head down,with her eyes closed,to have her little head scratched..and scratched...and scratched. She made coo'ing noises at me,climbed up my arm to my shoulder and laid her face to my cheek. It was love at first sight for both of us..and still is,coz even after 28 yrs,she still does the same thing.

Jim

 

[SharonC]

I'm certainly not an expert, but I have owned an Amazon for almost six years. Fred was "tame" when I adopted him, and he liked me on sight, so the situation was very different.
I had absolutely no "big bird" experience and was told by many that a Yellow Naped Amazon was not a good place to start. I ignored that advice and was never sorry.
You already know that any bird will need to learn to trust you before you have the relationship that you want. Depending on the bird, this may take awhile, especially with a bird that has not been treated well.
If you go get her, or maybe I should say, when you go get her, don't expect too much right away. Give her time, and be careful. Amazons can be unpredictable, and it usually hurts when they are!
Looking forward to pictures!