Ouch!!!

[WharfRat]

This was a first (and LAST I hope!)

So me and the wife are kicked back in the office on our PC's last night, wife had Lani (Hahn's) on her shoulder, all the other birds are up for the night. I was just relaxing and having a cold one (beer ) and as I leaned back for a sip in my chair, I hear wings a flapping. :30: Now I'm trying to unwind/relax so my eyes are closed as I'm taking my sip (keep in mind, I'm a Texan born and raised, I take really big sips :54 I feel the air from them lil wings on my face in no time, I froze and kept my eyes shut. Dang good thing too, next thing I feel is some mighty sharp claws gripping my nose AND eyelids! I let out a few "mild" expletives while the wife leaned over and got Lani ASAP. Only suffered a couple of very small punctures but it hurt being some tender areas.

Wife asks; "want me to put her up?"......I just gave her a look and she said "Ok"

Moral of story; Ya just never know what's in them lil brains and the ideas they might get in their head. (Be Prepared)

 

[cdog]

Haha, that's kind of funny(not for you, just the story), maybe she wanted some beer!
Sorry about the injuries but you just never know when those little devils will attack.lol

 

[Sarahtheumbrella]

Sorry about the injuries. Birds are so curious sometimes...
Hope you feel better!

If it makes you feel any better it was morning one day and I was sleeping, my bird was in her cage and me head rested on the sofa handle nearest to her cage. My bird is ususally NEVER quiet when I nap in the early morning, but she was today so I fell asleep. When I woke up 25% of my hair was in her hands as she happily chewed on it. Luckily my hair left the situtation perfectly unharmed. Tangled, but unharmed

 

[WharfRat]

Oh I KNOW that's what she was after, all the macaws love licking the condensation off bottles or cans you're drinking out of. IF it would've of been a GW I would have sat up immediately, I hear those big wings flapping I definitely pay attention!

 

[friedsoup]

It's not the size of the bird in the flight it's where they pick to land.

 

[WharfRat]

ummm Fried, I'll take the Hahn's on the face ANYDAY over one of those Green Wings!!!

 

[wolf0994]

But I thought green wings were gentle

Actually wanted to ask if you had even been really bit by one of your green wings?

 

[WharfRat]

No Wolf, but Miri has tested me recently with that beak & she knows it, it's pretty much a "show down" with her I think. Now let me preface by saying that I have definitely been torn up before, just not by mine. My breeder friend has some rescues that only she can handle and then she has some that NO ONE can handle....I got torn up pretty bad one day when a Scarlet tried to escape while I was there, I did win the battle but at a price. The bird didn't get away but my blood was covering the floor everywhere... I came home and my wife was freaking out. So I can honestly say I ain't scared of them and I'll do whatever it takes if the need arises.

Anyway, Miri has been little by little biting harder and harder, in return, I grab her beak and tell her no! She has been responding to this and has gotten much better about how hard she grabs me these days, I know she's just testing me kinda like she does Rea, down side is Rea ain't as nice as me.

 

[wolf0994]

Thanks! I know that macaw's are quite large, even in comparison to my grey. I have wondered how fearful I should be of his beak. He looks like he could do some serious damage if he wanted to. So far he's been fairly gentle to me. He has grasped ahold of me a couple times but never broken the skin. I was told that you cant/shouldnt really discipline a bird the way you would a dog for biting so I was curious how you handled it with a macaw.

Part of the reason I ask is I am trying to train him to be more handleable. He has not been held much over the last 16 years since he got all of his companionship from his cagemate DYH amazon. Now that he has been with us since April he has become much more tolerant. He will give kisses and will touch fingers with his beak but you cant touch him anywhere else. At least not while he is in his cage. I have been able to hold him twice now but both times he has gotten to the floor and he will readily step up off the floor on to my hand but not at all from his cage. I want to work with him from the cage but he kind of lunges at your hand if you try to put it close to his body/feet. Though I dont wish to become a bloody mess, I also dont want him thinking he can tell ME what to do either. Thanks for your info.

 

[WharfRat]

It will just take time & patience & perseverance on your end, but you also can't be afraid, they'll know it in a heartbeat. When I say I grab their beak, I don't mean forcefully but I do grab it firmly (it's a really big beak) and it ain't weak at all, they can support all their weight with it. And yes, I assure you, my GW's are MUCH bigger that a Grey LOL

 

[MacawGuy]

i have yet to get bitten really hard yet. but same with Roscoe he has bite down but not to make me bleed but it should cuz it hurt so bad. but he knows how rough to play n not to bite down so hard

 

[lene1949]

When Papi started flying, he would often land on my face or head... Ouch... that does hurt...

 

[antoinette]

I FEEL YOUR PAIN ........... just a few punctures

We have to watch our birds ... even when taking a sip of beer LoL