Macaw not stepping up. Unstable perches?

Jroyal14

New member
Sep 13, 2014
25
3
Michigan
Parrots
12 y/o male African Grey (Mickey)
Hi guys.. so Iā€™ve had my BG macaw for about 2 months now. He seems to have gotten quite comfortable. He comes out and sits on top of his cage. He gets excited when someone comes home, he eats when we eat. And itā€™s been so much fun letting him try new fruits and veggies that heā€™s never had before. He seems to like us enough but we canā€™t touch him and he wonā€™t step up still lol.
At first I thought he may be scared of hands, but he eagerly takes treats from us and doesnā€™t mind us moving things around his cage. But now I think I know what it is!!
So when I first got him cage setup, it came with a wooden perch and he immediately loved it. Although it was pretty small for his cage. So one day it fell while he was chilling outside of his cage. He didnā€™t get startled but he definitely took note of it and didnā€™t use the perch for like 2 weeks. Then just recently it fell while he was on it and he hasnā€™t even touched that perch since.
I also pair that with the fact that he is not a very good flier at all. The two times he tried to take off, it was more like a panicked flutter directly to the ground.
So I think he has a fear of falling?? Or maybe, a fear of unstable thingsā€¦. LIKE HANDS!!!.
So maybe j should change my approach a little. How can I get him to trust that I wonā€™t drop him??
Also should I start with petting and then maybe work up to stepping up/leaving the cage?
 

HeatherG

Well-known member
Apr 25, 2020
3,893
6,966
Hi guys.. so Iā€™ve had my BG macaw for about 2 months now. He seems to have gotten quite comfortable. He comes out and sits on top of his cage. He gets excited when someone comes home, he eats when we eat. And itā€™s been so much fun letting him try new fruits and veggies that heā€™s never had before. He seems to like us enough but we canā€™t touch him and he wonā€™t step up still lol.
At first I thought he may be scared of hands, but he eagerly takes treats from us and doesnā€™t mind us moving things around his cage. But now I think I know what it is!!
So when I first got him cage setup, it came with a wooden perch and he immediately loved it. Although it was pretty small for his cage. So one day it fell while he was chilling outside of his cage. He didnā€™t get startled but he definitely took note of it and didnā€™t use the perch for like 2 weeks. Then just recently it fell while he was on it and he hasnā€™t even touched that perch since.
I also pair that with the fact that he is not a very good flier at all. The two times he tried to take off, it was more like a panicked flutter directly to the ground.
So I think he has a fear of falling?? Or maybe, a fear of unstable thingsā€¦. LIKE HANDS!!!.
So maybe j should change my approach a little. How can I get him to trust that I wonā€™t drop him??
Also should I start with petting and then maybe work up to stepping up/leaving the cage?
Hi,
The shower perch fell once and my conure was afraid of it for a long time.

My last Quaker had trouble perching and I definitely got bit a few times until I realized she was afraid of falling. She could not grip much with one leg and a smooth arm or shoulder was not steady enough for her. Once I understood that she hardly ever bit.

I think some ā€œbitingā€ is just the bird grabbing on because heā€™s unsteady or upset because heā€™s slipped. My birds canā€™t hold onto my shoulder if Iā€™m wearing a tank top or sleeveless dress and I just donā€™t carry them like that any more (on shoulder) unless Iā€™m wearing at minimum a t shirt.
 

Most Reactions

Latest posts

Top