New Severe Macaw Owner

[olliesmomma]

Hi all,

My 9 month old Severe, Ollie does a few strange things.. I haven't owned a bird before so I wanted to check in and see if these things are normal. Ollie eats and drinks just fine, still trying to transition to pellets but eats oatmeal, fruits, veggies, nuts etc. I have noticed that only when I am around, Ollie squawks, bobs his head, and twitches his wings (only when he squawks). He does it about every 5 seconds. I wasn't sure what this means and what I can do to make sure he is happy. He will sit in my lap, on my shoulder, etc but still continues to do it even with all the attention in the world. Friends have told me he is silent when I'm not home.. He also isn't interested in his toys. His first few months he liked his toys and I've tried rotating them, getting all new toys etc and nothing interests him he just constantly wants to be with me.

Any tips?

Thanks!

 

[lene1949]

It sounds to me like he still wants to be handfed... When did you get him, and was he fully weaned?

Macaws are not really ideal as first parrots...

He needs to learn to play, and you can help him with that by playing with his toys, so he can see that these are to play with..

He also needs the opportunity to play by himself, so you have to ignore his cries for attention... Cage time, I think, is also important for our birds - teaches them to play with toys and forage for food.

Good luck and don't hesitate to ask questions here on the forum... I might be a grumpy old woman, but there are many nice people around...

 

[olliesmomma]

I was told he was fully weaned a week before I brought him home. This would make sense though considering if I ever put my finger or anything by his beak he does that strange motion they do when they receive their formula. He does eat but should I try to handfeed him and "re-wean" him? Thank you for all your help!