New White Fronted Amazon Owner

[Anansi]

Ouch. No pressure, then. We'll be happy to see pics or video whenever you can manage it.

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Mr Biggles just came all the way out of his cage perched on his stick and grabbed his treat and turned tail to fly back inside his cage...thats a major step for Mr Biggles...hes quite a courageous little boy...as soon as I can I will get him used of going into a little travel cage so that we can travel places if need be with me but thst wont be for a while yet...he does need his nails and beak manicured so that will be our first excursion in his transport cage. He is so very different to PeterPan my quaker whos a snuggle buddy but hes interested in everything I do and chatters away to me in his Adorable gibberish that sounds like an old mans mutterings I didnt try a video today as I was watching him so he wouldnt get stressed on his perch but I will try and get a video of him on the perch tomorrow...hes not crazy about seeing the camera in my hand but I will see if I can prop it somewhere as I get him onto his perch and get him on video

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Okay folks sorry for as long as this took and as short as the video is but it shows Mr Biggles being bribed to come out of his cage and then as soon as he has his treat he returns like sheet lightening...it took ages and tons of patience and a zillion failures just to get this far....Im so proud of My Mr Biggles he has come through so much and yet with a little coaxing and a treat he is willing to try new things. He is very wary of the camera so thats something I will have to work on too...sorry in advance for the bad camera work and the shortness of the video.
[ame="https://youtu.be/BZ6QcJZoHPQ"]15 March 2016 - YouTube[/ame]

 

[JerseyWendy]

Please don't apologize! The video is terrific! Put an enormous smile on my face!

Thank you for sharing!!! GREAT progress.

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Mr Biggles eating the treat he won for being so brave

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Well today Mr Biggles has been very vocal indeed all morning and has enchanted me with all the different bird songs he has. He has some birds from the garden in his repetoiire now. I really love listening to him and in the middle of all the bird songs he mimics is the jungle shriek of the Amazon its like having a chimp in the house and is super to hear as I sit sipping my coffee, indeed if I close my eyes and just listen to the sounds I could be on safaree in a jungle somewhere exotic hee hee ... then he goes into his muttering which is like a muffled talking without him saying any real words, its like gibberish, and then for his grand finale he barks like the dog.
He has come another step today along the path to being tame; I got him out the door of his cage and right up to the top of his cage still perched on the branch perch I held in my hand before he started to panic and wanted to go back inside his cage again...he is such a gentle boy and has never once bitten me. He hasnt yet felt comfortable enough with my hand to come perch on it without the branch perch but once on the perch he will put maybe one foot on my hand as its holding the perch if he feels by doing so he will get quicker access back to his cage...hee hee I make sure my hand is in his way very often LoL

 

[JerseyWendy]

Another sweet update!

You had me giggling at all the sounds Mr. Biggles is making...and the following came to my mind immediately:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8milJNj_W0"]The Lion sleeps tonight - YouTube[/ame]

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

It may be my poor internet connection but I cant see the video it says its not available...however I can imagine from the two girraffes in front it must be a lovely jungle one ...thank you all the same...I shall try clicking into it again to see if it opens for me when perhaps my signal is a tad better ...is it from the Lion King...I love it

 

[plumsmum2005]

Mr Biggles eating the treat he won for being so brave

Mr Biggles is a lovely bird and you sound so happy with him.

In an effort to be helpful I am enclosing a link which is species related for your information. It's always good to learn, right?

White Fronted Amazon Parrots as Pets - Species Profile

In this it says they are big chewers and noted you mentioned a beak trim? Birds should usually be keeping their own beaks down and the way they do that is with things to chew and sometimes a stone block to rub it on. If you can give him more toys to chew that would help and keep him active and happy. We have lots of posts on here if you are at all gifted regards making things, we have members who have made some wonderful toys.

Keep up the good work with Mr Biggles and we look forward to loads more pics

 

[Anansi]

Just seeing the video and most recent update! Nice! That's HUGE progress!!! I'm so happy for you both!

I know he appreciates the baby steps that you've been taking with him, and though it's not a swift process, I bet the bond you eventually form with him will be a deep one.

Keep these updates coming!

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Mr Biggles eating the treat he won for being so brave

Mr Biggles is a lovely bird and you sound so happy with him.

In an effort to be helpful I am enclosing a link which is species related for your information. It's always good to learn, right?

White Fronted Amazon Parrots as Pets - Species Profile

In this it says they are big chewers and noted you mentioned a beak trim? Birds should usually be keeping their own beaks down and the way they do that is with things to chew and sometimes a stone block to rub it on. If you can give him more toys to chew that would help and keep him active and happy. We have lots of posts on here if you are at all gifted regards making things, we have members who have made some wonderful toys.

Keep up the good work with Mr Biggles and we look forward to loads more pics

Thank you for the link I will check it out ...sadly Mr Biggles is not a big chewer I dont think he got many toys to chew before he came to me...he does play a little with the toys in his cage but its more like he pushes them about rather than do the parrot type chewing he should be doing ...he has a stone but he doesnt bother with it much and he also has a cement perch which he often perches on but just doesnt use his beak on it much...his toe nails are really long too and need a trim so Im hoping it wont be long before I can take him for both a beak trim and a toenail trim.... his toe nails have worn a bit from being on the cement perch but they are still too long...mr Biggles sadly was a pretty neglected boy...he has come through a lot ....Im not inclined to add new toys into Mr Biggles cage for the moment...I tried a couple of new toys but he was very frightened of them so I removed them for the moment as he is just getting used of me yet and getting used of his new home too...all that takes a little while and in time hopefully he will start to play more vigorously with toys and start to chew them too.
Thank you for the link I will need all the help I can get

 

[Mamaof3]

He absolutely stunning!!! I've never seen one of those before, I can look at him all day!

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

He absolutely stunning!!! I've never seen one of those before, I can look at him all day!

Mr Biggles says Thank you
Actually he is tge first WFA I have ever seen too and he is such a gentle boy too

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Mr Biggles still not happy outside his cage and only waits out for short spells of a minute or so but I know eventually he will come out himself and be happy to play outside his cage and go for a little fly about and stretch his wings ...its great to see him gaining courage and grow in confidence with each passing day...I was putting my hand in his way when he was hurrying to return to his cage and then yesterday he began to do this and totally surprised me

[ame="https://youtu.be/CeDjIvaq38o"]Mr Biggles perching on my hand - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Anansi]

Nice! He still seems nervous, but his trust in you has obviously progressed.

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Nice! He still seems nervous, but his trust in you has obviously progressed.

Yes he is still very nervous and probably will for a long time to come ...its going to take a long long time for him to get to the stage where he is comfortable and relaxed but little by little I am hoping we will get there. Hes an amazing little guy and its so lovely to feel him starting to trust though all be it that trust is still very very fragile Every tiny step is a major victory

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Its one of those days when Mr Biggles does not want to come out of his cage at all...we have had one or two of days like these along the way...every now and again I get told in Amazon fashion to buzz off Im busy but I can never understand what he is busy at, he turns his back to me and flaps his wings low to tell me to go away so I obey. Usually at some point through the day he will become sociable again and step up and come out for his treat and then quickly return...well he waits long enough for me to talk to him now and eat a couple of treats while sitting on top of his cage but as soon as the treats stop coming he is looking to step up so I carry him back inside his cage again Today however he doesnt want treats and is virtually hanging up the "do not disturb" sign in true Amazon like fashion ...thats me told hee hee

 

[Anansi]

Do you ever just open up his cage and step back? You know, giving him the space to try coming out on his own?

Just a thought here, but maybe if he comes to understand that he can safely come out on his own, he'll become more confident about leaving his cage.

I'm not saying you shouldn't do what you're doing. I think the trust building between the two of you is great. Just that you could throw in an independence exercise like that here and there as well. And perhaps work in another attempt at target training within the cage?

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Do you ever just open up his cage and step back? You know, giving him the space to try coming out on his own?

Just a thought here, but maybe if he comes to understand that he can safely come out on his own, he'll become more confident about leaving his cage.

I'm not saying you shouldn't do what you're doing. I think the trust building between the two of you is great. Just that you could throw in an independence exercise like that here and there as well. And perhaps work in another attempt at target training within the cage?

His cage is open for hours every day but he wont come out at all on his own...it took ages to get him to come outbperched on the stick and at first I couldnt even get him to stay on the perch as far as the door now he will stay on the perch all the way out and up to the outside of the top of his cage where he expects treats...if no treats come he then climbs back inside his cage after a few minutes even if I put treats hanging there for him. He ignores them and looks for the same treats but offered from my hand. He is supposed to be an aviary bird but by his reaction to the inside of his cage (and hes not aggressive at all ...its just a safe place to him) I dont think this bird has been outside a cage door for years...his flight isnt great either...he falls down after a few flaps but he is improving in wing strength and drvelloping the wing muscles. I manage to get him to try flying a foot or two each day now and he is getting better at it. We do it a few times so he can exercise those wings a bit. If you have any ideas on how I might tempt him to come out by himself I would really appreciate the help.

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Forgot to add to the above post I get him to fly a little by carrying him on his perch to another spot away from his cage and he will attempt to fly back to either the perch in my hand or in the past couple of days to my hand about a foot and a half to two feet in length (the perch or my hand is his way back into the cage...once he gets to the perch or my hand he is then in a hurry to get bavk inside his cage again) I tried a longer flight but he fluttered to the ground on it so we keep them short for now until his wings get stronger