OMG I just adopted an Amazon...

[Doris48]

Im kinda scared, ive never had a larger bird.He is over 15yrs old and his name is Paco and he is an Orangewing Amazon.I live in a very rural town and every 20 miles or so is another rural town.Well I happened to be on the lookout for another Conure..So this ad on Craigslist jumped out at me because it was in a very close town.I called them up and it turns out the man was very ill over the last two years and could no longer spend time with his parrots.He's had the amazon for 15yrs but I didnt quite get if the bird was that old or they just had him that long..Anyway this is exactly how I got my conure, an elderly lady was very ill and didnt have time for her conure anymore.



Its used to pellets and fresh foods but its cage is too small, the same size as my little greencheeks.I have a friend that has a huge cage Im going to buy next week.I dont imagine Paco will be ready for a new cage any time soon since he has so much to get used to as it is.

 

[mnkeastman]

Did you go pick it up yet? Does it seem use to contact with people? Look forward to the pics and grats!

 

[MollyGreenCheeks]

Hope the transition goes smoothly for you and Paco. Recommend a trip to the avian vet asap just to make sure everything's good to go. Enjoy our new family member.

 

[suebee]

hello an welcome!!

can't wait to see pics

 

[MikeyTN]

Welcome to the forum. Did you bring him home already? Make sure to keep him in a different room for now so you can make sure he's healthy and all before introducing them.

 

[Rio Mom]

I was about to say what Mikey did, please make sure you quarantine the new baby for at least a month in a separate room.

 

[BillsBirds]

Good for you, & him! And thanks for helping this bird out.

 

[luvmytooo]

Oh how exciting for you !! Congratulations

 

[roxynoodle]

Well, I guess that answers your question about what your next bird was going to be! I've had my amazon only 3.5 months and he is a wonderful bird. I never thought I'd have one either. But, he cracks me up with his sounds and things he says, and his "batman" routine. And every time I give him something he likes to eat, or I sing for him his eyes get really big and he yells, "I LOVE you!" That makes it worth it right there

 

[suncon97]

Congrats!Its always exciting to see a bird go to a good home

 

[Doris48]

Yes he is home.I have him up high on a shelf, he is scared but curious..I wonder if how soon should I take him to the vet as its an hour one way drive and I dont know how stressful that would be right away.I was thinking in a couple weeks.He needs his nails clipped too.He isnt the healthiest looking, I mean his tail feathers and such are in bad shape because the cage is sooo small and no toys either.Just two perches.I have his cage covered except for half of one side.
I put a piece of mango and banana in his bowl.The woman said he was fed seed only for years and just recently they realized it wasnt right and started him eating more fresh stuff and pellets.
The man said he used to take him to the school and show him around to the kids and such.He also took him outside and mowed the lawn with him etc..So I think he was fairly well socialized.They also had a double yellow headed Amazon(i think thats right) and an Eclectus.They decided to rehome because he is now on dialysis and the other parrot had started plucking because they had been neglected, they both felt really bad about that.They had a home for the eclectus already with someone that had a female eclectus so Im sure he will be happy.



Roxy, yes I guess that decides it..I got a burny stomach when I was driving out there.I kept thinking what am I getting myself into, its such a big bird compared to a little conure.I do like being able to adopt though.

 

[mtdoramike]

This bird sounds neglected. A vet visit is needed ASAP to make sure there are no problems since he had a poor diet for years with seed only. Also, you need to get him in another larger cage as soon as possible and fill it with toys, preferrably foraging toys to amuse him and hope his overpreening stops. You might also want to give him a good bath whether it be with a spritz bottle or taking him in the bath with you.

You should also uncover his cage and let him get used to his surroundings as soon as possible. Have you tried to handle him yet? Did the previous owner demonstrate whether or not he was handlable? Also, was the a rehome with a fee or an adoption?

 

[roxynoodle]

Well, I've gone through some of the same with my amazon. He was in like a cockatiel cage. I already had a big cage here and put him in that one right away. I know you are getting a new cage soon so that is good. Mine also had no toys and it turned out new toys scare him. I have to start by laying it next to his cage for a day. Then I hang it outside the cage near the bottom. And each day I move it up a little. Finally I let it hang outside at the top for a couple of days, then I put it in. If I put it in straight away he will go to the bottom of his cage and cry like a little baby.

I also got him on pellets, and veggies and fruit. It took him a few days to try anything more than corn, but he loves them now.

As for the vet visit, I guess you could just get it over now while he is still getting used to everything or give him a little while to bond some with you first so at least he has someone there that he trusts. I gave mine a couple of weeks first. He did pretty well. Then he got sick last month and had to go back. He did pretty well with all the vet stuff, but on the way home we were in 60mph winds and it scared him badly. I have to admit it sounded like a tornado going around my truck, and then we saw 2 trucks get flipped off the interstate. He became very upset and then for the next 3 days he was nipping me and throwing pellets at me. We kind of had to start over on bonding again.

 

[Doris48]

I have a friend that has a this really nice parrot cage in her barn.I asked her about it once for my conure and she would have given it to me but it had 1 inch bar spacing and my greenie could get out of that.I know she still has it so Im going to get tomorrow.Its nice and big, like 5ft tall with the stand and wheels and 3ft wide. I will call the vet on monday.We have a local vet but she does cows/horses, dogs and cats.The only exotic is a good drive away, Ive never seen them before so hope they are good with birds.


MTdoramike, this wasnt the plucker, it was the other bird that had started plucking.The people who had them knew they had neglected them, but were going through a very traumatic illness too so thats why they had decided to rehome them.

 

[roxynoodle]

The vet visit may even help with bonding as he may look to you as his savior.

 

[Doris48]

Okay remember her cage is really dirty and very small.For some reason they made it even smaller by putting a layer of wire over the bottom right below the bowls.
But my greencheek didnt look a whole lot better when I got her.Very dirty cage, no tail at all and all her wing feathers gone and terrified of hands and now she is a whole different bird so Im hoping I will have as much success with Paco.

 

[roxynoodle]

He looks like he is relaxed right now, so that's good. And at least he is facing you. Pete mostly kept his back to me for 2 days before he decided to make friends.

 

[Doris48]

He doesnt seem overly scared.When I first got home and put fresh water in his cage he wanted to come out.I didnt think that was good idea, he doesnt know my dogs and such and I didnt know if I could get him back in if he paniced..He does shiver a bit when I go up(I have to stand on a chair) and talk to him though.
Ive read they pin their eyes if they are mad, is this true because he hasnt done that.

 

[luvmytooo]

Awwww,poor baby ! You really should take her in to the vets soon , it will be for her own good.

 

[roxynoodle]

Well, they pin when they are excited or interested. Amazons will display though with their head feathers up and their tail flared as well as the pinpointing eyes if they are overly stimulated or angry. That's when you usually have to worry a bite might be coming.

All parrots actually pinpoint. It's harder to see on my conure because she has brown eyes, but it's easy to see on Pete with his orange eyes, and on Merlin with her grey eyes. Some people think a parrot that pinpoints a lot will have better talking ability. I'm not sure if that's true, but it definitely shows they are interested in what you are saying at that moment.