yellow-crowned amazon

[dalbright94541]

I just aquired a yellow-crowned amazon yesterday. Someone had dumped him in a small ferret traveling kennel caked with dirt and left it in the parking lot or my work (petsmart). I decided to take him home. I have him in a 2.5' x 2.5' x 5' cage currently and i would like any tips to help me take care of him. He is somewhat friendly but obviously stressed and I have handled him. He also speaks some words. I have have some experiences with birds and other animals as i work as an assistant manager for a petstore but we have never carried anything bigger than a sun conure and have owned a cockatiel before. Thanks fin advanced for any help.

 

[TexDot33]

Well, my first bit of advice for you is to have this poor fellow check out by a certified avian vet to make sure that he is healthy, Do you have any idea how long he was there in the parking lot? Hopefully he isn't dehydrated or malnourished. You really should seek vet care YESTERDAY (if not sooner)! Maybe the vet could also give you an idea on the age of this birdie. Your vet can also recommend proper nutritional care for your bird as well.

Secondly. The cage you have your new friend in sounds like it might be a touch tight for him, Amazons are known for being playing-aholics with their toys so they need lots of room for this. This cage isn't a bad size and will work, but I think something a little bigger would be better. Hopefully you have lots of toys for your new friend to play with.

What a great commitment you have taken on, and what a wonderful individual you are for doing this! Please, ask all the questions you can think of! I have a lot more advice, but I think that these two pieces are your immediate courses of action. Hang around, I can give you a lot more!

Welcome to the Forum!

Tex :50:

 

[dalbright94541]

just got back from the vet and it appears Harvey is in relatively good health! ^_^ the vet did say after looking at his throat that he has a bit of a vitamin A defiency so i will have to give him some vitamin supplements. It turns out that he may be more around the age of 15- 20 instead of 3 as my initial guess. Also I am going to change his diet to full pellet. When i had my cockatiel i had him on ZuPreem all natural pellets and i really liked the product so i plan on putting Harvey on the same diet. He goes back in a month for another check up.

I will also buy him a new change when i can, it will be 3' x 3' x 4' which i hope is big enough for him.

I was wondering what kind of toys i should get for him, I have a basic rope and wood toy and would like to give him a few more. Also is the ZuPreem diet i plan on putting him on good or is there another that is recommended?

 

[birdcrazy]

i love zupreem but please consider fruit blend or avian entrees - I don't like it when every bite tastes the same personally I think they ought to be able to go through and select the ones they like and all plus the colors make them more attractive. Congrats on the new fid!

 

[ashley]

Wow, my heart goes out to you and your new Fid, that is a truely terrible story. As an animal lover and fellow petstore worker I just don't comprehend the number of people that are willing to just give up a pet and not really care about its well being anymore. But I would give you a hug if I could for giving this wonderful creature a chance!!

Since Tex gave you the first great advice, I will just recommend the Parrot Enrichment Activity book that is free online. It's all about creating a fun, enriching environment for your bird (which toys are great, making toys and play gyms, how to be interactive with your bird). Let me know if you find it helpful or need more ideas! We've got lots!!

http://members.shaw.ca/mavimet/files/PEAB.pdf
Welcome!!!

 

[TexDot33]

Glad to hear that Harvey is doing well. Ok, I will give you a few more pieces of advice now:

Diet: Along with the Zupreem pellets, I would also suggest leafy greens and fresh veggies (just like bird crazy suggested) these being added to Harvey's diet will really help with that pesky vitamin A issue.

Cage size and toys: Any birdie safe toy that can be: shredded, chewed, torn apart, beaten, thrown, climbed on or otherwise mauled is a great toy for an Amazon ... and I assure you, that if you have NEVER witnessed an 'zon play with his or her toys you are in for a real treat. A 3X3X4 cage doesn't seem like a large increase over the size that you have now, but I assure you it will be a great improvement for Harvey.

Behavior: This is the big one - I am going to be very truthful with you right now, YCA can be very dangerous birds when mating season rolls around. You need to establish yourself as the flock leader NOW (as in YESTERDAY) because you have NO IDEA how Harvey is going to react come breeding season. You have no history or track record with him so you need to start now by setting clear boundaries on what behavior is OK and what is not acceptable. You are still in the "honeymoon" phase of your relationship with Harvey everything is going well for you two right now. But be firm, if he steps out of line on the floor or into the cage he goes. Trust me, you will be very thankful that you have boundaries established when his hormones kick in.

So, you haven't mentioned if Harvey is a talker ... Amazons rival African Greys in their vocal behaviors ... Does Harvey speak, if so, can you repeat the words in a "family friendly" forum? Looking forward to hearing more about Harvey and maybe even seeing some pictures!

~ :50:

 

[dalbright94541]

alright, just bought Harvey his new pellet diet, some vitamin supplements, and some new toys. He behaved very nicely when I took him into the store. Here is a link for a little picture of him

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i263/XBStAlKeRXB/untitled.jpg

He is a talker, right now he says "Hi", "hello", "what the", does a really good phone ring imatation, the infamous cat call whistle, and a bunch of ramblings that i cant quite make out, heh.

Question on behavior, sometimes he is really reluctant to step-up and be handled, I'm assuming the best way to help him be more social is to handle him. Any other tips for that? Also I would like him to be more friendlier to strangers, what would be the best way to go about that because right now whenever he sees someone else besides me he gets really shy and looks like he is going to bite but never actually does.

 

[ashley]

Awww he is so cute! Thanks for sharing a picture. Sounds like the behavioral issues are minimal so far, which is great for both of you. Try bringing over a friend that is willing to help out and get them to sit with you near Harvey and take turns saying nice things to him. He doesn't necessarily have to be handled by them yet, but let him get used to the idea that it's okay to trust other people as well as you. Once you see that he doesn't care that the new person is near him anymore, get them to try and offer a treat to him. I think it will be the slow and gradual approach to strangers that will work best with him. Watch out for his eyes pinning (or the pupils getting smaller) because that means he feels threatened and might bite.

Good luck to both of you!!

 

[TexDot33]

Question on behavior, sometimes he is really reluctant to step-up and be handled, I'm assuming the best way to help him be more social is to handle him. Any other tips for that? Also I would like him to be more friendlier to strangers, what would be the best way to go about that because right now whenever he sees someone else besides me he gets really shy and looks like he is going to bite but never actually does.

Ok, "YES" is the short answer here, but there is a whole lot more to this ... it's great to see that you want to integrate Harvey into your family so quickly but I really think that you need to give him some space for a while.

You don't know what kind of home he came from - was he handled everyday, was he left in a cage ... maybe he is just a type of bird that shies away from human handling ... was he ABUSED? This is a very precarious situation you are in, one wrong move and you could lose your very young, fragile bond with Harvey.

Handle Harvey on his terms for now get used to each other, let him get used to his new surroundings, let him learn to trust you, and you him. Amazons don't necessarily need CONSTANT handling, and just like humans, some prefer to be left alone more than others.

I would suggest small amounts of handling time, for the next few weeks. 10 to 15 minute intervals every hour or so. Then as you start to build up trust with him, extend those outings. A great way to interact with Harvey (and to do some training with him) is ladder drills, step-ups, step-ups, step-ups and reward with as much praise as you possibly can, and a treat isn't going to hurt - my boys like ALMONDS but find something that Harvey goes crazy over, then he can associate time with you as good time and something that he wants to do. This should help.

Yes, exposure to more people will help to socialize Harvey better, but let's not run out and introduce him to everyone you know tomorrow. Again, here, small steps work best. Let him get used to his new home and his new human, he's already been through a traumatic time, lets not make it worse by mixing in even more people.

You said that you got his new diet today, please make sure that you are closely monitoring what he is eating, and that he is eating. Sometimes parrots will not take to an instant change in their diets. Please, offer a mixture of food items that are parrot safe for him to try ... the most important thing here is to make sure that he is eating and drinking regularly.

I am going to sneak a peek at this little guy now, and I am even going to copy your link into my post that way it's an active link....

Everyone here's Harvey:
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i263/XBStAlKeRXB/untitled.jpg

He's a cutie, but I think that you might have a Yellow NAPED Amazon there, Yellow Crown Amazons usually have red/orange on their shoulders and Harvey looks like he is all green in that area. Not that it matters at all he's still a great looking bird!

 

[NicoleN]

I agree that he looks more like a Yellow Nape than a Yellow Crowned Amazon. If it is in fact a Yellow Nape, then Tex was also right about mating season. YNA's are one of the "Hot 3" if they are males, basically meaning they get pretty aggressive and territorial. Did you have Harvey sexed, or is it just a guess that he's a male?

The Zupreem pellets are great, that's what I feed my birds. I know it says on the package that Zupreem is a complete diet and you don't need supplements, but since Amazons are especially likely to be Vitamin A deficient (and in his case, Harvey already is) then I would suggest some foods high in Vitamin A. Feed him dark leafy greens, broccoli, mango, papaya, and sweet potatoes just to name a few.

I think the cage you have him in right now is a good size, especially if you let him out of it a lot. As far as the toys go, Amazons normally love to chew on wood. Sisqo loves those ones that are really similar to tongue depressors, you can get them at a craft store like Michael's or Jo-Ann Fabrics. Plus they're kind of like foot toys too. Experiment with Harvey and see what toys he seems to enjoy and go from there. There's a huge variety out there!

Also, I don't know when you will be comfortable enough with Harvey to try it, but Amazons love showers. I usually use a spray bottle and squirt them when they're on top of their cage. Sisqo only wants a shower every other week, but I could squirt GiGi all day and he'd be in heaven. Wait though until you think Harvey is comfortable enough.

The most important thing to remember is to move at Harvey's pace and don't do anything he might be uncomfortable with.

One of the good things about an Amazon being the first parrot you've had is that their body language is really easy to read (it mentioned the eyes pinning & tail fanning in a previous post), so you'll be able to tell if you're going to get bit, or when you may be crossing the line with your new fid.

Congratulations on the new addition, and it sounds like you're doing a great job so far. If you have any more questions, this is a great place to come to.

 

[FJV993]

That amazon is adorable. I have an orange-winged and I want to say thats a good deed on what your doing. Some idiot dumping a parrot is heartbreaking but now it has a good home. :03:

 

[rockinseattle]

I don't think what you have is a Yellow crowned Amazon (Amazona orchroephala) because they have a touch of red on their shoulders. I think you might have a Yellow Naped Amazon ( Amazona auropalliata) which is a subspecies of the yellow crowned Amazon.

Websites
http://www.birdsnways.com/articles/amazonyn.htm
http://www.hoglezoo.org/animals/view.php?id=14
http://www.acguanacaste.ac.cr/loras_acg/yellownapes.html
http://www.holisticbirds.com/
http://hometown.aol.com/teddog63/
http://www.parrotparrot.com/birdhealth/
Diet
pellets, some fruits (NO AVOCADO), (apples with NO SEEDS), some seeds (pumpkin, safflower,etc.), some nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios etc) , fresh veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, collared greens, squash, sweet potatoes, chili peppers, etc)
Article on parrot diets
http://www.holisticbirds.com/pages/phytonutrition0202.htm
http://www.birdsafe.com/food.htm
Bird Safety Information
http://www.birdsafe.com/
http://www.birdsafe.com/household.htm
http://www.plannedparrothood.com/plants.html
Avian Veterinarians
http://www.birdsnways.com/birds/vets.htm
http://www.landofvos.com/Avian_Vets.html
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww20eii.htm

I can tell you that A lot of Amazons like to be in the mix of things but not necessarily the hands on type. Now thats not to say they won't let you pick them up and scratch their heads it's just that they are a litlle more independent than other birds. Which is not a bad thing.

I would try to get this bird stick trained - meaning- try to get a long perch and see if you can get your new zon to step up onto it, without being pushy or abusive with the stick. If you can get your zon stick trained it will be a blessing and maybe a hand saver later down the road during hormonal fits.

Also I forgot to mention showers. Parrots need showers and/or mistings. Some like it more than others but they still nedd them any way.

Sleep is another thing that is usually overlooked. Parrots need about 12 hours of uniterupted sleep. Meaning a quiet place without light, talking and TV's turned on.

I wish you luck with your new family member. Thank you for taking in a helpless bird whose owner was a coward and inhumane for just dumping him off like that.

Good Luck:}

 

[TerriGoodman]

Will you plan on keeping him?

Don't know where you are but I am so trying to find a reasonable mate for my male Amazon, but you will probably love the bird as I love mine...Terri

 

[TerriGoodman]

Do you plan on keeping the bird , you were so lucky! I am trying to find a reasonable
mate for my male Amazon, I am in KY but you will probably keep this one??? I so love mine!!!! Terri

 

[henpecked]

Hey Terri, I have lots of single amazons , but why do you want another? What species is your male?

 

[sunnysmommy]

I just aquired an abused Amazom that was kept in a freezing basement. I'm in the same boat you're in. I bought him some really good parrot food but I'm mixing it with the junkier food that he's used to for now in case the sudden change will have him NOT eating. He really needs to get nutrition into himself at this point. I've made some cornbread and mixed in plenty of crushed pellets, chopped fruits and veggies and he LOVES it! Really scarfs it up so it's a good way for me to get nutrition into him. I can't seem to interest him in the fresh fruits and veggies, he probably doesn't even know what the heck they are as he was abused, and he's about 30 yrs old. Thats a looooong time to go without seeing fruits and veggies, but I'm gonna keep offering them to him. I found that he really LOVES pasta so I offer him a little of that a couple times a week. Those are a few tips I can offer that I've found since I got this guy Dec 21. (Hes a yellow naped amazon) Hope that helped you some! Harvey is cute-I named mine Murphy...but the other day he corrected me when I said hi...he said "Hi Bam-Bam", which I was told was his previous name! Lol...-Dawn