Blue Fronted Amazon (Male)

DizzyBlue

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Copies from the chat box for new member @BernadetteReilly Copied it over for you

Hi All, so iv rehome a 28 year old blue fronted amazon! And he (don't even know if its a male but according to previous owner he is) and he is extremely aggressive. I don't think hes ever been let out of his cage before hes barely mobile. He sits and sleeps in one place most of the day. He barely comes out the cage unless I'm cooking he tends to want whats for dinner :D otherwise that's the most u hear from him. He doesn't whistle or chirp or make a peep. Iv done so much research on how to tame an amazon and to be able to do just the first approach is almost impossible. I really don't know what to do.... any suggestions? I really don't think hes been looked after and hasn't had a good life and been given any love. And I'm not used to having a bird i cant even touch let alone hear it even make a noise. My heart aches for him... I'm just dying to touch him and stroke him. He just doesn't know whats good for him
This is the first time iv rehomed a bird at this age, 28 years is a long time. Iv always had birds from baby, either just weaned or hand reared myself. I just feel so sorry for this bird and wanted to give him a chance. His cage smells of cigarette smoke, he has pinned feathers on his head and a missing nail/toe. He didn't even have food in his bowl or water, no paper at the base of his cage. U could see his cage had never been cleaned either
 
My response was as follows:-

Ammies are different to other birds and they are very different in personalities from each other. Male blue fronts are known as one of the three "hot zones" they can be very hot tempered in other words. Pin feathers are good. A good misting will clean up the feathers. Make an appointment for him to be health checked with full bloods taken as they are prone to liver issues. You've just got him so he isn't going to trust you. You need to type all the above in the training section to get help and he will more than likely need a diet readjustment to add more vitamin A and lots of fruit and veggies
 
Aww poor poor bird. Our late B/F Tommy came to us aged 12 and he passed away last year aged 37. He was in a small cage, never moved or did much was only fed sunflower parrot mix. We already lived with parrots so he had company of others, we bought him a new large cage, toys etc. which took him many years before he would touch some of them, we misted him gently with warm water from a spray don't soak him (always do this in the morning or early afternoon so he is dry by bedtime) Offered good food (all ours have Tidymix) fresh fruit & veg and weaned him off human food except for the odd 'treat' now & then. It took such a long time but he eventually trusted us, and chose me as his human. We used to leave his cage door open when we were home and eventually he found his way out and back in and I like to think his life improved. At night we threequarter covered his cage and in the morning only lifted the front up first for about 15-20 mins so he wasn't startled then took the cover off (same with all our parrots) .But @BernadetteReilly lots and lots of time and patience needed, yours may never want to be petted, many parots do not and it is their choice not ours. Tommy only accept a gentle head rub after many years, but he was satisfied with that and so were we, it was on his terms. Never shout at him or startle him, play quiet music when you can so he's something to listen to but don't expect too much. Do keep us up to date. any questions ask away we will all try and advise best we can and good for you for giving him a home, someone who wants to actually care for him.
 
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Awwwww so lovely that you have taken on this bird @BernadetteReilly. Completely agree with taking him to the vet for a check up. When you say he’s barely mobile, could he be suffering from arthritis? An avian vet can check for you. DizzyBlue and Diana have given excellent advice.

Behaviour wise just do all you can to keep his body language relaxed - that’s the way to gain his trust. That and food! Will he take any food from your hands yet? Also make each day the same routine so that he knows what to expect when.

You have all the time in the world to eventually teach him that stroking his head feathers might feel good. Lots of time to teach him how to step up either on a hand perch or your arm. But for those you need something to reinforce the behaviours you want to see more of, and food is definitely the way forward with a new bird. So just gradually work up to having him take food from you… start with something big first and through the cage bars to protect you both. Later you can gradually break the food down into smaller pieces.
 
Yes, good luck! Older birds can be a joy as at least they tend not to be so demanding as younger ones. It'll be great to watch his health and confidence improve over the months ahead. It may take time, but it'll be more than worth it!
 
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