How to get a rescue macaw to trust me?

[lolsavannahh]

Hey guys! I work at a bird rescue, and I usually work with smaller birds, but recently I have become attached to this blue and gold macaw in our large bird room... and I want to interact with him, but I don't know how.

I know he is somewhat sweet, because the other day we had to take him out of his cage to get him clipped, and although he threw a fit to be taken out, he stepped up fine after and didn't try to bite the person who was handing him at all, and even after his trimming, he was fine about being held. I have never worked with a non-tame bird before, and i know for sure he isn't tame. He could have just been super curious about being out of his cage and could have just not bit because he was busy looking around. ( he was actually being boarded, but after 9 months of no word from the owner we decided to put him up for adoption. He had not been out of this cage for over a year ).

I talk to him and give him treats and stuff all the time, I have known him for about a year, but I have never touched him or anything. How do I go about doing this since he is always in his cage? I would love to be able to pet and take him out of his cage some day but don't know the steps.. anyone have in-detail tips? The biggest part is just knowing he trusts me enough to reach in and try to pet him without losing a finger! He hasn't had human interaction in over a year, I know nothing about his past, or age or anything!

[Mare]

Hi! Welcome to our forum, Savannah :). I'm not a macaw person but am a bird lady. Connection is everything, if you feel it, flow with it. If you are sensitive enough to feel their..vibes, or whatever.. they will tell you when you can move forward. I keep thinking I will get banned for my views but.. so far so good :).

[spiritbird]

Can you adopt this bird? In a store environment it will be difficult to interact with the bird naturally. Is there a small room where you can take him so he is away from all the distractions? If you are serious about adoption you may want to let the manager know. I used to work in a pet store where this happened. The employee paid some every 2 weeks and there was a sold sign on the enclosure. Obviously the bird was not cared for to be abandoned by owners.

[kendrafitz]

Hi Savannah and welcome!

If he has been in the cage for a year nonstop, he may be cagebound. Which would explain the fit about being removed. Just a thought.

You are doing all the right things. Does he come to the cage bars when you chat with him? If he does you may try touching his beak (I always do that before going for the feathers. Don't know others opinion on it, but it seems to work.) If he responds well then maybe scrictch his head through the bars. If that goes well, maybe preen his head feathers for him. He would probably be super grateful. :) Just little steps, one at a time so you build trust.

[PlaxMacaws]

Greetings Savannah...

I agree with Kendra's suggestions. He's undoubtedly developed a dependence on his cage and feels relatively secure while inside of it. The gradual thru-the-bars approach is the safest and least stressful method to employ. When you begin touching his beak, you might first use the backs of your fingers while your hand is curled somewhat closed. Doing so will appear less threatening to him than would a forward, open-hand approach. And it will as well give him less of an opportunity to grab a finger should he decide to go for a bite.

If he allows the finger-to-beak contact then you can graduate to small caresses around the forward part of his head. If you can get to a point of doing that on a regular basis with him, then it may be time to think about some open-door scratch sessions. Time and patience are key elements. He may turn out to be a real sweetheart from the outset. You'll never know until you try :)

Best of luck!

[94lt1]

Hello and welcome...I agree with plax and Kendra...and having a rescue green wing..let me tell you....LOL..they're great birds, but macaws, unlike the smaller birds, can do a lot of damage when they nip. And that makes you need nerves of steel...because if you're unsure..you will continually get tested.

Some birds will take to anyone..some males only like women..some female birds only like men..but "ideally" all birds will acclimate to any number of people handling them...but that's not always true..

Knowing the bird for a year is a good start..and like plax says..be careful..but for the most part macaws are clowns...unless they've been severely abused like ours was...most birds will crave attention... Sometimes it's from people like you..who want to interact with the bird...then sometimes the bird decides its going to choose someone else to "bond " to..good luck..its an amazing experience to get a rescue to take to you. To form that trust..I'm sure you'll do fine..baby steps....:)

[lolsavannahh]

Thank you for all the help guys! I will try and pet his beak when I go in next, and see how that goes. Yesterday He was on his perch near the side of the cage and I put my arm out as if to ask him to step up, from the outside of the cage and he actually lifted his foot and put it towards me like he wanted to, so I thought it was a big step. I'm 98% sure he was never abused by a human, just left here because his owner couldn't take care of him. I will tell you all how it goes.
spiritbird lol macaws are more work than I think you think they are. I can't just up and adopt him just because I want to interract with him. Although I do like him and I understand what you're saying, I have no intentions adopting this bird because I would never give him the time he needs.

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

I think if I worked at a rescue I would want to take them all home. It breaks my heart to see them sitting there needing love and attention. Good for you for doing what you can and being realistic about what you cant do. I hope you and the macaw become friends soon. I expect he is longing for someone to scritch his neck feathers.

[lolsavannahh]

Yeah I want them all too :( and yeah I hope he will accept me and like it! He seems to enjoy my presence but that may just be because I bribe him with food XD

[kendrafitz]

Lol...they say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I find this to be true with macaws too. Especially pine nuts!! ;)

[Lady]

:th_hi: Savannah and :pp_welcome:,

Oh how much fun you must have working with so many birds! I bet you have tons of tales to tell. I sure hope you continue to show this Macaw that not all people will abandon h/her. How nice that h/she is reaching out to you for some companionship. You have been given some great information and I hope that things work out. Trust takes some time but maybe with your help this B&G will have a better life till his forever family finds h/her!

[lolsavannahh]

Thank you, and I hope so too! The only reason I haven't done any touching is because dang macaw bites can hurt, and I don't know their body language that well, so I don't know when to back off... But thanks again!!!

[kendrafitz]

I don't blame you, bites do hurt. ;)

I always watch the eyes to see how they are feeling. Pinning can mean a few things. Excitement, interest, anger... With my GW, pinning eyes with head feathers puffed & looking like a mohawk is a sign to back off. (Unlike a full head/neck puff which means happiness).

[Macaw Lover]

You already have half your battle won. Why? Because he lifted that little foot and wanted to step onto you.


Next step is to take that plunge and just reach your arm in and ask him to step up. You are sitting here reading this and going ahhhhhhhhhhhh, I don't think I can do that right now. Yes you can. Wear a sweat shirt. If you are still scared wrap your arm first in an Ace bandage if you have one in the house or at least take a towel and wrap your arm in that first, then put your sweatshirt on.


Most people won't have a pair of deer skin gloves, the really soft ones. Yes, they are thin but it will offer your skin enough protection so the skin doesn't break. You can still feel a bite but not to the same degree. A lot of people will start freaking out saying to never use gloves but I want you to feel protected and if you would get a bite, you won't freak out and not want to try again. Wearing gloves is no different than wearing a short sleeve shirt one day and the next a bird seeing you wear a long sleeve shirt.


Ok, if you don't have this type of glove, (you can find them at a farm & fleet type stores if you live more rural), just pull your fingers up into the sweat shirt like you would if you were outside and it was freezing cold.


Just before you are going to open the door, stop a moment and take a deep breath. In through the nose and out through your mouth so YOU will be relaxed and you calm your own heart rate down.


When you talk to him, have happiness, joy, excitement in your voice. Talk to him a bit and then offer your arm and ask him to step up. He was wanting to do it before and more than likely he will want to do it again. When he steps up, catch your breath and don't faint. Tell him what a good boy he is and just back up a couple of steps, turn and walk over to a chair, sit down and give him nut pieces that you have waiting there for him.


Praise, praise and more praise. He will love it. Let him sit on your lap. Have some small toys at the ready that you can play with him.


A few things you can do before you ask him to come out is just playing with him, getting his attention and getting him to WANT to be with you because you are FUNNNNN. How do you do this? Sing songs to him, act crazy, do little swaying type dances in front of him, play peek-a-boo. The more you act like a fool, the more he will want to be with you.


What if he isn't interested in you? Always remember Macaws don't like being ignored, they want to be included and be in the middle of the action and if you turn your back on him and start playing with a toy, that in itself will get his attention.


Another trick to put in your Bag of Skills is when a bird is on your shoulder and you can't get him off, before you start freaking out because the first thing you are thinking of is new piercings in your face, is to back yourself into a wall. A bird will tend to move when it is about to be squashed between you and that wall and before you know it, he is on your arm.

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Some excellent advice there Renee. Can I just add that some birds don't like towels because that is what the vet uses to hold them in whilst doing nasty things.
What is a "farm and fleet store"? We don't have them in England but perhaps we need them - like Coca-cola and Macdonalds. No, bad examples. :pinkgrin:

[Macaw Lover]

You wrap the towel around YOUR arm, then put the sweatshirt on. That gives you another layer of protection for you should a bird bite. With that extra layer on, chances are you won't feel a bite and then lose confidence in yourself and be weary of future bites.

You could just wrap a towel around your arm but then you have to use safety pins or something else so the towel stays in place if you are walking around or such. If you are just going to be sitting on a chair, and someone brings a bird to you, that method can work as a quick temporary thing to do.

If you have a towel wrapped around your arm, they are not going to easily recognize it as a 'towel' the evil thing in this world but rather just another item of cloth you have on your body as you are not coming at them with it, holding it in the air stretched out.

About the farm and fleet type store, you want to find a store or would you call them shops, that sell equipment for farm animals, that type of store. You want a pair that are thin and when you rub that glove against your face, it is really soft. Thick and bulky ones should not be used as that gives the bird more area to grab and rip off if given the chance so look for ones more form fitting to your hand including the top part around the wrist area. You will find them handy to use with birds that would come into the rescue that are scared and ready to defend themselves , this will give you a little protection and confidence at the same time.

[lolsavannahh]

Well just putting his foot up doesn't necessarily mean he wants to step up though. We have another macaw who will do this all day long but would rip your arm off if you so much as go near him... so although I think you gave great advice that I will use in the future, I don't think I want to try and handle him yet. I had my wrist broken by a macaw at this rescue once, and I don't want to go through that again.... XD

[Macaw Lover]

I can understand that but sometimes you just have to jump in with both feet hence the use of the padding for your arm and gloves on your hands.

Donovan had/has a history of biting. Second owner's half of thumb nail was bitten off. Never learned what happened to the other half LOL

One day when I was working I heard him give a scream and I ran into the room. The swing had become undone on one side and he was hanging on the other side poor guy and I knew I just had to take my chance and put my arm in there to rescue him from there. He stepped up nicely, was not mad or anything. Keep in mind, this guy, if he didn't like something, he would scream, turn his head to bite but at least never follow through. Don't get me wrong, he has bitten me out of the blue, the first time MAYBE he perceived a danger but another time for no clear reason, a guess might have been if his tail touched the railing while walking down the stairs.

If he was not looking to get away but stepped up for the person for the clipping and was fine after, he is not a bad bird and just needs more hands on handling. Poor baby, has to be wondering why nobody wants to cuddle and love on him. When I brought Donovan home I told him I was going to turn him into a Mush mellow and I did. He wants to snuggle up with you and get kisses and just be on you and that is what I focus on, not any bites that might happen, and this from a bird that had not been handled much in the 4 years before he came to live with me.

Macaws want to be part of the family, they desire the interaction and if you act silly for them, all the better.

Take a deep breath and go for it. This little guy has waited long enough.

[Cedardave]

I would suggest to watch very closely his body language.If he is already becoming familiar and used to you, then your well on your way to gaining his trust.The thing to be mindful of is the old bait and switch.These guys can indeed pack quite a punch when they go at you.At the same time they thrive on affection.Take it slow to gain his trust and watch how he reacts to you being around him.If there is an area of the rescue that you can have quiet time with him..sort of one on one time, he will see you as less of a threat and more of an interest.A quiet place with less distractions will also reduce the chance of him getting spooked and reacting defensively.

[lolsavannahh]

Update:

Skully was adopted out to a horrible person and will now come back to us in 2 weeks with horrible mental and health problems :(

This guy has gotten every other macaw we have right now, and has taken them for 2 weeks-1 month, won't give them the time of day or care they need, makes them stress out, and gets angry when these *RESCUE* macaws bite him with little to no knowledge of him.
He took Skully's cage-mate a few weeks ago but just brought him back and took Skully with him instead :(
I know he will come back and all but I am just so sad because I really wanted to work with him more. I actually cried today when I found out that Skully had been taken.

( The man has mental disabilities, which I don't think is an excuse to abuse these birds at all, but just putting it out there )

The bird he brought back to trade in now is in such horrible feather that he cannot put his feathers down. He basically looks like this just from 2 weeks with his bastard.

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I was with him 2 hours today and did not see him put the feathers down once, I'm assuming he cannot anymore :(


I hope to give you updates as they come, but I am just so distraught and upset I don't know what to say. Thanks for all the help you guys have given, and I hope I can use it in the future. Until then, hope your birds are all well

[Macaw Lover]

This rescue is not doing it's job if they take one back and give him another when clearly the guy doesn't have what it takes to owning any bird let alone a Macaw. Shame on this place!!!!

The one in the pic has the feathers raised because he is in attack mode as he has been stressed by the actions of that guy.

You need to make him feel comfortable again. Talk softly, no fast moves and always, always tell him in a calm soothing voice what you are about to do and ask him if it will be ok if you do such and such. Macaws can be very forgiving. It might not happen overnight but if you can show him your calmness and your love, chances are good he will respond to that and eventually forget the nasty guy.

Have you asked the person who runs the rescue why they allowed him to take yet ANOTHER bird when they have seen the results of the others he has brought back? I would be screaming at them to the high heavens if I saw that pattern. They have no business allowing another bird to leave with that person.

When Skully comes back, you have to be there for him. Give him a couple of hours to settle down and realize he is back in the place where nothing bad was happening to him.

After he settles down, with your arm wrapped like I described above, place a chair (slowly) with the back of the chair, in front and just a little away from the door, but up next to the cage. You want your back to be parallel with the cage, your elbow bent and presenting your forearm only in the cage door opening. I want you to sit in the chair with your back facing to him and just keep telling him sweet nothings to him. The goal is that he WANTS to come to the person he was comfortable with before, yet not be intimidated by you if you are looking at him.

Now, if he steps onto your arm, be ready to hold his weight and don't go dropping your arm as you don't want him to think he is losing his steady arm. When he steps onto your forearm, move your arm slowly to your lap and allow him to either step down onto you leg or bring your arm closer to your stomach and if he is receptive, slowly bring your opposite arm up to do some hands on touching and even cuddling if he is comfortable with it. Remember, don't think about him biting, YOU need to show him that he can find comfort in you.

Do some dry runs with what I wrote. I take it the guy did not take the cage Skully was in while he was there at the rescue. Get a chair and place it up against the cage and position it now without him in it so you know just where to place the chair and your body. Keep in mind you want your elbow bent (that will be an easier position to hold you arm for a while) and with your upper arm hanging down to the side of your body, you want only your forearm in the door opening so he has only that place to step up onto.

If a bird gets up onto your shoulder (always turn your face away from the bird to protect your face and use your opposite hand to protect your face if necessary) take the opposite hand, place it on top of your head and slide your hand down the side of your head to the shoulder all the while sort of urging/little pushes if necessary and get the bird to move back down the arm and finally onto the forearm.


These guys have great memories and you need to focus that he was liking you before. Be the person that he seeks out for comfort when he comes back. LET him choose you to be with and to seek that comfort in. Be there ready for him and don't let him down. If it doesn't happen the first day, repeat it until it does but my bet is it will be sooner and not later.

Now, go practice all these moves until YOU are totally comfortable with them. If there is a really sweet bird that is willing to work with you, use that little birdie a few times too.

[PlaxMacaws]

Hello Savannah... I am equally disturbed by your update. Specifically bothersome is the rescue facility's practice of allowing someone who is clearly not suited to provide a home for any of these macaws to take custody of them one at a time, impose a devastating environment upon each one through his abusive ignorance, and then return each of them only to exchange it for yet another bird! Is this rescue operation an actual companion bird rescue facility? How long has it existed? Is there some sort of fee or charge added additionally each time someone exchanges a bird? I'm just trying to understand the motivation behind the facility owner's policy of exchanging birds like this. I wholeheartedly agree with Renee' that the management of the facility is doing a terrible job. Not to mention imposing a horrible injustice upon these poor birds by allowing such a practice. With the wrong person and a harsh enough experience, a bird can be emotionally scarred for life within merely a matter of days. Macaws can be resilient (to a point) as Renee' mentioned. But they can also sustain permanent damage from such treatment which may negatively affect their ability to place trust in people for the remainder of their lives. The bird exchange practice you've described should simply not take place! Ideally, each potential caregiver should be researched (as much as possible) and any warning signs should preclude the person from being allowed to adopt any bird from the facility. Period. The exchange procedure that you have described is simply unthinkable!

I am honestly quite upset from what you've expressed herein, Savannah. Is there any possibility of approaching the management there and voicing your concern about the unnecessary stress and harm being forced upon these poor birds? Just what point of view do they hold that allows this terrible practice? That is one thing that I would very much like to learn!

If you would, please keep us posted about Skully and the situation there as a whole. Thanks for updating us.

[kendrafitz]

I am so sorry this is happening.

I agree with Renée and Tony. I was planning on getting to my computer to write a response to this and your other post. However my son started with a stomach bug this morning I haven't had a chance and probably won't today.

Just know I'm thinking of you, Skull and all the other poor birds.

[lolsavannahh]

Thanks for the kind words guys, and I thought i had brought this up in my post but I went back and apparently I didn't so here's the deal with the manager and the guy who gets the birds...

This place is NOT a "bird rescue" It is a pet store where we sell pet supplies and we do indeed get our smaller birds and other animals from breeders a lot, but ALL of our large birds ( amazon size and up ) are take ins and or surrenders from bad situations and we help them get back on their feet and try to adopt them out. With that in mind, this is not the owners doing, it is that of volunteers ( as myself ) or other workers to take care of these birds and to accept or reject surrenders into our care. We have 14 large birds right now, and have room for only one more ( Where Skully was and will be when he gets back ). The manager/owner knows very little about the care and overall wellbeing of these birds but I, and many others are teaching him slowly and he is getting much better about it.
The man who adopts all of these birds is, like I said, special needs, and I guess my boss feels bad for him. This guy LIKES the birds, and WANTS what's best for them , but he does not have the.... capacity... to understand how fragile they are. He is very good friends with the owner, and so I think that also has to do something with it. I wish I had control over it, and I am trying to speak with the owner to stop this, and explain how badly these birds are mentally after they come back from him, but he has a thick skull, and knows little about macaws.
Once the birds are with us, we give them wonderful care, and get each of them out ( If applicable ) , give them all fresh veggies, and mentally play with them to help them be happier and happier. My entire job as a volunteer there is to work with these macaws, and the owner at least knows that they need mental stimulation and someone, be it bird or human, whom they can trust. I am just starting to work here, it's only been about 2 months, and several of them I can get out and play with because of their standing trust for humans, but some of them, like Skully, I am a little unsure of.
The owner is now buying the birds all veggies every week ( Which he was not doing when I started to work ), and is understanding the mental need these birds have. Mind you- he does know basic care and all, of course, but it is up to some volunteers and workers to actually work with them.
I HATE HATE HATE that he keeps giving these birds away, but his motivation is money ( Sad, I know ). He doens't understand that these birds come back hurt and mentally unstable, but we are teaching him! He makes the guy pay for each bird he gets, so overall he has paid more than 10,000$ for them all, and the owner loves it.
I talked to the guy when he came and took the Green Wing before Skully, and told him about all the care and attention they need and he honestly seemed to understand. He was stressing hoe people don't give them the time of day, and how they need love and care for 5+ hours, and I thought " Thank god maybe he has learned a lesson and will treat this bird correctly!" but turns out he had forgotten it all and this birds is now back and worse than before. I feel so bad, and I am trying my hardest to get him to stop selling the birds to this guy, but I only have so much power.
All I can do right now is give them attention and love when they come back and hope that they will be back to normal and on a normal track. I am glad that you guys are sensible enough to understand how horrible this is that this guy keeps getting birds from us, and I know too that money is not the answer that makes this situation "right" but I am trying my hardest to make the best out of it. Thanks!

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

This is one of those occasions where you want to scream and shout but must keep calm and be diplomatic. Hopefully by talking to the other volunteers you can get them on your side to help you bring the boss up to speed with rehoming birds and prevent this other poor chap from getting himself into any more trouble. Perhaps he can be made to understand the problems he is causing and perhaps be persuaded that a small (not smaller) bird might be a better companion.

[Macaw Lover]

First off, this guy is not 'adopting' (another used word by people not in the correct context) he is BUYING these birds and then needing to discard them because they are acting like birds. Where is that icon that blows up, this one will have to do. :tmsmakesme:

Skully sounds like a good bird inside if he was being good after he had a trimming, was that wings or nails, who needs to just have someone work with him.

I see 2 possibilities. Since the owner of the store knows the guy, maybe you could find out where this guy lives and find out if you could do sort of a 'wellness' check to see how Skully is getting on. Then you could see how the guy interacts with Skully and be able to make suggestions on how to improve things. If you can do this, take lots and lots of bribery along with. I am a firm believer of bribery. I say anything that works to your advantage, use it.

This would be a huge leap of faith on your part but I believe you have enough love in your heart to jump in with both feet and not let the guy know that you have never really handled Skully before. You need to create the biggest bluff in front of this guy, actually both the owner and Skully, and act like you have handled Skully all the time. Wear a sweat shirt when you go there, for get the gloves as you don't want the guy seeing that, just pull your fingers up inside the sleeve, stick your forearm in the cage and ask him to step up. This is after you have given him some treats, your bribery. Pine nuts are the best but expensive and he might not recognize them as a treat if he has never been given any before.

I am banking that Skully will step up onto you. If he does, don't pee in your pants then, save that for later and act like he has done that all the time. If he doesn't step up, hide that fact and just ask Skully why he won't now. You need to put the biggest bluff out there in your life. You think Macaws are big bluffers? YOU need to top them all!

Your mission is to show this guy that Skully is a good boy, look how you can handle him, and let him believe that it is he that is the problem without telling him that yourself.

Offer to come back a few times if the guy is receptive so that you can help offer any suggestions to help Skully adjust. Tell the guy you have a special relationship with Skully.

My hope is that when he comes to realize that once again this is not the bird for him, that he gives you Skully rather than take him back to the pet shop. Maybe drop some hints that you could pay him a little.

Granted, this could all back fire and he is going to keep Skully come heck or high water so you need to realize that could happen.

The second scenario is you just wait for him to return Skully and deal with additional behavioral issues he will have.

Have a talk with your heart and see which way you want to handle this.

[PlaxMacaws]

It's most disturbing that many humans in our world are so driven by financial gains. All too often money is the priority. Many animal species have been, and continue to be enslaved, tormented, and even destroyed by man and his lustful greed. The thought of it all simply makes me sick! It's sorely unfortunate that most such situations are not easily resolvable. Man, being the creature he happens to be, often closes off to those he sees as threatening his prospers. That's why trying to protect abused animals that are generating funds for someone is often a volatile goal. As Jean-Pierre mentioned, perhaps some degree of diplomacy -along with some strategy- is the best course of action in your case, Savannah. But since I don't know the people involved or any more about the situation than you've been able to share with us, it's difficult to suggest the best plan forward. I only hope that Skully doesn't return as an emotionally devastated bird :(. I really think that Jean-Pierre's idea might be a good approach to consider. Can you perhaps get together with your co-workers and have a private meeting about this matter? If you are able to do that, might it then be possible to collectively approach the store owner on the subject and together voice your serious concerns about the negative effects this friend of his has had upon the returned birds? There's strength in numbers, and if you all agree with and support one another on this issue, you may be able to present a compelling argument to the store owner. Might you be able to arrange something like this?

While Renee's suggestion is interesting, I can see some potential problems with it. And in a situation like this one, I believe it's important to consider every possible factor rather than jump in and take a blind gamble. First of all, you may know nothing about this abusive individual beyond that he knows the store owner, and that he appears to have a mental deficit, and that there is circumstantial evidence he has been abusive to the birds he's purchased. It thus may or may not be safe for you to visit this person alone. Next, I would be concerned that since this person is a friend of the store owner, he will likely inform him of your visit. I would worry whether or not him doing so may create trouble for you with the owner... perhaps even resulting in the loss of your volunteer position at the store. It would be a terrible shame if you were purged from the volunteer staff. Your presence there may be the only hope for some of these poor birds, since you truly care about them and are attempting to somehow mitigate the cycle of abuse imposed by the mentally challenged individual. It should as well be realized that Skully may be terrified and distrustful of everyone while locked into the environment he's now living in, which could result in catastrophe if someone attempts to handle him there. And that's especially a concern if you're not even comfortable handing him when he's at the store. As such, if you opt to take Renee's suggestion, a simple courtesy visit may be all that's reasonably doable. And even then I would take someone with you - perhaps one of your co-workers.

[lolsavannahh]

I certainly hope that Skully comes back ( and he will ) completely remembering OUR past experiences, and leaving that scumbag in the past, and knowing I would never hurt him. I definately think a home visit would be out of the question for a young volunteer like myself, but for an older worker at this shop, it may be doable. I know lots of people in on the case as I am, and could get one to go out there maybe and make sure he is not physically abusing the bird, and more importantly check to see how Skully is mentally. He has been gone for 5 days now and I am sure he is not handling it well.

This guy already has another macaw and a cockatoo he says, and the only reason he has kept them is because he has raised them from the egg and they trust him ( for reasons unknown ) and he doesn't have to "work" With them anymore. He may have raised them at a time where he was mentally stabler, so I am not sure how they are doing. I do have a few pictures of the one he brought back so I could show how he looks. The poor bird is hardly responsive unless the cage door is opened, and before he left, he would try to get at you a bit through the cage and definitely wouldn't let you touch him, like he will now. He just sits there with his beak on the side of the cage, and only moves if you open the door, and that's if he really cares that much. I think he may be sick, not just abused.

I would LOVE LOVE LOVEEEE to take Skully home with me, but I cannot properly care for such a bird in all honesty. I go to school several days a week, and then I have 2 'jobs' ( One paying, and the other this volunteer situation ) already for the animals I have at home. My lovebird gets all of my attention, and a macaw just won't fit into the schedule. When I am more stable and possibly only working a job and graduated, I will most definately look into adopting an older macaw like Skully here and working with them. But for now, I can just help whenever I go to volunteer.

Here's the picture of the one he brought back. I have not named him, but he is just so beautiful when he isn't all messed up like this:

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As you can see his feathers are all fluffed up... This is like this all the time. I read online that this could also mean he has a brid cold. Do you think that is a possibility?

[PlaxMacaws]

As you can see his feathers are all fluffed up... This is like this all the time. I read online that this could also mean he has a brid cold. Do you think that is a possibility?There are a multitude of illnesses that can result in a bird keeping its feathers fluffed out like that. The best thing the owner of the pet store can do at this point is pay for an avian vet health assessment for that poor GW. The bird should probably at least have a CBC panel done as well as a fecal gram stain analysis... and any other tests that the vet deems necessary. In my opinion, that would be the very least that the store owner should feel obligated to do for this poor macaw after forcing it into an abusive situation for profit :'(

[lolsavannahh]

I agree. I will speak with him when I go in on Friday and tell you guys what he says! I hope it will be a yes, and honestly I am even willing to take him to the vet if he will cover the cost of these procedures, but we shall see.

[lolsavannahh]

ahhhhh Skully has returned I am so so so so so happyyyyyy <3 <3 I actually shed tears of joy when I saw him ahhhhh! So just like I had anticipated, the guy brought him back and I am just so happy to see him with us again. He is truly wonderful, and actually his feathering hasn't gotten that much worse, but I still want to be cautious.

We played 'high-five' and 'peek-a-boo' for like 10 minutes and I let him crawl on the outside of his cage and all, I didn't try to touch him because I know he is probably LESS trusting of humans now that he's gone to that guy, but still I am amazed and just so pleased he is back. I hope to continue to work with him a few times a week and try to get him trusting again!

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Skully^^^


In other good news, Rudy ( Whom I may have brought up here I'm not sure ) and I have really bonded. I let him out of his cage today ( He is our most cage aggressive and people-scared macaw we have so I have been working with him a lot ) and he really wasn't that bad! He wouldn't step up, but he took treats like a champ and even talked to me a lot. I didn't try and touch him because he has broken some peoples fingers before.. . but this is a big step for him! Nobody ever lets him out so to see him so happy on the top of his cage was a wonder haha.

( ALSO a local rescue near me is working with me and we are going to try to get Rudy out of the stupid store and into their hands so he can rehabilitate, get checked up on by a vet, and hopefully get tame again! We just need to raise about a grand, but I hope we can with everyone in the rescue and all. He is a very special bird and he deserves to live the rest of his life in a good nice big cage with veggies and play time every single day (: )

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Rudy^^^

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Rudy's depressingly small cage that we hope to get him out of ASAP ^^^

[kendrafitz]

Wow!!! Great news all around!

So happy to hear of Skully coming back. I hope his experience wasn't too scarring.

Rudy is beautiful. You are a wonderful person to try to help him the way you are.

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

As Kendra says, you are doing a great job and are a wonderful person. Please keep on updating us with how things are going. Did the chap who had Scully take another bird?

[lolsavannahh]

Unfortunately, yes, the man bought our young Scarlet Macaw in place. I hope he comes back friendly still because he is only 3 months or so, and we hope to keep him nice. Skully and I talked again today and really showed me he wanted to be picked up but since he's new back here and stuff I didn't want to take him from his cage so I let him be. This weekend though I hope to get him out and really start to bond with him!(:

[Macaw Lover]

If a bird is indicating to you that he wants hands on, that should be given so that he doesn't feel rejected yet again in life. You are letting opportunities slip by that need not be lost. Please stop doing that and follow through with what Skully or any other bird is trying so hard to tell you. LOVE me, CUDDLE me, please stop ignoring me.

[PlaxMacaws]

Savannah: It's a relief for me to learn that Skully has returned seemingly unharmed :). Conversely, it's disturbing about the young Scarlet who has been taken as the next victim :(. I absolutely cannot relate to the owner of the store placing the almighty dollar above the health and safety of the birds there. People should not be allowed to get away with that sort of thing :mad:

I'll be rooting for Rudy to get to the rescue facility as soon as possible!

[Lady]

I'm happy that Skully is back but I wonder if it is only a matter of time before the guy gets to take him once again. I don't know how you do it, volunteering there. I would be emotionally stressed out and don't think I could cope with what goes on there. I hope things work out for Rudy too.

[lolsavannahh]

Great news guys!!! I followed all of your advice and Skully stepped up today! He was only on my arm the first time for a few seconds before he ran off and got back on his cage again, but I asked again later and then I took him away from the cage so we could hang out alone and he did amazingly! I tried the towel trick, but unfortunately they towel the birds at this horrible place when they clip them, so they are very afraid of towels, so I had to do it with my bare arm. He wouldn't let me pet him without him almost trying to fly away, but still!! HE STEPPED UP!!!!


In other great news we have raised enough money to save rudy!! We have had two people give amazingly generous donations and have enough for him and a cage, so whenever we can get the cage in and set up is the day we get Rudy out of there and to a vet! He will be so much happier in this place! They give veggies, oatmeal, movie time, reading time, and encourage visitors and volunteers to play music and sing/dance with the birds! They also try and get every single bird out of the cage whenever possible, but it's hard with some of the macaws like Rudy here who are just so scared of humans, but we will do everything in our ability to get him to trust humans again! I am so so pleased that we will be able to have him safely within the month!!!(:

[PlaxMacaws]

Wow! What terrific news. Both about Skully and certainly about Rudy!!! Way to go, Savannah! :th_biggrin:. And thanks so much for keeping us updated.

[Macaw Lover]

I'm proud of you girl!

[lolsavannahh]

Thank you guys!!! Updates to come for sure!!

[lolsavannahh]

Update on RUDY:

Hey all, I know it's been a long while since I've updated Rudy's progress.. and to be honest not much has happened. We never could get the store owner to budge on his price.. and they asked far too much.. Now that the rescue is having issues, I am very sad to say that we will probably not get Rudy out of there for several more months at the least. He is changing though! When I walked in today, I said " Hi Birdies!" like I always do... and today, Rudy looked at me and said " Hi!" I nearly peed my pants when I heard that cute little quiet voice try to say his first word.. He has never even made a noise other than very rare grumbling.. and today he said an actual formed word.. I am so happy!

He no longer strikes at the cage when I get close to it, and today I risked the life of my hand by reaching into the water door to grab his bowl (which he was sitting right next to) and he didn't try to get my hand at all! He is just blossoming so so much from where he was.. His feathers seem to be growing in at least a little bit, and he just seems to be happier overall. I really want to try to get him to step up soon if I can..

I really do believe that he trusts me.. but from what I know, he has never stepped up on anyone ever. I got Skully too, which makes me very happy... and gives me the bravery to try again ( although Skully was never aggressive.. ). I will update you as things happen now, and hope you guys will be able to help whenever I have questions!(:

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Thanks for the update, I hope it all straightens itself out sooner rather than later.

[PlaxMacaws]

Thanks for the update, Savannah. I'm very glad to know that Rudy is showing positive signs :D. It's so unfortunate that he's locked into that environment for now, though :(

[Lady]

Oh Savannah,
How wonderful that he has learned to trust you. It is easy for us to understand how when you stated how happy you were when you hear him speak to you and not lunge when you reached to get his water bowl. I'm pretty sure all of us here at PP are so proud of you and what you have accomplished. Maybe something good will be in his future.

It was great to hear a positive update although he is still at the store.

[luckyandjenn]

Hi! Welcome to our forum, Savannah :). I'm not a macaw person but am a bird lady. Connection is everything, if you feel it, flow with it. If you are sensitive enough to feel their..vibes, or whatever.. they will tell you when you can move forward. I keep thinking I will get banned for my views but.. so far so good :).

You are so right having a mac myself i rely on his vibes his eyes and body language

[luckyandjenn]

Thanks for the updates i hope all is still going well with your birdy friends i hope they can find good homes soon they sound lovely

[lolsavannahh]

Thanks for the updates i hope all is still going well with your birdy friends i hope they can find good homes soon they sound lovely

Actually Skully and Rudy were both gone the last time I came in which I haven't been in a while.. I am so happy for both of them, but wary because I know the owner of the shop doesn't care who takes them, he just wants the money. I'd like to believe they are both in great homes and with great people!
I miss them all dearly, but there is a new B&G mac named Zoe, and he is really great too besides his weird mood-swings. I have had the pleasure of holding him once, but since then he has been a jerk! LOL typical macaw... (;

[luckyandjenn]

Actually Skully and Rudy were both gone the last time I came in which I haven't been in a while.. I am so happy for both of them, but wary because I know the owner of the shop doesn't care who takes them, he just wants the money. I'd like to believe they are both in great homes and with great people!
I miss them all dearly, but there is a new B&G mac named Zoe, and he is really great too besides his weird mood-swings. I have had the pleasure of holding him once, but since then he has been a jerk! LOL typical macaw... (;

Ha ha does sound like a typical mac they (at least mine would always be with me if he could not harness trained working on that lol). i just hope they didnt go to the man that keeps takjng and bringing them back ... to bad the owner can't see how awsome these birds are and want to help more so than to make money i hope the new b&g zoe get on well and gets some help form you sounds like you do a whole lot to look out for there welfare so thanks for that ...my guy lucky can be pretty moody lol i think it makes owning a mac fun you can guess but never know his true intention (at least i cant tell yet but ive only had him like 3 months)

[kendrafitz]

So happy to read they went to (fingers crossed) good homes!!

I'm sure you will have Zoe wrapped around your finger in no time. :) Gotta love the macaw lunge...They find it fun watching people get out of the way...quickly.