Building Trust with your Amazon

How to build trust and tame your amazon

Hey
I have a 3 year old female blue-front amazon who is semi-tame. I first bought her from a parrot retailer , i bought it parent reared but it was semi-tame so i thought would be worth the money. She has never learned the to step up, all i can do with her is stroke her and feed her through the bars of the cage also when shes out she lets me feed her out of hand. If i approach her with my hand or a perch outside the cage she backs off and wont step on either of them at all she seems to be afraid of touching my hand outside the cage as if she doesnt trust me. Can anyone give me some advice on hoe to make her trust my hand? Thanks

Time and patience, she will step up and come to you when she feel comfortable, the best thing you can do is to keep doing what you are already doing, and maybe just sit next to her and just talk to her so she starts to feel more comfortable with you.

Yeah, I agree with Kimba. Keep doing what you're doing. Give her a little treat whenever you're near her, keep petting her head and neck. She will eventually trust you outside of the cage. How longhave you had her??

Ive had her for about 4 years id say now.

Always have confidence when interacting with your parrot. Always speak softly and gently to them. Speak in a natural voice or like you're speaking with a baby. Laughter is good. Have a 'light' heart... birds will sense your vibes.

Have great patience. A great and lasting bond takes time and will only increase over time. Never yell at your bird and never ever raise a hand to it. Give it toys and give it space when it seems to want its time alone.

Keep a clean environment for it, and give it the opportunity to bathe. Some parrots like more and some like less frequent showers. Some like to get their bath in a sink (warm water only), and some owners mist their parrots. Mine would willingly come with me into the shower. Believe me, your parrot will appreciate being clean. You can pat (never rub) excess water off with a towel. You can partially... but not completely dry with a blow dryer. Birds react differently to blow dryers, and generally negatively, so don't overdo it.

Feed it great food, but remember Amazons have a propensity for becoming overweight so... not too much seeds (if seeds at all). Pellets are great, but boring and to some degree incomplete. Feed it everything you might eat within reason. Never chocolate, fried foods, junk foods, avaocado, no pits from fruits, no soybeans or soy of any kind for that matter. There are many books, and online resources that outline a parrots dietary needs. I only mention this as a well-nourished parrot will thrive, and behavior and training will be easier. Also, FWIW, I have to add that a parrot should get some meat from time to time. A small amount of cooked chicken, hamburger, sausage etc. is good for it and the parrot will usually readily accept this food and enjoy it. Don't believe anyone who says a parrot should never get meat. Water should only be served at room temperature, and I mean bottled water, not from the tap.

I posted in another thread about soybeans, and I'll mention it again. Never feed soybeans, as they will harm and eventually kill your parrot.

Again, there are plenty of online resources... your parrot should be able to step-up onto a handheld stick or perch. This is important. I know a bird that will readily step up onto its owners hands but not a stick. This bird also will not stand on a free-standing perch outside of its cage. When the bird is out of its cage the owner has to hold it or let it sit on the furniture. It's not a well-trained or well-socialized bird.

After it'll get onto a stick (or perch), it should be willing to step onto your hand. Don't force the issue but be persistant. If this type of handling is new to the bird, keep the training sessions short. No more then ten to fifteen minutes at a time. Over time, extend the time as the parrot will reveal its comfort level and attention span.

Very very important that I mention that you shouldn't violate the cage. In other words, the cage is ITS home and NOT yours. It's usually the parrots only bastion of security and if a parrot won't willingly get onto a stick or hand, from inside or outside of the cage... don't ever force the issue (unless it's an emergency). It's usually best to let the parrot come out of it's cage on its own and only then begin working with it.

I notice you initially posted a while ago, and have the bird now for four years. Perhaps this entire post of mine is common knowledge to you. If so... Great! If not, I hope it is in some way helpful.

Lastly, I'd say that the most important parts in building trust with a parrot is how you act. Specifically... always speak gently and softly, show them much love and take your time. They love to be petted... under the beak, cheeks, face... you'll know. Do it very gently with and against the 'grain' of the feather.

I'll also add... regarding that time of the year when the hormones come out... males can be difficult and even dangerous, but females are easy. You say you have a female. When she's feeling it or showing it... and provided that she permits you (at that time) intimate handling of her... Give her a massage, gently around the vent area and base of her tail feathers. It's okay. The bird will love it, even make some noises and it'll all be over in about five minutes or less. I mean this seriously and quite literally. Ignore any fools who'll tell you this is bad advice, and I hope it doesn't offend your own sensibilities. Hey!... Parrots are people too. Hope I've helped in some way.

Robert