Returning my Fostered Macaw

[bueryion]

My fostered B&G has been really great, but now that i've had her 30 days and the honey moon period is over, she has really been a noise maker. She doesnt scream like she used to but constantly makes this croaking noise over and over, and if i dont holld her then she DOES scream. I love to hold her and pet her head, she is very affectionate- but i can't constantly have her on my shoulder. if i don't let her up there she yells, wont pet her she yells, leave her in my room on top of her cage she screams for me. I might return her the sanctuary i cant give her the level of care she demands. Im posting this to hear if anyone has advice for me b4 i give up i want to make this relationship work

 

[MyAussieFriends]

Some people just aren't bird people (or at least big bird people). If it isn't working out, I think sending her back may be the best option. Is this the first bird you've owned? Maybe you should try something a little smaller like a conure or cockatiel?

 

[bueryion]

It is the first... but the size doesn't matter- it's the noise and always needing to be by my side, which is good but imagine cooking, cleaning, working on computer, watching tv with her always. No other advice??

 

[Birdlove]

I have a tiel so no large bird experience but from what I've read on this it take time and patience. Someone recently posted hoe they got their amazon to stop screaming. Good article to read no matter what kind of bird you have.
Anyway, hope someone comes by soon with advice for you.

 

[roxynoodle]

She does need to learn to play independently, and that you aren't going to give in whenever she demands your presence. One of the worst things you can do is give in whenever she screams as you are teaching her that screaming means she gets what she wants.

It might help to try to get her on a schedule so she knows when to expect attention and when she needs to entertain herself.

 

[birdle]

unfortunately that's what you get when you have a bird. especially one that is bonded with people. I think the croaking sound you're hearing is natural and some macaws i've seen do that constantly. At least the ones I have seen. Maybe you should put playstands in every room so she can see you and be with you without being on you. I know how loud their voices are though so I definitely sympathize! But if you have a parrot you have to accept the noise and neediness as part of the package that goes along with the mushy cuddly goof stuff. She sounds like a sweet heart and if you do give her up I hope she goes to a great and understanding home.

 

[Katiepooh]

I had an African Grey many years ago that would scream until I got him to stop. Ended up putting him in "time out" in another room. If he started the screaming I would put him there and close the door. Just like putting a toddler in time out, they finally get the idea that that sort of behavior is not acceptable. Worth a try. Good Luck.

 

[Birdlove]

It is the first... but the size doesn't matter- it's the noise and always needing to be by my side, which is good but imagine cooking, cleaning, working on computer, watching tv with her always. No other advice??

Do you have a perch or playstand for her? Toys to keep her entertained? When my tiel starts tapping my screen I put on YouTube videos of birds singing and talking, when she loses interest she goes "foraging." I also spend a lot of time with her. I'm a stay at home mom so she's with me almost all day. We read books, we prepare snacks, clean up, play games, etc all day long. If she gets mean she gets put back in her cage. That means screaming in my ear, nipping or biting. When she cools down and "asks" to be taken out then I take her out. But it takes time to recognize these cues, I've had her for about 6 months. It may take longer to make it work better.

 

[Shastasmom]

Large macaws can be very loud, demanding and time consuming. Hubby and I have two - a Scarlet macaw female, Pebbles, and a Male military, Murphy. Plus a diva of a U2. That said, they are not overly loud and I've had friends over who didn't even know we had birds if that gives you an idea. They have extra large cages, plenty of toys for them to chew, great food, frequent showers, and time out on various hanging toys, stands., etc. They are NOT allowed on our shoulders though. They have been taught to play independently in their cages and we get them out when we want them out, not according to their whims.

She is screaming at you to get attention. It is very difficult to ignore the screams of a large macaw as you know. Sometimes this screaming is simply the need for "contact." Try softly calling back to her by saying something like "Hi Baby" or whatever you want. Just be sure it is the same thing each time. This lets her know that you do hear and acknowledge her.

Also, a bored macaw is an unhappy macaw. So now I would ask you what size cage she is in, does she have alot of toys she can destroy, what is her diet? What is your routine as far as work, out time etc?

 

[SandraK]

I'd start with the fact that 30 days is nothing though I do understand that a velcro noisemaker is not fun (I have a sun conure). That is my largest bird, so I'm in no position to give you any input. Provide toys, a stand, as much other entertainment as you possibly can that doesn't have to include you.

When I said I know how you feel, I do. Tikki our sun has decided to fly to Fred or I if we're around and trying to cook, make dinner, do anything with any other birds starts becoming impossible. We're teaching Tikki "go" and he's learning to fly to a window perch or another location. That said, Tikki came here in August 2012 and is just now really beginning to settle in so the 30 days with your macaw come to minimal adjustment time. I don't mean to slam you, either, their timetable is huge while we count minutes, hours, days, etc.

 

[Birdbabe]

30 days is no time at all...you've gotten great advice, give her a little more time.

 

[macawpower58]

First thing, I think you're expecting too much too soon. I've no idea how old she is, nor how many homes she's had before, but for her to have been with you only a month...you're still not seeing the bird she can be. The croaking noise IMO may be a cry of anxiousness. If she's liking you, her fears may become intense until she's trusting that she's safe with you, and not going to have her world ripped away.

Does the noise only bother you, or are you getting complaints from others? If it's only your sanity, then get some earplugs for now. Her screaming will lesson as time goes on, but it's not going to happen this week, nor this month, perhaps not for 6 months. How ever long it takes her to settle down and loose some of her insecurity. I'd imagine much of the noise is because she is insecure, afraid she'll loose you. Sadly she doesn't realize her crying and calling for you may make this happen.

Do you have a portable perch? If so, and she's out, take it with you from room to room. Allow her to accompany you, but not to be on you. Ignore the yells after an initial contact call back. I always answer when my birds call for me, but I don't keep answering if they call again and again. She'll learn that you'll answer her to let her know where you are, and that she's OK. Allowing her to be in the same room will help to alleviate some of her insecurities. Having ear plugs will help you get through the initial extinction of her yelling. The yelling she does has to go on until she realizes it's getting her nothing. Once that is learned she'll slowly stop. It will also help if you can give her something else to learn to do instead of scream. Can you sing? She doesn't care, so sing her a tune and hopefully she'll pick that up and exchange it for the yelling. Many birds love to sing and dance.

Please give her more time. A month is honestly not a fair shot for her. She can't change in that amount of small time. You also have to teach her that she doesn't need to yell for you. You need to show her other ways to handle her anxiety. Whether it's through singing, through some clicker training, or new games you can teach her to calm herself.

I hope you do decide to keep on trying. Many of us here have been through periods of behavior problems, and others will chime in with more advice.

 

[Cara]

I have 3 macaws, and even the Momma's boy has no interest in being on me at all times. There are lots of things to do other than just be on a person. We have swings and/or play gyms in every living area, and we switch out birds when we're home. There are things to chew and shred in and on top of their cages. They get a new foraging toy every day, and wood or cardboard toys to shred are switched in and out frequently. You've sort of created a monster by letting her be on you all the time and not teaching/allowing her to entertain herself. It's going to take some work to undo it. The best way would be to have play areas in your living area, so that she can see you. Hand her a toy - a dixie cup or coffee filter with a treat in it, a macaroni & cheese box with shredded paper and nuts, whatever. Let her shred and play while she can see you. As she learns how to occupy herself, you will have more luck giving her toys and actually leaving her sight. Ignore screaming and be sure to respond to any kind of acceptable noise.

 

[solo]

30 days is a tiny drop in the ocean that is her life so you can't really give up so soon but then maybe (no judgement of offense meant) you aren't meant to own parrots, they are noisey and needy and overall extreamly hard to keep as pets and its not for everyone ... is not for most people

 

[Cara]

30 days is a tiny drop in the ocean that is her life so you can't really give up so soon but then maybe (no judgement of offense meant) you aren't meant to own parrots, they are noisey and needy and overall extreamly hard to keep as pets and its not for everyone ... is not for most people

Thank you, Jess! I wanted to say something like this last night. Whatever I typed sounded sort of accusatory, which was not my intent. I think that f 30 days makes someone crazy, 30 years of a macaw without 'issues' (no such thing!) is truly going to push them over the brink! There are really very few people that have the level of crazy it takes to live with a large parrot. Mine are all pretty big - maybe the small guys are just as bad, but a large macaw takes up a lot of real estate in addition to all of the more universal things that come along with parrots.

 

[JAM]

@Holiday @Hankmacaw can assist as well.

 

[Holiday]

Audrey and Becky have offered some good thoughts, and I agree that she is still in a transitional phase. My blue and gold didn't start acting fully normal until she'd been with me for three months. Mine is not clingy and needy, and the only time she makes a croaking sound is when she's really hungry. How's your bird's diet? What kinds of toys and amusements does she have? Do you offer her foraging opportunities? Does she have a swing? IME, a great diet, a swing, and a lot of wooden chewables are keys to a happy transition phase.

 

[roxynoodle]

Sophie, my rescue CAG, is really just now starting to come into her own. I got her in the middle of November. She liked me right away, and we began bonding, but we are now really close in comparison to 5 months ago.

Parrots will try to run your life They are smart enough and manipulative enough to do a good job of it, too! I've read large macaws might be the masters of them all

I do think having a schedule helps. They seem to have built in clocks and they know exactly when it's time for me to return to them for attention and together flock time. And they are mostly quiet during the times of day they know I'm going to be doing other things like cleaning the house. Yes, sometimes the schedule isn't what is expected, but they are now bonded to me enough to deal with it when it isn't. Like today I will be gone several hours. They won't be happy about it and I will come home to a lot of noise and commotion, but they will be ok and settle down after half an hour or so.

 

[JLcribber]

My fostered B&G has been really great, but now that i've had her 30 days and the honey moon period is over, she has really been a noise maker. She doesnt scream like she used to but constantly makes this croaking noise over and over, and if i dont holld her then she DOES scream. I love to hold her and pet her head, she is very affectionate- but i can't constantly have her on my shoulder. if i don't let her up there she yells, wont pet her she yells, leave her in my room on top of her cage she screams for me. I might return her the sanctuary i cant give her the level of care she demands. Im posting this to hear if anyone has advice for me b4 i give up i want to make this relationship work

You may not want to hear this but you're actually feeding/contributing to the problem. You, from observation, do not have the patience to outlast this "basic" simple screaming problem and are reinforcing it and more than likely intermittently reinforcing it (because you're trying to ignore the problem but giving in at times) creating an even bigger problem, faster.

Fostering involves taking birds that almost always come with some baggage. If you're not prepared to handle that then you're not cut out for fostering. You say you can't give her that level of care (who can?) when in reality you're almost showing too much care and she is playing that for all it's worth. Your being an enabler instead of a rehabber.

Read these articles and become informed on the subject so you have better perspective of the problem and what "you" need to do to make things work.

Screaming 101

Sam Foster. Vocalizations 1

Sam Foster. Vocalizations 2

Sam Foster. Vocalizations 3

 

[lexalayne]

I'm envious of the progress you've made with her in all honesty. By 10 most bounced around birds I've seen take awhile to warm up. And remember you brought her home right around their natural breeding season triggered by more sunlight. My macaws are beginning to settle down but as soon as the daylight becomes longer they get reeved up. If you had adopted her in December she probably would have gone to sleep at 7:00 and if you can have her sleep in a dark room you may have more peace right now.

My work schedule is 6 months full speed ahead and 6 months closed. Mine have adjusted well and it has to be confusing to have me full time 1/2 the year and then see me rotating toys, feeding them, quick showers but mostly misting and strangers appearing to help out. Everything everyone else has said is excellent advice. I've tried to give mine the largest cages possible with plenty to do. One started honking whenever he could see the neighbor walking the dog, so I moved his cage away from the window. Another screams if he can't see out the window. It takes awhile to figure out what may set off your bird. You have a great start with her and if you change your mind I wouldn't expect to find another one so willing to attach to you.

One of my sons is super noise sensitive and while my birds drive him nuts he was able to deal with his babies' screaming, guess it depends on your level of commitment.

One of my macaws loves watching a cartoon movie "Spirit" and he'll calm down immediately. Others like music on or the tv going. They call out to make sure flock members are ok and you are her flock. and it even takes time to figure out which movie they like or what kind of music is best.