Amazon Advice Needed

[MarieL]

I have an opportunity to adopt a blue front amazon, 11 months old. I currently have a 24 year old U2. I need advice trying to decide if the two can live in the same house, different cages in different rooms. Can I handle both of them and give them both the attention the need. What behavior can I expect from an amazon? (I read the Good, the bad the ugly thread.) Should I give her a home?

 

[aooratrix]

BFAs can be charming companions, especially as babies. The bird is young, so hormones are a ways off and typically worse in males. Typically! Have you met the bird? How do you feel about it? Does the idea thrill you? Why are they rehoming it? Are you prepared for jealousy from the U2 and trying to compensate? If he's been an only bird, he might have a hard time accepting a new bird. He won't be happy at first, probably, and will let you know.

Has the bird had a comprehensive vet check by an avian vet? Has it been an only bird at its original home, not exposed to other birds? You don't want to possibly endanger your Umbrella.

Only you truly know if you have the time and resources for another bird. What is your gut telling you?

 

[JLcribber]

You didn't say how long you've had the cockatoo and what the state of that relationship is but if you can handle that bird you can handle an amazon. The biggest factor here as mentioned by Matthew is how bonded is this cockatoo to you and does it consider you its mate? If so it's not going to want anything to do with that bird and if it catches you "flirting" with the enemy/intruder, them's fightin words in bird world.

Having said that both birds will benefit each from each others company whether they get along or not. Of course they can co exist in your home. It's all about how you set up the environment.

 

[MarieL]

Thanks for input. Yes I've met the BFA and she seems fairly calm. She is still a little scared of people but that's not too surprising. I loved the bird but I don't want to take her unless I know I can provide her with the home she deserves. She has had a clean very check recently, not sure how comprehensive it was. I'll ask. She is a rehome due to health issues of the owner. The current owner already had a BFA, got the second for her hubby but he had lost interest and she can't care for both of them. I've had the U2 for 3 years and he's my cuddle buddy. He's the best I could possibly ask for and I don't want to do anything to change that. Not sure he considers me his mate. He likes to flirt with most all women he meets. He likes my hubby and doesn't mind him being close to me. I can hold Sebastian and hubby can simultaneously pet him with no problem. How will I need to set up the environment?

 

[MarieL]

oops, just noticed I misspelled advice

 

[Clueless]

I love amazons but no clue on how to add a bird.

 

[melissasparrots]

I have amazons and cockatoos. They don't really get along, however the combination does work well for me. The amazons don't really want a lot of attention. They like to be petted when I walk by and sometimes spend a few minutes sitting with me. That leaves plenty of time with the cockatoos. A couple of my mature amazons will go after a cockatoo in a heartbeat if given a chance and they are super fast. I don't let them all out at once unless one of them is sitting on me and the other is on their cage or gym. Also know that there can be a significant difference in personality between male and female amazons at maturity. Which is also true of cockatoos. Personally, if your U2 is a male and the blue front is a male, that might prove to be way too much testosterone for many people to handle when they are all grown up. By that I mean, they will make you bleed. However, cockatoos and amazons are my two favorite types of parrots. I have mostly girl birds.

 

[jmfleish]

I also have Cockatoos and Amazons, all of my Amazons are female though. What Melissa said about Amazons being laid back and not expecting a whole lot out of you is mostly true! We have a rehomed BFA female who is in love with my significant other, Jon, and puts up with me. BFAs are one of the hot three and the males can get really feisty. Iris can be a brat to me sometimes as I am not her chosen person. She likes to headbutt me if I'm in range of her and she'll pull on my pigtail if she can get to it when I'm feeding the birds and I'm not paying attention. She will step up for me though and is, in general, a pretty good bird and very funny. She's also in love with my YHA, Amarillo, so she definitely isn't going anywhere!

I have Galahs and a totally plucked D2 who wouldn't dream of going after anyone because he couldn't defend himself. The Galahs pretty much don't care about the Amazons for the most part. My youngest female might try to start something with Iris every now and then, but they're both fully flighted and evenly matched, so it never lasts long and I don't worry about it. Iris is more apt to go after other birds to be honest with you...she can be a little pit bull. I also have greys and she's gone after them and takes great pride in just bullying my TAG who is a bully himself. I can't let the two of them out together. Even caging Iris and letting Tuchis out isn't a solution unless I put Iris in another room or take Tuchis to a different room because Tuchis will bully Iris from outside the cage.

Every bird is an individual though and you never know what you will get. I think you've got a better chance with a female BFA and how you raise her will make a difference too. I also think knowing her personality right away will give you some indication up front. When I got Tuchis as a baby, he was feisty even then! I don't know what Iris was like as a baby, so I have no insight there. I do love her even though she can be a brat though! And like John said, just having a second bird around can be helpful because they do like the company even if they don't get along. Hope any of this helps!

 

[MarieL]

Thanks for the responses. The BFA is supposed to be female but I don't think she had been DNA tested. Is there any other way to tell. She seemed fairly docile when I meet her, mostly scared. She did nip at me one time, but she let me rub her beak too. She didn't latch on to my finger, just kind of a back off, you're getting too close I think. I think once she got used to me she would be ok. How long does it normally take to tame an amazon? When I got Sebastian he was already a sweetheart and once he got to know me he's even more sweet. I can put my finger on his beak without worrying about being bitten.
He won my confidence shortly after I got him. He was on my shoulder and I was petting his head. I accidently hit a pin feather and he screamed. I braced myself for the upcoming removal of my ear, but he didn't do anything but scream. I felt so bad I had hurt him but he didn't try to retaliate. I figured if he didn't bite under those circumstances, that he probably wouldn't and he hasn't. He did bite a couple of times before then when I first got him, but both times he thought he was falling and grabbed on to my shirt and went a little too deep. Once was the day l got him and the second time was about a week later. I had probably had him about a month when the shoulder/pin feather incident happened.

 

[MarieL]

The first time I meet Sebastian he stepped up on my arm, walked across my chest, laid his head on my shoulder and said "I love you". There was no way I could leave him behind.

 

[Clueless]

The first time I meet Sebastian he stepped up on my arm, walked across my chest, laid his head on my shoulder and said "I love you". There was no way I could leave him behind.

Awwwwwww

 

[BirdyGirl]

I had my amazon for several years before bringing home my cockatoo, so opposite your situation. None of my three birds get along with each other (I also have a Meyer's) but that's okay, as long as I don't leave them out of their cages unsupervised. My cockatoo is by far, the neediest (surprise, surprise ) but they all have their own cages and we manage to make it work. If your gut is telling you to do it, go for it!
Just make sure the amazon has a full vet work up, along with disease testing, prior to bringing her home, if you decide to adopt her. You don't want to possibly introduce any diseases to your cockatoo. Good luck with your decision!

 

[WallyLoopey]

I have a dyh Amazon who is pretty needy and clingy. Now he will go play on his own, but when he wants his mommy time there's no stopping him from flying to me. Some days he's clingier than others. I don't have a cockatoo at the moment, but amazons can get along with other species-I have an African grey as well and they both tolerate each other. However they're both about the same size

 

[MarieL]

And here she is......

 

[jmfleish]

She's adorable! Congratulations!

 

[MarieL]

She's adorable! Congratulations!

Thank you, now I just need to give her a name. Her name is Paquita but I think I'm going to rename her. I've had several suggestions. So far, Clarinda (bright and beautiful in Portuguese), Bella (beautiful), and Beleza (beauty) are my favorites.

 

[iamwhoiam]

She's very beautiful. Congrats. Make sure you quarantine her from the cockatoo for at least 30-45 days.

I have a 30 year old male BFA, Casey. I had him for about a year before I got my Goffin's. The Goffin's, Keno, likes him, but she can be a pest. When they are out they are supervised. My Bare-eyed, Cody, isn't interested in either of them and vice versa. She joined the flock about 5 years after I got Casey. My YNA, Shannon, knew Casey since they were both a few months old but she lived with a friend. They never got along and when she joined us they still didn't get along. She is not trustworthy with my other birds.

 

[MarieL]

Yep they are quaranteened right now. Hope they get along ok, but I don't plan to leave them out of their cages unsupervised. Ha I can't leave Sebastian the U2 out of his cage unsupervised anyway. He will eat my furniture if I do.