Buffon's Macaw

[Hankmacaw]

She looks so very much like my Hank, although not so bulky. She's a beauty and a beautiful specimen of a Greenwinged Macaw.

 

[BrianB]

They are reasoning and very intelligent.

the owners son put her in the carrier for me. I didn’t want to be associated with the action so I could be the one to come to her rescue when we got home. She hasn’t been in one in probably a decade so she wasn’t happy about it. Once we got in the car she calmed down and did fine until we got home and unloaded.

 

[aooratrix]

She sounds like a good girl. You’re in the club with Sarah and I: we both have “dozens” of macaws. Lol

 

[BrianB]

This was the highlight of my day yesterday. She spent an hour or so just sitting there preening herself and watching TV.

 

[Hankmacaw]

That is Jasper's favorite place to hang too. She doesn't want me hugging and mauling her - she just wants to be connected to me.

 

[BrianB]

The new cage finally arrived. It's easily double what she was in before. She was very curious while we were putting it together and excited when I rolled it over next to her. She crawled in and started exploring while I moved her things into it. Once everything was in she got weird about it and wanted to go back in the old one. I had to put it outside and out of her sight so she would stay off of it. It only took a day and she was comfortable with it. No one likes change, not even big birds. I've tried to give her as much time out as I can. It's difficult because I won't leave her out unsupervised while the buffons is out. They are very curious about each other and a few times she has jumped to the top of his cage while he's out. She got too close and he got loud about it. I think they will be ok at some point, but nice and slow is the plan.

I'm starting to see some feathers filling in under her wings. She's been bare there since her previous owner passed away. The regrowth is encouraging. Between the two of them and the rest of the flock, it's never a dull moment.

 

[BrianB]

Here are our boy and girl with their cages together. At the moment they are getting alternating time out of the cage. We've had a few repair people in the house to address a leak that damaged some of the drywall in the ceiling. They have each taken it upon themselves to inform us of the stranger danger. Both of the cages were open and I turned my back for just a few seconds to talk to someone. Before I knew it she was on top of his cage screaming in his face. I yelled for her to go back to her cage and she jumped right back to her own cage and went inside. Another instance while I was at work, but the same sort of thing happened. There was no physical contact between them, just a lot of noise, and when told to go back to her cage she did without any issue. It's all baby steps. The last picture is her hanging out with me. When she's on me like this she will let me scratch her head and work on her pin feathers. She used to sit with her previous owner at night so I'm trying to bring those familiar routines back for her.

 

[BrianB]

This is a new one. I gave her a boop and she gave me one back.

Boop!

 

[Hankmacaw]

She is a real treasure!

 

[Shezbug]

Oh my! That Boop is the best!!

 

[BrianB]

The two of them are a riot. I let the buffons out of his cage and he sits on top and looks around the room. I go to her cage and he goes back inside of his. I gave her a chunk of cardboard and she had a great time tearing it to pieces. I give him one and he screams like he's terrified and wants nothing to do with it. I put it in his cage and he throws it to the bottom. I give him a grape and he takes his time chewing it to bits. She gets one and makes a happy MMMMM! then puts it in her food dish for later. When she does eat it she chomps it and it goes all over the place. I can leave him out unsupervised for the entire day. He will go in and out of his cage as he pleases and eats or drinks when he wants. I can't leave her out of she will cause havoc. She ripped a piece of stacked stone off the front of the fireplace and then had an attitude when I took it away from her. So incredibly different in the way they react to things. It really shows the difference between a well-rounded bird that was raised by knowledgable people and is well-rounded, and one that has endured who knows what kind of abuse and is distrusting of people.

 

[BrianB]

These two have been strange all week. Boo Boo is a silly boy. I go see them both each morning and talk to them. If I open his cage and walk away, he won't come out. If I take him out and put him on top of the cage, he immediately goes back inside and eats, then comes back out and hangs out on the top. A few days ago I was checking the temperature of an evaporative cooler I have outside that blows on the other green wings. I was using a laser thermometer. When I came back inside it was still on, and the infamous red dot freaked Boo Boo out. He screamed and scrambled down the side of his cage to get away from it. It scared him so badly that he went to his play stand and then got down on the bottom. I put the thermometer down and went over to him. He immediately picked up his foot for me to hold him and then we had to sit on the sofa for a few minutes until he calmed down. He came to me for safety and comfort. What a huge change from the bird he was when I first met him.

Natcho has been very sassy today and bold today. I had her out for a bit this morning and we sat together on the sofa for a while, then I went to do some things so I put her back. I don't leave the two of them out together yet. We're having supervised visits, but never out alone together unsupervised. I took a nap and when I got up my other half had let her out. She was sitting on top of Boo Boo's cage, but a respectable distance and under supervision. I went to the island and grabbed a chip for a snack. As soon as I turned around I had a macaw landing on my hand. She made it very clear that she wanted a chip and she wanted one that very second. I've been trying to work on recall with her. She will fly from me, but not to me yet. Who knew a corn chip would be so motivating. I'm going to have to find a healthier treat though. She got a little obnoxious after that and then started to get nippy so she ended up back in her cage for a while. Let's see how she does after a litlte time out.

Each week is a new adventure.

 

[aooratrix]

Figures that a corn chip is a high value reward.

 

[Hankmacaw]

Figures that a corn chip is a high value reward.

It sure is in my house. Jasper will tear an arm off to gt to one. Of course that was one of her basic foods before I got her.

 

[aooratrix]

It sure is in my house. Jasper will tear an arm off to gt to one. Of course that was one of her basic foods before I got her.

Mine fixate on whatever I'm drinking.

 

[BrianB]

Both of the macaws have been strange this week and it's only Wednesday. Boo Boo did not want to go to bed on Monday night. I have a routine where I close the sliding shutters over the sliding glass door, then I turn off the television and tell him it's time for bed. He will usually come to the end of the cage and lift his foot for me. He steps up and then I put him in his cage on the sleeping perch. On Monday he made it clear he wasn't ready for bed and had no intention of stepping up. When this happens I leave and come back a few minutes later and he's ready. This time he wasn't having it. I told him I was going to bed and I left. The next morning he was sound asleep on top of his cage.

Natcho has been obnoxious and bratty all week. She keeps going in Boo Boo's cage and getting in his food dish. He won't even go on top of her cage and they are side by side. She's got no manners when it comes to other birds food dishes. She just helps herself. He ignores her, but if she gets too close he warns her off. Then something interesting happened. I was cleaning cages today. I did his first and then when I got to hers she wouldn't get out of my way. I put her on the play stand and moved it halfway across the room. She buzzed my head going back. I put her back on the stand and pushed it further away and partially around the corner. Boo Boo got anxious and started calling to her. He doesn't want her in his space, but he doesn't want her out of his sight either. It looks like I'm starting to finally see some friendship between them, but what an odd couple they are. He sits quietly on top of his cage. Very statuesque and dignified. She never sits still and is always into something. Sometimes he looks at her like a long-suffering adult dealing with a difficult child.

 

[BrianB]

I caught these two making out today. Well, they were preening each other, but close enough. I was sitting at the island working on my laptop and they both got quiet. When I looked over they were preening. They've been getting more comfortable with each other which I'm glad of. Boo Boo doesn't want to be handled aside from coming out of his cage and going back in for the night. Considering his past, I respect that. Natcho has been sassy the last week or so. When I saw them preening I called her a hussy and she made a sound that sounded like a mumbled "sorry". It's always something.

 

[BirdAtHart]

They both look so stinking adorable I haven’t really posted on this thread but I’ve been following it.. happy to hear they are enjoying each other a bit!

 

[aooratrix]

You're not aiming for buffwings, are you?

 

[BrianB]

You're not aiming for buffwings, are you?

No. I'm just glad that they have formed a companionship of sorts. He still has trust issues and we had a little accident a few days ago that's set us back. Some nights he doesn't want to go into his cage when its bedtime. I try to get him to step up and tell him that it's bedtime, but he won't. I turn the lights off and leave for about 5 minutes. When I come back he's ready to step up. A few days ago he went to step up, missed my hand, and fell off the cage. It was dark, but of course, it was my fault. I did manage to pick him up and soothe him for a bit then I put him in his cage for the night. The last few nights he has refused to go back in the cage and I've had to leave him out.

When they are out together he keeps her from getting to crazy and she sits next to him so he can preen her. I put a rattan toy on top of the cage and i've seen them both chewing on it and throwing it around. It's nice to see him do bird things instead of just sitting there.