Okay so trying to keep this short. But basically my stepfather was given a 50 year old amazon parrot (orange winged). To say the least its in pretty bad shape. The guy who owned it was over run with pets and his health was failing (he is dying, which is why he gave them all away). The information he gave us is that its a female orange winged amazon, who is 50 years old and was caught in the wild. I guess they used to be able to capture them in the wild and such? He said she had her wings amputated because she was a wild bird, and it was part of the process to keep her from flying off? (very sad if you ask me). She has a weird smell to her and her whole body seems to be extremely oily. Her beak is in bad shape but my stepdad is going to take her to a vet to get it worked on.
I was wondering if amazons liked showers, and if so, would that help with the oil on her feathers? The guy fed her only sunflower seeds and chicken scratch (part of why the beak is so bad off). We got her some regular feed and the first night I gave her a small chunk of millet and she went crazy with it and was chewing on it practically all night. Overall she is insanely friendly. All you have to do is put your hand near her head and she lifts up her feathers and closes her eyes for you to stroke her and if you put your hand out she practically jumps on it.
We are working on getting her a big cage, the one she came is is so small she can barely stretch her wings (I would almost call it a hamster cage).
Most of all I just want to know if there is any way to help out her feathers because they are so oily and look absolutely awful. Like in horses I am sure part of it is just a need of good nutrition and care, but I would like to know if there is more I can do to try and help her feathers.
But apparently my stepdad LOVES birds and has owned a lot of them. Unfortunately he works as a firefighter paramedic and works in 24 hour shifts. So he got her home last night and had to work tonight. He bought a bunch of food for her (veggies and fruits and general bird seed). He is also going to get her a big cage when he has time and some more toys (she only has one small toy now, I gave her some I had stocked up but she cant play with them because the cage is too small, they are little balls with bells inside)
Amazon?
Moderator: Mods
Zero first bless you for taking in this girl and giving her the quality of life she deserves. Second Amazons are an oily bird but just a spray bath with warm water will help reduce it some. The smell she is giving off is also normal especially if she is excited or stressed. Some people like the smell some don't I tend to like it. It smells kind of musky.
Most of your older birds are imports but they outlawed it here in the USA about 20 years ago (can't remember the year they made importing bird illegal). I have a few import birds myself and never heard of them amputating the wings. You may be confused with wing clipping where they just cut a few flight feathers off to prevent them from flying.
A larger cage is a must, the larger the better.
Good luck with her and keep us posted.
Donna
Most of your older birds are imports but they outlawed it here in the USA about 20 years ago (can't remember the year they made importing bird illegal). I have a few import birds myself and never heard of them amputating the wings. You may be confused with wing clipping where they just cut a few flight feathers off to prevent them from flying.
A larger cage is a must, the larger the better.
Good luck with her and keep us posted.
Donna
In Loving Memory
of one special husband and one special bird.
I miss you both
of one special husband and one special bird.
I miss you both
The guy said they actually amputated the bottom of the wing and not just clipped her wings 
. I clip my birds wings so I know what that is, so no confusion there unfortunately (I almost wish there was and that her wings were just clipped). When we take her to the vet my guess is he can tell us if they were actually amputated or not, but my stepdad said he had also had birds with amputated wings caught in the wild before, so I am assuming its an old practice that is no longer allowed (thank goodness). He explained it to me as they cut off the last knuckle on the wing to keep those feathers from growing in. I have not pulled her out and messed with her wings, the smell is very strong so I am guessing she is stressing a lot and I dont want to push her right now. I dont mind the smell so much, but thats mostly because she isnt in my room so I dont have to smell it all the time. Smells kinda like cologne to me. I am hoping she will like a warm spray bottle bath and that it will help her feathers a bit.
. I clip my birds wings so I know what that is, so no confusion there unfortunately (I almost wish there was and that her wings were just clipped). When we take her to the vet my guess is he can tell us if they were actually amputated or not, but my stepdad said he had also had birds with amputated wings caught in the wild before, so I am assuming its an old practice that is no longer allowed (thank goodness). He explained it to me as they cut off the last knuckle on the wing to keep those feathers from growing in. I have not pulled her out and messed with her wings, the smell is very strong so I am guessing she is stressing a lot and I dont want to push her right now. I dont mind the smell so much, but thats mostly because she isnt in my room so I dont have to smell it all the time. Smells kinda like cologne to me. I am hoping she will like a warm spray bottle bath and that it will help her feathers a bit.pinioning might be right, I think thats what my stepdad called it. Right now we have her quarantined in the guest room but it would be nice if she could hang out with my bird (eventually). Is there any issues with that? Would an IRN and an amazon get along? My stepdad also said the guy had an older sun conure who needs a home, my stepbrother has the conure at his home right now as a temporary holding ground but my sister is seriously considering taking it so would an IRN and a conure get along?
I dont know what the conure looks like so I couldnt say exactly but they said it had a bright head so I am assuming its either a cherry or sun conure. (pets are like chips to my family.. you can never stop with just one
). My room is right across from the guest room and I like to let my baby out while I get ready in the morning. I opened the guest room door so Sugar plum (her name) could see what was going on as well. I let them both out and my bird who is usually very very reluctant to leave his cage tried to fly out of my room to the guest room (clipped wings make for a not so good flyer lol). They stared at eachother from across the hall and started chirping to eachother as well. They seemed very interested but not threatening (no puffing up just head tilting in curiosity). I put mine back in my room and shut the door so he wouldnt try getting to the other bird again. But I was thinking, once her quarantine is over, that I will move my bird's cage into the guest room and let them look at eachother through cages then gradually put them closer until I let them out together.
I will try and get some pictures of her tonight, to show you what I mean by the bad looking feathers. Her beak looks so much better, oddly enough (still not great), I am wondering if part of that is because we gave her lots of seeds and millet etc to chew on. Or it might just be because I got a clear look at her beak this morning. She also does this weird thing where sometimes when you go to pet her she latches onto her perch or side of the cage with her mouth and stretches out her neck for you.
I dont know what the conure looks like so I couldnt say exactly but they said it had a bright head so I am assuming its either a cherry or sun conure. (pets are like chips to my family.. you can never stop with just one
). My room is right across from the guest room and I like to let my baby out while I get ready in the morning. I opened the guest room door so Sugar plum (her name) could see what was going on as well. I let them both out and my bird who is usually very very reluctant to leave his cage tried to fly out of my room to the guest room (clipped wings make for a not so good flyer lol). They stared at eachother from across the hall and started chirping to eachother as well. They seemed very interested but not threatening (no puffing up just head tilting in curiosity). I put mine back in my room and shut the door so he wouldnt try getting to the other bird again. But I was thinking, once her quarantine is over, that I will move my bird's cage into the guest room and let them look at eachother through cages then gradually put them closer until I let them out together.
I will try and get some pictures of her tonight, to show you what I mean by the bad looking feathers. Her beak looks so much better, oddly enough (still not great), I am wondering if part of that is because we gave her lots of seeds and millet etc to chew on. Or it might just be because I got a clear look at her beak this morning. She also does this weird thing where sometimes when you go to pet her she latches onto her perch or side of the cage with her mouth and stretches out her neck for you.
zero said
also does this weird thing where sometimes when you go to pet her she latches onto her perch or side of the cage with her mouth and stretches out her neck for you.
he he sounds like shes pointing out where she wants a scratch it great thart she trusts you enough for patting already
i love her name!!!
also does this weird thing where sometimes when you go to pet her she latches onto her perch or side of the cage with her mouth and stretches out her neck for you.
he he sounds like shes pointing out where she wants a scratch it great thart she trusts you enough for patting already
i love her name!!!
okay so an update, gave her shower today, she loved it. I just turned on the shower, set it to warm and then had her step up onto my arm and held her near the water so she could shy back if she didnt like it. She dove headfirst into the spray and opened her wings and flapped and then leaned back so it got on her chest then turned around to get her back. She also kept opening her mouth like she wanted to drink it. So I think its safe to say, she loves baths. There wa a light white film on her feathers which most has come off now and she is a lot darker I can still see it on some of her feathers but I didnt want to keep holding her under the shower forever.
We got her a new cage and I got pictures of her (after the bath unfortunately) and the old cage. The new cage has to be cleaned before we can use it but within the next day or two she should be able to move into it. We got her a cuttlefish bone and as soon as she realized what it was she went crazy on it and rubbed her beak and bit out chunks of it to rub the inside of her mouth with. As of right now she is sitting on the arm of my chair, chattering to me whenever I stop petting her and when I do pet her she ruffles up all her feathers, closes her eyes and leans into my hand so she obviously loves human attention. She is slowly starting to make more noise and even said a small hello when I went to get her out of the cage. She is excited to see people whenever we go in the room because usually we come in to pet her or give her some treat (spoiled bird).
We got her a new cage and I got pictures of her (after the bath unfortunately) and the old cage. The new cage has to be cleaned before we can use it but within the next day or two she should be able to move into it. We got her a cuttlefish bone and as soon as she realized what it was she went crazy on it and rubbed her beak and bit out chunks of it to rub the inside of her mouth with. As of right now she is sitting on the arm of my chair, chattering to me whenever I stop petting her and when I do pet her she ruffles up all her feathers, closes her eyes and leans into my hand so she obviously loves human attention. She is slowly starting to make more noise and even said a small hello when I went to get her out of the cage. She is excited to see people whenever we go in the room because usually we come in to pet her or give her some treat (spoiled bird).
Oh it sounds like that poor thing is just STARVED for attention and proper care!!
She will turn into such a cuddlebug if you show her you love her!
Congrats on the new addition and yes, pics please!
She will turn into such a cuddlebug if you show her you love her!
Congrats on the new addition and yes, pics please!
Joanne
and the fids -
Parakeets - Emma (RIP Bonnie & Clyde)
Tiels - Rosie, Howie
QP - Isis
Sun Conure - Precious
IRN - Nala
Caique - Timber
and the cat - BK
and the fids -
Parakeets - Emma (RIP Bonnie & Clyde)
Tiels - Rosie, Howie
QP - Isis
Sun Conure - Precious
IRN - Nala
Caique - Timber
and the cat - BK
Make me all warm and fluffy, knowing she's in such a great home. Sounds like she has made the transition fantastically. 
Okay so this is a very bittersweet update....
Sugar Plum is doing excellent, her feathers around her face are coming in so bright and beautiful and she is molting the others so I am very hopeful she will look at her best very soon. She loves to be held and let out of her cage and runs up to the door when you open it.
The sad part is.. we got the other parrot (the conure) and although its in a better health at first glance... it looks really bad off once you look closer... I really would love any advice or any help at all right now....
We got it tonight and although it looks nice at first glance, once we started to observe him, he doesnt perch or move, just hangs on the side of his cage and shakes. At first I thought it was fears and nerves, but I tried to get him to step up onto my hand because I wanted to clean out his cage and thats where things went horribly wrong. He cant step up properly he manages one foot then falls, and flails around a bit on the ground before regaining footing at which point he drags his head on the ground and leans heavily to the left and just goes back to his point and shakes. First time I thought it was a weird instance but it happens every time... I am no expert on birds but if it were any other animal I would instantly assume it was brain damage... does that sound right to anyone? There is nothing we can do tonight and I told my sister to take him to the vet a soon as they have an opening but I am really thinking its too late for him (his name is Dracula). It also looks like he has blood around his legs and I am not sure if its blood or just red feathers... But since I cannot pick him up or pull him out of the cage its impossible to see close up.... Right now I am also worried about sugar plum. They came from the same place and are right now in the same room. So I am very worried that someone is going to say "Its a disease, dont let him near any other parrots". I know they came from the same place but she (Sugar) shows no signs and its possible they were at opposite ends of the house.....
Sugar Plum is doing excellent, her feathers around her face are coming in so bright and beautiful and she is molting the others so I am very hopeful she will look at her best very soon. She loves to be held and let out of her cage and runs up to the door when you open it.
The sad part is.. we got the other parrot (the conure) and although its in a better health at first glance... it looks really bad off once you look closer... I really would love any advice or any help at all right now....
We got it tonight and although it looks nice at first glance, once we started to observe him, he doesnt perch or move, just hangs on the side of his cage and shakes. At first I thought it was fears and nerves, but I tried to get him to step up onto my hand because I wanted to clean out his cage and thats where things went horribly wrong. He cant step up properly he manages one foot then falls, and flails around a bit on the ground before regaining footing at which point he drags his head on the ground and leans heavily to the left and just goes back to his point and shakes. First time I thought it was a weird instance but it happens every time... I am no expert on birds but if it were any other animal I would instantly assume it was brain damage... does that sound right to anyone? There is nothing we can do tonight and I told my sister to take him to the vet a soon as they have an opening but I am really thinking its too late for him (his name is Dracula). It also looks like he has blood around his legs and I am not sure if its blood or just red feathers... But since I cannot pick him up or pull him out of the cage its impossible to see close up.... Right now I am also worried about sugar plum. They came from the same place and are right now in the same room. So I am very worried that someone is going to say "Its a disease, dont let him near any other parrots". I know they came from the same place but she (Sugar) shows no signs and its possible they were at opposite ends of the house.....
Maybe you can put a corner platform up for the bird near the area where he retreats to and cover it with something soft? Provide him with something to rest belly-down on with some comfort?
Have you inspected the bird at all? Why can you not pick it up? Is there any obvious issue with it? Can you clarify that it is able to hang onto the bars on the side of the cage but not perch? Where in the cage is his chosen spot to hang and shake? Is it eating and drinking?
It could still be nerves and fear. The fact that the bird "looks" good suggests that this might not be a long-running condition. It's not unusual for a caged bird that is frightened to fall from its perch and flop around, especially if it's clipped. This does sound somewhat worse than that, though.
I seem to recall that these symptoms are similar to those of zinc poisoning so you may want to check. Definitely take him to the vet.
Have you inspected the bird at all? Why can you not pick it up? Is there any obvious issue with it? Can you clarify that it is able to hang onto the bars on the side of the cage but not perch? Where in the cage is his chosen spot to hang and shake? Is it eating and drinking?
It could still be nerves and fear. The fact that the bird "looks" good suggests that this might not be a long-running condition. It's not unusual for a caged bird that is frightened to fall from its perch and flop around, especially if it's clipped. This does sound somewhat worse than that, though.
I seem to recall that these symptoms are similar to those of zinc poisoning so you may want to check. Definitely take him to the vet.
You're doing great, with two new birds,thanks and keep it up
Zero,
You and your stepfather are awesome. What a challenge and a great responsibility taking on these two birds...GOOD ON YOU BOTH.
A 50 yo bird, wow, that is something.
Hope the vet gives you good advice and options, no doubt you're doing all the right things.
Good luck.
You and your stepfather are awesome. What a challenge and a great responsibility taking on these two birds...GOOD ON YOU BOTH.
A 50 yo bird, wow, that is something.
Hope the vet gives you good advice and options, no doubt you're doing all the right things.
Good luck.
great update, we bought dracula a big cage (he was in one about the same size as sugar plums 
) Its amazing what a drastic improvement it has had on his behavior and personality. I am feeling so much better about how he is doing today. Last night I was so upset thinking we would end up hearing he would need to be put down but things are looking up. I am not an expert on birds, so I just relate to other animals I know fairly well. IN horses if you keep them penned up in small pens too long they start to develop bad habits like weaving in front of fences and basically thats what Dracula is doing now in his big cage. He is no longer dragging his head or flailing around. But whenever he comes up to the bars he starts moving back and forth from one foot to another and staring outside of them. However once he seems to realize its a big cage he just gets hyper and starts climbing all over and flapping his wings.
Better news is I pulled him out of his cage, and it looks like its a problem with his feet and not his head (though his head still shakes an awfull lot). It looks like one toe was broken and the others he just doesnt use properly so he cant perch well which is why he keeps falling I think. However he is also, like sugar plum, extremely sweet. I held out my hand like a cup so he wouldnt have to try and perch and he stepped right up onto my hand and chattered to me. He is not such a big fan of petting but if you make the kissing noise he leans in to give you a kiss (so very sweet).
I cant say how much happier I am that it doesnt look like something neurological anymore. He needs his nails clipped badly, which might be part of the issue as to why he wasnt perching. There is no blood on his feet, just red feathers. However getting a good look at his feathers in daylight shows he is not as well off in the feather department as I thought.
I have pictures of sugar plum from when she first got here, apparently my step dad took some, so I can show you how her feathers look and how small her cage was. I would like to be able to get a video of Dracula and some of his odd behaviors and see if anyone can pinpoint whats causing it. But basically right now I think most of the problem is his feet and not his head. He just kinda hangs off the side of the cage, using his long nails, doesnt grasp on like he should. Now that he has levels with ladders he is walking all over the place.
Anyways here are the pictures of Sugar Plum, the morning after we got her. You can see how her feathers look like the have a white film over them and are sticking out all over the place You can also see the tiny cage. I threw the two whiffle balls in there and the cuttlefish bone kept coming off because the bars were too spaced out to hang it properly
oh and before I forget to mention it, dracula is 30 this year, so he is no young sprite either, but I dont think my family really cares lol. So right now we have two oldies and a baby in the house. Btw my bird and Dracula have both discovered there is another bird across the hall and they call to eachother. So I am very hopeful about Dracula getting along with my baby
) Its amazing what a drastic improvement it has had on his behavior and personality. I am feeling so much better about how he is doing today. Last night I was so upset thinking we would end up hearing he would need to be put down but things are looking up. I am not an expert on birds, so I just relate to other animals I know fairly well. IN horses if you keep them penned up in small pens too long they start to develop bad habits like weaving in front of fences and basically thats what Dracula is doing now in his big cage. He is no longer dragging his head or flailing around. But whenever he comes up to the bars he starts moving back and forth from one foot to another and staring outside of them. However once he seems to realize its a big cage he just gets hyper and starts climbing all over and flapping his wings.
Better news is I pulled him out of his cage, and it looks like its a problem with his feet and not his head (though his head still shakes an awfull lot). It looks like one toe was broken and the others he just doesnt use properly so he cant perch well which is why he keeps falling I think. However he is also, like sugar plum, extremely sweet. I held out my hand like a cup so he wouldnt have to try and perch and he stepped right up onto my hand and chattered to me. He is not such a big fan of petting but if you make the kissing noise he leans in to give you a kiss (so very sweet).
I cant say how much happier I am that it doesnt look like something neurological anymore. He needs his nails clipped badly, which might be part of the issue as to why he wasnt perching. There is no blood on his feet, just red feathers. However getting a good look at his feathers in daylight shows he is not as well off in the feather department as I thought.
I have pictures of sugar plum from when she first got here, apparently my step dad took some, so I can show you how her feathers look and how small her cage was. I would like to be able to get a video of Dracula and some of his odd behaviors and see if anyone can pinpoint whats causing it. But basically right now I think most of the problem is his feet and not his head. He just kinda hangs off the side of the cage, using his long nails, doesnt grasp on like he should. Now that he has levels with ladders he is walking all over the place.
Anyways here are the pictures of Sugar Plum, the morning after we got her. You can see how her feathers look like the have a white film over them and are sticking out all over the place You can also see the tiny cage. I threw the two whiffle balls in there and the cuttlefish bone kept coming off because the bars were too spaced out to hang it properly
oh and before I forget to mention it, dracula is 30 this year, so he is no young sprite either, but I dont think my family really cares lol. So right now we have two oldies and a baby in the house. Btw my bird and Dracula have both discovered there is another bird across the hall and they call to eachother. So I am very hopeful about Dracula getting along with my baby
