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It can be a shock- especially when blood is drawn! Alfie does bite when he is feeling cranky or doesn't agree with something. He tends to just leave a mark or a slight bruise. Only time he has ever drawn blood is when he got my mum on the ear and again on the nose when he was a baby. However, I don't doubt that he could draw blood quite easily if he wanted to. He tends to grab and let go rather than clinging on for too long (thankfully!) It's usually quick and sharp. You know damn well you've been bitten and it's sore for a short while but there's no blood. Macaws seem to be gentle giants. The size of their beak is intimidating but from what I've read from macaw owners they seem to know exactly how much pressure is required. I've never really got up close and personal with a macaw, though I did hold one back in June. It was at the annual think parrot show and was a very tame green wing. She stepped up on my arm and sat there quietly for a few moments before being returned to the owner. I also saw some other macaws in aviaries at the event but I was a bit too nervous to stick my fingers in to give them scritches, despite the fact other people were. Greys? I don't think any bird bites quite like a grey does. Alfie is so fast and so accurate. He also gives off 'warning shots' at times where he deliberately gets the cage bars as opposed to the person (or cat). This seems to be his way of saying "back off or lose a limb!" and it works pretty damn well. The cats know better than to mess with him. (they never mix when Alfie is out of the cage and they know better than to stick a paw or tail in or near his cage!) I don't think you over-reacted by posting. I think sometimes they'll do something that catches us off guard and makes us wonder what the heck happened to warrant the response. Their behaviours are so subtle at times they can be difficult to read!

Haha that's fair enough. I guess I've never really given it much thought before. No idea if it's possible but @KevinD is probably your man for making that kind of change. 😊

Difficult to tell either way but possibly just an accident - he was probably just going for the cardboard tube and your finger happened to get in the way. I have had a breakthrough with Alfie and bedtimes in the last couple of years. Well, I say I've had a breakthrough... he's basically just done it all himself and I'm celebrating. Bedtimes or back to cage times were always tricky with Alfie giving me the run around. However, I think this was mostly because he wasn't getting enough out of cage time previously. Now we've spent quite a few years having regular out of cage time and establishing a better routine I think he now realises that he will definitely come out again tomorrow so is more willing to accept going back in his cage. I have to use a wooden perch to get him to step up as he's usually on top of his shelves and I can't reach so well (there is a sofa in the way too). So I ask him to step up on the perch, which he does nicely. I then take him to his cage and ask him to step up on the perch on the cage door and he does so willingly. I then close the door and give him a treat. Occasionally he will grab the perch and give it a bite first, but he still reliably steps up on to it. Very occasionally he will give me the run around by climbing to the top of the cage (which I can't reach) but I use the long wooden perch to guide him back down. It's just a bit of a game to him sometimes I think. We've even got to the point that Alfie will sometimes put himself back in his own cage. If it's getting late in the evening and I'm doing other things he sometimes flies to his cage and climbs right in to have his bedtime snack and drink. He also sometimes tops his off by saying "night night" - a hint for me to let him sleep! I never thought I would see that happen. 😂

So extremely sorry. Amazons are amazing, boisterous, brave, dominating, determined, smart -- an exceptional breed. I can't imagine your loss. So sorry but thankful for every second you had with your Amazon. (((huggs)))

So I bought a new carrier for Alfie back in June. He hates getting in his kings travel cage and it's fairly heavy and difficult to move around if you want to travel further than the car/house/aviary. So I bought him a backpack style carrier which he was VERY curious about. I kept rewarding him with a treat any time he went near it, but he didn't actually need much encouragement. I have managed to take him for a walk in it too and I'm hoping I'll be able to take him for more walks once the weather figures out what the heck it's doing. 😂 So I figured I'd start a thread and show off some photos of Alfie enjoying his carrier. I used it to get him out to the aviary once and took him for one walk (so far). If I take him to the vet then I'll revert back to the kings cage. Similarly, if I'm going to my parents house or anywhere where he needs to remain caged (and not walking) then I'll use the kings cage, as I don't want him to chew his way out of his backpack. My only complaint is the thickness of the perch- it's really thin... probably to accommodate several different bird species. I'm going to attempt to wrap it with rope and also attach something to grab hold off whilst we are moving so he can steady himself whilst on the move. Packed and ready to go! Trip out to the aviary (see what I mean about the thin perch?) First time I got him in it with the door closed- ready for his first walk. Just hanging around! I stopped mid-walk to check on him and hung the back on a tree branch. Food and water had been spilled because he kept trying to find things to hold whilst moving around. He seemed to be ok on his walk. My housemate came with me to keep an eye on Alfie and we kept chatting to him. He made a few beeps and whistles which is a good sign. A lady went past with a baby and he whistled to them as they passed so she pointed him out to the baby and said hello. So all in all, this has probably been my most successful purchase ever! Alfie took to it like a fish to water. Hopefully we will get to go on a few more adventures!

Snickers doesn't like bedtime or ANY cage time. He won't bite me when I put him in his cage at night, although sometimes he will exert a little more beak force on my hand/fingers (more pressure -- not a true pinch bite or drawing blood or anything) just a "I'm really not happy I am going to bed in my cage" alert. (If you've had a real bite or a pinch bite -- you know the difference!!!). I suppose I could use a handy wooden perch to hold him but I prefer to only use hands with him. He had a bad past with multiple homes and can view 'objects' as scary. So, hands I use. It was 10:30 pm, sorry, but past bedtime for Snickers. His nighttime routine, after caging, is to go immediately to the bottom of his cage and take his rage out on a flattened paper towel roll. He basically stands on the flattened roll and pulls bits of cardboard off each roll quite aggressively. Tonight I noticed he was down to his last roll, already a bit chewed, so I decided to give him another one. (Yeah yeah, he has other toys hanging in his cage, but the flattened paper towel roll is just his choice for his evening "I don't want to go to bed yet so let me destroy something" routine. I flatten a new paper towel roll and am slipping it between the bars so it will fall to the bottom. Well, he grabs it from me so it can't drop. The problem is, I didn't fold up the roll, only flattened it -- so he can't get a good grip on it and he keeps letting it go a second for a retry - basically just trying to re-arrange a too-large object in his beak. Why I didn't just open the door and toss it in is beyond me. Temporary insanity? So, between the bars, I foolishly stuck my finger in, with the intention of pushing the flattened PT roll out of his beak when he let go to re-position his grip on it. I lost. I don't know if he accidentally bit me or if I scraped my finger myself on his beak. I know I am missing a small (but thick) piece of epidermis just above my fingernail and it bled a lot (not on the PT roll itself, just bled on ME). My effort did have the desired effect, the flattened roll fell to the bottom and Snickers is happily standing on his new roll and destroying it as we speak. I am on my second plaster/band-aid and bleeding has finally stopped. I do have missing flesh though, small 2mm strip of top skin gone and red meat showing (sorry, that was a gross but accurate description). I think this will take at least a few days to heal over. It hurts. (whining). I don't think he meant to bite me (if that's what happened) or if he did bite me he probably doesn't realize it -- or perhaps he deliberately bit me on purpose as part of the 'dropping a flattened paper towel roll game'. I do imagine he thought I was playing a paper towel tube game: Goal: him to hold it, me to fail dropping it to bottom of cage. Who knows really? -- they're so smart! I've just never been bitten by him before like this! (Another story one day of the only bite I ever received from him and it was a complete accident on his part -- he thought my hands belonged to someone else). Snickers isn't a biter -- well, correction, he never bites me. Maybe he thought I was playing a game with him, maybe he was just angry it was cage-time/bed-time. I just can't imagine he thought this one through. I often push flattened paper towel rolls through the bars for him at night for him to chew on. I also often just open his door and toss a flattened roll in. (Wish I'd done this tonight!) My feelings aren't hurt. Snickers is a good bird -- cuddly, sweet -- he just hates bedtime or cage-time. If I was a CAG, I'd hate bedtime too! But man, now the next few days will mean a sore index finger for me. I think, with the missing skin chunk, it has to heal from the inside out. Could take a week or more.

I can`t believe its been over 5 years that I lost my loved Amazon Cricket. .Its still very hard for me to talk about her as we shared a very special bond. Not every one can get along with a Zon as they are strong minded and are said to the most difficult to get to know and understand. The one lesson that Cricket taught me was that she had respect for me and people that had self-confidence in them self. When an Amazon forms a bond it can be so strong that nothing can break it..

I usually don't catch a mistake until seconds after I post it. I wish the "reason for edit" could wait 5 minutes before kicking in. Sometimes I am actually adding additional info to earlier post, and then it makes sense to give the reason for the edit. But sometimes I have just hit "submit/post/send" and see I made a silly simple error within seconds of posting -- and I just hate not to correct it. Like writing "my my parrot", or "I'll look in into it" or even something silly misspelling I missed. Why are mistakes so much clearer after you post them than when you're writing them? I swear I try to proofread my stuff before hitting send/post/submit (whatever it is).... lol

>>Difficult to tell either way but possibly just an accident - he was probably just going for the cardboard tube and your finger happened to get in the way.<< True! This is what I now suspect. I used to get lots of tiny impish bites from my macaw who was playful but did little harm with her nips. (I would often play 'beak wrestle' with her using a crook'd index finger -- she was a sweetie and very gentle). I've even had her hang off my finger by just her beak when I was walking to carry her somewhere (she chose to hang this way -- not me! -- lest it sound horrible when it was really cute). Such a big baby she was. And I got lots of bites from my Amazon -- sometimes I think she did it for fun, sometimes she would just be in a weird (sort of mean) nippy mood. Some bites hurt more than others. Even my cockatiel sometimes would nip me, it hurt but never caused much harm. Now they are all free at the sanctuary, I guess I have just forgotten what a real parrot bite is like! Crazy but true. I am just not used to ever being bit by Snickers! He's just not a biter (for me -- anyone else is fair game though). Even when Snickers tightens his beak grip on my fingers/hands when I am taking him somewhere he doesn't want to go (like to his cage or into his carrier for the vet) -- it's just pressure -- never even a pinch-bite. I over-reacted by posting. I was just so caught off guard by it. Today, we're both either pretending nothing happened last night or Snickers may seriously be unaware anything happened. lol

On some boards, if the edit is completed within a couple minutes of its original posting, the system won't indicate the post was edited. If I just corrected a minor mistake, guess I'd like the system not to mention I edited anything. After a post has been up a while, then it makes sense to let others know a post was edited (esp if post has been commented on or reacted to). Whether the poster explains the reason for the edit should be optional, of course. But if I made a significant change to my post, I'd prefer to just say why in the edit note. Sometimes I just want that 10 second rule to fix something without it being noted as 'edited' I guess. lol

My activity here is always in fits and spurts. Sometimes I only get time to read posts and not reply. Other times I have the luxury of being able to reply and start new threads as well. I try and stay active but unfortunately life gets in the way sometimes.

Hmm. Hoovering doesn't set Alfie off either. He just watches. Do I have an imposter? My family always said Alfie was a pigeon with a painted tail... perhaps I don't have a grey at all? 😂

I just checked by editing the above post and you don't have leave a comment. You can edit your post and save it. The post will still show as edited but won't have a comment as to why.

Hah, funnily enough, I have spotted some absolute corkers in my posts recently- usually when I read back through a thread. I always wonder how I missed it the first time round, as I always read back what I have written before posting. As for the reason for editing box... isn't it optional to leave a comment? Or has that changed?

Cricket was a beautiful bird and I always enjoyed reading your posts about her. It's always exceptionally hard when we lose a beloved pet. It's no different from losing a family member.

I was redressing my wound when it hit me, only the top part of my finger injured -- no bottom beak action. I am thinking either I accidentally scraped my own finger on his upper beak or he was trying for a better beak hold on the flattened tube and caught my finger with his upper beak in error. It looks mostly like a deep scrape.

I remember your Cricket and how close you two were with one another, the pain from her loss is still deep but you two had such a special relationship so keep those memories alive with fondness, she took a little piece of your heart with her when she made the journey across the Rainbow Bridge.

YOUR NOT ALONE. Some times when I proofread my post and I submit my post and I read it when it comes up in the thread I think to my self OH sh*t (when I make that silly error) their going to think I dumb. Or how about when you read your post or your reply a day or two later and there are 10 other reply`s after yours and that's when you see your badly misspelled words that you missed.

OH they know how to get their point across and some times they do over do it. It`s the only way they know for sure how to get your attention. Are they sorry ? No, but they did get their point across.. You gotta love them.

The vacuuming is another thing that will start them doing the bath thing.

A lot of practical and helpful responses. I realize no one has the power to force a forum to become busy and active -- it just has to happen on its own; and it has to feel effortless and be enjoyable for everyone. And yeah, life does get in the way sometimes of being active in a forum. A woman can dream though: maybe one day I will come online here and there will be too many active threads for me to even read them all!

Funny you should say that... if I somehow managed to make enough money that I could give up working full time then I would love to start up a sanctuary/rescue centre. Yes British weather is often talked/complained about over here. We're never happy. It's always too cold/hot/wet/dry etc etc 😂

@neoow The guy who started Cape Fear Parrot Sanctuary (where my birds are) had a couple macaws and decided one day how cool it would be if they could just fly free. Like many teenage macaws (been there, done that) his had become sexually mature and moody -- sometimes too, um, affectionate and sometimes downright mean and bitey, Typical for maturing macaws. I saw an article in the paper about his new parrot sanctuary (his own macaws live there!) and that started my dream of maybe one day placing mine there. 2+ years ago I made the decision to let mine join his flock. I had to save up the money first. News has gotten out, and I think he often has to refuse some parrots and refer them elsewhere. They have to keep in mind how many parrots they can truly care for -- and that they need enough indoor space to place them when something horrible happens (like a hurricane or extremely low temps in winter -- winters are usually fairly mild here). Parrots actually do better in cooler temps than really high hot temps -- he only accepts parrots from like April to September so that they can acclimate in time for winter. But, even though parrots can deal with some cold, they can't deal with days of below freezing temps -- hence needing to be indoors before a cold snap comes through. No one wants any lost parrot toes! The sanctuary has a board of directors plus lots of volunteers, it's non-profit and has a lot of community support. I don't think he originally perceived the sanctuary might become a refuge for neglected/abused parrots, but obviously he was delighted to give such parrots a safe refuge. His original dream was for pet parrots to have a place to flock and be free to fly around. His website/FB site now emphasizes neglected/abused/surrendered birds -- so his vision has expanded. I think he has more parrots than he ever intended (up to 270 or so now). It costs a lot for upkeep. I remember last Fall we had a horrible hurricane and it was a huge task to get all the parrots to indoor safety before it hit. I've watched this sanctuary grow from its beginnings -- they own their own land now, and are constantly building and adding on. And, they have an eye for the future knowing one day the task will have to pass to someone younger who has the same vision. ANY eggs are destroyed immediately -- there is no breeding and they do not sell any parrots. This is a lifelong home for parrots. Who knows, one day -- this may be something YOU create -- a safe sanctuary for parrots! I watched a special on the making of "As Time Goes By" (one of my favourite old shows!) and the director talked about how overcast, dismal and rainy UK weather could be -- the actors literally waited under tents until the sun came out and then would rush to get a scene filmed in the 10 minutes of sun they got! lol

The weather here is dull, grey miserable and usually raining. We have had quite a few hot days this year but the heat we get with it is usually unbearable. Very hot, humid and close. When you walk out of the house/work you feel like you're walking into a brick wall. We don't have to deal with hurricanes though and our storms are usually quite tame. We don't often get much snow where I am - though everything still grinds to a halt when it happens because we're not used to it. I understand what you are saying about the sanctuary where your birds live. It's great that you still get to visit and can donate towards their care (and the care of other birds). I would have wanted something similar to Alfie but there's not many rescue centres around here, especially not close to home.

I considered rehoming Alfie for a while so I understand how difficult it must have been for you. At the time I wasn't providing Alfie with the time and attention he needed and I felt like I wasn't good enough for him and he deserved much better. The latter is definitely true. I was putting in lots of hours at work and trying to study at the same time so Alfie wasn't getting as much out of cage time as he should and not enough social interaction for a while. I looked up a few recuse centres and even contacted one but they never got back to me. I came to the conclusion that Alfie didn't ask to be put int his situation so I needed to make some drastic changes. I figured I would try my best to adapt and get into a better routine to I had more time to spend with him (and work less whilst I was at it). It took me many months of making little changes here and there- like rearranging the rooms in the house, relocating Alfie's cage, getting him a new cage, changing my routines etc etc. When I bought my house I went into it looking at layouts which suited Alfie best. I'm forever learning and adapting to suit Alfie's needs and I am happy that I have made enough changes along the way that I no longer consider rehoming him. He seems so much happier since moving to this house 6 years ago and being the centre of attention in our living space. Plus he gets so much more time out of the cage and with me. It's always a tough decision and not one to take lightly. It reduced me to tears on a number of occasions as I tried to work out what to do for the best. Thankfully I was able to make the required changes to improve things though.

I agree that parrots are rehomed at an alarming rate. I'm shocked when I see how many are "available." I know there are real situations where people have no choice, but that number doesn't match the number of parrots available to rehome. So sad.