Greytness

He could very well be sending you a message about having to spend long chunks of time away from you. Have you always worked 40 hour weeks, or is this new? He could be in need of more stimulation. Perhaps when you leave for work you could play some music or birdie sounds for him to listen to. You could even call your answering machine if you have one during your work day to leave a little message for him! How old is he? Is he clipped? If so, then might be showing signs of anxiety or frustration by not being able to freely make it from point A to point B

Eight Macaws? Wow! I have 8 fids, but can't even imagine what it must be like to feed, house and entertain 8 Macs!

I was eyeing a harlequin macaw which just arrived at our local bird store yesterday that was absolutely GORGEOUS and oh so sweet. I could give her beak kisses and everything! Never thought much about owning one until I laid eyes on her. I can only imagine how excited you must be about bringing your sweet new baby home soon!

I'm fairly new to this forum and have enjoyed getting to know you through this post. I'm so thrilled for you that you are now reunited with Maggie! This is one of those stories that brings a smile to your face.

Maalik actually likes to perch on top of his water dish, making it his very own portapotty. There's no perch above it. He IS the perch!

My baby turns one today!!! And what a first year it has been. From a cuddly baby who used to make the cutest baby sounds ever, to his now becoming an engaging, complex, funny and even bratty one year old. His first mimacked sound as a baby was 'uh oh', to his now saying, "going poop!" and "I love you" Mwwaah!" among other phrases. Can't wait to see what he chooses to pick up next! Happy first Hatch Day, Maalik! <3 Looking forward to sharing more life adventures with 'my boo boo'

My kids have told me that every time one of them leaves, I get 4 fids to replace them. So...2 kids out of the house, and 8 fids have come in. :-)

Amazons are such remarkable birds. Lulu is so very lucky to have you!

Paul, your new baby's breeder, does not advocate wing clipping. Paul is actually a free flight trainer for his Macaws and CAGS. I love having Maalik whooshing over to me whenever he wants.

That's WONDERFUL news! His CAGS are gorgeous! I had a very difficult time choosing which one that I'd wanted. LOL! Please tell Paul 'hello' from Sandy, parront of Maalik whom I got from him last fall.

Hilarious! I can't wait until Maalik can communicate that well.

OMG, Inara, that's brilliant! Next time I change his water, I'm going to sing this to him. Love it!

Maalik unfortunately has taken to sitting and chilling on top of his water bowl. Several times a day I have to change his water because he's always pooping in it. Drives me crazy. Usually I'll ask him, "Maalik, did you go poop in the water AGAIN?" Today as I was on the computer, Maalik blurted out, "Uh Oh. Poop in the water. POOP!" I couldn't stop laughing!

Zons have very long memories, and take a very long time moving forward past stressful situations. Most likely you're not going to be able to allow them both out at the same time, especially since they're both flighted.

Welcome! I'm so sorry to hear about your precious Opera. These birds really know how to nestle themselves into our hearts, don't they? If you're not opposed to having your bird shipped, I'd like to recommend the breeder from whom we got Maalik, turning 1 on the 27th of this month! He's the senior bird keeper for the San Diego Zoo, and he really knows his stuff. Plus his CAGS are the bomb! He also breeds gorgeous Macaws. It's called Rainforest Aviaries, and the breeder's name is Paul. Good luck with your research!

She's stunning!

It's similar to going from one kid to two. You have to divide your time and energy between the two, making certain that each gets what they need.

Oh, you could say that again. Not only do I have difficulty reading him, but I'm also a bit nervous around him, as he once slashed up my hands with a blink of an eye.

Yes, they're all flighted, although Ziggy, my Ekki came to me clipped at the age of 10, and had never learned how to fly. However, with that being said, he's a master at hopping off his cage, strutting over to a nearby cage and harassing the heck out of that bird. He's not a fan of his birdie neighbors. I take my birds out in groups. The smallest: 2 duskies, and pineapple GCC come out together. My CAG, Pan Am and Ekki also come out together. My Jardine's comes out separately, simply because he's a baby and I'm not quite certain yet how he'd fare mingling with the others. My caique also comes out separately due to his unpredictability.

I have both a Panama Amazon and a CAG. Maalik, my CAG, harasses Harley every chance that he gets. Harley's my big green chicken and is essentially afraid of Maalik. They'll posture, but they don't get into any harmful squabbles. Usually if one gets too close, the other one will fly away. At first I was afraid of letting them work things out for fear of injury, but they've found a way to cohabitate in peace.

I don't leave anything on for my 8 fids, either. They spend most of their time chatting it up with each other. Maalik, my CAG, Bogart, my Jardine's, and Ziggy, my Ekki, all have window views, so there's lots for them to look at throughout the course of the day. And then there are our 4 German Shepherds who love to engage in bark fests. There's never a dull moment around here. LOL! I work weekends and am home during the week. On weekends my hubbie and 2 of my kids are here, so essentially there's someone here most of the time. When my hubbie's home he has his music going all the time.

Very cute! Maalik's very first animal sounds were 'Quack' and 'Oink', with great emphasis on making the k sound.

Getting high from the smell of your birds is legal and (usually) safe.

I truly appreciate that! I'm so fascinated by the complexity of this bird. I have 8 other fids, but he's the one who strongly pulls at my heart string like no other.

I love the way my CAG, Maalik smells, too. However, my favorite smell is that of my Panama Amazon, Harley. It's a musky smell that comes from his exhaled breath. Sometimes it's stronger than at other times, but it's very pleasant to me for some odd reason. If I could make a fragrance from it, I'd call it: 'Odeur-de-Amazon'