rbpittman

Another difference is the beak color. Panama Amazon's beak is generally a lighter color. Here's an interesting link detailing the differences. http://www.parrot-link.co.uk/yellow-crowned-amazons.htm

Also living on the coast with storms that threaten may I make one more suggestion for those who like me may have to bug out - practice your emergency plan with your birds. There will be enough chaos at the time of an actual emergency when you have to evacuate so knowing exactly how you are going to get everything ready and packed into the car will make the move easier on your fids. With 7 large parrots in my home we have practiced packing the emergency cages into the suburban knowing how each will fit and where each will go inside the car and how they will be secured. We have also done this with the birds in their cages so it doesn't scare them if and when the time comes to run for it. After getting every one into the truck, we drive around for a few minutes and go home for a treat. We've done this for the last two years and it's a non-issue now for all of them, knowing that we're all taking a little trip to nowhere and then back home for fun. For those with only one or two that may sound a little ridiculous but when it comes time to actually do this you won't have to figure out these little issues. Another great idea is to make sure you put a favorite or familiar toy into each birds travel cage so that they have something that is "normal." Robin

I have Beau (CAG) and Morgan (Panama Amazon) and they are great friends. That being said - Beau is a differently abled grey and Morgan is a clown. They do not preen each other, nor do they share food, but they do hang out together with each other on the same cage, playstand, rope door, human. Dixie (CAG) however doesn't socialize with either of the other birds in the flock - she is the queen! Yoshi (TAG) wants to be in the center of everything. Good luck with getting them to tolerate each other. My expectations were that mine never would, but I was surprised, extreme supervision was and still is required, but it's great fun with them all out at the same time. Robin

My guys never fail to impress me with the intelligence or ability to understand what I'm saying to them. Here are a few examples: Dixie - CAG - 3.5 years old Dixie absolutely hates to have a bath. Her hatred of bathing doesn't deter me, she gets wet at least twice a week, soaked through thoroughly, and slightly wet at least three other times during the week. With 5 birds in one room it's a must to keep down the dander and helps with low humidity of an air conditioned house. I went out of town for a week and when I got home, other than the normal gotta do's when you get home, my priority was giving the birds their bath. I knew Dixie would protest the loudest, but in my best, I'm your mother and I know best voice I informed he she was getting a bath. I received the usual round of "no, no bath" comments, but being the adult, I didn't give in. Obviously Beau, Morgan, Yoshi, Blue & Bean all went first, all returned to their cages in very wet states, and happy little campers, all where Dixie could see them. I almost caved in when the phone rang and distracted me, still hearing Dixie ordering "no bath" in the background. After the conversation was over, I turned to her and said, "Dixie, are you ready for your bath?" To my surprise - and I almost fell out of my chair - she said "Yes." I must have asked her 15 times, do you really want a bath? Each time she replied "Yes." So up to the bathroom we went, perched her on her shower perch and got out the spray bottle. The little bugger even lifted her wings about half way for me. I was in shock. Still am to be honest. She hasn't taken a bath that willingly since, but she doesn't appear to hate it as much. Beau - CAG - 2 years Beau isn't much of a talker. He reminds me of my third child who didn't need to talk much, her older sister talked enough for both of them and would answer as quickly for her sister as for herself. I'm hoping that will change for Beau as it did for Caiti, she talks more than she should most of the time, but she's 21 now...lol. Holding out hope for Beau. That's not to say he doesn't express himself when he really wants to. Beau loves to sit on my shoulder and get scratched. He would let me do that all day. Of course there are many times when we're sitting here and I'm busy (like now) and need both hands on the keyboard. Now I can't scratch his head a key at the same time so his way of handling the situation is to climb down to my chest and put his head down. If that doesn't get a response, he reaches up and pulls down on the bridge of my glasses, pulling my head down with them so I have no choice but to pay attention to him. What is funnier than that is when he wants Morgan - Amazon - to come over and play. He will call Morgan and off flys Morgan over to wherever Beau is - his cage, the rope door, the boing. Now to get Morgan to respond to me that way! Morgan - Amazon - 1 year old Morgan calls Mom, Mom, Mom whenever I leave the room, pull into the drive way, you name it, he's seen me or he's heard me, he's calling MOM! If I don't answer it continues for forever. The minute I say Morgan, I'm right here, he stops and then starts chattering away. Morgan doesn't speak to just anyone though. LP has no problem getting him to step up from the rope door or his cage as long as he tells Morgan he is going to see me - in another part of the house, otherwise, there is no way on earth Morgan will step up for LP. If he's on his cage he goes inside, if he's on the rope door he flys back to his cage, but say "You want to go see Mom?" and that bird is on your hand like skin! The minute Morgan sees me, he's calling MOM! and then when he gets to me, he steps up and chatters away. If he stays on LP's hand for any length of time, I speak to him but he refuses to say another word. Robin

My local bird store has one on the shelf and I've looked at it several times, but never could bring myself to purchase. I didn't feel it was sufficient in size for my grey or constructed well enough for the price. The cage bars are very very slim and the canvas covering is thinner than I would have hoped for and is not sewn well. That same backpack has been in the store for over two years, while other types have sold and been restocked. I personally perfer the pak-o-bird (http://www.celltei.com/pamesibicast.html) but still haven't purchased one as of yet. There have been other threads discussing the adventure pack and the pak-o-bird. Robin

Keeping two greys in the same cage will result in the two of them bonding to each other unless you spend extensive time with them separately. Many here have already compared them to children - to keep going in that line of thinking - imagine how twins are in the world. They have a special bond that many people cannot understand, and will turn to each other more often than not. Even the parents of twins have a hard time breaking into their special relationship on the level of understanding. While they may be great company for each other, they may not be accepting of the human in their lives after time has passed. Extensive time literally means that - hours upon hours to develop a relationship with each one and then there may be jealousy factors that develop between them because of that time spent. Think long and hard before bringing one grey home and the amount of time you have to devote to one, two would be three to four times the amount of time for one. Robin

All of the additions to my flock have been a need for the new bird to find a permanent home. It's not whether they get along that matters so much, they may, they may never, but the important part is how you treat the existing residents when bringing home a new addition. That goes a long way in reducing the jealousy issues. I would never take the chance of letting the birds come together without extreme supervision. It took Yoshi almost 4 months to start behaving in a way that was appropriate with the other birds while everyone was out and that was after a 3 week wait to visit the vet, long conversations with Dixie, Beau and Morgan about the new addition to the existing flock, and hopes and prayers for the best when we did integrate the jungle with the new addition. Yoshi was my last addition. To date - Morgan (Amazon), Beau (Grey), Dixie (Grey) and Yoshi (Grey) tolerate each other. That to me is a great success. I never expected friendship between, I don't expect it will ever happen. Morgan and Beau will hang together, Dixie and Beau will hang together but never any other combination. Good luck and thank you for taking in an older parrot. Robin

I too had a plucker/wing destroyer that was the result of a serious health issue (burnt crop/aspiration pneumonia). He also had major anxiety issues. Dr. Dave here suggested I quit telegraphing my anxiety and accept Beau for who he was, a beautiful, loving Grey. That said, I found that advice was more helpful than anything else. His nervousness seemed less pronounced, his attitude and acceptance of others was great and he's a beautiful non-plucking bird today. That did not happen overnight. It took months and months to accomplish. I also hung a towel inside his cage that he would shred instead of plucking on himself when he was anxious. To date - he gets a new, cheap, kitchen towel hung inside his cage every month. He no longer destroys his wing or plucks his chest. He still exhibits nervousness on occasion, but he's a great bird who is now 2 years old and has the best disposition and personality. Keep the faith, and thank you for taking this Grey in, she needs a forever home. Robin

Casey, I agree with keeping your new baby in a different room away from the Amazon until after you have completed a vet check of the new baby and am assuming that the Amazon has already been cleared in the last 6 months. The separation time for them is also time for you to get your new baby settled into your house and on a routine schedule, time spent learning you and you learning them. As with any new addition, remember to treat your Amazon first - first fed, first out, etc. This will keep the established place of the flock, and allow new members. You have probably already started talking to your Amazon about the new arrival, but if not, start now! My latest addition to the flock came in February and her integration into the flock was chronicled in this forum. The best way to prepare your existing flock is to prepare them the same way you would a child about a new brother or sister coming. At least that is what has worked for me. Good luck and congratulations on your new addition. Robin

Dixie does this every time I change my hair color! Or new glasses (I like to keep things fresh...lol). Or a new blouse. Look at yourself to see if there is something changed that may be causing the reaction. The second thing I would be concerned about is making sure the routine hasn't changed. And you never know, he may be stepping into a new life phase. You didn't mention how old Joe is, but they are very much like toddlers in my opinion. One day they are fine, the next ready to take your head off for no reason due to normal changes that they are going through. As each of mine have progressed in age they have exhibited new/different behaviors that I have to learn to understand. Dixie loves my husband to death, but when she turned three she's become more bold and extroverted in her behavior and is more aggressive with him than ever before. She still prefers him to any other, but is more demanding of his time and attention than before. They are all unique creatures. Last but not least, if the behavior continues and you've looked to eliminate all potential reasons for the behavior change maybe a visit to the vet might be in order. Robin

Um, lost your office space to the birds? Let me see, did that about 2 years ago. Now to work on something on my desk I must remove the desk top stand, clean off the bird droppings that missed the papers, I don't have a pen that isn't chewed, forget the pencils. The back of my chair gets a clean towel daily. The computer has been replaced with a laptop so that I can keep them from chewing on cords. The mouse is wireless. When the battery runs down - we take it elsewhere to plug it in for some more go juice. The 37" tv that used to be mine stays on the cartoon network, nickelodian, etv, etc. The carpet is permanently covered in newspaper. It's now called the jungle room. Smile and enjoy the love they share with you daily! I do!

Today is Beau's second birthday. Who would have thought that this sweet loving little baby would have survived if they had seen him at 4 months old. Completely plucked clean from head to toe, one wing totally bald and more than determined to jump off the highest spot he could get to. A potential crop burn, aspiration pneumonia and cysts on his right wing. No longer is he plucking (thanks Dr. Dave for all the advice) or jumping from heights. His right wing is covered in feathers, although his flights are few. The cysts come and go, but he doesn't seem to mind. His demeanor is so wonderful given his rough start in life. I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful spirit or creature than what I have in Beau. At two years old he still loves to snuggle and will sit for hours letting me cuddle him. I've been truly blessed. Robin

I'm so glad I don't have that type of chaos! First, my bunch is content to stay in the jungle/my office, so I don't have to share the shower with them (but have been known to do that on the weekends). With two CAG's, one TAG, one Amazon and two Conures in the there, everyone gets their breakfast in their cage. We are not as socially advanced as to sit at the table and share without creating problems. The boys don't have a problem with it, the two princesses however are little Diva's that have yet to come to terms with the hierarchy of this establishment. Maybe one day. It's after breakfast and the cleanup that is chaos for me, everyone wants to help with the daily cleaning of cages and changing of papers. Dixie loves to help - so it's a tug of war with the paper towels. Yoshi is cage territorial so I have to remove her from it to clean, Morgan wants to be in the middle of his and chew on my nose and Beau likes to sit on my back which makes standing up impossible. They all hate the vacuum cleaner but Morgan is the loudest in protest. Shower time is not shared any more, I can't get all of them in there with me at the same time so we have staging of birds...lol. Paul brings them up one at a time, two on perches in the shower at a time, one on a play stand ready to go in and one on him. While one is getting misted, the other is drip drying somewhat. Once drip dried back to the jungle to bask in the warm sunlight that streams through the windows and this process is completed until all have had their bath, ending with Sterling (U2) who lives in the living room. Then Paul gets his shower, I get mine and life begins - mind you this is all accomplished before 7:30 am where I end up with my cup of coffee and my newspaper to start my day in the jungle. Everyone is out until about 3:00 when it's nap time (even for me!). Dinner is served around 5:30-6:00 and they are back out from 7:00 until 9:00. This is the daily routine except for Saturday - I sleep until 7 on this day! Robin

I've just found this thread, but would like to add, each grey is different. What time it takes for one grey to become accustomed to the aviator harness can be very different for another. Beau started in the aviator harness within days of bringing him home. It was a necessity as he was injured on his right wing and loved to jump. The harness was used with supervision only and I believe saved his life - he was easily spooked and would jump but the aviator actually caught him from hitting the floor. Obviously he had a very short lead. But keeping Beau from heights was very important and taking him out and socializing him even more important, so on my shoulder we would venture. Today Beau willing lowers his head to put the harness on, it's a piece of cake. Dixie on the other hand was stubborn and it took me almost 6 months to get it on her. To this day she still balks somewhat to putting the harness on, but once there, she's ready to go. I think she prefers to let me think she's giving in to the harness, but really looks forward to wearing it.

Having the boing that was suspended from the ceiling come down twice due to Dixie's love of hanging upside down from it and twisting violently attacking some toy attached to it, the boing is now suspended by an eye hook that was actually screwed into a wooden ceiling rafter. It didn't matter what type of hook I had used, I kept finding them slowly working their way out of the sheet rock. Glad that Dayo is ok, hope he will one day find trust in his once favored spot. Robin

Mine all have Harrison's pellets in their cages as a quick go to if they are hungry at times other than when I fix their breakfast, lunch or dinner. And yes they do eat them. Mine prefer the mix of fresh veggies, legumes, and a few fruits that they get daily. They especially love the 15 bean/legume mix I make for them. Great stuff! Robin

Welcome and look forward to more ramblings about Eshe. robin

A 6 week old baby grey should not be eating any weaning foods yet, instead it should be getting fed at least 4 times a day and handling is not going to be what he/she is interested in. They are going to see you as bringing food all the time and that's what they look for at this age. This bird is too young to be in the hands of an inexperienced hand feeder. I know you said you "know a lot about those birds" but apparently you do not. I would suggest you contact the breeder you purchased the bird from and let them continue to hand feed the bird until it is weaned from formula. The dangers you present are more numerous to name.

Morgan has developed a new talent - it's called getting his way. The first thing in the morning, he's the loudest of the bunch screaming - Mom, Mom, Mom - waiting for breakfast to be served. This is not a new thing, something he's been doing for quite some time. Mom is his contact call. I just answer back. Then we went through the "hand" thing that now scratches his neck. Of course the hand has to be approached by Morgan, the hand cannot come to him. Also very cool, it's a major step toward acceptance. Today it was "mom, mom, mom, mom" but mom couldn't answer. You see I had surgery less than two weeks ago and yelling from the bed room to the bird room is a little more than I can handle at the moment. I had walked out to see them earlier this morning, Daddy has been feeding breakfast, and handling all "mom" responsibilities" but it wasn't the same. Apparently Morgan wasn't going to be content with the little bit of "mom" time. "Mom, mom, mom, mom" continued until Paul finally went out to see what he wanted. I could hear it going on, "Morgan, what's wrong?" "Mom, Mom, Mom" "Mommy's not feeling well, she's in bed" "Mom, Mom, Mom" ~~~Morgan doesn't step up for anyone other than mom~~~ "Morgan do you want to go see mom?" "Mom, Mom, Mom" "Step up" - silence. Footsteps through the house. Morgan and Paul at the door - swoosh - Morgan flies to Mom. "Mom, Mom, Mom" Mom will now be doing more convalescing in her office - Paul has moved a chair I can sit in out there! Robin

Ray, it's these wonderful posts that have made me fall even more in love with my zon. I didn't know their personalities evolved in such a way that would take over my life, but I know the joy you are feeling. Cricket is quite the wonderful little zon and I look forward to hearing so much more of her. Robin

"Let the Zon be with you" (Yes that's a take off Star War's let the force be with you, but it sounds so much better now that it's a Zon!) Robin

The hardest part of being a parront is knowing when to let them go. You have made a very selfless difference in the life of Sully and his new parront. His needs above all else is what is important. I'm glad to hear that all things are going well. Keep us posted. Robin

Glad to hear the Nilah is ok, and Thanks Jay - I didn't know there was a different fruit requirement than the greys - although I can't get Morgan to eat anything fresh at the moment except blackberries. He stays far away from all others. Wonderful news and great education in this experience! Robin

Greyt video - thanks for sharing. Robin

I have the smaller of the two cages and use it frequently to take the birds out to the vet and just because. It fits great in the car seat and the handle serves as a perch for them. Since we use the harness on Beau we've taken him camping several times and he uses the cage for a sleep cage or if we go for a hike away from the site. If I could ever get Dixie harness trained, I would be buying another just like it. It is very heavy though and cumbersome, but if we're only talking a weekend, it would be a great cage! Robin