GoDiego

It seems like the worst of the stormy weather has passed and Diego is a different bird, he has just spent 10 minutes sat on my lap dozing whilst I scritched him all over his body. He's currently now tucking into his food, so am releived that the no eating was to do with it also. You could be right with this as both my cat and dog have little mad spells when a storm is brewing, so I am guessing it can effect Diego the same way. Actually I suppose even I act differently as a storm can create an excitement in the air, plus after nearly 6 months of dry and hot weather I feel refreshed envigorated LOL, this is a great analogy of how Diego was today! LOL I'm not sure if it was excitement or hyperactivity due to being nervous? Should I keep him in the cage during a bad storm in the future, or would this make him fearful with the thunder and not being able to get close to us?

Today we have had our first proper rainfall for at least 6 months YAY!!! Not only are we having some rainfull but we have had storms coming and going all day, this is the first time Diego has ever seen or heard a storm. He's been behaving really odd today and I don't know whether it is something to do with the weather? I have not been able to get too close to him today as he has been fully wired since he woke up. He's not acting aggressive or scared about anything but just over the top with everything he is doing and being SUPER Hyper Active! He's also not been interested in his food today which is unusual for him? With the food I'm going to keep an eye on this and hopefully it's just to do with the weather putting him out of sorts. I just wondered if anyone else finds odd behaviour in their feathered friends when the weather is stormy. :confused:

OK, it's nearly been 2 weeks now of everyday getting Diego used to the harness. Have we progressed? Ummm, no! LOL I am still only able to get his beak through the neck hole but only for a second. The rest of the time he is pulling it out of my hands, tossing it in the air, and laying on his back and playing with it. I'm not sure if this is going to work with Diego I would love him to wear it, his whole world would open up for him, it's all very frustrating. LOL

This would explain why I have not seen it on Diego. What are the small fluffy feathers that come out occasionally, are they just baby feathers?

Thanks everyone for your replies. Since putting the perch in yesterday, I have noticed that he is not sitting on it as much as he did when his previous perch was in the same position. However, he is sitting on it every now and again, so I am hoping that it starts doing it's magic on his nails. I was just worried about using the perch as Amazons are known for feet problems as they tend to be perch potatoes. Although Diego at the moment never stays still in his cage apart from bedtime plus he is out for most of the day so I think his feet will be ok. I will just keep an eye on them to make sure they are not getting sore. The worst cuts are the ones are the ones when one of his claws actually punctures the soft part of skin between my thumb and forefinger OUCH! LOL

I think the actual wood from Maple trees is non-toxic, the problem with Red Maple is the bark can contain a bacteria which is not good for our feathered friends. I've read that as long as the bark is stripped and the wood is treated well then it should be ok.

Hope you had a great Hatchday Georgie!

What a beautiful girly, she is again! LOL, my husband has just said that this sounds like me, but you are lucky it is only in the Spring he gets it all year round monthly! How rude! LOL

Forget about an Amazons beak being a threat, it's Diego's claws that I'm becoming afraid of! I clip his nails every 3 weeks but I have to admit I don't trim them to far down just the pointy bit at the end. Only because I'm afraid of cutting too close to the blood supply. However, being a typical Amazon my arms and hands are just play things to Diego and he spends most of his time hung upside down from them. This I don't mind, however, every time he slips himself upside down he leaves a nice cut behind on my arm. Before these cuts can heal they get cut open again, so my arms and hands are constantly covered in open slash marks or scabs. It's got to the stage now where people are noticing and it always seems such a lame excuse to say my Parrot did them. LOL I've gone out and bought a cement perch today and just need some advice on it. I've stuck it in the corner he prefers to sit but was wondering if I should only use it for a week at a time and then remove it again to save his feet getting sore? Also how quickly do this perches start improving their nail length?

Good Luck for Tomorrow, keep us all posted!

I've just been given loads of Eucalyptus branches to make some toys and a new playgym. Although this wood is quite heavy, it's nice and knarly which I like. What wood would you be able to get hold off?

This has worried me a bit as Diego really does not seem keen in eating veggies unless they are mushed up. I give him fresh veggies everyday but do end up throwing them out as he will try one then leave the rest. I'm hoping that as he also eats the pellets and seeds between his mashes that this keeps his stomach muscles stronger?

Too funny Karen, and I'm with you on this one! LOL

LOL, Doh! I feel silly now thinking it was to mimic regurgitating! This is why I love this forum as I'm learning every day from it.

Just so I can prepare myself for when/if Diego does this, what is the yogurt for? Is it to mimic regurgitating back?

I've just been looking at the full spectrum lights you can get for parrots and they are exactly the same principle as the ones my mum uses. I've never looked into them before as Diego has a lot of natural sunlight with time outside everyday, plus living in Spain the sun is always shining (well almost always!). As my mum lives in England the days in the winter are very short and it starts to get dark there at 4pm, even when it is daylight during the winter months there is not much sunshine but a sky full of grey. This effects her terribly, but these special lamps really give her a boost. It makes so much sense that these lamps or some daily natural sunlight is required by parrots as they all originally belong to hot sunny countries where sunlight is such a natural occurrence. Even parrots that live in shady rainforests normally stay up high in the canopy's where the sunlight streams through.

Happy Birthday Kito, I hope she liked all her birthday treats and attention.

Hi Karen, from what I know an Amazon can show signs of becoming sexually mature much earlier, however, are not interested in mating and breeding until 5-6 years. Does she ever actually regurgitate anything or is it just the motion? Regurgitation can also be a sign of a bacteria infection in the crop, if ever she regurgitates and it smells bad then it is best to get her checked with an avian vet, however from what you have said it sounds like she is just showing you how much she loves you.

Introducing this weeks Amazon of the Week: The Blue Cheeked Amazon (Amazona Dufresniana) also known as the Dufresne's Amazon Distribution / Range There exact range in the wild is uncertain and they have been recorded from North Guyana, North East Surinam, North East French Guiana, East Venezuela in La Gran Sabana and area of Sierra de Lema, East Boliviar, Northern Amapa and Roraima. There is also a possibility that this Amazon can be found in North East Brazil, where sightings have been reported. Although there occurrence seems probable, there are no conclusive records as yet. The scarcity of records from prequently surveyed areas suggests that this is a low density and rather uncommon specicies, at least in some parts of its range. The Blue Cheeked Amazon inhabits humid forest and cloud forest in the lower subtropical zone but is also know in the Savanna Woodlands in Venezuela. In Suriname they are said to visit coastal forests in July-August apparently in response to food availability. Although there is no known population estimate for the Blue Cheeked Amazon they are listed as a Near-Threatened species on the IUCN list. Trapping for the wild bird trade and habitat loss are thought to be the main reasons for a possible decline. Natural Habitat and Breeding The Blue cheeked Amazon can be found in pairs or small flocks with larger groups at communal roost at night. They mainly keep to the forest canopy resting and feeding amongst the topmost brances of the tall forest trees during the daytime, and flies higher above the canopy than other parrots. Because of this behaviour it partially explains the scarcity of data available on this bird. At present there are no reliable records of the Blue Cheeked Amazon's preferred food, habits, breeding season, nests or clutch sizes exist. Diet Although no reliable records exist of the Blue Cheeked preferred food, it is thought to feed on tree berries and seeds. Description The Blue Cheeked Amazon is one of the larger species of Amazons weighing between 480-600g and measuring 34cm (13.3 inches). Both adults have a green body, and as their name would indicate they have bright blue cheeks that fade to a violet-blue towards the ear coverts. The forehead and crown are a mixture of orange and yellow. The beak is grey with pink/red at the base of the upper mandible. Whilst a juvenile, the beak is pale pink tinged grey. They have a very placid temperment and are less active than many other Amazons. These beautiful Amazons are very rare as a pet and therefore not much is known on their behaviour in a captive environment. Wild Call of the Blue Cheeked Amazon http://www.xeno-canto.org/sounds/uploaded/KRQYNRSSDF/AMAZDUFR_cri_petitsaut_3B-02.mp3 Further reading: http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=1672&m=0 http://www.parrots.org/index.php/encyclopedia/profile/blue_cheeked_amazon/ http://www.arkive.org/blue-cheeked-amazon/amazona-dufresniana/#text=FurtherInfo

Thanks KimKim, Diego feathers are really, really bright and his turquoise feathers are almost florescent. Every time he moves you see different tones of his colourings, when he first arrived in our family he was colourful not as vibrant as he is now, but they have changed considerably with me changing his diet. His diet is all down to Jayd who certainly knows his stuff on what to feed them. When I first got Diego he had not been weaned properly and the breeder thought that as long as he ate half an apple everyday this would be sufficient!. Now he is eating pretty much everything that I am giving him and it has made such a difference in him.

Well done Onyx, can't wait to see some updated pictures of him!

Parrots do not produce enzymes that can breakdown and digest the lactose (sugar) contained in Milk. Because this would be a foreign sugar in your parrots body, it may draw fluids into the intestinal tract which would result in diarrhoea and a build up of gas.

My mum who lives in the UK suffers from this condition where in the winter when she does not have much natural Vitamin D from natural sunlight she suffers from a mild depression. They call it SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder, my mum helps this condition by having special lamps around the house which simulate natural sunlight. This is a very interesting question about whether this can also effect our feathered friends?

I agree with this, when first deciding what bird would be best suited to our household everything I read about Zon's where that they were extremely noisy all the time! However, although Diego can be noisy sometimes, it is never ever annoying and his loud outbursts are only when there is an air of excitement going on. For example if my children get excited about something or are play wrestling, Diego joins in the fun and lets out excited loud noises as well. Or if we have friends over and the conversation gets louder, Diego also gets louder. The rest of the time he is pretty quiet, OK he chatters away but his noises are quiet and in the background. I actually find his noise comforting and will often turn down the TV so I can hear him better. The only other time Diego is slightly more noisy is first thing in the morning when we all get up and in the evening, when I say noisy it is in no way screaming or screeching but just him putting the volume up slightly. From what I have read this is a natural behaviour where in the wild they would make loud noises at these times of day to gather the flock together. With my personal experience of owning a Blue Fronted Amazon his noise levels have never even slightly bothered me.

This is my official job role in my household, a dog who constantly sneaks downstairs for a quite poop when we are not looking, 2 young boys, one who still wares nappies and the other who has accidents, an old cat who sometimes cannot control it and now Diego. I am constantly running around after my flock with either a wet wipe or a mop and bucket! It's Diego's poop that I miss which are the embarrassing ones when we have visitors, although my friends are always very polite when they sit down and come across a dry white poop on the back of the chair. LOL I know I could look at potty training Diego, but my personal feeling is that it's not natural for them to hold on to a poop but to just let them go when they need to. However, Diego never poops on people which is great, he will actually fly off have a poop then return again. This was not trained but just a natural thing he does.