Finally

[Tycos_mom]

Gizmo (Severe Macaw) is coming out of hiis cage by himself. I decided 2 weeks ago that I wasn't going to push him at all and just let him do what he felt like doing. I've sit by his cage and talk to him everyday for about a hour mabie a little more I do 15 every hour and a half. Today he came out Twice when I came to keep him company. I keep telling him to come with me to the other room where all the other birds are. I say come on lets go. and then he says come on lets go but so far he won't step up so we actually can go. I think now that he's actually coming out of his cage he will start getting brave enough todo other things as well. He calls for me now when I'm not with him he yells MOM MOM and of course I yell back I'm here don't worry I'll come and see you soon. Its not much of an update I'm afraid he's still not eating much in the way of fruita and veggie's he love's eggs so I did add some chopped broccoli to his scrambled eggs today and at least he did eat some of it. I have also tryed other things like birdy muffins and breads but he won't touch them. he is one fussy little bird let me tell you.

I must say his feathers look absolutly gorgous now with regular baths. He also loves head and neck scritches and asks for them everytime I'm with him when he want me to scritch him he will put his foot on the very top of his head and rub his head. He also likes me to rub his beak and he will put his foot around his beak and rub his beak to show me what he wants its very cute the way he tells me what he want it makes me smile everytime. I've never met a bird that is so expressive its almost like he uses sign language to get things accross to me. anyway thats it for now I'll update you again when thing start progressing more.

[casper]

That is a wonderful update Pat. Gizmo is doing so well and has come on in leaps and bounds! He sounds quite a character!

Im sure the diet will come in time, you have done a wonderful job.

He looks so beautiful on the picture, thanks for sharing this with us.

[Luvparrots]

Pat, Gizmo is just gorgeous now. Such a lucky guy to have found a forever home with such a loving and caring person. I sure luv hearing about him. Thanks for sharing this lovely guy with us!

[LindaMary]

What a great update, Pat! He looks just beautiful now, and I'm sure that eating issue will eventually change. He just seems like a guy who does things at his own pace - and look how your patience has paid off already! If you think about it you really haven't had him that long yet, and what a differnece in his looks and behavior. You deserve a huge pat on the back! {Feel-good-000200BB}

 

And guess what - Tanner's coming out of his cage by himself now, too - in fact that's the first thing he wants to do when I come into the room: once I open his cage door he crawls around over his food dish and onto the door, and then wants to step up on my hand from there. Yesterday he stepped up on my hand from inside his cage for the first time, but that's still scary for him. Outside his cage he wants to be on a shoulder all the time, and is usually pretty well-behaved up there (altho yesterday for some reason he was having a bad hair day and being way too beaky so I kept putting him back on my hands). The beak rubs and head scritches - I wonder if it's especially a macaw thing, because Tanner just loves that, too. I've been misting him a little every other day , and getting him damper each time, and he's finally starting to learn that the world doesn't end when that bottle appears. He's a fruit junkie - bananas, apples, papaya, pomegranate, cranberries - and will eat edamame and carrots. Maybe his biggest progress, tho, is that he seems to be learning that he gets more attention if he speaks softly ("Hello", "Hi" or a soft macaw sound) than if he emits those ear-shattering macaw shrieks. What I really like are the crow-like croaking sounds he makes when he's happy.

 

Only one more week in quarantine - I can't wait to get him and Max in the same room where they can see each other. They are talking back and forth a bit, and Max now says "hello" much more often because she's seeing it gets someone else some attention, I suppose! I even heard her say "Hey Tanner" once!

 

Well, I didn't mean to take over your thread - yikes - got carried away. :blush: I hope you don't mind - it is fun to see what "the other Severe" is up to - they do seem to share a lot of behaviors. Keep up the good work, Pat. You rock!

[Tycos_mom]

I definatly don't mind take over all you want I just love to hear about Tanner he's doing great. you also deserve a pat an the back he's really come along way since you've had him. Gizmo Has learned to whisper its the cutestest thing I've ever heard in my life. He says shh not to loud Ilaughed my head off the firt time he did that. They really are nice birds I just wish Gizmo wasn't so cage protective. He's getting there but very slowly. I also noticed that his legband say 12 01 which makes hiim older than I was told. I was told he was 6 years old but he's 8 yrs old this month happy hatchday Gizmo. So now I'm wondering how long he's really been locked in a cage. From his owner she told me that it was only 1 1/2 years but my friend that told me about him in the first place said it was at least 3 years mabie longer. apparently the owner tryed for a very long time to find a home for him and no one would take him so who knows what other problems I'm in store for. Oh well I'm always up for a challenge. Tyco took 7 months for her to even let me touch her. so I'm sure gizmo will come around eventually also It just might take a couple of years. when he finally does though I think he will be a very nice bird he's not mean at all even when he bites he doesn't put the pressure on its just like his way of saying I'm not comfortable with that yet so please stop. he's going to be a good bird some day.

[LindaMary]

It sounds like Gizmo keeps making steady progress - just maybe not on the agenda you have in mind! He's interested in learning new vocals, you're interetsed in getting him away from his cage more. I'll bet you are right and he is going to really shine six months from now - can't wait to hear what you have to say about him then! What he has accomplished is especially impressive given that he's even older than you thought - and may have been cage bound twice as long as you thought. Bravo, Gizmo-buddy. I LOVE the whispering - maybe I can teach Tanner that???

 

Tanner kinda backslid this weekend - he spent an hour on top of his cage on Saturday and I'm thinking it went to his head. Now if he's on my shoulder he's beaking way too hard and kind of pecking my head. He used to kind of use my ears as a handle - would hold on as he shifted positions, but not too hard - but he's started chomping down harder now, and it's a different attitude. :pinch: So for the time being he is off the shoulder and back on hands only till he re-learns who's the boss in my house:angry: . It's interesting tho - he's already learned that the rules are new, and doesn't try scrabbling up my arm immediately when I pick him up from his cage door. He IS a smart one - but looks like he's going to be my wild child - going to need a steady hand on the reins, so to speak!

[Tycos_mom]

Yeah I understand about wild children Gizmo still trys to grab at my hand every time I go to scritch him even though he wants it so badley I have to remind him that if he does that I'll go away then he's fine and stops trying. Ge;s so much nicer when he's not in that cage of his when he's on top of his cage he doesn't even try to grab my hand its just that darn cage he thinks he has to protect it at all costs. Some times I think I should take his cage away from him and let him just stay on the play stand. I know it wouldn't be a very nice thing to do to him but it would get him used to being out of that cage.