# Macaw seems scared of everything?



## AraCyanea (May 30, 2011)

So as a few of you know I got a Macaw on the weekend. He seems to be scared of everything, I understand he is still getting use to the environment. 

Been trying to get him to step up and almost did yesterday once or twice then insisted on trying to bite after.

Again not to long ago today, he tried to get my shirt to lift up and bite me.

Need to get chopsticks but he will probably go mad at first.

Any tips?


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Gods, give him five minutes to settle in!


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## rach666 (Dec 12, 2006)

Birds are very sensitive and take a while to settle with new owners,the best thing you can do it just let him do stuff in his own time.move his cage to where you sit and just talk to him quietly and feed him treats through the cage for a while until he is used to you...Rushing him to do things after a few days isn't the way to go.


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## AraCyanea (May 30, 2011)

Ron Magpie said:


> Gods, give him five minutes to settle in!


I said I know he needs to, would appreciate anything that could help him settle in better.

Or maybe I was best off not bothering to put anything as I should have expected it on here.




rach666 said:


> Birds are very sensitive and take a while to settle with new owners,the best thing you can do it just let him do stuff in his own time.move his cage to where you sit and just talk to him quietly and feed him treats through the cage for a while until he is used to you...Rushing him to do things after a few days isn't the way to go.


Funny thing, he hasn't got a cage and he's never been in one. But, feeding him treats, talking to him and all that, I am doing.

He allows me right next to him, but if I go to touch him or try get him to step up, which he almost did yesterday, he will just back off.

I am not trying to rush him, as mentioned above, just wanted any tips to help him settle quicker or ways to get him to trust us.

It's more the fact he seems to be scared of something, can't figure out what. He is halfly to flapping his wings in a scared motion with his body tilted sidewards and all that.


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

He's got a lot to process; new sights, sounds, smells- and especially new people. Give him a little bit of peace for a few days, moving fairly slowly if you _must_ approach him and speaking to him gently. I'd advise to leave the handling out completely at this stage, although if there is some food treat that you know he especially likes, it's worth offering it to him by hand. Although he is obviously used to being handled, he's not used to being handled by *you*, in a strange place. These are highly intelligent, highly individual birds; with them trust is _earned_, not forced.


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## Shellsfeathers&fur (Jan 18, 2009)

x-istealbears said:


> I said I know he needs to, would appreciate anything that could help him settle in better.
> 
> Or maybe I was best off not bothering to put anything as I should have expected it on here.
> 
> ...


He will be scared of everything - he is in a totally new environment.

Is he wing clipped?


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## AraCyanea (May 30, 2011)

Stephen P said:


> He will be scared of everything - he is in a totally new environment.
> 
> Is he wing clipped?


Well, he seems to be scared of something when he's on his perch. When he comes off the perch, he is not as bad to get him to step up.

Nope, his wings are not clipped.


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

have a look around Anns website and like her facebook page. she really is very clever when it comes to Parrot training and behaviour.

The Bird School for Parrots by Ann Castro | Welcome | Caring for Parrots | Parrot Behavior | The Bird School by Ann Castro

john


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## samurai (Sep 9, 2009)

Arcadiajohn said:


> have a look around Anns website and like her facebook page. she really is very clever when it comes to Parrot training and behaviour.
> 
> The Bird School for Parrots by Ann Castro | Welcome | Caring for Parrots | Parrot Behavior | The Bird School by Ann Castro
> 
> john


 I hadn't thought to look her up although I came across her books on Amazon, they only had kindle versions and I don't have a kindle so hadn't looked again


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## AraCyanea (May 30, 2011)

Arcadiajohn said:


> have a look around Anns website and like her facebook page. she really is very clever when it comes to Parrot training and behaviour.
> 
> The Bird School for Parrots by Ann Castro | Welcome | Caring for Parrots | Parrot Behavior | The Bird School by Ann Castro
> 
> john


Thanks for the link, I am reading this now and see what's there. : victory:


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## samurai (Sep 9, 2009)

I like birdtricks.com also (although I haven't bought their dvds yet), there are so many helpful videos if you search you tube  killiparrot is good too

I'd be scared if I only been in a new house for 3 or 4 days, especially as he's 10 and would be very used to his previous routine. I know it must be hard restraining yourself from interacting with him too much (I can imagine your excitement at getting him ) but I'd aim to do everything at a pace he appears comfortable with. You don't need to rush into getting him to step up straight away, I'd aim for him taking some treats from your hand or putting a treat in his bowl when you approach his stand so he starts to look forward to you approaching. Try and work out what his favourite food is and remove it from his main meals so he only gets it when you are around.
He'll hopefully be around for the rest of your life so you have lots of time to build on your relationship


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## AraCyanea (May 30, 2011)

samurai said:


> I like birdtricks.com also (although I haven't bought their dvds yet), there are so many helpful videos if you search you tube  killiparrot is good too
> 
> I'd be scared if I only been in a new house for 3 or 4 days, especially as he's 10 and would be very used to his previous routine. I know it must be hard restraining yourself from interacting with him too much (I can imagine your excitement at getting him ) but I'd aim to do everything at a pace he appears comfortable with. You don't need to rush into getting him to step up straight away, I'd aim for him taking some treats from your hand or putting a treat in his bowl when you approach his stand so he starts to look forward to you approaching. Try and work out what his favourite food is and remove it from his main meals so he only gets it when you are around.
> He'll hopefully be around for the rest of your life so you have lots of time to build on your relationship


I have been watching birdtricks.com for well over a year :lol2:

I keep up to date with them pretty well.

Kiliparrot, I have seen him once or twice but not done huge amount which I could do I guess.

You're right, it's so hard, but I am taking it slowly. He's fine at taking treats, though now an then he'll try to bite me, but I am trying to get him use to the clicker.


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## samurai (Sep 9, 2009)

Just my own opinion so not sure if this is right or not (although I have read about small cages causing an aggressive response for the same reason) but only having one perch and nothing else means he is very limited with his choices so he has to bite to see you off as he has no where to go. Even though he is fully flighted he probably doesn't feel brave enough to leave the only familiar place he has available and I don't think large Macaws tend to fly much unless the space is available to them, they tend to beak climb everywhere and he can't do that with just one perch (I know you said you will be getting him more to do when you have the money).

Have you tried the power pause technique? and just putting treats in his bowl so he's not practising trying to bite you while getting used to having you around.


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## AraCyanea (May 30, 2011)

samurai said:


> Just my own opinion so not sure if this is right or not (although I have read about small cages causing an aggressive response for the same reason) but only having one perch and nothing else means he is very limited with his choices so he has to bite to see you off as he has no where to go. Even though he is fully flighted he probably doesn't feel brave enough to leave the only familiar place he has available and I don't think large Macaws tend to fly much unless the space is available to them, they tend to beak climb everywhere and he can't do that with just one perch (I know you said you will be getting him more to do when you have the money).
> 
> Have you tried the power pause technique? and just putting treats in his bowl so he's not practising trying to bite you while getting used to having you around.


I completely forgot about that technique!

It helped a little with the Meyers, then he went backwards again soon after.

I shall try this with George as it could help to at least fluff his head.


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