FoxersArtist
09-02-2008, 10:22 PM
After doing everything in my ability to attempt to distance myself from our 4 hoarded birds until a decision is made about their future care, my curiosity finally got the best of me and I decided that I just have to discover who my guests are. I am usually pretty quick to introduce our fosters to a different lifestyle but I think in this case, a few months to relax and settle in has been very good for these guys and me. Of all of the macaws I have ever worked with, these are probably the most wild and fearful, but they are already making great progress.
Ronnie & Rain came to us as a pair but I observed right away that they did not get along. I seperated them and they seemed to almost instantly improve. When these guys arrived, there was such a sense of hostility built into them and they did not seem to associate one another as part of a community flock. Over the past few months, they have been getting to know one another and because their space has been respected, probably for the first time, a lot of those aggression issues are melting away.
About a week ago I had a real break through with Ronnie. After much coaxing, I was able to step him up and discovered that he is very good natured and really wants to be touched, despite his nervious behaviors. I started working with him to get him used to having his beak and feet touched and he seems to enjoy preening my fingers. Stepping up without first fleeing will be a major stepping stone in his progress but I am confident that we will get there eventually, especially since he is willing to use his beak as a last resort defense.
About half a week ago I had both Ronnie and Sadie (the lone macaw) out in their room but on seperate perches. I went away for a little while to do something else and when I returned to check on them, the two of them were found cuddling and preening each other. I observed that anxiety levels in both birds were greatly reduced while they were together, so I have left them together ever since. Their positive energy for each other has not only affected their progress as individuals, but the progress of the other birds in the room. Because the pair is very mellow together, I would really like to work with them individually to get them used to being handled but the possibility of keeping them together in a non breeding environment seems like it could be very benificial to them as well as their future caretaker.
Rain, who is now the lone bird out is also making progress. Like Ronnie, she really wants to step up but is very nervious. She will put on foot on an arm but them flee the scene. I would like to provide her the opportunity to be left out on a play gym fir the majority of the day so that she can learn what it means to be part of a human flock, but I have decided not to do that until she becomes a little more secure with her environment. She is stepping up when she is on the floor but tries to run away. Once she steps up, she is pretty curious and interactive and I think that is a great starting point to be able to work from.
Pistachio - what a love! He is still showing a lot of fearful behavior while in his cage but has been stepping up. He is jumpy until he can find a quiet place to snuggle with his person and then he just melts! He is talking up a storm, as I have mentioned in another post and just rattles on an on the new words he has learned. He is still plucking just as badly as when he arrived and I am not sure that he will ever quit, but I am still determind to give it my best shot. He really has a passion for colorful food and likes to pick all of the pellets out of his seed mix before enjoying any of the other goodies. I am hoping that this source of nutrition will be helpful in his plucking and overall mood, but we will see what the following months bring. One thing we have learned for certain, pistachio is out for blood when he is near another male. I am hoping that thisis partly due to high hormone levels and that he will mellow out a little bit once his body is more balanced, but one thing is for sure, there is likely to be a pretty girl in his future.
From all I have heard, Peppermint Patty is doing well. The other rescue says that she is doing well and has decided to step up for one of their volunteers. I have no reason to doubt the validity of that update and am praying that the rescue worker talks them into letting him have her when this mess is sorted out. That would certainly be a happy ending to my very upsetting experience with them taking her.
I sure wish I had a camera so I could post new photos. Sadie & Rain were in the shower with me this morning and Sadie did the shower dance for the first time. She stretched out both wings and put one of them around her new boyfriend, Ronnie. They were so cute together, all soaking wet, and I would have loved to capture the moment. If my camera doesn't turn up soon, we'll have to see about replacing it, since I'm going completely bonkers without it.
-Anna
Ronnie & Rain came to us as a pair but I observed right away that they did not get along. I seperated them and they seemed to almost instantly improve. When these guys arrived, there was such a sense of hostility built into them and they did not seem to associate one another as part of a community flock. Over the past few months, they have been getting to know one another and because their space has been respected, probably for the first time, a lot of those aggression issues are melting away.
About a week ago I had a real break through with Ronnie. After much coaxing, I was able to step him up and discovered that he is very good natured and really wants to be touched, despite his nervious behaviors. I started working with him to get him used to having his beak and feet touched and he seems to enjoy preening my fingers. Stepping up without first fleeing will be a major stepping stone in his progress but I am confident that we will get there eventually, especially since he is willing to use his beak as a last resort defense.
About half a week ago I had both Ronnie and Sadie (the lone macaw) out in their room but on seperate perches. I went away for a little while to do something else and when I returned to check on them, the two of them were found cuddling and preening each other. I observed that anxiety levels in both birds were greatly reduced while they were together, so I have left them together ever since. Their positive energy for each other has not only affected their progress as individuals, but the progress of the other birds in the room. Because the pair is very mellow together, I would really like to work with them individually to get them used to being handled but the possibility of keeping them together in a non breeding environment seems like it could be very benificial to them as well as their future caretaker.
Rain, who is now the lone bird out is also making progress. Like Ronnie, she really wants to step up but is very nervious. She will put on foot on an arm but them flee the scene. I would like to provide her the opportunity to be left out on a play gym fir the majority of the day so that she can learn what it means to be part of a human flock, but I have decided not to do that until she becomes a little more secure with her environment. She is stepping up when she is on the floor but tries to run away. Once she steps up, she is pretty curious and interactive and I think that is a great starting point to be able to work from.
Pistachio - what a love! He is still showing a lot of fearful behavior while in his cage but has been stepping up. He is jumpy until he can find a quiet place to snuggle with his person and then he just melts! He is talking up a storm, as I have mentioned in another post and just rattles on an on the new words he has learned. He is still plucking just as badly as when he arrived and I am not sure that he will ever quit, but I am still determind to give it my best shot. He really has a passion for colorful food and likes to pick all of the pellets out of his seed mix before enjoying any of the other goodies. I am hoping that this source of nutrition will be helpful in his plucking and overall mood, but we will see what the following months bring. One thing we have learned for certain, pistachio is out for blood when he is near another male. I am hoping that thisis partly due to high hormone levels and that he will mellow out a little bit once his body is more balanced, but one thing is for sure, there is likely to be a pretty girl in his future.
From all I have heard, Peppermint Patty is doing well. The other rescue says that she is doing well and has decided to step up for one of their volunteers. I have no reason to doubt the validity of that update and am praying that the rescue worker talks them into letting him have her when this mess is sorted out. That would certainly be a happy ending to my very upsetting experience with them taking her.
I sure wish I had a camera so I could post new photos. Sadie & Rain were in the shower with me this morning and Sadie did the shower dance for the first time. She stretched out both wings and put one of them around her new boyfriend, Ronnie. They were so cute together, all soaking wet, and I would have loved to capture the moment. If my camera doesn't turn up soon, we'll have to see about replacing it, since I'm going completely bonkers without it.
-Anna