newly adopted 25 year old Amazon - need help :)

by **mcmalott** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:31 pm

I have recently adopted a 25 year old yellow crowned (I think) Amazon from a elderly friend of mine. I live with my husband and 3 children and we all adore him - Lamont (my friend does not know if he male or female but decided he is a he and named him lamont....) however had taken for the most part to me - I am guessing because I am the primary care giver and at home with him the most. A positive is he started talking to me the same day he moved in with us and has had no temper tantrums (he did have these with my friend).

He knows 5 or 6 words and some noises like whistling, the telephone and opera singing etc. I would like to teach him more words? Is he too old to teach new words? If not, how do I go about this?

I do let him out of his large, toy/perch filled cage during the day and while we are having dinner. He comes out on his own but I use a perch for him to step up on when I put him back - yes, I am afraid of him biting me as he has bitten someone who he did not like to the point that she probably needed a stitch or two!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. This is my first parrot and I am so excited that I want to do everything I can to make him happy and at the same time have the bird that I dream about.

by **dohcsvt** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 9:02 pm

I wish you the best with you new family member! Since he is only about halfway through hus life, I suspect you can teach him new words, but I am not familiar with these birds so I am just guessing. I am sure someone on here has more accurate info!

by **Mum2rory** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 11:09 pm

Congrats on your new birdy friend. welcome to the forum. Sorry, cant help with cockatoo advice, know very little about them.

by **liz** » Fri Sep 09, 2011 7:46 am

mcmalott wrote:I have recently adopted a 25 year old yellow crowned (I think) Amazon from a elderly friend of mine. I live with my husband and 3 children and we all adore him - Lamont (my friend does not know if he male or female but decided he is a he and named him lamont....) however had taken for the most part to me - I am guessing because I am the primary care giver and at home with him the most. A positive is he started talking to me the same day he moved in with us and has had no temper tantrums (he did have these with my friend).

He knows 5 or 6 words and some noises like whistling, the telephone and opera singing etc. I would like to teach him more words? Is he too old to teach new words? If not, how do I go about this?

I do let him out of his large, toy/perch filled cage during the day and while we are having dinner. He comes out on his own but I use a perch for him to step up on when I put him back - yes, I am afraid of him biting me as he has bitten someone who he did not like to the point that she probably needed a stitch or two!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. This is my first parrot and I am so excited that I want to do everything I can to make him happy and at the same time have the bird that I dream about.

Welcome to the forum.

I got :amazon:

Rambo about the same way. He was loved and cared for in his second home but then she could no longer keep him. He is twenty now and still learning. Rambo came to me with a vocabulary that I thought was really surprising. He calls each of us by the name we are called by others. He even has a favorite dog he calls by name.

I don't train my kids. I teach them like children. His vocabulary has increased. His sentence structure has increased and he has a better controll on his vowels.

Touch is important to all life. The more you touch the better the bond. Give him the benefit of the doubt and don't show fear. If he does bite you cover his head with your other hand and don't give a reaction as that will tell him he has control.

Rambo has only brought blood once and that was by mistake. He will clamp down to let me know he does not want to be bothered at that time. I just tell him okay and he lets go. I can put mine on my shoulder and cuddle but don't chance that until you know him better.

You should not be afraid of him but then don't let a situation occure that could cause problems.

At his age he is equivelent to a 6 year old child. What he knows is only what info he has been given. The more interaction the better. A child who is given a lot of attention learns faster than one than one who is just part of the family.

:amazon:

Rambo