my affectionate amazon acting strange

[jason1872]

hi all just hoping someone could help with some advice my loving amazon yellow who ive had for 3 years has started to act frightend of everything including me her toys everything if i persist she will let me fuss her she wants to go to bottom of her cage shes not eating much but doesnt seem sick shes just getting so spooked at everything and making a loud squawky screem at everything we have moved house recently about 3 weeks but this behaviour has only happend in the last 2 days she is 15 and generally really affectionate please help

[Pajarita]

Take her to an avian vet asap. A bird which stays at the bottom of the cage, seems apprehensive of anybody approaching her (parrots like to hide when they are not feeling well and anything/anybody that approaches/startles them would make them react with apprehension/fear as any prey animal which is feeling particularly vulnerable), added that to the fact that she is not eating well and, in my personal opinion, you have only one possible scenario: sickness. I hope I am wrong but, if I were you, I would take her to an emergency clinic.

[jason1872]

Hi thank you so much for your reply I will ttake her to a vet she is out at mo on top of her cage and I hand fed her and gave her some water but when I try to give her a fuss she screems at me I hope shes not ill was hoping it was more the move there is a lot of shadows in this new lounge she seems content on her perch on top of cage until shes aproached

[jason1872]

Hi thank you so much for your reply I will ttake her to a vet she is out at mo on top of her cage and I hand fed her and gave her some water but when I try to give her a fuss she screems at me I hope shes not ill was hoping it was more the move there is a lot of shadows in this new lounge she seems content on her perch on top of cage until shes aproached

[Pajarita]

The move could have triggered it because birds hide their symptoms until they are really, really sick and a bird that is trying to fight off something will lose the battle and go downhill fast when there is an unusual amount of stress (which a move will create). Now, if by content you mean, perching there and staying put, I am afraid that it doesn't necessarily have to mean that. Parrots do 'stay put' and appear to be 'chilling' when they are sick -they don't move around, they don't vocalize, they don't forage, etc. She is 15 and amazons really don't do well in captivity unless one is extremely careful about their diet (they are much more prone to have liver, kidney and cardio vascular issues than most other species) and most people don't realize this and free-feed them high protein food which is, most likely, what happened to her for most of her life.

[jason1872]

Thanks for your reply she is moving aroung shes eating and preening she comes out I just cant go near her she flew on floor yesterday so I had to get her on my arm which she did and I hsd half hour cuddle and kisses bet when she went back on her cage couldnt go near her again its strange really dont think shes ill I know birds hide it well.... I think its shadows as there are a lot in this new lounge maybe she thinks im a predator when I go near her?? We have a large kitchen diner do you think she would be ok in there as its got no shadows and a social place

[Pajarita]

A kitchen is the worst place for a bird unless nobody ever cooks in it - it has to do with fumes and steam that carries fat in it (think of how grimy the cabinets get and imagine all that crap getting deposited inside their lungs and air sacs.

Why don't you put a good overhead light where she is kept? One of my senegals lives in the dining room and there is a fixture with good light in there but, because it's right above the table and her cage is in a niche with a large window, she doesn't get the full benefit of it so I put a butterfly ceiling hook above her cage and hang two spot lights with full spectrum bulbs in them.

But birds can see much, much, much better than we do so I doubt she can't tell it's you -unless she is developing cataracts... When was the last time she had a check-up at the vet? Because, at 15, she should be having one every year.

[jason1872]

about 18 months ago we had a little break through my son who is 14 can go to her cage and she will go to him but when i try she gets possesed screaming and all sorts i dont know what ive done but shes fallen out with me i wont put her in dining room it was just a last resort i was probably panicking too much ill just have to keep trying to win her round again i hope she does

[doubleyellowdude]

hi, I've owned mine for 26+yrs got it as a chick, I've found low light really effects their vision, this as well as the move could have made her distrust you, they're very intelligent and get jealous some times for no reason, you have to be a bird brain sometimes to get in their heads, give her time, let her come to you, don't force it, again they're very smart and can even be manipulative.

i guess I wont win any cudoes for the maniputive comment eh