Hello from Max and Martin from Colorado

[martin/max]

Hello, Max is my 17 yr old yellow headed amazon. We have been together for only a week. I am his 2nd caregiver, I don't like to say owner. Cause he or she is more of a friend. Max has been hand tamed but is still not ready to step up. I think maybe its cause I'm afraid of getting bit and loosing what trust we have so far.
I raised cockatiels years ago with my ex. But Max is my first large bird. So I consider myself novist to the large birds.
Will we just wanted yo say hello !

[Wolf]

I know that you have only had Max for a week and have not had much chance to go over his schedule, lighting schedule or diet, but you really need max to be on as natural of a light schedule as you can manage. He needs the exact same light schedule as the birds outside beginning with full exposure to the predawn twilight period followed by waking up naturally with the rising of the sun and then again full exposure to the twilight period of dusk fading into full dark by which time he should be fast asleep. This is very important to reset his internal biological clock if it is off and to keep it in tune with the seasons so that you do not have to contend with a highly hormonally aggressive male Amazon attacking you or someone else. They can do a lot of damage and they don't bite just once they keep coming.
You also need to feed a low protein diet as protein is used to manufacture the hormones and too much can prevent the bird from leaving the breeding cycle.

[Pajarita]

Welcome, Max and Martin! Wolf is right, when it comes to amazons (as well as other aggressive species), a strict solar schedule is pretty much indispensable. Now, you say Yellow Headed but which kind? Double yellow, crown or nape? Has he gone for a complete physical? Because, if he (has been DNA'd a male?) hasn't within the last 6 monts, he needs one. Amazons are very prone to fatty liver disease and, unfortunately for them, we did not know how to feed them correctly until very recently...

[liz]

My Amazons don't bite but I have been bit by big birds before. Both times they drew blood but both times they bit as a reaction to something that was going on. My last time was a Macaw who smashed my finger nail and popped blood under it. I was stroking his beak when the Cockatoo beside him let out a scream. He did not mean to. I just had my finger near his mouth when he got scared.
Keep in mind that they do not bite just to be biting. It is a response to something you don't see and he can't tell you.