Ozzie the red-lored Amazon

[BSD]

We've been wanting to add a parrot to our family for quite some time, and over the weekend we found the perfect little guy at a bird show in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. His name is Ozzie (Oz) and it was easy to pick him as I think he picked us too. He is only 4 months old but from the first day bringing him home (2 days ago) he has been very active, stepping up every time we ask him to, and very sweet - expecting his head scratches at bed time. After being gone for about 5 hours today (fairly long time for me as I am fortunate enough to work from home) he greeted me with this sweet little noise and dance upon getting him out of his cage. He seems to do this when he is excited or showing love/appreciation. Can anyone confirm this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz59yAFvHS0&feature=youtu.be

[Pajarita]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new baby! I am sorry to pop your balloon but what he is doing is begging for food. The greatest majority of commercial breeders have the bad habit of weaning babies too fast and too early and, sometimes, the birds end up showing aberrant behaviors the rest of their lives or having an eating disorder. Begging like a baby is one of them. They also do it when they want attention or love but the root is the fact that they were kept hungry when babies. You are feeding it soft foods, right? Because, at four months of age, an amazon is still a very young baby and needs to get fresh, warm food served twice a day as well as fruit, veggie, leafy green and a protein source - personally, I would also handfeed it at least once a day. In case you don't know, soft food is just what the name implies, food that is soft and easy to eat and digest -think a toddler's food compared to an adult's food. Examples are gloop, polenta, couscous, pastina, steel cut oats, etc cooked and mixed with either baby food [from the supermarket jars] or pureed/finely chopped veggies. I recommend you start it now on a good diet because this is the best time to teach them to eat properly [which, I am sorry to say, does not mean commercial food].