Orange Winged Amazon RE: Rescue

Question
I recently acquired this lovely bird. I went to visit a friend who had htis bird for 8 years. The bird was loved deeply but the care of its eating habit was horrible as well as the cage conditions. The couple seperated and she was left w/ the bird. She stated she jsut couldnt keep up w/ him and from out of the blue, the previous owner asked if I wanted the bird. I hesitated at 1st but decided to take him b/c I didnt want to see him suffer.

His prior living conditions included a 2ft X 3ft cage, 1 perch, and soiled floor. He only had 1 perch which was 6 inches long. His eating habits included human food, and salted peanuts. His chest feathers are very small and look horrible. I purchased a 5ft X 5ft cage for him, bought him toys, changed his diet, and even sprayed him w/ a water bottle to help him preen himself.

Since we had him (only 2 days), he has been eating fresh veggies, fresh fruits, bird food for his species. He is now constantly cleaning himself, and he is very vocal. He is also very loving and wants to be scratched, petted, and loved on most of the time. I know we did a wonderful thing to 'rescue' this most loving bird.

How do I know if he has mites or lice? He is constantly cleaning himself. His beak is very smooth and clean--no 'crusties' around the eyes or nose area. He has actually taken an interest in grooming himself.

I dare to say his feathers on his chest and under his wings were matted as they looked dried out, small,and there was absolutely no coloring to his feathers until after I gently misted him w/ the water bottle (which he loves). Do I continue to do this every day until he begins to look like my conure? I called the vet, and it will cost 80.00 - 100.00 for a bath for him plus they will do a check up on him for an additional 60.00  I just do not have the money right now to do this as I forked out 250.00 to purchase the needed items.

He doesnt look sick and he is extremely active and vocal.

Any advice you offer will be greatly appreciated. Thank You.

Answer
What a good job you're doing already.  Let's assume there are no mites or parasites (if he was an indoor bird it would be a low likelihood).

 Please take a look at my site to get an overview of ideal feeding and care though  

  www.4AnimalCare.org  (click on 'birds')

What area of the country are you in (city/state) ?  Sometimes I can find 'rescue friendly' vets to do an exam for a lot less, or even free.

 Check my site and you should find an option to email me on the "About Us" page.  Just put 'all experts' in the subject line.