McCaws

Question
My step mom has a McCaw and it hasnt really been around any one but her for the last year - now that i have seen it i am amazed - it will let me give is pennies so that he can shuffle them with his tongue - when i do this he is very careful- well he runs towards me to scare me sometimes to see what i will do - how do i get him comfortable enough to step up onto my arm?
and how do i keep him from trying to sppok me?

Answer
Hello Andrew,

It sounds like you are doing a good job of making friends with your stepmom's macaw. I can give you some times on training him but first I want to address the pennies. It's great that you have developed a game to play with him, however a bird that plays with metal can get metal toxicity. It is better to use bird safe toys so that your macaw does not get sick. My website has links to some of my favorite online bird stores. You'll find good parrot toys that you can enjoy with your bird.

The running towards you is very typical macaw. He is testing you and your reaction is very important. You need to determine his intention. Does he want you to leave? - Then if you leave you will be rewarding the behavior. The best reaction for this is no reaction, act as if nothing happened. This will make his game less fun.

Here is a link to my past answer that will help you with training. I encourage you to continue to learn more about his behavior and training. I have links on my website that can get you started.

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Parrots-1638/PLEASE-HELP-2.htm

Enjoy your new friend!

Jennifer
www.feathersandscales.com