bath time

Question
Hi...I just got a 6 month old Orange winged Amazon and I have tried spraying (hates it) and I have tried a bowl with water at the bottom of the cage but both things he acts terrified of ...any suggestions?

Answer
Hi,

Amazons LOVE water, so unless he was punished by his previous owners using a spray bottle- you should be able to win him over with time and patience. My Pionus (very similar to amazons in their love for water), won't bathe in a dish or in the sink... he also doesn't like spray bottles all that much. The way he likes to bathe is when I take him in the shower with me. I bought a shower perch made for birds (available at most stores, and online) that sticks to the glass or tile of your shower.  Try to position it so that it is out of the direct spray of the shower nozzle. Or, to help get him used to it... place his shower perch OUTSIDE of the shower for the first couple of trips... until he gets used to it.  Even if he doesn't like bathing under the spray of the Nozzle, he can enjoy the humidity, which is very good for his feathers and skin too. Plus- he will see that you are participating in this activity too, and that will help him get in the "mood." You can tell an amazon is getting in the mood for bathing, because they will fluff up their feathers and kind of hold their wings out (or in some cases, they will stretch their wings out fully to try and collect all the water they can!).

Here is a great article online that should help you further: http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww63eii.htm

and

http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww21e.htm

I hope this helps.

-Maggie