ben the amazon.

Question
hi there. i own a two year old amazon parrot. you can pick him up but he growls at you. he will happily sit on my shoulder but still growl when you try do anything with him. i think half the reason was because the previous owner gave him to me because he couldnt handle him. the owner before would let him out the cage but to get him back in they would throw a towwel over him, which i think has spooked him. please help. i really want to make him a freindly bird

Answer
Hello. It sounds like your amazon will calm down with gentle handling and a lot of patience. It does sounds like the previous owner has made him very timid by throwing towels over him and who knows what else they did that may have frightened him. The good thing is that your bird is just growling, this may seem bad but parrots can be so dangerous and some of them hate handling so much that they will bite and attack. A bite from a parrot can be very dangerous as their beaks are so sharp.

There are things you can do to make him friendly. Firstly he has to learn to trust you and learn not to fear you. This will take a lot of time and patience. Always be nice to your bird, never hit it or should at it. This will make a scared bird even more scared. I would advise you not to let your bird on your shoulder as this can be very dangerous. It may look cool but there are many people that have lost eyes, ears and have had to have plastic surgery because a parrot bit their face! Also him being on your shoulder is telling him that he is dominant over you as he is higher up. You don't want that as it can cause behavioral problems and you may end up with a bird that's even harder to handle.

The most important command that you can teach your bird is to step up. This will allow you to put him back in the cage without having to use towels. If you place your arm against the bird's chest and say up, eventually it will learn to step up on command.You should use treats or praise as rewards. You can then use a technique called laddering which involves getting the bird to step onto you arm and then the other. This training helps with aggression. If you keep your bird on your arm when handling it will be a lot safer for you both. Keep your elbow tucked in tight at your side so that your bird can't climb onto your shoulder. You can then try to stroke it on the head with no risk of it biting your face. Eventually he should get used to the handling but he may still be nervous for years to come. It's important to always treat him with kindness as it's very hard to overcome fear that has been caused by the previous owners. It sounds like he has got a better home now. Spend lots of time with him, play games with him, talk to him, share your food with him. He will soon learn that its fun to be around you and will enjoy spending time with you. If you have a lot of time and patience then you should end up with a happy bird. Good luck and if you have any more questions feel free to contact me.