How do I gain my newly adopted macaws trust?

Question
Hi Maggie.
I hope you can help me.I'm the proud owner of a sweet & gentle Amazon.I've always wanted a macaw.So I recently adopted a 6 yr.old Severe. He was owned by a family,similar to mine.But he was a one-man bird-the rest of the family being terrified of him. He's gorgeous & mimics his "old" families sayings. He'll take treats from me & "talk"to me.But he doesn't trust me or vice versa.He just about took my finger off at his old house,for apparently no reason.This was after he stepped up and checked me out w/no incident.He's not been played with very much lately because of work schedule's and I have nothing but time,to work with him. I love him,but honestly the thought of getting bitten again (which happened when I brought him home)is a scary thought.Is there anything I can do to soothe his nerves over his transition? How do I gain his trust? I know he'll be better off here,than where he was. Oh and on top of this,he's fully flighted,so until I know he won't bite, I can't take him to have his wings clipped.
Any suggestions at all would be heavenly.
Thanks a million,
PJ

Answer
Hi PJ,

I would first recommend toweling your new macaw (if handled in a towel correctly, you can minimize the bird's stress and avoid being bitten) and getting him in a carrier and to the vet for a wing trim and a new-bird exam.

Hopefully (since you have another bird), you have been keeping the two separated during the recommended quarantine period. You can find a vet near you here:

http://www.parrotpro.com/avianlst.htm

or

www.aav.org

And you can read about quarantine here:

http://www.parrothouse.com/quarantine.html

As far as the taming goes, hopefully some of these articles will help you:

http://www.netpets.org/birds/reference/behavioral/bitingparrots.html

http://www.quakerparrots.com/qtips/taming_frightened.htm

http://www.parrothouse.com/jdoss1.html

http://www.parrothouse.com/pamelaclark/secondhand.html

http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww12eii.htm

http://www3.upatsix.com/liz/articles/socialization.html

I would also recommend the book "The Beak Book" by Sally Blanchard (it is all about biting and aggressive behavior in parrots. You can buy it on her website at: www.companionparrot.com or through online stores like amazon.com

I hope this helps.

-Maggie