The beautiful green wing macaw has also been reffered to as the gentle giant of the bird world.  This gorgeous and loveable creature can make a great pet for your household.  However it’s important to note that to get a green wing macaw to be that loveable pet you desire it requires a lot of time and energy!

The green wing’s scientific name is Ara Chloroptera and is a member of the psittacidae genera.  The green wing is the 2nd largest in the family of macaws and can weigh in at up to 2lbs.

Some common problems that some green wing macaw owners run into are the following:

• Screaming
• Biting
• Feather Plucking

These can be caused by a wide range of things but often times there are realatively simple solutions to your problem.  Things that should be investigated first are, their diet, the amount of sleep they are getting, quality of their environment, and amount of time spent being stimulated by you.

Socialization at a young age is very important for these parrots as well as any other.  You should be spending time with them on a daily basis and trying to expose them to new situations that stimulate them every day.  The more things they experience at a young age the less they will be frightened by new things as they get older because they are used to “new things.”

Great ways to socialize them is to have new people always come in and say hi.  If they’re comfortable with it you should also have your guests pick up your green wing macaw.  Another great thing to do is get a suitable sized travel carrier and take them for a car ride or a walk in the park.  This is also a great time to teach them new words because they are highly stimulated.

Your green wing macaw can make a great friend for you and your family if raised correctly.  It’s also very possible to fix any problems that your bird might already have.  Play a little detective work to figure out what might be causing your bird to act the way they are.  Then take the neccessary steps to remove the problem or train them through it. Caring for a green wing macaw is a big job but with a little work and a lot of love you should be great.

All parrots, regardless of the species, are prone to a few behavior problems.  That being said, parrot behavior problems can be nipped in the bud if you know what to expect.

Feather Plucking – Many beautiful parrots are known to pull out their feathers leaving their beautiful plumage in a heap at the bottom of their cage.  So what do you do if your parrot is prone to feather plucking?  Your first step is to take them to the avian veterinarian to rule out any medical issues.  Once any medical issues are ruled out, your next step is going to be to play detective. 

Many parrots are fearful and easy stressed.  They’re sensitive to changes in their environment.  Loud sounds, noisy environments and chaos all make them feel vulnerable.  The result – feather plucking.  Socialize your parrot and use trick training to form a bond of trust.   

Not enough room to roam.  Too small of a cage and your parrot can feel trapped.  They won’t be able to stretch their wings or exercise and feather plucking can result. 

Not enough sunshine.  All parrots need natural sunlight or artificial full spectrum lighting to create vitamin K which they need for healthy skin and feathers.  Not enough sunlight can cause feather plucking.

Screaming

In the wild parrot behavior is very social. They use their voices to warn others of danger.  They use their voices to show when they’re excited and to communicate.  That being said, screaming can quickly become a habit.  To stop your bird from exhibiting this common parrot behavior, first determine what’s causing it.

Illness and nutrition.  The cleanliness of your parrot’s cage, the freshness of their food and water, and making sure they’re getting enough sleep and the proper nutrients are all extremely important. 

Boredom is one of the most common causes of screaming.  It’s a great way to get your attention and to get you to let them out of their cage, right?  Don’t let your parrot become bored.  Offer them an abundance of toys while you’re gone.  Spend time with them outside the cage during the day and initiate a training program to stimulate their mind.  Parrots are very smart animals. 

Jealousy can be an issue for some parrots.  You’ll find they scream when you’re paying attention to someone they resent.  Training is the only way to stop this type of screaming.   They’ll need to be socialized and trained with positive reinforcement that screaming isn’t acceptable behavior.

Many parrots bite when they’re unhappy.  This is particularly true when they’re reaching sexual maturity.  The worst thing you can do when your bird bites, or pretends they’re going to bite, is to pull away, shriek, or throw water on them.  This extreme reaction only serves to reinforce the behavior. 

Tricks like step-up are an excellent way to avoid getting bitten.  It also pays to learn to recognize and even anticipate your parrot’s behavior.  Do they pin their eyes before they bite?  Do they puff out their feathers?  Do they make a certain sound just before they lunge?  Learn your bird’s body language and you can avoid getting bitten.

Parrot behavior problems may also include thrashing and other forms of aggression.  Once you’re able to determine the cause of the parrot behavior, it’s much easier to begin treating it.  Always take the time to rule out any illness or health issues.  Regular visits to your avian veterinarian, weighing your bird on a regular basis and good bird hygiene will go a long way.  Patience and understanding will also go a long way both toward understanding your parrot’s behavior but also to elmininating the undesirable parrot behavior.

It is very important if you decide to get an Eclectus Parrot that you pick on the right cage and feed him the correct diet.  These parrots can be prone to eating too much and if they do not have a big cage to excersize move around in they can get fatty.

 Training the eclectus parrot is also highly suggested.  They are quick learners and love the stimulation that training provides them.  Keeping an ample amount of toys in their cage is also another necessity.  It’s very imporant that they are being stimulated even when you’re not around to provide it for them. 

All in all they’re a great bird and will make a great pet if given the proper attention. 

Amazon Parrot Training is my favorite way to stimulate these creatures.  If you think about it, you’re not only stimulating your Amazon Parrot but you’re also providing him with great quality time, and teaching him to be a better pet parrot. 

Some other ways to keep your Amazon Parrot stimulated is by providing an optimal cage environment.  You should constantly be switching out his toys, and providing him with a variety of things to play with.  Another option is to create a foraging opportunity for him.  This means you hide little treats in his cage or around the house if he’s free to move around.  This provides him with entertainment as he searches for the treats he know are hidden.

Amazon Parrots can make great pets but you absolutely must keep them stimulated or their voices might be used for screaming and not talking.  If you are already experiencing problems with this there is hope.  Start training your amazon parrot and create a better cage environment for him right away.  Over time you should notice a big decrease in his screaming.

This is usually accomplished over the course of a couple weeks.  If you are raising a macaw from a baby it’s typically a little easier.  However, even if you adopt a rescued macaw that has had a questionable past you can still use our training by trust methods to modify his behavior.  Once you’ve gained your macaws trust you can teach him tricks like the one below!

Once you figure out a way you can use training as a way to communicate with them you’ll develop a better relationship with your parakeet.  The guys over at Birdtricks have Parakeet Training down to a science. They have a video of a parakeet doing some pretty amazing things. 

Here is another short video of a parakeet whom you can tell has had some pretty serious training. 

• Fear- If a cockatiel is afraid for his well being biting may be his only recourse
• Sickness- If your cockatiel is ill he could be biting to keep you away from him
• Learned Reaction- Your cockatiel may be biting just to get a reaction from you
• Alone time- Believe it or not some birds just are not in the mood sometimes to play

More important than why they bite is what you can to to stop it.  Here is a great video that gives you a quick method to stop your cockatiels biting.

There’s an alternative. Even a totally “wild” bird can be trained without freaking out every time he sees you. It requires patience and understanding, but these are traits that serve you well if you have parrots.  Many animal training techniques are “borrowed” from human therapy methods. Helping a person overcome fear of pubic speaking (or spiders, heights, clowns, whatever) and helping a parrot get used to being petted isn’t all that different.

We may express fear differently from parrots–people don’t usually bite-but the Stress Response is similar. Think about the last time you were upset and had that out-of-control, panicked feeling. Would you want to spare your parrot that feeling if you had a choice?

How would you rather handle something that makes you anxious? Take it on all at once and be forced to “just deal with it”, or work with the issue a bit at a time as you learn to relax and gain confidence? The latter method, known as desensitization, is an effective therapy/training method that keeps stress to a minimum so that it doesn’t take over the situation.

While not everyone may be keen on taking this route (it’s slow and can seem like it takes forever to get anywhere), some research suggests that it’s more successful than other methods of exposure training. A bonus: If you’re a softy and it breaks your heart to see an animal afraid and upset, you don’t have to put him in that state. That’s less anxiety for you, too.

The process is simple: You help your bird get used to something gradually, progressing towards more and more exposure to the feared situation until he’s comfortable. Confident behavior is reinforced with treats, praise or anything the bird likes.

Signs of nervousness and fear show that you need to back off a bit, so go back to a point where the bird feels better. Sessions can be very brief, less than a minute if that’s what it takes. Since progress over time is what’s important, don’t worry if each session isn’t ground-breaking. And don’t freak out if the bird has some off days. Setbacks are normal. Adopt a low-key, we’ll-get-there-when-we-get-there attitude.

Desensitization works whether you’re training your parrot to accept a new toy or trying to get a new parrot used to you. It’s especially useful in rescue situations. You can rebuild the bird’s associations with people by replacing the bad with good. Parrots that have been teased or abused, or those that weren’t properly socialized, may need to start from scratch-The Ground Floor, so to speak.

If you’ve got a parrot that trembles or tosses himself around at the very sight of you, probably the least stress-inducing way to start is to work on being near the cage. I like to think of this as “Level One” interaction. Pull up a chair or stand just close enough that the bird notices you, but doesn’t seem too bothered.

At this point in your relationship, treats and praise may mean very little to him as rewards. It’s possible that as far as he’s concerned the best reward is you leaving him alone. That’s fine for now. Remember the point is to keep him as calm as you can.

You will be able to move closer and closer and move up in “levels” of contact. When he no longer sees you as a threat, you’ll be able to work on stepping up, and so on. Parrots, for all their wild animal instincts, are social animals, and tend to crave companionship. You can become that companion without scaring your parrot, so have no fear!