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Willy

Meet

Willy

Willy is an older Mealy Amazon in his late 70s. He is blind in one eye but that does not
prevent him from getting around. Medically he is in very good shape and is only on
medication for arthritis in his feet. It does not impact his ability to move around his cage,
but he prefers to be inside his cage on his favorite perch rather than on top. The
medication is easy to give as we put it on a nut in his morning breakfast. He does need
regular checkups of his beak as it grows unevenly, and his toenails should be kept a bit
long so he can wrap them around the perch for stability.

Once he trusts his person, he will let you know gently when he doesn’t want to do
something like step up. He will take the finger and move it away. Most of the time he
does step up nicely but can be unstable on his feet due to his arthritis. We pick him up
and bring him right into our chest, so he feels more secure. He is not a bird that likes a
lot of touch but will put his head down when he wants some light scritches.
He does not play much with toys much preferring to hang out with his people or
observing the activity in the bird room. In the past we would place him on a towel and
give him wood pieces to play with. He enjoyed that very much. His favorite place to be
is hanging out on his human’s leg or lap watching tv.
He tolerates other birds but would prefer that they respect his bubble. He is an old man
and does not need someone preening him or getting in his space. He does not mind
hanging out with another bird on a single perch.
Willy doesn’t talk but wolf whistles and makes R2D2 type noises. He also has this jungle
call that can be a bit loud. It usually means he is lonely or wants some attention. If he is
kept in the main living space I think he would enjoy the activity.
He can be a picky eater when it comes to his fresh foods. He does not like anything red
or orange or blueberries. He likes corn, peas, mash (favorite), egg, apple, banana. We
just try out different foods with him so he can get a well-rounded diet. He also eats
pellets by dunking them in his water and making birdie soup.
He is a gentleman and will not poop on his human. We have taken him on car trips and
he is very polite. A cage with a lower perch is recommended when traveling in case he
falls.

About

Willy

Cataracts, blind in left eye, arthritis in feet

Age or hatch date:

66 years

Gender:

Male

Best qualities:

He's a fun bird in that he's easy especially compared to caring for cockatoos. Just not as exciting but what a companion he would make to someone who is retired or works from home.

Favorite food:

veggie mash

Favorite toys:

Cardboard

Dowel or step-up trained:

Steps up to hand or arm

Challenges:

The only cons I would share:
1. He can go on and on with a jungle call. Its loud. Yes, usually in the Am but also off and on throughout the day. This call may be a deal breaker for some.
2. He's not real interactive. He is happy just to sit on your lap. To me this is a pro. Our cockatoos take constant supervision whereas Willy is happy just to perch.
3. Like most Amazons, he doesn't want to be touched a lot. However, Willy does present his head when he wants a scritch and he vocalizes how much he enjoys it.
4. He's older and will need ongoing vet care. An adopter must have excellent bird health observation skills and a certified avian vet in their town. He's in his mid 70's and anything can happen.
I would be hesitant of allowing him in a home with kids who would not grasp that he's old and fragile. He should be in a home with a lady and I would be careful about what other birds and dogs she may have. Willy cant fly and cant quickly get away. There will be times he ends up on the floor as he'll randomly take flight. So he wont be able to get away from danger.

Vocabulary:

Willy does not say words. He does make funny sounds like R2D2 from star wars, woof whistles.

Health issues:

Cataracts, blind in left eye, arthritis in feet

Gets along with birds:

Yes

Gets along with dogs:

Comfortable

Gets along with cats:

Comfortable

Gets along with kids:

Tolerates

Foster home has expressed interest in adopting this bird:

11/15/24, 4:16 AM

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