Aviator Harness for One-Winged Scarlet Macaw

Charlotte has come a long way, but still has a long way to go.  We took her in as a rescue last year, and at that point, she was so aggressive we had to use protective gear to even get close enough to feed her and clean her cage.  I actually found her on a craigslist ad.  I was searching for homemade bird toys and ran across the ad.

The people who had her had rescued her from a garage sale several years prior and they’d worked with her but were never able to tame her.  She was already missing her left wing when they took her in, and they had no idea what happened to it, though it does appear to have been surgically removed. When she started plucking, they realized they weren’t the right home for her.  Unfortunately, they waited until she was plucked nearly naked, and it became habitual.

I went up to meet her; there was just something about her and I took her home that day. My boyfriend, Richard, is amazing with birds and within days he had her eating from his hand, and then my hand, and after about a week he convinced her to step up on his arm.  A few weeks after that, she was stepping up on my arm as well.  These days, Richard is her chosen human, and she loves to hang out on his knee and preen him (much to his chagrin). She has now even become friendly with the rest of the household members.  She loves to go on walks outside.  We have a baby stroller we use for her to perch on.  The missing wing creates balance problems for her, so walking any distance perched on somebody’s arm is difficult for her.  The stroller is the perfect compromise.  The only thing that makes me nervous is the possibility of her getting spooked and jumping down/getting away.  That’s why I like The Aviator harness, to give us that extra security should something happen while we’re outside.

 Charlotte is still very leery about new people and is still hesitant with new things.  While she likes to sit on Richard’s knee and preen him, she’s still not thrilled when he tries to return the favor. And she’s still plucking.  Every day we notice little things that she’s doing or allowing that she hadn’t before. She’s getting there slowly.

It did not take long for Charlotte to let Richard put the collar over her head, but still a bit unsure of having it around her wings. So far so good?

Maggie, California USA 2017