Photo by Jamieleigh Location: Orlando, FL Wet Bird: Hyacinth Macaw "Hymie" 

Hymie took his first shower with me within the first week of his stay. I was super happy because it is so hot here in Florida during the summer months and I was thinking he really needed one to cool down. I tried 2 times unsuccessfully before this. I approached Hymie with a water bottle (spray/mister) on two other days and he went away from the water telling me he wasn't diggin' it. So I respected that he didn't want it and left him alone those days. I'd let days go by without trying and then I tried again on the third day and he wanted it. He was out of his cage and on his travel cage in the middle of the bird room and I approached him with the spray bottle just like I did Storm, the blue front amazon parrot I watched for 45 days. You can see that video here.

I was really surprised by how much Hymie's plumage colors changed once he was wet! Teals, aquas and purples came out in his feathers and he looked so, so cool! I've always been a fan of how hyacinth macaws look in color anyway, but this coloration was just too cool! I loved it.

If your bird doesn't want to bathe every day don't try to force it, otherwise you're pairing that spray bottle with a negative thing and YOU are the one bringing that negative thing to them so you then become negative too. Your bird will tell you when it's ready to bathe.

Article by Jamieleigh Womach. She has been working with parrots and toucans since the age of 17. She isn’t homeless but is home less than she prefers to be. She travels the world with her husband, daughter, and a flockful of parrots whom she shares the stage with.