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Question about rehoming a "one person bird"

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Terrabyte

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I'm having a lot of "one person bird" aggression issues with my pionus and I'm at my wit's end. She is sexed female, 2 years old.

From the very beginning she showed preference to my husband, though she was friendly with me and I could handle her just fine. Gradually, she started to become aggressive toward me. At first, it was only when my husband was around. Then, this spring, she became aggressive toward me all the time. If I am near the cage, she will hurl herself at the bars, feathers fluffed, and yell at me. I used to let her out during the day, but then she started flying at me to attack my face the moment I moved or entered the room. So I just stopped letting her out. However, if she doesn't get outside time, she will scream all day long. I don't want her to stay in her cage all day, but I can't handle being stalked and attacked in my own home.

I am very scared of her now, which I know can't help matters. I tried target training her from inside her cage, and that helped at the beginning, but now she just flings herself at the bars at me. At it's very worst, I just decided to leave her in her cage all day and let my husband be the one to take her out and give her attention when he came home from work. After a few weeks of this, she calmed down around me. While I had been thinking of rehoming her, things seemed better so I decided to stick it out.

So, today I tried letting her out again, and within five minutes she attacked me again. To be honest, I know I toweled her too roughly to put her back in her cage, and now I'm terrified not only of her, but of what I might do in those moments when I'm really shaken and scared from her attacks.

I'm still really shaken up by it. I just don't think I can handle her anymore. I tried my best to do some training with her and it didn't work. I don't think I have the time, experience, or knowledge to work through and fix her problems. In the fall I'm expecting a baby and I'm going to have a newborn and a toddler and I can't see how I'm going to have the time to work with the bird when I can barely make dinner and keep the house clean along with the kids.

I want to find a new home for her. However, what is there to stop a "one person" bird from just having the same issue at a new home? I've heard success stories about one person birds that were rehomed, but I don't know how that works.

How would I even go about finding a new home for her? I am hesitant to put an ad on Craigslist because of all the unscrupulous people and scammers who "flip" pets for profit. How do I go about finding someone responsible?
 

roxynoodle

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Its a common problem with many parrots. There are people here who could help you if you want to stick it out.

Otherwise, I suggest thoroughly interviewing potential new owners. And getting a reference from their avian vet. You could also ask to do a home inspection.

Consider relinquishing her to a reputable rescue who will do those things for you.

Will she continue being a one person bird? Quite likely. There are people who understand that, and of course single people as well who plan to stay that way.
 

Monica

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Have you tried contacting a behaviorist/trainer such as Barbara Heidenreich, Susan Friedman or Lara Joseph?


If you do rehome her, an ideal situation may be a single person, or someone who wants a bird for themselves and their spouse can handle having a bird that doesn't like them. Maybe the spouse has their own birds? That, or someone who could teach her to not be a 'one person bird' by socializing her with a variety of people.
 

BirdyGirl

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Have you considered clipping her wings? Then she could still be out during the day when your husband isn't around, but you won't have to risk her flight attacking you. I know clipping is controversial and I personally, ONLY do it when the safety of any of my birds is at risk. My amazon goes through periods where he will flight attack the other two birds, so then I do a light clip on him, to keep the other two safe. I feel bad, but it's the only way I can make sure everyone gets out and no one is in danger.

Just a thought. Good luck - it sounds like a hard situation!
 

Phlox

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How long has this been going on? You might want to try to be patient with her. Move her cage, shake stuff up to break some of the territoriality. She's 2 years old, and parrots have terrible twos, just like kids do. This is the age most parrots get rehomed because of hormones. But if you can get through it, they usually come out the other side okay.

That being said, I did had a conure I had to rehome because he hated men so fiercely I thought he was going to kill himself every time my husband walked past the cage. We tried to help him with it for over a year and a half and nothing worked. So he moved to a nice family of only women and he's doing great now.
 

macawpower58

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I'd not call her incorrigible just yet. Are you her first home? Is she young, maybe hitting hormones? She could be picking up on your emotions, and acting up even worse because of this.

Just because you and her don't see eye to eye, doesn't mean someone else won't have a different relationship with her.

Of course if she's an older bird with this reputation, then what I've said really has no bearing.

Could you tell us a little more about her and yourself? This way the suggestions will be more in tune with what you need to do (if you feel like trying one more time), or what kind of home to look for for her.

 

Terrabyte

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The aggression has been going on since February. We are her first home. I am sure she has hit her hormonal stage. When I let her out, she would usually go straight for the space under the cabinet where it's dark. I can't seem to train her anymore because she won't stay on the t-stand or perch for me. She just takes it as an opportunity to fly off and run under the furniture. If I try to get her out from under the furniture she turns aggressive. I have considered clipping her wings to stop her from flying off, but I don't know if that would really work. Her wings were clipped before (when she came home from the breeder) but she could still fly very well - she just couldn't get height. Plus, if she was on the perch and didn't really want to be, she would probably just jump at me and bite me.

I am considering keeping her and toughing it out until she's past puberty, with the hope that she'll be a more balanced bird later, but I don't know what I would do in the meantime. Do I just keep her in her cage all day and wait to let her out until my husband comes home? I don't like the idea of keeping her in her cage all day, and the noise she makes to be let out is driving me crazy. She begs, whines, and screams to be let out all day long. I'm really not sure what to do.
 

roxynoodle

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Look for Braveheartdog's posts on how to teach a bird to station.
 

Bokkapooh

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How big her cage and play area?

Often times its their cage size and lack of an appropriate play area, that can heighten aggression.
 

Terrabyte

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Her cage is almost 2' by 3'. Her cage has a play top. I don't have a separate play tree. Where can I find this post on how to teach a bird to station? I used the search but didn't find it.
 

BraveheartDogs

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I just took in 5 parrots last week that belonged to a friend who had to immediately place them all including one male Pionus that is very cage aggressive. I started working with him immediately on stationing. Here is a video that shows the very early first stage of this. Here is a video on facebook that may help.
Look for Braveheartdog's posts on how to teach a bird to station.
 

Bokkapooh

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It sounds like her cage is on the smaller side and she really doesnt have much personal birdie space.

The more space and enrichment a bird has, the less aggression you will see.

Birds need a ton of space and activities to keep their minds active. Before teaching how to station, you may want to look up ways to enrich her mind and possibly give her more bird space. :)
 

finchly

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@Terrabyte If you decide to rehome her, I am first in line!
 

Monica

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It could also help to prevent access to underneath furniture and understanding why she's going down there. Since it sounds like it's hormonal in nature, it may help to take measures to reduce hormones, prevent any nest or nest like behavior and work on teaching new behaviors.

If you can get the hormone levels down (with the assumption that they are high as she has easy access to nest like areas), she might be less aggressive, thus easier to work with.
 
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