How to help with an aggressive bird

[GreenGrinc]

I have a blue fronted Amazon. I had him with an ex that i unfortunately had to leave behind 8 years ago. I had gotten the bird bad almost 2 years ago now. When i had him 8 years ago he was always on me. On my shoulder, played constantly with me. Would step up on my hand etc.
So its almost been 2 years now i have had him back. But he won't step up. He only lets me touch him when he is in his cage. He constantly attacks me for little to no reason. I need help as to what to do to give him the trust to not attack me

 

[April]

Let me tag @Clueless, @Love My Zons , @SumitaSinh @Fuzzy for you they have a lot of Zon experience

 

[Love My Zons]

How old is this Amazon? For sure male? Able to touch without a bite is good. Do you allow any playtime for the bird to be outside of the cage?

I have very sweet boys, but they are the lesser of the hot Amazons in nature. As much as they are hands on, I still don't allow them on my shoulder, not a good practice with most Amazons.

 

[sunnysmom]

How big is his cage? Where is his cage located? Have you tried target training with him to teach him to step up. And yes, as already said, no shoulders.

 

[GreenGrinc]

How old is this Amazon? For sure male? Able to touch without a bite is good. Do you allow any playtime for the bird to be outside of the cage?

I have very sweet boys, but they are the lesser of the hot Amazons in nature. As much as they are hands on, I still don't allow them on my shoulder, not a good practice with most Amazons.

Not sure if its a boy or not. He is 15 years old. Yes he comes out almost every day for 3 or 4 hrs. He was out last night for 2 hrs. Every thing was good. I was clipping my toes got 1 foot done then he didn't like it and got me really good. Latched on to my finger than the palm of my hand

 

[GreenGrinc]

How big is his cage? Where is his cage located? Have you tried target training with him to teach him to step up. And yes, as already said, no shoulders.

His cage is 6 feet by 3 feet. No shoulders that was 8 years ago. His cage is located in our living room

 

[Fuzzy]

I write an article on aggression that might help you:

Aggression In Parrots | ThinkParrot

What is the purpose of aggressive behaviour in our parrots? How to address aggression using the least intrusive methods.

thinkparrot.com

I agree with target training. Target training would give him a “positive “ way to interact with you - one that earns and pairs you with reinforcers like favourite treats.

Target Training Your Parrot | ThinkParrot

Target training is a fantastic first behaviour to teach. It can be taught inside or outside the cage.

thinkparrot.com

What’s his diet like? Does he have access to boxes or small dark places? These may heighten hormonal states.

 

[GreenGrinc]

I write an article on aggression that might help you:

Aggression In Parrots | ThinkParrot

What is the purpose of aggressive behaviour in our parrots? How to address aggression using the least intrusive methods.

thinkparrot.com

I agree with target training. Target training would give him a “positive “ way to interact with you - one that earns and pairs you with reinforcers like favourite treats.

Target Training Your Parrot | ThinkParrot

Target training is a fantastic first behaviour to teach. It can be taught inside or outside the cage.

thinkparrot.com

What’s his diet like? Does he have access to boxes or small dark places? These may heighten hormonal states.

Yes he dose have access to boxes. He loves to chew them. His toys have cardboard as well

 

[Fuzzy]

Yes he dose have access to boxes. He loves to chew them. His toys have cardboard as well

If the boxes are big enough to climb inside I would get rid of them for the moment and see if it helps. Boxes and access to other ‘nesting spaces’ like cupboards or drawers, under the sofa, etc can increase aggression.

 

[Monica]

Sounds like he might have gotten overwhelmed by the clippers.


With aggressive birds, it's always a great idea to consider hands off training. This could be as simple as offering a favorite treat any time you walk by their cage (try to do so in such a way that they remain calm), to target training or even station training. Both target and station training can be performed while the bird is in the cage, which can reduce the chances of bites.

There are pattern games that have proven to be very beneficial for dogs, but I'm not aware of any that have transferred over to parrots. I imagine some could easily be performed for parrots as well... such as the 1-2-3 pattern game, where-in at 3, they receive a reward. If the bird knows the pattern game, you could potentially introduce something that triggers them (at a distance), but keep their focus on you and reward that desired behavior instead.

 

[aooratrix]

I have a blue fronted Amazon. I had him with an ex that i unfortunately had to leave behind 8 years ago. I had gotten the bird bad almost 2 years ago now. When i had him 8 years ago he was always on me. On my shoulder, played constantly with me. Would step up on my hand etc.
So its almost been 2 years now i have had him back. But he won't step up. He only lets me touch him when he is in his cage. He constantly attacks me for little to no reason. I need help as to what to do to give him the trust to not attack me

Oh, he has a reason. He's been gone for 2 years? Slow down, work with him at his pace. Amazons are very emotional; he's probably feeling uprooted and missing his prior home. He has NO idea why or how he came to this current circumstance.

 

[GreenGrinc]

Oh, he has a reason. He's been gone for 2 years? Slow down, work with him at his pace. Amazons are very emotional; he's probably feeling uprooted and missing his prior home. He has NO idea why or how he came to this current circumstance.

He waa gone for 8 year. Have had him back for 2 now.
He was more attached to me in the prior situation.

 

[aooratrix]

I apologize for misreading your post. What does he do when you service his cage? Does he lunge and strike at the bowls/your hands? I know you said you can touch him in the cage; is that through the bars only? Is he flighted? Describe an attack. What out of cage time does he get and how does he get out? How often does he get a good, soaking bath? What are you feeding him? I might be able to help, but I need more info. I've had my Amazon 29 years; I've seen a lot.

 

[GreenGrinc]

I apologize for misreading your post. What does he do when you service his cage? Does he lunge and strike at the bowls/your hands? I know you said you can touch him in the cage; is that through the bars only? Is he flighted? Describe an attack. What out of cage time does he get and how does he get out? How often does he get a good, soaking bath? What are you feeding him? I might be able to help, but I need more info. I've had my Amazon 29 years; I've seen a lot.

When i service his cage he is i.

 

[aooratrix]

When i service his cage he is i.

Huh?

 

[GreenGrinc]

When i service his cage he is i.

So when i go to change is water he is in full attack mode. I can hardly wash the outside. He is very cage aggressive.
Yes the only time i can touch him is only threw the bars. He will be on his back playing with me. He will put his beak nicely on my finger he wont bite. Its like he is playing.
I try and let him out everyday for 2 -3 hrs. My work schedule in the summer he gets out for 2 hrs. I am off work now so sometimes I let him out for 6 hrs.
The last attack he was out for 2 hrs. I was clipping my toes and got the whole foot done besides the pinky and he came over and was on his perch. I could see him out of the corner of my eye. So i stopped cause o could tell he was mad. He went for my hand i waa trying to pry his beak off my finger so he got one hand really good and got my palm on the other hand.
I try and get him to bathe every couple weeks. Before ibwas able to get him in the shower with me but now i use a spray bottle or he has a toy that's a sink. He gets fresh veggies everyday with his pellet food with some seeds. Not much seeds thou

 

[GreenGrinc]

I apologize for misreading your post. What does he do when you service his cage? Does he lunge and strike at the bowls/your hands? I know you said you can touch him in the cage; is that through the bars only? Is he flighted? Describe an attack. What out of cage time does he get and how does he get out? How often does he get a good, soaking bath? What are you feeding him? I might be able to help, but I need more info. I've had my Amazon 29 years; I've seen a lot.

Sorry i am new to this. I did reply to my half done one to you so i hope you are able to read it.

 

[GreenGrinc]

Huh?

when i go to change is water he is in full attack mode. I can hardly wash the outside. He is very cage aggressive.
Yes the only time i can touch him is only threw the bars. He will be on his back playing with me. He will put his beak nicely on my finger he wont bite. Its like he is playing.
I try and let him out everyday for 2 -3 hrs. My work schedule in the summer he gets out for 2 hrs. I am off work now so sometimes I let him out for 6 hrs.
The last attack he was out for 2 hrs. I was clipping my toes and got the whole foot done besides the pinky and he came over and was on his perch. I could see him out of the corner of my eye. So i stopped cause o could tell he was mad. He went for my hand i waa trying to pry his beak off my finger so he got one hand really good and got my palm on the other hand.
I try and get him to bathe every couple weeks. Before ibwas able to get him in the shower with me but now i use a spray bottle or he has a toy that's a sink. He gets fresh veggies everyday with his pellet food with some seeds. Not much seeds thou

 

[aooratrix]

I doubt he's being hormonal this time of year. My double yellowhead is not hormonal right now. Of course, all birds are individuals. It's possible that something about the nail clipper or your actions set him off. Mature male BF Amazons can be volatile, aggressive. What does he do when he's out of the cage? Does he rock back and forth, flare his tail, pin his eyes, and mantle (half lift his wings, almost like a shrug)? Or does he mostly just hang out and play? If you walk by him, does he lunge at you or just ignore you? He doesn't attack you every time he's out of the cage, does he?

It sounds like the interactions in the cage are very positive. I would increase the bathing and soak him at least once a week. Amazons are originally from South America (Bolivia to Argentina); those countries average 4-7 feet of rainfall per year. How do you get him back in the cage?

 

[GreenGrinc]

I doubt he's being hormonal this time of year. My double yellowhead is not hormonal right now. Of course, all birds are individuals. It's possible that something about the nail clipper or your actions set him off. Mature male BF Amazons can be volatile, aggressive. What does he do when he's out of the cage? Does he rock back and forth, flare his tail, pin his eyes, and mantle (half lift his wings, almost like a shrug)? Or does he mostly just hang out and play? If you walk by him, does he lunge at you or just ignore you? He doesn't attack you every time he's out of the cage, does he?

It sounds like the interactions in the cage are very positive. I would increase the bathing and soak him at least once a week. Amazons are originally from South America (Bolivia to Argentina); those countries average 4-7 feet of rainfall per year. How do you get him back in the cage?

When he is out of his cage he just plays. I cant usually walk beside him when he is out of his cage. He will put is beak on the ground and half spread his wings and walk with his beak on the ground. I call it the scary bird. At first when i got him back(i actually do not know his sex) i couldnt really do anything without him attacking me. He puts himself back into his cage for bed time. If he attacks me he will put himself back into his cage most times. But when he is out he is usually good. He just naps in different spots or goes and chews his toys.
I will definitely give him a bath today. He is super loud when i am up. Not with anyone else in the house. He only attacks me and no one else as well.
Thank you for your advice I really need it.