Serious attack from amazon!

[Hawk12237]

Ok, this is a weird behavioral attack.
The day started as normal, breakfast for all the birds (4), everyone in loving cuddle mood chatty and happy. A couple hours play time, daddy time.
Then into their bird room for a couple hours.
This afternoon, went into the bird room to bring them all out, usually my blue front is the first to want to go.
Instead, she literally launched off her cage 4 feet to me, which shocked me as she has never flown once in the 7 years I had her. She viciously proceeded to attack me hitting my neck and face over and over with deep puntures, as I put my hands around her to get her off, she got my wrists hands and got my chin again.
I got the other birds out of there as they were a bit unsettled with her attitude. I went back in to sweet talk her maybe calm her down, she ran over fast and again launched off cage right directly at my face from 3-4 feet away, getting in a another deep puncture on my neck face and hands... managed to get her off and leave the bird room....Think I have at least 12 -14 total punctures!!!
I left her be for now, but I'm in total shock.
I've had parrots of all kinds since early 70's, I know how to recognize hormonal behaviour, this was beyond anything of that nature. Her health is normal...( Last get visit in january) healthy.
She got my wife real bad once on neck that it hit main vain and had to go into ER. The attack was nothing like one today. Hers was one bite, but a nasty one. Today was ape crazy for the zon. My wife is like oh my god!!! Looking at all the deep bites and blood! She's speechless, and needless to say a bit scared. She's a former surgical assistant for vet and never seen an attack like that.
Anyone out there have any suggestions???
Totally baffled here!!!

 

[Dona]

I'm so sorry this happened to you. I read your first behavior post and was going to suggest you post also in the Amazon section and now found that you did! The amazons I had many years ago were what is normally considered the docile types, lilac crown and orange wing. But your blue front is considered one of the hot 3 I guess. I hope you hear from some of those folks. Just a terrible situation and I hope you can figure out what set it in motion.

 

[Wasabisaurus]

I am sorry you and your wife were injured. My first thought was hormones, but you know what that is about and you’re experienced. You know all the questions that would be asked about different clothes or hairstyles, someone else new in the house, etc.

How has she been since? Did you call the vet and what did he or she say? I am not nearly experienced as you are. Almost 13 years. Sometimes it seems like 1300 years. My DYA is out for blood today. First thing this morning, he rushed to strike out at me after I uncovered him, but he is a hothead anyway. The hormonal aggression is killing me. It’s like his usual crankiness times one million.

After he rushed over after I uncovered him, I managed to talk him out the the homicidal attitude while I put in his food, which was a miracle, but he’s back to fury.

I sympathize. I hope you find out why she attacked you and your wife. It’s so much worse for you since it was such a horrible shock with vicious bites!

I hope you find answers. Good luck.

 

[Hawk12237]

I am sorry you and your wife were injured. My first thought was hormones, but you know what that is about and you’re experienced. You know all the questions that would be asked about different clothes or hairstyles, someone else new in the house, etc.

How has she been since? Did you call the vet and what did he or she say? I am not nearly experienced as you are. Almost 13 years. Sometimes it seems like 1300 years. My DYA is out for blood today. First thing this morning, he rushed to strike out at me after I uncovered him, but he is a hothead anyway. The hormonal aggression is killing me. It’s like his usual crankiness times one million.

After he rushed over after I uncovered him, I managed to talk him out the the homicidal attitude while I put in his food, which was a miracle, but he’s back to fury.

I sympathize. I hope you find out why she attacked you and your wife. It’s so much worse for you since it was such a horrible shock with vicious bites!

I hope you find answers. Good luck.

Been fine since...couple times she grabbed hold of thumb....but I say uh uh uh!! And she stops.
She's been outside, cuddles on shoulder, have chats together, eat at table with her for breakfast.
I come to the conclusion she didn't like one shirt I had on...to verify this...I waited a few days and got shirt back out when she was sweet and calm. Set it on table and she come off chair to attack the shirt viciously. Thought uh huh, ok...it the shirt. Took shirt away and she went back to normal.
Birds see color, but there are times when multi colored shirts, or stripes, will confuse them. Baffle them as they can't quite clearly distinguish it...the shades of it that is. May explain why some birds won't touch some multi colored toys and get others will. Baffled me at times.
I have experience yes, but I'll never say I know it all or done learning, because I don't, ....I'm always learning from our feathered friends. every day is a new experience.

 

[Anita1250]

Hmmmm. Perhaps donate that shirt to the Goodwill! LOL

 

[SherLar]

WOW!!! Never would have thought! I mean I know they see colors better, and a wider spectrum, so the thought of a particular shade on a particular material, guess it could produce something unexpected. I will put this piece of information in my back pocket.

Thank you!
sherri

 

[Lodah]

Donate the shirt to your worst in-laws, as a special gift and invite them over for dinner! Making sure they are wearing the shirt of course!

 

[Hawk12237]

WOW!!! Never would have thought! I mean I know they see colors better, and a wider spectrum, so the thought of a particular shade on a particular material, guess it could produce something unexpected. I will put this piece of information in my back pocket.

Thank you!
sherri

Your welcome...! Parrots have almost similar sharp eye site as that of a hawk. They can see a key flying over head at 30-40 thousand feet. When to us it's a dot! Shades of color can startle them.

 

[Hawk12237]

Donate the shirt to your worst in-laws, as a special gift and invite them over for dinner! Making sure they are wearing the shirt of course!

True....except I went one step further...training them to say.. Well bad stuff to them...lol....

 

[Hawk12237]

True....except I went one step further...training them to say.. Well bad stuff to them...lol....

Donate the shirt to your worst in-laws, as a special gift and invite them over for dinner! Making sure they are wearing the shirt of course!

My mother in law hates my birds like you'd not believe... Says every Damn time she comes over or calls, to get rid of my birds! Gets under my skin badly!!!! Sooooooo, I've got my Zon to call her a bi++h now every time she sees her...lol. Revenge is a dish best served cold!!!

 

[EkkieLu]

Angel is a very gentle bird that rolls over, does flips, performs acrobatic tricks and let's me do about anything with him, BUT he threw a major fit and bit me when I tried misting him! He watched while I misted my other 3 birds and even climbed up on the bathing perch for his turn. But as soon as the mist touched him he freaked out! He still watches his BFFs get their "showers" but won't go near the PVC perch with a towel beneath it!

 

[Hawk12237]

Angel is a very gentle bird that rolls over, does flips, performs acrobatic tricks and let's me do about anything with him, BUT he threw a major fit and bit me when I tried misting him! He watched while I misted my other 3 birds and even climbed up on the bathing perch for his turn. But as soon as the mist touched him he freaked out! He still watches his BFFs get their "showers" but won't go near the PVC perch with a towel beneath it!

Every bird has a preference....my grey prefers a perch in sink where he can get water and body wet as he feels like. My Zon, likes the shower perch and misting, my senny prefers a bowl of water to splash in, and Twinkie likes a mist. Every bird has its preference.

 

[EkkieLu]

Mine all like a large splash pool (a large stainless dog bowl I bought for them). Once a week I give them a warm mist shower to make sure their backs and feet are clean. I sure wasn't expecting Angel to react that way!

 

[Fergus Mom]

She viciously proceeded to attack me hitting my neck and face over and over with deep puntures, as I put my hands around her to get her off, she got my wrists hands and got my chin again.

She's been outside, cuddles on shoulder, have chats together, eat at table with her for breakfast.
I come to the conclusion she didn't like one shirt I had on...to verify this...I waited a few days and got shirt back out when she was sweet and calm. Set it on table and she come off chair to attack the shirt viciously. Thought uh huh, ok...it the shirt. Took shirt away and she went back to normal.

You with the biters are SO darn brave I tell ya!!!
I don't think I could have allowed her to cuddle after this because of lack of trust on my part. Whoa.
A shirt! A dang shirt!!! OH MY!

 

[Hawk12237]

You with the biters are SO darn brave I tell ya!!!
I don't think I could have allowed her to cuddle after this because of lack of trust on my part. Whoa.
A shirt! A dang shirt!!! OH MY!

Some people won't ever pick a bird up after that. Yea it is scary for some. Me, I know and understand birds behavior. I know my birds quite well. I knew my Zon was not normally aggressive at all. She's quite loveable and a cuddle bunny.
SO, I don't let her or my other birds ever think I'm scared of them...cause I'm not.
Birds know not to bite, mine know bite pressure. Will give me a "squeeze" with beak, not hard, when they want something or want to be moved. It's understanding their language.. And yep.....a dang shirt! Actually now have two she hates!

 

[AutumnRain]

I'm sorry you went through that. Our Amazon hated the color red for some reason, so we could never wear red around him when he was out. He had a lot of hormonal issues as well, as he was a male DYH Amazon, so we had to play detective somewhat to figure out which was causing the attacks. I'm glad it was just the shirt in your case, as that is an easy fix.

 

[Hawk12237]

I'm sorry you went through that. Our Amazon hated the color red for some reason, so we could never wear red around him when he was out. He had a lot of hormonal issues as well, as he was a male DYH Amazon, so we had to play detective somewhat to figure out which was causing the attacks. I'm glad it was just the shirt in your case, as that is an easy fix.

Funny you mentioned the color red. One of my shirts has a red emblem of a bird over light blue shirt. Any time I wear it she gets in her mood and wants to bite. So that one's out as well.

 

[Fergus Mom]

Some people won't ever pick a bird up after that. Yea it is scary for some. Me, I know and understand birds behavior. I know my birds quite well. I knew my Zon was not normally aggressive at all. She's quite loveable and a cuddle bunny.
SO, I don't let her or my other birds ever think I'm scared of them...cause I'm not.
Birds know not to bite, mine know bite pressure. Will give me a "squeeze" with beak, not hard, when they want something or want to be moved. It's understanding their language.. And yep.....a dang shirt! Actually now have two she hates!

I'm not scared of my budgies either....
Apparently mine know bite pressure too... the day Fergus came home, he bit me when I transferred him from the box to his new cage, but it wasn't that hard. Not near as hard as Fiona bit me on her first day home! But... when I've had to grab them for safety reasons in the past 2 years, they have put their beaks on me with almost no pressure, even though they hate being touched.
Yeah... I get that you can't let them think you're scared of them... but yours, and others who have bitten? I must admit, I'd be terrified!
Not scared - terrified! (Can you tell I don't like pain, or blood, or bites, or any of it?)

 

[Anita1250]

I have been bitten really hard probably 6 times in 36 years with Sam, my BFA. Most of which happened many years ago when he was younger. Never needed stitches, but boy did it hurt and bleed. I have never been afraid to handle him, even after the bites. My husband, on the other hand, won't touch him if he is on his cage. I have to pick him up and bring him over to Roger for petting and play time.

Now that he has gotten older, he has mellowed a lot. Never really bites except maybe a little in the spring when he is hormonal. I could not imagine being so afraid of my pet that I wouldn't handle him. I guess after living with the bird for 36 years, I have grown immune to the pain! LOL