Sheldon is settling in....

[PikaShell]

Hi everyone; I brought home my new rehome Goffin's on Saturday. He is a funny bird, loves snuggling, is starting to try to talk. We love him. For context, he is 3 years old and had been with his previous family since he was about 3 months old.

A few issues/questions:

He was all affection and snuggles the first couple of days, but he has gotten grumpier. This morning he is extremely nippy and not interested in being pet at all, even though he only wants to sit on my wife and I.
-->Is this normal for a bird that is still settling in? We've been sharing food, giving treats, toys, talking to him softly, playing his favorite music, etc.

Also, I can't tell if he prefers my wife over me; I think he may. I know this isn't something I can control, but I'm just trying to interpret his behavior. If he does, it could be because I am usually the one to put him away in his cage and cover him up for the night. But I'm also the only one who gives him food or treats or much affection. We are both small-framed females, so it's not a gender preference of his. She doesn't dislike him but isn't a "bird person", so we're trying to figure this out.

-->What is the best way to correct a bird for biting? Besides the obvious firm, verbal "no"?

Any other general tips for helping him to settle in? I know our house is a lot to get used to; we have dogs (never allowed contact with the bird), a mini pig, a cockatiel, etc (he did have dogs and a cockatiel at his old house), so I'm sure he's still adjusting, but the increase in his aggression and decrease in affection the past few days definitely has me eager for advice.

 

[PikaShell]

Also, this morning he is often grinding his beak after he rebuffs a pet with a bite.

 

[Tanya]

His nippiness is probably from being frustrated that you're not doing exactly what he wants or doing it right but too slowly. He's also having a bit of a personal crisis from losing the only home he's ever known. He may need a couple of weeks to settle in and just get used to the new routines and food and sounds and voices and everything all around him.

Set boundaries early and keep them firm for his mental health and your own safety. One good place to start is to keep him off your shoulder for awhile... Especially since you're already seeing that he's nippy. No sense putting your ears, nose or worse in harm's way.

His preferences will be coming out over the next few months. Some birds "prefer" a less expericed person simply because they can get away with more shenanigans.

One way to handle both of these issues to to spend the majority of your time "together" with him in a third, neutral location instead of on one or the other of you. A tree stand or on the back of an old chair you don't mind him splintering are great options. That way he can have time out and away from his cage and you can each approach him to give treats or affection for bonding (watch his body language and if he seems to tense up or whatever his tell is before a nip, reassure him verbally as you physically give him space). Bonus: Allowing him to hang out with you instead of on you will reduce the risk of bodily harm from him attempting to establish his position at the apex of the pecking order.

I highly recommend a T-stick to aid in transfer and self defense should he become aggressive. We have one and it's the best thing I've ever made for handling the birds. @JLcribber made a DIY post about how to build one.

 

[Tanya]

Also, this morning he is often grinding his beak after he rebuffs a pet with a bite.

At our house, beak grinding in that context means "Stop! I'm done with this activity!" He might be a bit overwhelmed and need a breather.

 

[PikaShell]

Thanks so much for all of the advice so far, this is super helpful.

Set boundaries early and keep them firm for his mental health and your own safety. One good place to start is to keep him off your shoulder for awhile... Especially since you're already seeing that he's nippy. No sense putting your ears, nose or worse in harm's way.

What is the best way to keep him OFF our shoulders? He flies to us and wants to sit on heads or shoulders only.

I highly recommend a T-stick to aid in transfer and self defense should he become aggressive. We have one and it's the best thing I've ever made for handling the birds. @JLcribber made a DIY post about how to build one.

Will def look into this, thanks!

 

[Tanya]

What is the best way to keep him OFF our shoulders? He flies to us and wants to sit on heads or shoulders only.

Setting up a place that is his (tree stand or chair) is the first order of business. You can try to immediately pick him up the moment he lands and put him on his perch. Be warned that he's smart enough to that he'll probably figure it out in 1-2 times and then not let you pick him up by biting at your hand. Then the T-stick comes in handy.

The best defense is to prevent him from landing on you in the first place. You'll want to use it to keep him landing on you by holding it up between you and him as he flies toward you. Transferring him from the T to his own perch is easy. Be careful though... if he does land on you and sees the T coming, he may decide to bite YOU instead of the stick to show his displeasure. If you only have one T and he's headed for the other person, they can always do the "unsafe-landing dance" which involves lots of quick back and forth body movement with arms waving over and around the head.

At first he'll probably spend quite a lot of his time flying to you from his perch. Don't give up! It may take 501 times of putting him back there until he is willing to hang out for more than 3 minutes before attempting to get back to you. On the bright side, you'll both be getting lots of exercise!

If he becomes violent (flying and scratching/biting at your eyes, biting hands while in mid flight or any other escalations that endanger you or your wife), consider a "power clip." This is a modest clip that doesn't deprive him of flight but makes is harder to do the high-energy maneuvers that end in bites. To do it, clip only the outer 2-3 primary flight feathers on both wings. He will still be able to fly, but will need to focus his energy on maintaining altitude instead of maneuvering to score a bloody hit on squishy human skin.

 

[JLcribber]

What is the best way to correct a bird for biting? Besides the obvious firm, verbal "no"?

Contrary to popular myth. This is a drama reward. The bird is looking for a reaction and you provided it. A reaction/reward to a parrot does not have to be good or bad (in your eyes). A dramatic reaction to an event provides that. "If" there is a bite your better off just putting the bird down right where you are (uncomfortable is good) and "withdraw" your attention for 30 seconds. "That" speaks loud and clear to a parrot.

Having said that. A parrot can only bite if you provide the opportunity. You are in the honeymoon phase (good or bad). You will not see this birds true character for a few months. Until then it's "everybody" (you included) fumbling around in the dark trying to figure out their world and where they fit in. It's a tough road owning a cockatoo even fo0r experienced owners. You're in for a rough ride for a while.

Some good reading. If not for today you'll need it tomorrow.

Pictures - The T stick. | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

Some ammo for what's to come.

Site Name - Articles - Behavioral - Sex And The Psittacine

 

[sunnysmom]

Goffins are extremely smart and intuitive. My guess is that he's just starting to realize that he's not going back to his home and is starting to act out. Also, my goffin is only affectionate when he wants to be. When he wants cuddles, he will basically ask for them. And that's maybe 15 minutes a day. The rest of the time he is too busy playing. And that may be another thing, your goffin might not be comfortable enough to really play/ be active and is getting bored? My goffin destroys at least one toy a day. I hang plastic C-ring clips all of his cage, multiple times a day, and he will unhook then, rehook them etc. He is in general just a busy boy. I think the suggestion of play area is good. And the best thing to do is to avoid the bite altogether. I know that sounds silly but in time, you should be able to read your goffin and hopefully figure out that a bite is coming and prevent that from happening.

 

[iamwhoiam]

How many homes has Sheldon had before his previous one and why did they give him up after only being with them for 3 months? Can't add much to the advice you have already been given. Goffin's are busy birds who are very intelligent and he will pick up easily on your reactions and attitude. He will try to train you. Play stations in different areas would be a good idea. Make sure that your Goffin's has plenty of toys and not just toys he can destroy but also problem solving toys. When he settles down more you may want to consider working with him on some educational toys such as the bird bank, ring sorting and/or puzzles. Zoo-Max bird products manufacturer. Educational Parrot Toys

 

[PikaShell]

Again, thanks so much for all the advice. We are only the second home Sheldon has had since he left his breeder at 3 months, so I imagine he is very confused and also missing his family quite a bit. I could tell he was attached to his mom there.

Today (after I posted this) is the first time he has really seemed interested in playing or exploring. When I put him back in his cage a bit ago he hung onto the door watching me for a while, but then finally started checking out some new toys that I put in there for him days ago. I hope that's a good sign.

Also, we have his cage in the same room with our cockatiel; I was thinking they might provide some sense of companionship for each other, but they seem to ignore each other. Seem to....but when I had Sheldon out earlier my cockatiel, Pikachu started singing me the prettiest tune that I'd never heard her do before; must have been jealous! Or wanted Sheldon's attention. Right now I'm still only letting them out separately, for Pikachu's safety, even though Sheldon was never aggressive with the cockatiel at his previous home.

 

[sunnysmom]

I'm currently fostering a cockatiel. During the day I have my goffin and cockatiel in cages in the same room where they can see each other. They're definitely company for each other. Like yours, they pretend to ignore each other. But I catch them all the time napping at the same time, eating at the same time, preening at the same time, etc. I don't let them out together though and don't think I ever will. The size difference is just too great. You even have to be careful with letting them out separately in the same room. For instance, my cockatiel will try to fly over to my goffin's cage. One nip, and the tiel's toe would be severed. So I am really cautious about that now too.

 

[melissasparrots]

Some aggression is common when taking in a rehomed cockatoo. It may go on and off for several months. My goffin's is particular about when he wants to be petted. He's also just not a morning bird. I just don't handle my birds much in the morning because most of them like to sleep in. If I try and I get bit, its my fault because its not like they haven't told my time and time again over the years that they don't like mornings. Learn to assess body language and respect them. In particular, cockatoos can have expressive eyes if you learn to read them. If I catch mine giving me a hard look in the morning, that means no petting and its best to just leave him in his cage.

Sometimes he wants head scratches, but its best not assume he does. Many times he wants to sit near me, but not be petted. This is okay and accepting it is part of having respect for a bird.

As someone else said, keep him off your shoulder and don't forget about targeted facial bites being a possibility. Grumpy cockatoos like to target the face. Just something to be aware of. Mine went through a few months of attempted face biting several months after I got him. They can be sneaky about it too. Flying over and acting like they want scratches, while working their way up your shoulder and going for your face when they think you aren't paying attention. It eventually went away, but he spent a lot of time in his cage until he could behave himself. And by behaving himself I mean not seeking me out to bite. I consider it my fault for not watching the signs if I try to pet a bird and they nail me.