Help with my Harlequin

[AMHMShadow]

Hello,
I brought my new 22 year old Harlequin Macaw home yesterday. This will be my first big bird, and my first bird since I was a teen. His name was Harley, however, a recent obsession with American Gods on Audiobook has him only answering to Shadow. So, we call him Shadow Bird now. His foster, Didi, informed us that his first family kept him in his cage for about a decade. In result of this, he does not know he can fly. The family after that must have also kept him in his cage, because now that he has an entire master suite to himself, he refuses to go into his cage for more than a quick drink of water. I'm not interested in forcing him inside, he's free to roam the safety of his room and bathroom. When we met him at the rescue's Meet the Birds event, he immediately stepped up for my wife, but then bit her as another parrot got loose and flew over him. He bit me when I offered my arm for a step up, but again, he was startled by someone, a small child this time. We have since not been able to approach him without a quick attempt of a bite. When this happens, we disengage for a while and come back to him. He has taken nuts from my hands calmly, but has also tried to bite when I offer food from a bowl. He's begun talking to us pretty regularly, and sometimes he reaches his head out as if asking for a little head scratch, but when I go for one, he then clicks his beak and tries to strike. He clicks his beak and ruffles his head feathers quite a bit, actually. He also like to bite at his cage while standing on top of it, but I also notice some beak rubbing. He's offered me some regurgitated food, too. I'm getting mixed signals, here. I can tell he wants to socialize and also doesn't quite trust me. I'm seeking any advice or feedback on how to support him best while also encouraging a good bond.

 

[sunnysmom]

Congrats on your new bird and welcome to the forum. Harlequins are gorgeous birds. Some of our macaw people here can offer better advice than me on the signals he's giving etc. but in general, a new bird just needs time to adjust. It sounds like the poor guy has had a number of homes and change is scary. For now, I would just spend time hanging out with him- sitting with him, talking to him, etc. I wouldn't pursue a lot of hands on contact yet but instead try to follow his lead.

@Hankmacaw ? @Macawnutz ?

 

[Fritzgerald16]

Congrats on the new addition!!
As @sunnysmom said he can take a while to adjust, weeks and months. He is probably very overwhelmed so try not to pet him too much. He is testing the water with you and finding out what happens if he behaves certain ways (bites). Try just getting to know him through ambient attention like spending time in his room reading or working in there. If you are sitting doing something on the floor maybe he will get curious and come to you! I would just give lots of treats for right now without expectations and wait until he comes to you asking for a scratch.

 

[AMHMShadow]

Thanks guys! I'll keep at it, and keep researching. He's hostile, but he wants love so badly and i have the time to give him. Even now, he'll bow his head and say "scratch" or "feels so good" but he still nips at me if i try it. I'm excited for him to get comfortable and quit shaking/puffing when i come in his room. I have tried just hanging out and sitting on his floor. About an hour ago he came over and paced in front of me then nipped at my feet, i wouldn't mind except that he has gotten me pretty good once or twice, so i try to stay sitting there until i can't deal, then just leave for a bit. i'm not sure where the line is between giving him his space and letting him walk all over me. He's definitely testing his boundaries!

 

[Hankmacaw]

One day is absolutely nothing to a parrot. He may need months to settle in and trust you and your wife. If he was kept in his cage for ten years it's very likely that his owner was afraid of him and didn't want to interact with him. He probably bit someone and they left him alone, so he has learned behavior. A successful bite with a macaw, in particular, is self fulfilling. You want to avoid any bite by him - period. Don't try to touch him for quite awhile - say a week or two - just sweet talk him and give him lots of treats. You should feed and water him in his cage, so he learns that it isn't a trap.

Shadow is a full grown bird and will have some set behaviors and attitude. It's up to you to learn what those are and to adjust to any that aren't dangerous or absolutely unacceptable. It sounds like he's had a pretty rough past and has no reason to like nor trust humans and it's going to take lots of understanding and patience to become true buddies. For now just take it very easy with him and let him decide that you aren't so bad.

About the feet. Tell him NO and remove yourself.

 

[AMHMShadow]

So our bird has been home for a week now. Today, he screamed almost constantly for the first time, he usually only talks and reserves screaming for when we've clearly done something wrong (like give him dried fruit, which I learned he hates). I still don't know what set him off other than needing attention. He bit my thumb while i was feeding him a peanut, although he's been getting better and better at taking them gently. He's been more aggressive about chasing me out of his room; he has started charging at my feet, beak open and wings spread. He's still lifting his foot and asking to get up, he's still asking for scratches, and he talks up a storm. I see him preening his tail, but it looks like he's missing a feather from his right wing. He squeals and squeaks and get's more than 6hrs of attention each day, so I think he's a happy bird, but he's also showing every warning sign ever of a troubled bird. I expected him to be temperamental and to need around a year to adjust, but he behaves differently than other big birds I've had...

 

[Macawnutz]

Every macaw is so different. He needs lots of time to settle. If you post some videos of him we could try to help more with his behavior.

 

[SeverelySweet]

Peanuts? Please dont!

Petcha

 

[Hankmacaw]

@SeverelySweet is absolutely correct - just don't give your bird peanuts. There are numerous other nuts that are safer to give your bird and healthier for them. Some of these are; Pistachios, Pine Nuts, Walnuts and Almonds are especially healthy, in that they are the lowest in fats and the highest in calcium of all the nuts.

One thing not made clear in the article Severely quoted is that peanuts are one of the main sources of Aspergillosis in parrots (and other animals too). My birds contracted Asper and with my male it was a 5 year fight and much damage left to his lungs, airsacs, liver and heart. If you want to feed peanut butter -don't - use Almond Butter instead. More healthy and less risk.

 

[AMHMShadow]

Update: Our rainbow chicken latched onto my wife's shoe while we were in his room today to change his water. We bought heavy duty rubber boots to protect our toes. He didn't seem to mind me being in his room after he came for my feet once, saw that i didn't flinch, told him no calmly, and stood there with my feet planted until he went back onto his cage. when my wife came in, he started grabbing onto the bottom of her shoe any time she'd lift a foot, so she couldn't leave the room. his eyes were pinned and he was pinching pretty hard with his beak and latching on with his feet. A slow foot sway and a no would get him off briefly but he was poised and ready to attack for each step. I'll record my next interaction with him.

Also we've removed peanuts from his diet. noted. he likes chop and walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and hazelnuts. We'd been told peanuts were his favorite and they were sent home with him. We didn't mean any harm.

 

[Hankmacaw]

We know that you didn't mean any harm. You can't know everything by osmosis so we like to let owners know so they don't suffer the heartbreak that some of us have. Peanuts are birdy crack.

You chicken has some behavioral problems and I'm not the best behaviorist in the world, so I'll let some of the behavior experts help you. I just encourage you to avoid (without avoiding the bird) every bite a successful bite is a success to a macaw. It's going to take time, but the rewards are great.

 

[AMHMShadow]

I'm wondering if he needs someone who's trained in the psychology of macaws. I've owned cockatoos and small birds, but he does have very serious problems as an adult bird who's used to people manhandling him. He needs 24hr attention, but he doesn't want anyone trying to touch him. He does not want me doing anything in the house that isn't sit in front of him, so I can't cook or clean or go to work or sleep. He's so beautiful, and the personality that comes through the aggression is too cute. I want so badly to be able to give him the life he needs, especially given his past, but I am getting concerned that he's more territorial every day.

 

[Hankmacaw]

@Macawnutz @JLcribber and whomever you guys can think of to help Alexis

 

[Macawnutz]

First and foremost if you don't have lots of experience with large macaws, keep him off the floor. That will be mistake #1. A grouchy macaw on the floor chasing people is asking for trouble. Can you keep him up on perches?

 

[AMHMShadow]

We were told he loves being on the floor, and he loves towels and to give him lots of floor time every day. I'm very sorry to be so underprepared, we had planned on rescuing a younger socialize macaw, but he chose us and his story pulled our heart strings. We've contacted the avian rescue and updated them of the situation as well. He has lots of perches and toys inside of his cage, but as I mentioned, if I close the door he will instantly go wild and begin screaming and attacking the bars. he has a free standing perch near his cage that he can climb onto, but he does not sit on it long enough to do anything except grab a nut or apple from his bowl. We could try moving the perch the next time he steps onto it so that he can't reach his cage. Is this a good idea??

 

[MommyBird]

Good job hanging in there with him! It will take time, as you know.
Perhaps you need to show him which behaviors are the GOOD ones.
Check out anything by Barbara Heidenreich, website and youtube.
Also Susan Friedman for great stuff on behavior ABCs (antecedants, behavior, consequences)

 

[Macawnutz]

I find the older macaws much easier than my young ones.

Once everyone becomes more comfortable with him and he you, you can allow as much floor time as you want. I have three floor birds and all are known to attack and lunge when on the floor. The only recourse I have when they are lunging at my feet is to throw a towel over them. That's not something you want to do when trying to make friends.

Towels and floor birds are promoting nesty hormonal behavior. I would try my best to avoid that behavior until you are more comfortable with him. Hormonal harlequins are NOT for the faint of heart.

 

[MommyBird]

To explain my previous post re Heidenreich and Friedman -
I had a male BFA who would go after feet sometimes, so we worked on it successfully.

You would use principals from both these women, to briefly describe it and how I did it:
Being on the floor is the antecedent to the behavior of foot biting. You didn't describe the consequences but I bet he likes them.
you need to train him using positive reinforcement that the desired behavior when you enter the room or request it, is being up on a perch.
I don't know if his favorite rewards are food but I bet drama is a great reward too in his mind.

It really is not complicated or hard and it WORKS.
you need to train yourself as well as him, and start from the very beginning.

 

[Alien J]

Peanuts are birdy crack.

Sorry to butt in, but that's just too funny! My dogs are addicted to what we call "crack food". They can have full food bowls in front of them, but will fight over one piece that has fallen into a crack in the sidewalk!

@AMHMShadow Thank you for rescuing Shadow. Please don't give up on him. It'll be a hard battle, but I'm sure it will be worth it when the day comes and you realize that you and he are the best of friends!

 

[faislaq]

It's hard for me to keep Buzzard from sneaking down to the floor when he's dead set on it, and he won't be deterred with either a spray bottle or a treat. Does anyone have any suggestions for Alexis on how to keep Shadow from getting to the floor in the first place, hopefully without keeping him in his cage all day?

I've heard some people say not to let a bird above you for dominance reasons, but I think it makes them feel safer being higher up. Would he take to a hanging playgym or series of think overhead ropes and nets to climb along? It might be more interesting alternative to the floor and if it they were away from your path from the door to the cage, then he couldn't get to you quite as easily.

As far as his screaming when the door is closed. I know he has lots of toys, but are any of them "angry" toys? There's probably a better description for them. Buzz has a stainless steel bell that he likes to beat the tar out of. He does it all the time, but much more when he's frustrated (like when I'm feeding the other birds instead of holding him). And then he has a foraging ball that he bangs on the bottom of his cage and throws. It is play, but it seems to be a more energetic play than most of his other toys and wood. I don't know if those kinds of toys would be a good way to redirect some of his energy, maybe?

Do you make any kid of sounds on your way to or from his room? I wonder if your sudden appearance may startle him and if even though he's hostile right now, maybe he doesn't like it when you leave him alone? Would it help to talk to him or sing a song on your way down the hall so he knows you're coming & that you haven't disappeared when you leave? I've heard that silence can be perceived as dangerous to a bird because it might mean there is a predator nearby. Is there a safe way to leave him with music on during the day?

I love the idea of the rubber boots -wonderful idea to keep from being afraid of him getting your feet!