Jealous much? Any advice on how to stop a jealous parrot?

[Hello there]

My indian ringneck parrot is about 4 years old and becomes very jealous when my cousin comes over. His eyes pin and he bites me. It breaks my heart whenever he becomes aggressive as he has never been like this before, its like he is a totally different bird, normally he is an angel!
Recently, he started to shake his head, like he is saying no, when i talk to him when my cousin is here.
He has seen my cousin before but this only started 2 weeks ago. Even when my cousin has gone bites me... he gets better after a few hours but how do i stop this?
Any advice on how to stop jealous parrots from being aggressive, please ???

 

[sunnysmom]

Welcome to the forum. How often does your cousin come over? If it's only once awhile, I would maybe just put your IRN is his cage and not worry about it too much. If it's often, I would still I think put him in his cage but have your cousin hand feed him a favorite treat through the cage bars. Also, a lot of birds are hormonal now (if it's spring where you are). So it might just be hormones and will stop...?

 

[Hello there]

@sunnysmom
Hi, thanks for the reply!
My cousin comes around quite often and is only a baby so he cannot feed my parrot without it charging for him. It is quite hard for me to put him in his cage without him biting me a few times first and I don't like to as he probably thinks i am punishing him whenever my cousins here.
It is spring so it actually might be hormonal changes, thank you for your advice!

 

[Fuzzy]

A label like "jealousy" is only your interpretation of the behaviour. A lot of birds will bite the one that is closest (might be you) when another person or object they are not sure about comes too near to them (this could be labelled as "displaced aggression"). For example I can get bitten if I pick up the remote controls and Bobbie (my Amazon) is on me. Could also be another label: "over excitement". Hormones sometimes make the bird more sensitive... more likely to react - and it is that time of year!

More important than giving the behaviour a label, if the behaviour is a problem (and it sounds like it is), I would agree with sunnysmom, to put your IRN back into his cage before your cousin arrives. This is the easiest and kindest way to change a behaviour (you are changing the circumstances that set the stage for the behaviour). Make it reinforcing to go into the cage... give him his favourite treat or have favourite toys waiting in there for him. Or slot in a fresh food bowl. When your cousin leaves then let him out again and reinforce his relaxed body language. I always put my birds away before an expected visitor arrives. Teach him to step up on a hand held perch so that you don't get bitten.

 

[Lady Jane]

@Fuzzy is correct about labels. Many times people put labels on birds that have no basis. I actually made a post about this. Words like angry, aggressive and jealous. Birds have very subtle body language and instinctual behaviors you may not recognise. If your bird appears upset through observation of body language then remove what is upsetting the bird or remove the bird from what is upsetting.

 

[Zara]

. Many times people put labels on birds that have no basis. I actually made a post about this. Words like angry, aggressive and jealous.

I feel you should only use the word Agression if you are talking about a specific moment, and not about the bird in general.
Eg. Today my bird aggressively attacked me/my husband/wife/kid/clock/shoe etc not I have an aggressive bird (period).
Also, the ¨aggressive attack¨ has to actually be just that, hackles raised, fluffed up, vice-like bite, latching on, drawing blood, the whole nine yards.... so not a little nip or minor bite.

I hope that makes sense...

If your bird appears upset through observation of body language then remove what is upsetting the bird or remove the bird from what is upsetting.

It really is just as easy as that

 

[JLcribber]

The standard advice to start off with. You don't "stop" this. You learn to understand what's going on and work with/around it. Your bird has an infatuation with your cousin. It's a "natural" response. When he's there you are now an intruder/competition for his affections.

Please read this. It will give you insight and more importantly ways to approach things going forward.
Site Name - Articles - Behavioral - Sex And The Psittacine

 

[Hello there]

@Fuzzy @Lady Jane @Zara @JLcribber
Thank you all for the advice, I really appreciate it and I will follow it!

 

[Lady Jane]

We appreciate it that you will see if our advice works. Please let us know.