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Strange Behavior of my Yellow Naped Amazon

berries

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Hi, I've been looking into this a lot but have not been able to come up with an answer. Even my vet wasn't sure what to say about it.

A little backround on the bird: I adopted this YNA this summer from my great aunt, along with her CAG, as she was not able to care for them anymore with her poor health. Both birds are in their 50's and have been with her since they were babies. They were not particularly well cared for and in cages most of the time. They both had some really bad habits and aggressive tendencies. I was able to work through most of the issues with the CAG and he is now my best bud, but the Amazon I'm still working on gaining his trust. From what I was told he became aggressive after about 10 years and was no longer handleable so my aunt put him in his cage and there he stayed until he came home with me. He now spends most of his time hanging out and playing on top of his cage, I keep the door open and never force him in. He will give warning bites if he is not comfortable with my hand near him but has never actually bitten. He will not step up but will accept treats from my hand and he enjoys his head and cheeks scratched if he is in the mood. Onto the odd behavior part, when he is tired of being scratched or if I am cleaning while he is in the cage he will growl and bite his own leg, and sometimes a perch aggressively. While sometimes lunging at me or giving a light nip. I have never seen or heard of this before and would really like some insight if anyone has any. At this point I don't have much hope that we will have a close relationship due to his life circumstances but I am just happy he can live out the rest of his life in a healthier environment. I'm just concerned about this particular behavior and if he is hurting himself or is in emotional distress.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
 

Anita1250

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My 36 year old BFA does something like this. When he is done interacting, he bites his ropes. He will actually try to hide in the rope toys and attacks them until we leave him alone. Perhaps the bird realized it is not ok to bite you, so he bites something else. I have always thought that was what Sam was doing with his ropes.
 

Yoshi&Raphi

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Maybe because he’s mad but he can’t reach you so to get the angry energy out he bites himself?
 

macawpower58

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I feel it's a displacement behavior. My macaw does the exact same thing while playing roughly with his toys.
I've examined his leg, he seems to do it violently, but there's never damage done.
 

Karen

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I feel it's a displacement behavior. My macaw does the exact same thing while playing roughly with his toys.
I've examined his leg, he seems to do it violently, but there's never damage done.
I agree. My Macaw will display this behavior also.
 

berries

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Thanks for the replies! I’m glad others have seen this behavior. The displacement idea definitely makes sense. Now I need to think of a way to try and redirect it. He hasn’t hurt himself yet but I’d like to eliminate that risk altogether.
 

Rain Bow

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Buddy my Mexican Red Headed amazon does this when he gets really excited. I can't even explain what sequence happens in perfect order. I can tell you in the middle to near end he'll chew his leg (w/out hurting himself) & then nibble the foot a bit. It usually ends w/ his wings going up in the air excitedly 1 time. I figured that it was some weird thing he did when he gets bored or overly excited. Being 20+ yrs & only having hanging toys, I suspected boredom to over-excitement too quick. Very interesting that he's not the only one.
 

Toy

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You have 2 species of parrots that are noted for being nippy or aggressive. This sounds like a territorial cage display. Our CAG is very cage territorial. If she is in her cage & you reach in & try to move anything she will attack you. If you try to clean her cage & she is in it or on it she will attack you, often pulling your hair or nipping. Their cages are their safe place, their home/nest, & you are invading it. Their cage would be like their nest in the wild & they will do everything to protect it.

To prevent this behavior remove him from the cage, place him on a play gym or in a pet carrier while you clean the cage, then put him back. The hard part is getting them out or off the cage if they are aggressive. You can try offering a treat to step onto a T-stick.
 

berries

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He definitely still has some cage aggression and I can see how he could feel over stimulated when he does it. I recently learned that a lot of amazons, including the yellow naped, can be very hot headed so that's helpful to keep in mind.
 

itzmered

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My sun conure does the same thing. If someone is doing something he doesn’t like or there is someone he doesn’t know too close he will attack things in his cage. I always figured it was him saying hey see how badass I can be :lol:
 

redindiaink

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when he is tired of being scratched or if I am cleaning while he is in the cage he will growl and bite his own leg, and sometimes a perch aggressively.
When my DYA is stressed she attacks her right leg. It looks vicious, but she's never hurt herself. I have another bird that bites her toes, or dive bombs a wing pit, when she's overwhelmed.
 

Hankmacaw

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It is displaced aggression or frustration and many, many birds do it. Hank my abused male GW macaw did this for several years after I got him. If given the chance he would have taken one of my appendages off instead of displaying that behavior. Over the years as we both became ore comfortable with each other the "self biting" on his part became less and less. I can't remember him doing it at all during the last few years of his life - he was happy and comfortable by then.

My spoiled wimpy female GW has never done this. Then she was raised very spoiled and very conditioned to people and knowing how to get her way 100%.
 

Clueless

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MC doesn't want to step up from his cage. Slide his playstand over and open the door and there he goes!

After all these years, I can now scratch his head while he is on the playstand AND a lot of the time he will step up from there.

Amazons are awesome. Hang in there and you'll have another best buddy.
 

Mockinbirdiva

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I also agree with "displaced aggression". My black cap conure "Bob" will do this every single evening when I want him to step up to go to the cage in the kitchen for his evening meal. Whether he is in his cage or on top as soon as I reach up he starts biting his leg. If my finger were right there he'd bite me instead. He's giving me a clear warning he doesn't want to step up... even though he knows there is a reward in the other room. This can go on for a minute or two until he decides he's ready to comply. Additionally, this smart boy is playing a good game of threat ( which he will carry out if I push the step up) to get me to spend some time with him before he goes into another cage. I just have to slow down, let him visit on my hand... talk to him for a few minutes and let him do what he loves... licking the tip of my nose. He's so happy for this time he fluffs his feathers, preens, talks to me, gives kisses. Eh... but I have seven other birds waiting on me for their evening food. If Bob does the foot biting longer than a couple minutes with my repeated requests to step up I leave and come back a couple minutes later. Sooner or later he decides... Wait! I wanna go with you!

Now, with my amazons... if they're grumpy... just leave. But give them something to do so you leave on a good note.
 

Hawk12237

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Hi, I've been looking into this a lot but have not been able to come up with an answer. Even my vet wasn't sure what to say about it.

A little backround on the bird: I adopted this YNA this summer from my great aunt, along with her CAG, as she was not able to care for them anymore with her poor health. Both birds are in their 50's and have been with her since they were babies. They were not particularly well cared for and in cages most of the time. They both had some really bad habits and aggressive tendencies. I was able to work through most of the issues with the CAG and he is now my best bud, but the Amazon I'm still working on gaining his trust. From what I was told he became aggressive after about 10 years and was no longer handleable so my aunt put him in his cage and there he stayed until he came home with me. He now spends most of his time hanging out and playing on top of his cage, I keep the door open and never force him in. He will give warning bites if he is not comfortable with my hand near him but has never actually bitten. He will not step up but will accept treats from my hand and he enjoys his head and cheeks scratched if he is in the mood. Onto the odd behavior part, when he is tired of being scratched or if I am cleaning while he is in the cage he will growl and bite his own leg, and sometimes a perch aggressively. While sometimes lunging at me or giving a light nip. I have never seen or heard of this before and would really like some insight if anyone has any. At this point I don't have much hope that we will have a close relationship due to his life circumstances but I am just happy he can live out the rest of his life in a healthier environment. I'm just concerned about this particular behavior and if he is hurting himself or is in emotional distress.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
I've encountered a very similar situation with my Blue front Amazon. Took about 9 months before she felt she could step up and sit longer than a minute before wanting back down.
Now several years later we are best of buddies. It takes time and lots of patience.
I've had a Couple yellow napped several years back as a third parront to them. They carried a LOT of past baggage.
Every bird is unique in its personality. They are not easily broken, but never impossible. So don't think that. It takes a hoard of patience. They over come it, trust me. It doesn't happen overnight. Most cases with being second, third or even forth parront, it can take even a year or more on average, 18 months to come around.
Amazon's are easy to read their body language. The nips are generally not hard, but a warning like saying " not yet" , I don't trust you yet type of nip.
Amazon's are how do I say, like a monkey see, monkey do
type of attitude. In other words, you have to be the example.
Food for example, if you express wow this is good type of emotions and attitude, the bird sees that, gets that it must be good, and wants some.
Other times I lean on their cage and play with their toys, and act like I really enjoy it. ( This you have to play by ear as Amazon's can be very picky about their cage and who approaches.)
But point is interact with them, sing songs. Amazon's love singing.
 
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