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Post by biteybird on Jul 27, 2015 5:39:17 GMT -5
We got back from Central Australia a couple of weeks ago. We took Bonnie with us and while we were away she was really well-behaved (although she didn't spend most of her minimal out-of-cage time with hubby, but with me - but the time she did spend with him was positive). We got back hoping that her cycle of targeting hubby's hand/s would be broken.
This was not to be. Within 5 days she'd started darting and pecking at his hand again (completely unprovoked), despite purring and laying on her back (being cute while he rubbed her head) in between.
Yesterday she bit him straight away once out of her cage - grabbed as much of his finger as she could get her beak around & wouldn't let go. This morning he went to get her out of her sleeping cage before we left for work & she bit him straight away. That's never happened in the morning. Today hubby decided he was sick of getting bitten, so when he got home from work he didn't let her out. I was working late, so it was dark when I got home and Bonnie didn't get ANY out-of-cage time today.
I don't understand why she bites him so much more aggressively than me, especially when she screams for him (completely ignoring me) whenever he leaves the room. It doesn't make sense to me at all.
Maybe I need to do some serious reading. |
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Post by easttex on Jul 27, 2015 13:52:27 GMT -5
I'm going to make the same suggestion to you that I just made to Siobhan. This recorded version of a webinar that Barbara Heidenreich does called Solutions for Biting and Aggressive Behavior. www.goodbirdinc.com/goodbirdinc.com/parrot-store.html It's $20us, but there's lots of good stuff there. I'm really not on the Heidenreich payroll. I just think a lot of her and her methods.  |
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Post by Jan and Shah on Jul 27, 2015 16:34:21 GMT -5
Shah has started acting hormonal. I havent seen this behaviour in 12 months. I dont know about your weather but ours is crazy. We had 20 degrees on Sat and Sun (that's celsius) and now back to 14 degrees. I notice that the wattle is starting to bloom which usually happens in spring. I am wondering if hormones are coming into play for Bonnie. Anyway, I would take Easttex's advice and look up that website. Just as an aside, I still havent been bitten by Shah - it's a miracle. I am now much more confident when I handle him. I do get beak bashed from time to time but I can live with that.
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Post by aaron on Jul 27, 2015 22:18:31 GMT -5
Yeah, when Cupcake is really hormonal she can be downright wacky. She really isn't much of a biter (not that it doesn't happen), but she gets pretty illogical at times. But I agree, I don't understand that behavior.
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Post by biteybird on Jul 28, 2015 2:48:40 GMT -5
I wondered if I should take her to a vet, but if she was sick she'd be biting everyone the same (I assume).
Jan, yeah, our weather has been up & down and downright weird (as they say about Melbourne, "four seasons in a day"). The last few days it's been 12-13C. We think the serious biting started about 3 weeks before we went to Central Australia, so it's been going on and off for about 7-8 weeks.
Thanks Easttex, I'm going to check out the Barbara Heidenriech stuff...
I do think it's hormones with Bonnie, but I'm sorry for my hubby being bitten and it's impacting on Bonnie's time out of the cage. We'll see.
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Post by biteybird on Aug 4, 2015 4:20:04 GMT -5
I don't know WHAT to think, now. Bonnie's had to stay in the cage when hubby is in the room, as now she flies aggressively straight at his face (or the back of his head) is she's out and he comes in. I've had to 'rescue' him the last couple of times by picking her up and putting her straight back in the cage.
We are both finding this quite upsetting and we miss the way things used to be.
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Post by easttex on Aug 4, 2015 10:05:33 GMT -5
Are you doing the things usually recommended for hormones? (Lots of dark, cut back on soft food, no nesting-like places, etc). If so, maybe your husband needs to reintroduce himself, and in the process desensitize her to his presence. If he's willing, have him place himself just outside her line of site, and start conversing with you. As long as she is calm, give her treats. Gradually have him move closer, still giving her treats only so long as she is calm. If she gets upset at any point, hubby moves back. Keep up a slow and steady progress, and reward her lavishly. If you get stuck anywhere along the way, a trained behavior can be handy. A wing wave, a turn around, target to a stick, anything. Having her perform can distract her from her distress at your husband's presence, and eventually your husband should be able to get her to do it and reward her. Maybe worth a try. |
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Post by julianna on Aug 4, 2015 14:26:07 GMT -5
Boy... quite the situation. Oscar does not fly so there are none of those type of attacks but I am sure that there would be if he could. The more I talk to my husband the more Oscar hates him. He does allow hubby to pick him up but only on his terms. For instance if he wants a ride back up to his house from the coffee table (with a tie wrap in his mouth) or if I am out of the room and he thinks hubby will bring him to me.
Too bad these little guys couldn't have 3 or 4 best friends.
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Post by Jan and Shah on Aug 4, 2015 17:17:39 GMT -5
You could try the old rescue routine where your husband "rescues" Bonnie from a situation. I hate to say it but have you considered clipping her wings - you can always let them grow back? She sounds like a magpie in nesting season  |
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Post by biteybird on Aug 5, 2015 3:20:09 GMT -5
Thanks for the suggestions, guys. We already removed any nesting-type places (e.g., she no longer has a happy hut in her day cage) and we make sure she's in her night cage and covered up for 11-12 hours every night). She's hardly ever had soft food.
We are truly at a loss as to why she's behaving this way. She is perfectly calm with my husband in the room and doesn't freak out when he approaches. She even screams for him when he leaves the room. But if he puts his finger through the bars to give her a scratch she tries to peck it. And if she is out of the cage she flies to him and targets his fingers and/or face.
I am wondering if it's because the skin on his hands and fingers is quite thick. We're also speculating that she attacks males only (she bit hubby's father-in-law and an old male friend of ours when she was only a few months old) and that it's just taken longer for her to bite hubby.
For now we're wondering if hubby can wear thin gloves to see if she'll step onto his finger without biting/pecking. Other than that, I'm seriously considering a wing clip.
I'm thinking of taking her to an Avian vet for a complete check and if a wing clip is recommended, then it can be done by the vet.
So many uncertainties....
EDIT: I've contacted an avian vet via email, asking if they see quaker parrots. They had a page called 'interesting cases', which has lots of photos of bird conditions (graphic), see following link: www.melbournebirdvet.com/interesting-cases.aspx So it seems they have treated a lot of birds. |
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Post by aaron on Aug 5, 2015 13:12:06 GMT -5
Wow, they definitely have a lot of interesting cases on those pages. Some of those are quite insane. Glad they are able to help these poor guys.
I too find your description of this scenario pretty baffling. I'm not a fan of it unless necessary, but like you said, it may be time for wing clipping. But I agree that going to the avian vet for a complete check is a good idea.
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Post by julianna on Aug 5, 2015 13:42:53 GMT -5
OMG that makes me sad. Poor little birdies. So glad there are good vets in the world.
I am wondering if Bonnie is showing excessive territoriality? Here is something I have read about it.
Lowering the bird's usual relative height, combined with increasing access to rainfall and exercise will help to minimize pent-up energy that might otherwise be expressed as aggression. A bird that suddenly becomes excessively territorial must have its territory manipulated either by moving the cage or radically redesigning its interior. Hostile energy will be expressed somehow; it is best expressed against a toy.
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Post by biteybird on Aug 6, 2015 3:08:38 GMT -5
We already moved her cage closer to the loungeroom window to see if it made a difference (that was before we went to Central Australia, so it's been there for about six or seven weeks). Am waiting to hear back from the vet, but meanwhile I'll rearrange the inside of her cage and see if it changes anything. Funnily enough, she seems quite content to remain inside the day cage at the moment...
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Post by aaron on Aug 6, 2015 13:07:41 GMT -5
Cupcake takes her hostile energy out on my electric razor and beard trimmer when I am using them. As soon as I turn them on she is on my shoulder launching an attack, and usually laughing about it at the same time. It makes it a bit hard to shave, but it's so darn cute I let her do it anyway. Maybe try taking Bonnie into the shower and carefully soaking her like I do with Cupcake? It generally has a noticeable impact on her behavior in a positive way, sometimes for days afterwards. |
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Post by easttex on Aug 6, 2015 13:21:08 GMT -5
Regarding the gloves, biteybird, some parrots have a strong negative reaction to them, and it's possible that they could make things worse. If Bonnie hasn't been handled with them before, I'd recommend that you try them out first to ensure she's okay with them.
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