Galah is fearful of women

gentleheart said:

Hello, I am hoping you all might be able to offer some advice. I sent the following story to another online parrot friend, and so instead of retyping the whole thing I am just copy/pasting it

When we (my husband and I) came back from being out of state, the bird was so bad he was extremely aggressive to everyone, male or female. My husband worked with him everyday, and now the bird has no problem being held... by men. He's no longer aggressive, but anytime a female tries to hold him or touch him, he freaks out. He doesn't really bite, if he does it's not hard. He just seems extremely afraid, and I'm not sure why as no one has ever been intentionally mean to him. However, I do know that birds are strange and freak accidents or small things can mess them up. He's been this way for close to a year now, I think he's about four years old, so just hitting sexual maturity and I'm wondering if that has something to do with this.
I have tried working with him the way my husband did. My husband tried to talk me through handling him, but he doesn't respond to me the way he responds to men. There was one night that he let me hold him. It was kind of a freak thing-I had my hair pulled back and I went up and talked to him in a low manly voice. He stepped up onto my hand and actually cuddled with me and was like his old self. I have since tried to repeat this and have been unsuccessful.
A few more odd details: he usually is better and more sociable in the evenings after dark. Whereas he used to love coming out of his cage, now he almost never does. I leave the cage doors open for hours and it will take him forever to climb out and sit on top. Once he does, if he catches sight of me, he puts himself right back in the cage.
It makes me very upset to think he's so afraid, and I've tried to alleviate his fears without success. I can get him to take food from my hand, and he loves coming right up and talking to me through the cage, but as soon as open the cage door he's afraid again. He is this way with all women, and he used to love my mom more than anybody else.
He started acting this way with my mother when she returned from vacation and went to the bird shop to pick him up from boarding. The store owner had closed early without telling her, so he was all excited to see her through the window, and really upset when she didn't take him home (because she couldn't get in the shop).
I'm just hoping that there has got to be something we can do for him.
Thanks for taking the time to read.

Also, since writing this, I looked up touch training methods and have tried it one time this morning. I used a wooden skewer (cut off pointed ends) from outside the cage and got him to touch it, and rewarded with treat. He did this twice before suddenly freaking out and acting afraid of the wooden stick. I could not get him to touch it again, so I just decided to stop rather than stress him out more. I hate ending on a bad note, but he just would not stop jumping all over the cage like a maniac.

Note: this is not my first bird. I successfully tamed several budgerigars and keep a Peachfaced Lovebird who is very sweet and tame.

I am going to try touch training again this evening after dark and see if he is any better.

Thanks for your help in advance.

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plumsmum2005 said:

Firstly, hi and welcome

On reading this through I have a nagging question "has something or someone" upset your RB2? My guess is yes! If you can ask questions where your bird was boarded? My guess if it has then you won't get all the story but you might glean bits n pieces. Enough to give you an idea. In the meantime can you work out what type of voice he hates or is fearful of, is it high pitched? You say he responded to low tones. Play with this to see - if you get better responses from low tones drop it to make him more comfortable with you. I personally wouldn't push him too much at the moment. Get him comfortable first and that means trust and safety. Go and sit near him, reading, knit, sew etc and talk to him with cage closed. Use soft eye method as looking at him directly will spook him. Get him to trust and want to know you again. If your husband completely takes over all his needs then he will bond strongly with him so ask him to hold back a little for the time being. Give him the chance to get to know you all over again. They are quite unique but totally adorable birds and I'm so sorry your relationship has been changed. I would be devastated if this happened to mine. What is your bird called? You stand a good chance to pull this around but take it slow, he is fearful and not very trusting, almost as if he doesn't really know you anymore? I can remember the vertical flapping and it can be overcome. Time, gentleness, love and patience.

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gentleheart said:

plumsmum2005 said:

Firstly, hi and welcome

On reading this through I have a nagging question "has something or someone" upset your RB2? My guess is yes! If you can ask questions where your bird was boarded? My guess if it has then you won't get all the story but you might glean bits n pieces. Enough to give you an idea. In the meantime can you work out what type of voice he hates or is fearful of, is it high pitched? You say he responded to low tones. Play with this to see - if you get better responses from low tones drop it to make him more comfortable with you. I personally wouldn't push him too much at the moment. Get him comfortable first and that means trust and safety. Go and sit near him, reading, knit, sew etc and talk to him with cage closed. Use soft eye method as looking at him directly will spook him. Get him to trust and want to know you again. If your husband completely takes over all his needs then he will bond strongly with him so ask him to hold back a little for the time being. Give him the chance to get to know you all over again. They are quite unique but totally adorable birds and I'm so sorry your relationship has been changed. I would be devastated if this happened to mine. What is your bird called? You stand a good chance to pull this around but take it slow, he is fearful and not very trusting, almost as if he doesn't really know you anymore? I can remember the vertical flapping and it can be overcome. Time, gentleness, love and patience.

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Yes, that is what I have been thinking to do. In addition, I moved my lovebird to another room so Lina (the galah) will be looking for attention and companionship from humans instead.
He started this behavior with me before anyone else. My mom was still able to hold him for a long time after I was not able to. The change happened with me after I got married last year and my husband was around him. He latched onto my husband and started acting fearful of me, but was fine with everyone else. He didn't start this with my mom until he went to boarding. She had boarded him at the same place before without any problems (its also the place we purchased him from).
I know for a fact the voice thing is part of it. Except he loves when my mom talks to him in a very high-pitched baby voice, he talks and head-bangs and acts like a goofball. If she tries to hold him though, he freaks out. So if I go to try to handle him, I always talk in a low voice. It worked the one time, but that was it.
I honestly don't mind if he never wants me to hold him. I would just like my mother to be able to enjoy her bird again. Its a maybe whether getting him used to be handled by me will help with other women as well, and I'm not so sure it will. I think that she really just needs to spend more time with him in the evenings after work.
Do you think that moving his cage next to her favorite seat in the living room where she likes to watch TV would help them bond again?
I'm going to go ahead and move his cage today and hang out with him. I'll keep you all updated on any changes

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gentleheart said:

I do think not getting enough sleep time is part of the problem. I'm going to at least cover his cage, but seeing as how I can't get him to step up and come out, the alternate sleep cage is not really an option.
My husband came down and just tried to get him to step up. Lina was having none of it, and I really think its because both of us have been really sick and my husband wasn't spending as much time with him as he normally does.
I'm hoping the new cage location will help encourage everyone to interact with him. Before he was tucked back in a corner, but now he's at the center of the living room where everyone hangs out.
His cage is right next to me now, and he's very calm and just watching me. I don't think the change upset him.
I've been kind of rambling and jumping back and forth between thoughts, sorry about that!

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