4 year old female with aggression ?

[Kate]

Hi all!

Thanks for this site, I have been reading through it and it is very helpful.

I have a little bit of a different senerio:

I need help with a 4 year old female love bird I adopted on July 31st.

She had been hand fed and grew up in a family with 2 children. Unfourtunetly the kids grew up and lost interest and she spent atleast a year with little social interaction. The mom wouldn't get involved because the lovie would bite her.

They ended up finding her a new home with a friend of theirs who was able to re-socialize her (had her for 3 months) but she ended up relocating to Vancouver and couldn't bring along the lil one

For the past few months the lovie was been back with the original owner where no one interacted with her and she spent most of the time in her cage on the porch.

When I met her on Sunday we bonded immediately. She chirpped friendly to me and made eye contact with lil "puppy dog" eyes. I spend 20 minutes sitting with her and eventually after talking sweetly with her had her nuzzling up to me as I pet her through the cage. I couldn't help but take her home!

I left her in the cage for the day but spent alot of time sitting beside her cage, talking to her and by the early evening she was coming to the side of the cage I was sitting on and I was able to pet her through the bars. A little while later I let her out of the cage to explore. She bit and latched onto my finger when I went close to her so I backed off and let her explore. Eventually she made her way to the couch and when I felt she was a little more relaxed I attempted to pet her again. She stretched her wings out and nuzzled into my hand, she seemed to love every minute if it. I put her in the cage a little while later and in the evening covered her cage for bedtime.

The next day (and the 3 days since) she has totally changed. She lunges at me if I put my hand close to the cage and seems to be on a rampage. Her feathers puff up she hunches over and stomps around, throwing her beak at her toys, scrapping her beak on the cage in wild ways and the noise!!! Not the sweet friendly chirps, that's for sure!

I have tried ignoring the "screaming" and not making eye contact until she settles, which happens only when she's peanning or eating. I take that opportunity to talk sweetly to her again and it seems to comfort her briefly until she starts the high pitched loud chirps again (they sound aggressive, not happy)

On the second day after 2 hours of the bizarre behavior she seemed to calm down so I sat beside the cage and tried to comfort her. She started trying to open the cage door and chirping at me, so I let her out of the cage. She went right for the couch and began pacing back and forth on it. She wasn't interested in any toys and viciously lunged at me if I tried to get close to pet her or give her a treat so I left her alone, still trying to talk sweetly but she just looked so vicious. I haven't taken her out of her cage for the past two days. I thought I would try and soothe her to the point where I could pet her through the bars again before I let her out as she is far too unpredictable in this current state.

I have tried just sitting by her cage and talking to her sweetly, trying to calm her down but she just flys wildly around the cage and bites at me if I try to come close or changed her water/food bowl.

I'm not sure what to do, but as I live in an appartment building I won't be able to keep her if she keeps her "screaming" up and I hate to think that she will have to go back to living alone on the front porch

 

[suebee]

she is one angry bird, but its not at you, its over how she has been kept

i am sure some1 with love bird experiance will be along soon, i can only go by my experiance with my nut

nut was just as sweet at the start an then went well nuts lol but reso******ing a bird takes time, as in months maybe, so just be patient for now. you have been doin the right thing with chatting/sitting with her etc

try placing the cage in an area where she can have a good view of all around her, nuts cage is infront of our main room window so she can watch the world go by, and towards dinner time its put back against wall

leave her in her cage for now, if you let her out just let her be an leave door open so she can get back in for food etc you will need time to do this! have your drinks an sharable snacks at the ready in room

she came to you an charmed you before, and she'll do it again, she just needs to settle an realise what her new home/routine is

 

[IolaniAviary]

Lovebirds can be iffy when un-socialized. If it wasn't for the fact that she let you pet her a little bit ago, I'd say it's close to impossible IMO. The best thing you can do is work with her and be persistent. The first step is letting her out of the cage, leave the door open and wait for her to step out. Wherever she goes follow her, offer millet and treats. Even walk off and sit somewhere, pretend to 'play' with some toys. She may become curious and visit you. She may never be quite like she was as a hand-fed chick, but I promise you if your persistent she will come a long way. Mango was left for years after she hit the "teenage" stage, she became so aggressive she flew out of the cage to bite people when the door was opened. She is one of my breeders now, and she allows me to feed her millet and change her dishes. But she will still draw blood if I try anything fishy lol.

 

[NalaNacious]

This sounds an awful lot like my little Wakana. She flies at me and attacks if I even DARE to go near her. She loves to land on me, though. I'm so frustrated!! She will coo and chirp at me, and get angry if I don't respond. But if I go near her, she FLIPS out. She's so aggressive, and I don't know what to do. Mine was never socialized, though...she was a breeder from the start. I just need to know there's a light at the end of this tunnel!! Good luck with yours

 

[MikeyTN]

This sounds an awful lot like my little Wakana. She flies at me and attacks if I even DARE to go near her. She loves to land on me, though. I'm so frustrated!! She will coo and chirp at me, and get angry if I don't respond. But if I go near her, she FLIPS out. She's so aggressive, and I don't know what to do. Mine was never socialized, though...she was a breeder from the start. I just need to know there's a light at the end of this tunnel!! Good luck with yours

One thing that could help to start with is to clip her!

 

[NalaNacious]

Thanks! I have an appointment for next Thursday. I just don't know what to do with her until then. I can't leave her in her cage for a week. >.>

 

[MikeyTN]

To the original poster, lovebirds can be like that like it was posted already. They do chirp a lot, its their nature. They're the most sweet birds when Handfed and trained properly. But once they go wild, not a easy task to do but it takes time and patience.

 

[TeakwoodBirdHouse]

Lovebirds are not the most loving birds! They can be nippy, and aggressive. Especially females. She's been through a lot. She's reacting to all the changes in her life. Be patient. Do as you have done...sit with her, talk to her, let things happen at her pace. She's used to being by herself, and is not sure if she can trust you. So, she's acting defensively aggressive. At first, you were a new thing in her life. She responded as with a new toy. Now, you aren't going away, so she's not sure what you want. Give her time. Trust has to be earned with birds. And everything with them is done at a slow pace. If she makes too much noise, you can try to cover her cage for a few minutes, until she quiets down. When she is quiet, uncover her, and give her a treat, and kind words. Good luck. You have a bit of work ahead of you. But, we (and she) thank you for rescuing her from her negligent past owners.

 

[Mocknbird2]

Just wondering whatever happened to the little lovie. I hope she's OK. Territorial female LBs are quite a challenge.
I know. Believe me, I know.