Aggressive Behavior

[BirdieDad]

My Scarlet is still quite young but she is has started a new thing. We spend reasonable amount of time together, but if I should leave for several hours and then return she will fly to me. This is fantastic, as I miss her as well. However, if someone comes near her for the first 15 minutes that I have arrived she lunges and opens her wings. Mind you she is fine if someone interacts with me, but if someone tries to convince her to step down off my arm or back, then it is a problem. After I have said hello to her and let her hang out with me then she she is fine with someone or my wife coming up to her. She will not step down unless I put her down, but she does not behave aggressively after that 15-20 min window. How can I get her to stop doing this? I do not want to create any bad behaviors. Thank you.

On a positive note we are doing much better with our harness, she still bites at it but getting better. Today we flew in the yard for about 10 minutes. Still struggling with syringe and towel, although she sits on my lap and lets me clip a couple of toenails before letting me know she has had enough.

 

[SailBoat]

Sorry that your Thread had gotten missed. With hope this bump will get it noticed and others will respond in turn.

What you are facing it a bit of Parrot Very Happy to See You and wanting a bit of together time prior to being open to others. There are far more difficult problems one can have. So, spent the together time and then pass your Mac to another family members. The goal is that your Mac will go to any 'family or accepted friend.' The process is referred to as Socializing you're Mac. A game that you can use is called pass the potato, but in this case it's you Mac. The goal is to get your Mac comfortable with stepping-up to each member of the family and then being past to another member. With each session, each individual spends more time with your Mac before passing on to another.

Outside time requires a weary eye to the sky! If you live in an area that has Hawks, Eagle or the like, you need to take great care. Yes, your Mac is big, but a hungry Hawk maybe just try...

 

[noodles123]

that's not abnormal if a bird is obsessed with someone. The toll of you being away would upset your bird and then you being back would be her defending you from others who might take away from your alone time lol.


Mine used to do that with my dad when she saw him on holidays (getting aggressive with others etc). For mine, it was mostly time and not rewarding the behavior, plus continued socialization and hormonal control...Pet on head and neck only, no huts/shadowy spaces, 10-12 hours sleep each night, if your bird goes after someone, you should place her on a time/out perch or on the ground and then you should ignore her for a minute or so (no eye contact or talking etc). Also, just know that when you get home from being gone, she may act this way, so rather than having to react once it happens, you might just ask that others stand a bit back, unless she is on her cage top where you could safely deflect any oncoming attacks while interacting with others. I am not saying to shelter her-- she needs to know that there are other ppl in the home too, but try to play it smart so that she doesn't feel like a diva but isn't so mad that she's attacking

 

[BirdieDad]

Thank you. I do the pass the birdie game and she does well with that, it is only during that time when I come home from work that she becomes a little aggressive. It may seem silly to ask, but I just do not want to instill any bad habits if I can avoid it. Much appreciate the response and thanks for the heads up for hawks. Right now we are still pretty low to the ground and in the back yard, but I will definitely keep a look out!

 

[SailBoat]

Think of it as your greeting from your child. Once they get their time, life is wonderful. Your Mac is already showing that kind of response and as you continue to play pass the Mac and each individual spends more time with your Mac you will begin to see a reduction of the needed one of one time...

 

[Moxie]

My Scarlet is still quite young but she is has started a new thing. We spend reasonable amount of time together, but if I should leave for several hours and then return she will fly to me. This is fantastic, as I miss her as well. However, if someone comes near her for the first 15 minutes that I have arrived she lunges and opens her wings. Mind you she is fine if someone interacts with me, but if someone tries to convince her to step down off my arm or back, then it is a problem. After I have said hello to her and let her hang out with me then she she is fine with someone or my wife coming up to her. She will not step down unless I put her down, but she does not behave aggressively after that 15-20 min window. How can I get her to stop doing this? I do not want to create any bad behaviors. Thank you.

On a positive note we are doing much better with our harness, she still bites at it but getting better. Today we flew in the yard for about 10 minutes. Still struggling with syringe and towel, although she sits on my lap and lets me clip a couple of toenails before letting me know she has had enough.

Sometimes the best thing to do with bad behavior is ignore it and praise the good behavior. We don't have any one person macaws, all of ours will go to anyone and their favorites person changes on a regular. The only always favorite person is me... MOM!

Yes keep an eye out for the hawks.

Sorry that your Thread had gotten missed. With hope this bump will get it noticed and others will respond in turn.

What you are facing it a bit of Parrot Very Happy to See You and wanting a bit of together time prior to being open to others. There are far more difficult problems one can have. So, spent the together time and then pass your Mac to another family members. The goal is that your Mac will go to any 'family or accepted friend.' The process is referred to as Socializing you're Mac. A game that you can use is called pass the potato, but in this case it's you Mac. The goal is to get your Mac comfortable with stepping-up to each member of the family and then being past to another member. With each session, each individual spends more time with your Mac before passing on to another.

Outside time requires a weary eye to the sky! If you live in an area that has Hawks, Eagle or the like, you need to take great care. Yes, your Mac is big, but a hungry Hawk maybe just try...

The hawks around here are as big as my Hyacinths. Well not beak and tail but their actual body is. They are big and beautiful. Every time I take Highway 277 and go through Cookietown, OKlahoma I see at least a half a dozen hawks and I have seen as many as a dozen at one time.