Behavioral problem?

[ZeljkaD]

My 4-months old IRN Alex has acclimatized well over the last two months. However, for the past week, he's started aggressively snapping at the cage bars in the mornings (maybe sensing that I'm about to leave for work), and he's always trying to chew on things: all expect those I get for him to chew. He has a propensity for nibbling at my fingers not always gently and I didn't manage to train him so far in the difference.

However, today I had a peculiar thing happen. He was on my dad's shirt, which he likes because it seems to be warm for him (the nibbling at the zipper and the glasses is an added bonus I guess), and we were both petting him: he has this pose where he almost lays down, raises his head and coos to be petted. But as I was petting him, he suddenly surged and snapped at my nose, drawing blood. I've put him in the cage afterwards so I can get alcohol rubbed in the wound, and when I took him out again to show that cage was not punishment, he went for my nose and lip again.

Two hours after being in the cage for that, I took him out yet again and he tried to go for my nose again at a point, after which he went back to perching on my sleeve.

Any idea why is he exibiting that kind of behavior?

 

[LoveMyParrots]

He might be going through the bluffing stage. Parrots like alexandrine, ringneck, macaw and conure (etc) are prone to this problem. This is where they will bite and nip on stuff. There's no ways that could stop this behavior completely, but there's way to help him to stop biting.

One thing is to take him away from his cage would help. Does he have a stand? If so, put him on the stand. Since he is away from his territory, he is less likely to be aggressive. Also, don't handle him less or anything like that, just ignore the behavior. If you yell at him, make a big fuss about it, you would be training him to bite.

Don't take your hand away when he bites, actually push into the bite, that teaches him that biting doesn't hurt you, and in fact, he would loose balance and will likely to let go. Don't allow him anywhere near your face, it could ended up much worser than a bleeding nose. And every time before you take him out from the cage, try to pet him, feed him, etc. If he doesn't bite, allow him out, but if he does go in and lunge at your hand, leave him in the cage, and walk away.

Put lots of toys in his cage, I have find out that parrots that have a range of different toys in their cage is less aggressive. Chewing toys like wood toys can help to stop biting.

I recommend you to do target/touch training. Go on YouTube, there are lots of awesome video on how to do that. And website like birdtricks and goodbirdinc would be very helpful, they have lots of video and writing about biting problem in parrot.

Hope this helped

 

[ZeljkaD]

Thanks for the answer.

I'm not worried about overall biting as much as the aggressiveness though: I've received him hand-fed, and he seems to like it most when he's out of the cage with me. However, he has never been aggressive on the cage bars prior to this week. I'm not sure if he's developing that as a way of trying to tell me not to go away: he only does it in the morning when I'm up and heading for work. Maybe the fact my dad doesn't even keep him company when I'm at work makes him display loneliness in that way.

The other worry I have is that he's come to see the cage as something bad ever since he got the new one. Some times he goes in calmly when I bring him to the door, but often I have to trick him in with some toy. And after he eats, he wants to go out to me again if I'm in the room and clings to the bars looking after me.

 

[SparkkiSparkS]

I agree with everything lovemyparrots said. He may just need time to get used to his new cage. Any extra time you have to spend with him could also help, maybe sit and talk with him for a few mins before you leave for work in the mornings. Even if you just go sit by his cage and dont let him out. Just talk and give a treat before you leave. Just an idea.. 4 months is pretty young still. Has he started molting? That can put them in some cranky moods.

 

[ZeljkaD]

How long is usually the time it takes for them to get used to the new cage? He's been in his new cage for one month out of two that I've had him.

I'll try giving him a treat before work. I've made a point to talk to him every morning, but without a treat, in an attempt to soothe him before I leave so he doesn't call for me that strongly. (I can usually hear him through the wall when I'm on the street in front of the entrance.) Maybe he's molting, I've noticed a few of his small feathers around every day.

As I'm typing this, he's back in the cage almost effortlessly, but for the last time today. He was on my shoulder, and when I was talking to dad I pointed at him then at something else, and he mistook it for an attack or something, then bit me on the cheek.

 

[MeganMango]

Mango has the odd temper tantrum in the morning when he knows we are about to put him back in his cage. We get up pretty early, and he is out for about an hour before we leave. I make him part of my get-ready routine including a shower and a blow dry (he doesnt like to be blow dried but he likes to watch and chat with his reflection in the mirror). If you do this, be aware of dangerous things like wires that can be chewed, hair spray, shampoo etc. I also find foraging opportunities really help distract him. I have some foraging toys that Ive bought, but I also make new ones out of muffin tin inserts. I put blueberries and nutriberries in them, tie them off with some bird-safe rope and hang them all over his cage right before we leave. He also gets a small piece of a peanut right before we go out the door. I also completely empty his cage every week or so and move everything around and change up the toys. Mango gets a little cage aggressive and this helps keep him from getting too territorial.

 

[MeganMango]

How long is usually the time it takes for them to get used to the new cage? He's been in his new cage for one month out of two that I've had him.

I'll try giving him a treat before work. I've made a point to talk to him every morning, but without a treat, in an attempt to soothe him before I leave so he doesn't call for me that strongly. (I can usually hear him through the wall when I'm on the street in front of the entrance.) Maybe he's molting, I've noticed a few of his small feathers around every day.

As I'm typing this, he's back in the cage almost effortlessly, but for the last time today. He was on my shoulder, and when I was talking to dad I pointed at him then at something else, and he mistook it for an attack or something, then bit me on the cheek.

I would definitely keep him away from your face for now, you could get really injured. If he is molting, be sure to give him lots of baths and make sure he is getting a good balanced diet so his feathers come in strong.

 

[crimson]

I don't own an IRN but am going thru sort of the same issue with my Senegal.
Snaps or lunges at my face. I read on a post that some members don't allow their birds on their shoulders, for a very good reason, that you and I are finding out.

Now I am clicker training my Senegal with excellent results, and he's only allowed on my arm to my elbow, not past it.
If he tries to climb up, I get him to step up on my finger(with protest sometimes) and I place him back on my arm, and tell him to 'stay'

 

[LoryLover]

However, he has never been aggressive on the cage bars prior to this week. I'm not sure if he's developing that as a way of trying to tell me not to go away: he only does it in the morning when I'm up and heading for work. Maybe the fact my dad doesn't even keep him company when I'm at work makes him display loneliness in that way.

The other worry I have is that he's come to see the cage as something bad ever since he got the new one. Some times he goes in calmly when I bring him to the door, but often I have to trick him in with some toy. And after he eats, he wants to go out to me again if I'm in the room and clings to the bars looking after me.

It sounds to me like he's definitely upset about something and is trying to convey his feelings to you by his attacking. Could there be something inside his new cage that he doesn't like? Maybe you could show him each item that is in his cage, one at a time and see what his reaction is. If he reacts fine with all of them, then that isn't the problem, yet if he does react badly to one or more of the items, then you'll know. Parrots can react to the smallest of gestures and perceive them as threats and they will assign blame to someone.

We got our lory when she was very young, only 6 weeks old. But even then if we left the house, we would tell her "bye bye, we'll see you later, be a good birdie!" And when we returned, we would greet her with the happiest of happy greetings. By the time she was 3 months old, she could sense when we were leaving and would say "bye bye, see ya later!"

We just basically interacted with her as if she was our little kid and when she discovered she could bite, she learned how to say "no biting" because that's what she heard a lot during the "training not to bite" period which lasted about 3 weeks.

I've found too, that she feeds off of our emotions. If we display sincere love and happiness to her, she responds in kind. If we are upset with her, she becomes upset too.

Being that your alex is still very young, you are still in the phase of creating a good, loving bond with him. I've always felt that it takes a good 2 years to fully create a tight, trusting bond wth my parrot. By then I know exactly what to expect of them and they know me too.

 

[ZeljkaD]

Well, i've checked the items in the cage, and he's not reacting badly towards any of them. I guess he simply sees the cage as a form of punishment, since he longs to be out with me.

So it is that he seems to be aggressive towards me at times, even though in the two months I've had him, nothing changed in the way I was handling him. But he's calmed down now, and acts like nothing happened with the biting.

@LoryLover: I'm doing the same thing with my bird: whenever I go out, I tell him "Bye Alex! ". Hopefully he'll learn soon that after that, it's pointless to try and call out. And dad says that when I'm not in, he came to associate the doorbell with me: he probably noticed that whenever it rings, I soon came back to him.


EDIT: I've talked to the breeder today, and it turns out the matter is very simple: he's angry in the mornings because I'm out a lot. He took to me as his "mom", and he feels that lately I have not spent enough time with him. Admittedly, I haven't since exams and work kept me really busy and out of the house. So every morning, being angry and snapping at the bars to get to me seems his way of saying that he wants me to stay with him.

 

[Amelia]

I just got my IRN (a boy) and I am calling him "BOSS". The people who had him last didn't know anything about him except that the previous owner had alzheimer's and was placed into a nursing home. He squaks ALOT...(I am assuming it is missing it's "momma").

Please help me to help him. I know he must be feeling abandoned!!! And "who is this woman taking care of me"?!!!

Thanks and waiting a response~Amelia & "BOSS".

 

[chippy]

My husbands IR does the same thing in the mornings when I remove his cover...he lunges at the cage bars where my hand is. EVERY time he does it, I stop dead, say "NO bite" and just leave my hand and the cover exactly where they are until he calms down then begin again. As long as he is not lunging, I remove the cover/ open the door etc. The second he lunges, time stands still and so do I. I do not remove my hand or back away, and he is improving by the day with this. Now he typically lunges once, and then "behaves".
As far as any biting at me when he is out, which he did for a short time after arriving here (it had been VERY effective with his previous owners), I dropped my arm/ shoulder/ finger ever so slightly but quickly to get him off balance and he learned quickly that every time he attempted to bite, he lost his balance and he stopped. He no longer bites at anyone, and we've only had him since December, so it didn't take long.
They, like all pets (and children, too, come to think of it) NEED to know that, #1, YOU are in charge and #2 that bluffing/ biting/ and other negative behaviours get them nowhere and do NOT make you go away.
Good luck with this.