Biting amazon of 12 years.

[Perkunas]

The family has had the amazon since it was 3 months old (I was 12), I played with it everyday and read books on how to train them and etc, and became good friends, to the point that he used to sleep with me on my bunk bed every night and it would come over to my pillow and put its head down next to mine for scratches.

At about 5-6 years of age, the amazon one day, while outside, randomly bit me as hard as it could on my cheek almost biting through it without any warning.

From that day on, he has been trying to kill me. If I walk by the cage it runs after me and tries to bite me repeatedly as hard as it can, extremely bloody results on my end.

I've tried to show no pain when it bites me and show no reaction, but it will bite repeatedly and grind its beak in a way that causes serious damage and now I have several scars and have given up on the bird. It chases me across its cage when I walk by and snaps its beak.

I've spent several months (several attempts over the years, 1 month at a time daily) trying to get it be friends with me by giving it treats and have it stand in its cage. It always tries to trick me pretending it wants to get the nut, and then bites my finger as hard as it can and even jumps on the hand. I know the body language of parrots and have worked with others, but this one shows absolutely no signs! The only sign I have is it flares up its head when I'm in the room and walks around annoyed. If I show her one hand, and have her climb on the other, she immediately rushes for my face. I thought because it likes it there, but it has bitten my cheek twice already and don't risk it anymore. If you set the bird down, she will walk and run towards me from 2 rooms across.

That being said, he is an absolute sweetheart to my younger brother (he's 3 years younger than me, now me being 24) and my mom, and any other person (even strangers) other than my dad and I. My dad does not interact with the bird.

Edit : I used to be able to flip him on his back, do anything I want with him. Now my brother and mom are able to do that, and I can't.

Never gave the bird any physical discipline.

Can anyone PLEASE tell me what the heck is going on with this bird. Simply me being in the room makes the bird pissed. We used to be best of friends, family always said it's my bird, and now I can't even get close. Thank you for reading all that.

 

[thekarens]

He/she has chosen your brother/mother to be his/her main person and you are now the outsider unfortunately.

 

[IamJolyn]

I cannot really offer advice, only empathy. My Jezebel, a Mulucon 'Too, was about 7 months when I got her. Soon after we adopted her I became pregnant with my second child and we moved half way across the US. After my 2nd child was born, he was maybe 4 month, Jezebel was about a year and a half, i walked up to her cage to feed her as per our usual, and she freaked out, banged her head against the rails and ran, flew, flapped to get away from me. This went on for weeks, and turned into months. I spend the next 6 months trying to re tame her to me, and at least got to the point I could feed, water and clean her cage but she would have nothing to do with me. I did everything with this bird before, she rode my shoulder all day and snuggled and played . . . then this. I ended up having to rehome her because my ex husband wouldn't care for her and she was miserable.

Jezzy will only interact with the husband of the couple i gave her too, and to this day will not tolerate women. I thought it could have been the move coupled with the pregnancy, but I never knew why all of a sudden i was a horrible thing to her.

Sounds like you had even more of a history with your 'Zon. There is lots of good advise here, and I hope you can get your friend back.

 

[Aquila]

The biggest thing I learned is that Amazons never bluff. Mine has gone back and forth between being bitey and being cuddly. He was wild, and I've had him for about 4 years now, making him about 31 years old.

First thing, is I'd have him vet checked. Are you also sure he's male? Taking him into a new environment can help, like another bedroom, and working with him there, so you're the only thing that he's familiar with, but it does sound like he's being picky.

Try to involve yourself more in his routine, letting him out, feeding him, cleaning the cage, and being the bridge between the family members he likes. If he misbehaves, put him back in the cage and try again in a few minutes. Get a good pair of leather gloves and try stick training him first before letting him on your hands if he's likely to bite.

 

[Jazzop]

This happened with a Quaker I took in from a family that it suddenly snapped and wanted to kill. I had it for 3 years, and it was the sweetest bird to me. Then one day, psycho mode switched on and he never changed after that. So I gave him away to another family after nearly a year of hoping for a change. Curiously, I lived alone, so there was no one else the bird could have bonded with.

 

[Perkunas]

Thanks for the input everyone. That's all disheartening to hear, but oh well.. It's what I expected to hear. If I can convince my mother to not be so attached to it, I will try to get him a new home..

 

[Giggleagain]

I have a Quaker parrot that changes allegiances faster than you can blink an eye, and all without reason to us humans. Parrots have a different kind of logic. You say that the family had the amazon for 12 years. The family.

I hope this question doesn't hurt your feelings, but I would like to know why you want to re-home a bird that has a good relationship with your brother and mother.

Why does the bird have to go just because it won't interact with you?

 

[Notdumasilook]

I hope this question doesn't hurt your feelings, but I would like to know why you want to re-home a bird that has a good relationship with your brother and mother.

Why does the bird have to go just because it won't interact with you?

Thats what I was wondering. The bird has a bond already with others in the home and I assume well taken care of. Why gamble on him finding someone that will take good care of him?
Yeah it can break your heart when a bird "turns" on you but you might have more going on than just that. Note that birds have millions of years of hardwired behavior.. some we have a hard time understanding or explaining. There is also the "pecking order" thing.. where a bird wil test you just to see if he can be one up on the ladder. Why he picked you..?? who knows.. could be BECAUSE you were the closest to him. I know there are lots of schools of thought on this, but with my Amazon it happened more or less to me. He tested me a few times.. got put in his place, and now he accepts me as "boss bird" of the house. Also I have a wife thats never hurt my Amazon and was sweet to him, but not as close as me. Now, he wont test me, but he will test her but ONLY when I am out of the room for a few minutes. Otherwise he will sit in her lap or on her shoulder, even preen her ear gently. Once I leave he goes all Mr Hyde on her and runs her off the couch. Let me walk back in the room.. back to Mr Sweetbird,. hah. Wife cant manage to meet his challenge so this is the way its gonna be I guess. Now my method might make bird owners cringe, but its harmless and does not hurt the bird. I get control of the birds neck and feet, (not choking him)..restraining him from bitting me. I get the feet to imoblize him for his own saftey and I held him on his back in my lap and just let him struggle and squawk..and yes..those claws made me bleed a bit, but I kept holding and talking to him sternly until he quit struggling and made his "helpless bird" sound. Once that sound kicked in I talked gently too him and eased him back on his cage. No harm no foul. I had to do it a few times with him off and on for about a year, but now all is well and hes back to being his lovable and affectionate self. He has not challenged me in years now and he goes out of his way NOT to bite me. I cant say this will work for you, all I can say is it worked for me.. good luck