Biting Male Alexandrine (Yoshi)

[Karlee]

I have had my alexandrine for about 3 weeks now, and up until i clipped his wings one week ago he was fine, now he has started biting and wont accept food from our hands anymore or let my partner or me near his cage now. Yoshi has bitten my partner a few times but we havent reacted to him biting (yelling or smacking or anything). He is about 12 months old and supposedly hand raised but the owner didn't have the time to spend a great deal with him. Since we've clipped his wings i usually open his cage and let him climb about it but then he'll get to the ground and find a nook or cranny to go into which then we have to pick him up in a towel or soemthing so he won't bite us. This he hates so much and I think it's making the situation worse? Any tips to stop him biting and to gain his trust back? Any help is very much appreciated!

 

[kobe629]

Sorry to hear about that maybe it's better if this was moved to the the behavioral part of the forum maybe you will get more of a response. I would try just siting next to him to get him use to you and try to hand feed him treats to gain his trust.

 

[LoveMauiGus]

Hi, I don't have an Alexandrine, but the same exact thing happened to me when we clipped our sun conure's wings. I think it is a combination of trust being "violated" and your bird being completely out of its comfort zone not being able to fly. It's a scary thing for them, they don't understand, they just know you are probably to blame. Maui didn't want anything to do with us and bit us a lot during the transition.

It took a solid 2 weeks for Maui to get comfortable again, I would give it time and continue trying to work with him, but don't push him too much, be gentle and available. We opened her door and sat by her cage a lot

 

[Karlee]

@ kobe629, I am new to these forums and don't know how to put it in the behavioral part of the forums? I never knew there was such a thing thank you both for your help, I sit next to his cage for most of the day and i just keep talking and whistling to him which he enjoyed before we clipped him. When will he learn to talk?

 

[suebee]

@ kobe629, I am new to these forums and don't know how to put it in the behavioral part of the forums? I never knew there was such a thing thank you both for your help, I sit next to his cage for most of the day and i just keep talking and whistling to him which he enjoyed before we clipped him. When will he learn to talk?

keep doing this sitting by cage etc, not to close for now, you've clipped your bird, you might have hurt him when doing so

you are right in thinking letting him out of his cage is causing more problems as he is trying to escape but can't and the process of you catching him must also be very stressfull

to me you are not dealing with a shy bird, but a frightened one, so take it slow

leave him in his cage, (for now) keep up with the chatting, whistling interaction but not to near the cage. you might have to do this for a few wks even

it'll take time and patiance to reform a bond with your bird, you will start seeing a grain of trust again, when he starts taking treats from your hand through cage, and then maybe you could try with letting him out

what was the interaction you had with him before clippin? basic step ups etc??

 

[kobe629]

@ kobe629, I am new to these forums and don't know how to put it in the behavioral part of the forums? I never knew there was such a thing thank you both for your help, I sit next to his cage for most of the day and i just keep talking and whistling to him which he enjoyed before we clipped him. When will he learn to talk?

To be honest with you I don't know. I just got my alex too..He is 4 years old and was talking already and knows several phrases and words also different sounds like a house alarm and a baby crying..I think the previous owner spent a lot of time with the bird. But I also have a queen of bavaria and I have been trying to teach him to talk and he started a little after 1 years old and his first word was step up and his second is hello. But not all birds talk some are talkers and some are not. Good luck and I would love to see some pictures of your alex..